Please excuse our dust on our website www.hauntedtimes.com, we are going through some updates. One thing that we have added was a place where you can purchase back issues of our magazine at www.hauntedtimes.com/orderhere.html. At that location, we even have our premier issue 1 available, an issue that was printed on a very limited production run.

From our archives:

When Faith Turns Deadly

By Joe Durwin    

At least since William Peter Blatty came on the scene with his gripping novel and the subsequent film adaptation of The Exorcism, Americans have had a salacious and reoccurring interest in the practice of exorcism.  While many merely enjoy film portrayals of occult happenings, relegating it to the realm of fiction, belief in actual demonic possession among Americans polled hovers around 40%. 

The actual practice of exorcism has been on the rise in the U.S. and around the world in recent decades.  In 1990, there was only one officially recognized Roman Catholic exorcist in the United States, a number that had increased to 10 by 2001.  The latter years of John Paul II's papacy saw an increasingly open attitude toward the ritual.  In 2003, a task force was established in Genoa, consisting of 3 priests, a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a neurologist, to evaluate exorcism requests, and Benedict XVI has expressed public encouragement of a new exorcism instruction course offered at a Vatican sponsored university. 

Despite the more favorable attitude in the upper echelons of the Roman Catholic religion, many American Bishops remain reluctant to discuss or approve exorcisms.  In general, belief in demonic possession is lower among American Catholics (37%) than Protestants (47%), and by far the majority of these rituals are conducted under looser denominational auspices.  Fordham University sociologist Michael Cuneo estimates that there are anywhere from 500 to 1000 evangelical exorcism ministries doing business in the U.S. Generally, exorcisms are secretive, local affairs, with little or no information about the incident provided to the media, and therefore the exact extent, nature, and results of modern exorcisms are hard to gauge. The kinds of exorcisms that do become known to the public at large, mainly, are those in which someone was killed.

There's no shortage of these exorcism fatalities in modern times.  1995 and 1996 saw two similar deaths of Korean women in California, Kyung-A Ha and Kyung Jae Chung, who were beaten to death in the process of exorcisms at Evangelical and Methodist churches in San Francisco and Glendale, respectively.  In 1998, Charity Miranda, a seventeen-year-old cheerleader in Sayville, New York, was suffocated with a plastic bag by her mother, after her attempts to exorcise perceived demons from the girl's body failed.  In 2003, an 8 year old autistic boy, suffocated while being wrapped in sheets, and held down in an exorcism at the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith in Milwaukee.

Exorcism deaths don't just happen in remote, backwater counties here in the United States; they take place throughout the world at an alarming rate. Over the course of four nightmarish days in May of 1994, a woman named Janice Gibson terrorized her family with batch of home-baked exorcisms she discovered after converting to a fundamentalist Apostolic Church in the small North Island town of Inglewood, New Zealand. Gibson was convinced that these practices would be as successful as the faith healing sessions that cured her chronic back pain a year earlier.

This tragic account begins on May 16^th when Gibson ordered her husband Lindsay to stay home from work, because demons would get him. Unfortunately, it was too late. By this time, Janice had fallen into her new belief system, in which she was God and her family was slowly buying into these beliefs, opening the door for demonic infestation.

The following day, their 17 year old daughter Darlene fled the house for refuge at a friend's house, recounting in tears that her mother had made her hold her two-year old sister Emily down, while Janice hit her repeatedly in the face to "beat the devil out of her." 

When Lindsay didn't return to work the following day, a co-worker and eventually his boss visited the house to check on him. What he found was unimaginable. He stumbled onto mad scenes of the family purging themselves of sin, by vomiting in buckets at Janice's direction.

The co-worker had no choice, he contacted the authorities. Later that same evening the police arrived, accompanied by a doctor, psychologist and social worker.  They urged the doctor to provide a medical certificate allowing Janice to be detained, but he refused, saying she was "merely" a religious fanatic. They confiscated some guns from the house and left.

The following day, Janice, convinced her family was totally hemmed entrapped by demonic forces, she let loose an all-out attack on the perceived demonic entities.  With the help of her husband, 12-year old son Dane, Emily and another five-year old, they smashed all of the dishes and glass, burned furniture and threw their clothing and other possessions out of the house. Lindsay took the "possessed" pet mice outside, tore their heads off and buried them. After this destruction, Janice cooked a meal, and promptly ordered her family to vomit and urinate on themselves, to cleanse themselves of the evil.  

She threw a half naked Dane out into the cold evening darkness, but the evil she began to see in him didn't go away and she told Lindsay to hold him down. Dane's wrist broke first, and then was forgotten as Janice began striking her son repeatedly in the face with a concrete block. With his last breath, he pleaded that he believed and wanted to be saved, but she continued to strike him, believing the devil would flee and "he would be resurrected as a beautiful person." When the police and ambulance arrived, Janice hollered, "He's already dead. We killed him, you stupid man, just like the first Jesus."

More recently, three major exorcism death cases made headlines in 2005.  In Romania, a radical Greek Orthodox monk and a convent of nuns were held responsible for the asphyxiation/dehydration death of Marcia Cornices, a diagnosed schizophrenic who was strapped to a cross and left for three days without food or water.  In Penname, western Mexico, eight family members were committed to 40-year sentences after the parents, with help from aunts and grandparents, mutilated and murdered their seven-month old daughter and stoned her 13-year old sister after failed exorcism attempts.  The family members said that they saw the faces of animals and demons in the girls, and had to kill them to save themselves. Finally, in Guyana this past September, a woman was convicted to ten years in prison after beating her 34 year old friend to death in an exorcism ritual concocted out of self-styled African and Hindu spirit beliefs, proving that this phenomenon is not a purely Christian one. 

The Roman Catholic Church rarely can be tied to exorcism deaths but they do exist. The case of 24-year old Anneliese Michel, whose tragic death in 1976 and subsequent story has fascinated society for 30 years, is one of the best-known accounts in the world. Unfortunately, we all know more exist and it is just a matter of time before these skeletons become too large to hide in the closet.

Haunted Times is a quarterly magazine that covers all things paranormal and unexplained. From paranormal investigations to UFO abductions, from Bigfoot sightings to the dark depths of the undead, we provide the most unbiased scientific research available on these subjects and more. On top of being delivered to hundreds of subscribers all over the world, Haunted Times is distributed across North America to Barnes & Nobles, Borders, and most retail outlets and is also carried by some of the most haunted locations in the world.

LET HAUNTED TIMES MAGAZINE PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Haunted Times takes pride in providing the most reasonable advertising packages available for businesses, organizations and conference organizers in the unexplained community. By understanding the high cost of advertising, we will work with you to create an advertising package to fit your budget.

Contact us at hauntedtimesmagazine@yahoo.com to get started. Let us be your connection to the other side!

FINAL GHOST HUNTER UNIVERSITY EVENTS OF 2008!!!

DON'T MISS OUT!!!

MASON HOUSE INN BED AND BREAKFAST

Bentonsport, IA

November 8th and 9th, 2008

Ghost Hunting 101 BOTH dates

Cost: $65 PER PERSON / PER EVENT

We return to the Mason House Inn for more incredible Ghost Hunter University events. This beautiful inn was built by Mormon craftsmen coming from Illinois in 1846, as a hotel for the steamboat travelers. It is nestled on the banks of the Des Moines River, and Bentonsport is one of the first settlements in Iowa. During the Civil War, The Mason House was used as a "holding hospital" for wounded soldiers. It was also a station in the Underground Railroad.

Both evenings, we host our ever-popular and fully interactive Ghost Hunting 101 seminar. This seminar covers the basics of ghost hunting, from ghost hunting protocol, to equipment used in the field, to definitions and examples of positive and negative evidence. Following this seminar, dinner is served to attendees, and includes a haunted history lesson of the Mason House Inn. The highlight of the evening is the interactive paranormal investigation of the property which follows, and the night is completed with an evidence sharing and wrap-up session after the investigation.

Call 1-800-592-3133 for tickets and additional information.

LIZZIE BORDEN BED AND BREAKFAST 

Fall River, MA

December 12th and 13th, 2008 Ghost Hunting 101 and Ghost Hunting 102

Cost: $125 plus tax PER PERSON / PER EVENT

Here's a little more information about this wicked location...

According to reports from renowned paranormal investigator Christopher Moon, President and Senior Editor of Haunted Times Magazine, as well as former Ghost Hunter University attendees, more than 100 years after Andrew Borden's murder on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Mr. Borden, father of the accused Lizzie Borden, still maintains a strong presence in the house where he used to live.

He is not the only ghostly visitor. Lizzie's stepmother, Abby Borden, who was murdered at the same time and Lizzie herself also make their presence known.

Although Lizzie was accused of the brutal murders in which both Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with an axe, she was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Speculation surrounding the case continues to this day. Did she or didn't she?

Christopher Moon has been to the Lizzie Borden House,

now converted to a Bed and Breakfast, on several occasions. Each time, something unique occurs. "On a previous visit, by far the most incredible thing was digitally capturing Andrew Borden in the midst of forming into a full-body apparition. We have an amazing photograph of his face while he was appearing." he says.

Christopher and Haunted Times Magazine will be conducting a Ghost Hunter University series at the Lizzie Borden House on Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th. It is a two part event that begins on Friday evening, with his popular Ghost Hunting 101 seminar. This seminar covers the basics of ghost hunting, from ghost hunting protocol, to equipment used in the field, to definitions and examples of positive and negative evidence. Following this seminar, dinner is served to attendees, and includes a haunted history lesson and tour of the Lizzie Borden house. The highlight of the evening is the interactive paranormal investigation of the property which follows, and the night is completed with an evidence sharing and wrap-up session after the investigation. The following night, Saturday, Christopher offers a more in-depth Ghost Hunting 102 seminar. This seminar allows attendees to learn more about the paranormal, as he delves deeper into its realm. Shadow People, demons, and elementals are discussed, and how to interpret EVP is also a focus during this seminar. As with the Ghost Hunting 101 event, a dinner follows the seminar. Following dinner, guests will be broken down into groups, and one or two guests, per group, will be given the opportunity to lead a team on a paranormal investigation of the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast! Evidence sharing and a wrap-up session conclude the event, and guests will receive certificates of completion for their hard work.

To register for the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Ghost Hunter University events, please call Haunted Times Magazine at 877-880-6232. To book a room at the Bed and Breakfast at a discounted rate for attendees, please call LeeAnn Wilber at Lizzie's at 508-675-7333.

Have you encountered a strange creature lurking in your backwoods? Or maybe a unexplained UFO in the sky over your neighborhood? At Haunted Times Magazine, we investigate more than just ghost and hauntings. We have an experienced staff and widespread network of organizations and investgators ready to dive into all facets of the unplained.

Contact us via myspace or at hauntedtimesmagazine@yahoo.com with your reports and one of representatives will contact you for all of the details. 

Join Christopher Moon as Haunted Times Magazine presents two great events this fall.

November

Iowa

Ghost Hunting 101 – November 8, 2008; Ghost Hunting 101 – November 9, 2008– Mason House Inn in Bentonsport, Iowa. The Inn was built in 1846 by Mormon craftsmen coming from Nauvoo, Illinois, as a hotel for the steamboat travelers.  It is nestled on the banks of the beautiful Des Moines River. Bentonsport is one of the Van Buren County villages that were among Iowa's very first settlements. During the Civil War, the Mason House was used as a "holding hospital" for the wounded soldiers who were waiting for the train or boats to take them to the hospital in Keokuk.  It was also a station on the Underground Railroad. The first evening, join us for our popular and fully interactive Ghost Hunting 101 seminar taught by renowned Paranormal Investigator, Christopher Moon. The second evening, we offer our more in-depth Ghost Hunting 102 seminar, also taught by Mr. Moon. Both events include a gourmet ghost and history dinner followed by an interactive ghost hunt of the Mason House Inn. Call 800-592-3133 for tickets and additional information.

December

Massachusetts

Ghost Hunting 101 – December 12, 2008; Ghost Hunting 102 – December 13, 2008 - the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts. The Lizzie Home is a Greek Revival House which has been a city landmark since the infamous ax murders of Andrew and his second wife Abby Borden on August 4, 1892. Erected in 1845 the home was originally a two family and was later made into a single family by Andrew J. Borden. Andrew J. Borden bought the house at 92 Second Street to be close to his bank and various downtown businesses. The Bed & Break fast is named after Andrew J. Borden's youngest daughter, Lizzie. Although she was tried and acquitted of the crimes she was ostracized by the community of Fall River. Since the murders on August 4, 1892 the house has been a private residence. Now for the first time the public is allowed not only to view the murder scene, but is given an opportunity to spend a night (if you dare) in the actual house where the murders took place. Per evening, this popular and fully interactive event includes a Ghost Hunting 101 seminar taught by renowned Paranormal Investigator, Christopher Moon. The event also includes a ghost and history dinner followed by a truly interactive ghost hunt of The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. Call 508-675-7333 or 877-880-6232 for tickets and additional information.

"This new magazine is a visual delight for ghost enthusiasts, with a variety of chilling stories about haunted places and eerie events around the world.  How-to articles and interesting interviews make this an especially informative publication.

You can find Haunted Times at Borders bookstores, or you can subscribe through their website, www.hauntedtimes.com "

To read the full article visit, http://hollowhill.com/haunted-times-recognizes-fiona-broome/

http://www.hauntedtimes.com

A Review of Searching the Abyss, the first book by our Editorial Director Mark A. Mihalko.

What does ghost hunting and cryptozoological investigations have in common? The effortless answer is nothing, however, once you peel the skin away there are a lot of similarities. Preventing evidence tampering, evidence collection, creating case files, how to conduct interviews and taking meaningful notes to name a few. Mark Mihalko uses his extensive field research and militay training to give the reader simple but precise directions on the entire range of cryptozoological investigation. This book is a total training lesson for anyone and everyone in the field of cryptozoology and even for those of us that research other aspects of the paranormal.

When you first step inside of the book you will realize that it is well written and emphasis the importance of using science in your investigations. In my opinion, the best section in the book deals with forming a hypothesis. Every serious investigation must be constructed around forming a hypothesis, creating a theory and then setting out to disprove that theory. It is important to keep in mind a theory cannot be proven- only disproven.

1. What is the problem?
2. What facts or data relate to the problem?
3. Can a hypothesis be formed from the known knowledge?
4. Can a theory be formed from the hypothesis?

In the final part of the book Mark gives the readers a helpful A-Z glossary, a complete case file for review, a list of helpful web sites. One of the biggest hidden gems in the book a complete section with example forms; cryptip classification table, sighting report form and investigation permission form. Anyone who has ever had to create forms will understand the value of having access to these well thought out examples.

Is this a book for people heading out in search of bigfoot? Yes. This book is also for anyone headed out to do any field research. It is a must read and is destined to be one of the key 'How To' books in cryptozoological research.

Gene Lafferty
founder, www.bsphi.com

The Last American Vampire

By Amanda Hill

She is remembered as New England's most famous corpse. With the second death of Mercy Lena Brown, a few brave citizens had put an abrupt end to vampires in America, at least the ones caused by tuberculosis. And in this time of automobiles and electricity, New Yorkers were once again horrified by the backwater people of Rhode Island. The little town of Exeter, routinely infested with the undead since antiquity, rose to fame in the 1890s for blaming the latest wave of "consumption" on a 19-year old farmer's girl. 

The White Death is now credited with being the cause of nearly 1/4 of all deaths throughout most of history, and it was once a sure sign of an impending vampire. The infamous visage of Max Schreck's Nosferatu is a caricature of its symptoms. Those afflicted with tuberculosis became pale and drawn, with long, hooked nails and sunken eyes. When they would finally die, their souls were thought to burn with the cold and loneliness of the grave, and their thirst for the humanity they had lost would draw them back like moths to a flame, suctioning the life and health from everyone they had known. Families were urged to deal with their own in the traditional way - by drinking the scorched remains of a victim's heart from the grave itself.

Victorians naturally thought this was barbaric, or at least unsanitary, and typical of those living too far away from New York. Mercy's father, never having been, felt compelled to exhume both his daughters and his wife in a last attempt to save his son, Edwin. When her heart alone was found to be intact, and still possessing fresh blood even two months after her death, it was a sure sign she had risen to drain what life was left in Exeter. Doctors at the time suspected the disease was actually caused by microorganisms, but this was considered foolish by those who actually lived with them.

The process of decomposition, always a gruesome one and little understood, was often to blame for a victim being wrongly accused of vampiric activity. The heart was the last of the muscles to disintegrate entirely, being so dense, and the blood that had at first coagulated would reliquefy and become dark with hemoglobin, even months or years after death.  It was not unusual in earlier stages for blood to foam at the lips or for the body to appear turned in its grave. There are even cases of corpses appearing to be moaning as gases would escape over their vocal chords. This was especially frightening in an age when it was still possible to be accidentally buried while still alive. Certainty of death was paramount, and an era of modern funerary techniques began to come to the forefront in the 1800s.  As embalming and other modern techniques took their eventual place in rural society, people began to be less afraid of vampires than they were of an inexperienced mortician.

Mercy Brown's exhumation and the ensuing national fervor were an inspiration to gothic writers at the time, such as Providence's own H.P. Lovecraft, whose famous story, "The Shunned House", left Europeans to wonder what really went on in America after all.  Bram Stoker himself was found to have notes of her ordeal after his death, although whether the events in Exeter had been the model for any of his works is up for debate.  Modern authors like Anne Rice have worked diligently to ensure that the cause of vampires will be taken up by a new generation of mall-goths, who ironically in white faces and pronounced makeup are now mimicking the symptoms of a plague which once wiped out a quarter of humanity.

Mercy Brown gained further notoriety as Halloween became a more pronounced American holiday in the later 1900s. Children today try to draw Mercy's spirit out of her grave by knocking on her tombstone and taunting her as a vampire. She has apparently not appeared enough to discourage this practice. Her remaining descendant, Lewis Peck, has taken to standing vigil every Halloween to protect her remains from vandals and thieves. As late as 1996, her tombstone was taken as a prize from the cemetery, only to be returned without incident or explanation a few days later. 

Some have reported seeing her spirit wandering the gravesites, or simply sitting on her tombstone, carefully watching those who pass.  America's last vampire has become a celebrity for tourists venturing from the safety of New York, and her grave is regularly found in Rhode Island's Historic Cemetery No. 22 in Exeter.