Who was "Jack the Ripper"?

A series of murders that took place in the East End of London from August to November 1888 were blamed on an unidentified assailant known as "Jack the Ripper". Since that time, the identity of the killer has been hotly debated, and over one hundred Jack the Ripper suspects have been proposed. Though many theories have been advanced, experts find none widely persuasive, and some can hardly be taken seriously at all.

Jack the Ripper is the world’s most famous serial killer. Yet his reign of terror lasted a mere 10 weeks and was confined to a small area of the Victorian Metropolis. It is difficult today to say how many victims he actually had, though it is generally agreed that there were five. These five were Mary Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Kelly. The first victim, Mary Nichols, was murdered on August 31st 1888. The final victim, Mary Kelly, was murdered on 9th November 1888.

The killings took place in one of the most crime ridden parts of Victorian London, and all the victims were common street prostitutes. The question that has eluded dedicated researchers for over a hundred years now is who was Jack the Ripper? Obviously today it is virtually impossible to answer this question with 100% certainty. We can look at what the detectives of the time, those who investigated the killings, had to say. But in order to even attempt to answer the question we must first ask and answer another question. What happened to Jack the Ripper to stop him killing?

If we accept that Mary Kelly was the last victim of Jack the Ripper, then we must also accept that something happened to the killer shortly after the bloodbath in Miller’s Court (the place where Mary Kelly lived and where she was murdered in the early hours of 9th November 1888). Murderers such as this don’t stop killing. They may lie low for a while, perhaps even for many years. But the desire to kill remains and can be re-awakened at anytime, unless something happens to the murderer to stop him.

In the case of Jack the Ripper that something was doubtless one of four things. He may have died, possibly by his own hand, shortly after he killed Mary Kelly. He may have been living with his family and they either realised he was insane and incarcerated him in a lunatic asylum, or possibly even handed him over to the police. A third, though unlikely, explanation is that he moved somewhere else continued killing and the connection was never made. This is an unlikely explanation since the murders were reported all over the world, and had a similar killing spree occurred somewhere else there is little doubt that the connection would have been made. The fourth and most likely scenario, however, is that at some stage in the days or months that followed the murder of Mary Kelly the police finally got the break they’d been hoping for since the killings began, and Jack the Ripper was finally caught. So having considered the options as to what happened to the murderer we can now turn our attentions to the question everybody wants to know. Who was he?

Throughout the autumn of 1888 the Victorian police were arresting suspect after suspect but each time they arrested a likely looking candidate they were either able to provide cast iron alibis for their whereabouts on the nights of the murders, or else were exonerated by actual events when the killer struck again whilst they were in police custody.

On 19th September the Chief of London police (Metropolitan Police Commissioner) Sir Charles Warren wrote to the Home Office to update them on progress, or to be more precise lack progress, in the police investigation. “A great number of clues have been examined & exhausted without finding anything suspicious. A large staff of men are employed and every point is being examined which seems to offer any prospect of a discovery.” He also mentioned three men against whom the police had suspicions.

The first was Jacob Isenschmid, an insane pork butcher from Switzerland who had been arrested at Holloway and was now in an asylum. Abberline had written of this suspect on 18th September “Although at present we are unable to procure any evidence any evidence to connect him with the murders, he appears to be the most likely person that has come under our notice to have committed the crimes.” Apparently two doctors Dr Cowan and Dr Landseer had alerted the police to the fact that this man, whom they knew to be a lunatic, was the murderer. His landlord told the police that he was absent from his lodgings during the night when Annie Chapman was murdered. His estranged wife, Mary, told Sergeant Thicke that although her husband was violent she did not thing he would “…injure anyone but me. I think he would kill me if he had the chance.” But, as with Ludwig, Isenschmid was also not the murderer, for on the 30th September, when the killer struck again, the mad Swiss Pork Butcher was caged in an asylum.

Warren’s second suspect was Oswald Puckeridge who had been “released from an asylum on 4th August [and who] has threatened to rip people up. He is being looked for but cannot be found as yet.” Not a great deal has been found about Puckeridge, and even less is known about why the police suspected him. It would seem that the police may have traced him and eliminated him as a suspect, since his name was not included on later lists of suspects.

The final suspect is even more elusive since Warren doesn’t identify him but merely states that “A brothel keeper who will not give her address or name writs to say that a man living in her house was seen with blood on him on morning of murder. She described his appearance & said where he might be seen. When the detectives came near him he bolted, got away & there is no clue to the writer of the letter.”

Evidently the police were no nearer catching the killer by the end of September 1888 than they had been at the start of Jack the Ripper’s killing spree. But the suspects being brought in and questioned at least give us an insight into the type of person the police thought they were dealing with and so provide us with something of an insight into the police thinking at the height of the Jack the Ripper scare.

However, it is now time to look beyond the autumn of terror and look at the suspects that the police had after the final Jack the Ripper murder, that of Mary Kelly on the 9th November 1888.

On 13th February 1894 The Sun Newspaper began a series of articles that did not reveal the name of their suspect but were obviously referring to one Thomas Hayne Cutbush. Thomas is said to have contracted syphilis in 1888 after which he began suffering paranoid delusions. On March 5th 1891 he was detained at Lambeth Infirmary as a wandering lunatic, but he escaped within hours. Over the next few days he stabbed a lady named Florence Grace Johnson, using a knife he had purchased in Houndsditch the week before. He then attempted to stab another lady, Isabelle Frazer Anderson before being arrested on 9th March 1891. He was arraigned at the London County Sessions in April 1891, found to be insane and was sentenced to be detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure. He was sent to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum where he remained until his death in 1903.

Cutbush was the nephew of Superintendent Charles Henry Cutbush, who was responsible for supplies and pay at Scotland Yard. Doubtless he was one of the “relatives” referred to in the articles as being “in positions which would make them a target for the natural curiosity...” In 1896 Superintendent Cutbush shot himself in the head in his own kitchen in the presence of his daughter.

The Police, it appears, had already considered and looked into the possibility of Cutbush’s being Jack the Ripper and had ruled him out as a suspect. But, as a result of The Sun’s accusations, Melville Macnaghten was asked to prepare a report in which he refuted the newspapers allegations. Now known as the Macnaghten Memoranda this report was one of the first official documents to provide an insight into who the police at the time thought the killer was. Macnagheten mentions three suspects who were more likely to have been the murderer than Cutbush. It is important to note that Macnaghten does not say any of the three were Jack the Ripper, just that they were more plausible suspects than Cutbush. Referring to the killings Macnaghten wrote:

It will be noted that the fury of the mutilations increased in each case, and, seemingly, the appetite only became sharpened by indulgence. It seems, then, highly improbable that the murderer would have suddenly stopped in November '88, and been content to recommence operations by merely prodding a girl behind some 2 years and 4 months afterwards. A much more rational theory is that the murderer's brain gave way altogether after his awful glut in Miller's Court, and that he immediately committed suicide, or, as a possible alternative, was found to be so hopelessly mad by his relations, that he was by them confined in some asylum.

No one ever saw the Whitechapel murderer; many homicidal maniacs were suspected, but no shadow of proof could be thrown on any one. I may mention the cases of 3 men, any one of whom would have been more likely than Cutbush to have committed this series of murders:

(1) A Mr M. J. Druitt, said to be a doctor & of good family -- who disappeared at the time of the Miller's Court murder, & whose body (which was said to have been upwards of a month in the water) was found in the Thames on 31st December -- or about 7 weeks after that murder. He was sexually insane and from private information I have little doubt but that his own family believed him to have been the murderer.

(2) Kosminski -- a Polish Jew -- & resident in Whitechapel. This man became insane owing to many years indulgence in solitary vices. He had a great hatred of women, specially of the prostitute class, & had strong homicidal tendencies: he was removed to a lunatic asylum about March 1889. There were many circumstances connected with this man which made him a strong 'suspect'.

(3) Michael Ostrog, a Russian doctor, and a convict, who was subsequently detained in a lunatic asylum as a homicidal maniac. This man's antecedents were of the worst possible type, and his whereabouts at the time of the murders could never be ascertained.

Aliens love oceans, indicate Russian Navy UFO records

The Russian navy has declassified its records of encounters with unidentified flying objects, popularly known as UFO's, which indicate that extraterrestrial intelligences like to stick to oceans while visiting Earth.

According to a report in Russia Today, the records, dating back to soviet times, were compiled by a special navy group collecting reports of unexplained incidents delivered by submarines and military ships.

The group was headed by deputy Navy commander Admiral Nikolay Smirnov, and the documents reveal numerous cases of possible UFO encounters.

The materials are of great value, according to Vladimir Azhazha, former navy officer and a famous Russian UFO researcher.

"Fifty percent of UFO encounters are connected with oceans. Fifteen more - with lakes. So, UFOs tend to stick to the water," he said.

On one occasion, a nuclear submarine, which was on a combat mission in the Pacific Ocean, detected six unknown objects.

After the crew failed to leave behind their pursuers by maneuvering, the captain ordered to surface. The objects followed suit, took to the air, and flew away.

According to Navy intelligence veteran, Captain 1st rank Igor Barklay, "Ocean UFOs often show up wherever our or NATO's fleets concentrate. Near Bahamas, Bermudas, Puerto Rico. They are most often seen in the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the southern part of the Bermuda Triangle, and also in the Caribbean Sea."

Another place where people often report UFO encounters is Russia's Lake Baikal, the deepest fresh water body in the world.

Fishermen tell of powerful lights coming from the deep and objects flying up from the water.

In one case in 1982 a group of military divers training at Baikal spotted a group of humanoid creatures dressed in silvery suits.

The encounter happened at a depth of 50 meters, and the divers tried to catch the strangers. Three of the seven men died, while four others were severely injured.

Also, many mysterious events happened in the region of Bermuda Triangle, recalls retired submarine commander Rear Admiral Yury Beketov.

Instruments malfunctioned with no apparent reason or detected strong interference. The former navy officer says this could be deliberate disruption by UFOs.

"On several occasions, the instruments gave reading of material objects moving at incredible speed. Calculations showed speeds of about 230 knots, of 400 kph," Beketov said.

"Speeding so fast is a challenge even on the surface. But water resistance is much higher. It was like the objects defied the laws of physics. There's only one explanation: the creatures who built them far surpass us in development," Beketov said.

Spontaneous Human Combustion

­In December 1966, the body of 92-year-old Dr. J. Irvin­g Bentley was discovered in his Pennsylvania home by a meter reader. Actually, only part of Dr. Bentley's leg and slippered foot were found. The rest of his body had been burned to ashes. A hole in the bathroom floor was the only evidence of the fire that had killed him; the rest of the house remained perfectly intact.

How could a man catch fire -- with no apparent source of a spark or flame -- and then burn so completely without igniting anything around him? Dr. Bentley's case and several hundred others like it have been labeled "spontaneous human combustion" (SHC). Although he and other victims of the phenomenon burned almost completely, their surroundings, and even sometimes their clothes, remained virtually untouched.

Can humans spontaneously burst into flames? A lot of people think spontaneous human combustion is a real occurrence, but most scientists aren't convinced.

What is Spontaneous Human Combustion?

Spontaneous combustion occurs when an object -- in the case of spontaneous human combustion, a person -- bursts into flame from a chemical reaction within, apparently without being ignited by an external heat source.

The first known account of spontaneous human combustion came from the Danish anatomist Thomas Bartholin in 1663, who described how a woman in Paris "went up in ashes and smoke" while she was sleeping. The straw mattress on which she slept was unmarred by the fire. In 1673, a Frenchman named Jonas Dupont published a collection of spontaneous combustion cases in his work "De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis."

The hundreds of spontaneous human combustion accounts since that time have followed a similar pattern: The victim is almost completely consumed, usually inside his or her home. Coroners at the scene have sometimes noted a sweet, smoky smell in the room where the incident occurred.

What makes the charred bodies in the photos of spontaneous human combustion so peculiar is that the extremities often remain intact. Although the torso and head are charred beyond recognition, the hands, feet, and/or part of the legs may be unburned. Also, the room around the person shows little or no signs of a fire, aside from a greasy residue that is sometimes left on furniture and walls. In rare cases, the internal organs of a victim remain untouched while the outside of the body is charred.

Not all spontaneous human combustion victims simply burst into flames. Some develop strange burns on their body which have no obvious source, or emanate smoke from their body when no fire is present. And not every person who has caught fire has died -- a small percentage of people have actually survived what has been called their spontaneous combustion.

The Theories

To combust, a human body needs two things: intensely high heat and a flammable substance. Under normal circumstances, our bodies contain neither, but some scientists over the last several centuries have speculated on a few possible explanations for the occurrence.

In the 1800s, Charles Dickens ignited great interest in spontaneous human combustion by using it to kill off a character in his novel "Bleak House." The character, named Krook, was an alcoholic, following the belief at the time that spontaneous human combustion was caused by excessive amounts of alcohol in the body.

Today, there are several theories. One of the most popular proposes that the fire is sparked when methane (a flammable gas produced when plants decompose) builds up in the intestines and is ignited by enzymes (proteins in the body that act as catalysts to induce and speed up chemical reactions). Yet most victims of spontaneous human combustion suffer greater damage to the outside of their body than to their internal organs, which seems to go against this theory.

Other theories speculate that the fire begins as a result of a buildup of static electricity inside the body or from an external geomagnetic force exerted on the body. A self-proclaimed expert on spontaneous human combustion, Larry Arnold, has suggested that the phenomenon is the work of a new subatomic particle called a pyroton, which he says interacts with cells to create a mini-explosion. But no scientific evidence proves the existence of this particle.

So far no one has offered scientific proof of a theory explaining spontaneous human combustion. If humans can't spontaneously combust, then what is the explanation for the stories and pictures of people who have seemingly burned from within?

What is Intelligence?

The age-old question regarding intelligence still remains unanswered...Why are some people more intelligent than others?

Some children are exceptionally gifted from an early age, they learn more quickly and efficiently than most adults and soon amaze all who know them in the areas of science, literature, music, painting and sports.

Psychologists use the term ‘precocious’ to define such children. While they are in every way normal there are specific features of the brain that are more developed. Hence it is not the anatomy but their ability to possess information that makes them gifted.

However, since not enough is known about the complex network of the brain, scientists do not know enough to identify these individual abilities in the micro structures of the brain.

Another difficulty is the lack of general definition of intelligence. We know it as a general term to combine a number of brain functions. We know that everybody has intelligence, even animals.

There are also many aspects related to it such as ability to understand, ability to convert information into action, the capacity for abstraction, recalling information and the most important - common sense. It is therefore difficult to evolve a definition that the would completely define the term INTELLIGENCE.

Did Napoleon die from poisoning?

Following his defeat at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (born 1769) was sent into exile on the tiny island of St.Helena in the South Atlantic.

Napoleon spent five years on the British ruled island before he died on May 5, 1821.

During his exile Napoleon's health declined steadily. Since September 1819. Bonaparte had been under the cure of Dr. Antommarchi. The doctor had performed a postmortem, observed by five british doctors. He confirmed that the emperor had died of stomach cancer. But many did not believe the official post mortem, and, until a few years ago, rumour prevailed that he died of arsenic poisoning.

An argument in favour of the poisoning theory was that Napoleon's body had not decomposed in the coffin even in 1840 (arsenic delays decomposition of the dead body).

The problem with this thoery was that the damp condition of St.Helena could have slowed down the decomposition process.

In the early 1960s, tests were carrried out on Napoleon's hair samples.T he results shot down the arsenic theory. A second round of testing in 1994 revealed arsenic in small quantities.The poison could have come from food and water on St.Helena.

Possible suspects:

1. An agent of the Bourbons, the french royal family, who were restored to the throne in 1814, and owed this gain to Napoleon's defeat.
2. British doctors, who could have easily poisoned the emperor.
3. Count de Montholon, responsible for the house hold of the emperor. According to the emperor's will he stood to receive large sum of money.

An extensive 2007 study found no evidence of arsenic poisoning in the organs, such as hem­or­rhag­ing in the lin­ing in­side the heart, and also concluded that stomach cancer was the cause of death.

Yesterday was Priti and my nineteenth wedding anniversary...

A Link between Egypt and Americas?

According to the official view there was no contact between the Old World and the New World before Columbus. Yet numerous similarities have been found that suggest a link between Egypt and the Americas:

Both cultures have huge pyramids, aligned to the cardinal points.

Both cultures have structures built with megalithic stones and extremely fine joints.

Both cultures have construction sites that exhibit intriguing bumps on many unfinished stone blocks.

Both cultures employed a unique style of construction using "L" shaped corners.

Both construction techniques used the same style of metal clamps to hold the huge stones in place.

Both cultures used the process of mummification to preserve and honor their dead.

These compelling similarities suggest that both ancient cultures were influenced by a sophisticated common source.

Mystery of the Lizard Man

The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp (also known as The Lizard Man Of Lee County), is a humanoid cryptid which is said to inhabit areas of swampland in and around Lee County, South Carolina.

Description

The Lizard Man is described as being seven feet tall, bipedal, and well built, with green scaly skin and glowing red eyes. It is said to have three toes on each foot and three fingers on each hand which end in long black claw-like nails.

Davis sighting

The first reported sighting of the creature occurred on June 29, 1988, and was made by Christopher Davis, a 17 year old local youth, who is said to have encountered the creature while driving home from work at 2 AM. According to his own account, Davis stopped on a road bordering Scape Ore Swamp in order to change a tire which had blown out. When he was finishing up he reported having heard a thumping noise from behind him and to have turned around to see the creature running towards him.

The creature is said to have tried to grab at the car and then to have jumped on its roof as Davis tried to escape, clinging on to it as Davis swerved from side to side in an effort to throw it off. After he returned home, Davis' side-view-mirror was found to be badly damaged, and scratch marks were found on the car's roof--though there was no other physical evidence of his encounter.

“I looked back and saw something running across the field towards me. It was about 25 yards away and I saw red eyes glowing. I ran into the car and as I locked it, the thing grabbed the door handle. I could see him from the neck down – the three big fingers, long black nails and green rough skin. It was strong and angry. I looked in my mirror and saw a blur of green running. I could see his toes and then he jumped on the roof of my car. I thought I heard a grunt and then I could see his fingers through the front windshield, where they curled around on the roof. I sped up and swerved to shake the creature off.”

In the month that followed the Davis sighting there were several further reports of a large lizard like creature, and of unusual scratches and bite marks being found on cars parked close to the swamp. Most of these are said to have occurred within a three-mile radius of the swamps at Bishopville.

At the time, local law enforcement officials reacted to reports of the Lizard Man with a mixture of concern and skepticism, stating that a sufficient number of sightings had been made by apparently reliable people for them to believe that something tangible was being seen, but also that it was more likely to be a bear than a Lizard Man.


Two weeks after the Davis sighting the sheriff's department made several plaster casts of what appeared to be three-toed footprints - measuring some 14 inches in length - but decided against sending them on to the FBI for further analysis after biologists advised them that they were unclassifiable. According to South Carolina Marine Resources Department spokesperson Johnny Evans the tracks neither matched, nor could be mistaken for, the footprints of any recorded animal. Evans also dismissed the possibility that they could have been made by some form of mutated creature.


The sightings attracted tourists interested in seeing the creature and hunters interested in tracking it, and nearby radio station WCOS offered a $1 million reward to anybody who could capture the creature alive. However, reports of the creature began to decline at the end of the summer with the last credible sighting of the year being reported in July.

On August 5 Kenneth Orr, an airman stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, filed a report with the police saying that he had encountered the Lizard Man on highway 15, and that he had shot and wounded it. He presented several scales and a small quantity of blood as evidence. Orr recanted this account two days later when he was arraigned for unlawfully carrying a pistol, and the misdemeanor offense of filing a false police report. According to Orr, he had invented the sighting in order to keep stories about the Lizard Man in circulation.

Events

In October 2005, a woman in Newberry, South Carolina reported to the police that she had seen two creatures resembling the Lizard Man outside her home. The responding officer, Officer Michael Kennedy, apparently amused, told the woman that the creatures "just like to check on humans from time to time."

In February 2008, a couple in Bishopville, South Carolina, Bob and Dixie Rawson, reported strange damage to their vehicle, traces of blood, and the disappearance of some of their cats. Based on how the damage looks, some have claimed that this is the "return" of the Lizard Man.

The blood traces from the Rawsons' vehicle were sent to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for evaluation, in hopes that their source could be identified, but the samples were deemed contaminated. Soon after the incident at the Rawsons' home, Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin discovered a dead cow, and a dead coyote in a field next to the Rawsons' home.

How all this happened, no one is quite sure yet - making clear only that the Lizard Man mystery isn't ready to be solved.

Where Was Genghis Khan Buried?

The Mysterious Resting Place of the World's Greatest Conqueror

Genghis Khan (1162-1227) was perhaps the greatest soldier and conqueror the world has ever seen. His victories at the head of his feared armies gave him the greatest land empire that has ever been created, ranging from Korea in the east to Hungary in the west and from Siberia in the north to Java in the south. His name is revered today by nearly all Mongols and large numbers of new products and businesses are named after him. So where is his tomb? How come it has never been found and neither have any of the tombs of the emperors of the Yuan dynasty that he founded? There are candidates for the site and numerous high-powered and determined efforts to locate it but none of them have produced a generally accepted solution – the most likely candidate for the tomb of the Khan is on the Ordos Plateau, some half a dozen miles south of the Ejin Horo Banner. It is possible that it might be there or thereabouts, since it is widely believed that Genghis met his death prior to preparing to fight yet another battle in what is now China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The answer to the mystery lies in the extraordinary level of secrecy placed upon the hiding of the tomb. Genghis followed the traditional Mongol animistic and shamanistic traditions which worshipped the sun and the blue sky which was its home. It would be entirely appropriate for his body to have been buried on one of the sacred mountains which brought he earth closest to the sky. After all, Genghis certainly seems to have believed himself to have been specially selected by Heaven to be a divinely-ordained conqueror of humanity. Besides which, it was his soul and not his physical remains which was the proper thing for Mongol followers to have worshipped.

To have had his tomb looted by a jealous usurper or thief would have been regarded as the most grievous crime that could have been committed against him, not least because of the powerful magic that his body parts and possessions might have provided. This is why, at least so it is said, that tens of thousands of horses were used to walk the ground flat over his resting place and hundreds of slaves leveled to ground before planting scores of trees to obscure its location. Those slaves and indeed their trusted military overseers are said to have been put to death to ensure further security of the secret.

Whatever the truth of this might be, it is nevertheless the case that people still seek fame and fortune by locating the bones of the Great Khan but that, so far, no one has managed it.

THE GHOSTS OF THE TOWER OF LONDON

With a long history of execution, murder and torture, is it any wonder the "Tower of London" ranks as one of the most haunted Castles in Britain. Its history begins in the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius. He chose the site to build a fort on. Over a 1000 years later William the Conqueror chose the same site on which to build the Tower of London. It is the oldest fortress, palace and prison of its type anywhere in Europe. With a 400 hundred year history of executions: these ranged from hanging, beheading, to being hung or drawn and quartered, it was the perfect recipe for a haunted history.

The first documented sighting of a ghost at the tower was that of Thomas A. Becket. It was reported that during the construction of an inner curtain wall, he appeared and showed his anger at the construction by reducing the wall to a pile of rubble by striking it with his cross. Probably the most persistent ghost is that of Queen Anne Boleyn. On learning that the baby she was carrying was a boy, and heir to the Kings throne, she sadly went on to miscarry the child and was subsequently beheaded on the grounds of adultery and treason. Queen Anne is buried under the chapel's altar, and her body has been seen to walk the corridors of the Tower. She is only recognisable by the dress she wore at her execution.

One of the most gruesome hauntings spoken about is that of the Countess of Salisbury. At 70 she was given the death penalty on political grounds. As she strode up to the block to be beheaded, she refused to place her neck on the block as all others did, subsequently she fled the scene chased by the executioner. he apparently hacked at her body until she fell down dead...hacked to death. at the scene of this grisly murder it is said you can see the executioners axe doing its deadly deed.

Although not an apparition, the haunting in the Salt Tower is for some, very real and very frightening. Said to be one of the most haunted areas in the tower's complex, dogs will not enter this area at all, and and Yeoman Warders will not enter after dark, after a Warder told how he was almost throttled by a strong but unseen force. As recently as 1995, an American tourist was taking photographs of the Tower. She took a picture of Traitor's Gate. On having the film developed, you can clearly see what appears to be a hand wearing a 16th century Yeoman's uniform.

The philosopher's stone

The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum; Greek: chrysopoeia) is a legendary substance, supposedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold; it was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For a long time it was the most sought after goal in Western alchemy.

Alchemists once thought a key component in creation of the stone was a mythical element named carmot.

Alchemy itself is mostly an original concept and science practiced in the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and India. However, the concept of ensuring youthful health originated in China, while the concept of transmuting one metal into a more precious one (silver or gold) originated from the theories of the 8th century Arab alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan. He analysed each Aristotelian element in terms of the four basic qualities of hotness, coldness, dryness, and moistness. Fire was both hot and dry, earth cold and dry, water cold and moist, and air hot and moist. He further theorized that every metal was a combination of these four principles, two of them interior and two exterior.

From this premise, it was reasoned that the transmutation of one metal into another could be effected by the rearrangement of its basic qualities. This change would presumably be mediated by a substance, which came to be called al-iksir in Arabic (from which the Western term "elixir" is derived). It is often considered to exist as a dry red powder (also known as al-Kibrit al-Ahmar الكبريت الأحمر -- red sulphur) made from a legendary stone — the "philosopher's stone".

In the 11th century there was a debate among Muslim chemists on whether the transmutation of substances was possible. A leading opponent was Avicenna, who discredited the theory of transmutation of substances:

"Those of the chemical craft know well that no change can be effected in the different species of substances, though they can produce the appearance of such change."

According to legend, the 13th-century scientist and philosopher Albertus Magnus is said to have discovered the philosopher's stone and passed it to his pupil Thomas Aquinas, shortly before his death circa 1280. Magnus does not confirm he discovered the stone in his writings, but he did record that he witnessed the creation of gold by "transmutation."

The 16th-century Swiss alchemist Philippus Paracelsus believed in the existence of alkahest which he thought to be an undiscovered element from which all other elements (earth, fire, water, air) were simply derivative forms. Paracelsus believed that this element was, in fact, the philosopher's stone.

Jabir's theory was based on the concept that metals like gold and silver could be hidden in alloys and ores, from which they could be recovered by the appropriate chemical treatment. Jabir himself is believed to be the inventor of aqua regia, a mixture of muriatic (hydrochloric) and nitric acids, one of the few substances that can dissolve gold (and which is still often used for gold recovery and purification).

Gold was particularly valued as a metal that would not rust, tarnish, corrode or otherwise grow corrupt. Since the philosopher's stone would turn a corruptible base metal to incorruptible gold, naturally it would similarly transform human beings from mortal (corruptible) to immortal (incorruptible). One of many theories was that gold was a superior form of metal, and that the philosopher's stone was even purer and superior to gold, and if combined with lesser metals would turn them into superior gold as well.

A mystical text published in the 17th century called the Mutus Liber appears to be a symbolic instruction manual for concocting a philosopher's stone. Called the "wordless book", it was a collection of 15 illustrations.


Philosopher's stone as depicted in the first Harry Potter film.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the belief that when one dies, one's body decomposes, but something of oneself is reborn in another body. It is the belief that one has lived before and will live again in another body after death. The bodies one passes in and out of need not be human. One may have been a Doberman in a past life, and one may be a mite or a carrot in a future life. Some tribes avoid eating certain animals because they believe that the souls of their ancestors dwell in those animals. A man could even become his own daughter by dying before she is born and then entering her body at birth.

The belief in past lives used to be mainly a belief in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but now is a central tenet of much woo-woo like dianetics and channeling. In those ancient Eastern religions, reincarnation was not considered a good thing, but a bad thing. To achieve the state of ultimate bliss (nirvana) is to escape from the wheel of rebirth. In most, if not all, ancient religions with a belief in reincarnation, the soul entering a body is seen as a metaphysical demotion, a sullying and impure rite of passage. In New Age religions, however, being born again seems to be a kind of perverse goal. Prepare yourself in this life for who or what you want to come back as in the next life. Belief in past lives also opens the door for New Age therapies such as past life regression therapy, which seeks the causes of today's psychological problems in the experiences of previous lives.

L. Ron Hubbard, author of Dianetics and the founder of Scientology, introduced his own version of reincarnation into his new religion. According to Hubbard, past lives need auditing to get at the root of one's "troubles." He also claims that "Dianetics gave impetus to Bridey Murphy" and that some scientologists have been dogs and other animals in previous lives ("A Note on Past Lives" in The Rediscovery of the Human Soul). According to Hubbard, "It has only been in Scientology that the mechanics of death have been thoroughly understood." What happens in death is this: the Thetan (spirit) finds itself without a body (which has died) and then it goes looking for a new body. Thetans "will hang around people. They will see a woman who is pregnant and follow her down the street." Then, the Thetan will slip into the newborn "usually...two or three minutes after the delivery of a child from the mother. A Thetan usually picks it up about the time the baby takes its first gasp." How Hubbard knows this is never revealed.

Channeling, like past life regression, is distinct from reincarnation, even though it is based on the same essential concept: death does not put an end to the entirety of one's being. In classical reincarnation, something of the consciousness of the deceased somehow enters a new body but as that body grows only one unified consciousness persists through time. Channeling might be called temporary intermittent past life invasion because there is a coming and going of the past life entity, which always remains distinct from the present self-conscious being. For example, JZ Knight claims that in 1977 the spirit of a Cro-Magnon warrior who once lived in Atlantis took over her body in order to pass on bits of wisdom he'd picked up over the centuries. Knight seems to be carrying on the work of Jane Roberts and Robert Butts, who in 1972 hit the market with Seth Speaks. Knight, Roberts, and Butts are indebted to Edgar Cayce, who claimed to be in touch with many of his past lives. One would think that channeling might muck things up a bit. After all, if various spirits from the past can enter any body at any time without destroying the present person, it is possible that when one remembers a past life it is actually someone else's life one is remembering.

From a philosophical point of view, reincarnation poses some interesting problems. What is it that is reincarnated? Presumably, it is the soul that is reincarnated, but what is the soul? A disembodied consciousness?

Reincarnation does seem to offer an explanation for some strange phenomena such as the ability of some people to regress to a past life under hypnosis. Also, we might explain child prodigies by claiming that unlike most cases of reincarnation where the soul has to more or less start from scratch, the child prodigy somehow gets a soul with great carryover from a previous life, giving it a decided advantage over the rest of us. Reincarnation could explain why bad things happen to good people and why good things happen to bad people: they are being rewarded or punished for actions in past lives (karma). One could explain déjà vu experiences by claiming that they are memories of past lives. Dreams could be interpreted as a kind of soul travel and soul memory. However, past life regression and déjà vu experiences are best explained as the recalling of events from this life, not some past life. Dreams and child prodigies are best explained in terms of brain structures and genetically inheritable traits and processes. And since bad things also happen to bad people and good things also happen to good people, the most reasonable belief is that there is no design to the distribution of good and bad happening to people.

Thomas Huxley, the famous English biologist, thought that reincarnation was a plausible idea and discussed it in his book Evolution and Ethics and other Essays. The most detailed collections of personal reports in favor of reincarnation have been published by Professor Ian Stevenson, from the University of Virginia, in books such as Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation and "Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects Volume 1: Birthmarks" and "Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects Volume 2: Birth Defects and Other Anomalies".

Stevenson spent over 40 years devoted to the study of children who have apparently spoken about a past life. In each case, Professor Stevenson methodically documented the child's statements. Then he identified the deceased person the child allegedly identified with, and verified the facts of the deceased person's life that matched the child's memory. He also matched birthmarks and birth defects to wounds and scars on the deceased, verified by medical records such as autopsy photographs.

In a fairly typical case, a boy in Beirut spoke of being a 25-year-old mechanic, thrown to his death from a speeding car on a beach road. According to multiple witnesses, the boy provided the name of the driver, the exact location of the crash, the names of the mechanic's sisters and parents and cousins, and the people he went hunting with -- all of which turned out to match the life of a man who had died several years before the boy was born, and who had no apparent connection to the boy's family.

Stevenson believed that his strict methods ruled out all possible "normal" explanations for the child’s memories. However, it should be noted that a significant majority of Professor Stevenson's reported cases of reincarnation originate in Eastern societies, where dominant religions often permit the concept of reincarnation. Following this type of criticism, Stevenson published a book on European cases suggestive of reincarnation.

The most obvious objection to reincarnation is that there is no evidence of a physical process by which a personality could survive death and travel to another body, and researchers such as Professor Stevenson recognize this limitation.

Another objection is that most people do not remember previous lives. Possible counter-arguments are that not all people reincarnate, or that most people do not have memorable deaths. The vast majority of cases investigated at the University of Virginia involved people who had met some sort of violent or untimely death.

Some skeptics explain that claims of evidence for reincarnation originate from selective thinking and the psychological phenomena of false memories that often result from one's own belief system and basic fears, and thus cannot be counted as empirical evidence. But other skeptics, such as Dr Carl Sagan, see the need for more reincarnation research.

Poltergeists

The term poltergeist comes from the German words polter, meaning "noisy," and geist, meaning "spirit." Poltergeists cause physical disturbances ranging from rapping on walls to physically abusing people. In addition to their propensity for noisy, physical disturbances, poltergeists have been known to whistle and even whisper on occasion.

A widely held misconception regarding poltergeists is that the terms poltergeist and ghost are synonymous. Although there is some similarity between the two, there are several characteristics that set them apart. For example, poltergeist activity is known as a "disturbance," whereas ghost-like activity (fog, mist, transparent figures, etc.) is known as a "haunting." The reason for this difference in terminology is because poltergeists are heard but not seen, whereas ghosts are seen but seldom heard. Below are the five major differences between poltergeists and ghosts.

Origins:

Ghosts are spirits of deceased beings, usually human, appearing frequently in certain places. They can appear in forms such as transparent entities, complete bodies, foggy mists, and smells (usually associated with the deceased while still living).

Poltergeist theories suggest that poltergeists are mass forms of energy that a living person unknowingly controls, usually through a form of passive psychokinesis resulting from severe physical or psychic trauma. In some extreme cases, poltergeists have been linked to demons.

Association:

Ghosts are usually linked to a specific place or violent death, such as the house the deceased lived in or the place where the deceased died.

Poltergeists are linked to a specific person or object. Some theories suggest that poltergeists can be linked to multiple objects and multiple people, taking a fraction of their energy from each person or object.

Apparitions:

Ghosts appear in areas known to the deceased before death. They are unable leave those areas.

Poltergeists can be triggered by a living person's trauma in any area at any time. They can travel.

Energy:

Ghost energy is continuous over time.

Poltergeist energy is built up over time, then goes dormant and starts over again. The energy climaxes just before dormancy.

Danger:

Ghosts are not violent in a physical sense. Appearances can cause severe mental terror, however.

At level five (climax of energy), poltergeists can become dangerous to the living, inflicting both mental and physical terror.

The poltergeist is a progressive entity in that it passes through five cumulative stages and a period of dormancy before starting over at the first stage. Each stage in this progression invokes a higher level of energy while retaining the energy acquired in previous stages. The duration of each stage can vary from days to years depending on the poltergeist's origin and external influences.

The Five Stages of a Poltergeist

Stage 1: Senses

◦ The activity mainly revolves around the five senses of the human body.

◦ Phenomena: Cold spots, strange noises, hearing footsteps, pets running from rooms, feeling of being watched.

Stage 2: Communication

◦ Strange noises and smells are more easily discernable and direct.

◦ Phenomena: Whispers, moans, animated shadows, breezes in closed areas, marks on floors or walls.

Stage 3: Physical

◦ The poltergeist clearly makes its presence known. What could have been previously dismissed is now a real entity.

◦ Phenomena: Appliances turning on/off, invisible hands touching people, doors opening and closing by themselves, strange knocks at doors and windows.

Stage 4: Trick

◦ It might seem like a harmless and playful entity, but it is really gathering knowledge of what people consider frightening, which it will use to inflict terror in the next stage and derive its energy from the fright.

◦ Phenomena: Flying and moving objects, objects disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, shaking furniture, appearing as frightening entities, creating visions or illusions, speaking in ordering tones; windows, mirrors or other objects breaking for no reason.

Stage 5: Danger

◦ The poltergeist has reached its highest energy point, and should be considered dangerous. Violent and threatening actions begin. After this stage, the poltergeist will go dormant and then begin the cycle again at the first stage.

◦ Phenomena: Biting, slapping or punching people; animating objects; blood on walls, floors and ceilings, attacks by unseen forces, flying knives or sharp objects, heavy objects falling. Threatening writings or visual signs of danger; onset of unknown medical illness.

Fewer than one thousand poltergeist cases have been documented over the years. Of those cases, a surprising number were the result of a prepubescent or teenage person involuntarily and unknowingly evoking (bringing into existence) a poltergeist through psychokinetic energy generated by the brain, usually as a result of severe physical or emotional trauma. This energy process, commonly known as psychokinesis, is the psychic ability to move or change the composition of objects; i.e., mind over matter. Despite psychokinesis playing a major role in many poltergeist cases, it should be noted that poltergeists can evolve as a result of many things, not just psychokinesis.

Famous American Ghosts...

After having lived in the limelight with attention from the press and fans, some of America's famous and infamous celebrities are seemingly just not ready to move on. So, if you never had the opportunity to meet them in real life, according to these tales you might still be able to catch a glimpse of them as they continue to haunt the places of their pasts.

Several presidents are said to haunt the White House including Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson.

Bonnie and Clyde – This pair of notorious outlaws of the 1930’s were finally tracked down and killed on May 23, 1934 outside of Arcadia, Louisiana. There bullet-ridden car was then towed into town with their bodies still in the vehicle. Today, a marker stands at the site where they died and is said to be haunted by the pair. Photographs taken of the marker often come out with ghostly forms.

Lucille Ball – When Lucille Ball died during surgery on April 26, 1989, at the age of 77, she was still living in her home at 100 North Roxbury Drive. Since her death, she is said to remain in the home that experiences a number of strange happenings. New owners tell of unexplained broken windows, loud voices being heard from an empty attic, and furniture and other objects moving around inside the house.

Aaron Burr – Burr was the third Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, but he is not known so much for that as he is for duel with Alexander Hamilton. After killing Hamilton in the duel, Burr was placed on trial for treason but was acquitted. Today, Burr is said to haunt the One If By Land, Two If By Sea Restaurant, in New York City. Located in what was once Burr’s carriage house at 17 Barrow Street. Both visitors and staff alike have observed dishes that fly of their own accord and have had chairs pulled out from under them by unseen hands. Also said to haunt the restaurant is Burr’s daughter, Theodosia Burr Alston, who vanished off the coast of North Carolina en route to visit her father in New York.

Al Capone – The notorious Chicago gangster who led the city's illegal activities during the Prohibition era has been rumored to haunt a couple of locations. Allegedly, when people are disrespectful while visiting his family plot at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, he is said to appear. Also, at Alcatraz, where Capone was one of the first inmates, spectral banjo music has often been heard coming from inside his old cell.

Lon Chaney, Sr. – Remembered primarily as the pioneer actor of horror films during the silent film era, Chaney died in 1930. Today, his spirit is said to haunt Sound Stage 28 at Universal Studios. This stage was used for the film Phantom of the Opera, and Chaney’s caped spirit has been seen running along the catwalks above the stage. Other phenomena reported to occur here include lights that turn on and off and doors that open and close by themselves.

Montgomery Clift – A popular film star of the 1950’s and 60’s, Montgomery Clift was a four-time Oscar nominated actor who is best known for his roles in A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity and Judgment at Nuremberg. His spirit has been seen at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, most often in Room 928. It was here that he spent a three months in 1953 where he was known to pace back and forth, memorizing his lines for From Here to Eternity. Today, unexplained loud noises are often heard coming from the otherwise empty suite, phone is continually found to be off the hook, and unexplainable cold spots are felt in the room. Others sense the actor’s presence and reportedly, one guest felt an invisible hand patting her shoulder.

Joan Crawford – From silent star to camp queen, Joan Crawford’s film career spanned some 45 years. Her former home, the Crawford House, is said to be haunted by her spirit as well as many others. Though the house has been exorcised many times, these ghosts refuse to leave.

James Dean – While no actual reports have been made of Dean’s spirit, an extremely interesting legend persists of a curse on his beloved Porsche Spyder. Dean, the popular fresh faced Hollywood star of the early 1950’s, was known to live in the “fast-lane.” He paid for it with his life when he was killed in a head on collision on September 30, 1955. Dean purchased the car with the intent to race it; however, he never got the chance, as just weeks after its purchase, he died in the vehicle. Afterwards, anyone who came in contact with the car or its parts began to suffer injuries and death until the vehicle finally mysteriously disappeared.

Redd Foxx – The popular star of the long running “Sanford & Son” television series has been known to haunt Stage 31 at Paramount Studios where he died of a heart attack. At the studio people have heard him laughing at the jokes and claim he just kind of hangs around. More often, the comedian is known to haunt his former home in Las Vegas. After a terrible battle with the IRS, he lost the home when the IRS forced the sale. The new owner reportedly saw Foxx’s apparition walking around in a bathrobe. Other strange occurrences included lights that turned on and off by themselves and a sliding glass door constantly opening of its own accord. Today the building houses offices for Nevada Aqua Air Systems. Continuing to have trouble with the sliding door, they finally replaced it with a wooden swinging door. However, this didn’t stop the door from opening with invisible hands.

Benjamin Franklin – Instrumental in laying the government’s foundation when the United States was first established, Franklin was also known for his work as a writer, inventor, philosopher, and scientist. Today, Franklin is said to haunt the Philosophical Society’s library in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some people have even reported that the Philosophical Society's statue of Franklin has been seen dancing along the streets.

Jean Harlow – The phrase “blonde bombshell” was coined for Jean Harlow during her short career in Hollywood. In 1932, she married MGM studio executive Paul Bern who was said to have beaten her viciously. Bern was killed or committed suicide the same year in their upstairs bedroom. After appearing in three dozen films between 1927 and 1937, her career was cut short when she died at the age of 26 of kidney failure. Though the kidney failure is partially attributed to a childhood illness, some say it was made worse by the frequent beatings she suffered at the hands of Bern. Both Harlow and Bern have been seen numerous times in the mansion they once called home.

Harry Houdini – Though Houdini didn’t believe in spiritualism, his ghost is said to haunt a couple of locations. At Jacki Gaughan’s Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, a magic show held here is a tribute to Houdini’s talents as an escape artist and magician. Staff believes the showroom is haunted by a ghost who likes to play pranks and move items around. Many of these same people think the ghost is none other than Houdini himself, perhaps lingering to ensure they are “doing it right.” The most common place that Houdini has been sighted is the property where his mansion once stood in Laurel Canyon. Though destroyed by fire in 1959, many people have allegedly seen his apparition lurking about the old property.

Thomas Ince – considered one of the visionary pioneers of American movies, Ince was one of the most respected directors of the silent film era. He was a co-founder of Culver Studios which would later become MGM. In 1924 he died of heart failure but apparently remains at the lot that was once Culver Studios.

Andrew Jackson – Jackson was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. After his death, he was heard stomping and swearing in the Rose Room of the White house by none other than Mary Todd Lincoln.

Jesse James – Jesse James was originally buried at the family farm in Kearney, Missouri, however, his body was later moved to the Mount Olivet Cemetery in town to be buried next to his wife. Though his remains are no longer at the farm, many believe he has never left. All kinds of strange events continually occur at the farm such as doors that slam closed by themselves, lights that move both inside and outside of the property buildings, and an overwhelming sense that an unearthly presence lingers. Others report hearing the sounds of pounding hooves, muffled shots and cries that are reminiscent of the area history, dating back to events of the Civil War.

Thomas Jefferson – The third President of the United States, from 1801 to 1809 was known to retire to the Oval Office on numerous occasions to relax and play the violin. Over the years, there have been numerous reports of the sounds of those ghostly strings coming from the Oval Office.

Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum - Black Jack was the only train robber ever hanged for this crime in the State of New Mexico. Known to be a charming man, he was also a renowned road agent, making off with loot from the steam engines of the day. Today, this Old West outlaw is said to haunt one of his favorite hideout caves near Folsom, New Mexico.

Robert E. Lee – Confederate General in the Civil War, Lee led a number of successful battles before his surrender at the Appomatox Court House in April of 1865. Today, his spirit has regressed back to a four year old child where he has been spied playing in the yard of his childhood home in Alexandria, Virginia. Said to be an impish spirit, he is known to play pranks like ringing the doorbell and moving objects within the house. His giggles are often heard throughout the house. Sometimes he is seen with a ghostly black dog and the spirits of two young girls, who are thought to be his sisters.

John Lennon – This former Beatle is said to haunt The Dakota building at 1 west 72nd Street in New York City, where he was shot to death.

Liberace – Known for his incredible piano playing skills, along with his charisma and diamonds, Liberace died of AIDs in 1987. According to numerous reports, the entertainer’s spirit has taken up residence at a restaurant called Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens. Liberace once owned the restaurant located just a few block off the Las Vegas Strip. Next to the dining room, Liberace had his own private lounge where he entertained close friends. From here, he was known to sometimes slip into the main dinging room to tinkle the keys of the piano to the delight of unsuspecting diners. Today, staff and guests alike believe that the flamboyant pianist has never left, as there are numerous reports of electrical surges, bottles that tip over for no reason, and ladies' restroom stalls that lock and unlock themselves. On one occasion the electricity went off and would not come back on until someone realized it was Liberace’s birthday. After they wished him a happy one, the lights inexplicably came back on. Some report seeing his spirit outside the windows.

Abraham Lincoln – The most often spied spirit of all of our American Presidents, Lincoln was know to be a believer in the supernatural. President Lincoln is known to haunt not only the White House, but also several sites in Springfield, Illinois where his political career began. Famous occupants of the White House, including President Theodore Roosevelt and First Lady Grace Coolidge, reported seeing a tall, gaunt figure in several rooms of the residence. Others who have been walking by the White House have reported seeing a shadow of Lincoln's dimensions in the window of the Oval Office where the president often stood gazing at the Potomac River during the days of the Civil War. In Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln's spirit is most often linked his tomb at Oakridge Cemetery. Over the years, a number of stories have been told by tourists and staff members of experiencing uncomfortable feelings and hearing phantom footsteps, whispers, muffled voices, and weeping. Lincoln has also been reported to have been seen walking the streets surrounding Springfield's original courthouse, as well as the hallways of his former home. Others have reported seeing the ghost of Mary Lincoln at their old home located at 413 South Eighth Street.

Carole Lombard - Carole Lombard was one of Hollywood's top comedy actresses in the 1930s. She married Clark Gable in 1939 and the pair were said to have one of Hollywood's ideal marriages. However, their love was cut short when Lombard was killed in a plane crash just three years later. Her spirit has been seen near the suite she shared with Clark Gable at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Both her and beloved husband, Gable, allegedly also haunt the Oatman Hotel in Oatman, Arizona, where they spent their honeymoon.

Marilyn Monroe - This glamorous film star of the 1950’s slipped into a coma caused by an overdose of sleeping pills on August 4, 1962. She never woke up and was pronounced dead the next day. Today, her ghostly spirit is known to haunt the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. At the height of her popularity, she often stayed at the hotel where her image is seen in a full-length mirror that once hung in her poolside suite. It now hangs in the lobby where people see her image reflected in the glass. Her ghost has also been spotted hovering near her tomb at Westwood Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Lastly, she is also said to haunt the house where she took the fatal dose of sleeping pills. According to psychics, Marilyn has relayed to them that her death was not a suicide, but an accident.

Ozzie Nelson – Band leader, Ozzie married Harriet in 1935. In 1944, they started The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on radio which later switched to television in a run that would stretch to twenty-two years: eight on radio and fourteen on television. In 1941 the couple purchased a house where they lived for the next 40 years. When their popular sitcom was aired on television, beginning in 1852, the exterior of the television house was modeled on the real-life Nelson home. Subsequent owners believe that Ozzie’s ghost continues to remain in his beloved home, as unseen hands open and close doors, turn on faucets, and lights turn on and off by themselves in otherwise empty rooms. One owner even tells a story that “someone” got fresh with her during the night when her blankets were pulled back and she felt someone kissing her neck and breasts.

Elvis Presley – Just as flamboyant in death as he was in life, the legendary singer continues to haunt his beloved home in Memphis. A white-sequined Elvis has been seen by stagehands at the Las Vegas Hilton where he often performed in the early 1970s. He has also been “seen” in a rambling old building just off Nashville’s Music Row. At one time, the building housed the recording studios of RCA in the 1950’s and it was here that Elvis recorded his breakthrough 1956 hit single, Heartbreak Hotel. Though RCA is no longer there, the building continues to house a TV production studio that produces music-related programs. According to people that have worked there, every time Elvis’ names is mentioned something strange happens, such as ladders falling down, lights blowing out, and unexplained noises coming through the sound system. A white-sequined Elvis has reportedly been spotted by stagehands at this hotel where he performed in the early 1970s.

George Reeves – The star to the 1950’s television series, Superman, committed suicide in 1959 by shooting himself in the head. Though due to be married in just three days time, Reeves was despondent at his stalled career, when he had become so type-casted as Superman he couldn’t find other parts. Today, he allegedly still appears in his old bedroom, fully outfitted in his Superman costume before slowly fading away.

Betsy Ross – Credited with sewing the first American flag, Ross continues to lurk within her old home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ross, who is buried on the property, has often been seen crying, while sitting at the foot of the bed in her former home.

Bugsy Siegel – One of the most colorful of Las Vegas’ underworld figures, Bugsy is often attributed to envisioning the sparkling city that Las Vegas is today. While there were a number of small gambling spots in Las Vegas, there was nothing like the Flamingo Hilton that Siegel opened in 1946. But, the Flamingo cost the mob millions to build and took much longer than they had anticipated. Sure that Bugsy was skimming from the them, they had him killed in his girlfriend’s mansion in Beverly Hills. On June 20, 1947, he was sitting in the living room when two shots came through the front window, hitting him in the head. Today, Siegel is known to haunt the mansion. Witnesses have reported seeing the apparition of a man running and ducking across the living room of the house, only to disappear as suddenly as he came. He also lurks about the Flamingo hotel, appearing nattily dressed in a smoking jacket with a wide smile on his handsome face. Most often, he is seen in the presidential suite at the hotel which was his home for many years. He has also been spied in and around the rose garden or in the wedding chapel area.

Dylan Thomas – Dylan Thomas, a Welsh poet and writer, drank 18 shots of scotch in the White Horse Tavern in New York City in 1953. Afterwards, as you can imagine, he collapsed and died. Today, his spirit is said to return to the scene time after time, where he rotates his favorite corner table like he used to do when he was alive. The White Horse Tavern is located at 567 Hudson Street at West 11th Street in New York City.

Thelma Todd – A popular young star in the 1930’s, Todd was featured in a number of hit comedies with The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy. During the height of her stardom, she opened a restaurant called Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Café and lived in a luxurious apartment above the restaurant. In 1935 her success came to an untimely end when she was found in her car at the garage of the Sidewalk Café. Killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, her death was ruled an accidental suicide. Today, the building that once housed the café near the ocean on Roosevelt Highway is owned by Paulist Productions. Employees have reported Todd’s ghostly image descending the stairs.

Mark Twain – Popular American humorist, novelist, writer and lecturer, Twain once lived in downtown New York at 14 West 10th Street (near Fifth Avenue) between the years of 1900 and 1901. Today, his spirit allegedly haunts the building’s stairwell.

Clifton Webb – A popular star in the 1940’s and ‘50’s, Webb is best known for his portrayal of Mr. Belvedere in a series of films. He died of heart disease at the age of 76. During his life he never married and shared his home with his mother until she died, who he said visited him nightly. He was known to tell his friends at this time, that he too would haunt the house after his death. True to his word, his ghost has been seen at parties, standing in the library uttering his favorite phrase "well, well, well..." A lifelong chain-smoker, non-smokers have awakened in the house covered with ashes. He also is said to not like women sitting in his old armchair, which begins to bounce and make noise when a female sits in it. Webb has also been spied at the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum in the Hollywood Forever Memorial Park, where his body is interred.

Rudolph Valentino – Rudolph Valentino was one of the greatest romantic idols of Hollywood’s silent movie era. His career, however, was cut short when he died at the age of 31 from complications of an ulcer. Immediately after his death, the “Latin Lover” began to haunt his home grounds of Hollywood and to this day, is said to be its most active ghost. Valentino has been spotted in a number of places, most often in his former mansion – the Falcon’s Lair. Here, his image has been seen in the hallways, in his old bedroom, peering from a window on the second floor, and in the stables. One stable worker, after having seen Valentino petting his favorite horse, promptly quit his job and never returned. He has also been spied at his beach house in Oxnard and the Santa Maria Inn in Santa Maria Inn where he has been known to continuously knock and the door and reclines on the bed. The Sheik’s shimmering form has also been seen floating among the costume department at Paramount Studios and roaming the catwalks above Studio Five. Lastly, he has also been sighted near his resting place in the Cathedral Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Memorial Park.

John Wayne – The old “Duke” himself has been seen on his old yacht, the Wild Goose. When psychics investigated the ghost, they felt that Wayne isn’t “trapped” here, but rather just returns to one of his favorite places.

Orson Welles – Considered to be one of Hollywood’s greatest directors, as well as fine writer, actor, and producer, Welles died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California at age 70 on October 10, 1985. A man who loved to eat, his spirit continues to be seen at Sweet Lady Jane's Restaurant, known for its great food and exquisite deserts. Both customers and staff have reported seeing Welles' caped apparition sitting at his favorite table. Additionally, the smell of his favorite brandy and cigars often accompany these sightings.

Haunted Scottish Castles

It is hardly surprising that many of Scotland's castles are associated with ghosts, apparitions and strange noises - they have histories in some cases stretching back over 600 years. Here is just a selection of twenty nine of them (from a list of 150 known to have a reputation!).

Culzean Castle, Ayrshire

There had been a castle here on the cliffs overlooking the Firth of Clyde long before Robert Adam designed his masterpiece for the Earl of Cassillis in the 18th century - incorporating some of the earlier castle which had been built by Sir Thomas Kennedy (who was murdered on the sands at Ayr in 1602). Whenever one of the Kennedy family is about to get married a ghostly piper is said to play in the grounds. He is also supposed to play on stormy nights - mixed in with the howling wind and crashing waves. There is also a a ghost of a young woman in a ballgown (reported as recently as 1972) but no-one seems to know who she is.

Ackergill Tower, Caithness

Ackergill Tower has had a stormy history over the last 600 years. At one time it was owned by the Keith family who had frequent fights with the Gunns and Sinclairs who came from the same part of the country. The castle is said to be haunted by the ghost of Helen Gunn who was kidnapped by one of the Keith family who brought her back to Ackergill Tower. She threw herself from the battlements of the tower rather than submit to her captors.

Balcomie Castle, Fife

Begun in the 16th century, the castle has had various owners and Mary of Guise stayed there on her way to marry King James V. At one time it had fine plaster ceilings but these were taken to Ayrshire to be incorporated into Dean Castle. The ghost in Balcomie Castle is reputed to be of a young man who was starved to death in the castle - because he would not stop whistling!

Baldoon Castle, Galloway

This castle is now a ruin but was owned by the Dunbars of Westfield from 1530 to 1800. Baldoon Castle's ghost became the subject of a novel by Sir Walter Scott - "The Bride of Lammermuir". Forced by her parents to abandon the man she loved, she married David Dunbar but became insane and stabbed him on her wedding night. Ever since those events in the 17th century, she is reputed to roam the castle dressed in white, blood-spattered clothes but is most often seen on the anniversary of her death.

Borthwick Castle, Lothian

Now advertised as a romantic place for a wedding, Borthwick Castle is a large, magnificent castle which was built in 1430. Mary Queen of Scots called at the castle after her marriage (at 4am on 15 May 1567) to the Earl of Bothwell. The castle was besieged and she only escaped by disguising herself as a man. Ever since then an apparition of Mary, dressed as a page boy, has been seen.

Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran

Much of the castle was created in the 19th century but incorporating parts which date back to the 13th century (though there may have been a Viking fort on the site even earlier than that). It was originally built by the Stewarts and was captured by the English during the Wars of Independence. In 1406 an English fleet sailed into the Clyde and destroyed much of the original castle. Considerable additions were made to the castle when Cromwell's forces occupied it in the middle of the 17th century. For much of its life the castle has been owned by members of the Hamilton family. The older part of the castle is said to be haunted by a "Grey Lady" who starved to death in the dungeons of the castle because she had the plague. A man has been reportedly seen sitting in the library and a White Deer is reputedly seen in the grounds of the castle whenever a chief of the Hamiltons is close to death.

Cawdor Castle

Regarded as one of the most magnificent castles in Scotland, parts of Cawdor date back to the 14th century. It is said to have been built where William Calder had been told in a dream to build a castle wherever his donkey stopped to rest. Although associated by Shakespeare with Macbeth, the castle is not quite old enough (King Duncan was not murdered at Cawdor but in battle at nearby Spynie). The castle became part of the Campbell "empire" when Muriel Calder, heiress to the castle, was kidnapped at the age of 12 and married to the Earl of Argyll's son, Sir John Campbell in 1511. A ghost wearing a blue velvet dress has been reported in the castle though no-one can say whether this is Muriel Calder.

Claypotts Castle, Angus

The oddly shaped Claypotts Castle (two of its round towers have projecting rectangular rooms at the top) dates from the 16th century. At one time the castle was owned by John Graham of Claverhouse, known as "Bonnie Dundee" or "Bloody Clavers" depending on which side you were on during the time of the Covenanters. The castle is said to be haunted by a "White Lady" who is seen at a window in the castle each 29 May. She is reputed to be the ghost of Marion Ogilvie who was the mistress of Cardinal Beaton who was murdered in St Andrews - on 29 May 1546. However the castle had not been built by 1546 and she lived at Melglund Castle.

Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire

Seven-storeys high, Craigievar Castle was owned initially by the Mortimer family and then the Forbes who completed the castle in 1626. It is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is said to be haunted by a member of the Gordon family who was murdered there by Sir John Forbes who forced him out of a high window at sword point. There is also said to be a fiddler - who is only ever seen by members of the Forbes family.

Craignethan Castle, Lanark

On an easily defensible position on a promontory overlooking the River Nethan, a tributary of the Clyde, Craignethan Castle had formidable defences - which were never put to the test. Originally owned by the Black Douglases it passed to the Hamiltons. Mary Queen of Scots is said to have spent the night there before the Battle of Langside and the castle is said to be haunted by her (minus her head, which was removed at her execution!). Other apparitions have been seen in the courtyard of the castle. In recent times, visitors to the castle have followed a a figure dressed in historical costume, thinking it was leading the way to a pageant - only to find the figure disappearing before their eyes....

Dean Castle, Ayrshire

This well preserved castle incorporates a keep which goes back to the 14th century. For much of its life it was occupied by the Boyd family. It was gutted by fire in 1735 but in 1905 it was restored - using material from Balcomie Castle (see above). It was subsequently given to the town of Kilmarnock in 1975 and the grounds are a public park. Prior to the Jacobite uprising, servants in the castle said they had seen a severed head rolling on the floor. The fourth Earl Boyd later joined the rising - and was beheaded in 1746.

Delgatie Castle, Turriff

Rising five storeys high, Delgatie Castle was the property of the Clan Hay who had a well-earned reputation for their fighting qualities. But the Clan supported the Jacobites in both 1715 and 1745 and forfeited the castle as a result. The castle is reputed to be haunted by a red haired woman and during the Second World War an entire detachment of troops who were billeted there fled from the castle in bare feet as they were confronted by the ghostly apparition.

Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland

The name Sutherland is derived from the Norse "south lands" and was adopted by a Fleming who arrived there before the 13th century. The masive and stately Dunrobin Castle, latterly made to look like a French chateau, was the home of the Sutherland family for centuries. The family became infamous for their part in the Highland Clearances during which many local crofters were forcibly evicted so that the land could be used more profitably rearing sheep. The ghost which haunts the upper floors of the castle is reputed to be the daughter of the 14th Earl of Sutherland who was imprisoned by her father to stop her from marrying someone he regarded as unsuitable. She tried to escape down a rope from an upstairs room but fell to her death.

Duns Castle, Berwickshire

Parts of this castle in the Scottish Borders go back to the 14th century. The castle has had many owners but its association with the Hay family has resulted in a ghost being reported. Alexander Hay was killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and is said to have returned to Duns Castle and makes a ghostly appearance every now and then.

Dunstaffnage Castle, Oban

According to legend there has been a fort on this promontory since the first century BC. As a Dalriada stronghold the Stone of Destiny was held there at one stage. The present castle dates from the 13th century and early in the 15th century it became one of the (many) strongholds of the Clan Campbell. Punitive raids against the MacDonalds and the Macleans were mounted from here and in the 16th century Cameron of Lochiel was beheaded there. Flora MacDonald was imprisoned in the castle for a short spell after she had helped Prince Charles Edward Stewart to escape back to France in 1746. The castle's ghost is said to wear a green dress and foretells major events, both good or bad, which are about to befall the Campbell nobility.

Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye

Dunvegan has been the home of the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod since 1270. It is also the home of the Fairy Flag which was given to a MacLeod chief by his fairy wife. It is used to give victory to the clan and achieved this at battles at Glendale and Trumpan and the faded flag is said to be available if required in the future!

Edinburgh Castle

On a prominent position on top of a former volcano, there has undoubtedly been a fortress there since long before recorded history. The castle has been at the centre of Scottish history for over 800 years and was captured and recaptured many times during the centuries of wars between Scotland and England. Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to the future King James VI in the castle in 1566. The castle withstood attack in both the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite Uprisings. The castle is said to have a ghost of a headless drummer (who was sighted as recently as 1960) and a piper playing on the battlements - and not just during the Edinburgh Military Tattoo...

Fernie Castle, Fife

Originally owned by the MacDuffs it passed to the Fernies in the 15th century but in recent times it has become a hotel. Its "Green Lady" ghost is said to have fallen to her death from the tower of the castle many centuries ago but she has kept up with the times and now shows that she is around by tampering with the lights and electrical appliances, giving a ready-made excuse for the hotel when the TV goes blank.

Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire

Held by the Frasers since the 15th century, the castle is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. While there are no reported ghosts in the castle, in the 19th century a young woman was murdered in the castle and her body dragged down the stairs. It was said that the stains on the stone stairs kept reappearing, despite strenuous efforts by the servants. The stair is now covered in wood.

Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire

Dating back to the 13th century, Fyvie Castle is highly decorated with towers and dormer windows. It has been owned by a number of wealthy families over the years - Lindsay, Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon, Leith, many of whom left their mark on the building. It is said to be haunted by several ghosts including a "Grey Lady". When building work was being carried out in the early part of this century a skeleton was found in a secret room. The Grey Lady was seen frequently thereafter - until the bones were returned to the room when things quietened down again. Another ghost, a "Green Lady" is said to be Dame Lillias Drummond who was starved to death by her husband, Sir Alexander Seton, who then remarried soon after. The ghost is said to have scratched her name on the window sill of the bedroom being used by the newlyweds - and the name can still be seen there.

Glamis Castle

Glamis has a reputation for being one of the most haunted castles in Scotland - and that is saying something! With its pointed turrets it looks more like a Disney creation than a Scottish castle. It was home to Queen Elizabeth, the mother of the present Queen. Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister was born in Glamis. Earlier in its history, however, the young and beautiful Lady Glamis was accused by King James V of being a witch and was burned at the stake in 1537. Her ghost is the "Grey Lady of Glamis". Another ghost is said to be the 4th Earl of Crawford who haunts a room where he played cards with the devil. The large bearded ghost of "Earl Beardie" is also said to have been seen on many occasions.

Castle Grant, Grantown-on-Spey

The stronghold of the Grants, a name which may have come from the Norman French "grand" meaning "great". The ghost is said to appear of Lady Barbara Grant, a daughter of a 16th century laird, who died while locked in a cupboard because she fell in love with someone deemed unsuitable by her father.

Castle Guthrie, Angus

Castle Guthrie is now a hotel and visitors can stay overnight in the "Ghost Suite". It obtained its reputation after a visit by the Bishop of St Andrews in 1620. While he was there a ghost of a former Lady Guthrie came back to make sure he was comfortable. Since then she has returned to look after whoever is sleeping there -and guests in the hotel say it has been the most peaceful sleep they have ever experienced.....

Hermitage Castle, Borders

Parts of Hermitage Castle go back to the 13th century when the castle was built for the Dacres family but eventually became one of the Douglas castles and then the Earl of Bothwell. The 4th Earl of Bothwell was visited at Hermitage by Mary Queen of Scots who later married him. Needless to say, Mary's ghost has been seen in the castle but the ghostly screams which are said to be heard from time to time are attributed to an earlier owner who dabbled in witchcraft.

Huntingtower Castle, Perthshire

The land here was held by the Ruthven family from the 12th century and Huntingtower Castle used to be called Ruthven Castle. Mary Queen of Scots visited the castle soon after her marriage to Lord Darnley and the 4th Lord Ruthven kidnapped the 15-year-old King James VI and held him in the castle for a year. The castle ghost is named "My Lady Greensleeves" and although she is sometimes seen in advance of a death, she is also said to have cured sick people, an unusual ocurence for a ghost.

Inveraray Castle

A Campbell stronghold, the original castle was burnt by the Marquis of Montrose in 1644. The present castle was built by the 3rd Duke of Argyle as he rebuilt not only the castle but the town of Inveraray as well. The castle is reputed to have a number of ghosts ranging from a harpist who was killed during the attack by Montrose, another which appears when a Campbell chief is close to death and a young woman who was murdered by Jacobites.

Lordscairnie Castle, Fife

Little remains of the original keep and tower of the 15/16th century building which was built for the Earls of Crawford. The loch which used to surround the castle has been drained and it is said that treasure is buried nearby. The 4th Earl of Crawford is said to be seen playing cards with the devil at midnight each New Year's Eve.

Neidpath Castle, Peebles

Parts of the castle date from the 14th century but there have been many additions and alterations over the centuries. Owned originally by the Hay family, Mary Queen of Scots stayed there in 1563 and her son, King Kames VI, visited in 1587. The castle was beseiged by Cromwell in 1650. In more recent times, the castle was used during filming of "The Bruce". The castle's ghost is yet another girl whose father would not allow her to marry her lover and she died of a broken heart.

Castle of Park, Banff

This castle incorporates a 16th century tower house and a green lady is said to appear from an upstairs window. The story goes that she is a servant who was dismissed from her post because she was expecing a child and subsequently committed suicide. Yet another ghost in the castle is a monk who was reputedly murdered by being walled up in the castle. Residents say they feel as though they are being watched - and objects mysteriously move from one room to another but it is the former servant, the green lady who is given the blame for this!

My wife has returned home this evening...

After 36 days in hospital (out of which 13 days were in ICU - the first 4 days of which were on life-support systems), Priti has returned home this evening (at 8 p.m.).

Priti is completely cured of septicemia and all her major organs, excepting for her kidneys, are functioning normally. By God's grace, her kidneys will also recover - until then she will be on twice a week dialysis.

Five weeks ago, this time, we had no assurance from the doctors whether Priti would leave the ICU alive. The marvels of modern medical science, coupled with prayers and good wishes from innumerable friends, relatives, office colleagues, SOS-India children and mothers and countless well wishers have brought Priti back to her family. My thanks to all of you.

My thanks also to the relatives and friends who have donated the innumerable pints of blood that were required during the early days of the crisis. Thanks also to all those who extended moral and physical help (including night stay duty) - and to the relatives and my Campus Law Centre friends for their direct and indirect financial support.

God bless you all!