Debunking a Frightening Alarm

The most important thing when dealing with ghosts and spirits is making sure that they're ACTUALLY communicating with you. This week I had to do some debunking.
We had recently installed a new digital alarm clock in our guest room (the floor over our bedroom). It was plugged in around 11:41 a.m. and we set the proper time on it.
We didn't read the directions (yes, I know I should have!) and didn't note the 4 settings on it, one of which was "alarm off." On this clock, if you leave the setting on "set time" the alarm automatically goes off at "12 a.m." (after about 15 minutes it stops itself). Well, last Sunday and Monday we were so tired we slept through the alarm going off at 11:41 p.m. (which is 12 hours from the time we originally set it).
Last Tuesday, however, I was awakened by it, and ran upstairs wondering if a ghost followed me home and was playing with things in the house. I immediately unplugged it and didn't sense anything.
It was plugged back in the next morning (and we overlooked the alarm off switch again). Of course, it rang again while we were sleeping and startled me! So I ran upstairs and unplugged it... wondering again if there was an entity in the house playing with the electricity. I picked it up and looked closely at the alarm and that's when I saw the "alarm off" setting. DOH!
So, this was a good experience in debunking communications from the other side. It could be a ghost, or it could be your own stupidity with alarms, as it was in my case!

Baltimore's Mt. Vernon Ghost Tour!

On Saturday night, as a last minute idea, we decided to take the Mt. Vernon Ghost Walk in Baltimore, and it was very enjoyable!
SUMMARY: Mount Vernon, Baltimore's cultural center may be more "spirited" than you think. Admire the architecture while guides regale you with the history and haunted lore of this striking neighborhood that was home to many of Baltimore's leading citizens. Hear about those who have never checked out of the Belvedere, a séance gone wrong, and more than one grand dame who still oversees the activities of her home. Join us to pull back the curtain and peer into the other side. MORE INFO: http://www.fellspointghost.com/mtvernon.html

The Brass Elephant restaurant has closed now. It sits empty at 924 N Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201. The building was built in the early 1800s and was a home where there was a "hidden" 4th floor where servants lived. The restaurant is known to have many ghosts.

Fireplace Dweller - This innocent looking apartment had a female ghost who dwelled inside and lingered by the fireplace. When a new tenant moved in, she was haunted by this ghost until she talked with her and convinced her to move on.

Haunting Face- This grotesque face was on one of the buildings in Mt. Vernon, next to a woman's club that had some hauntings.
ROB'S ENCOUNTERS - The ghost tour met in the "Owl Bar" of the famous Belvedere Hotel. I immediately got a headache inside. Turns out a woman haunts the bar. We learned that after the tour walked out of the bar. A couple who came out of the woman's club and who stopped to listen to part of the ghost tour guide had an older spirit of a man named "Arthur" attached to her that was watching over her (no, I didn't get to tell her). A woman in our tour group had the spirit of an elderly woman following her and kept calling her "cupcake."

4 Good Books: "The Haunting of Derek Stone" Series

I recently read 4 Scholastic novels (written for teens) by Tony Abbott. The books are in a series called "The Haunting of Derek Stone" and are well-written and hold your interest. You have to read them in order, however, or you could get somewhat lost. They premise is of a 14 year old, out of shape boy (Derek Stone) and his older teen brother and father take a train ride in Oregon, and the train goes off a bridge, killing people. All of the family seem to survive the accident. However, it turns out that an accident that occurred in that same spot, in that same manner in 1938 that was carrying prisoners - allowed the souls of the dead prisoners to linger and reanimate the newly dead victims (they refer to it as "translation of spirits" of the present day train accident.
The books build up the mystery, and I won't give it away. One of the reanimated dead, however is a prisoner who was a pyromaniac in 1938, and who leads the army of reanimated dead against Derek Stone (because he's "special"). Derek's brother Ronnie is reanimated by a good soul of a former prison security guard, and helps Derek and another train passenger. Again, I won't give away any more.
-I've noticed that you can find these as used books very cheaply, and they're worth the read. Enjoy them then give them to your teenager to enjoy. :)
THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
City of the Dead (The Haunting of Derek Stone, Book 1)
Bayou Dogs (The Haunting of Derek Stone, Book 2)
The Red House (The Haunting of Derek Stone Series 3)
The Ghost Road (The Haunting of Derek Stone Series 4)

New Book Event on Oct. 16th! Hard Bean Books in Annapolis

New Book Event!
On Saturday, OCTOBER 16 I'll be at the at HARD BEAN COFFEE & BOOKSTORE at 6 Market Space, Annapolis, MD 21401-1817 (Tel.410-263-8770. The store is located in historic downtown Annapolis, Md. and the event will go from 12pm-4pm EDT. I'll be signing books and talking with the ghostly curious! At 4pm, I'll give a brief talk about what it's like being a developing medium and talk with people about their ghost stories.
More info about the Hard Bean Coffee and Bookstore:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Annapolis-MD/HARD-BEAN-CAFE/162710380913

Protection from Ghosts

One question I was recently asked was about protecting yourself from ghosts or spirits when you're sensitive to them. Here's something I learned from reading books by others: Imagine yourself surrounded by God's white light of protection- kind of like a shield.
This white light can be pictured around you whenever you go into a house that you may think is haunted or anywhere at any time. Usually when I get ready for sleep, I envision a white light around me and my family.
On the nights that I forget to do it, I tend to wake up at 2:30 a.m. or 3 a.m., when the spirits seem to be most active. The white light of protection really seems to work, and I believe that James Van Praagh and Maryann Winkowski mentioned it in their books. Give it a try!

3 Late Visitors in B&B

Today I went to a really cool Bed and Breakfast and discovered at least three ghosts inside. When I entered the building, I immediately got a dull headache in the back of my head, indicating that there were ghosts (beings of energy, Earth-bound) in the dwelling. I got the sense of a woman in the room on the first floor.
There was a lot of energy on the main stairwell as I ascended to the second floor. I also encountered the ghost of a man who passed in one room. As soon as I got into the room, he made me breathe heavily, feeling how he felt as he was dying in that room. Another room had a brilliant, calming, healing energy. It was a total emotional difference from the other room.
The B&B was in fact three different row homes (all built in the 1800s) before they were merged into this beautiful bed and breakfast. Each of those ghosts I encountered were not of recent times, but were residents of the homes in the past. It was quite an experience, as I haven't often encountered multiple ghosts in a place before.

Love Never Fades - it powers up Spirits who have crossed.

In a number of the events that I've been to and had the opportunity to speak with people about my book, the topic of love comes up often. Love the main emotion that powers spirits (those who have crossed into the light) to "power up" and come back to give messages or signs to those they left behind. Positive emotions help spirits who have crossed over while negative emotions (fear, anxiety, hatred) help earth-bound ghosts power up.
One instance of the power that love brings to a spirit happened when a man and his daughter came up to me earlier this year at The "Karmafest" event. As the man approached I sensed a spirit around him, a woman. He asked me about the book, and I explained that I wrote it based on my developing abilities to talk to ghosts and spirits. He asked about his wife who passed, and I instantly knew it was her around he and his daughter. His wife (who passed from an illness) immediately filled me up with so much emotion and love that she held for these two, that it caused me to visibly shake. It was overwhelming. She wanted them to know that she's around them all the time.
The man confirmed that some "odd things" happen around the house. He mentioned the strings from shades that he constantly finds wrapped in knots in the spare room (whenever he goes in there). He said that he and his wife shared a memory about knots, something from a movie they watched together. He said he couldn't understand how the knots kept happening, when neither he nor his daughter tied them, and there was no one else in the house. Obviously, it was a clear sign from his wife.
So, the love that the man and his late wife shared are giving her the power to tie those knots, and power enough as a spirit to make me visibly shake with the energy and love she has for her husband and daughter.
In short, love never fades. In fact, it powers those who have passed (and gone into the light) to send us messages they're still checking in on us from time to time, and leaving signs (if we're paying attention).

Spirits and Child Prodigies

If you have a child that has an incredible talent, and you don't know where this talent came from, your child may be recalling a past life, and carried over the talent from that life into the present life.
- I know that some find this hard to grasp. However, there are a number of children that recall historic events in details they could never know. One such instance is this, according to ABC NEWS: Six decades ago, a 21-year-old Navy fighter pilot on a mission over the Pacific was shot down by Japanese artillery. His name might have been forgotten, were it not for 6-year-old James Leininger. Quite a few people — including those who knew the fighter pilot — think James is the pilot, reincarnated. James' parents, Andrea and Bruce, a highly educated, modern couple, say they are "probably the people least likely to have a scenario like this pop up in their lives." But over time, they have become convinced their little son has had a former life. FULL STORY: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Technology/story?id=894217&page=3
On a related note, if a child has memories of a past life that can be proven by those who still live, then why wouldn't a child carry on some of the talents they acquired during a previous life? They would.
DEFINITION: A child prodigy is someone who at an early age masters one or more skills at an adult level.[1] One heuristic for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 15 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding field of endeavor.
One such child prodigy was in the news this past week. A five year old boy that paints like an impressionist painter. When you look at his works, you'll be as amazed as I was. I'm convinced that this child, Kieran Williamson of England, lived before as a painter. You will be convinced, too. Five year olds simply don't have this ability- it had to come from somewhere else, and that was likely a past lifetime.
Some information from his website about Kieron: Kieron was a typical energetic toddler with a passion for mud and water. He loved riding his bike and throwing stones into the sea and every available puddle. The walk to and from school was more like an assault course for Kieron and he would often appear out of the bushes with a stick or bug in hand. Today Kieron is one of the world's youngest, globally reaching artists. His recent work has seen bids from over 35 different countries. He has over 1800 fans on his mailing list, featured all over YouTube and the world's media websites..... See his work at his website: http://www.kieronwilliamson.com/Home/tabid/288/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Amazon UK Has a New Kindle E-Book! Mine!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Giving a new meaning to the phrase "Ghosts in the Machine," Amazon.co.uk's Kindle now offers a new E-book called "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium," by Rob Gutro.
"Ghosts and Spirits: Insight from a Medium" is also available in paperback, and is published by Virtualbookworm.com. In its first week of publication, the book rated #30 in popularity of paranormal books at the U.S.'s Amazon.com on January 9, 2010.
"To have my book available in the U.K. in both paperback and on Kindle is very exciting," Gutro said. "Kindle is a tremendously popular way to read books, and I'm thrilled that people with the service will now have the ability to learn about ghosts and spirits through my book."
Gutro is more recognized for his work on hurricanes at the U.S. Space agency NASA, but has recently published the book based on his inherited ability to communicate with Earth-bound ghosts or spirits.
"I'm looking forward to coming to the U.K. in the next year and visiting many of the haunted places," Gutro added. "Encounters with ghosts in the U.K. would be an entire book in itself, and one that I would love to write," he said.
For people who enjoy television ghost hunting programs, haunted houses or want to know the who, what, where, when and whys of ghosts and spirits, this book will provide insight and answers to better understand them.
Readers will learn the difference between ghosts and spirits and the ways they attempt to communicate with the living. Gutro will also share true stories of paranormal encounters submitted from his friends around the U.S. After each story, Rob explains the encounter and what the entity is trying to communicate. The book also highlights the author's experiences on ghost walks in various cities or in historic places around the U.S. "The purpose of the book is to educate people about what happens after their loved ones pass," Gutro said.
To order the book on Amazon.co.uk as a Kindle edition or paperback, go to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Chapter Titles in my book: Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium

One of the challenges with getting a book for sale on-line, is getting the chapter titles out to the public. I know that I'd prefer to see the contents of the book to see if it appeals to me. SO, here are the chapters of my book "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium"! Rob Gutro

CHAPTER OUTLINE:
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: Growing Up and Developing an Understanding
Chapter 2: What are Ghosts and What Enables Them to Appear?
Chapter 3: Two Kinds of Ghosts/Spirits
Chapter 4: Where Do Ghosts and Spirits Appear?
Chapter 5: Getting Rid of Earth-Bound Ghosts and Negative Energy
Chapter 6: How Can People Experience Ghosts?
Chapter 7: How I Experience Ghosts and Spirits
Chapter 8: My Life Among Ghosts and Spirits
Chapter 9: Messages By Water
Chapter 10: My Dad and Lessons He Taught Me About the Afterlife
Chapter 11: Tom's Late Partner Ed Visits
Chapter 12: Tom's Grandmother's Passing – Many Signs
Chapter 13: Some of My Other Experiences
Chapter 14: Experience Among Strangers – My First Public Readings
Chapter 15: Experiences in Various Houses and Locations
Chapter 16: Ghost Walks in Various Cities
Chapter 17: Dogs and Cats Do Go To Heaven: My Dog Buzz-Wyatt's Presence
Chapter 18: Ghost / Spirit Stories From Others (Part One): A Mother and Son's Experiences in Kansas and California
Chapter 19: Ghost / Spirit Stories From Others (Part Two)
Chapter 20: A Brief History of the Spiritual Movement
Chapter 21: Conclusion
Bibliography
About the Author