Nightmares

Freud's theories  about dreaming suggested that dreams were a way of acting out inner conflicts while staying safely inside our own minds, rather than display our ravaged psyches in the bright light of day. Thus, he reasoned that a "successful" dream - one that was not too traumatizing for the warring superego and id without the guiding conscious hand of the ego - was a dream in which the dreamer stayed asleep. Thus, a "nightmare" (a dream in which the dreamer wakes due to his or her own influences during sleep) was an unsuccessful dream, in which the inner war had become too violent and could not be brought to a successful conclusion.   Modern psychology suggests that nightmares are the result of the random firing of neurons during sleep.  The mind,  needing meaning,  interprets this firing  with images and feelings that are familiar to it.   Thus nightmares are the product of random neuronal activity in conjunction with the anxieties and worries that the dreamer clings to.

Nightmares are the a halmark of certain pscychological disorders,  like PTSD.  Often,  these nightmares are treated with medications that produce deep,  dreamless sleep and thus erradicate the nightmare.

Long before modern psychology or Freud,  people suffered from nightmares.  They awoke screaming or with feelings of something crushing them or holding them to the bed.  In most cultures,  these things were blamed on demons and bad spirits and many still blame such symptoms on bad spirits.   Historically some of the better-known spirits of this sort are; Greek ephialtes (one who leaps upon) and mora (the night "mare" or monster, ogre, spirit, etc.), Roman incubus (one who presses or crushes), German mar/mare, nachtmahr, Hexendrücken (witch pressing), and Alpdruck (elf pressure); Czech muera, Polish zmora, Russian Kikimora, French cauchmar (trampling ogre), Old English maere (mab, mair, mare-hag), hagge, (evil spirit or the night-mare--also hegge, haegtesse, haehtisse, haegte); Old Norse mara, Old Irish mar/more, Newfoundland Ag Rog (Old Hag), and the Spanish pesadilla.  All of these evil spirits entered dreams and possessed the mind and body of the sleeper.   

As I talk to many people who have been tormented by more malevolent hauntings,  they have described symptoms of crushings and pressure while they were asleep that was commonly associated with many of these bad spirits.   The people I interviewed believe that these symptoms were caused by demons or bad spirits.  We know many bad dreams are what psychologists say they are.  They are anxiety and life stress seeping over into our resting minds.  However,  is it possible that these historic interpretations of nightmares aren't all wrong?  Is it possible that some nightmares are caused by these old demons creeping up into our beds and pressing down on us while we sleep?

The Bizarre and Beautiful Haunts of Rural Alabama

Travelling through rural Alabama is much more interesting than it sounds.  In between the cow pastures,  rolling hills, and red necks are little pockets of beauty and wonder and some of the best ghost stories ever to send chills down the spines of a ghost hunter.   Today, I travelled through North Alabama to the University of North Alabama in search of her many ghosts.  Along the way,  I encountered a closed down haunted house and a year round Christmas castle.  There were acres of old cemeteries and a historic polo club.   

The campus itself is unexpectedly beautiful.   It's gothic revival style architecture makes you feel like you have stepped back in time and across an ocean to someplace far older that it really is.    There are fountains sputtering out crystal clear water at every turn and a lion habitat sits in between two gothic buildings.  There are a multitude of ghost stories hiding in the shadows of this old University.  The University was founded in 1850 and was occupied by Union forces for several years during the civil war.   Many of the ghosts that haunt this campus date back to the civil war, others are much younger,  like the ghost of a little girl that wanders the off campus book store looking for her lost puppy.

One of the more famous ghosts of UNA is the ghost of a beautiful young woman that wanders the site of old O'Neal Hall.   The young girl lived at the University in the late 19th century.   After her gentleman caller left her broken hearted,  she decided to take her own life and hung herself from the tower.    The pictures I took of the campus today show the beauty of the many buildings that settle into the sunlight of this picturesque University, but I'm saving many of these stories for my book.

Where are the Easter Horror Movies?

I love b-grade horror movies.  It is a guilty pleasure.  One thing I love about horror in general is that there is a horror movie for every season.   My bloody Valentine for Valentines Day,  Silent Night Deadly Night or Gremlins for Christmas,   Halloween for Halloween, there is even a mutant, killer turkey movie for Thanksgiving.  But where are the Easter horror movies?  I've never seen or heard of one of these rare gems.   Is it so hard to make a holiday that was originally celebrated for the fertility goddess Oester into something scary or is it that Easter is simply too holy a day to be used for horror?  In the Philipines,  people are literally nailing themselves to crosses to celebtrate Easter.  It seems like there might be room for a horror movie in that.  Maybe I've missed something. Maybe there is a killer bunny movie out there, but where?

The Haunting of Holy Trinity

It is Holy Saturday and as a cradle Catholic,  I should be at the Easter Vigil right now.  I should be at church.  The Catholic Tridium of the days leading up to Easter Sunday calls for spending the duration of the week-end at mass.  I thought I would write about one of the more haunted churches in the world instead of going to church tonight.  This way,  I will be in church in spirit if not in body. 

One of the most haunted churches in the world is in York, England. Construction on the Holy Trinity Church began in the 12th century and was initiated by the Prior and Convent of Durham and the Archbishop of York.  Like most churches of this time,  it took centuries to complete and became a living part of history for the residents of the area.  If you have read much about Queen Elizabeth I or even seen the movie Elizabeth,  you know who Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland was.  He was a prominent Catholic aristocrat who fought to restore Catholic rule to England in the 16th century.   Elizabeth I had him beheaded for treason and his head was put on a pole in Micklegate Bar.  Years later, his head was removed and buried in The Holy Trinity Churchyard.  His ghost is  said to wander this church and many witnesses have seen him wandering the grounds of The Holy Trinity.   The headless ghost of Thomas Percy, has been seen in the churchyard searching for his severed head.

The apparitions of two women and a child have been known to appear usually in front of the east window of the church. There are two stories about the three ghosts. One story is of a mother, her child and the nanny. The mother and child were buried miles away from each other and the nanny brought them together. Another story is the mother and child are buried in the same graveyard and the ghost is an abbess who was killed when she tried to prevent Henry VIII’s army from entering the church during the reformation and taking all the holy relics that the protestants claimed were heresy.

I chose this particular church not only for its history and wonderful haunts, but because it is stunning and beautiful and if I were at church tonight,  this would be the one I would like to be at.   So for now, I'm going to close my eyes and imagine myself in it's haunted halls gazing up at the stained glass portrait of St. Gerome and hope that the imagining counts for this holy day of obligation.

The Ghost Seers of Good Friday

Today is Good Friday.  The day when two thousand years ago or so,  Jesus was nailed to the cross and died at the hands of the high priests of his day.  It is a day of darkness and shadow which is supposed to be celebrated with fasting and prayer.   The hour of Christ's death is supposedly at 3pm.  Those that believe in demons and devils, often think that 3am is the antithesis of this hour and thus the darkest and most haunted hour of night.

European folklore also maintiains that those who were born on Christmas Day or Good Friday had the power to see spirits and even command them, a superstition to which Sir Walter Scott alludes in his poem "Marmion" (stanza 22). The Spaniards attributed the haggard and downcast looks of their Philip II to the disagreeable visions to which this privilege subjected him.  The children of Good Friday were the most powerful ghost seers and unlike many other seers, the Friday children could control the spirits of the other world and were often sought out for their supernatural abilities.

There are other days that are thought to convey power,  but none are quiet as powerful as Good Friday.  Children born on Sundays were also thought to be able to see into the other world.  Sunday children had the faculty of seeing much that was hidden from others. It is said that they can not pass by a church at night without seeing a hearse or a spectre.   In some places children born at twilight, were thought to be gifted with the sight and there are also those who believe that those born on the winter and summer solstice can see ghosts.    My brother was born on Good Friday and has always been gifted in every way.  He doesn't see ghosts, but every other gift that can be bestowed on a child was given to him.  I was born on the solstice and I don't have my brothers gifts,  but I have others, so maybe these old wives tales are true and those born at certain times are born special and Good Friday children are the most special of all.

Big Foot Photographed in my Backyard

Of course this isn't true. It is April Fools, one of my favorite holidays. The pranks began early in my house. My son was lying on the floor screaming before I even woke up. He had his hands over his eyes and was crying. When he moved his hands, he had bright red fake eyes on that definitely made me jump. Both of my sons were planning pranks all day yesterday. Everything from pens that electrocute you to fake wounds were in the goody bag for today.  I may not survive the day, but at least we will go out with a laugh.

The history of April Fools is a bit fuzzy. In Europe, the New Year used to be a weeklong celebration during the end of March. The last day of the celebration was April and it is thought by many that those who celebrated New Years at this time played pranks on those that did not. The first mention of April fool’s is by Chaucer in "The Nun's Priests Tale."

Here are a few of my favorite April Fools Pranks/Hoaxes.
1. 1996: The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger.
2. 1998: The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter contained an article claiming that the Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0.

3. 1976: The British Astronomical Society announces that due to an eclipse of Pluto by Jupiter the gravity of the earth will be temporarily reduced. It advises people to stay inside. It also notifies people that if they jump up at this time they will float.

4.   1994: An article by John Dvorak in PC Computing magazine described a bill going through Congress that would make it illegal to use the internet while drunk, or to discuss sexual matters over a public network. The bill was supposedly numbered 040194 (i.e. 04/01/94), and the contact person was listed as Lirpa Sloof (April Fools backwards). The article said that the FBI was going to use the bill to tap the phone line of anyone who "uses or abuses alcohol" while accessing the internet. Passage of the bill was felt to be certain because "Who wants to come out and support drunkenness and computer sex?"

Microsystems Lawyer

Good Day Attorney:

From: Customer Services
Subject: Dear Counsel
Date: April 1, 2010 7:17:36 AM PDT
To: You
Reply-To: Mrchang@consultant.com


This is a request for your possible representation in a breach of contract matter. I John Chang (Mr) of Asia Pacific Microsystems Inc.
I like to know if your schedule will permit you to handle a case of breach contract between us and a customer in your jurisdiction. If there are processes new clients are meant to go through before a case is accepted please advice, or if you accept case base on referral I would want to know also.It is important we hear from you as soon as possible so we can decide on what to do. If you have any questions or concern do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours Truly,
John Chang
Vice Chairman/Administration
Asia Pacific Microsystems, Inc.
#2. R&D Rd. VI
Science-based Industrial Park
Hsinchu, Taiwan 300, R.O.C.
Tel (General): +886-3-6661188
Fax (General): +886-3-6661199
Email: Mrchang@consultant.com
http://www.apmsinc.com