The Leamington Lighthouse and the Blue Lady

 Author: Skylar Shirey

The Leamington Lighthouse was a beacon of light used to guide sailors on their way. It is located in  Hilton Head and served the ocean’s sailors for many years. One night tragedy struck the lighthouse, and the area has never been the same. 

On a dark night in 1896 a gigantic storm hit Hilton Head Island. This storm affected the whole town, but most importantly the lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper, Adam Fripp, worked tirelessly to keep the light a flame. Despite his best-efforts Fripp had exerted himself too much and died from a heart attack. Adam Fripp left behind his daughter Caroline Fripp. After not hearing from her father, Caroline set out to the Lighthouse to check on him. When she arrived, she was greeted with the body of her deceased father. She placed pennies over his eyes to give him good fortune in the afterlife. Despite her grief she continued where her father left off servicing the lighthouse. While distributing oil up the lighthouse Caroline fell and died when she me the ground. Days later, once the storm had passed, rescuers found the bodies of the father and daughter. They were laid to rest, and the lighthouse never received another keeper. 

Over time the Lighthouses purpose shifted. SC Picture Project describes this shift in their article entitled, “Leamington Lighthouse.” The area around the lighthouse became a Marine base, and then later became a historic monument. Some say the have see a figure wandering the area on stormy nights. This figure is seen radiating blue in a white dress. She was given the name The Blue Lady. Witnesses say when the Blue Lady is spotted, she is heard wailing. Because of the description of the Blue Lady and the area she resides in paranormal experts believe she is Caroline Fripp. They say she is wandering crying out for her missing father. 

In the later years the keeper of the lighthouse home has been moved to a location within town. Dennis Woods, a real estate investor based in the state or Oregon who investigates real estate and the stores that coincide with it writes in his article, “The Hilton Head Blue Lady - Paranormal Activity on Hilton Head Island” about the sightings of the Blue Lady. He describes, during the demolition and construction, a blue phone would ring at the house’s new location. Once picked up the phone would scream the sound of cries. Some believes this was the work of the Blue Lady. Construction workers also say that when leaving the sight late at night the see a blue light glowing within the home. 

The Leamington Lighthouse still stands tall in Hilton Head. Plaques have been placed around it telling the story of the storm and the Blue Lady. Though it has been many years those who visit the lighthouse on stormy nights may still see the Blue Lady in all her glory. 

Works Cited:

Woods, Dennis. “The Hilton Head Blue Lady - Paranormal Activity on Hilton Head Island” Ezine Articles, 09 Dec. 2009, https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Hilton-Head-Blue-Lady---Paranormal-Activity-on-Hilton-Head-Island&id=3397164. 

“Leamington Lighthouse.” SC Picture Project, 16 Oct. 2022, https://www.scpictureproject.org/beaufort-county/leamington-lighthouse.html.

Rae and Dad. “Haunted Lighthouse/ The Blue Lady Ghost of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina” YouTube, 24 March 2021, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=leeamington+lighthouse+and+the+blue+lady&qpvt=leeamington+lighthouse+and+the+blue+lady&view=detail&mid=656FA0A261C4A24E6EEA656FA0A261C4A24E6EEA&&FORM=VRDGAR.

Segars, Bill. “Leamington Lighthouse” SC Picture Project, June 2010, https://www.scpictureproject.org/beaufort-county/leamington-lighthouse.html.

“All About Our Island: Discover Hilton Head.” Hilton Head Island, 25 Oct. 2022, https://www.hiltonheadisland.org/our-island.

For Further Information:

“Haunted Places in Hilton Head” Haunted Places, 16 Oct. 2022, https://www.hauntedplaces.org/hilton-head-island-sc/. This article was written by an anonymous author and serves as a reference for haunted areas near Hilton Head. The source, Haunted Places, also shares haunted areas all around America.

Kauffman, Barry. “So the story goes: The Blue Lady” Hilton Head Monthly, 30 Sept. 2022, https://hiltonheadmonthly.com/living/lifestyle/1463-so-the-story-goes-the-blue-lady. This article was written by Barry Kauffman, a researcher and author who studies paranormal activity and human potential. This article describes the paranormal activity surrounding the Leamington Lighthouse and the story with it.

“Hilton Head/Leamington Lighthouse.” Discover South Carolina, 25 Oct. 2022, https://discoversouthcarolina.com/products/25688. This article was written by an anonymous author and describes the Leamington Lighthouse and the purpose it serves today. IT also discusses the environment around the lighthouse. 

The Mysterious Bunyip: Real or Fake?

 Author: Cole Grice

Down in the swamps and lagoons of Australia, a creature called a Bunyip prowls the land and water hunting for human prey, especially women and children. Although there are many stories about this terrifying creature, does it actually exist or is it just a hoax?  

As described by Bernadette Giacomazzo in “Meet The Bunyip, The Monstrous Cryptid Said To Inhabit Australia’s Swamps," the Bunyip has black fur, a round head, a long neck, sharp teeth, and a body type that is similar to an ox, hippopotamus, or seal. This creature is allegedly between five and fifteen feet long in size. The Bunyip supposedly made load, roaring noises while waiting to devour human beings. Its roars can echo across all of Australia. The article also states that the first sighting of the creature occurred in New South Wales in the year of 1818, when two explorers named Hamilton Hume and James Meehan discovered a large set of strange bones by a lakeshore. Most people believed the bones were from a deceased hippopotamus.

Although the Bunyip’s appearance has not been reported in current time, it began to become popular in the nineteenth century. According to an article called, "18 Facts About The Bunyip, A Cryptic From The Swamps Of Australia," by January Nelson, the most frequent reports of the mythical creature happened throughout the years of the 1840s and 1850s. During these years, the actual term, “The Bunyip,” was given to the creature. The word, “Bunyip,” stands for ‘devil’ or ‘evil spirit’ (Fae). It was given this name as it attacked people which caused a lot of fear among the communities in Australia. 

The Bunyip still plays a large role in Australia’s culture today. The creature may just be a myth in a folktale, but it continues to thrive in modern time Australia. As talked about by Gabriel Berreteaga in “A Fantastic Rendition and Jubilee of the Bunyip in Australia,” the Bunyip is seen in many children’s books and films. It is also displayed around the country as statues. This article also acknowledge the Bunyip Park, which is located in southern Australia. The park includes the Button Grass Nature Trail and educates children about the Bunyip through interactive story books. 

Overall, it is only up to you whether you want to believe in this man-eating creature. Does it wait through the night for people or was it made up to scare us? Will we ever truly know if it is real or fake?

Works cited: 

Berreteaga, Gabriel. “A Fantastic Rendition and Jubilee of the Bunyip in Australia.” YOAIR Blog. October 3, 2022, https://www.yoair.com/blog/a-fantastic-rendition-and-jubilee-of-the-bunyip-in-australia/

Fae, Kota. “Aboriginal Lore: The Bunyip (Devil Spirit of Australia).” Amino. June, 19, 2018, https://aminoapps.com/c/thewitchescircle/page/blog/aboriginal-lore-the-bunyip-devil-spirit-of-australia/8qv1_pjSmuW5YWz1WpgLErK2XMR851GGP 

Giacomazzo, Bernadette. “Meet The Bunyip, The Monstrous Cryptid Said To Inhabit Australia’s Swamps." ATI. January 25, 2022, https://allthatsinteresting.com/bunyip

Macfarlane, J. Bunyip. 1890. Photograph. “The Bunyip,” Wikipedia. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Bunyip_1890.jpg/440px-Bunyip_1890.jpg

Nelson, January.  “18 Facts About The Bunyip, A Cryptic From The Swamps Of Australia." Thought Catalog. March 27, 2021, https://thoughtcatalog.com/january-nelson/2018/08/bunyip/

 Links for further research:

       New Idea Magazine’s Aussie Woman Tells: My Yowie Terror

 https://www.newidea.com.au/aussie-woman-tells-my-yowie-terror 

This article by Danielle K. presents a phone interview with a woman who had a personal encounter with a creature in which she thinks is the Yowie (also known as the Bunyip).

    The Age: Rediscovered Rock Art Reveals an Ancient Monster

 https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rediscovered-rock-art-reveals-an-ancient-monster-20190106-p50pu1.html?fbclid=IwAR3HYSnpht9Fp1Q5Yz--cBykB8ZVv1jOAOOyGzAoUc1lhlvxAVD8_YeRLLM

 This article by Joe Hinchliffe, tells the readers about a Bunyip drawing in a cave that can be dated back to many years ago.

      Project Gutenberg License: The Brown Fairy Book

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3282/pg3282-images.htmink2H_4_0006

This book, written by a Scottish novelist named Andrew Lang, tells a story about young men who had an interaction with a Bunyip while on a camping trip.

 

The Origins of Death Alley

Author: Kei

Death Alley, an ominous name of an alleyway in Chicago where many bodies were laid to be identified. The Alley is rested behind a Theatre that was called the Iroquois theatre in 1903 and is currently called the Oriental Theatre. The Iroquois Theatre is located at 24-28 west Randolph Street, between State Street and Dearborn Street, in Chicago Illinois. The Alley is located at he couch place or 24 Randolph Street.   

The Theater was said to be fireproof like how the Titanic was boasted to be unsinkable. The Theater was unfit for fires and had many problems. Inside the theatre there were no sprinklers, alarms, telephones, water connections and not many easily accessible exits. The building was fit with asbestos curtains and the fire man of the building discussed the Deficiencies of the building with the fire chief. The fire chief and fire man of the building did nothing out of fear of the syndicate who owned the building would dismiss their fears, they were also told they could do nothing as the theatre had its own fireman. 

On the day of said fire the theater was filled with about 2,100-2200 people in attendance to the theater (most of those being children watching the matinee performance). During the beginning of the second act of a musical called “In the Pale Moonlight” an arc light ignited a curtain, and the fire began to spread, many tried to dose and stop the fire to no avail. As the fire spread many people in the crowd were in unrest and a man named foy attempted to calm the crowd, as he was, he saw just how many people were in the Theater. The audience began to try to flee out of the doors but couldn’t get past bascule locks on the doors. The performers on stage were able to escape out bigger doors that were used to transport props to the Theater but while doing so made the fire bigger as the cold air rushed in.

The fire killed about 300 people and in those were only five actors that were present. The victims of the fire were killed by being trampled by scared people looking to flee, asphyxiated by fire, smoke, and gasses. This event has led to an impact on the change of theater safety laws and all theaters in the country were closed for retrofitting (some in Europe too). The alley that lay behind this ill-fated theater became itself after the fir as many of the dead bodies were laid there to be identified after the fire. The Alley is now a place where many who walk past say they feel phantom hands and whispers of your own name in the alley. Tales of ghouls who stole from the victims of the fire are told also. This Alley is used by commuters of Chicago and stage performers today.

Works Cited:

 Added by Leylairoyale, Edited by beingabear, Collector of Experiences, erjeffrey, and Mat Everywhere, “Couch Place [The Alley of Death].” Atlas Obscura, 25 Jan 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/couch-place-the-alley-of-death

 Crozier, Elizabeth. “The History Behind Illinois’ Alley of Death Is Absolutely Heartbreaking.”

ONLY IN YOUR STATE, 27 Dec 2021. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/creepy-alley-il/

Links for further research:

 Living Landmarks of Chicago. https://livinglandmarksofchicago.com/oriental-theatre-james-m-nederlander-theatre/ Does as the title says giving you a brief description of the events of the theater fire and a little building description.

 Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/visuals/vintage/ct-oriental-theatre-chicago-historic-photos-20181113-photogallery.html This site provides pictures of the theater and description of where it’s located.

Windy City Ghosts. https://windycityghosts.com/death-alley-near-nederlander-theatre/ This site gives a good history of the events of the theater fire and the paranormal activity that happens in the alley.

The Bunny Man of Fairfax

 By Evan Natale

In Fairfax county, there is an urban tale that likes to spring up every October, that being of The Bunny Man. Most variations keep the similar theme of a man in a bunny suit threatening people who come to his bridge, a railroad overpass near Clifton, Virginia, typically with the weapon of choice being an axe. Usually the backstory of the Bunny Man is that either he is an escapee from a local mental asylum, or that he is the spirit of a patient from an abandoned mental asylum. In another rendition, the reason why he is attracted to that bridge is because that is where a bus on its way to an Asylum crashed, causing either him to escape and ‘hunt’ in that area or that is where he died and now is haunting that area. In either case, rabbit corpses would occasionally appear, dangling from the nearby trees.  

The origin of the urban legend stems from two news stories that were written in October of 1970 in the Washington Post. The first story was an Air Force cadet telling about how he and his fiance were attacked while trying to park their car. They claim that a man in a bunny suit came out of nowhere and flung an axe into their windshield. Following this a week later, a police officer saw the Bunny Man on top of a newly built house, hacking away at the roof’s support, then when the officer turned his back, he ran away. 

The legend would grow to a point that in 2011 a direct to dvd indie slasher movie that was made called “Bunnyman.” that the director would go on to make 2 sequels. In these movies The Bunnyman would proceed to go on to kill a group of teenagers. In 2014, a local band from Fairfax, Mantua Finials, made a rock opera album based off of the story entitled “The Legend of the Bunnyman”.

Works Cited:

Pugh Kari. “Bunny Man Bridge: The scary truth behind an infamous urban legend” Insidenova, https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/bunny-man-bridge-the-scary-truth-behind-an-infamous-urban-legend/article_a27c7000-dca4-11e8-ad84-af51d935cbcb.html, 30 October 2021,

 Conley Brian A., “The Bunny Man Unmasked” Fairfax County Library, https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/local-history/bunnyman, 22, October 2022

Kelly John, “With ‘Legend of the Bunnyman,’ a local band celebrates a quirky urban myth” Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/with-legend-of-the-bunnyman-a-local-band-celebrates-a-quirky-urban-myth/2014/06/02/0252e9e6-ea65-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html, 2 June 2014

Links for Further Research: 

https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/local-history/bunnyman

The Witch Of Pengo?.. Poongo?...Pungo.

 By: Christopher Brown 

Mother of 3 kids, herbalist, farmer, and contains warts on her or his body… Witch? These characteristics describe Grace Sherwood. Grace Sherwood was a middle-class woman who lived in Princess Anne, Virginia from 1660-1740. Grace was not only one of the selected few of people who were convicted for being a witch, but also the last person to be convicted of being a witch in Virginia. 

Grace Sherwood had been accused of being a witch on multiple occasions. Some of these occasions being she caused crops and livestock to die, put curses on families, and even a woman by the name of Elizabeth Barnes said Grace slipped through her door key hole to get into her bed chamber and ride her like a horse. A little excessive with the details do you think?

After being taken to trial on multiple occasions and having her case looked at by each level of government back then, she was eventually asked to be tested by water. This is called dunking. 

The test of water is when such a person is accused of being a witch, they are ordered to be tied to a cucking stool  and be dropped into deep water. If such a person can escape and rise to the top they aren’t a witch, but if they sink and drown then they are innocent. That “totally” sounds like a win-win situation. Grace didn’t want to deny such a trial because it would just make her look guilty so she went with it. 

Grace then proceeded to save herself and not drown and was placed in jail in Williamsburg, VA. It’s stated that on the night of Grace Sherwood dunking there was a storm with terrible lighting strikes. She was released in 1714. In 1733 she made a will bequeathing her property to her three sons. Beginning in the 20th century according to Emilee Hines in the Book, “Virginia Myths And Legend: The True Stories Behind History’s Mysteries”, held an annual Pungo Strawberry Festival in the still rural part of the city that included a reenactment of Grace Sherwood’s dunking(Hines). Also in the 20th century the mayor of Virginia pardoned Grace Sherwood from her being accused of being a Witch. She is known to be immortalized in Princess Anne, as she has a statue where people can pay due respect to her. 

Works Cited: 

 “Grace Sherwood.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, August 7th, 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Sherwood

Schons, Mary. “Witch Trials in The 21st Century.” Accusations of Witchcraft persist, Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing, Kara West. National Geographic Society. September 15th, 2022. 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036.     

Walk With History. “The Last Modern Day Witch Trial.” The Witch of Pungo. Youtube. October 17th, 2021. San Bruno, CA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gRXBM5lIyg

Links for Further Research: 

Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071000495.html

This site contains information on Grace Sherwood being pardoned. 

National Geographic.https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/witch-trials-21st-century This link provides information on the witch trials in the 21st century.

National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/newsletters/article/why-were-witches-killed-20220516 explains why witches were killed from back then to know. 

Ghost Lights: Real??

 Author: M. King

Ghost Lights are known throughout many cultures, telling the tale of “ghostly lights that hover above the ground deep in marshes, bogs, and wet, decaying places.” (McLeod) They’re known by many names such as the ghost lights, corpse candles, “will-o-the-wisps", Jack-o-the-lantern, fairy lights, spook lights, and many more. Since there are so many different things this phenomenon is called, there are also many different interpretations as to why this phenomenon takes place. The explanations are more widely known in myths, fairytales, or in some cultures. Some say that the eerie lights are the cause of fairies or even leprechauns, goblins, others have said they are the restless spirit of children who passed young or were miscarried. Despite all the differentiations and stories that have been made about these strange lights, they all circle back to one thing: “their cause is unearthly in nature and not to be trusted.” (McLeod)

Flivver 99 “Paulding Light – Wikipedia" Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 9 October 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulding_Light

There are many stories, theories, and tales of ghost lights from around the world. Most are like each other, and some are exact opposites. An example of related stories is one from Wales and Ireland, they tell a tale of someone named Jack or Will. In the Ireland interpretation, he was doomed by their mischievous behavior to wonder the Earth till the end of time. These gentlemen were denied access to both heaven and hell, he was granted one gift: “an ember from fires of hell to light his way a warm him in his travels.” (McLeod) Then in the Irish version of the tale, it goes on to talk about a traveler named Jack, receiving the same ember, as the previous story, but he kept his ember in a carved turnip that he used to light his way on his everlasting journey. He was named, “Jack-o-the-lantern", because of the turnip lantern he carries. Furthermore, there are tales in the United States, specifically in Arkansas, where these have been seen. Their ghost light is called “the Gurdon ghost light.” In local legend, it says that in 1931 a man by the name, William McClain, a foreman that worked for the Missouri-Pacific railroad. He was involved in a disagreement with an employee, Louis McBride, talking about when he is allowed to work. To say the least, McBride was livid and ended up brutally killing McClain with a shovel to the head and continuously beating him with a railroad spike hammer. (Arkansas)

Even with all the tales and stories of this phenomenon, there has been some scientific research done on them. The hypothesis is that the decaying matter around the area, such as rotting animal corpses or bad vegetation, releasing gases such as methane and phosphine. These gases that are released from the dying creature or plant have been known to spontaneously ignite when encountering oxygen, which causes low temperature flares for a moment. But there is nothing truly deny the existence of these strange ghost lights.

Works Cited:

Paulding Light – Wikipedia" Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 9 October 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulding_Light

“MARFA LIGHTS” Youtube, 5 June 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhRpMBAeVco. 

“The Spook Light” Joplin Missouri. Ex. 20 October 2022, joplinmo.org/575/The-Spook-Light

“Ball lightning” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 3 October 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning

“Will-o’-the-Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon?” Youtube, Ex. 25 October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNUxb_4qbo

 

Links for Further Research:

McLeod, Jamie. “Ghost Lights: A Weather Folklore.” Farmers’ Almanac – Plan Your Day. Grow Your Life. 21 June 2021, famersalmanac.com/weather-ology-special-ghost-lights-14442 This source gives information on the folklore and science behind the ghost light sightings. The purpose of this article is to explain and give information on possible origins and reasoning as to how/why these sightings happened. This source is unique because it gives a scientific hypothesis as to why these lights occur. This source is useful because of the cultural involvement as well as the many different stories explaining why these are occurring. As posted on Farmers’ Almanac this article is intended for people who have seen/heard of the strange phenomenon wanting to learn information on the ghost lights or will-o-the-wisps, as they say in the article, and seeing why they occur.

“Mysterious Lights”. Arkansas. The Natural State. Ex. 20 October 2022, arkansas.com/articles/mysterious-lights This sources gives information on the sightings and folklore in Arkansas. The purpose of this article is to give information on the sightings in the state and what the origin is. This source is unique because it gives detailed stories about the lights. This source is useful because of the stories it shares of the folklore in Arkansas surrounding the ghost lights. As posted on Arkansas: The Natural State this article is intended for tourist or natives in Arkansas to bring information on things they have possibly witnessed.

“Atmospheric ghost lights” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 5 April 2022, en.eikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_ghost_lights This source gives information on the phenomenon and gives many, world wide, examples of sightings as well as legends/folklore. The purpose of this article is to mostly allow access to more resources as well as provide information. This source is unique because it provides hyperlinks and gives resources for further information. This source us useful because of all the additional details. As posted on Wikipedia this is intended for someone wanting to find all possible knowledge.

Men in Black

Author: CBow

When you hear “Men in Black,” you might think of Will Smith in the movie Men in Black. Some think of the Men in Black as a “secret” government agency, but most think of UFO’s (Unidentified Flying Objects.)Most people don’t even believe that Men in Black nor UFOs exist. The first story that launched conspiracies about the Men in Black dates back to June 27, 1947, involving a man named Harold Dahl. Dahl was out gathering logs, when he saw “six donut-shaped obstacles hovering” (Justin Sablich) over him in his boat. Sooner than later, one of the obstacles fell, scattering debris and water, killing Dahls dog. The next morning after the ordeal, Dahl was visited by a Man in Black who told Dahl not to speak of what he had witnessed, or else bad things would happen. The mysterious man was able to tell him what exactly had happened, frightening Dahl, which enticed him to tell others. He reached out to a magazine editor, who then reached out to a pilot named Kenneth Arnold, who had also experienced a UFO sighting. In July of 1947, “two Army A-2 Intelligence officers came to investigate.” (Sablich) The next day, when the officers were leaving, their plane crashed, killing both of them. Was this just a coincidence? Or did it have something to do with the Men in Black?

Albert K. Bender was the man who really kicked the Men in Black Conspiracy into full gear. He was a ufologist and conducted multiple counts of paranormal research. Because of his love for paranormal activity, he formed the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB). In November of 1952, Bender was at a local movie theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut, when he noticed a “strange man with glowing eyes observing him.” (Bielawa). Bender also noticed that there was an increasingly worsening stench of burning sulfur filling his attic. In July of 1953, he was paid a visit by three men in black suits. According to Bender, they communicated telepathically with him, demanding him to stop all UFO work and research. In October of 1953, the last issue from the IFSB Space Review was published, including a cryptic message and warning of those who are engaged in “saucer work to be very cautious” (Bielawa). The IFSB was shut down by Bender, obeying the Men in Black that had threatened him.

Bender’s story attracted a UFO Magazine Publisher, Gray Barker. According to multiple sources, Barker was not considered the most factual reporter on UFO phenomena, as he was a “gifted writer with a gentle, understated sense of humor” (Radford). Barker wrote the book, “They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers" and included Bender's story inside. The book elaborated upon the Men in Black and UFO conspiracy. For some it expanded their belief of the Men in Black existence, and for some it was just a goofy, fictional, book. After this book was released, more and more people started encountering the Men in Black.

So, what could be a possible explanation behind the Men in Black? Are they really a result of paranormal activity, or do they have nothing to do with aliens at all? It has been reported that many people have experienced the Men in Black when experiencing sleep paralysis. According to Spencer Heathcliff Peters, sleep paralysis “can be described as an inability to move or speak for several seconds after waking up from sleep.” Some say that when they have seen a Man in Black, they saw a black, shadowy figure. When some people experience sleep paralysis, they have also reported seeing a black, shadowy figure. In the 1970s, a survey was conducted by David F. Rudiak that studied the correlation between Men in Black sightings and sleep paralysis. The study concluded that there was no correlation between MIB sightings and sleep paralysis. Rudiak also found that since there was a large amount of people that had never seen a UFO but had an experience with Men in Black, most “alien abductions” are most likely sleep paralysis episodes.  

Other resources suggest that the Men in Black aren’t, have never been, and never will be real. According to Steve Rose, “the UFO community is a textbook case of a gullible group susceptible to manipulation. Having spent too long watching the skies and the X-Files, it's implied, they'll readily swallow whatever snippet of "evidence" suits their grand theory.” Rose claims that movies and documentaries about UFO/paranormal activity are clearly fictionalized and made to feed into the imagination of ufologists. Rose states, “Rather than covering up the existence of aliens, could it be that the real conspiracy has been persuading us to believe in them?” Roses theory is that the Men in Black phenomenon/paranormal activity is not real, but the government wants us to think that they are. But why? Is there something that we don’t know that we should? Are movies just a coverup of something that’s really out there? Or are we just a bunch of paranoid weirdos? I guess we might not know until we see a UFO for ourselves.

Works Cited: 

Bielawa, Michael J., “Bridgeport’s UFO Legacy: Men in Black and the Albert K. Bender Story” Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Library. https://bportlibrary.org/hc/authors/bridgeports-ufo-legacy-men-in-black-and-the-albert-k-bender-story/

Peters, Heathcliff Spencer. “Men in Black: Shadow Figures and UFOs throughout History.” Astral Citizens, Astral Citizens, 29 Sept. 2022, https://astralcitizens.com/men-in-black-shadow-figures-and-ufos-throughout-history/.

Rose, Steve. “The real Men in Black, Hollywood and the great UFO cover-up”. The Guardian, Guardian News & Media, 14 Aug. 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/14/men-in-black-ufo-sightings-mirage-makers-movie

Sablich, Justin. “The UFO Sightings That Launched 'Men in Black' Mythology.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 23 Aug. 2018, https://www.history.com/news/men-in-black-real-origins.

“Who is the Hat Man? The Real-Life Nightmare Shared By Thousands.” AnomoAlien.com, Photograph, 20 Aug. 2020 https://anomalien.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/hatman-s.jpg,

Links for further research : 

Geers, Jacob. “9 Freaky Encounters with the Real 'Men in Black' That'll Seriously Give You the Creeps.” Thought Catalog, The Thought & Expression Company, LLC., 13 Sept. 2021, https://thoughtcatalog.com/jacob-geers/2016/04/creepy-stories-of-the-real-men-in-black/. This source explores different accounts of witnesses of the MIB.  

“List of reported UFO sightings” Wikipedia, MediaWiki, 7 Oct. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings This source provides multiple alien sightings, including the time they were reported as well as where they were reported.

“Real Men in Black Sightings Caught on Camera.” Slapped Ham, 10 Apr. 2019, https://slappedham.com/real-men-in-black-sightings-caught-on-camera/. This source provides pictures of the Men in Black as well as strange personal experiences of those who have encountered the MIB 

Satanic Panic

 

Author: Marlena Perez

In the 1980’s there was a huge moral scare called the” Satanic Panic” where everyone thought that devil worshippers were hidden everywhere and in everything discretely trying to turn children into demon lovers, do awful things with or to them. Published in 1980, the book  Michelle Remembers is typically given the credit for starting the panic because it linked satanic rituals to the abuse of children, but there was never any evidence of abuse by cults. False narratives created a foundation in the minds of Christians for the inner workings of Satanism and that their children would be swayed by Satan. 

People were ready for a full panic over the occult when James Dallas Egbert “disappeared” from his dorm room at MSU in 1979, people were convinced his mind was altered by the game Dungeons & Dragons that he had a psychotic break and ran away under the school to role play a game until he died. A detective stated James was “depressed” and went into the tunnels to commit suicide. Dungeons and Dragons did not have anything to do with James’s disappearance or death. But over the top Christians kept the idea that the game made him carry out supernatural rituals.

 The Satanic Panic made people live out in the world fearful. They did not let their children do anything, Christians thought there were subliminal messages in all things with Satan. Some even thought humans were eating children as part of rituals. Parents did not like their kids watching certain movies, shows and music. Particularly rock and roll. This music was especially open to accusations of backmasking messages, in the 1980s, The Rolling Stones were charged with hiding their support of the devil in their records. But it is not really possible to write lyrics one way and it sound correct the other way. If songs do have hidden messages, it is by accident.

 With all the Satanists running around and committing ritual murders, it was up to the police to stop them. The average devil worshipper is adept at hiding in plain sight, a document called “Identification, Investigation, and Understanding of Ritualistic Criminal Activity,” helped the police keep an eye out for Satanic activity in the Windy City. This provided “insight” into symbolism used by and even provided characteristics that one should look for while speaking to a potential Satanist.

Satanic Temple

 

Works Cited:

 Porter, Mark and Wakeman, Jessie, Associated Press, New York Times, 22 November 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/22/arts/satanic-temple-sabrina-statue.html  Accessed on 20 Oct, 2022.

Rossen, Jake, Mental Floss, 14 May 2021, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/642372/satanic-panic-history-1980s Accessed on 26 October 2022

Links for further research: 

.        “Satanic Panic” Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_panic This article from Wikipedia gives so much information about the Satanic Panic.

       Romano, Aja. “The Satanic Panic Never Really Ended.” Vox, 31 March 2021. Satanic Panic’s long history — and why it never really ended — explained - Vox The Vox is an online magazine, and this article is written Aja Romano explaining the history of the Satanic Panic. The purpose of this article is to inform the readers about the different cases of the satanic panic and what it is. It also speaks about how heavy it was around back then but people think it went away just because it is now shown in different more modern ways. This source is unique because it goes through historically different cases of the panic. This source is relevant because is has modern issues of the satanic panic and lets us know that it us still around today. As written in The Satanic Panic Never Really Ended written by Aja Romano this article is aimed at people who are interested in the history of the Satanic Panic.

       Zadrozny, Brandy. “Satanic panic is making a comeback, fueled by QAnon believers and GOP influencers” NBC News 14 September 2022 https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/satanic-panic-making-comeback-fueled-qanon-believers-gop-influencers-rcna38795 This website is a news channel that streams on TV and writes news articles, this article is written by Brandy Zadrozny, most of this article is based in Utah. The purpose of this source is to be reliable and let us know how the satanic panic is not over. This article is informing us about politicians that have to do with the panic, David Leavitt, who had to deny and fight that he did not murder or cannibalize children. The source is unique because this was written directly about one person, and he was a politician. This source of the NBC is relevant because it was written only a month ago, this is a good source because it is a popular subject with conspiracy theories and politicians. As posted in NBC News this article is aimed at people who believe in conspiracy theories and are interested in learning about the satanic panic.

The Man Who Began Neuroscience

 Author: Hunter Williams

Phineas Gages skull after death

Phineas Gage was born in 1823 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, on his family’s farm. According to Editors, TheFamousPeople.com of the informational page entitled “Phineas Gage”, there isn’t much known about Phineas Gages childhood. Other than that, he was smart and lived with four other siblings. After childhood Phineas moved away from his family’s farm to find work as a contract railway worker. While working on railroads for a couple of years, Phineas eventually became a railroad Foreman, until a devastating injury would change Phineas, and the way doctors viewed Neurology forever.

 “Improbable Tales of Survival” A funny short
video that simplifies the Phineas Gage injury by Sam O Nella.

According to author Malcom Macmillian of “The Phineas Gage Story”, on September 13, 1848, while working as a blasting foreman, for Rutland and Burlington Rail Road. On that day Phineas was packing an explosive charge into the ground with a tamping iron, when unexpectedly the charge exploded. This sent the 13 ½ pound tamping iron through the front of Phineas Gages skull and landed around 25 to 30 yards behind him. Phineas was then rushed by his crew to Dr. John Martyn Harlow in the closest town to be treated and observed.

In the podcast “Everything Everywhere” according to host Gary Ardnt, Phineas unbelievably recovered in ten weeks only suffering from paralysis in his face and a missing eye. But was unable to continue working as a foreman because of the changes in his personality. Before the accident Phineas was known to be charismatic, responsible, and hardworking. But after the accident Dr. Harlow states, “He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity” and that he was “no longer Gage”. After the Phineas Gage case was seen by many medical professionals, Phineas was studied by even more doctors and medical teams in the following months.

In the last 12 of Phineas Gages life according to author Kendra Cherry on the article entitled “What happened to Phineas Gage?” Phineas became an attraction in the Barnum American Museum in New York. Phineas then moved to Chile and became a stagecoach driver. Phineas stayed as a stagecoach driver for the next seven years until his health started to decline. He then moved to San Francisco to live with his mother where he unfortunately passed away at age 36. After having multiple epileptic seizures linked to the injury 12 years before (Ardnt). The odd case of Phineas Gage gave medical professionals a better look at the functions of the brain. As well as brain trauma having an impact on a person’s behavior (Cherry).

Works Cited:

Arndt, Gary. “The Unlikely Survival of Phineas Gage” Everything-everywhere, https://everything-everywhere.com/the-unlikely-survival-of-phineas-gage/#:~:text=There%20is%20very%20little%20we%20know%20of%20the,Hampshire%20and%20that%20is%20where%20he%20was%20raised. Accessed 13 Oct. 2022. 

Cherry, Kendra. “What Happened to Phineas Gage?” Verywellmind, www.verywellmind.com/phineas-gage-2795244. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022. 

Editors, TheFamousPeople.com. “Phineas Gage” thefamouspeople. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/phineas-gage-46347.php. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022. 

Landis, Henry. “Lebanon New Hampshire’s “Man Who Survived with A Hole in His Head”: Phineas P. Gage (1823-1860)” https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.1f30de1b74c66af0e72287e9a4e0718a?rik=s3U7DdSUcXjfLA&riu=http%3a%2f%2fimage1.findagrave.com%2fphotos250%2fphotos%2f2009%2f342%2f8144_126037660235.jpg&ehk=TlEnv7Vjzm597kv0UDIKW4QcNtVYpImbA7AMgiqIfx4%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0. Accessed on 22 Oct. 2022. 

Macmillian, Malcolm. “Phineas Gage’s Story” Uakron, 15 Aug. 1999. https://www.uakron.edu/gage/story.dot. 

Sam O Nella. “Improbable Tales of Survival” YouTube, 1 Apr 2019. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sam+o+nella+academy&qpvt=sam+o+nella+academy&view=detail&mid=C0B77A88A0FCE3B0650AC0B77A88A0FCE3B0650A&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dsam%2Bo%2Bnella%2Bacademy%26qpvt%3Dsam%2Bo%2Bnella%2Bacademy%26FORM%3DVDRE.

Links for Further Research: 

Arndt, Gary. “The Unlikely Survival of Phineas Gage” Everything-everywhere, https://everything-everywhere.com/the-unlikely-survival-of-phineas-gage/#:~:text=There%20is%20very%20little%20we%20know%20of%20the,Hampshire%20and%20that%20is%20where%20he%20was%20raised. Accessed 13 Oct. 2022. This article written by Gary Arndt delves into Phineas Gages early life, and the doctor’s eyewitness account of the injury.

Cherry, Kendra. “What Happened to Phineas Gage?” Verywellmind, www.verywellmind.com/phineas-gage-2795244. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022. This article written by Kendra Cherry describes Phineas Gages later life and what Gage did for work after the devastating injury. 

Ratiu, Peter et al. “The tale of Phineas Gage: digitally remastered.” PubMed, 21 May 2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15165371/.  This article written by Peter Ratiu and four others, describes the results of Phineas Gages skull, after reanalyzing the skull using computer imaging for the first time.

The Mysterious Ship: The Mary Celeste

 Author: Caroline G

Mary Celeste in Storm

The Mary Celeste was a merchant brigantine ship sailing out of the harbor in New York to Italy. The ship was run by Captain Benjamin Briggs. He brought aboard the ship with him his wife, his two-year old daughter, and his eight crew members. This ship was carrying 1,701 barrels of alcohol along with the six-month food supply that the crew had (Blumburg). 

The ship didn’t make it to a month because it was discovered sailing alone without its crew aboard. The ship that found the Mary Celeste was called the Dei Gratia. The Mary Celeste had sailed from the harbor eight days before the Dei Gratia did. The Dei Grata found the Mary Celeste off the coast of the Azores. According to the article “The legend of the Mary Celeste explained” the Mary Celeste was moving very erotically. The captain knew that there was something wrong because no ship moves like that. The captain ordered his crew to go aboard the ship to check out what was wrong. According to the article “Abandoned ship: The Mary Celeste” by Jess Blumburg, she says that below the ship deck they found “ship charts tossed around, and crewman’s belongings were still in their quarters.” They also found that the only lifeboat on board the ship was missing.

There are many theories that go along with this ship. Each are different because no ones for sure what happened to the crew and how the ship continued to sail. According to the article “The Mary Celeste” on the website paranormalcatalog.net says that the Mary Celeste could have been involved in foul play that happened by the crew of the Dei Gratia killing the crew of the Mary Celeste. Another is that the crew fled the ship because the alcohol that they were carrying exploded so that they had to flee the ship. One final one that something paranormal happened on the ship, but this one Is very unlikely because sea monsters don’t exist. Giant squids do exist, but they are not that big enough to pluck crew members right off their ship.

One thing cool about this ship is that there was a documentary created about it. The documentary is called The True Story of the Mary Celeste. There is also a book on the Mary Celeste and that book is called The Haunting of the Mary Celeste.

Works Cited:

Benjamin, Kathy. “The legend of the Mary Celeste explained.” Grunge.com, 2020,https://maryceleste.net/index.htm 

Blumburg, Jess. “Abandoned Ship: The Mary Celeste.” Smithsonianmag.com, 2007, https://maryceleste.net/index.htm 

“The Mystery of the Mary Celeste: Crew Vanishes from Seaworthy Ship.” ancient-origns.net,  https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Mary-Celeste-in-storm.jpg 

“The Mary Celeste.” Paranormalcatalog.nethttps://www.paranormalcatalog.net/unexplained-phenomena/the-mary-celeste

Links for Further Research: 

“Mysterious Disappearances: Crew of the Mary Celeste.” mysteriousdisappearances.com. This 

website talks about the crew onboard the Mary Celeste

“The Mary Celeste Fact or Fiction.” MaryCeleste.net. This website gives an insight on whether 

the Mary Celeste was a real thing or if it was fake.

“Mary Celeste: Whatever Happened to the Notorious Ghost Ship”. allthingsinterersting.com. 

This website talks about what happened to the Mary Celeste and the theories that go 

along with what happened, and what happened after the Mary Celeste was found