Haunted Courtney

Like other types of hunters, paranormal investigators seem to have their own "season." I know what you're thinking: October, right?  We've all been told that the veil between the living and the dead thins a little bit every day until Halloween night when it comes down for 24 hours.  Sounds amazing, right?  I always thought so.  I remember growing up thinking that ghosts were just sitting on the other side of the veil, waiting to be released into the mortal world. Clawing and scraping against the invisible barrier until the clock struck midnight on Halloween.  That doesn't make much sense, though.  Do they respect time zones?  Are East coast ghosts released first?  How does that work?  As I've gotten older and spent more time investigating, I've started questioning that idea. In my own experience, I haven't noticed paranormal activity increasing around Halloween. To be honest, I've not gotten a single EVP or paranormal photograph ever on Hallo...

As time passes by, and technology absorbs every spare moment, I've noticed something slightly alarming. Kids don't seem to believe in ghosts anymore.  They simply don't see them.  They don't allow their minds to rest enough to see those things peeking at them from the dark. Phones and tablets consume every ounce of visual energy, and aside from a poltergeist knocking a device out of their hands, they refuse to see beyond them.  I've always believed that you can't fully experience the paranormal until you accept that there's more to this world than what you can see and touch. Some non-believers have moments of poltergeist activity, but never a lasting relationship with the beyond.  Of course, not everyone wants a relationship with paranormal beings, and I can't blame them for that. It's not for everyone. I worry, though, that this age of digital domination has led to an age of paranormal blindness.  Paranormal blindness is the inability or unwillingne...

I've always been baffled by the idea of a specific time of night when ghosts emerge. It's widely believed that if you want the best chance of capturing evidence, you have to conduct your investigation in the dead of night. Why? Do hauntings only occur from midnight to 3:00 a.m.? I don't think so. I've experienced unexplained activity in broad daylight and in the early hours of the morning. So why do so many investigators choose midnight to wander around abandoned hospitals in search of a ghost willing to play the game? I have a theory. For starters, I think most ghost hunters, whether they want to admit it or not, enjoy the adrenaline rush. And honestly, who can blame them? What scenario is scarier than walking through a reportedly haunted building at midnight? Add in the fact that you can barely see the room around you, and you've got enough adrenaline to restart a heart. Sounds fun, right? It is. I just don't think it does much for the investigation. ...

Evidence contamination is one of the most frustrating things you can discover after an investigation. It renders any evidence you may have collected completely useless. Once you realize one piece of evidence is contaminated, you start questioning everything else. As painful as it is, sometimes the only option is to throw it all out and start over. I know exactly how that feels. I once drove more than ten hours to investigate a location, only to discover later that noise interference had ruined every second of audio I recorded. It almost hurts to delete something you know you may never be able to replace. Learn from my mistake. Here are a few ways to avoid contaminating your hard-earned evidence. Tip #1: Keep your group small. I know it's tempting to bring everyone along for the adventure, but resist the urge. The more people you have with you, the less control you have over the investigation. More people means more talking, more footsteps, and more opportunities to mistake ...

It's a dark and stormy night, and you've been invited to tag along with a local ghost hunting team. Every crack of thunder makes you jump, and every flash of lightning casts strange shadows along the walls. Each one seems to be reaching for you. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. You slowly make your way down one of the maze-like hallways of an abandoned asylum, gripping the flashlight someone handed you earlier. As you pass a doorway, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. You freeze. You take a slow breath and notice something else. When did it get so cold? You exhale, and your eyes widen as you watch your breath drift through the beam of your flashlight. This is it. Your first ghost. You take one more deep breath, summon every ounce of courage you have, and swing your flashlight toward the doorway. Something launches straight at your face. You scream. Your flashlight goes flying. The beam bounces wildly off the walls while you desperately try t...

                           It took us 7 hours to drive from Rockwall to San Antonio but the windshield time was well worth it. As we drove up to the historic hotel, you could feel the incredible weight of the paranormal wrap itself around you like a hungry snake; willing you inside to take a tour of the 138 year old hotel. The energy seeped from the building and seemed to encase the surrounding streets like a fog. With with the Alamo across the street, the energy was overwhelming.           We drove into the valet which appeared like any other and hauled our baggage to the front desk while looking around in awed fascination. Haunting aside, this place was gorgeous. There's no other way to put that. Antiques and elegant furniture were scattered around like a perfectly choreographed dance. It absolutely transports you to another time. It took us a moment to reenter 2017 and realize tha...