Reddit Warning

 I was making a comment on the Reddit group r/ghosts and I received this warning and it refused to let me post. It seemed to be from using the word "fake" which I changed to "fabricate" and allowed me to post.

This is the kind of bullshit that does nothing but help promote false information.  How about instead it blocks people from posting misinformation rather than blocking people from correcting it. 

An October Impromptu Live Stream

 Hello everyone.  Happy October.  Last night I was inspired to do an impromptu live stream over on the YouTube channel.  As usual nobody showed up BUT I had a nice chat with myself to share with you all.  

Monstrum Vid on UFO Abduction and Grays

 Wow, the work crunch period is REAL! Hi all, I've been busing my butt at work so it's been awhile since my last post but we've got a pretty good one today from the YouTube channel Monstrum.  They usually do great vids and if you're here reading this and not subscribed to them I'm not sure what you're waiting for. 

This time they're talking about the history of UFO abductions and the gray aliens.Definately worth your time, even if you're on the fence. 

YouTube LIVE Stream Test

 Hi everyone.  Recently got some new equipment and did a preliminary live test over on YouTube.  This was to check out the new mic, stream deck, and OBS setup to see how it all flows.  I don't think it turned out too bad and would love some feedback.  So please take a look.  Thank you.

Future of the Nocturne Society & Podcasts

 
Hi all

As we slowly creep towards October my thought always turn to the Nocturne Society, how it's changed over the years, and where it's going.

After my divorce in 2009 I became focused on my own issues and let the NS website become abandon.  Of course we all know if you don't update your content people go away.  So the once very popular website was mainly forgotten.  This was 100% my fault.  Since then I've made a few mild attempts to bring it back with a podcast and social media but nothing has really made it stick.  I've taken a few steps back and attempted to dissect the issues and here's what I've come up with.

First of all I don't think people are as eager to READ articles these days.  Reading take time and effort.  I'm sure when you saw this post you questioned if you even wanted to take the time to read it.  So while I think this blog and twitter has it's place to inform people what I've created I don't know that articles to read are of much use.

Next is my attitude towards the topic.  I'm a skeptic.  I'm not "all aboard the ghost train" like 90% of the paranormal community.  While I feel it's the most healthy and intelligent attitude to have towards these questionable topics, I do not find this the most popular one.

And finally my investment towards the Nocturne Society itself, both in time and money.  I of course have a full-time career that I find interesting and rewarding, so I'm not looking towards the NS to supplement that in way.  For me I find the NS and the topics to be interesting, exhilarating, and fun.  All that to say I've been casual about it.  A post here and there, a podcast here and there, isn't going to spell success for the NS.  I create NS using a basic headphone/mic, edited in Adobe Premier that I have for work.  I don't have podcast/streaming equipment.  I don't have a nice microphone, etc.

SO I've decided to take some steps towards raising the bar a bit around here.  First of all I will subscribe to Podbean which will allow me to have unlimited space for past and future podcasts.  I will be posting podcasts with video and/or do live streaming on our YouTube channel. Finally I've started upgrading my equipment by investing in a podcast specific microphone and stream deck.  Hopefully this will not only inspire me to create content but also raise the quality to inspire people to participate and join.

I'm going to investigate the "legality" of me taking my skeptical eye and reviewing existing YouTube "ghost content." I'd like to create some video content where I take a close look at these videos, not necessarily to debunk them but to give some observations, and ask some valid questions.  I'm just not sure what's allowed on YouTube.

And of course I'd love to get back to hosting a podcast and getting some interesting people to join me.

So I'm not saying hold onto your butts for a huge comeback but I'm taking some steps to get back into the swing of creating some interesting paranormal content.

I hope you'll join me.

Netflix Series Haunted: A Dash of Bullshit

 

I recently discovered the Netflix series Haunted. Described as "Real people sit down with friends and family to share terrifying true stories from their past, re-created through chilling re-enactments."

Certainly the episodes are interesting, and amazing if the word "true" is to be believed.  But as with most stories of the paranormal you need to pick through the sensationalize color and focus on those small grains of truth.

I just started watching and already one episode, The Slaughterhouse; really raised my bullshit alarms.  The episode summary says, " Two sisters grow up scared and alone in a real-life house of horrors, where their sadistic father does unspeakable thing."  Initially this doesn't sound paranormal at all, is sounds like abuse.  As the story begins indeed the daughters do say they father was in fact abusive to them and that he worshipped Satan.  However it goes further than I'm willing to accept with the father and mother luring people to their place and murdering them.  They even go on to imply that many people over the years were murdered and buried on the property, with the grandson saying his grandfather told him where he shouldn't dig.

I find this a bit too much for me to accept as truth.  These are modern times, if there are bodies on the property contact the police, file a report.  The man said to have committed all these murders is claimed to have died so if they were afraid of him, now step forward. But no, no police reports or missing person reports were shared to help prove this story.  We're just supposed to accept this is all the truth and move on.

Was this man insane and abusive?  I can believe that.  Were these women traumatized by their father's treatment of them and their mother's lack of action to stop it? I can believe that too.  But to say in these times their father killed people, buried the bodies, and kept parts of them as trophies I'd have to see a police report.  You can't come public with a claim like that and not have anything to back it up.

Like I said with most paranormal claims you need to take them with a grain of salt but this episode made me question the validity of the entire series.  Still interesting but now they're just stories to me, and the idea of there being any truth to any of it has been thrown out the window.

Do You Believe Ghosts are Ghosts?

 

So I'd like to ask the old question is, "Do you believe in ghosts?" And if you do, do you also believe ghosts are spirits of the dead?

There are some theories that say what we hear going BUMP in the night aren't restless spirits at all, but instead are entities from other dimensions interacting with ours. You could call them aliens or demons or ghosts if you like. But they are things that are there which we don't yet understand.

 

When the Nocturne Society was more active I would receive emails asking for help from people.  One woman contacted me and said she had "things" in her house.  She said at night she would see shadows about the size of a normal dog moving around.  She had hardwood floors and said she could hear their claws clicking on the floor as they walked.  Several times she would get up and turn on the light in an attempt to catch them but they would run down the hallway into the kitchen and disappear.  She was convinced there was a dimensional portal in here kitchen that these things were coming from.  

Which would you rather it be? Would you rather it be spirits of dead relatives instead strange inter dimensional beings? Does one freak you out more than the other? I mean Grandma wouldn't want to scare you right?  But a dimensional being, who knows what it's motivations are.  Maybe nothing malicious at all.

 

 

Halloween 2020: How Will It Be Different??

So 2020 has been an interesting year to try and put it nicely. Realistically it's been a complete mess for most people.  I for one was practising social distancing before it was cool so it honestly didn't affect me too much.  Before this all started I already had a work from home job so it was all business as usual for me.  But now that we approach October 31st what is going to happen to our precious Halloween?

I'm sure most would agree that following social distancing rules on that night would be nearly impossible to follow.  Door to door candy hunting puts everyone involved in danger.  Most trick-or-treating is done by younger children and a lot of door-answering is done by the high risk elderly.  And while many Halloween costumes require a mask it's certainly not a replacement for a  N95 mask.  I can't see a lot of people following mask rules by putting a mask under their masks

Some major cities like Los Angeles have cancelled Halloween trick-or-treating outright. Some official however have reversed on their rules after some public outcry for instance LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn told the New York Times, "Even a pandemic can't cancel Halloween."

There is certainly more to Halloween than door to door candy snatching, many cities and organizations have annual festival to attend.  Even if they aren't cancelled which most are it is of course best to not attend.  Here are some official rules of major cities around the US.  

Los Angeles County, California: A new health order issued by the Department of Public Health has mandated that any large gatherings or parties open to the public — either indoors or outside — won't be permitted. Festivals, haunted houses, carnivals, and other attractions will not be allowed to operate this year (Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash has already been canceled). Officials have reversed their decision on door-to-door trick-or-treat activities, and will allow car parades and drive-in movie theatres to operate on Halloween, as well as themed meals at outdoor restaurants.

New York, New York: While health officials have yet to release specific guidelines or regulations for Halloween, the city's Greenwich Village Halloween Parade (the largest public participatory event in the country, according to the New York Post) has been canceled. The event's organizers told the Post that a smaller surprise event may be planned to reduce COVID-19 risks.

Salem, Massachusetts: One of New England's most iconic Halloween destinations, Salem won't host many of its "Haunted Happenings" parades and festivals, as Phase 3 of Massachusetts reopening guidelines limit indoor gatherings to 25 people, and outdoor events to less than 100. Boston.com reports that shopping will still be allowed and several attractions like museums and restaurants will be open with reduced capacities.

Chicago, Illinois: While the state has yet to release specific guidelines for Halloween festivities, the Chicago Tribune reports that city suburbs like Highwood have already called off its annual Pumpkin Festival, and more area happenings are expected to follow. Illinois' emergency COVID-19 guidelines prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people at any one time.

San Diego County, California: Health officials have told journalists at local affiliate CBS8 that officials are waiting on new rules from the CDC before making official recommendations; one option they're exploring is drive-thru Halloween events in place of gatherings where people would normally be on foot, a similar approach that school officials took to 2020's graduation season.

Laconia, New Hampshire: One of the nation's largest pumpkin carving events, the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival, has been canceled, according to the Laconia Daily Sun. Event organizers may transition to smaller, intimate pumpkin-focused events throughout the entire month of October.

Orlando, Florida: Some of the first major Halloween events to be canceled were annual celebrations held at major theme parks in Florida, USA Today reports. State officials have yet to release specific guidelines, but Disney's Not So Scary Halloween Party is off and Universal Studios also recently announced the closure of its Halloween Horror Nights. The theme parks' counterparts in California also followed suit.

Arlington, Texas: Six Flags has also reportedly re-envisioned its Halloween events at most of its theme parks across the nation, including Six Flags Over Texas just outside of Dallas. The new event is designed to keep risks low, and gets rid of mazes, haunted houses and indoor shows, and reduces the amount of live actors in the park, according to Fox News.

- references

The big concern I have is that as we've seen with so many marches and conflicts against mask regulations people don't always follow rules.  I expect many will not take heed and may even go out of their way to disobey guidelines. I hope things will stay safe and not become a "Devils Night" of fires and looting.

The Nocturne Society is planning on hosting a Halloween night live chat over on YouTube to share some creepy stories and keep that Halloween spirit in the air.  

Chin up, there's always next year ..... I hope.

BE SAFE OUT THERE!!

US Declassified UFO Footage

The US declassifies three UFO incidence and admits they are in fact unidentified objects.  Now some people are taking this information as the US admitting aliens exist.  However I would like to stress that all they are admitting to is that they were unable to identify the objects they briefly encountered.  This in no way is saying they are of alien or other worldly origin.  In fact they pilots themselves did not consider the idea that they had encountered an alien craft but instead felt it was an advanced drone.

The video from Top 5 is wonderful as always however it leans towards the idea that it's proof of encounters with alien craft which it simply is not.

Update

Hi everyone.  Hope you're all staying safe out there.  Things have been pretty crazy this year and I felt perhaps the need for paranormal news was a bit unnecessary considering the troubles and concerns facing people this year.  However I want you to know The Nocturne Society is still here patiently waiting for things to calm down.  

In terms of our Podcast we have filled Podbean to their allowed limits and would need to start paying to add more of which we still have have many Audio Archives.  We also have plans for new episodes but need to determine if it's worth the monthly cost.

On a personal note I've started a new job and have been settling into the role. 

So I hope you all stay safe and we shall return once things calm down.

New February Audio Archive Episode Posted on Podbean

I've posted this month's Audio Archive episode on Podbean. From Feb. 2006 I speak to friends Arnie & Kevin about their strange experiences ranging from zombie moths to boys made of lint. Certainly one of my favorite episodes. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-3v8xd-d39229

January 2006 Audio Archive Podcast Posted

I've posted the Nocturne Society Audio Archive from January 2006 over on Podbean. Going through the podcast thought perhaps I shouldn't post it because the beginning starts off with some basic housekeeping chatter and I sound SUPER depressed which I often used to be.  But once I get into the topic of the evening it was again of my death which at the time was very fresh in my mind.  Listening to myself speak about it again was pretty hard, very emotional so I decided to post it.

To listen to the podcast you can go to Podbean and download it from Google Play or iTunes. Or you can just press play from our podcast player on the right.
https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-e66br-d1763e

This concludes our Podbean upload limit for January.  Next month we can start again with a new episode and another Audio Archive from the past.  Next month's Audio Archive is REALLY good! My favorite episode so look forward to that.
 

Sleep Paralysis Or Old Hag Syndrome

I wanted to share a video posted by Top5s.  It's a great video about sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis happens to thousands of people around the world all throughout history. It was once known as the "old Hag" or "Old Hag Syndrome." Science says this is a trick of your brain but the witness details are so specific. Interesting stuff.
 
My family had something witnesses by multiple people. Nobody was ever paralyzed during the experience but would see a shadow standing at the end of the bed.

If you have experienced this phenomenon I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Podcast Problem SOLVED!

We've solved our podcast space issues! Thanks to the good folks over at Ghostly Podcast for their suggestion to move to Podbean.  I've setup our account and started moving the podcasts over from Soundcloud.

There is a limit to the amount I can move per month so it may take some time for use to catch up, but we'll get there.  Plus you can now listen on iTunes and GooglePlay!!  So awesome!

https://nocturnesociety.podbean.com/

 September Episode: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-ib76w-cf038f

September Audio Archive: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-hihxj-cf03b0


And checkout Ghostly Podcast: https://ghostlypodcast.com/ 

YouTube Live Stream: Podcast Delema

I've tried out Live Streaming.  In this one I go over our SoundCloud space issues and would love to hear suggestions.  I also talk about a bit of an odd experience I had over the holidays.

December Audio Archive Podcast Posted

Just posted the Audio Archive for December, going way back to 2005.  In this one I cover a newly found theory (from 2005) as to why the Bermuda Triangle which seems to solve the mystery.

Also I talk about our "made up" rules about ghosts. "They have unfinished business." "They died suddenly and don't realize they need to move on." We have placed these theories as to why somewhere is haunted and they have almost become facts to the paranormal community.

So give it a listen and I hope you enjoy it.. 

https://soundcloud.com/user-160192532-764431442/nocturne-audio-archive-dec-2005

Quick November Podcast Update

Couldn't do a podcast this month so I thought I'd at least to a little video explaining why.

Paranormal Researchers VS Ghost Hunters

I think Jennifer Lauer of the Southern Wisconsin Paranormal Research Group said it best when she told me there are two kinds of investigators, there are paranormal researchers and ghost hunters.

Paranormal researchers are searching for real scientific answers for the mysteries of the paranormal. They study parapsychology and consider all avenues of rational explanation before calling something paranormal evidence.

Ghost hunters on the other hand are weekend hobbyists. They are often overly enthusiastic to see a ghost and are rather quick to call something paranormal evidence. The internet and cable TV is overflowing with ghost hunters displaying a multitude of orb and mist photography. While I would encourage someone to pursue the subject if interested, the sea of un scrutinized evidence passed off as fact is diluting the field.

I think we need to remember that 99% of what we see, hear, smell, etc. has nothing to do with anything paranormal. Our imaginations are very creative. Welcome criticism and suggestions. It may hurt that something you proudly captured on film or EVP isn't really a ghost, but if you don't try to rationally explain we're basically creating hoaxes. I really think steps need to be taken by an investigator to be as skeptical as possible when looking at evidence of paranormal activity. Questions and possible explanations should always be welcomed. However in general I find the paranormal community isn't really open to such suggestions. If something is questioned the defenses instantly come up and rational conversation ends. Often it ends with them saying something about being "more open minded" to things. I've been kicked out of internet forums for even suggesting something might not be a ghost. A forum full of investigators stroking each others egos really gets nothing accomplished.

Below is a picture that is a perfect example. I was standing there when this picture was taken. I saw her snap the shot on her digital camera and then she came running over saying she got something weird. Without a doubt it is strange. As you can see the house in the background is not blurred so the camera was not in motion when the photo was taken,ut whatever is causing those colorful streaks appears to be in motion. We saw no source for this and did not see them when the photo was being taken. Is it paranormal though? I don't think so. Even though I was standing right there, I don't see anything about it that looks paranormal. Strange lights caused by something when the photo was taken yes, but I feel it was something we just didn't notice. What makes me think this are the "s" curves in them. Notice how they all look identical, almost mechanical rather than organic. I don't doubt the camera caught something, I just don't think it was paranormal.

Here's another example that happened to me. I was sitting on my couch when I saw what looked like a small black creature run down the hallway in our house. I got up and ran after it but it vanished. I stopped and thought about what just happened. I was sitting on the couch with my back towards large windows. I was wearing my glasses and a van had just driven down the street. I though perhaps the van reflected on the inside of my glasses creating the illusion of a shape moving down the hall. So I sat there and waited for another vehicle to pass by. Sure enough as the car passed I saw it's reflection on the inside of my glasses. The point is of course that if I just took my initial reaction as fact then a strange ghost creature was loose in my house. But after thinking it through a reason was found. Not as fun as a ghost creature but it solved the mystery.

Its so exciting when you feel you've found something.  It sucks when you find solution that debunks it, but really not doing so hurts everyone looking for answers. So I beg you all to listen to other people's criticisms and consider possible explanations for evidence you collect. Also state your opinions of other groups evidence, don't just congratulate them on a good find. At the very least don't post evidence if you don't want honest opinions about it and can't take criticisms.

At the very least if you hear hoof beats, don't expect to find unicorns.

Ummm, What?

As I've said many times I'm a skeptic. I don't believe things unless I see them in front of my own eyes.  Well today something happened out of nowhere.  We were sitting at the dinner table in the kitchen when we heard the mirror in the entry way rattle.  My girlfriend and I both thought this was because of the cat. He often sits on the bench in front of it and bumps into it when he moves.

However when we glanced at the mirror there was no cat. Looking at the mirror I said, "That's weird." and it happened again.  It happened right in front of me!  The mirror rattled and moved as if something has bumped into it.  I was staring right at it, not out of the corner of my eye, not something I heard but didn't see.  The mirror moved right before my eyes.

No cat, no wind, no furnace running, no tremors or Canadian earthquakes.  I really have no explanation for this.  I'm a bit baffled.

The mirror is pictured in this post.  As you can see it's just hanging on the wall.  Nothing really touches it.  I don't know if I'd say it was paranormal, but it sure was strange.

New October Podcast & References

The October podcast is out!  This month I share the events leading up to my DEATH! We also talk to my guest Julia as she shares some of her spooky experiences in Ukraine.  Then I quiz her on some Russian folklore and get to the bottom of this Baba Yaga made popular by the John Wick movies.  Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast.

Listen to the podcast here: SoundCloud

As promised below are the pictures for reference.

The Naomi Event

Below is the drawing from Naomi as well as part of the company website.  The flash intro to the site showed exactly what her drawing portrayed.  A graveyard, a dead tree with symbols and ravens in the tree.  As you can see in the web site sample the symbols are the same.

Creatures of Russian Folklore

Here are reference to the creatures we spoke about in Russian folklore.  In order left to right we have Vodyanoi, Leshiy, Domovoi, & Baba Yaga's strange house in the woods.

Pictures and reference material from Russia Beyond.