"I need your help"

Its not a good start to the day when you check your mobile phone and there is a message on it saying "I need your help".
But, this morning that is what I found.

I am glad that I can be of help.
We ARE here to help in the best way that we can.
Not only does Newcastle Ghost Tours do tours, events that are fun and entertaining but we have a serious side to the business too.

Its also about offering some help to those whose lives are disrupted by ghosts who are being just too friendly or pushy and sometimes even nasty.

For some people this sort of occurrence is very real and just sometimes it can get out of control and be very frightening.

I have had two calls like this just this week.
People asking for help..or just wanting to talk to someone about what they are experiencing.

Sometimes the situation can be diffused by talking and understanding what is going on. It can be dealt with very easily, but, I always tell people that "its complicated".
Its not like in the movies where a person, usually a medium, walks into a room and says "begone bad spirits". We need to know much more before we decide what to do and how to do it and if we can do anything or whether its best to call someone else in. Every person is different and every ghost is different too. There are generalized ideas of methods of spirit removal ( plenty of books about it) but from personal experience what works for one issue may not work for another. And just becasue you read a book about it doesnt make you an instant expert.
As the old saying goes -don't dabble in what you know nothing about.

For the greater majority of people they will never have an "experience". But from the years of talking to people, hearing their stories and my own personal stuff I know that when you have truly encountered something, when you have had that special thing happen - you just know its real.

Please know that our team can offer help if needed.

Helping Dad Move On.

This is a link to the Craig Weiler blog - here he talks about helping his father in law move on after his death.
Its a great read.
http://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/helping-the-dead-move-along/

Skeptics -we love you!

I personally love to speak with skeptics - as long at they dont try to convert me, ear bash me or become violent!
A rabid skeptic is just as ugly as a religious zealot.
So we dont all believe the same thing.
But I can listen to your views with respect and you can listen to mine and maybe, just maybe we can both learn something new.

Check out this blog - a great perspective on the positives of dealing with skeptics.
http://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/the-healing-power-of-dealing-with-skepticism/

What is a ghost - a personal definition.

I have spent the last week focused in writing and research. In doing so I have also come across more wonderful books and articles on the subject of ghosts and the paranormal which I have not enough time to read.
Which has led me back to the biggest question of all - what, in fact, are ghosts?

The more I read the more I understand that the answer to that question is totally subjective one.
It relies on ones personal experience, belief systems and education or lack thereof.
And if I had 100 people standing in front of me, even if they were all ardent believers, I would find quite a large variety of different answers.
But my understanding may be a little different and broader than many others, due to my work with historical sites and (again) my own personal experiences.

According to one dictionary it is " An apparition of a dead person that is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image."
Another site says " A ghost - or spirit or apparition - is the energy, soul or personality of a person who has died and has somehow gotten stuck between this plane of existence and the next. Most researchers believe that these spirits do not know they are dead."
Would you agree?
My sense of the word "ghost" goes a little further as it encapsulates anything that leaves an impression upon a place whether that be a person, an event or a building.
So I see a ghost as not being just the apparition of a person but also the energy left behind from an event such as a battle or murder, for example, or that of a building that once stood on a site and seems to still leave an outline, imprint or sense of itself even after it is no longer there.
I dont need to see an apparition to be in the presence of a ghost or something ghostly.
For me it is an instant feeling that I am reaching back into the fabric of time and bringing it into the here and now.

How can it be so hard??

I have organised with a local restaurant to host three evenings this winter of fine dining and guest speakers on some paranormal topics. It has taken me weeks to try and get three special guest speakers to agree to three dates.

Firstly, it was sending off letters of proposal - as I had never done this before I was travelling blind.
But in my moments of strength I went for it.
The first event was settled smoothly enough but the other two became ever increasingly complicated as the demands rose with every email sent.
From paying for accommodation and petrol costs to then dates that suited becoming unsuitable to then wanting to bring family members and arranging their accommodation too, to adding breakfasts.
NOOO!!!!!!!!!
I am not making any money on these already - I didnt also want to also be so hugely out of pocket !!
SO I decided on the KISS approach.
Keep it simple stupid - cancel the ones that were getting too demanding and get some others.

I think I have done it.
We will cover topics such as hauntings and possessions, to the spirits and ghosts of the Greeks and and Romans to UFO's, sightings and close encounters.
How can you not like that!
Phew - please let there be no more hiccups!

Staying passionate when the world thinks you're crazy.

Sometimes, when your passion is something a little less conventional, like lets say...paranormal investigating.. it can be hard to remain passionate in the face of criticism, ridicule and partners who may be telling you to "get a grip" on reality.

Sometimes you can start to believe that you are not chasing ghosts but your own shadow, spending hours away from home, buying equipment that sparkles and shines only to realise that other people in other teams have more sparklier and shinier equipment - or worse still...nicer looking T shirts and logos!

So thats when you have to REMIND yourself of why you are doing all of this - what led you down this path in the first place?
Was it really to impress other people in a jazzy T shirt with the newest piece of equipment or was it because you had a burning question about the mysteries of life that just needed to be answered.
Remember to:
Keep grounded and remember that this world is the one where you currently keep your stuff, therefore it ALWAYS takes first priority over any other world that might appear more interesting. Don't let the world of ghosts take over.

Smile at those that may scoff at your "funny" hobby.
Be serious and use the best equipment that you can afford but dont spend next week's grocery money on that new camera if it means you cant pay your bills.
Libraries are free the last time I was there, and that was only last week - so borrow books.
Buy second hand books or download articles and follow your favorite writers and make yourself knowledgeable about your favorite subjects.
Stay open minded.
The worst things is to be inflexible when new information arises that can ADD to your knowledge.
Dont dismiss it just because it doesnt fit with your preconceived beliefs.

Sometimes you need to take a break
Sometimes you might need to step back..even if its just to look back and see how far you have come.
But always question..why am I doing this?
Do I still get pleasure out of it.
I am enjoying the experience and meeting people that add value to my life?
If you are then keep it up and enjoy it.
Dont be afraid to be passionate about what brings you joy, even if everyone else might think you are slightly crazy.
The world needs more passionate people.

 

Renata.

Ghost Tourism - yeah its a happening thing!

http://goo.podbean.com/2013/04/14/ghosts-of-oz-episode-four-season-two-ghost-tourism/

Listen to the podcast from Ghosts of Oz with myself and the girls from APPI -