Category: Blog

Since the tumultuous start to January (2021), I’ve been watching trends in ghost hunting and paranormal research.

They’re not quite what I’d expected… not that I had a clear idea of what might be next.

Frankly, I think anything is possible in the upcoming months.

The graphs – Ghost hunting v. paranormal research

In February 2021, two online search trends got my attention. The first was ghost hunting. It’s going back up. (My website traffic suggested that, too.) Here’s the trend since 2016:

It’s not massively trending, but while ghost hunting had seemed in the doldrums since Halloween 2019, the 2020 spike was a surprise. The question is: will this trend improve?

It’s too soon to tell.

Another trend – but a downward one – also surprised me.

For several years, far more people were searching for “paranormal research,” rather than “ghost hunting.” They were looking for anything weird and unexplained, not just ghosts but also UFOs, cryptids, Bigfoot, and so on.

Have those trends flipped?

Regularly – since 2004 – it’s looked as if the ghost hunting “fad” was fading.

Many people lost interest in ghost-related TV shows after they tried ghost hunting themselves and decided:

• • The TV shows were a lot of hype. (And yes, some were.)
  • OR, their own experience (at a haunted site) was interesting – and probably paranormal – but not worth pursuing.
  • OR, “real” ghost hunting was too expensive and time-consuming.
  • OR… perhaps a mix of all three.

But now, ghost hunting is showing signs of life again. (Pun intended.)

That’s partly because – spending more time at home in 2020 – people realized their own homes might be haunted... if only a little. Some paused and decided ghost hunting might be interesting, after all.

What’s next?

2020 may have changed how people think about ghost hunting. I’d like to believe that. The field was beginning to feel stagnant.

Meanwhile, a new generation of ghost enthusiasts are entering the field.

They’ve grown up watching their parents’ ghost hunting shows.

Now they want to experience it for themselves, in real life.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be ghost hunting as we did in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

In fact, my instincts suggest people are ready to explore ghost hunting as a personal encounter with something extraordinary. 

Sure, I could be wrong. Six months from now, the phrase “paranormal research” could be trending again, and “ghost hunting” may ebb until its annual Halloween spike.

Does that matter? Maybe, but I’ve never been someone to follow the mainstream.

• When everyone else was in ooh-and-ahh mode, gazing at their digital thermometers, I was showing friends how to use their hands to find anomalous hot and cold spots.
• When others insisted ghosts only appeared at night and needed a “lights out” setting, I was identifying sites with daytime ghostly activity.

So, yes… I’ll admit it: I may not be the best predictor of trends.

And frankly, I’d rather create my own.

Whatever is next, I think we need to take a wholly fresh look at ghost hunting. There’s more to explore and far more to learn.

Let’s see where 2021 leads us, and what we discover. Every day is a new adventure!

This could be our best year so far.

2021 looks like a year for major changes in paranormal research.

I believe that – like most everything we’d become accustomed to, prior to 2020 – a “new normal” will emerge in ghost hunting, and it may look very different from what we’ve seen in the past.

Or, we may want to revisit trends that flared briefly in the past. Those include trends from a decade ago, but don’t overlook what happened with Spiritualism after World War I. Much of the social upheaval – and tragedies – of that era bear a startling resemblance to our current situation. Will history – or at least trends of that era – repeat? Only time will tell.

My own projects

Recently, and with the help (okay: strong nudge) of one of my publishers, we’re updating several of my websites. If you’ve been to HollowHill.com recently, you’ve seen that redesign unfolding. This site (FionaBroome.com) is also a redesign-in-progress.

I’m updating past articles and deleting really outdated ones. Currently, HollowHill.com has 451 articles. I’ve retired another ~130, at least for now.

We’ll redesign & update my other sites in 2021.

Speaking of 2021…

Right now, I’m expecting a shift of attention in the paranormal field. It’s going to affect both the U.S. and the U.K, at the very least.

Throughout 2020, ghost research has been on a roller coaster.

• At first, everyone was distracted by political headlines.
• Then, the pandemic sent people home. Suddenly, people noticed all the creaks and “weird stuff” in their homes, and worried they had ghosts, or worse. I scrambled to republish “Is Your House Haunted?” with a heavy emphasis on debunking, to help readers overcome their anxieties.
• The enclosed spaces of haunted sites made ghost hunting a health risk. Cemeteries were safer, but – with fresh graves as reminders of the pandemic – even they weren’t so attractive. So, for most ghost hunters, investigations were on hiatus.
• As Covid Fatigue set in, people turned to familiar entertainment for comfort. That included ghost hunting shows, apparently making a strong comeback. But… for how long, with what kinds of shifting interests, and how will that affect real-life ghost hunting in the immediate future?
• As Covid vaccines and other health measures reduce health threats, people are eager to resume more normal routines… but 2021 may be a “new normal.” Will that include real-life ghost hunting, and what will the new version look like?
• And we’re fast approaching a major political (and possibly social) shift as America’s leadership faces a change, and Brexit’s deadline is weeks away. That could shake-up even more of what we’ve thought of as “normal.”

What’s next?

Early in 2021, I’m expecting another somersault in paranormal research. I’m not sure how early. A lot hinges on the political scene, the weather, and the pandemic, as well as the jobs market and finances in general.

• It might be a resurgence of local ghost hunting groups. (Traffic at my free ghost hunting course, at Hallowfields.com, suggests that.) People may want to get out of the house more. And telecommuters whose jobs are now permanently at home… they’ll have far more free time than they did, pre-pandemic. They’ll also want more social opportunities. Ghost hunting could be a good match.
• As people get less of an adrenaline rush from news headlines, they may fill that gap with ghost hunting TV shows. Will they want the same kinds of shows, or new approaches, or both? I think the adrenaline factor may be key, perhaps returning us to preposterous, “Extreme Paranormal” style shows. (I hope not.)
• I’d love to say that books about ghost hunting (and paranormal nonfiction topics) are doing well, but the average book in Amazon’s top 20 (for that category) is selling less than a copy a day in Kindle. Sales are only slightly better in printed editions; that’s normal in this niche. If people aren’t devouring ghost-related nonfiction books when they’re stuck at home, I’m not confident that will improve in the near future.
• On the other hand, I think haunted inns, B&Bs, etc., will attract more visitors. People are eager to travel, and an almost-guaranteed ghostly encounter will give them a fun/chilling story to tell when they get home. (B&B owners should consider a nightly “ghost story” chat around the fireplace, or in the site’s most haunted room. At the very least, it’s entertainment.)
• This isn’t a truly new idea, but one that’s gaining popularity: virtual and self-guided ghost tours.  Theatrical troupes may provide the most drama, but tech skills will help, too.  (Here’s one in Atlanta, GA.)

I believe people – both ghost hunters and TV show fans – will be open to something new. So, I’m working on a project that takes my ghost research in a very different direction. It’s a little radical, so it’ll be separate from my work at HollowHill.com; that will remain a how-to website for ghost hunters.

(My first article at Medium is a preview. I’m not sure how frequently I’ll post there, but it seemed the right place for that kind of statement.)

This new project is still evolving. Nothing is firm, yet, but I hope to be able to talk about it by mid-2021.

Meanwhile…

I’m continuing to update my websites, a little at a time. (If a site looks weird at one visit, check again in a day or two. We’re still in the “hmm… not so sure” phase of the redesigns.)

I’m revising past books that are now out-of-print, and may finally publish the topic-specific guides I’ve been musing about.

Trend-watching is also part of my daily routine. I’m using a variety of websites – far beyond, say, Google Trends – for that kind of research, because I’d like the new project to hit all the right notes.

And, of course, we’re celebrating the holidays at home. It’s going to be a quiet Christmas, but – for us – it’s the right thing to do. We’ll make up for it in 2021.

Happy holidays, whichever you celebrate – if any – and I hope your new year is filled with tremendous fun and great adventures!

It’s mid-October and – as 2021 looms in the future – I’m revisiting my ongoing projects.

Last month, I expected to update my older websites, work on books, and launch some new projects.

But, like many people in these turbulent times, I’m struggling to maintain my focus.

This is not a time to attempt multiple projects, all at once.

And, with the holidays ahead, I know the remainder of 2020 will be more busy, not less.

So, I’ve taken a fresh look at my priorities.

I’ve decided to focus on books, sharing my insights and expertise in paranormal research, especially ghost hunting.

That includes my tips for getting the most from ghost investigations, as well as relevant historical research.

Those book projects have been “on hold” for years, and  – looking at my existing notes – I have enough material for at least five books.

I keep talking about updating my older books and writing new ones… and then I don’t find time for them.

That’s ridiculous, and more than a little frustrating.

I need to set firm rules for myself, and actually stick with them, this time.  (Like New Year’s resolutions, many of my goals seem to fall off my schedule far too quickly. It’s time to, err, resolve that.)

Less time online, more time for books

A few of my sites – including GhostHunting.news – will go on hiatus, at least through the rest of 2020 and probably well into 2021.

I’ve turned off comments at this site, as well. Here, most people seem to rant (pro or con) about the Mandela Effect. That’s a topic I have limited interest in, as it’s morphed in the wild.

And, there’s no way I’m going on the road, scouting locations for TV shows and movies. Not until 2021, anyway. And even then, I’m very selective about the projects I work on. (My interests are based in science and history, not sensationalizing paranormal activity. And appearing on camera…? No, thanks.)

I’m also posting less on social media and taking a hard look at my various websites. Looking at the faltering interest in actual ghost hunting activities, this is an ideal time to shift my focus.

Ghost hunting is less popular now

Frankly, with many communities seeing a surge in Covid cases, ghost hunting presents significant risks. People are less interested in a “good scare” among strangers in small, poorly ventilated rooms.

And, like many professionals in this field, I don’t recommend ghost hunting until 2021 at the soonest. Not indoor research, anyway.

I’m aware that Halloween 2020 offers an extraordinary opportunity for ghost research. Halloween will be on a Saturday night. It’s also the night of the Full Moon. And we’re in a Mercury Retrograde.

Though scientists will scoff, many ghost hunters can provide anecdotal evidence supporting the importance of those factors.

Personally, I believe that some times are better than others, for ghost research.

But which came first: the belief or the ghostly phenomena? And could other times be just as good, if we consciously raised our expectations at those times?

Philip and the power of belief

Years ago, the Philip experiment showed the power of belief in ghosts. (Philip was fictional. Everyone in the experiment knew that. Nevertheless, “he” produced intense paranormal activity, even in front of film crews.)

Though the saying may be “mind over matter,” perhaps ghost hunters can say “mind over manifestation.”

With a full moon and other belief-based factors at play, will this Halloween be more ghostly than most?  Maybe, but I’ll be at home, not out on an investigation.

For the rest of 2020 and at least the first half of 2021, I’ll be writing and publishing several long-overdue ghost hunting books.

I keep promising myself (and my readers) that I’ll get to that, soon.

It’s time that I actually do.

Since I last posted, I’ve completed a few projects. Others are still in-progress.

By late August, I knew that my trusty old computer needed to be retired. It was slowing down and doing odd things, like freezing for no apparent reason.

As I’m typing this, a shiny new computer is next to me, but I still need to transfer files and licenses and all that tedious stuff.

This means a few projects are running late, but I’m pleased with what has been accomplished.

The ghost hunting course at Hallowfields has been (mostly) updated. I’d like to add a few features, like more videos, but – for now – it is more current and follows a clearer sequence.

My Ghost Hunters Journal is back in print. It’s 6″x9″ to fit into your backpack or ghost hunting kit. Some portions are far simpler now, but I also added extra text and prompts to save time. Let me know if you’d like further changes.

Though I’m still working on the updated edition of Is Your House Haunted?, I’ve created an Is Your House Haunted? Journal, since it’s essential for homeowners and tenants to keep a diary of what happens, where it happens, and when.

That journal includes basic information at the front of the book, and some essential tips – condensed from the full-length book – at the back.

Updating my websites

In my free time, I’m updating my Hollow Hill site so it’s more useful to new ghost hunters.

So far, one of my most important updates was related the GFI Poasttown Apparitions video.  With additional insights by one of the lead investigators, Adam Bennett, some anomalies become clearer and make more sense. (At that article, be sure to scroll down to what he shared with us.)

In the future, I may not add much to the Hollow Hill site.  Since the late 1990s, one of Hollow Hill’s main purposes has been: to introduce new ghost hunters to the field, and help them get more from their investigations.

Preparing for 2021, I’m looking at ways to maintain my focus on the work that really matters to me. That’s documenting what I’ve learned in over 30 years of paranormal research, mostly ghost hunting.

The Mandela Effect site

The Mandela Effect site was created on a whim. From the start, I assumed people understood that I saw those odd memories as quirks.

My favorite explanation – then and now – has always been: maybe it’s evidence of “time slips” and parallel realities.

By around 2015, the topic had been thoroughly co-opted by those with agendas very different to mine.

As of 2020, I’ve given up. The Mandela Effect topic is in the wild and has taken on a life of its own.

I hope the people who’ve used the term for t-shirts, coffee mugs, movie and book titles, and so on, have had fun. I’ve spent several thousand dollars trying to keep the site online, and – in the past 10 years – I’ve earned less than $100 from my Mandela Effect efforts.

That’s not a complaint. For a few years, several of us engaged in delightful “what if…?” conversations.  It was great fun, until people took it too seriously.

I’ll remember those conversations with a smile.

But, when that site’s current hosting expires, I’m not likely to renew it. As time permits, I’ll move all the articles (and best comments) to books.

Other sites

In general, I’m phasing out several of my websites. That will – I hope – give me more time and focus for books.

For example, my Faerie Magick site – a name that never truly suited it –  is now Fairies101.com. Shifting that site to history & folklore is likely to be a summer 2021 project.

So, that’s the news. I hope you’re staying safe, healthy, happy, and – if you’re a ghost hunter – looking forward to your next investigations. (Remember that haunted cemeteries make it easy to maintain social distancing as you search for evidence of ghosts.)

It’s been a busy summer.

The Ghost Hunting for Beginners course is back online at Hallowfields.com.

Updating that course, I’ve focused on important points that new ghost hunters might not glean from watching TV shows.

Later, I may expand the course, but – for now – it’s more current and complete than the previous version.

Meanwhile, I’m discovering more, older articles related to extreme theories about ghosts and haunted places. So, I’m adding them to the Broome Theory Posts list. (Today, I found a brief article I’d written in 2006. So my interest in the quirky side of paranormal research extends at least 14 years. Wow.)

My current project is revising and updating my book, Is Your House Haunted?

For now, that book is unavailable. I wasn’t happy with how the 2020 edition had been rushed at the start of the year, when panicky people worried their homes were dangerously haunted. (Plenty of houses are haunted. Few are actually dangerous.)

I’m hoping the new edition of Is Your House Haunted? will be back in bookstores – in Kindle and in print – soon. A lot depends on all the other projects I’m juggling.

Are you looking for places to investigate safely, and where it’s easy to maintain social distances? Take another look at Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries.

Due to the pandemic, it’s so much safer to go ghost hunting outdoors, I think cemeteries and battlefields are among the best research sites.

If you’re enthusiastic about cemetery research, you may enjoy historical insights in English Heritage’s “Caring for Historic Graveyards and Cemetery Monuments” (PDF). The photos are wonderful and the information can be useful. (Have you ever heard of a “graveboard”? You’ll learn about them in that report. Most of the graveboards I’ve seen were in Texas.)

“Paradise Preserved…” (PDF) from the Gardens Trust is another worthwhile resource with additional, different insights about cemeteries and graveyards.

(If – like my husband and me – you’re concerned about the environmental impact of ghost hunting in cemeteries consider supporting Caring for God’s Acre. It’s a British charity to help preserve burial grounds and graveyards.)

That’s my latest news, as September approaches. Halloween will be here soon; it’s not too early to start making your October research plans.

(Yes, I’ve returned to eerie illustrations after a moment of whimsy.)

This week, I’ve been thinking about my friends and readers. I’m shifting my writing emphasis… slightly.

Times are changing. I think people’s perspectives are, too, including mine.

Here’s how I look at my work and the main interests of my readers.

Though there are few hard borders, I can establish three characteristics of those who read my articles and books.

Often, those characteristics overlap.

The believers

First, there are the believers. (As I’m writing this, I suddenly have the Monkees’ song in my head. lol )

Some people are convinced that all orbs are ghosts, and – at a haunted site – everything odd is evidence of a disembodied entity. (It might be a ghost, a demonic presence, or something else.)

More are somewhat skeptical. Like me, they consider debunking a routine part of any investigation.

This gets back to goals, which I’ve talked about in the Ghost Hunting Basics lesson in my Ghost Hunting for Beginners course.

• Is your goal to confirm that, yes, it was Great-Aunt Harriet who appeared to you in your garden, one evening, moments after she passed over? If so, you may need only one truly ghostly encounter at a haunted site. No debunking is necessary. You’ve already found your confirmation.
• Is your goal to see if, say, the Lizzie Borden house or York’s Golden Fleece Pub is truly haunted? That may require a few visits and some minor debunking. (I believe both are haunted, and entertaining to visit.)
• If you’re more interested in becoming a professional ghost hunter, you’ll spend more time investigating and debunking. That depends on the intensity of your interests, as well as your schedule and budget.

The skeptics

I’ll admit that I love investigating with hardcore skeptics. When something unexplained happens, and they can’t debunk it, I pause my own research. I’m fascinated, watching them try to resolve their inner conflicts.

But also, as a serious researcher, I always start out as a hopeful skeptic, myself.

Of course, I want the site’s ghost stories to be true. I’d love to witness whatever-it-is, myself.

But – keeping my critical thinking skills engaged – I want a good explanation for any weird events.

So, when something odd happens, I always look for a normal (if unusual) explanation.

I try to duplicate the noise, movement, temperature change, or eerie visual effect. “Debunking” anything odd – looking for a normal explanation – is vital.

For example, let’s say we see a “shadow person.”

More than once, that’s happened during an investigation.

The first time was at a private residence. The figure seemed to pace back and forth, at the back of the living room.

It matched the house’s ghostly history, exactly. My team and I were pretty excited to see such vivid evidence.

When the “ghost” returned a few minutes later, we were thrilled and captured some video.

The third time it happened, we realized it wasn’t paranormal at all. The street was busy due to a parent-teacher meeting at a nearby school.

Some parents had driven to the school. Others had simply walked to the meeting.

What we were seeing were their shadows, sharply outlined by passing cars’ headlights.

That kind of thing can be enormously disappointing to discover, but it’s better not to – literally – jump at shadows.

Especially when you see “shadow people,” double-check every logical explanation. For example, with a flashlight, a couple of people could go outside and try to duplicate (and debunk) the figure you saw.

Try to be a skeptic, yourself. It’s the only way you won’t have doubts about what happened, after you’ve left the possibly haunted site.

Your goals can effect your experience

For both skeptics and believers alike: your goals will affect your perceptions and your conclusions.

• If your goal is to prove that most (or all) “ghostly” phenomena are normal, you’ll debunk a few oddities – a door that seemed to slam by itself, or a flickering outline on a wall – and decide that’s all you needed. You have stories to share about how fake ghost hunting is. Achievement unlocked.
• But if you’re sorting the wheat from the chaff – separating real anomalies from odd, explainable phenomena – you’ll put more effort into it.

Today, we know that many ghostly anomalies can be explained by bad wiring (elevated EMF), carbon monoxide from nearby highways or a woodstove, or infrasound from nearby bridges, rivers, and underground streams.

Those effects make the issue of “proof” far more challenging for ghost hunters.

That’s why many investigators emphasize the personal aspects of research, such as unexplained waves of emotion, and consider the context of verbal messages via EVP.

The latter aren’t “proof” of anything, but – as researchers – we know they may be the most compelling evidence we’ll find.

I have yet to meet a skeptic – even a famous, snarky skeptic – who didn’t quietly admit that he/she/they wished they could find real proof of ghosts. Every one of them secretly wants to believe. (In other words, please be kind to bitter skeptics you meet during ghost tours or events. They may be more eager than you are, to encounter something truly paranormal.)

My “what if?” friends

My favorite group of readers and friends may be those who have an open mind.

Maybe the investigation site is haunted. Maybe it isn’t. Either way, these friends are eager for an intriguing experience. They look forward to researching baffling and explainable phenomena… and sometimes arguing about potential, “what if___” answers.

Their goals are less easily defined.

• Like me, they may be interested in the history of each site they investigate.
• Like me, most aren’t willing to linger at locations where anyone – in spirit form or embodied – has angry or malicious intent. (But some friends – like John Zaffis and Pete Haviland – are willing to place themselves in harm’s way, to help others.)
• Like me, some of my friends wonder if science, including quantum studies, plays a part in what we experience.  (That’s just one of many “what if __?” questions we discuss.)
• Like me, they may enjoy the novelty and challenge of debunking or confirming whether something paranormal is going on at [wherever the site is].

Many of those friends were part of the early Mandela Effect conversations, too. And, like me, they lost interest when angry people and trolls entered the discussions.

We’re still chatting, and enjoying the ghost hunting scene, as a common “what if?” context. Or just an opportunity to spend time with one another.

What’s next?

As you know, I’m working on making my existing websites as complete as possible. They were created to help new ghost hunters as well as pros.

With that completed – and more books updated and back in print – I expect to focus on two things:

• Specific ghost hunting techniques, in detail. In many cases, my website articles couldn’t explain every step as thoroughly as serious investigators might like.
• Specific haunted sites, and the layers of history that make them fascinating to investigate.

Those projects will take me through 2021, at the very least.

Meanwhile, I’m busy expanding Hallowfields’ courses, updating Hollow Hill articles, and – occasionally, just for fun – testing content at GhostHunting.news.

 

Want to listen to this post? It’s about five minutes long. Here’s the MP3:

Fiona’s News – Mid-August 2020

Fiona’s blog post from mid-August 2020, read aloud by the author. FionaBroome.com

URL for the audio file: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/15600482

Yes, the graphic with this post is flippant. Perhaps even silly.

That’s deliberate.

It’s been brought to my attention that people who don’t know me very well… they think I take myself far more seriously than I do.

Am I sincere…? Yes.  Dour and stern…? No. Not unless someone is behaving very badly.  (And even then, I’m likely to shake my head, make a razzberries noise, and walk away. lol )

So, this being summer – and a year when going to the local pool or beach isn’t an option – I decided to have some fun with this post. And use a graphic that’s more like me in real life.

Don’t worry; I’ll probably go back to ghost-y graphics for my next posts.

Meanwhile, here’s the news from my side of the keyboard…

The past few weeks have been busy, as usual.

First, we launched GhostHunting.news, though it’s just a hobby site for me, for now. I’m looking forward to having fun with this.

Then… I’m in the process of restoring my articles related to some (not all) anomalous EMF being evidence of a doorway opening, between the worlds. (They used to be at a site humorously called “the Broome theory.”)

I’ve always thought of it as a very speculative theory. But since more people are now talking about ghosts as time-slips, it was time (no pun intended) to make those articles available at HollowHill.com.

That list of links – with insights – is at an article titled Broome Theory Posts.

At least one long-time friend (Mark) already found that webpage, and he left an intriguing comment at it. This is one reason I enjoy so many online friendships: Each friend brings something fascinating to the conversation.

(If you visit that article and its links, expect some very “out there” theories. And no, I don’t take them entirely seriously. They’re speculative.)

Hallowfields news

Right now… I’m in the process of updating and expanding my Ghost Hunting for Beginners course (formerly “Introduction to Ghost Hunting”) at Hallowfields.com.

So far, I’ve updated the first three lessons: Ghost Hunting Basics, Your First Ghost Hunt, and Ghost Hunting Tools & Talents.

I’m eager for reader input, of course. And, if there are enough useful comments, I’ll compile them into a book with my own additions. (Profits will be donated to non-profit groups helping to preserve the kinds of sites we enjoy investigating.)

So, comments are open at Hallowfields (with Akismet pro, to help filter spam). They’re open here and at most posts at Hollow Hill, as well.

The next Hallowfields lesson will require a week to update and expand. Maybe longer.

I’ll be pleased if the entire course is online by mid-September.

Book news

After that… I’m planning to revise and update my current books, and add new ones.

Yes, I’m still wincing at how quickly I threw together the latest edition of my “Is Your House Haunted?” book but I knew I had to get debunking info to those most worried that their own homes were dangerously haunted.

Now… well… it’s been such a busy summer, I only just noticed it’s mid-August. Wow…!

That means: a month from now, we’ll be heading into “ghost season” (Halloween). I’d like far more updated and useful information ready for new ghost hunters and pros, to make the most of a fun time of year. (Yes, I also need more hours in the day. Or days in the workweek. Or both.)

So that’s my latest news. And I hope you’re having a safe, happy, and healthy summer (or winter, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).

P.S. If you’re at the coast, enjoy the salt air a little extra, just for me. (Feeding the seagulls is optional, but that’s something else my husband and I really miss at the moment.)

Of course, I’m always searching for spectacular sites that might be haunted.

Lately, I’ve been exploring a resource I’d overlooked. It’s lists and articles about abandoned places.

This morning, I stumbled onto this article: 10 Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Places. They really are gorgeous.

Though some of them aren’t suited to investigations, others look ideal for paranormal research, if only for residual energy.

I haven’t plotted a ley line connecting them, but a line like that might be intriguing. Or – more likely – it might be all over the place, with no more than two connecting dots.

(I’m finicky about ley lines. Mine have to be straight lines, not curves or spirals, and the line needs to fall very close to each location.)

When we can travel again, I think these sites – and similar locations – might be fascinating to visit.

Research notes

Checking the history (and allure) of Craco, Italy (the second location in that article, and one I’d love to visit), I stumbled onto what may be the most haunted place in India.

Well, if you know me in real life (or have followed my career for very long), you know that anything involving curses, demons, or anything that sounds genuinely frightening… I’ll stay far away. I’m involved in ghost hunting for the history, the science, and the quirky (but fascinating) experiences.

But, I’m linking to that for more intrepid researchers who have fewer scruples (or perhaps phobias) about potentially dangerous entities.

(And yes, I’m far more enthusiastic about Craco and similar towns. Visiting them could be delightful fun.)

On the other hand, I’m not sure Florida’s dome homes are worth investigating. I’d need to study the history of the location. The home structures were used so briefly, they’re probably not haunted.

I’m not sure the history of the Danish lighthouse suggests that it’s haunted, but something about the energy of a historic site that was being consumed by Nature… I’d investigate it, anyway. (But, I’d dig into its history – no pun intended – before going there.)

It’s been moved to safety, but I think it’s still abandoned.

Michigan’s Central Station has already been used as a “haunted house” attraction at Halloween. But… yes, I’d be tempted to investigate it, anyway. I mean, really, most of those old stations are haunted (or so it seems). Add layers of residual energy from the Halloween events…? That could be a fun location to visit, with permission, before or after the renovations are completed.

And, for TV producers, I’d suggest a road trip to other abandoned Michigan haunts. Some are already known as ghostly, including two former psychiatric hospitals.

Last but not least, Eilean Donan Castle is a must-see, if only for the regional beauty. Of course, the castle has the kind of history that leads to hauntings… and plenty of ghost stories, as well.

So, though many of us are just “armchair travelers” right now, I hope those suggested journeys give you locations to dream about visiting, with a smile.

 

 

 

You may have noticed that Hollow Hill has gone through several changes in the past month or so.  That may continue, off & on, throughout 2020 and perhaps into 2021. We’ve been testing different designs, different navigation, and so on. At the moment, I’m not sure if ennui is coloring my judgment. (It probably is. Let’s all hope things look happier by Halloween, and we’re able to get out for investigations and events again.)

Long-term, I plan to update older, outdated articles so they’re more evergreen, if possible.

That’s a challenge. The field has changed radically over the past 20+ years. I’m not sure articles from, say, 1998 are salvageable. And I’ve written over 400 articles, just at Hollow Hill.

First, I’m working on focus. Each site has a different purpose.

What’s where, site-by-site

This site (FionaBroome.com) is partly a blog, but mostly focuses on my books.

HollowHill.com is returning to its original goal: to make ghost hunting more accessible to new and aspiring investigators. So, we’ve condensed the categories and tags, and I’ve been updating older articles and republishing them.

If you subscribe to that site’s updates via Feedburner, I apologize for their software thinking I’m adding entirely new articles. (I will, in the future… but not yet.)

Ghosts101.com is for curiosity seekers. It features answers to just a few most-asked questions, usually related to ghosts and what viewers see on TV.

Frankly, only a few questions seemed to interest people, year after year, and my answers haven’t changed much. (For those with more curiosity, I updated my related book and it’s back in Kindle.)

Hallowfields.com is a far larger project that needs more content, cross-linking, more handouts, more videos, and so on. I’ll be working on that as time permits.

FaerieMagick.com and MandelaEffect.com are also “as time permits” projects. Both will steer firmly towards academic research. Each started out as a hobby site and… well, it shows.

I’m also working on an index to the Mandela Effect “major memories comments” books, so people will know which memories were most reported in which books.

GhostHunting.news my become my home for news-related articles from this site and from Hollow Hill.

I’m still mulling this over.

In the future, I’m likely to add more quirky, paranormal-ish articles as I find them.

Well, maybe.

As of yesterday, that site has just one new article, so we could test curation software.

When new articles are available at any of my sites, I’ll post links at social media (Facebook and Twitter, for now).

Another website is in progress, and it will have a far narrower focus related to ghosts and haunted places. I’d like to launch that before Halloween, but I can’t make promises. (November 2020 update: No, that didn’t happen. It will probably be a 2021 project.)

Also, due to a ridiculous level of spam comments – which software doesn’t seem to keep ahead of – I temporarily disabled commenting on all of my sites.

As of mid-August 2020, I’ve installed Akismet (professional) on my main websites, so commenting is available… sometimes. The vitriol is a bit over-the-top at times, and the spam is always a bit mad. So, when I need a break from either (or both), I’ll turn off commenting for a week or two or three.

Videos

Late in 2019, I was working on a larger project that – due to Covid risks (I’m fine, but we respect stay-at-home advice) – had to be paused. That’s okay. I wasn’t entirely certain the project was well-planned. Later in 2020, it may be back on my calendar, or it may not.

However, I’d like to create more videos for my YouTube channel. I’m not sure if I’ll have time for that in 2020, but I’ll try. If Covid is still rampant, the video project will remain “on hold.”

Is Your House Haunted?

Earlier this year, I’d rushed a fresh edition of Is Your House Haunted? to answer questions of panicky people – suddenly in their homes for extended periods – who feared they were in danger from ghosts.

First, I wanted readers to understand that it’s probably not “all in your mind.” I take ghost reports very seriously.

It’s important to realize that something is going on, but also, it’s probably not a ghost.

I wanted to explain why some sites only seem weird, scary, and haunted.

(The short list: Infrasound, old/bad wiring, noisy plumbing, tilting foundations and uneven carpentry, and the occasional carbon monoxide issue.)

Now that fewer people are panicking, I can improve my book.

So, after reorganizing my websites, that book is next on my list of projects.

Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries

In the future, I want to update Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries. It should include more information about the protection and preservation of monuments, markers, burial grounds, churchyards, and cemeteries.  I’m also concerned about the wildlife – plants and animals – who’ve made those sites their homes.

At least for now, all of my books are FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited. That will change when we expand distribution to other retailers, especially in the EU and UK… meaning early 2021, if not sooner.

These website improvements and book revisions will probably keep me busy through the end of 2020.

I’ll post progress updates here, approximately once a month.

For years, I’ve tried to explain why I’m interested in ghost hunting and other quirky topics.

In contrast with my everyday life, that’s always seemed… well, odd.

I couldn’t even explain it to myself.

For much of the past 10 years, I’ve described myself as a “blip analyst,” explaining that I look for unusual things, especially in the context of the mundane.

But, not even able to explain my interests to myself, I’ve struggled to grasp what connects the dots… why some topics fascinate me and others are just “meh.”

And sometimes I’ve wandered down paths where – at a certain point – I had to pause.

And then say, “No, this isn’t right for me.”

(That’s rarely judgmental, on a broad scale. Often, it may be a topic or field that interest others far more. And I’ve had difficulty articulating when and why I lost interest.)

Today, I watched a video that helped me understand that elusive ingredient that holds my interest, in every aspect of my life.

That includes everything from admiring beautiful sunrises and sunsets, to trying to bake absolutely awesome chocolate chip cookies, to witnessing paranormal phenomena, watching parades, and visiting theme parks like Disney World.

The word is: wonder.

Here’s the video. It’s about half an hour long, and – for me – it was immensely important and insightful. And yes, he’s talking about stage magic, not witchcraft or Merlin or anything like that.

I think everyone should see this, because – no matter what your interests, career, or background – I think it’s what many of us aspire to.

Note: this is best watched on a large-ish screen, like a TV. If you have a streaming service that includes YouTube, search for “WDS 2019 Staniforth” and this video should be at the top of the list.