How some of us are able to see ghosts – Part 7

I must start my article by saying I have never seen a ghost. However, I do believe in ghosts and am sure that I am a sensitive person to them as I seem to have had and continue to have unexplainable things happen around me.I think some have an extra sense and a wider allowance for faith and imagination.I have seen too many unexplainable things to say that ghosts don’t exist and I think more and more people are coming out and admitting they have seen them now because they know no one is going to call them crazy. A long time ago ghosts were a story or legend based character often reflecting evil or bane intentions. This has changed over the years into a study, the one study that is bringing us closer to answering some pretty large universal questions that up until the last 100 or so years was considered no more than a philisophical theory. I do not know whether it is my own extra sensory perception that causes the disturbances or ghosts that I believe live amongst us. Perhaps if I explain my situations a bit better for you.

All my life I have been in a family that is religious and some members have admitted to seeing them themselves. Having said this, I must tell you as a child I was not comfortable about them at first. I was woken from sleep frequently by pinches or movements of my bed, I heard noises, scrapes, footsteps,knocks, shuffles, you name it, even the far away hint of a whisper or phrase. My parents would always blame my grandmothers stories for this “obvious” nightmare phase I was going through, but as time went on, things stayed the same, even getting more frequent and during daytime as well. As a teen, I remember waking to a shuffle in the hall, I looked from my bedside to the light that illuminated the crack from under the door and could see the light waver as if someone where walking down the hall. I got up, thinking perhaps it was my little brother, who sometimes get up in the night, but to my surprise no one was there on the other side and everyone else was still in bed. Now, I would have settled on this as being a mind trick I was playing on myself had the shuffles not continued on, getting closer to me in the hall way and then at the loudest/closest point coming to a complete stop as if in front of me. I went back to my room, shut the door and hid under my sheets wide eyed the rest of the night. As an adult, I still have disturbances, some irritating and I will get frustrated. I know what your thinking, and don’t worry, I have already had

Basic guide for ghost hunting – Part 13

Ghost hunting? Hmmmmmmmm. Do you believe? I have watched many pro grammes on the t.v, laughed at them being scared out of their wits, but do I honestly believe that these things are real? I really don’t know. I have tried to contact the other side. NOT by using a Ouija board, but by sitting there and trying to get some sort of word. Nothing. Voices in my head! were they my imagination. I think my brain is just trying to tell me things that I want to hear.

Anyway to the basics. What do you need? Well, yourself for starters. A group of friends that are already scared out of their wits (always helpful!)and maybe a local ghost hunter society (if that can be arranged)

The best place to start would actually be in a place that is renown to be haunted. A castle, an old annex, whatever pleases. Always ask the permission of any owners of these places or else the only thing you will be running from is a very angry man with a gun!1 Firstly I would probably do a seance after protecting the group from evil spirits and such. Then maybe set up a few experiments and close off rooms etc. Things that have been seen on the t,v. Then wouldn’t it be a matter of waiting to see if anything approaches you! Just remember to keep your wits around you. I do suggest on a cold night to wear woollies, and take a hot drink to keep you warm. Anyway, happy ghost hunting and good luck.

DESIGINING YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE / ATTRACTION – THE QUELINE

From decorating your home, to a haunted house to raise funds, to
a haunted house for profit certain things pertain to all and can
help whatever you do be more successfull. In a series of
articles I will attempt to help you design and build whatever
you desire for halloween and make it more successfull, and more
exciting. Remember you do not have to spend alot of money, but
it will take time, imagination, and hard work.

Everyone who has a home haunt always works on the outside the
most, as the outside is what most people see. However a haunted
house as a fundraiser or for profit haunted attraction often
spends more time on the inside then they do on the part of the
attraction people will see first. We are always told that first
impressions mean the most, and that applies in a big way to
haunted attractions. You need to set the stage for your
visitors, and you need to prepare them for what is inside..

The facade is so important as they are what people see first,
and it is what sets the stage and starts the frightning of the
guest. Part of scaring people is the anticipation that something
is going to happen. So your facade and queline should give your
visitors the feeling that something dangerous and ominous is
going to happen. Visitors will be prepared for your first scare
before they ever enter your attraction.

For home haunts most visitors will not enter your house. They
will simply walk up to get there treats so the outside of our
home and the areas leading up to the door is so very important
so that trick or treaters get the feeling that this is the house
they want to visit time and time again.

First you should pick a theme for this halloween year. Between
haunted houses if I am going to be home for halloween I always
pick a theme. And of course if I am designing and building a
haunted house the theme is so very important. In a home haunt
you are decorating for the season, in a haunted house to raise
money or for profit you are telling a story. Without the story
your visitors will be more confused then scared as to what is
going on in your attraction.

QUELINE / FOYER

The queline is the area where your visitors wait in line prior
to going into the attraction. For some haunts this is outside
prior to buying tickets. For those haunted see my article on
decorating the facade available at both
http://www.pendragonscastle.com and at
http://www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters For those home
haunts / and haunted attractions where there is an inside
waiting area lets continue.

Ensure that prior to buying tickets you have a sign with a
warning for visitors to read. The sign should state who should
not enter the attraction and that you are not liable for
accidents etc. A great sign idea can be found at
http://www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters. After the visitors
purchase their tickets they should enter the foyer area where
they will sign a waiver a great one is available at
http://www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters. If your attraction
is in chromographic 3-D here is where they will get glasses etc.
If your attraction has guides this is where they will pick up
there guide. My policy is this, if they have not left the
queline/foyer area I will give them their money back, once they
enter the attraction there are no refunds.

Depending on your theme I like to use a funeral parlor theme for
this area. You can have a queline video that goes over the rules
which also should be posted as a written signs, an example can
be found at http://www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters. Again
try and ensure that there is 36 to 40 inches of walking space
for wheelchairs and to ensure there is no trip hazard. Ensure
all props are properly secured. Make sure all actors stay in
character while in this area.

In all my years of doing haunted attractions where there are
volunteers this queline area always fills with actors wanting to
have a smoke while everyone waits for the next car to drive up.
You need to discourage this as much as possible. When a car
drives up if they see a bunch of actors half in – and half out
of costume it ruins the affect.

Also actors will have a tendency to follow visitors out to the
parking lot so they can get that one final scare. This is also a
practice you need to discourage. Chasing visitors out to the
parking lot can cause accidents and falls which can cause a
liability problem.

Decorate your foyer with scene setters. Lots of low lighting,
etc to give it an ominous look. Have your table for signing
waivers with a couple of the rules and the warnings above it.
Try not to use strobe lights in a way that they could trigger
seizures or panic attacks.

Video game reviews: Demon Attack (Atari 2600)

Demon Attack is one of those games on the Atari 2600 that didn’t have a story at all and was more about shooting enemies. There are different waves that come out to attack you and what your job is to simply shoot them eliminating them as quickly as possible. It is a two-player game and have both ships on the screen at the same time.

Object: It is simply to clear the board and if you can do that, you can gain an extra life without dying. There are different types of demons to fight and the even stages have the same type only a different color. The cycle continues and it’s a game that does not have much else that you need to do in order to play it.

Graphics: It is the Atari 2600 after all and it’s something that gets said a lot. Just use your imagination and think of them as aliens and a ship that fires out a lazer beam hitting the enemies that need to be hit without any question at all.

The graphics in the system aren’t powerful enough to have great looking items but in reality, the game play is the focus.

Game Play:

All you have to do is load up the game and push the joystick button to start playing. Now, you cannot pause in this game, as that wouldn’t be a feature until the Atari 5200 would come about. The controls for the game are easy to figure out and can be played with two people involved. What you do is push the button and begin firing and of course you can actually hold the button and it will continue to fire the lazer beams at the demons. There are different types and they don’t start fighting until the next set of demons come along. It isn’t a difficult game at first but it does get tougher as the game progresses and has no ending.

Overall: This is actually enjoyable and something to play that can pass the time. It will never be updated in a remake with better graphics but that’s fine. This is something that would mostly be enjoyed by maybe those who have played games on the Atari 2600. The only way this game would ever be seen again with this would be if Atari decided to create another retro system called the Atari Flashback 3. There is also the thought of a super Atari retro system that could have every game and this would be one of them. To find it by itself may be a challenge but it could happen with the right search on EBay. Sometimes it might have it with a working Atari 2600 if you are looking to get both. It is a good game and would be worth recommending if you are looking to play something from the past and enjoy it nevertheless.

What makes a great ghost story? – Part 4

What makes a great ghost story you may ask? I say a great ghost story needs thrill, excitement. It needs to be fun and entertaining. It needs to have more than one person, it needs to have many people, being haunted by one or more ghosts! It needs all the fun things about Halloween like fun and games, music and trick-or-treating, kids having fun. A great ghost story needs witches and wizards, eye of newt and frogs, it needs all the fun things that most of us were once, and still might be scared of. And most of all, a ghost story needs a really scary ghost that can do things that you just make up from the top of your imagination. A ghost should be on the earth for a good reason, not a silly reason like because it wants to sit in front of th TV or because it wants to play games, a reason that would actually bring a real ghost back to our world. In my opinion, ghost stories don’t have to be scary, they have to be about fun and Halloween, and trick-or-treating. Halloween doesn’t need to be scary, ghost stories don’t need to be scary, they both just need to be fun. It needs to have laughs and crys, scared and sad moments, and if you are going to spend your Halloween like this, do it with friends who care and love you.