Fiona Broome, Author at Fiona Broome

The Mandela Effect Website… Is It Back?

Recently, some of the press coverage of the Mandela Effect has been surprisingly open-minded, and sometimes downright favorable.

But, at other times… Well, not so much.

For example, I almost liked this article about what makes something memorable… or forgettable.

Well, it looked favorable when – rushed – I’d skimmed it.

Then I reread it and… wow, clever phrasing, manipulating the context. For example, labeling it a “false memory” from the start. (See more at my post: The Mandela Effect: What Do We Really Remember?)

And then, writing that post – whew! – I stumbled onto this quirky paper, Fathoming the Mandela Effect: Deploying Reinforcement Learning to Untangle the Multiverse. That was fun to read.

But anyway, yes, I’ve decided to try putting the Mandela Effect website back online.

It’s still a work-in-progress, and – of course – it may fail.

First, we had to find hosting able to handle ridiculously high levels of traffic that the site can attract.

Then, we needed a way to justify the high hosting costs that may become necessary.

(My related books aren’t exactly flying off the shelves, but I never expected them to. The only reason I published them was to make sure people have access to how the Mandela Effect topic started, and what people said at the beginning.)

For now, there will be advertising on the website; I’ll have no control over that content, but my hosting bills should remain manageable. That’s the important part, for now.

The next big hurdle will be the comments.

Currently, we’re talking about adding a new post every 7 – 10 days, and then keeping that post (and perhaps a few others) open to comments for a short amount of time. Like a week or two. Maybe three.

As before, all comments will be moderated, but this time, they’ll be moderated every few days. (In other words, no more six-hour days, reading endless comments, and many of them left by trolls.)

It may be a bit of a juggling act, keeping the site online and the conversations calm and interesting. We’ll see how it goes.

This might work out. Or it might not. Fingers crossed!

P.S. These aren’t our kinds of memories, but if you’re using an LLM like ChatGPT, be aware of how memories may be injected, manipulated, and exploited. Here’s one article: Hacker plants false memory in ChatGPT to steal user data in perpetuity.

Books, Books, Books!

(This post is an expanded version of my Substack article.)

As of last week, I’ve relaunched four of my books, and I hope to complete at least one more in the next week or so.

My current plans are to include everything pertinent to each topic in each book, with a goal of completing this project before Halloween.

So far, my favorite updated books include Haunted or Not?, which is a radically revised edition of my former “Is Your House Haunted?”

This time, I lead with the reasons that 80% of “haunted” houses probably aren’t haunted, after all.

(I’m sorry if that spoils readers’ fun, but too many ghost hunting TV shows – and YouTube channels – look like parodies of serious research. It’s become imperative to speak up.)

Then, after explaining how to thoroughly debunk a possibly-haunted site, I explain what to do if the house still seems haunted.

My next major project was my other favorite book – a long-time classic – Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries – A How-To Guide. This edition includes more complete information, plus tips for team investigations, and… Well, everything you might need to know for this kind of research.

… But, for those who want “just the facts, ma’am,” there is a shorter version of that book. It’s missing many useful tips, but for someone who just wants to find a haunted cemetery and see if they like that kind of research… Well, it’s a good, quick way to start.

And finally (and long overdue), I’ve edited, updated, and corrected an embarrassing number of typos in 101 Ghost Hunting Questions, Answered.

The original version of that book had been too-hastily copied directly from my Ghosts 101 (dot com) website, when I realized that Google had de-indexed most of that site’s pages. (This is the one where I paused, blinked, and had to say, “Oops!“)

It now contains updated insights and (I hope) no (or few) typos.

I don’t expect further updates to any of these books. Really, I’ve included almost everything I know about these topics.

Upcoming projects include making all of these books available through Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and so on.

In addition, there will be more books. Many more books, as I compile (and update) old articles from HollowHill.com into topic-specific books.

Also, Ghosts101.com is mostly offline, at least for now. I’ve replaced it with a single webpage that links to my books, and I’ve embedded four popular videos from my ghost-related YouTube channel.

All of this is to ensure that useful ghost hunting information remains available, no matter what changes are made by Google (et al).

Oops! A Hasty Book Revision

Apparently, this is what happens when I try to rush things…

Recently, I re-released 101 Ghost Hunting Questions, Answered. That edition (the seventh) had been massively rewritten and had a new cover.

However, at the same time, my publisher was having difficulties during a server issue at Microsoft.

In the confusion, the edited book was published. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the edited and proofread manuscript.

So, we’ve rushed the eighth (and probably final) edition, which is the fully edited and proofread version.

In other words, the text is almost exactly the same, but this edition should have few (or no) spelling errors.

We’ve also changed the cover, so it’s more clearly part of my How to Find Ghosts book series.

Due to the combination of those changes, the book had to be released as a new edition. (It’s a publishing issue… ISBNs and so on.)

So, the Kindle edition will be 99 cents through Sunday, September 4th. After that, it will return to its usual $2.99 price.

And now I’m going back to work on my next book. I’m doing my best to release as many ghost-related books as possible, before Halloween.

A Fresh Audience for the Mandela Effect?

If you wondered if writing it “The Sun” instead of “the Sun” was a typo… it’s not.

And, I’m actually encouraged by this news: The British tabloid, The Sun, has published an article about the Mandela Effect.

Most discussions – and publicity – about the Mandela Effect has been based in the United States.

And, though over 50% of readers of my ghost-related website are from the U.K., the Mandela Effect topic never seemed to get much traction there. That was almost a relief.

But now that The Sun has featured it, I’m hopeful that the Brits will view the Mandela Effect as we did in our early (2009 to ~2012) context: As a quirky, fascinating, fun topic.

For me, the Mandela Effect was a weird little anomaly. Something to speculate about, in a fun, “what if…?,” somewhat sci-fi context. You know… something typical of whimsical, geek-y conversations.

Oh, I still don’t know what I’d confused, in the late 1980s, with Nelson Mandela’s funeral. In the past 15-or-so years, nothing matches what I’d seen on TV. (Admittedly, it was only a brief view each day, as the funeral coverage had pre-empted the TV show I’d wanted to see.)

However, I was – and still am – fascinated when I discover other, more mainstream “confusions” that are widespread and challenging to explain.

Likewise, I’m still frustrated by people who insist that it’s all “false memories” or – in my opinion – worse, that it’s a conspiracy.

So, for the first time in many years, seeing the topic popularized by The Sun, with the potential of reaching a fresh – and perhaps more open-minded – audience, I’m hopeful.

Perhaps the Mandela Effect can be the topic of fun and fascinating, intelligent conversations, once again.

If so, this is a BIG “thank you!” to The Sun.

Reminder: Why the Mandela Effect Isn’t Simple

This week, someone – yet again – asked me why people like me won’t declare that the Mandela Effect always reflects false memories.

Here’s my lightly edited (and perhaps redundant) reply to that comment.

(I’m placing it here so – hopefully – it’s more visible to casual researchers. Or, at the very least, I can link to it and quit using valuable time, repeating myself. Not that I’m annoyed, mind you. Ahem. <– Yes, I’m chuckling as I sigh. It seems so surreal that 15 years after I began talking about the Mandela Effect, there’s still so much confusion about its origins.)

Regarding the Mandela Effect:

According to some – and at apparently opposing poles – there are those that want to believe that everything that doesn’t match their every memory is best explained as a changed/parallel reality.

And, at the other extreme, others want to insist that all conflicting memories are best explained as “false” memories.

(Yes, Wikipedia – which once had a dedicated Mandela Effect page – now labels all related phenomena as “false memories.”)

Personally, I’m somewhere between those two.

That is, I’ve seen logical explanations – usually commonplace confusions – for some alternate memories.

For example, if someone’s mom or grandfather kept calling the peanut butter brand’s name “Jiffy” (instead of “Jif”) when the child was a toddler, that name may be what they recall.

That’s especially true if the family switched to Skippy (brand name) peanut butter by the time the child could read, and – since then – the child (now an adult) never paid close attention to other brands of peanut butter… until someone in a forum mentioned the Jif/Jiffy conundrum.

I always advocate fact-checking and doing one’s best to debunk an alternate memory, when possible.

However, in my own case, I have yet to find any multi-day, televised funeral (and its immediate aftermath) that fits the time frame and context of my Mandela-related memory.

Since my family moved every three years or so, I have a clear time frame for the memory. For me, that makes fact-checking far simpler.

I also recall several specific images, from the slow movement of the hearse with crowds lining the streets, to the widow walking towards a podium beneath a huge tree, and she was leaning heavily on her bodyguard’s arm.

In addition, it was a time when my family was experimenting with a “no TV” rule.

So, unless I was watching a specific, scheduled TV show, there was no channel surfing.

If the show I planned to watch wasn’t actually on – as in this case, since it was preempted – I quickly turned off the TV.

That’s why this memory is fairly clear, as I was irked that my intended, early morning entertainment wasn’t on at its usual scheduled time.

I still don’t have an explanation for the memory. People have suggested that the funeral was Stephen Biko’s, but he died in 1977. It doesn’t fit my history at all, and I doubt that his funeral received three days of daytime coverage in the U.S.

Even now, I can’t find a South African funeral for someone else, so significant his funeral would preempt American TV programs for three days, within my memory’s time frame.

What I also can’t explain are the reports by others – many hidden (by request) from view – that matched precise details of the funeral that I’ve never made public.

And, since I could see their IP numbers, they appeared to be in very different parts of the country.

Note: Yes, I’m aware of IP spoofing, etc. Starting around 2012, trolls were a steady problem at my original Mandela Effect (dot com) site. Every comment was moderated before the pubic saw it, and I did my best to be sure most comments were authentic.

So, it’s possible that those comments may have been made by people who – like my family – had moved since the years of the funeral that I recall. And we all saw the same, erroneously displayed TV coverage.

However, the volume of those reports make it unlikely that, for multiple days, a local channel (to me, at the time) was (mistakenly?) running a replay of the Biko funeral… and that we all saw it.

That’s why I don’t see the Mandela Effect as either straightforward or a dichotomy. However, I have nothing to prove and – in fact – freely admit that I have no proof to support my assertions. I’ve said that repeatedly.

If you’re more comfortable with a simple, A/B answer for the Mandela Effect, and it works for you, that’s fine.

However, it doesn’t work for me.

If you’ve recently discovered the Mandela Effect, here’s a one-minute summary of what it is… and isn’t.

Fiona’s New Social Media – Substack

Effective this week, I’m leaving Facebook and, for now, I’m at Substack.

Here’s what I like about Substack:

It’s free and easily accessed.
You don’t even need to visit it. Just subscribe, and my latest updates will show up in your email. (Just make sure they don’t land in your spam folder!)
You can leave comments at Substack, and perhaps engage in conversations there, as well. So, friends can chat with one another – in comments – and share insights.

So, that’s the news. Go to Substack and sign up (free), or use the form below. I look forward to seeing you there!

First New – or New-ISH – Book is Available

Well, this project took longer than expected! This new book is over 50,000 words long. (Even I was surprised by that.)

I decided that the simplest way to launch some momentum with writing was to revise my book, 101 Ghost Hunting Questions, Answered, once and for all.

NOTE: Get your copy now. This book will be 99-cents through August 4th. After that, the price will be $4.99.

This book has been massively updated, and includes a lot more information. While some of it might not be future-proof and timeless, it should be useful for new and experienced ghost hunters.

At the moment, partially due to site glitches (which I expect are related to Microsoft’s issues) , it’s only available in Kindle.

As soon as I can format it for print, and distribute this book to other booksellers, I’ll post those links here. (Expect them later this week, assuming the digital world resumes normal operations soon.)

This is the seventh edition of this book, first published in 2008. It’s also likely to be the last edition of this particular title, as I want to stop rewriting past books and move forward with new ones.

Anyway, if you read it (which I hope you will), I also hope you’ll leave an honest review. Reviews help others understand whether a book is a good match for their interests… or not.

Halloween Is Approaching!

It may seem early to be thinking about Halloween, and the usual surge in interest related to ghosts.

However, even Universal Studios’ theme parks and Disney’s theme parks are preparing their Halloween special events. (I’m not joking. Disney starts their “Not-So-Scary Halloween” nights on August 9th.)

So, I’m juggling a few tasks: Restoring past podcasts (at YouTube.com/@FionaBroome and soon at Libsyn, as well) and I’m updating books, as fast as I can.

For example, right now I’m deciding what to do with my “101 Ghost Hunting Questions, Answered” book*. The Kindle version was a hasty edition, thrown together the first time Google de-indexed most of my Ghosts101.com website.

Re-reading it now… yikes! I should have taken the time to edit it. It has far too many typos and irrelevant references in it. * sigh *

(The later, 2022 printed edition – sold worldwide in bookstores and at Amazon – is fine. It’s still in print and will remain there. I may just use its text to create an ebook for public libraries, and for those who prefer digital books.)

But, this is one of many projects – mostly books – that I’m working on, anticipating the usual need for genuinely useful ghost hunting information, especially at Halloween.

‘Tis the season… right? LOL

*As with most of my links to Amazon, the “101 Ghost Hunting Questions…” link is an affiliate link… but you already knew that, as the author, I earn a portion of the royalties from it. That particular printed book…? I earn less than a dollar for each copy purchased. (It’s not much, but all of it helps support my research and writing projects, so: Thank you!)

The Return of the Podcasts!

So…

I’m finding new ways to communicate with friends and fans, and one of them is YouTube.

For starters, I’m going through my old podcasts (mostly from 2009 – 2013), updating them as needed, and posting them at my YouTube “Ghosts and Haunted Places” channel, YouTube.com/@FionaBroome .

Those podcasts are a mixed bag. Some are relatively normal podcasts, with updates and new research results.

Others are… extreme. “Speculative” might be an understatement. (And they’re in my “Extreme Ghost Hunting” playlist at that YouTube channel.)

I’ll also be restoring my podcasts at Libsyn, now that they have settings to prevent those recordings from appearing – unauthorized – on others’ podcast channels. (The restored podcasts will have some updates, too.)

So, that’s the news, and I’ll appreciate it if you can let other friends know where to find me.

Thanks!

P.S. Let me know if you’d like me to record anything specific about ghost hunting, haunted locations, and places you’d like to investigate. (My best in-depth research is in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Ireland… not necessarily in that order.)

Hollow Hill is Back, But…

It’s been about a week since I found out that Google had de-indexed 477 of over 500 articles at my ghost hunting website, HollowHill.com.

Since then, I’ve reviewed all of the posts and pages, and reduced the site to about 350 essential articles. Most of them are regional reports so you can find the best, most thrilling haunted sites in the U.S., the U.K., and Ireland.

The rest of the articles…? Most will be turned into podcasts or used as scripts for YouTube videos. Others will be compiled into books.

This will be a huge project, covering months. I mean, really, over 500 articles…? Yikes.

Ghosts101.com is another issue. With Google’s new aggregate AI providing summaries and answers to the questions entered into Google’s search form… Well, I’m not convinced that a Q&A site like Ghosts101.com has much future.

(Then again, if Bill Gates is correct, maybe Google’s days are numbered, anyway.)

So, Hollow Hill is back, but much smaller than before. And – after I wrote the first version of this article – Ghosts101.com became a book.

(Legal notice: As an author and affiliate, if you click that book link and buy a copy, I may earn a small royalty/commission. That doesn’t affect the price of the book.)

My free, seven-part ghost hunting course is offline, since it referenced (and/or linked to) many of the articles I’ve removed. That course will probably become a book, as well as a podcast series. Or maybe something else altogether.

In other words, a lot is in transition, and most of it won’t be in final form for quite awhile.

I’ll keep you updated here as more of my research and insights are re-released… usually in new formats.

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These are some of my books about ghosts and ghost hunting. Find them at booksellers including Amazon, and at your public library. Most are available as eBooks as well as in print.

HAUNTED OR NOT?

Is your home haunted? Whether you’re a tenant, homeowner, or ghost hunter, “Haunted or Not?“ is the guide you need.

This comprehensive manual takes you step-by-step through the process of ruling out natural (if unusual) causes behind many strange and ghost-like occurrences in any house.

With clear, practical advice, you’ll learn how to identify and debunk common sources of “hauntings,” from faulty wiring to hidden drafts.

But what if there’s no ordinary explanation? This guide also offers techniques to minimize and manage apparent ghostly activity, ensuring that your home is a peaceful place to live.

Don’t let fear take over! Empower yourself with the tools to uncover the truth. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, “Haunted or Not?” gives you the knowledge to face whatever goes bump in the night.

Available at Amazon and other booksellers.

101 GHOST HUNTING QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Are you curious about the mysteries of the paranormal?

Whether you’re a beginner stepping into the world of ghost hunting, or a seasoned investigator looking for deeper insights, “101 Ghost Hunting Questions, Answered…” is your essential guide.

Drawing on decades of experience in the field, Fiona Broome – a professional ghost hunter – answers the most pressing ghost-related questions for both newcomers and seasoned pros. Each answer is packed with expert knowledge, practical advice, and personal insights.

Unveil the truth behind the paranormal and raise your ghost-hunting skills with this comprehensive, must-have resource.

Whether you’re skeptical or a true believer, this book will help you navigate the eerie and intriguing world of ghost hunting with confidence.

Available at Amazon and other booksellers.

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A How-To Guide : CLASSIC EDITION

Step into the eerie realm of haunted cemeteries.

In “Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries – Classic Edition,” you’ll learn to discover haunted cemeteries near you, pinpoint the most active areas, and identify the graves most likely to hold supernatural secrets.

With step-by-step instructions and expert tips, you’ll learn how to conduct thorough investigations that reveal the true nature of haunted cemeteries and graveyards.

This is the classic guide, updated and expanded. It goes far beyond the basics. Whether you’re a seasoned ghost hunter, or someone intrigued by eerie places, this book is your key to unlocking the mysteries that lie within haunted cemeteries.

Available at Amazon and other booksellers.

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners

FIND GHOSTS TONIGHT! Learn how to find the most frightening, haunted graves in a cemetery near you.

IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

– HOW to find a haunted cemetery near you.
– WHAT to look for (AND look out for).
– HOW to organize for the fastest (and scariest) results in ANY haunted cemetery.
– WHEN to arrive at the site, and how to avoid real-life dangers
– WHERE you’ll find the scariest ghosts… and sometimes malicious spirits.
– How long to stay… and WHEN TO LEAVE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!.

YOU CAN START TONIGHT. Read this book. It’s short but you’ll learn the basics.

Then go out and find real ghosts!

Available as an eBook at Amazon and other booksellers. (This is the updated edition of “A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries.”)