BOOK: Gift : Understand and Develop Your Psychic Abilities

I just finished reading the book "Gift : Understand and Develop Your Psychic Abilities" by Echo Bodine. This is a good book for people who are developing mediums. It will give you a good sense of what kinds of messages to expect and how to interpret (or not over-interpret) them. If you're curious about what the Bible says about mediumship there's a long chapter included, where Ms. Bodine has done extensive research. She has also authored a number of other books that also sound interesting.

Airing July 5 on HBO: Mediums: "No One Dies in Lilydale"

HBO is airing a documentary tonight, JULY 5, called "No One Dies in Lilydale." The program showcases a town in upstate New York and the large number of mediums that reside there.
Whether or not you believe in people being able to cross over or communicate with the dead, you have to admit, the subject’s kind of interesting, especially when it involves a town with a concentrated population of so-called Mediums.
Located just south of Buffalo, tiny Lily Dale, NY, is home to the world’s largest concentration of mediums, people who claim to be able to communicate with spirits of the deceased. Every year, thousands of visitors from all over the world flock to this quaint Victorian community to have their questions answered and grief assuaged. Directed by Emmy® winner and Oscar® nominee Steven Cantor (HBO’s Devil’s Playground), NO ONE DIES IN LILY DALE follows visitors on their emotional quests, chronicling their mysterious and deeply personal interactions with the town’s unusual residents, when it debuts MONDAY, JULY 5 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Good Book! Haunted Nantucket Island

I just finished reading a good book about 22 different haunted places on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The book is called "Nantucket Haunted Hike Presents: the Haunted Nantucket Island: Twenty-two True Nantucket Ghost Stories" by W.B. Alexander, a man who lives there and runs the ghost tours of the island. The book is extremely well-written, captivating, and has some really great stories in it that will make you want to visit Nantucket!
ISBN-10: 1413488935. I highly recommended it!

Dread and Anxiety Drive us from Haunted New Hope, PA

Tom and I visited New Hope, Pennsylvania this past Saturday and as soon as we crossed into the town line I started feeling anxious, nervous and miserable. It was like I walked into a thick blanket of negative energy. It didn't help that the bed and breakfast that we were going to stay at (but we didn't) was full of negative energy either, which is why we drove home that evening.
First, however, we walked through the town for about 2 hours. The first hint that things were screwy was a restaurant we went into. I sat while Tom went to the restroom for a minute. During that time (which was about 3 minutes) a waitress and her husband (they owned the place) walked up to me and asked for the order. Not knowing what Tom wanted the man said "you come to the cash register when you know." Um... so when Tom returned to the table I had to order at the cash register. Weird.
New Hope, Pennsylvania runs along the west side of the Delaware River (yes, the one that George Washington crossed on December 25, 1776, and he did so just south of New Hope). As I've mentioned many times before running water near a town adds to ghostly activity. This was off the charts for me and I couldn't block it out. The tell-tale headache I get that signals ghosts or spirits are around hit me when we came into town. The negativity, the sadness, the fear, anxiety, nervousness I felt were making me really, really uncomfortable.
In terms of the haunts, here is what Unsolved Mysteries.com says about New Hope, PA: "The New Hope area has been rumored to be haunted by a number of ghosts. So many, in fact, that it has been named “America’s Most Haunted Town.” Most [haunts] originate in “downtown” New Hope surrounding Bridge Street and the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge." (That's especially where I felt miserable and where we decided to leave the town that night and return home!
Unsolved Mysteries.com goes on to say that many places have ghost stories: the Inn at Phillips Mill, the Pickett House, the Logan Inn, Odette’s Restaurant, and the Van Sant Bridge. Each place has its own specific legend and the witnesses to back it up.

"The Inn at Phillips Mill is known for having a couple of ghosts spending their time inside its walls. There is rumored to be a woman who wears a long dress with a high collar roaming about around the staircase and the upstairs hall of the building. A rocking chair in one corner of the Inn is also claimed to have a spiritual presence about it."

"The Logan Inn also has a reputation for being haunted; in fact, so much so that the place has four ghosts. If you stay in room six, watch out for a man’s reflection in the mirror which disappears when you look around. Two children are also said to stay in this room sometimes. A Revolutionary War soldier also wanders about the Inn, taking refuge in different rooms including the bar, the basement, and the dining room. A portrait of a woman who enjoyed wearing lavender perfume hangs in a hallway, and many claim that they can still smell the scent when they pass by it. For men who wish to use the restroom, be wary if the steps leading to the one in the basement: it is believed that a man in knee breeches waits on them. And in the parking lot, a little girl who was known to have drowned some time ago lurks in the shadows."

"Joseph Pickett is a deceased artist who hauntes what once was his bedroom in the house he owned on Mechanic Street. He also, like many residents of New Hope, enjoys strolling along the towpath. Joseph likes to visit a house on Mechanic Street once owned by his cousin. Odette’s, which used to be called the River House and used to serve boatmen in the late eighteenth century, has occurrences of a ghostly woman who was rumored to be murdered during the time when the restaurant was called the River House. There are also moments of chills and voices in the restaurant, accompanied by a strong smell of perfume, much like in the Logan Inn."

"The Van Sant Bridge is also haunted by an unmarried young woman with an infant, who was thrown out of her house by her parents. She jumped to her death off the Van Sant Bridge, with her baby in her arms. The legend says that to this day, when you stand on the bridge, you can hear the baby crying. Horse thieves also used to be hanged from this bridge, and people can often still see one of them hanging there."

So, it's no surprise to me that it was especially walking over that bridge that I felt the most negative energy and we decided to leave the town. Between the suicide and the hangings from that location, there was way too much negative energy for me to block out.

Information from: http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm464955.html

Tony Communicates at his Wake Tonight

Tonight we attended a wake for a former high school teacher of Tom's. I haven't been to a funeral home since my dad passed in August, 2008. As soon as we walked in the door, I got my tell-tale headache that there was a ghost or spirit present. In fact, I know there were at least two there (there were two wakes going on). One wake was for an older woman and the other was for Tony, Tom's former teacher. Tony passed from a brain tumor and had 5 sons.
We were standing in line to sign the guest book and I kept hearing "Maura, or Mara, or a female "M" name. I don't know who that is, and checked that Tony's widow's name is Pam and his sisters' names don't begin with "M." I got the sense that the name belonged to an older woman that was being waked down the hall in another room.
Once we entered the crowded and noisy room full of people talking, laughing and carrying on, I stood in the back. I didn't know anyone and Tom knew many people (former classmates, teachers, and people that belonged to that church school). I was standing with my back to the wall talking with my father-in-law and I felt a finger poke me in the back so I turned around. No one was there. It poked me again, I knew that it was "Tony" playing around to let me know he was there. My father-in-law noticed someone else he knew came in, so he walked over to talk with the man.
I wound up standing alone at the back of the room and sensed that Tony's spirit was poking his head into small groups of people talking, and turning his head as if he were trying to hear what they were saying about him. It was pretty amusing to watch. He really seemed to be enjoying the crowd of people there to honor him. When I later told Tom about this behavior, he said "That's exactly the kind of thing that Tony would do! He was a prankster in life. He loved to joke around."
The other thing was that whenever various younger men walked by me (there were a lot of younger men from 20 up there), Tony "told" me which of them were his sons. I knew that there four sons, but Tony pointed out three. One was a taller man wearing tan slacks and a checkered button down shirt. He then showed me another of his sons that was wearing a dark suit that walked by me. The third son was standing in the hallway wearing a black shirt, tie and pants.
Tony kept nudging me to tell that son dressed all in black that he was still here and actually enjoying seeing who came to honor him. I was reluctant to do that, however, because of the religious beliefs of the family (which is very sad). The family's religion thinks that mediums "talk to the devil." It's really frustrating to me, because I could've provided some comfort to the family. I heard and "saw" Tony, and know that he was grateful for the show of love and support during his wake.

Negative Energy and Sensitive People

During one of my recent book events, a woman came up to me and started talking about her abilities as a developing medium (like I am).
We talked about how ghosts utilize negative emotional energy and spirits (those who have crossed over into the light) use positive emotional energy to power up.
She mentioned that she's also an emotional person and talked with me about how being around people who are pessimistic tends to make her physically sick. The person she mentioned was her elderly mother, whom had grown from a loving mother into someone who was bitter, negative and never had a good word. The woman I met mentioned that when she goes to visit, she can't stay long periods of time, because the negativity actually affects her physically. For sensitive people and mediums who feel negativity and positivity more than the average person. In fact, the same thing happened to me. I was in a situation where I was visiting with an extremely negative, bitter person for two days (years ago) and I came home physically sick to my stomach with a headache that didn't abate for days.
So, if you do have mediumistic abilities, you're likely emotionally sensitive, and just know that a pessimistic person can drain your energy and actually make you physically sick.

Horses See Spirits

I gave a talk and did a book signing on Saturday at the Largo-Kettering Library in Maryland and it was well-received. There were a lot of folks who had their own experiences and they shared them with me. One gentleman who had moved from the African Continent to the U.S. told me that in his homeland it is widely known that horses can see Earth-bound ghosts and spirits (who have crossed).
I firmly believe that horses, like dogs and cats have that ability. Dogs, cats and horses, moreso than any other domesticated animal hear at higher decibel ranges (that digital recorders pick up, but humans don't hear at that level). Each of those types of animal also have the intelligence of a 4-5 year old human child (read Dr. Stanley Coren's "The Intelligence of Dogs" (cats and horses). Further, they have different cones and rods in their eyes than humans, that enable them to better sense motion.
The gentlemen proceeded to tell me more about the African belief. He said that it's known that when a horse sees a ghost or spirit, you can look directly in their eyes and see the ghost that they are looking at. Fascinating! I was so glad he shared that story with me.

Largo-Kettering Library Event!

On Saturday morning I was one of 2 guest authors speaking at the Jazz Brunch fundraiser for the Largo-Kettering Library in Maryland. It was a really well-done event, and the jazz band and food were great.
I was also thankful that our friends Jack, Terri (visiting from Wisconsin), Kristi and Randy King came to the event, too! What a great show of support. Thanks, all!
The audience was diverse and receptive. There were some great questions, and a lot of good discussion. Even Brenda, who organized the event shared an experience about her father manipulating her garage door (after he passed). I met some people who also have the ability to sense ghosts and spirits, which is always amazing. There are so many that have this ability.
Tom and I really enjoyed ourselves, and became friends of the Library. Brenda and I connected instantly, too, as if we knew each other for a long time. It was a great time, and great cause (benefiting the library). Thanks to Brenda and the library!

I Really Enjoyed Inspired Ghost Trackers of Odenton

On Friday night June 11th I gave a talk and had a book signing with the Inspired Ghost Tracking Group of Odenton, Md. http://www.meetup.com/inspiredghosttracking/

(PHOTO: Troy shares his experiences)
Our friend Troy joined us and shared some of his experiences (he's also a "developing Medium."). There were about 25 people in the audience, and they were wonderful. They made me feel so at ease, and we laughed about a lot of things.
Our family/friends Jill, Kelli, Kenny and Allen also came and showed support. Thank you SO much!
When I mentioned a "dark entity" being evil and non-human, someone brought up their mother-in-law. That was a priceless moment. :) Tom and I have joined the Ghost Trackers Group and look forward to going out on field investigation with them sometime.
Here's some of the reactions from the group about the event:
Craig -I thought it was GREAT!!! I learned some things, and enjoyed the laughs. Thanks Rob ...
Linda - Being a medium myself I LOVE the energy that Rob sent out to us. I enjoyed his stories, and the little tips that her gave everyone. It was nice and refreshing to meet a medium that is NOT stuck on themselves....
Margaret - Rob was very interesting and at times funny. He kept us all laughing with him and feeling some of his pain from his stories. Great job Rob and glad I got your book to read more on your stories. The group really enjoyed him.
Ronda -I can't wait for Rob and his friends to come back...great time tonight.

(PHOTO: Tom helps while Rob signs books)

A Residual Haunt in President Adams' Home

When my partner and I went to Quincy, Mass. this weekend for a book event, we toured two of the four Adams houses. The 2 we toured were the birthplaces of John Adams (2nd U.S. President) and John Quincy Adams (5th U.S. President). The houses are side-by-side and still exist pretty much as they were when built in the late 1600s (by two families that owned them before the Adams Family did).
Adams National Historical Park is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The park consists of the homes of two American presidents and subsequent generations of their descendants from 1720 to 1927. The family's experience represented, shaped, and mirrored significant events in the social, cultural, political, and intellectual history of the nation. The purpose of the park is to preserve and protect the grounds, homes, and personal property of four generations of the Adams family and to use these resources to interpret the history they represent and to educate and inspire current and future generations.
During the tour of the older home, I didn't sense any intelligent haunts (that is, interactive ghosts), but I did feel residual energy in one room that turned out to be Abigail Adams' favorite room. It was like I could sense her energy there that this was "her favorite place."