Roland Doe and the True Story of the St. Louis Exorcism

by Jodie Bares

In the winter of 1973, audiences flocked to local movie theaters to see a horror movie about a little girl being possessed by the Devil and the men that were in charge of casting out the said demon.  However, what if I were to tell you that The Exorcist was not just creative story telling by Hollywood screenwriters; but was indeed based in fact?  The film, which was first released as a novel written by William Peter Blatty in 1971, was inspired by a true story of the demonic possession of Roland Doe (the alias media and other publications have used when discussing the story) and the men that were responsible for exterminating the evil dwelling inside him.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Russia and Slovakia Regions

by Jodie Bares

Welcome back to another edition of Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World.  We are now turning our attention to Russia and its former territories when it was the Soviet Union.  I have decided to lump these two regions together since the following Cryptids are reported in all these countries. So, what do these places have in store for us?  Let’s not waste any time and dive further.

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Bigfoot is a huge deal in the Cryptid world, and if you are a true believer, you might have the best shot at seeing one in these countries.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Japan

by Jodie Bares

What do you think of when someone says “Japan?”  Most would probably say Sushi, Godzilla, Anime, kimono, shrine, or Sumo. There is so much more to Japan than just pop culture and amazing food.  Believe it or not, Japan has tales of Cryptids and other supernatural things, just as our own culture does. Throughout this new series, we will be looking at some of the better-known creatures and beings, and show how they relate to our own American unknowns. 

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Probably the best well known cryptid that comes from the world of Japanese superstition is the Kappa.

Shadow Chat: Sizing Up the Cosmic Elephant

Welcome to the first installment of SHADOW CHAT, one of several new features we're rolling out here, on the SHADOW POKERS blog. SHADOW CHAT lets you read, comment, and be part of one of the many conversations that happen behind-the-scenes between our members here at SHADOW HQ.

Craig: Ryan Skinner just dropped this bomb (edit: via the Skinwalker Ranch Facebook group):

“Just learned a bombshell piece of information that you will likely hear about at some future point in the new york times. Apparently the metals recovered are completely made of known earth alloys, however what is interesting is its design on a molecular level is arranged in such a complex way that NOTHING we have at this level of technological advancement is even remotely capable of replicating.... the implication was that is was "man made"....just not by any current tech process. You fill in the blanks.”

Do Spirits Really Visit Us in Our Dreams? Part 2

by Jodie Bares

So last week, I began telling you about how to tell if you have had visitations in your sleep from your deceased loved ones and friends. Then I shared an example of how my grandfather’s spirit talked me out of suicide. Pretty heavy subject matter, I know.  This week I am going to continue the subject with a few more visitations I’ve had in my dreams. I’d like to say that the stories will be much lighter but, let’s face it, when dealing with death, it always has an air of sadness to it.

Do Spirits Really Visit Us in Our Dreams? Part 1

by Jodie Bares

I am certain that most readers of this blog have had someone pass away that they were close to.  I am certain that most of us dream of these people, especially the ones that we formed the closest bonds with.  But are you truly dreaming of those that have passed or is it something other worldly?  What if I were to tell you that you were not dreaming, but instead were experiencing a visitation from the other side?

Flashing Lights

by Chaz Bares

Around 4 to 5 years ago I was working overnights at my job. My shifts changed from 8pm to 4am, to eventually 4pm to 12am. The building I worked in was located right along Highway 270 and Interstate 64 in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s safe to say that my drive home was always in the dark and usually pretty uneventful. In order for me to get on the interstate, I had to drive along an overpass and take a side road that would eventually merge onto the highway. Right at the end of the overpass were some traffic lights.  Past these traffic lights the road led forward to another slightly smaller building. At 12am, these lights were always green. I can’t think of a single night were I even had to stop or slow down. However, one particular night was different. Nothing stood out on this night, at first. From what I recall the weather was fair and partly cloudy. The wind wasn’t too strong, and it just felt like a standard night going home. As per usual, I started on my way home. However, on this night, one thing changed. I found myself having to stop at a red light on the overpass. First thing I looked for were other vehicles. Often vehicles coming from another direction will trigger a sensor on some of the more high-tech traffic lights. However, I was the only visible car. I found it to be a bit odd, but then again it could have just been my luck had finally run out, and I caught that elusive red light that I seemed to have dodged for the past year. That’s when I noticed something very strange. After sitting at the stop light for what seemed like far longer than normal, I noticed the lights in the small building begin to flash. I’m not talking about a small flicker here and there that could be attributed to a bad light bulb. The lights throughout the entire building started flashing in no particular pattern. I can’t recall how long this lasted, but I can tell you the entire time it was happening the traffic light remained red. The moment the lights in the building stopped flashing the traffic light turned green. I was the only one there to witness it and to this day I have no idea what it could be.

The Ghost that Went to College

A paranormal experience by Jodie Bares

The biggest question that many senior students had when they attended the College Fair at Lewis and Clark Community College in the Spring of 2007 wasn’t “How big are the class sizes?” “What types of degrees do you offer?”  “How much will it cost for me to attend?” No, the most frequently asked question was, “Is this place really haunted?” Or at least, that was my biggest question.  Every time the subject of Lewis and Clark Community College had been brought up around family and friends, the only thing they would talk about it the ghost that haunted the halls and how the library was haunted and to never go up there at night alone.

You Can Prove Anything You Like With Statistics

by Kevin Candela

So last week our daring news-shredder Trent/Craig finds that article that tells us that Florida and California had the most UFO sightings last year. I simply took those bare statistics, factored them in with other raw data (state populations) and what do you know? The article seems to suggest you’re better off by far looking for aerial anomalies in CA or FL than some out of the way spot like, say, Montana or New Hampshire. But that only slightly deeper analysis (took a lot of time but wasn’t hard) that I did with its information says this is really not the case at all.