The following accounts are based on true eyewitness accounts reported by close colleagues and friends who remain anonymous. The story was related to my mother by a nursing friend who worked a long time ago at the Old Hove General Hospital. She had completed her nursing training and worked as a night Sister. The Ward she worked on, was separate from the main Hospital building, on a male Ward. The story was told by Junior nurses, who, worked on the Wards to each other as well as by Doctors. It was according to her Common knowledge around the Hospital and made up part of the legends and History of the place.. A Dedicated Night Matron who had worked on the ward, and who was due to retire, had fallen ill, and was rushed into the same Hospitals, Accident and Emergency Department. She was operated on immediately, because of internal bleeding, but sadly did not recover. For whatever reason, she did not recover from the Operation. The ward that she worked on and had been appointed to, as a Night Sister, was the Ward that had belonged to the Matron, when she was alive.
The friend of my mothers did not believe in Ghosts and believed it was a story told to new Juniors, and to keep them amused. Rumours had spread amongst them that particular Ward was haunted by Her Ghost. Strange Noises, the manifestation of her Ghost, appearances as well as the disappearance and reappearance of Instruments and Objects were often nightly occurrences.
According to my mother’s friend, she was working on the Ward, and all the patients had turned in for the night, and had their main evening meals. There was only one access point which was the main entrance. She had filled the notes, with her pen and reviewed them, and had settled down at her desk, at the Main Ward Bay. It was about 3-30am in the Morning, from the Ward Clock on her desk. She did her round and saw that all of her patients were safely asleep and tucked up in Bed and accounted for. She had sat down, and returned to the Main bay, when she heard the flush of a Toilet. Disturbed, she looked at all the beds and saw that all were still there, and accounted for - tucked up safely in bed. She was the only one on, so she was shocked by the sound of the noise. She went through the Door to the Toilet, and checked each cubicle out. Her face went pale, and her heart had skipped a few beats. To this day, she says that there was absolutely no one there, so what then had caused the flushing and who had pulled on one of the chains.
It is known because of personal sense of duty, sometimes Ghosts, form attachments to particular buildings, or to locations, that were important to them when they were alive. I can only assume that this was the case and I have no reason to doubt her testimony. It was the 1960’s so that particular ward was pulled down, and which had been used in the War, and now a Modern Day Car park has been built over the site, and the haunting is certainly no longer an active one.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
Towards a Typology/Nomenclature: The Theory of Haunting And Ghosts
According to traditional belief, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person, taken to be capable of appearing in visible form or otherwise manifesting itself to the living (Wikipedia Definition).
Joan Foreman in her book,(The Haunted South, Jarrold Publishing)(1989). Originally published, (Robert Hale Ltd 1978). She provides a typology of different types of haunting and believes that energy is needed, in some form, for the 'Phenomenon to work'. In areas of haunting heat loss is always an observable condition. Other forms of energy-electricity and, more rarely, gas-are often affected. There is perhaps some physical basis in Physics and Biology for the Haunting mechanism.
‘For haunting involving audible manifestations; often there are apparent distortions in them. Footsteps and other noises sound hollow, unreal, and there is a quality of reverberation-almost of vibration involved. Speech often sounds distorted, its rhythms, being recognizably, those of speech, but its details, are often blurred and indistinguishable. Music does not have these limitations.’ (Haunted South: pp 206). If the phenomenon does operate electrically, then it might be feasible that in audible cases, sound waves produced may be distorted. This seems likely where the recorded type of Transmission is involved. At certain frequencies playback of media, can reveal, certain types noises and perhaps distortion.
Figure 1 Typology of Common Observed Paranormal Phenomenon ( Source: Joan Forman, Jarrold Publishing)(1989) (Robert Hale Publishing(1998) pp 205.
1. Recurrent Haunting by a Static figure, always reappearing in the same position.
2.Recurrent haunting by a moving figure, always engaged in the same actions.
3. Recurrent haunting by a static figure, appearing in different positions and places within a limited area.
4. Recurrent haunting by a moving figure in different actions and places within a limited area.
5. One single appearance, either Static or moving kind.
6. A limited number of appearances, either static or mobile, for a period immediately after death (the duration of the haunting may vary from a few days to several months).
7. Partial Materializations (a) either part of figure or (b) whole figure minus Head or face.
8. Manifestations in the form of light- ball of light, flashes of light, small moving (usually bluish) lights or human head and face surrounded by light.
9. Manifestations of Sound- footsteps, crashes, opening and closing of doors, music and speech.
10. Manifestations in the form of Smells- flowers, cooking, decay biological, incense.
11. Manifestations in the form of Touch-being shaken, pushed or held down.
12. Vanishing apparitions (a) disappearing immediately (b) slowly becoming transparent and fading
NB- Apparitions may appear in similar fashion-either at once or by degrees, though later seem rare).
I have witnessed in the Balcombe Road Ghost case a process of How Spirits can manifest themselves. In Order, it would appear :
A) Ectoplasm-A Fog or Mist like substance.
What then is definition of Ectoplasm ? According to Wikipedia, Ectoplasm (from the Greek ektos, meaning "outside", and plasma, meaning "something formed or molded") is a term coined by Charles Richet to denote a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums.Ectoplasm is said to be associated with the formation of ghosts, and asserted to be an enabling factor in psychokinesis(PK TK). It is a term coined by publisher Henry Holt] to refer to the direct influence of mind on a physical system that cannot be entirely accounted for by the mediation of any known physical energy. Examples of psychokinesis could include distorting or moving an object, and influencing the output of a random number generator. (Wikipedia). Ectoplasm is said to be produced by physical mediums when in a trance state. This material is excreted as a gauze-like substance from orifices on the medium's body and spiritual entities are said to drape this substance over their nonphysical body, enabling them to interact in our physical universe. Although the term is accepted in popular culture, its physical existence is disputed by Science.
B) Recurrent haunting by a moving figure, in different actions and places within a limited area
C) Shadow Form: Transparent Human figure.
D) Full Manifestation of Figure
E) Vanishing Apparitions (a) disappearing immediately (b) becoming transparent and fading.
Why Then Do Some of Us see Apparitions and Others Do Not ?
Joan Foreman advances a Theory that it is Biological. The Human Brain uses routinely four different frequencies known as Alpha, Beta, Delta and Theta Wavelengths. Of the Four, it is the Alpha State, which seems mostly associated with Psychic ability, often being present in the subject prior to a paranormal experience. The Alpha State is a wavelength associated with meditation, and represents the Brains, ‘neutral or daydreaming Gear’, when intense concentration is not taking place. Often, when Paranormal experiences occur, the person or subject, was ‘not thinking about anything particular at the time’. In other words he/she was not concentrating. This frequency, though common in Adults is rarely used by others. It may be the latter who do not experience psychic phenomenon.
Joan Foreman in her book,(The Haunted South, Jarrold Publishing)(1989). Originally published, (Robert Hale Ltd 1978). She provides a typology of different types of haunting and believes that energy is needed, in some form, for the 'Phenomenon to work'. In areas of haunting heat loss is always an observable condition. Other forms of energy-electricity and, more rarely, gas-are often affected. There is perhaps some physical basis in Physics and Biology for the Haunting mechanism.
‘For haunting involving audible manifestations; often there are apparent distortions in them. Footsteps and other noises sound hollow, unreal, and there is a quality of reverberation-almost of vibration involved. Speech often sounds distorted, its rhythms, being recognizably, those of speech, but its details, are often blurred and indistinguishable. Music does not have these limitations.’ (Haunted South: pp 206). If the phenomenon does operate electrically, then it might be feasible that in audible cases, sound waves produced may be distorted. This seems likely where the recorded type of Transmission is involved. At certain frequencies playback of media, can reveal, certain types noises and perhaps distortion.
Figure 1 Typology of Common Observed Paranormal Phenomenon ( Source: Joan Forman, Jarrold Publishing)(1989) (Robert Hale Publishing(1998) pp 205.
1. Recurrent Haunting by a Static figure, always reappearing in the same position.
2.Recurrent haunting by a moving figure, always engaged in the same actions.
3. Recurrent haunting by a static figure, appearing in different positions and places within a limited area.
4. Recurrent haunting by a moving figure in different actions and places within a limited area.
5. One single appearance, either Static or moving kind.
6. A limited number of appearances, either static or mobile, for a period immediately after death (the duration of the haunting may vary from a few days to several months).
7. Partial Materializations (a) either part of figure or (b) whole figure minus Head or face.
8. Manifestations in the form of light- ball of light, flashes of light, small moving (usually bluish) lights or human head and face surrounded by light.
9. Manifestations of Sound- footsteps, crashes, opening and closing of doors, music and speech.
10. Manifestations in the form of Smells- flowers, cooking, decay biological, incense.
11. Manifestations in the form of Touch-being shaken, pushed or held down.
12. Vanishing apparitions (a) disappearing immediately (b) slowly becoming transparent and fading
NB- Apparitions may appear in similar fashion-either at once or by degrees, though later seem rare).
I have witnessed in the Balcombe Road Ghost case a process of How Spirits can manifest themselves. In Order, it would appear :
A) Ectoplasm-A Fog or Mist like substance.
What then is definition of Ectoplasm ? According to Wikipedia, Ectoplasm (from the Greek ektos, meaning "outside", and plasma, meaning "something formed or molded") is a term coined by Charles Richet to denote a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums.Ectoplasm is said to be associated with the formation of ghosts, and asserted to be an enabling factor in psychokinesis(PK TK). It is a term coined by publisher Henry Holt] to refer to the direct influence of mind on a physical system that cannot be entirely accounted for by the mediation of any known physical energy. Examples of psychokinesis could include distorting or moving an object, and influencing the output of a random number generator. (Wikipedia). Ectoplasm is said to be produced by physical mediums when in a trance state. This material is excreted as a gauze-like substance from orifices on the medium's body and spiritual entities are said to drape this substance over their nonphysical body, enabling them to interact in our physical universe. Although the term is accepted in popular culture, its physical existence is disputed by Science.
B) Recurrent haunting by a moving figure, in different actions and places within a limited area
C) Shadow Form: Transparent Human figure.
D) Full Manifestation of Figure
E) Vanishing Apparitions (a) disappearing immediately (b) becoming transparent and fading.
Why Then Do Some of Us see Apparitions and Others Do Not ?
Joan Foreman advances a Theory that it is Biological. The Human Brain uses routinely four different frequencies known as Alpha, Beta, Delta and Theta Wavelengths. Of the Four, it is the Alpha State, which seems mostly associated with Psychic ability, often being present in the subject prior to a paranormal experience. The Alpha State is a wavelength associated with meditation, and represents the Brains, ‘neutral or daydreaming Gear’, when intense concentration is not taking place. Often, when Paranormal experiences occur, the person or subject, was ‘not thinking about anything particular at the time’. In other words he/she was not concentrating. This frequency, though common in Adults is rarely used by others. It may be the latter who do not experience psychic phenomenon.
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