SGHA-Blog

Blog of the Southwest Ghost Hunter’s Association.

Sir Oliver Lodge (1878 – 1955) : Paranormal Investigators of the Past

Oliver Lodge was born in 1851 at Penkhull in what is now Stoke-on-Trent, and educated at Adams’ Grammar School, Newport, Shropshire. He was the eldest of eight sons and a daughter of Oliver Lodge (1826–1884) – later a ball clay merchant at Wolstanton, Staffordshire – and his wife, Grace, née Heath (1826–1879). Sir Oliver’s siblings included Sir … Read moreSir Oliver Lodge (1878 – 1955) : Paranormal Investigators of the Past

Sir William Crookes (1832 – 1919): Paranormal Investigators of the Past

From 1850 to 1854 he filled the position of assistant in the college, and soon embarked upon original work, not in organic chemistry where the inspiration of his teacher, August Wilhelm von Hofmann, might have been expected to lead him, but on new compounds of selenium. These formed the subject of his first published papers … Read moreSir William Crookes (1832 – 1919): Paranormal Investigators of the Past

Dr. Walter Franklin Prince, Ph.D. (1863 – 1934): Paranormal Investigators of the Past

Prince was a friend to Harry Houdini and Hereward Carrington and they all had exposed the tricks of fraudulent mediums, however, unlike Houdini both Carrington and Prince believed some mediums were genuine. According to the psychical researcher Robert Ashby, “Prince remained highly skeptical of PK and other physical phenomena, but felt that there was no doubt at … Read moreDr. Walter Franklin Prince, Ph.D. (1863 – 1934): Paranormal Investigators of the Past

Seeking the supernatural: the Interactive Religious Experience Model

Although this paper applies to religious experiences, it can also be applied in a context to paranormal experiences. There is some very interesting stuff in here. The following is from the Abstract of the paper. We develop a new model of how human agency-detection capacities and other socio-cognitive biases are involved in forming religious beliefs. … Read moreSeeking the supernatural: the Interactive Religious Experience Model

The first reported ghost story at La Placita in Old Town, Albuquerque

The first printed account of the La Placita Restaurant being haunted was recorded in the Albuquerque Tribune on May 27th, 1977. It was written by Howard Bryan for his column “Off the beaten path”. Today the location claims to have three ghosts, but in this original version there is only one. There is some misinformation … Read moreThe first reported ghost story at La Placita in Old Town, Albuquerque

How do you investigate a haunting? (Slides from Presentation)

The Southwest Ghost Hunter’s Association (SGHA) was created by five people. Two were very skeptical; two were hardcore believers and somewhere in between was me. The idea of this group was to utilize these different viewpoints, skeptic and believer, to investigate haunted places from a perspective that could lead to an unbiased conclusion. The believers … Read moreHow do you investigate a haunting? (Slides from Presentation)

The Ghost seen by Lord Brougham

I have always been interested in the older ghost investigations as they provide an interesting insight, especially when compared to ghost investigations in the modern era. This account is from the book ” HISTORIC GHOSTS AND GHOST HUNTERS BY H. ADDINGTON BRUCE (MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY, 1908)   It is comparatively easy, when seated before a … Read moreThe Ghost seen by Lord Brougham

Photos taken in 2004 at the St. James Hotel

Over the years I have been to the St. James Hotel at least two dozen times investigating the paranormal claims there. These are photos taken during one such trip back in 2004.Old friends, old memories and we still didn’t find anything paranormal. Along with these pictures was a primitive script. It appears that we were … Read morePhotos taken in 2004 at the St. James Hotel

Re-Investigating Un-Haunted Houses

Eight couples who had never experienced any ‘haunting’ activity in their houses and had no reason to expect they would experience ‘ghosts’ were asked by the author to keep a diary for one calendar month from 17th October – 17th November 2012 in which they recorded unusual experiences. 62.5% of the participant couples recruited completed … Read moreRe-Investigating Un-Haunted Houses

Why T.J. Wright (the ghost of room 18) cannot be haunting the St. James hotel.

First of all, and most importantly, T.J. Wright did not die at the St. James Hotel as the legends have suggested. While the 1880 census does show that he was there, the 1920 census show him to be in Albuquerque, way after the date of his supposed demise in Cimarron. The first three articles are … Read moreWhy T.J. Wright (the ghost of room 18) cannot be haunting the St. James hotel.

Why Bob and I wrote the Conscientious Ghost Hunter’s Compendium

In the spring of 2020, the authors, Bob and Cody, started having conversations about updating their 2008 book “The Complete Ghost Hunter: Basic Methods to Advanced Techniques” since the book is now out of print. However, the inevitable question of “what is the point” became an entanglement. After all, there are a great many books … Read moreWhy Bob and I wrote the Conscientious Ghost Hunter’s Compendium

The Conscientious Ghost Hunter’s Compendium is now available!

From the back cover; Written by a believer and a skeptic with over 30 years of experience, the Conscientious Ghost Hunter’s Compendium reveals everything that the authors have learned about the investigation of ghosts and hauntings. Filled with new discoveries, practical advice, and their own experiences, it provides valuable insight for those who are serious … Read moreThe Conscientious Ghost Hunter’s Compendium is now available!

Old Town Albuquerque map further debunks the ghost story of Scarlett

Rumors and folklore claim that the Covered Wagon shop, formerly known as the Manual Springer house, was once used as a speakeasy and brothel during prohibition. Additionally, the building is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a prostitute named Scarlett. According to the legend, Scarlett and another unnamed prostitute got into an argument … Read moreOld Town Albuquerque map further debunks the ghost story of Scarlett

Ghost hunt of the old Socorro High School

For several years the employees working at the Socorro Youth Center have experienced unusual phenomenon. The Youth Center occupies the former site of the former High School and Middle School. These strange occurrences include; The sound of a girl’s voice has been heard in the empty hallways and near the stage, the apparition of a … Read moreGhost hunt of the old Socorro High School

The Haunted Palace Hotel, Cripple Creek, CO. (Investigation of paranormal claims)

This Old West hotel and casino has been featured on the History Channel. It is said that Miss Kitty, the wife of hotel owner Dr. Chambers, passed away in Room 3, but she still turns down the beds and lights the candles for the guests. Her ghost has been seen in the room, wearing a … Read moreThe Haunted Palace Hotel, Cripple Creek, CO. (Investigation of paranormal claims)

‘Supernatural’ figure captured in El Kookooee photo… yeah right…

Yet another explainable photo. http://krqe.com/2014/10/27/supernatural-figure-captured-in-el-kookooee-photo/ This is a lens flare (reflection) of the burning podium off the lens. The color is off and it is up-side down due to refraction. If you invert the ” El Kookooee” and overlay it against  the podium and the fire it’s an exact match.  Lens flares are often considered to be paranormal … Read more‘Supernatural’ figure captured in El Kookooee photo… yeah right…