…or is it? The world is abuzz with theories of impending doom scheduled for December 21, 2012. Schoolchildren are expressing fear to their teachers and doomsday preppers have spent tens of thousands of dollars stockpiling supplies and fortifying shelters in anticipation of an apocalyptic event. So what’s going to happen, and why would it?
Believers cite countless ways they think the world is gonna end in a couple weeks. Their theories come from countless sources. I thought it’d be a good idea to take a look at them and see if we should all be running scared. Mayan Prophecy The most commonly cited reference to the world (or world as we know it) ending specifically on Dec. 21 comes form the ancient Mayan calendar. The Mayans were a civilization that lived in Central America from about 250 to 900 AD and were very advanced for their time in the fields of astronomy and mathematics. Their record keeping was ahead of it’s time. They developed an intricate system for keeping track of time. For a more thorough explanation than I can offer, follow this link. The Mayan doomsday “prophecy” comes from a stone carving found in Guatemala. They actually used several different calenders to keep track of time, and the all coincided with one another like interlocking gears. The calendar that kept track of the longest period of time was called the Long Count Calendar, which lasted for a period of 5,125.36 and they called a Great Cycle. The current Great Cycle comes to an end on Dec. 21 which happens to coincide with the winter solstice. According to some on this day an alignment between the sun and the center of the Milky Way will also occur. While many have interpreted this to mean the end of the world, Mayan scholars and natives believe that the Great Cycle will end quietly, with the next Great Cycle simply starting. They view it as a super New Year’s-like time for celebration. In actuality the Mayan calendar does not run out on Dec. 21, as references by them have been found to dates all the way through 4772 A.D. The fact of the matter is there is no actual prophecy, just an ancient calendar that seems to rollover at it’s end like the mileage on your car and begin anew.
Nostradamus
Another popular source for the belief that the end is near is from the 16th century French seer Michel de Nostradamus. A little research tells us that while he did write quite a bit about the end of the world, he didn’t specifically predict a date. Actually, he didn’t SPECIFICALLY predict anything. Nostradamus wrote his predictions in poetic lines of four called quatrains. The ambiguous prophecies have been interpreted as having predicting everything from the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich to the 9/11 attacks.
In his writings Nostradamus predicted that three different Antichrists would each take us closer to the destruction of the world, with the 3rd one heralding the actual end. Nostradamus scholars contend that the first two have already came, the first being Napoleon and the second being Hitler. They are on the lookout for the third and everyone from Sadam Hussein and Osama bin Laden to Barack Obama have been contenders for the title. He even gives us a name for him, Mabus. They claim he spoke of Hitler by name too, citing a reference to “Hister.” Close enough? Who knows. What we do know is that the prophecies of Nostradamus in no way says the world is going to end on Dec. 21.
WebBot predictions
The WebBot program was developed in the 1990s to predict stock market trends. The software monitors keywords mentioned all over the internet. The program’s creators, Clif High and George Ure, soon began to claim their program could actually predict the future. They claim a world-changing event was predicted for 2001, and the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks would seem to match up to this. Since then they’ve claimed it’s predicted events ranging from Hurricane Katrina to Dick Cheney accidentally shooting his hunting buddy.
The bots seem to predict a cataclysmic event for our Dec. 21 date. Claims are made that after the date there is simply no more information. As the program monitors internet chatter, could it be possible that all the hype over Dec. 21 could be responsible? The problem with the WebBot program is that all of their claims of predictions weren’t made until after the fact. When they tell us beforehand that a major disaster is going to occur and it actually does, I may start to put some store in it.
Planet X Collision
Some fringe astronomers believe that a previously hidden planet, known as Planet X or Niburu is on a direct collision course with the earth and the impact is scheduled for, when else, Dec. 21. The Planet X hypothesis goes back to the mid 20th century. Astronomers were having problems accounting for discrepancies in the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, and theorized that there could be a previously undiscovered planet to blame. Turns out they were overestimating Neptune’s mass.
Nancy Leider founded the website ZetaTalk and based on the Planet X theory predicted the end of the world in 2003. When that date came and went with no apocalypse she changed her prediction to coincide with the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar.
Geomagnetic Reversal
Others believe the end of the world will come as a result of a shifting in the earth’s magnetic poles. Scientists agree that the poles WILL shift, but assure that it is a process that happens over thousands of years and has no effect on humans. This last happened 780,000 years ago. Experts agree that it is impossible to predict changes in the earth’s magnetic field and that it is impossible for the earth to reverse its rotation. Solar Flares
When none of the above possible doomsday scenarios convince them, some doomsdayers look to solar flares as bringing an end to the world. It is true that the sun operates on a 11-year cycle and 2012 is when its at its solar maximum. Some believe this means that a huge solar flare unlike any we’ve ever seen will occur causing unparalleled havoc and possibly the end. It is true that in 1859 a strong solar flare caused telegraph wires to short out. Other solar storms in 1989 and 2003 caused failures in the power grid for large sections of the US and Canada. Solar flares have been happening forever and scientists say the worst that could happen as a result of a particularly powerful one is an interruption in satellites orbiting the earth.
Hopi Blue Star Prophecy
The Hopi Indians have a 9-step prophecy that seems to almost be at it’s conclusion. It states that the world (as we know it) will end when the 9 prophecies have been fulfilled and the Hopi people will be transported to other planets in ships without wings. While open to interpretation, a lot of people agree that it would seem that at least 8 of the prophecies have already come to pass.
The first one involves men who strike their enemies with thunder. This has been interpreted as guns coming to America. Secondly, they would witness spinning wheels filled with voices. Most agree this refers to the covered wagons that transported settlers across the country. Third is the introduction of strange beasts like buffalo but with long horns. This could be the introduction of longhorn cattle into the land the Hopi’s called home. The fourth prophecy says the land will be crisscrossed by snakes of iron. This could be the railroads that were laid across the country. The fifth one talks about a giant spider’s web covering the land. This has been interpreted as both telephone lines and the internet. Sixth is that the land will be crisscrossed by rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun. Is this paved roads and the mirage effects? The seventh prophecy says that the sea will turn black and many living things will die. This has been interpreted as oil spills in the waters surrounding the US. The eighth prophecy is the least convincing for me personally. It says that youth will wear their hair long like the Hopi people and come to learn their ways. Some believe this represents the hippie movement of the 1960s.
The ninth and final prophecy that marks the end of the world happens when you hear of a dwelling place in the heavens that will appear as a blue star. It will fall with a great crash and very soon after the ceremonies of the Hopi will cease. The prophecy goes on to say that the world will rock to and fro (recent earthquakes here in Appalachia and Japan?), and the white people will battle against those in other lands who possessed the first knowledge (war in the middle east?). What will you be doing on December 21? I can’t wait to see the social network status’ of everyone, some sure the end is coming and others berating them for it. After diving in and finding out as much as I could about various doomsday scenarios, I now feel relatively safer. However, I don’t think few drinks would hurt anything. Should the world (or world as we know it) come to an end, I suppose the medicine show will too. Barring an apocalypse, we’ll be bringing you more so stay tuned!!! To make yourself feel safer, visit this link to read about other end of the world prophecies that didn't come to pass.
Yesterday Washington became the second state to legalize marijuana, following Colorado’s legalization of weed last month. Under the new laws it is legal to possess up to an ounce of pot. It’s still illegal to grow and sell it, but you won’t get busted for having it on you. In the past decade several states have approved medical marijuana use. Despite it’s illegal status, marijuana is the nation’s number one cash crop. Advocates for weed legalization have proposed taxing pot as a way to pull our economy out of the gutters.
To change the future we have to understand the past. Why is weed illegal? Studies have proven time and again that it is much less harmful than alcohol, which is legal. Many support it’s medicinal use. If you ask a random person on the street why marijuana is illegal, they most likely can’t tell you. Let’s find out.
Marijuana became illegal in the United States in 1937. When we start to dig into the history books, we quickly find that more than questionable motives and unethical avenues were used to make this happen. The star of the show was Harry J. Anslinger, an ambitious man who was appointed as the first head of a new division of the treasury department, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Thinking that a war against cocaine and opiates wouldn’t be enough to secure his job for the long run, Anslinger declared an all out war on marijuana. He was responsible for outrageous anti-marijuana propaganda.
One of Anslinger’s pals and supporters was newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. His daughter Patty made her own headlines later after first being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, and then appearing to join them. Hearst was a racist who especially hated Mexicans. He had invested heavily in the timber industry and saw hemp cultivation as dangerous competition. A large area of land he intended to log had been lost to Pancho Villa, which further fueled his racist hatred. When Hearst and Anslinger joined forces, newspapers were filled with outlandish tales of people trying marijuana, immediately becoming maddeningly addicted, and going on murderous rampages. Big money further came into the picture when the DuPont company sided with Hearst and Anslinger. They had recently patented nylon and wanted the hemp competition out of the way.
Before we go on, let’s back up some more and look at marijuana further back in history. It’s known use goes back 7,000 years. Queen Victoria was prescribed tincture of cannabis for menstrual cramps. Marijuana made it’s way to the New World when Christopher Columbus came over in 1492 and brought in along on his ships. The first law here regarding marijuana was in stark contrast from the laws today. It was mandated in the Jamestown colony that every farmer grow a certain amount of hemp, and they could be jailed for failing to comply. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew huge fields of the plants. Benjamin Franklin owned one of the first paper mills in the US, which produced hemp paper. When Rudolph Diesel came up with the diesel engine we still use today, he originally intended it to run off hemp seed oil.
Anslinger spent two years secretly drawing up his plan to outlaw marijuana. He relied on newspaper stories like those Hearst was publishing to start a public outcry against the dangers of marijuana. The popularity of weed among Mexicans and black jazz musicians fueled their fires. Stories flew off the presses about the satanic jazz music of the devil, and how black men who smoked pot couldn’t help but to rape the first white woman they saw. Countless stories were also printed about school children losing their minds and other users taking axes to their families after the first time they smoked. Although there were no actual cases of any of these instances happening, Anslinger picked up speed and in 1937 brought his plan to Congress. In an absurdly short hearing Anslinger came armed with editorials from Hearst’s newspapers and speeches in which the bulk was one long racial slur. The one opponent Anslinger encountered was Dr. William C. Woodward, Legislative Council of the American Medical Association. Woodward pointed out that Anslinger had distorted previous AMA information to support his stance. He pointed out that the proposed legislation only referred to marijuana, which the common man didn’t realize was the same as hemp, which was a large industry, so that those who had reason to oppose the bill wasn’t even aware of it. He outright stated that the AMA was opposed to the criminalization of marijuana and even accused Anslinger of misconduct and abuse of power.
Woodward was berated by the committee, who cited the outlandish newspaper articles with no factual basis as evidence that marijuana was the biggest danger to society. When the bill went up for a vote, it was asked on the floor what the position of the AMA was. Despite Woodward’s defiance of the movement, a congressman stood up and stated that the AMA had sent their representative there, and he had supported it 100%. On the basis of that lie marijuana became illegal at the federal level on August 2, 1937.
In 1972 Richard Nixon commissioned a study on marijuana use. The study found that the prohibition of cannabis was constitutionally questionable and should be subject to serious review. The Nixon administration took no further action. In 1973 Oregon reduced the penalties for marijuana related arrests, separating weed from other illicit drugs. Alaska, Ohio, Colorado, and California followed suit in 1975. By 1978 North Carolina, Mississippi, New York and Nebraska had taken action to decriminalize marijuana. In recent years Massachusetts and Connecticut amended laws so that possession only results in a civil fine.
Here’s a few quick weed facts: - At one time in America you could pay your taxes with hemp.
- The oldest relic in human history is a piece of hemp fabric from Mesopotamia dating back 8,000 years.
- You’d have to smoke 15,000 joints in 20 minutes to get a lethal dose of THC.
- The paintings of Rembrandt and Van Gough were on hemp canvases, with hemp seed based paint.
- Hemp is 8 times stronger than cotton and more air-permeable.
- One acre of hemp can produce as much raw fiber as 4.1 acres of trees, which take much longer to grow back.
- Paper made from hemp lasts centuries longer and doesn’t yellow.
- For thousands of years nearly all ships’ canvases and ropes were made from hemp. The word canvas comes from the Dutch for cannabis.
- Betsy Ross’s flag, and the first drafts of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were made of hemp.
- Henry Ford’s Model T was built to run on hemp gasoline and used hemp plastic panels that were 10 times stronger than steel.
Here's a short clip from the propaganda film "Reefer Madness": Now that we know the history of the marijuana laws, why haven’t they been overturned? The answer is much the same as it was when these shady goings-on were taking place. Too many big industry companies have anti-marijuana interests and can afford to payroll lobbyists to ensure it stays illegal. It has been proven that marijuana is not addictive and has medicinal uses, the two main reasons cited for it’s initial criminalization. The potential profits from taxes imposed on legal pot could pull us out of the economic slump we’re languishing in, especially here in the hills of Kentucky where weed is a major industry despite the laws against it. Recent law changes show that the public's attitude toward marijuana is changing. It has taken nearly a century, but it seems as though Anslinger's unbelievable smear campaign may have cracked enough for the truth to shine through. For more information on the history of marijuana an it's legality see the following links: Why Is Marijuana Illegal? NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) website Wikipedia page on legal history of cannabis in the US
 Artist depiction of Mothman from witness accounts
West Virginia’s Mothman may be making a comeback. As paranormal enthusiasts know the creature dubbed Mothman spent a couple years in the late 1960s around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, some say terrorizing residents, others say benevolently warning residents of impending doom. The creature was seen on the town’s Silver Bridge shortly before it’s collapse, which killed 46 people.
A new photo has came to light that claims to be a shot of the Mothman. Sharon Davis contacted a Portland radio show because she was terrified of a creature she said was stalking her home. The radio show host told her to take a picture and send it in. Too scared to open her door or go outside, Davis snapped the shot below with a friend’s cell phone through her peephole.
 Mothman? Shadow figure standing behind car
This isn’t the first time the Mothman has been sighted since the late 1960s. Sightings are still reported from time to time. It would seem that the winged creature, which was said to have kept pace flying alongside a car traveling in access of 100 miles per hour, has done some traveling outside of West Virginia. It was reported that the Mothman was seen in the Ukraine before the Chernobyl disaster. Below is a picture taken 9/11 that purports to show Mothman flying away from the one of the World Trade Center towers.  WTC 9/11 Whether Mothman is simply sightseeing or fulfilling his destiny of warning us about impending disasters, he has been sighted from the east coast, in the Midwest, and on the Pacific coast. He hasn’t restricted his travels to inside the US. Mothman has reportedly been sighted in countries ranging from Brazil and Argentina to England and Russia.
 Mothman in Chicago? 2011 For the uninitiated the Mothman story began in November of 1966. Five men were digging a grave when they witnessed a brown human-like being take off flying from a nearby tree. Days later on November 15 two young married couples were planning on enjoying some quiet time together at an abandoned TNT plant outside of Point Pleasant. Upon arriving their headlights first caught sight of a steel door that had been ripped from its hinges. The lights then fell on a human-like creature that appeared to be six or seven feet tall and had wings folded into it’s back. But it were the eyes that scared them the most. They described them to the local Sheriff as being red and as big as bicycle reflectors. In terror they fled the plant, only to see the same creature on a hillside. It spread it’s wings and took to the air, flying towards their car. In fear, they floored the accelerator and as they raced away at speeds over 100 miles an hour, the thing kept pace and flew beside them.
 Front page of the Point Pleasant Register Numerous other sightings of the Mothman were reported in and around Point Pleasant over the next year. The creature was said to make a terrible screeching sound at times and caused interference with radios and televisions. In total over 100 reports were made before the collapse of the Silver Bridge. Some residents hold the Mothman somehow responsible for the tragedy, while others believe he was attempting to warn them.  Silver Bridge collapse aftermath There is no shortage of theories about the Mothman’s origins. Popular in theaters at the time were films depicting biochemically-altered animals and insects, usually growing to absurd sizes and always hungry for human flesh. Early theories suggested that chemicals had leaked from the abandoned TNT plant and caused a mutation that resulted in the Mothman. Strange lights in the sky were often reported in Point Pleasant at the same time the Mothman was being seen, leading some to believe they were from UFOs and the Mothman was extraterrestrial in origin.
Another popular theory refers to the Cornstalk Curse. Chief Cornstalk reigned over a tribe of Shawnee Indians in the mid 18th century. He sought to reclaim land for his people, but his methods were sometimes ruthless, mass murder being in his repertoire. As a result he found himself along with his son and several other tribesmen imprisoned by soldiers in a fort at Point Pleasant. After his people carried out a particularly bloody raid, enraged soldiers went to the prisoners with their muskets drawn. Cornstalk rose and faced them calmly, causing them momentary pause. After seeing the others killed and suffering no less than eight gunshots himself, Chief Cornstalk lay dying. His final words were, “For this, may the Curse of the Great Spirit rest upon this land. May it be blighted by nature. May it even be blighted in its hopes. May the strength of its peoples be paralyzed by the stain of our blood." A mining disaster that killed over 300 people and a tornado that claimed over 150 lives before the Silver Bridge collapse are said to have been the result of the curse. Perhaps the chief conjured up a Native-American Golem-type creature, to carry out his perceived justice. While primarily associated with Plains Indians, Algonquin-speaking Native Americans of New England and those further south knew of the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird’s description is similar to that of the Mothman. It resembles a winged man, strikes fear in those who see it, and was said to actually kill and eat humans.
Scientists attempting to explain away the sightings most commonly hypothesized that what people were seeing was actually a Sandhill Crane. The problem with that explanation is that type of crane is not native to the area, nor has ever been documented as straying there. Some of the more out-there theories include that the Mothman is an angel, which is why he would try to warn people of impending doom. It’s been theorized that the winged creature could be the result of the mating of a human with a nephilim. According to the Old Testament when God cast Satan out of heaven, several angels who were on Team Devil were cast out with him and sent down to earth where they mated with humans. According to the Bible this resulted in all kinds of wickedness which displeased God so much he flooded the earth sparing only Noah, his family, and a boat load of animals. Could one of these hybrids have stowed away on the ark?
An interesting and mysterious side note to the Mothman story is that of The Grinning Man, or Indrid Cole. Days before the initial sightings began a man named Woodrow Derenberger was driving home when a strange vehicle sped up behind him and passed him. He described it as looking like “an old fashioned kerosene lamp chimney, flaring at both ends, narrowing down to a small neck and then enlarging in a great bulge in the center." The strange vehicle came to a stop blocking the road. A door in the middle of it opened and a man emerged. He described him as being around six feet tall, well-tanned skin, wearing a shimmering green suit, and always grinning. He spoke to Derenberger telepathically and told him his name was “Cold,” he was from a planet called Lanulos, and that he would be back to visit him again. On subsequent visits Cold asked Derenberger strange questions and told him about his home planet, which is similar to ours. Witnesses passing by that first night confirmed that Derenberger was talking to someone on the side of the road.
Some theorize that Indrid Cold was a MIB. Men In Black, again for the paranormal uninitiated, are thought to be highly classified government agents whose primary purpose seems to be to cover up UFO and alien evidence. Taking it a step further, some purport that the ETs have their own MIBs, disguised as humans and on reconnaissance missions. Cold has been said to also be an inter-dimensional being and a time-traveler. Several other people in and around Point Pleasant encountered this grinning man during the Mothman craze. Writer John Keel, who came to town to investigate and wrote the book The Mothman Prophecies on which the movie was based, received a series of phone calls from someone claiming to be Indrid Cold. During the calls Cold would relate prophecies of future events to Keel.
With just days left before the December 21 2012 date that has been interpreted to be the predicted end of the world, is this new Mothman sighting another warning? Could the mysterious creature be tirelessly trying to fulfill his fate of warning humans of impending doom? We won’t have to wait long to see if there is a correlation….two weeks to go……  Mothman statue in Point Pleasant
When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph he noted that when played backwards, music sounded novel but all together different. Fast forward a hundred years later and experimental musicians began to purposely include backward recordings, or backmasking, on their albums. Artists like the Beatles inserted these clips and teenagers everywhere began searching their record collections for hidden messages. Today every new pop song that comes out is scrutinized in reverse in search of possible satanic references, allegiance to the Illuminati, or any random string of possible words.
Technically backmasking is the process of reversing an audio track and placing it in another track meant to be played forward. When played normally the message will sound like gibberish, but when reversed is clear. Some of the classic examples that follow were intentionally done this way, while other artists contend that if there is any meaning to be found when playing their music backwards it is purely coincidental.
The Beatles were among the first artists to incorporate backmasking into their music. Following rumors that member Paul McCartney had been killed in a car crash and replaced with a lookalike fans scoured their White Album for clues to confirm this. The legend grew as they seemed to find what they were looking for. During the song "I'm So Tired" John Lennon can be heard speaking but not plainly. When played backwards, it sounds like he says "Paul is dead man. Miss him, miss him, miss him." You decide:
YouTube is full of videos purporting to be evidence of unmasked backmasking. While a lot of the 'backwards translations' sound more like gibberish to me (the example that comes to mind being Brittney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" being "sleep with me I'm not too young" in reverse), we can find among them the classics. Listening to the backmasked tracks is a lot like listening for EVP evidence while ghost hunting. What you hear isn't usual talking or singing. The pronunciations and inflections are skewed, but with a little push (such as including the backward interpretation on screen) listeners may hear alternate messages.
The connection between backmasking and Satanism can be traced back to the grand magician himself, Aleister Crowley, who stated in a 1913 book that those wishing to practice the dark arts would do well to learn to speak backwards. Sixty years later Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page moved into what used to be Crowley's mansion. Is it a coincidence, then, that the most often cited backmasked message, which also fits into the category of seeming to promote satanic worship, appears in Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven?"
The band denied claims that they put the hidden message in their lyrics. It would take a lot of work to come up with words that would sound cohesive both backward and forward. This is a psychedelic rock band we're talking about, though. But if too much free time and hallucinogenic drugs aren't the answer, did they perhaps make a pact as legendary guitarist Robert Johnson was said to have done and made a pact with the devil, selling their souls for music mastery? Is the reverse message a side effect of such a Faustian deal?
Another often cited song when talking about backmasking is Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." When played in reverse, some say "It's fun to smoke marijuana" can be heard. The band denies an intentional message. This is often cited as an example of phonetic reversal, where a word sounds similar to another word when reversed and similar connections are made by the brain, as with matrixing when looking at photos of "ghosts." Judge for yourself: In 1990 Judas Priest was taken to court by the angry parents of a teenager who had committed suicide after repeatedly listening to their song “Better by You, Better than Me." The parents filed a civil action, alleging the song encouraged listeners to commit suicide and urging them to "Do it" when played in reverse. The case was dismissed after being deemed unfounded.
The Eagles were also targets of the Christian movement to expose satanic music. When "Hotel California" is played backwards, they claim to hear an allegiance to the devil. Listen to it below and decide: Did you hear anything like "Satan hears me, he had me believe in him?" A quick YouTube search for backmasking will turn up these classics, as well as what seems to be every song released by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Nicki Minaj, all who seem to have either sold their soul to the devil and are announcing it to the world or have secretly embedded clues that they are part of the New World Order and the Illuminati. A list of admitted intentional backmasking, sometimes for comedic purposes, can be found here. All the others out there are unintentional, or not being admitted to because of the artists' secret allegiance with the dark powers that be. Here's one more, just for fun. This YouTube user has taken Nirvana's grunge-ground breaking "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and found an entire song in reverse. I found it uncanny that the listener managed to translate the whole song, with the better part of it sounding like rock song lyrics.
America is fascinated with it’s celebrities. It’s also fascinated with the paranormal. It seemed only natural that I should throw something together to merge the two obsessions. The Bio channel has been cashing in on it’s new show “Celebrity Ghost Stories,” but while entertaining, the featured celebrities aren’t quite A-listers. So I’ve assembled this little inventory of haunted celebrities, and celebrities who have passed on but reported to still be hanging around.  HEATH LEDGER AND MICHELLE WILLIAMS – since his untimely death in 2008 Heath Ledger seems to have found a way to come back to his ex Michelle Williams. One night Michelle was awoken to the sounds of furniture moving around the room. She saw a shadowy figure that looked like Heath. Another time Michelle says he visited and apologized for not being there to help raise their daughter, Matilda.
 NEVE CAMPBELL – The Scream star bought a house that had been owned by a woman who was murdered in 1991. She reported paranormal activity including doors slamming, windows banging open, and ashtrays flying off shelves. The specter of the woman has been seen by Campbell and visitors on many occasions. Neve says she grew accustomed to the spirit, “After a while it felt normal. I'd pass her in the hallway and casually wish her good morning.”
 ADELE – The phenomenal British songstress paid £7 million for a home in Sussex that had once been a convent. Immediately after moving in Adele said she was creeped out by the place. She told friends about hearing bangings late at night. She was so freaked out she moved in her female bodyguard so she wouldn’t be alone in the mansion, and hired additional security personnel.
 LUCILLE BALL – Lucy seemed to have been loved by those living and dead. During her life she managed to keep her encounters with the supernatural relatively quiet. At one time she had grown tired of being known as a comedy queen, until she was visited in a dream by her dead friend Carol Lombard, who convinced her to keep going. Lucy’s spirit is said to frequent her old Beverly Hills home, where furniture moves and windows are found broken with no explanation, and shouting sounds have been traced to the attic. Lucy is also believed to hang around the Paramount Studios building where DesiLu’s production offices were located. Security guards have reported seeing a woman wandering the upper levels and smelling old flowers and perfume.
 JOE HILL – The son of horror writer Stephen King has came into his own, publishing several novels of his own. One of his works was picked up for a television pilot. While the show never got picked up, Joe’s return trip from shooting the pilot in Pittsburg led him to spend the night in the Bethleham Hotel. The hotel’s room 932 is supposedly haunted. Visitors can by the “Room With a Boo” package that includes spending the night in the spooked room. The night Hill visited the room was booked and he was given room 832, directly below it. Even so Hill woke up in the middle of the night as terrified as he’d ever been. He was certain something was sitting on the edge of his bed and was paralyzed, unable to lift his head to see who, or what was there. He was able to scream, quite loudly, which caused a lot of thumping from the room above to be heard. Perhaps there were residual haunting effects from the room above experienced by Stephen King’s son that night.
 MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY – Alright, alright, alright. When Matthew McConaughey moved into his Hollywood home he and his dog spent the first night, where else, in a tent. He awoke to the sounds of furniture moving and other weird noises. McConaughey grabbed a baseball bat and went off to investigate, in his birthday suit. The actor is convinced the noises he heard that night were caused by the apparition he has seen several times since then, whom he calls Madame Blue. When talking about Madame Blue he often says the two of them get along famously, and he thinks it may be because of his constant nudity at home.
 ANNA NICOLE SMITH – The Texas native and former Playmate has paranormal tales circulating from both sides of the grave. During her life, Anna Nicole talked about an incubus that used to visit her in an apartment she once lived in. She claimed she thought it was her boyfriend until she woke up one day and it wasn’t. At first Smith was freaked out by it, but came to terms with it saying, “Well, you know what? He’s never hurt me and he just gave me some amazing sex so I have no problem.” And Anna Nicole isn’t the only celebrity to have encountered such a spirit. Lucy Liu has also talked about being visited by an incubus.
After her death from an accidental overdose in 2007 Smith’s ghost has been spotted at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida where she passed away. To discourage tourists seeking to exploit the room she died in, the hotel has since renumbered the rooms so that room 607 can’t be found.
 DAN AYKROYD AND MAMA CASS – One of the writers and stars of the Ghostbusters films has had his own real life encounters with the paranormal. Aykroyd, who lives in the home once owned by Mama Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas, is sure the singer is still lingering around. “I'm sure it's Mama Cass because you get the feeling it's a big ghost.” Gym equipment and jewelry moves around mysteriously. Aykroyd says she once crawled into bed with him. He says he rolled over and nuzzled up to whatever it was and went back to sleep.
 NICOLAS CAGE – Actor Nic Cage owned one of the most notoriously haunted properties in the country. The LaLaurie House in New Orleans has a haunted past that goes back to the 1930s and a socialite named Madame Delphine LaLaurie. Madame LaLaurie was well known for the elaborate parties she hosted in the home, as well as her dark side. She is said to have mistreated, abused, and some say even murdered slaves. During the time he owned the home, Cage never slept there. Over the years countless witnesses have reported ghostly goings on there. For more info on the LaLaurie House’s haunted history visit this link. Perhaps Cage’s reluctance to spend the night at the LaLaurie House and possibly encounter it’s ghosts stems from an experience he had at an earlier age while staying at the home of his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola. Nic’s room was in the attic. One night he saw the black silhouette of a woman with big hair appeared. At first he thought it was his aunt, but as it approached he realized he didn’t know what it was. He screamed and threw a pillow at it, and it disappeared.
 SHARON TATE – The horrific murder of actress Sharon Tate and several guests at her home by the Manson Family is a dark stain on American culture. In August of 1969 Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, was stabbed to death repeatedly by followers of Charles Manson. Eerily, just days before the murders, Sharon confided to friends that she had seen her own ghost. If you’ve read my blog on dopplegangers you’ll know this is commonly seen as an omen of impending death. The encounter started while she was in bed and saw what she believed was the ghost of the home’s previous owner, Paul Burn, who had shot himself there following the breakup of his marriage to actress Jean Harlow. Terrified, Tate fled downstairs only to be confronted with her own ghost. She saw herself tied to a pillar with her throat cut, in the same position her body would be found days later.
 JIM MORRISON – The Lizard King died in Paris but some would have it that his ghost is still hanging around a Mexican restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. The restaurant was once a recording studio The Doors used as a workshop. A manager there reports lights mysteriously going on and off and the door handle to the bathroom, which was where the recording booth once was, jingles by itself. A chef added that someone was brought in to do a sort of spiritual cleansing but was unsuccessful, telling the owners that whatever was there wasn’t leaving.
An interesting photo is out there, supposedly taken in 1997 at the French cemetery where Morrison is buried. It shows ‘rock hisrorian’ Brad Meisner and what appears to be the spirit of Morrison in the background. Experts who have analyzed the photo say it shows no signs of manipulation. You decide.
 TORI SPELLING AND FARRAH FAWCETT – After the death of her father, super-producer Aaron Spelling, actress Tori Spelling had psychic John Edward attempt to contact him. Instead her late neighbor, Farah Fawcett came through. She asked that Tori pass along very specific messages to her family.
 ORSON WELLS – The genius behind Citizen Kane and responsible for the ensuing real-life panic when his “War of the Worlds” was broadcasted on the radio and thought to be actual news bulletins reporting a Martian invasion is said to still hang around his favorite haunt. His apparition has been seen at what was his favorite restaurant during his life, Sweet Lady Jane’s in Los Angeles, sitting at the table he preferred. The smells of his brandy and cigars are also said to sometimes be present.
 JOHN LENNON – Shot and killed by Mark David Chapman in 1980 in New York, the spirit of John Lennon has reportedly touched those who were close to him since his death. His son Julian believes it was the spirit of his father at work when in Australia working on a film, he was handed a white feather by an Aboriginal elder during a ceremony. Lennon told his son before his death that if he died, to look for a white feather. Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney also believes Lennon visited the studio where his former bandmates were recording of one of his songs. A white peacock wondered in and McCartney is sure it was Lennon (although it belonged to a neighbor). When they finished the recording they decided to throw some backmasking on the end, recording themselves backwards and sounding like gibberish when played forward, all except for one part. See video below:
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