52-55,000

 52-55,000 views a day. I never realised it had gotten that high.

It does beg the question of why no blog visitor has any intetrest in the books I've published.Lost and found images, maps and far more to keep yopu reading than a blog post.

Has Serious Paranormal Investigation Stopped?

 From early days to the 1990s if you were a "ghost hunter" then what you did was visit the location of a haunting or paranormal activity. You sat down in the room or corridor said to be haunted or even slept in the haunted bedroom and waited to see what might happen.

Normally nothing.

You might carry an oil lamp with you.  Later some took cameras and later still tape recorders (you never knew). The QuiJa Board was a toy so not much good they could do.

If you suspected hoaxing then a fine layer of talcum poweder on the floor would reveal any footprints. Other "fraud detectors" could be used. One dressed up as one should for the warm or cold. If there was a VERY strong feeling that "something" was there then you asked "Who is here?" (the tape recorder was useful just in case it picked up any vocalisation ). If you heard an odd noise you tried to track it down and see what was causing it.

If you observed an object clearly move then you went and examined it and checked where it had fallen from (as I did).  If you did see some form of "form" you either spoke to it or got closer (as I did).

You never went to locations dressed head to foot in urban combat gear with the "merch" on full display. If you wore a hat you certainly did not wear it inj someone's house -manners buyt today no hat means less "merch" on show. You never took fake "psychics" with you who could fill you in on what had (not) happened in the past at the location.

Up until the advent of the fake TV paranormal shows there was NEVER talk of "portals"/"portals to Hell" and where the nonsense of every ghost being a "demonic entity" started from...well, we know the culprits. "It looked exactly like my mother before she died. She stood there, smiled then vanioshed".....oh no. Now that was a demon attempting ti lure you in by pretending to be your late mother.

Elliott O'Donnel noted how he had stayed at a supposed haunted location all night but come dawn he decided to leave after saying "good morning" to the red haired cleaning lady when she arrived. A wasted night. Until he was told that there was no red haired cleaning lady. 

I once stopped, at just after Midnight on a very quiet suburban shopping street as a police officer stepped from a doorway. I noted he wore a big, clunky Gloucestershire Constabulary badsge on his helmet and even a old style police  cloak. It was cold and we had a chat about the weather putting off burglars and I even mentioned he was a long way from home (Bristol was covered by City of Bristol Police) and he told me he was covering the area. I walked on and next day I saw someone who worked in the police force and mentioned the Bobby I had encountered. He did some checks and later told me that no one from Gloucestershire Constabulary should have been in "our area".  Was it a ghost?  Seemed pretty solid to me and not everything was freely available in pre computer age 1970s so he might well have been a constable from another force covering an area.

An elecxtro Magnetic Field detector I feel might be handy. The only time I felt any fear and retreated from a location (slowly, walking backwards up the stairs NOT running) I feel it may have been due to an EMF field -I was only told after my experience that someone else had a similar experience.

Today you have to have your "merch" as well as social medias and You Tube channel and swear like a docker while picking nasty arguments with other paranormal groups or alleged fakers. Once a faker was exposed that was it -it was made very clear publicly. These days you have to keep going back to expose thembecause it pushes up your views.

It is not about getting evidence and answers these days as much as getting celebrity status and making money. If I see one mopre so called "ghost hunter" team scream and run away because a piece of debris has fallen in a dilapidated building or there is a sound somewhere I will scream (not likely as I have now given up watching these things).

Rather like cryptozoology and UFOs the field of "paranormal invcestigations" is now a money making enterprise with a bit of entertainment added. And in each of those fields there are serious researchers whop are ignored because they are not publicity hunters but real truth seekers.

A Question With A Simple Answer

 A Parabnormal group asked what an investigator should have in their possession at all times?

My response:

The ability to walk TOWARD strange sounds or something unusual. I;ve seewn poltergeist activity up close. Never ran just inspected what was thrown.

Could this be ball lightning?

 https://www.reddit.com/r/PortalExperiencer/comments/1wxf5n9/kiruna_sweden_13_december_2023_no_audio/

We are sharing this recording because, in the most literal sense, it remains a genuine mystery. Most recordings presented here inevitably acquire a working description such as UAP, orb or plasmoid, even when that interpretation remains provisional. This case is different. Our first concern was whether the footage itself was AI-generated, CGI or otherwise digitally fabricated. The available evidence does not indicate that it is. The supplied file behaves like genuine, degraded night-camera footage. Establishing that, however, does not answer the far more important question: what did the camera actually record?

This 1 minute 48 second recording is the highest-quality and longest public version located during our extensive investigation. The supplied file is 944 x 720, encoded in H.264 at approximately 30 frames per second, and contains an AAC audio stream which is effectively silent throughout.

The event date is 13 December 2023. No camera owner or identified first-hand witness has been recovered, and no original camera upload from that date has been located. The earliest public copy found during the source investigation appeared at 11:43 UTC on 29 December 2023, sixteen days after the event.

Its accompanying caption claimed that two separate recordings showed a large sphere producing a "bizarre vortex of energy" over a mine in Kiruna, within the Arctic Circle. It did not identify a witness, camera owner, camera system, precise mine location or original local source, and it provided no independently verifiable connection to LKAB, UFO-Sverige or a local Kiruna publication.

At the time the source trail was examined, that earliest located public post had received 16 likes, 6 reposts, 2 replies and approximately 2,900 views. The account responsible was an established UFO-content repost account rather than an identified witness or camera operator.

The file itself contains two distinct camera sequences. Technical examination of the supplied copy places the transition between them at 52 seconds. The 47-second extract that subsequently circulated independently was taken from the opening camera sequence. The scene then changes abruptly to a second recording with different framing and environmental geometry. There is no continuous camera movement or common visual reference establishing the second sequence as another viewpoint of the same event.

One reply posted on the afternoon of 29 December claimed that the footage came from a movie and criticised its low resolution. No film title, scene, production reference or original footage was ever supplied to substantiate that assertion.

Particular attention was therefore given to "Avgrunden", internationally titled "The Abyss", the 2023 Swedish disaster film centred on Kiruna and the Kiirunavaara mine. No match between this footage and an identifiable scene or frame from that production has been established. The searches described in the investigation likewise did not identify another film, television production or known CGI source from which the footage originated.

The phrase "earliest located" is important. It means the first publicly accessible version recovered during these searches. It cannot prove that an earlier copy never existed on the original camera, in a private message, closed group, deleted post or inaccessible account.

Searches restricted to material available before 30 December 2023 located no earlier public copy. Searches extending through 22 February 2024 likewise produced the 29 December upload followed by the later February circulation, with no intervening public source identified between 13 and 29 December.

No corresponding first-hand case, camera attribution or matching recording was located through the investigated UFO-Sverige material, Kiruna all-sky-camera trail, Swedish local reporting or LKAB material.

LKAB did publish notices concerning seismic activity around the same period. These included a magnitude 1.51 event at 20:54 on 2 December 2023, another magnitude 1.51 event on 8 December, a magnitude 1.48 event at 14:32 on 22 December, and a magnitude 1.36 event at 03:08 on 27 December. These concern underground seismic activity associated with mining and do not document this aerial recording.

The event date of 13 December 2023 is retained. The more specific assertion that the camera was physically situated at, or looking directly over, a Kiruna mine has not been independently established through an identified witness, original camera system, LKAB documentation or first-generation local source. That part of the public narrative originates with the caption accompanying the earliest located circulation of the footage.

The subsequent trail consists principally of reposts.

On 21 February 2024, an edited version appeared containing only the opening camera sequence. That copy was reduced to 472 x 360, omitted the second camera sequence and contained no usable original audio. Its wording closely resembles the caption repeated by numerous later accounts.

The same material subsequently resurfaced on 9 April 2024, 23 April 2024, 12 November 2024 and 19 December 2024. Further circulation followed during 2025 and 2026.

On 6 March 2025, one repost changed the claimed event year from 2023 to 2025 while retaining the same imagery. Nothing recovered in the source investigation supports a separate 2025 event. The changed year is therefore best understood as reposting drift rather than evidence of a second recording.

Additional copies appeared during March 2025, October 2025 and April 2026. None of those later reposts supplied a named witness, original camera owner, camera identifier or earlier first-generation source. The 944 x 720 two-sequence file remains the highest-grade version located during our investigation.

A separate February 2024 fact-check concerning an alleged Swedish UFO recording should not be confused with this case. That investigation concerned different black-and-white imagery of a disc and a 3D artist who reportedly identified that separate material as a Blender project. It does not establish anything about the authenticity or origin of the recording presented here.

Technical Assessment:

The supplied file is consistent with conventional low-light camera footage that has subsequently undergone compression and redistribution. Scene geometry remains coherent through the digital zoom, and the bright source exhibits bloom and saturation behaviour compatible with night-camera imaging.

No obvious temporal instability, malformed scene structure or other clear visual signature of generative video has been identified.

The luminous effect surrounding the principal bright source requires more caution.

Its geometry appears closely coupled to the bright source and changes with the camera's zoom rather than behaving unambiguously as a separate independently tracked body. This makes an optical or imaging effect a serious possibility.

The footage therefore does not justify identifying the apparent structure as a physical "vortex of energy." Equally, identifying it as a particular optical phenomenon would go beyond what the available evidence can establish.

The underlying bright source itself also remains unidentified. The footage does not provide enough information to determine confidently whether it is astronomical, artificial, atmospheric or something genuinely anomalous.

This distinction is central to the case: there is evidence that the recording itself is genuine camera footage, but authenticity of the footage is not the same thing as identification of what was recorded.

No identified AI source, CGI production, matching film frame or demonstrable compositing origin has been recovered. Nothing in the supplied file provides positive evidence that the scene was generated by an AI video system.

That assessment should not be overstated. It does not prove that every element within the recording represents a physical object in the sky, nor does it establish the "sphere" or "vortex" interpretation contained in the repost captions. It means that, on the evidence presently available, the recording itself is consistent with genuine camera footage rather than an obviously synthetic scene.

And that is why we regard this case differently.

We are not presenting the recording with a confident identification of an orb, plasmoid, craft, atmospheric object or conventional light source. We do not know what the underlying luminous source is. We do not know exactly what produces the extraordinary surrounding structure. We cannot establish that the two recordings were made at the same site, and we cannot independently verify the specific mine attribution from the surviving public source trail.

What we can establish is that the material predates the later repost cycle, that the event date is 13 December 2023, that the longest located copy is a 1 minute 48 second 944 x 720 compilation of two separate camera recordings, and that examination of the available file has found no positive evidence of AI generation or obvious CGI fabrication.

The footage appears genuine.

What it genuinely shows remains unresolved.

AI Assessment:
AI-generated: no positive evidence found.
Obvious CGI/compositing: no positive evidence found.
Consistent with an ordinary camera recording: yes.

Witness/camera operator: Unidentified
Source: UFO SlowXposure (@SlowXposure) (X), earliest located public copy, 29 December 2023
Later edited source: OANASA (@OANASA_X_) (X), first located edited repost, 21 February 2024
Additional repost sources: World News X (X); UFO mania (X)
Relevant contemporary reply: @Akaiye (X), 29 December 2023, alleging that the footage originated from a movie but providing no credible and identifiable production or scene

The footage is presented for serious examination and discussion. Users are expected to engage constructively and contribute in a respectful, evidence-based manner. Dismissive comments, debunking, ridicule, and contributions that add nothing of substance will be removed immediately. Users who engage in this behaviour will be permanently banned. No warnings, no exceptions. We uphold that principle without compromise.

I commented:

There is rain and I am assuming the bright flashes are lightning? If -IF- this is genuine I wonder whether it was a large and rare ball lightning event. Is there a possibility of getting a copy of this video to have some people check it out? fascinating footage.

A Boggart Incident from Germany: A Personal Account

    Frank Earps account of his encounter with a “Boggart” was originally appeared in Unidentified – Identified and was feature4d in the last AOP Journal. This German incident, some may feel, ties in with such accounts and has not been published before though a few people have been told about it over the years.

   And that brings us to the German incident involving a trio of young lads around 1967.  One of those lads happened to be myself.

   The weather at the time was overcast with low, brown tinted cloud and a light drizzle every-so-often.  There had been a big summer storm previously and local streams were fast flowing and full.  The whole atmosphere was very oppressive which was not that odd considering the area and weather. I was with my cousin and a friend and he had strolled along from Dalborn, a small village in Lippe, to Lemgo, the local town. We were watching army trucks and traffic go by as we played by a road-side stream across which was a large chunk of tree trunk positioned as a foot-bridge.

At one point, having surveyed the fast flowing stream, we decided to cross it to get into the unfenced grass field on the other side as a track-way led up to an arch-way of trees.  As kids we often spent time in woods or forests looking around.  My two companions crossed the tree-bridge and called me over: I took another look at the fast-running stream and really did not want to have another drowning experience.  However, I took careful steps and was soon in the field.

    I recall that we looked back at the road –not 10 feet (3 metres) away as some more army trucks splashed by. I don’t think anyone said anything and I think we all turned around at the same time to look up along the track-way toward the arch-way created by tree branches. Standing right in the middle of the arch-way was a tall, smoke-grey figure and what I think impressed us was that it had to be tall.  As kids we might have been able to guess the height of someone nearby but this figure was around 100-120 yards (91-109 metres) away. But there was no doubt that the figure was tall.

   Even at that distance we should have been able to see features or clothes but all we saw was a bulky grey and featureless form. There was no mist caused by the drizzle as that had stopped again. We could see tree details and leaves so there seems to be no reason why we should not see features on a person. The image is burnt into my memory and has never altered and the fact that I felt unusually apprehensive was odd. I do recall one of my companions saying “It’s a farmer –we better go!” and we all turned and were across that tree-bridge double-quick and I never even thought about the water below!

   I do also recall that we turned to look back and the figure was gone. I think one of my companions later told someone that a “farmer chased us off” but other than that we never discussed the incident (as far as I know) with family. In fact, farmers back then were quite easy going as long as you were not messing about in crops and the only time they’d say much is to warn about anything dangerous we should keep away from.  Local farmers all knew each other and so things tended to be reasonably friendly.

   Why did the “it’s the farmer” pop up as a sudden explanation? I think that being rough-and-tough village kids used to exploring the wilds as it were no one wanted to admit that they had been scared –let alone unnaturally scared. 

   The question is just what had we seen? As I note, the weather conditions were good and we could see all the insignia on the military vehicles on the road as well a tree that formed the arch-way. Why could we not see any details on the figure –was this a paranormal entity –a boggart?

      Yes, the figure was big but it may just be that a very light mist –not blocking out the light beyond the arch-way— had formed to make someone look featureless and grey. The oppressive weather may have led to us being jumpy.  The truth is that I have no idea but am not going to jump into the paranormal explanation because, when it comes down to the facts we all saw a big grey figure and even the seeming quick disappearance of said figure when we looked back might just mean someone moved to a pathway to one side through the trees. Now I would head straight up the track-way but as a kid –no.

 

     (1)  Earp, F. E. , The A to Z of Curious Nottinghamshire, History Press, 2014:

pp. 17-20

(2)   Hooper-Scharf, T., Unidentified- Identified: pp. 113-118

(3) AOP Journal 5

 

Robert Morgan: Controversial Bigfoot Researcher

 

Robert Morgan with a cast made in Skamania Country, Washington 1970.  (c)2026 respective copyright owner  Hooper Archives

Robert W. Morgan (b. 1935), a native Ohioan, is the founder and chairman of the American Anthropological Research Foundation and longtime bigfoot researcher. He began this organization in 1974. He had his own personal encounter in Mason County, Washington in 1957, and has some rather controversial ideas about the origins of what he calls the "Forest Giant People" which indicates that he believes these creatures to be more humanlike than non-human primate-like. 

Who ever wrote the Wikipedia piece is likely not a fan. I was in correspondence with him briefly in the early 1980s but after a while I heard no more.

According to Wikipedia

He was the original host of Artist First's Bigfoot Central Radio Program as well, and currently hosts the AARF Show on Blog Talk Radio. 

His official biography is as follows: 

Initially, millions of people around the world became familiar with Robert through the 1974 feature docudrama film BIGFOOT: MAN OR BEAST (originally entitled The Search For Bigfoot) that appeared in theaters and televisions around the world. It is still considered the benchmark of excellence in its genre even after 30 years. He generated millions more when he appeared on David Wolper's record-setting TV documentary, MONSTERS: MYTH OR MYSTERY for the prestigious Smithsonian Series and the Motel Williams Show. Morgan's more recent and repeated appearances on Ron McConnell, Art Bell, Larry King, Tom Snyder's shows and countless more TV and radio programs certainly grabbed the attention of sympathetic and serious-minded seekers.

In 1991 Morgan penetrated the Caucasus Mountains, the Crimea, and finally sat in the shadow of the walls of the Kremlin of Moscow with a refugee Tibetan lama where he learned the answers to crucial questions: who are these elusive forest giants called bigfoot, yeti, alamasti, and sasquatch, what is their true relationship to other humans, and why does the survival of the human species depend upon their preservation?

In the early 21st Century, Morgan became involved in a case with an individual named "Bugs," a hunter from Texas who called the Art Bell show one night while Morgan was a guest and claimed he had shot two bigfoot creatures in the mid-1970's and buried the bodies somewhere in the Lone Star State. Bugs claims to have a map to the location which it is claimed was given to Bell, but Bell denies he has the map, and the map is to be released on the event of the mysterious hunter's death. 

Morgan claims to be the catalyst of the law passed in Skamania County, Washingtonin 1969 protecting the hunting or killing of a Bigfoot in that area. Morgan is considered by some to be quite controversial because of his views and he is considered by some researchers to not generally be well-respected by most researchers today.

Patterson/Gimlin Film Site Casts - Evidence Deep-Dive with Cliff Barackman