Pics from the Pulse Expedition

Team Photo  

Lead expedition vehicle preparing for departure in front of sponsor Mayday Brewery 

 On October 16th a group of hand-picked team members from Middle Tennessee embarked on a research expedition to Kentucky in order to investigate alleged Bigfoot sightings and follow up on a possible encounter we had back in the summer. 

This was a groundbreaking venture for several reasons. Firstly, it was my largest research expedition to date from both a personnel and logistics standpoint and involved 6 vehicles and 17 total participants over the course of the weekend. Most importantly though was the significance of the unique model employed to fund the entire affair. First and foremost the expedition was backed by the Murfreesboro Pulse, a publication based in Middle Tennessee. With this platform  it was then possible to attract additional financial and material support from local businesses interested in supporting the trip and benefiting from the attention from print advertisement and the social media campaign during the months leading up to the launch of our foray into the unknown. In this manner I've effectively discovered something nearly as exciting as Bigfoot himself. I've demonstrated that it's not only possible but advantageous to conduct research by leveraging the resources of business entities, even if your audience is relatively niche. The ability to fund one's own research in similar fashion in which a race car driver funds his or her racing team is relatively unique within the Paranormal, UFO and Bigfoot research communities. We all know that Television "research" in the form of TV programming is supported using a sponsorship model native to networks. We can also agree that these efforts are subject to the pressures of such entities to provide entertainment, sometimes resulting in compromises to research. I personally believe a better approach exists and intend to continue the development of a model for research funding that preserves the autonomy of the researcher and still brings value to sponsors through social media and other mediums. 

Once the Pulse publishes the final coverage of the Expedition in the November issue of the Pulse I can post what we found while in the field including further details on methodologies and experiences of various team members. Until then, enjoy these pics!

SEMPER EXPLORANDUM 

Better Days BBQ in Smyrna Provided Dinner the first night as well as bait or "gifts" for the Bigfoot

Camp MOAB sign honoring our sponsors 

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2015 Bigfoot Expedition: Journey to the Edge of Discovery

The Murfreesboro Pulse Magazine is forming an expedition to investigate recent Bigfoot reports in Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky and I am leading the expedition. The venture will be sponsored by a number of local businesses which is a slight departure from the normal research model applied by the BFRO et al. But it's not quite the same as Finding Bigfoot  which is designed to sell out and fail in order to have multiple seasons and constantly change scenery whereas focusing on one spot would yield more evidence. We have some "low tech" yet experimental techniques we intend to deploy in the field so look for coverage at www.boropulse.com Here are some of our sponsors.

I sang for Sasquatch: A Recent Expedition to Kentucky yields a possible encounter

  Last week Angela and I took a little trip up to Mammoth Cave National Forest to do some zip-lining and investigate some recent bigfoot sightings in the area. The guys giving the zip-line tour were already talking about some Bigfoot sightings they knew of in the area so we got excited about hunting a hot location. 

Possible structure 

    Next we headed into the park and crossed the ferry into the backcounty portion of the park to the area I had previously identified as promising. This part of the park near the White Oak Trail is among the least traveled and features a one-way trail which does not connect to any other. In fact it dead ends at the Green River.  We couldn’t take our rig on the hiking trail so we identified an opening in the foliage that we could  use  to climb up the steep bank and enter the forest from the road. I  locked down the differentials (gots REAL 4x4 ya'll) and headed off-road into the woods all the way dodging trees, boulders and stumps. Thank gawd for skid plates and ground clearance.  We then carefully selected a campsite far enough into the forest so as not to be seen by anyone coming down the dirt road. After establishing a camp I prepared a fire for cooking and after dinner we enjoyed some whiskey as is our tradition when on expedition in the state of Kentucky or any state for that matter.

 Later that evening at around midnight I began doing some tree knocks.  Now anyone who has read about bigfoot research is aware that these things are believed to communicate at times by banging rocks or logs against trees. I've heard tree knocks before and have used this approach to attract the creatures. My first round of knocking yielded no response. 

After a few more sips of whiskey I had an idea. Angela is an impressive vocalist with a some powerful lungs. In fact she was the pop artist known as Angela Ammons back in the early 2000's and was signed with Universal Records. So of course I got her to sing for Sasquatch.  You may be asking, just what does one sing to the Sasquatch? That’s a good question. While Angela had some commercial success during her career I don't think Squatch is down with American teeny-pop. So I asked her to just ad lib something like Native Americans might sing. My whiskey fueled logic was that injun  music might resonate better with this ancient being than say Ke$ha or 50 Cent. What she came up with isn't really native American but just a simple rift you might hear from one of those hippies playing the pan flute at a drum circle in Asheville North Carolina.  Click below to listen. 

                                           

                                                          Angela sings for Sasquatch

   

About 20 minutes after Angela finished her serenade to Sasquatch we heard a series of tree knocks that we were unable to record because we weren’t ready with any sort of recording device. This was the only sign of bigfoot that we encountered besides some oddly stacked wood which may or may not be placed intentionally. I’m planning a larger expedition in the fall to further investigate this same area. See below for picks from our trip. 

Semper Explorandum 

What was that?

"I sang for Sasquatch"

Our campsite

Building a fire

The Brown Mountain Lights: An Appalachian Mystery

Light appears just below the horizon (center of photo)

Deep in the Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina there exists a lingering mystery that predates European settlement and continues to defy solid explanation despite much investigation by countless individuals and government agencies. This deep Appalachian mystery known as the Brown Mountain Lights has been the source of much speculation over the years. It has inspired films and even been blamed for mysterious disappearances.

The Brown Mt. Lights are characterized by luminescent spheres which appear on the mountainsides, ridges and valleys of these ancient forests much like the will o' the wisps of European folklore that lure travelers astray to an unknown fate. The lights which can appear as a faint glow or the flame of a lantern will occur after nightfall on evenings throughout the year and are visible from a number of overlooks within the park. While they appear to pose no threat by most accounts they have at times been associated with more ominous happenings. Local Indian lore has associated these lights with the simultaneous disappearance of individuals and even large groups of people. Many contemporary accounts include people who say they have had encounters with UFO’s, missing time, and even abduction by extraterrestrials while in the vicinity. The setting for the 2014 independent film Alien Abduction took place in the area around Brown Mountain. In fact this area has such a reputation for unexplained events that it’s sometimes called the Bermuda Triangle of the Appalachians. The attraction I felt for this place became irresistible. So I scheduled a “business trip”.

After a brief 7 mile hike on the Nantahala portion of the Appalachian Trail (South of the NOC) I packed up the Jeep and made for Pisgah National Forest. I wanted to get a glimpse of the infamous lights for myself and possibly get abducted. Arriving at Pisgah I followed the dirt trail leading up the mountain to Wiseman’s View just before nightfall. Several vehicles were stationed along the trail overlooking Brown Mountain so it was obvious that I wasn't alone in my curiosity.

Despite my advanced state of preparedness and savage physique I’m nonetheless cautious when approaching strangers in National Parks where the number of people who have disappeared without explaination is significantly on the rise. It’s another troubling mystery which author David Paulides writes about in his book Missing 411: North America and Beyond. So taking care to avoid looking like a creeper I approached a young couple who were natives to the area and regular observers of the lights. I asked questions and they shared with me some of the popular speculation which includes everything from ancient Earth spirits to subterranean gas combustion, geomagnetic forces and witches.

As darkness came I climbed on top of the Jeep with my night vision equipment and a very good bottle of merlot from the nearby Lineville Falls Winery. I waited several hours and would have fallen asleep if not for the frigid breeze. Just before midnight is when they came. I couldn’t believe it. Peering through my scope I began to see what appeared to be a series of glowing orbs flickering in the dense forest canopy. The silent objects rose vertically and then extinguished at slow unpredictable intervals before reaching the mountain horizon. For several moments I was overawed by the deepest sense what my eyes were witnessing was something primordial. Then the lights ceased. They disappeared. No aliens abducted me and after two solo adventures to this area I don’t believe the extraterrestrials are directly involved with the cause of the phenomenon. As with so many enigmas it remains yet unsolved. So if you seek an encounter with the unknown this is one that is quite accessible and with the beauty of North Carolina as the backdrop for your expedition, why not explore it for yourself?

Semper Explorandum 

They Came from Outer Space!

Since very early times man has periodically reported contact with beings from other worlds.  Some perceived these mysterious visitors as fairies or giants and in some cases even haled them as gods, going so far as to integrate them into their religious belief systems.  But in 1955 when the Sutton-Lankford family from Kelly Kentucky allegedly encountered alien visitors who arrived in a mysterious craft and approached their farmhouse in the middle of the night, they did what country people do when they find themselves in such situations. They started shooting! But to the dismay of the defenders the bullets had no effect on the invaders, prompting the family to abandon the premises and seek the help of local law enforcement.  It was said of this family by police that,

“These aren’t the kind of people who normally run to the police for help.”

It’s one of the most famous and well-researched cases of an alleged alien encounter in history. Over the years hundreds of journalists and investigators from around the world have examined the details of the incident which continues to inspire curiosity almost 60 later. In fact Steven Spielberg was inspired by the story which is said to have influenced the creation of the much less disturbing tale from the film E.T. 

 A number of sources exist that document the incident . One which I recommend is a recent book authored by my friend a journalist by the name of Rob Dollar and fellow newsman Tim Ghianni. The book is called Monkeys Don’t Wear Silver Suits and it accomplishes something unique. It’s a highly informative and open-minded treatment of a topic with potentially monumental and frightening implications and mixes it with enough humor and a healthy skepticism that make it a balanced read.  One striking detail the authors also mention in the book is that the incident at Kelly wasn’t the only encounter with strange creatures reported in the area. Others also encountered strange creatures that summer and even some in more recent years.

So what really transpired that fateful evening in 1955?  It’s hard to say. Theories about escaped monkeys have been offered. Some suggest the whole family was hallucinating. Unfortunately most of the witnesses are now deceased. But accounts provided by the witnesses (8 adults and 3 children) never changed and were consistent over the years, a remarkable aspect since most hoaxes debunk themselves over time with conflicting stories. Two additional facts stand out in this case according to investigators. Firstly, the witnesses were sober on that evening and did not seem under the influence.  Secondly, whatever they encountered that night left them severely frightened and traumatized for the rest of their lives.  Former Hopkinsville Police Chief Russell Greenwell was recorded as saying: “Something scared these people. Something beyond reason—nothing ordinary.”

                

Having researched this case and visited the location where the incident was reported  I agree with the late Isabel Doris in her assessment of the case.

“Were it not for this universal determination to disbelieve a story of this nature, it is probable that the ‘explanations’ we have examined would never have been given serious consideration.”

In other words, while it’s not the explanation that we wish to believe, an actual alien visitation is more believable than the other explanations offered. Does this prove anything? Nope. But as always, I will keep exploring.

Semper explorandum

America's Stonehenge

I’m writing to you from Wiseman’s View near Linville North Carolina, deep in the Pisgah National Forest where I’m waiting for sundown in hopes of catching a glimpse of the mysterious Brown Mountain lights. It’s the perfect place to reflect on another recent journey I took to a place that harbors many ancient and peculiar secrets.

Near the small town of Salem New Hampshire there exists one of the most enigmatic sites in New England, the origins and true purpose of which may never be known for sure.  While traveling in the Boston area last month I couldn’t resist making the short 40 trip north to see it for myself. It’s called America’s Stonehenge has been featured on such shows as America Unearthed and In Search Of. Known previously as Mystery Hill, America’s Stonehenge is a large complex composed of buried chambers made from quarried stone,  enclosures and standing stones placed at some very deliberate locations around the complex. The site has continually perplexed researchers and has been the source of much controversy and speculation. 

Carbon 14 dating from features including a man-made fire pit indicates human habitation nearly 4000 years ago. While this does not provide a construction date for the entire complex it does show that there was human activity from a very early time in history. But possibly the most intriguing characteristics of America’s Stonehenge are those from which it derives its name. Are you ready? The various megaliths existing around the site are aligned with astrological events such as the Summer Solstice Sunrise and Spring and Fall equinox sunrises as they would have occurred around 1500 BC thus proving it was not the first Dunken Donuts.

Other inexplicable features are present at the site. At the center of the complex, just above the dank underground room known as the Oracle Chamber, there is a stone table. It features a groove carved into the surface presumably to allow a liquid to drain from the surface of the slab and into a receptacle. Was this used as a sacrificial table as the name of the feature suggests? Standing beside this alter deep in the woods my own dark imagination was set in motion as I imagined blasphemous rites of unspeakable terror being performed at this isolated monument. But I’m not alone in my thinking.   

This very location was the setting which inspired The Dunwich Horror, a story written by H.P. Lovecraft in the 1920’s.

Even more curious is the function of the Oracle Chamber itself which seems by design to allow sound to travel up a shaft from the underground room and project loudly into the area of the Sacrificial Table.

There is much speculation as to the origin of the complex. Some insist that Native Americans are responsible. Still others point to similarities between its construction and structures found in the British Isles. It has even been suggested that the site was built by Irish Monks or the Phoenician culture. My personal theory is that the site is European in origin and possibly the work of pagan worshipers or at least non-orthodox, Christian ascetics escaping persecution.

Whatever, the case may be one thing is certain. The site has been heavily altered and used for purposes ranging from a hide-out for escaped slaves to a haven for the 19^th century homeless. Having been partially dismantled by previous owners in order to sell its quarried stones, much research is still needed to reconstruct the original form and determine the intended function of the site. 

If you’re ever in New England and looking for a unique excursion that will leave you puzzled, I recommend a visit to this place. For more info visit: stonehengeusa.com 

Semper Explorandum

Crop Circles: Not Debunked!

Everything you have heard about crop circles for the past 20 years is wrong. Most of you have been led to believe that this phenomenon was first perpetrated by two elderly drinking buddies using some string and a board. You were subsequently led to believe this hoax was being copycatted by others as some type of secret pastime or art form. The creation of crop circles has even been demonstrated by Discovery Channel and A&E documentaries that seem to debunk the mystery. Elaborate fakes have also been employed as part of elaborate ad campaigns. Staged footage, expert opinion and clever editing made it all look like an open-and-shut case. Taking the bait, the public has now chunked this phenomenon into the dustbin of solved enigmas.

People of Earth: you’ve been lied to. Here is the truth. Despite many counterfeits, no man-made formation has ever produced the most striking characteristics associated with the genuine phenomenon: plants whose stems are bent, not broken. Secondly, alterations in the crystalline structure of the plants themselves are always present. Changes in the local electromagnetic field are also detected within the formations. Finally, there is the ability of the plants to grow after being laid, indicating they are alive and haven’t been trampled as they have with counterfeit circles. These aspects of the mystery are well-documented but often withheld from the public.

I’ll also mention that with few exceptions, when one of these groups attempts to replicate a formation, it’s accomplished over several days or with a large, well-funded team using equipment such as halogen lights and cranes, allowing them to work overnight. Such efforts typically attract crowds of onlookers and local authorities, with full knowledge of the landowner.

The truth of the matter is that these agroglyphs (fancy word for crop circle) are increasing in frequency and complexity. They are also occurring illegally, resulting in damage to valuable crops. Most appear overnight and, according to many eyewitnesses, they form within seconds, often accompanied by flying orbs of light and other unexplained aerial phenomena.

But it seems someone wants to keep the public in the dark. Many farmers say that they’ve been offered money by certain authorities to cut down crop formations shortly after they appear. Military helicopters flying at low altitude are also frequently witnessed after a new formation appears.

So who is behind the cover-up, and what’s the motive? Many of my fellow researchers claim that  U.S., British and German intelligence communities are involved with discrediting crop circle research behind the scenes. I personally believe they are responsible for the organization of crop circle enthusiast clubs such as circlemakers.org that are responsible for numerous formations to distract from the real ones. Nice website, seriously. But you aren’t fooling everyone.

Alas, a mere 600 words won’t permit me to present all the available evidence of the cover-up or fully introduce you to Robert Irving and Jim Schnabel, two individuals involved in discrediting crop circle researchers. But if you have doubts, please take the information I’ve provided and follow the trail.

The reason for the cover-up remains a mystery. Could it be that formations are communication from an otherworldly intelligence of a superior order? If it’s true that intelligence services of multiple countries share an interest in concealing the phenomenon, then what supranational organization or power structure does it threaten? Some believe that crop circles are messages meant for mankind that might awaken our consciousness to the reality that we’re not alone. At the very least, it can be acknowledged that some unknown force is responsible and that certain powerful entities are working to conceal this fact.

Semper Explorandum~ 

Mountains of Madness: Nazis UFOs and lost civilizations in Antarctica

It’s the coldest and most desolate location on the planet with recorded temperatures reaching 80 degrees below zero. Eternally frozen and shrouded in ice, Antarctica contains enormous mountain ranges that separate vast tracts of blinding white landscape that routinely experience blizzards of hurricane force. Nearly twice the size of Australia, the white continent still holds countless mysteries waiting to be explored.

 As a young man I was first inspired by the beauty of the landscape and the immortal accounts of men like Ernest Shakelton who led the famous Endurance expedition during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.  Later I began to read about numerous UFO sightings and of theories surrounding possible ancient civilizations whose ruins might lie deep beneath the ice or within one of the massive cave systems. Some theorists even believe that one of these openings may lead to another world inside our own planet. I recently stumbled upon one of these openings while looking at satellite imagery available on Google Earth. The opening is triangular and measures roughly 280 feet in width and 130 vertically.  The cavern is located at exactly 66°33'11.88"S Latitude and  99°50'19.53"E Longitude near the northern coast of the continent between the Queen Mary and Knox Coast. As I search for further details on this particular cave my imagination runs wild. After all, rumors of secret Nazi installations in the Antarctic have been around since the end of World War II. And just what was Admiral Karl Dontiz referring to in 1943 when he told Adolph Hitler that he had created “an unassailable fortress for the Fuhrer on the other end of the world.”?  Is this where the scores of missing German submarines and other technology were hidden after the war?

 As if Nazi’s, UFOs and giant caves were not enough to drive my obsession to visit this frozen realm,   author H.P. Lovecraft invokes the white continent as the location for his 1931 horror novella, At the Mountains of Madness. In the story a research team encounters an ancient colony of monstrously exotic extraterrestrials that killed most of the expedition party including a dog.

Evidence suggests that Antarctica wasn’t always covered in ice and could have contained civilization. Core samples extracted in 2012 indicate the existence of tropical flora on the continent. Furthermore, one of the earliest maps depicting Antarctica is known as as the Piri Reis map. It was drawn using maps from deeper antiquity and accurately depicts the Northern Coastline of Antarctica with no ice! While it’s believed that the last time Antarctica was unfrozen was during a time that predated the oldest civilizations, we should question the accepted rate at which Antarctica was frozen in ice.  In 1990 the recovery of several World War 2 aircraft that remained undisturbed in Greenland demonstrated that it’s possible for 263 feet of ice to form within only half a century.

My curiosity is fueled by so many aspects of this region. Rumors abound on the internet of secret alien bases located beneath the ice. I’m not saying it’s all true. But a significant number of UFO cases have taken place in Antarctica and documented by the Argentine military.

Do I have designs underway for an expedition to Antarctica in the near future? I’d like nothing more than to announce this very thing.  However, Antarctica must for now take a back seat to other priorities like taking my family to Disney World. Such an endeavor requires a much larger budget, the right team and a great deal more preparation.  The Siberian Taiga is a more likely destination for the next big expedition but that shall be a topic for future editions. Until then.  Semper explorandum!

Don’t 'Elf' with Santa

Santa Clause, a.k.a. St. Nicholas is one of the most recognizable and mysterious symbols of the Christmas season. He is lauded by many as a gift-giver and bringer of joy to children. Still by others he is labeled a pagan distraction from Jesus whose birth the advent is meant to commemorate. But just who is the real man behind the beard? Regardless of whether you are a fan of Santa or a Santa hater, you probably don’t know much about the real St. Nick. What I’m about to share with you may totally change the way you see him.

Early Church records indicate that Santa was a real person. He was born to a wealthy Greek family in the 3rd century near the city of Myra in what is presently Turkey. His parents died and he used the family fortune to rescue people in need. One famous story surrounding old St. Nick is that he is said to have secretly put gold in stockings to save young ladies from a life of prostitution by giving them a dowry and thus making them eligible for marriage. In other words, Santa made it rain on them (would-be) hoes long before Lil Wayne threw his first dollar bill at a stripper. Could this possibly explain his laugh?

 Santa was made a Bishop at a young age but was known for much more than just his generosity. He had some serious street credibility among his Christian brethren. In fact, during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian he spent time in jail where he was tortured for being a leader in the Church. Torture methods used by Romans were notoriously brutal and left him disfigured. But Santa took it like a boss and never cracked. Christians who survived torture without denying their faith were called “confessors”.  It’s uncertain how many tattoos he received while locked up, but it’s probably where he picked up smoking.

Some protestant Christians don’t like Santa because they view him as a pagan symbol derived from Norse mythology. It’s true that both Odin and Santa enjoy flying and have epic beards. But that’s where the similarities end. The earliest historical traditions demonstrate that he was no friend of the pagan religions. During his time as Bishop of Myra, we are told that he directly challenged the old Roman gods at the Temple of Artemis and accounts tell us that “evil spirits fled howling before him.”  Santa was a Jedi.

Do you still want to call him a pagan? You better watch out. In fact, after Santa was released from prison he attended a meeting of church leaders in the year 325 called the Council of Nicea. At that meeting St. Nicholas is said to have knocked a brother out during a rather serious theological disagreement. This assault landed him back in jail. until according to legend, God spoke to one of the Church fathers in a dream and ordered St. Nick released from prison. Evidently Santa was super-tight with the Almighty.

All of these accounts make for a substantial contrast to our popular image of Santa in America which is principally derived from his depiction in the 1823 Clement Moore poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. It seems as though the real Santa has more in common with the Batman than his modern portrayals would have you believe. He was not a fat, jolly old guy but a heroic and generous individual. Of course he shouldn’t replace Jesus as the focus of Christmas, but I think he deserves a lot more respect than he receives. In other words don’t elf around with Santa and you’ll stay on his good list.

(As published in the Murreesboro Pulse December 2013)

Mysterious New England

While on a recent trip to  New England I was reminded of how

The Pilgrims Society

 

 

The sovereignty of the United States was recognized by Great Britain through the Treaty of Paris of 1783. However, some students of deep politics believe the United States never achieved true independence from the UK and that the British ruling elite still hold an extraordinary amount of clandestine influence over the United States.  The Pilgrims Society is one alleged vehicle for said influence.  In honor of Thanksgiving we will take a brief look at this prestigious gathering that has remained largely in the shadows until now.

Founded in 1902 this club was established to foster good relations between the United States and Great Britain. Its official patron is the British Crown and its ranks include a host of British aristocracy and industry leadership. It has also counted as members some of the most prestigious people in United States history including John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and others from the highest echelons of society and absolutely no Indians.

What history forgets is that a faction of the Pilgrims Society was allegedly behind one of the most widely ignored conspiracies in American history known as The Business Plot.  In 1933 US Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler testified before a congressional committee that he was approached by members  and asked to participate in a coup d’état to overthrow  the government and install a fascist regime.  While it sounds far-fetched, its membership list included several leading bankers and industrialists who were financial beneficiaries of the fascist governments in Italy and Germany prior to World War II. But at the end of the day nobody was prosecuted and some even called it a hoax despite  evidence to the contrary.

The Anglo-American establishment isn’t new. I contend that with the exception of that time when they burned the White House, relations have been good.  Our “founding fathers” even allowed the Crown to dictate the terms of the treaty heavily in its own favor a full two years after cessation of hostilities in 1791. In it the King retained rights to continue receiving gold, silver and copper from business ventures and the right to collect on all debt.  It would seem to me that America didn’t actually negotiate this treaty from a position of victory but instead, England simply changed strategy from a military approach to an economic one and the new Anglo-American aristocracy was born.

Today the list of Pilgrims continues to include some of the most influential people in mass media, heads of financial institutions, global corporations, ambassadors, high-ranking members of the intelligence community along with a long list of British nobility and still no Indians  . Could it be that this group functions as a vehicle through which the British Empire still exerts its influence?  An article published by the Institute for the Study of Globalization and Covert Politics makes a strong case for the reality of the group’s ongoing, non-democratic influence on American policy.

My investigation of this organization shows it to be like the other back-door think-tanks. ( e.g.  Bilderberg Group, Council on Foreign Relations etc...)  Since their inception such organizations have sought to control the United States and ultimately bring about a one world system of government through the manipulation of media and global financial institutions.  To demonstrate the historical reality of this fact I’ll end this peek into hidden history with a statement made by President Woodrow Wilson who wrote the following in 1913:

"Since I entered politics, I have mainly had men's opinions confided to me in private. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the Field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it."

(Murfreesboro Pulse November 2013)

 

Pilgrims and Aliens

When it comes to exploring the unexplained, UFOs are my favorite topic to investigate. So in honor of Thanksgiving, we will look at some surprising evidence of extraterrestrials that we find deep in America’s past. No, I’m not referring to the hundreds of Native American accounts we have of otherworldly visitors. Everybody knows that unless white folks write it down then it’s just mythology. Believe it or not, pilgrims (the whitest people ever) were the earliest Europeans in North America to record a number of UFO sightings.

The first known incident happened in 1639, just 9 years after the establishment of Plymouth colony. The report comes from The History of New England, 1630-1639, a book by John Winthrop, a puritan and the first elected Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His writings are considered the central source for the history of the area.
One night in March of 1639, James Everell “a sober, discreet man” and two companions boarded a small boat and set out for a trip on the Muddy River in Boston. They had been moving downstream for about a mile when the night’s mysterious events began. The three men were suddenly confronted with the appearance of a huge, bright light hovering in the sky. The light “flamed up” as it hovered and appeared to be about “three yards square.” As they watched, the light “contracted into the figure of a swine” and moved “swift as an arrow” in the direction of Charlton. For several hours, the light moved back and forth in the sky between Everell’s location and Charlton. When the light finally disappeared, the men noticed that they had somehow been carried against the tide back to the place where they had embarked. Wait a second. Either these pilgrims ate some magic mushrooms or this matches perfectly with what some modern UFO witnesses report with close encounters! Winthrop’s book offers us even more strangeness to consider.

In 1644, a rash of bizarre sightings was again reported in Boston. The account says that mysterious lights appeared about 2 weeks after the destruction of a ship commanded by Captain John Chaddock, a pirate whose ship was intentionally blown up in the harbor. On several occasions, Bostonians saw a light resembling the moon rise from the water near the site of the sunken ship that merged with an identical light and then separated again, repeating this over and over while shooting out flames and sparks. The people of Boston attributed the lights to the ghost of one of the dead sailors, a confessed necromancer allegedly responsible for the ship’s destruction. According to Winthrop, this anonymous person had “done some strange things by his art in his Avay from Virginia hither;” to make things even more strange, Winthrop reports:

“all the bodies blown up were found but his, which never was. Hence it is left to be inferred that the master teacher of the black art of necromancy took away the body as well as the soul of his pupil, at the moment of the catastrophe.” 

Were the strange lights, the ship’s destruction and alleged sorcerer whose body is never recovered simply a coincidence? Even when examined separately, they are wildly fascinating events worth more investigation. Could the “sorcerer” have actually been an extraterrestrial or a time traveler sent to change the course of history and then teleported away after sinking the ship? It would make for a great movie sci-fi movie script, Pilgrims and Aliens. Unfortunately, the truth about what really happened may remain a mystery like so many events in the distant past. When it comes to unraveling Earth’s biggest mysteries, I need all the help I can get, so your comments and stories are welcome. Keep exploring!



(Murfreesboro Pulse November 2012)

Murfreesboro's Most Haunted

(As featured in the October 2013 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse)

Murfreesboro’s Most Haunted

I’m not a big fan of Halloween attractions like haunted houses.  Having spent a certain amount of time in the field researching real monsters and investigating actual paranormal phenomenon, it’s difficult to get excited about the fake stuff.  Don’t get me wrong. I like Halloween fun and have been known to disguise myself to play the occasional trick.  But for those curious about real paranormal activity, I have a special treat for you this October.

 The Murfreesboro’s Most Haunted list presented here was assembled based on the experiences of local paranormal investigators, reader submissions and my personal explorations in search of the unknown.   Here’s what made the list. 

Stones River Battlefield – It’s the site of more than 3000 deaths and one of the bloodiest  battles of the Civil War. Numerous sightings of ghastly apparitions have been reported for decades in and around this historic area. Entire troop formations have been seen here by witnesses here that disappear without a trace.  

 

Social (formerly Blue Rooster and Blues Boro) – I saw some pretty frightening things at this bar when I used to hang out there. But according to the Shadow Chasers of Middle Tennessee, a number of electronic voice phenomenon or EVPs (alleged ghost noises) have been recorded in the basement which sound people playing billiards in an area with no pool table.

Center for the Arts – Another submission from my friends at Shadow Chasers, the Center for the Arts is said to host more than just live performances. It seems the dead also perform their own kind of show at night and that the voices of children laughing have been captured by recorders.

Davis Market – Many know of the “curse of Davis Market”  and that it’s actually the center of the universe.  But there’s more to this place than these urban legends. Some employees have experienced strange happenings like objects moving, doors slamming and calculators running numbers with nobody around.

Black Fox Camp Springs – This general area is where some of the first settlers in Rutherford County made their homes.  It’s located along the Nickajack trace, an ancient Native American highway which ran all the way down to Spanish Florida. According to legend Chief Black Fox escaped an attack by diving into the spring and emerging three miles away at Murfree Springs.  I’ve heard drums beating here on more than one occasion and was unable to identify the source.   

 

The Black Cat Tavern – This abandoned underground speakeasy from the days of prohibition is not just a little spooky, but the first time I went inside the cave I heard voices and what sounded like music coming from somewhere deep underground. 

Smotherman’s Antiques   Melinda Blick of Stones River Paranormal considers this local antique store  to be a paranormal hotspot. It makes sense that it might manifest some activity. This business houses a collection of items belonging to dead people in a building that has its own lengthy history.

The old MTMC Hospital  – Although the lot where the old hospital stood is now empty, some vivid accounts were shared with me by former employees of the old hospital.  These included witnesses seeing floating objects as well as phantoms which appeared to comfort the dying.  

Big B Cleaners – The haunted drycleaners might not sound so spooky.  But Big B was once the site of a local taxi service back in 1920’s. It was during this period that a murder took place and it’s believed that the victim may still be lingering.  Investigators who have probed this location have witnessed mysterious lights and sounds coming from the building

 

 

Oaklands Plantation – Although it has never been formally investigated (to my knowledge), this stately home from the early 19^th century made the list by default. The location was home to a large number of slaves and was the site of an engagement between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Perhaps the Oaklands Association will someday allow an investigation of the house that will validate its place on this prestigious list of haunted places in Murfreesboro.

More Pictures coming soon! 

The Victorian Quarters: a Bed and Breakfast with a paranormal past

 It just dawned on me that August is almost over and I haven't recorded anything in the blog for about a month. I know my vast readership must be getting anxious and I have no excuse really. I've just been doing what I do. I guess the least I could do is share some pics from my recent  stay at an awesome bed and breakfast in Henderson KY that is most certainly haunted. It's called the Victorian Quarters. Constructed around 1860 by a prominent family, and operated as a household with a number of slaves.  Interestingly, some of these slaves took it upon themselves to dig a tunnel clear out to the Ohio river (across the street) so that they might escape or at least come and go as they pleased without waking the 'masa'.

 Koy (the owner) shared with me that the house is also the host to regular paranormal activity and that the house is indeed "haunted". In fact the statue in the picture below was knocked of its pedestal and decapitated during one such event.

She let us in on a number of stories regarding the paranormal events and EVPs recorded in the building and one day I'll get around to sharing more abut our own visit. I also have a lot more pics of a much higher quality on my wife's camera that I'll post at some point in the future. Until I can add more to this post just do your own research and you'll find this whole town is filled stories of paranormal activity.

Interestingly too Koy also shared with me a first hand account of a strange cryptid like creature that was in her rose garden that did not resemble any animal she had ever seen. Lots to write about here once I get around to it.

                                                                     

 The tunnel underneath the house leads from the basement level to the Ohio River across the street from the Victorian Quarters.