~An Introduction to the Supernatural~

Hello, my new class of victims- erm I mean students, heh. I'm your new Supernatural and Paranormal studies professor and welcome to my class.

I look forward to having a fun-filled term
of enjoyable assignments for you all. This is the first of many homework assignments and I felt that to kick off the new term, we'd start at the bottom-basics. As it's always best to start with basics of any topic. So, this first lesson will help introduce you to the unknown world of the supernatural.

Lesson one- An Introduction to the Supernatural-

Part 1-(worth 40 points)

1. What is a ghost?
2. What is a poltergeist? And where has there been recorded documentation on one?
3. What are two instruments that paranormalists use to determine the presence of something that is supernatural?
4. How many types of hauntings are there? Please give a brief description of each one.
5. Explain what a residual haunting is.
6. What are orbs?
7. Explain what ectoplasm is.
8. What are signs of a haunting?
9. What are ghost lights?
10. How do you know that you have a ghost or a supernatural presence in your house?

Part 2-(worth 40 points)

Name three places where you can find ghosts and please explain why you picked these places.There is no word count but please give a lot of details.

Part 3-(worth 20 points)

This is where I send you off into your own spooky imagination! Ever wonder just what it's like being a ghost?
Well I want you to pretend that YOU are a ghost.
What's it like? Do you haunt one place or many? Are you good, scary, mischevious? Do you haunt any particular place? If so explain where and why?
You can tell it from either a story view or a documentary point of view.
Again, I'm not giving a word count for this, but the effort you put in will be reflected upon the grade you receive.

Total possible points: 100
No copy/pasting and cite your sources. Points will be awarded periodically.

Lesson one- An Introduction to the Supernatural-

Part 1-(worth 20 points)

Part 2-(worth 20 points)

Name three places where you can find ghosts and please explain why you picked these places. There is no word count but please give a lot of details.
1. A battlefield-
A battlefield would be a great place to find ghosts and apparitions as so many people have died on them. The departed souls have been known to stick around and continue to roam in the area of death. Ghosts from both sides of the battle can sometimes be seen continuing to battle each other, reliving their deaths and then starting back over again where the battle began.

2. A house-
Whether a house be old or new, the house or a residence is the most common place for a haunting. A ghost or poltergeist may have died in the house that is haunted or the house may have been built on grounds where death occured such as built over a cemetery or some kind of place where a tradgedy once occured. Most ghosts tend to stay in the location of where they died and so many people have died in their homes, especially in the earlier days dating back hundreds of years where hospitals were either non-exsistant or too far away to travel to.

3. Courthouse-
A courthouse is an excellent example of a haunted place. Many people back in earlier days were hung in courthouses by judges when they were found guilty of breaking the law. I am sure some of these people found guilty were actually innocent. The innocent ones may have stuck around to make sure the judge and whomever helped in their execution paid dearly for their grave mistake by haunting them. But now we have to take a look at the ones who were put to death that were guilty. These folks were most likely mean, spiteful and full of hatred to be able to commit acts that would send them to their deaths, and may have stuck around to continue their cruel ways even in death.

Please forgive me. I got a bit carried away with this fun assignment and it was too big to fit into one post, this is why I am double posting.



Part 3-(worth 10 points)

This is where I send you off into your own spooky imagination! Ever wonder just what it's like being a ghost?
Well I want you to pretend that YOU are a ghost.
What's it like? Do you haunt one place or many? Are you good, scary, mischevious? Do you haunt any particular place? If so explain where and why?
You can tell it from either a story view or a documentary point of view.
Again, I'm not giving a word count for this, but the effort you put in will be reflected upon the grade you receive.

I was a loyal servant of the Dark Lord's. I did everything in my power to help him in his cause against the Ministry of Magic, the Order of the Phoenix, Muggles and any and all who stood against him. It was the final days of the battle that would decide whether our side or the other would come out on top. I had killed many people, Aurors, muggles and Ministry members. They were not quick enough with their wands and weapons of destruction. The battle seemed to be leaning towards our side coming out on top. Then, in only a moments notice, I was attacked from behind by an opponent. My fellow Death Eater, who was covering me from behind was hit by a curse from a fellow Death Eater meant for a Minisrty official and was killed by the unforgivable killing curse intantly. Before I could defend myself I saw a rush of green light and then I felt instant pain penetrating my whole body. I fell to the ground and then the pain instantly stopped. I thought I was alright and began to stand up. My body felt light and I had no pain what so ever. I then turned around and I was shocked to see the vision on the ground that layed in front of me. My body was there, lying in a twisted heap, my eyes wide open and a look of terror on my face. I stared at the vision of myself for several moments before the sounds of chants and spells being shouted out brought my attention back to the battle that was still going on. I then realized what had happened. I was dead. But still, I was aware what was going on and I could move. I saw others, mostly from my own side staring at my body. I waved my arms at them but they could not see me. It was a very odd feeling indeed.

I then decided that I would take advantage of this new unearthly form that I had now become. I would make the ones in the battle not on my side pay for my death.

I quickly spotted a member of the Order of the Phoenix pointing their wand at a fellow Death Eater. I walked, or almost floated over to where they were standing. I concentrated hard on moving my hands towards their wand. I succeeded and after severl attempts, I was able to remove their wand from their hand. The look on their face was pricelss and the yells coming from their mouth was something I will always remamber. "Great Merlin, my wand, it's left me and now it's floating in mid air! Someone must have put it under a wingardium leviosa charm!" Their voice rang out above the cries and shouts of the others in the battle.

I then proceded to take the wand over to the Dark Lord himself. Whether or not he saw me I will never know, but the look on his face when the wand was presented to him was that of great satisfaction. Even in death I was still able to do my part for my Lord.

I continued prowling around the members of the Order and the Minisrty, removing several more wands from their hands and surrendering them over to the Dark Lord, but after several hours of intense fighting the battle was over. The Dark Lord was now perished as were most of my fellow Death Eaters. The Death Eaters who managed to survive the battle had turned on their heels quickly and either fled off on foot or apparated out of the area. Cheers of victory could be heard all around and a celebration had started by the ones who had won the battle.

The feeling of loathing and hatred had filled my entire spiritual body. Here I was, dead in a ghostly form unseen by any around me. My fellow members were either dead or fled and my Lord had been put to his demise. Surely there was something I could do in this new unearthly form to be able to avenge the deaths of the ones who had been fighting, in my opinion for the right cause. After severl moments of intense thinking, I decided that I would go to the Minisrty of Magic and take up residence there, so without another moments thinking, I went there and made myself comfortable in the Minister's office. Rufus Scrimgeour would now have to deal with an unfriendly poltergeist whenever he was at his cushy little office.

Apon entering his office I immediately began going through his desk drawers and pulled all the paperwork out I could get my hands on. I proceded to throw them around the room scattering them in every direction. I then ripped down the curtains, smashed several figurines he had on his desk of the four dragons that were used in the tri-wizard tournament, and took each and every picture off the wall he had hanging. The look on the Ministers face was a great joy to see as he walked into his dishoveled office. As he began to straighten things out and put them back in their proper places, I immediately began taking them and throwing them on the floor and around the room. After several moments of this and seeing the look of panicked terror on his face he left the room and did not return for several days.

I made myself comfortable in that office and did my best to make his time there as miserable as I could each time he entered. Sometimes immediately making my presence known and sometimes waiting a bit so he would think possibly the nightmare was over. When he attempted to bring others into his office to show them what was happening, I would always remain calm and quiet, not making noise or letting anyone see me in action. This was part of my plan. I wanted to make others think he was losing his mind.

I am happy to say that after several days of my not so pleasant acts apon him he quit his position as Minister of Magic and checked himself into Saint Mungos. I remained in that office and still do to this day scaring the newest inhabitants away after a while. Some scare easily while others took some time to be rid of. I will keep this up until I find a Minister that is to my liking. Someone who has the same beliefs as me and someone who will try to reinstate the wonders and the wisdom the Dark Lord intended for the wizarding world.


Sources used::

http://ccspookcentral.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Part 1-(worth 20 points)

Part 2-(worth 20 points)

Name three places where you can find ghosts and please explain why you picked these places.There is no word count but please give a lot of details.

Cemeteries
Cemetries are thought to hold portals for the spirits to move on to the next place, therefore it is a place where many spirits might be drawn to. It is probably the most common place which people imagine to be haunted. It is also said that spirits like to be close to their physical bodies.

Battlefields
It is easy to understand why these locations that have endured so much death and suffering contain so many cases of paranormal energy.

Restaurants
Many restaurants which are located in older buildings are very active paranormal sites. Some of these buildings were used for many different purposes during their lifetime. Uses such as hotels, factories, hospitals, churches, and even funeral homes have led to paranormal activity in restaurants. Residual hauntings appear to be the most common type of haunting associated with these locations.

My own mind

Part Two:

Three places where you can find ghosts:

Hotel Monte Vista

This hotel was known for Hollywood stars frequented it. Now, it is said that it holds many ghost guests.
How it was haunted:
A ghost of a former bank robber doesn’t want to leave. The story says that he and two other robbers came to have drink after robbing a bank. One of them was even shot at the gateway and didn’t even finish his drink.

Another ghost sighting there is of a bellboy who knocks on doors and then disappears. (doesn’t that remind you of ding dong ditch?)

One room hosts a man who endlessly paces, clearing his throat.

And outside of one suite, a lady has been spotted wandering the halls.

Gadsden Hotel:

Many employees and guests if the Gadsden have had encounters with the Gadsden Ghost. It has been reported that the ghost is a tall man dressed in black. It is most active in the basement of the hotel. It is said that this hotel was built on top of this man’s head which had been cut off, of course, being the cause of his death.



La Fonda Hotel-
The death here was a distraught salesman who lost his company’s money card in a game and leapt into his death. He ended falling down a well. That well was/is under the La Fanda’s dinig room. Guests and staff have both reported seeing a ghostly figure that walked into the center of the room and then jumps, disappearing and reenacting it’s death.


Part Three:

During my life time, people caused pain onto me. All my life I was abused and no one ever cared for me. When I finally died, I set out to cause that pain to everyone else.

For the children, I go lighter on them. I just like to spook them by opening their closet door or appearing in front of them when they are working on their homework after school.

Older children I go a bit farther with. I shake their beds, I move their possesions, and I make them spooked by appearing in the shadows.

Middle aged people, I go hard on. I scare them very badly when I touch them, or speak to them when I appear to them. I like to cause pain by hitting or biting them, and causing bruises they can not explain.

I like to make myself appear in different ways, so that they think there is more than one of me.

There are a few houses around the area that I lived in that I love to haunt. There are many people to go after that are very afraid of me.

It brings me pleasure to make someone quiver and I love to chuckle as they scream and run away.


I liked to haunt the people who caused me pain in my life. I killed one of them from fright and I was greatly pleased!

As I continue on, haunting people who come across me, I hope they understand that pain hurts and that it should not be inflicted on people who do not deserve it.

BOO!


http://paranormal.about.com/
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1019639&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Witch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist
http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/
http://axgxhxoxsxt.tripod.com/thehauntedpages/id2.html
http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/orbs.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/4502/signs.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&defl=en&q=define:Ghost+Lights&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

http://hotels.about.com/od/hauntedhotelsatoz/p/hau_montevista.htm
http://gosw.about.com/od/arizona/p/gadsden.htm
http://gosw.about.com/od/southwesthistory/tp/hauntedhotels.htm

(I'm going to continue this later. I have to go! )



Lesson one- An Introduction to the Supernatural-

Part 1-(worth 20 points)


Part 2-(worth 20 points)

Name three places where you can find ghosts and please explain why you picked these places.There is no word count but please give a lot of details.

Part 3-(worth 10 points)

This is where I send you off into your own spooky imagination! Ever wonder just what it's like being a ghost?
Well I want you to pretend that YOU are a ghost.
What's it like? Do you haunt one place or many? Are you good, scary, mischevious? Do you haunt any particular place? If so explain where and why?
You can tell it from either a story view or a documentary point of view.
Again, I'm not giving a word count for this, but the effort you put in will be reflected upon the grade you receive.

(sorry was post two big sorry for double posting)


Part 2-(worth 20 points)

Name three places where you can find ghosts and please explain why you picked these places.There is no word count but please give a lot of details.

CEMETERIES
BATTLEFIELDS AND CRIME SCENES
CHURCHES

I chose the first two because they are place of death and would be the most common place to find ghosts.
Cemeteries because there body will lie there and some ghost will be not want to leave there bodies behind.
Battlefields and crime scenes because they would be the place of horror for the ghost being killed there. So many ghost will return there two.
I chose a church for my third one because it is a holy place. And will be the perfect place for a ghost to be at peace and rest.
Part 3-(worth 10 points)

This is where I send you off into your own spooky imagination! Ever wonder just what it's like being a ghost?
Well I want you to pretend that YOU are a ghost.
What's it like? Do you haunt one place or many? Are you good, scary, mischevious? Do you haunt any particular place? If so explain where and why?
You can tell it from either a story view or a documentary point of view.
Again, I'm not giving a word count for this, but the effort you put in will be reflected upon the grade you receive.

It has been said that a ghost no-one knows its name some say that its called Mary others simply call it the story listener but whatever you want to call it this ghost goes around to different houses each night and listens to a Childs bed time story.
As I floated past the windows to hear a story I heard my own being told now this was most exciting I didn’t think many people knew about me floating through the window and sat down at the end of the Childs bed.
“But mummy I didn’t think ghost existed.” Said the small child
“Oh yes they do my dear and this little ghost were on about is and extraordinary one it is to” the women said with a huge grin upon her face.
“Mary Stewart was born in 1992 yes my dear 1992 such a long time ago I know she lived in a small town called Crewe her house was not large but it was not small either lets say it was in-between. Now this little ghost loved to play on the computer lots and she went on a thing called msn now that is what the people in them days used to talk to each other instead of portinas, which we now just simple talk into the screen and have many conversations with others just by clicking onto a different face. Now this little girl was tricked she become friends with someone on this msn who told her all sorts of things all of which were lies. He said stuff like he was a boy of her age and he was into the same sort of stuff as her. After a year of talking to the “boy” day after day Mary finally decided to meet him which he had been suggesting from the stat. When Mary met up with him he killed her. Now when Mary was a little girl she loved to tell stories write stories and use her imagination which is the reason why Mary goes to different houses each night.
It was all indeed true when I looked back on what I did I feel stupid maybe if I had lived longer I would have met someone like the person the man pretended to be.
“Mummy that’s a lovely story but ghost don’t exist.”
“Don’t they now if they didn’t exist who is that at the end of your bed I wonder.”
Suddenly I become panicked I got up and zoomed out of the window to hear my story told was one thing but for the mother to be able to see me that was another.
As I was floating away I heard the small child say.
“Wow mummy was that really her Mary the story listener do you think she will come again tomorrow night.”

Part 1-20 points
part 2-20 points
part 3-10 points
Total possible points: 50
No copy/pasting and cite your sources.

Sources: http://ghosts.monstrous.com/poltergeists.htm
http://ccspookcentral.com/hauntingsandmeanings.html
http://www.wcgipa.com/typesofhauntings.htm
http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghosthuntinggeninfo/a/aa060704_3.htm