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The Riddle House—located in West Palm Beach, Florida—is home to poltergeist activity, and a ghost who doesn’t like men.

The Riddle House is a historic Victorian building.  It sits in Yesteryear Village, a virtual museum of a late 1900’s era Florida town. There are 30 buildings in the 5-acre village, and all 30 homes have either been moved intact from their original historic sites, or reconstructed from blueprints.

Ghostly activity in the Riddle House is directed toward males visiting the house, and it has turned physical (according to witnesses). Carpenter Steve Carr had a frightening experience in the home, and says “I’ll never go into the Riddle House again.” Steve was doing construction work in a first-floor room when the lid from an iron pot lifted three feet off its base, flew across the room, and struck him in the head. Steve never saw the lid, but a second man did, and dragged the unconscious Steve outside the house.

Since Steve’s encounter, male security staff and visitors are not allowed to go into the attic, which is a particularly active hotspot of paranormal activity. The Riddle House ghost is thought to be a former male border who hung himself in the attic. His image often appears in the north or west attic windows when people on the first floor look up into the attic. The apparition is also seen on the lower floors, and walking the Village grounds.

During a paranormal investigation in early 2003, one investigator saw the head and chest of a black-suited man against the north window with a noose around his neck and the end attached to an attic beam. Paranormal investigators, psychics, and parapsychologists have all reported unusual activity in the attic, including orbs, unexplained temperature increases near the west window, streaks of energy, and EVP’s from a man who hung himself because he was blamed for financial wrongdoings he didn’t commit.

The Riddle House was originally called The Gate Keeper’s Cottage because it served as a funeral parlor and the owners managed a neighboring cemetery (at the home’s original site). During the 1980’s, Riddle House served as a girl’s dormitory for Palm Beach Atlantic College.  Today, the home is owned by John Riddle.

The Lincoln Theater is a historic theater in Illinois that was built on top of a hotel that burned to the ground in 1915—killing two men (and possibly several others whose bodies were never found).

Many believe that the spirits from the hotel may have taken up residence in the Lincoln Theater.  Reports of hauntings at the Lincoln Theater have been around since the early 1930’s.

During its heyday, the Lincoln Theater hosted vaudeville acts, live music, plays, magic shows and other entertainment events.  It once hosted the famous magician, Harry Houdini.

Reports of Ghostly Activity at the Lincoln Theater

The most famous ghost is a one-armed man named “Red” (named for his red hair) who worked as a stagehand during the Lincoln Theater’s vaudeville days.

Red died while napping at the theater. Witnesses report a variety of strange activity at the Lincoln Theater including ghostly apparitions, the feeling of being touched by unseen hands, orbs, cold spots, and disembodied voices & footsteps that cannot be explained by the theater’s acoustics. Another frequently seen ghost is a woman in a long, flowing, old-fashioned dress. She is often seen on the theater balcony. While performing, several actors have seen theater seats raise and lower by themselves—as if an unseen audience was watching them.

The most haunted spot in the Lincoln Theater is a metal, spiral staircase at the back corner of the stage. There have been numerous reports of voices, disembodied footsteps, and shadowy figures on the staircase. In 1994, an entertainer who was performing onstage reported that he saw a shadowy figure lurking on the staircase, whispering to him. When theater personnel went to investigate who was back there, they found no one. The shadowy figure had simply disappeared.

Frank has captured an interesting photo from a stone mill.  He writes:

Frank assures me that this is not smoke, and that the weather was not foggy.

Frank has also captured some orb photos while visiting a local cemetery.

Thanks to Frank for sharing his photos.  Hopefully showing more photos will inspire newcomers to get out there, and start investigating.

Carole D. 's daughter has captured some interesting photos with mist, orbs and ectoplasm in them (purely by accident—see story below).  Carole writes:

The photos were taken in a courtyard of a Philadelphia church.  The temperature was in the high 50's [no bad weather conditions], and the photographer does not smoke.  The purpose of the photos was to record before-and-after pictures of a landscaping project.  The photos were taken with a 35mm camera and the first photos taken (white orb)—including photos taken outside the courtyard—did not have the mist.  It is not possible that the film was over-exposed, since the mist would be red and yellow if it was over-exposed.

Carole believes that the courtyard might have been a cemetery at one time, and was dug-up to make room for an addition.

Lots of Philly's old churches had adjacent burial plots [and many buildings/additions were built on top of these graveyards.]  Evidently, the spirits were not happy with the intrusion after decades of neglect.

Beginning to take photos — Orb is present.  No mist or ectoplasm yet.

Side view — Glowing orb to the right of the bush. The close-up version is better than what I can display here (due to online image size restrictions).

Mist begins appearing in the photos.  Also two red dots that look like orbs on the left-hand side.

Strange mist in the shape of a figure 8

Very heavy mist

This is my favorite photo.  Ectoplasm in the shape of a hooded figure?

Here is another view of the ectoplasm-figure.

Thanks to Carole for sharing these photos!  Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below.  If you have captured photos/evidence that you want to share (provided you have permission to do so), feel free to contact me here.

I've received some questions about how (and why) people respond to ghosts and paranormal activity.  Holly writes:

I've never seen a ghost before.  But can you feel their presence?  For example, there is an area on Hwy. 71 where there has been quite a few fatal wrecks.  For some unknown reason, my heart will start racing, making it hard for me to breathe.  I also get goose bumps. This happens when I come up on this area and I'm fine after I pass it.  Doesn't always happen, but it freaks me out when it does.  Do you have any idea of why this happens?

Jacob asks a similar question.  He writes:

How do you feel the presence of ghosts around you?  I mean do you just feel cold spots or do you get shivers up your spine?

Different people feel different things around ghosts.  Some people get goosebumps—other people feel cold spots, or hot spots, or increased heartbeat.  Some people feel like they are being watched.  Others feel a strong, dense-ness of energy.  Meanwhile, some people feel nothing at all.

Everyone responds a bit differently.  Want to see how you respond?  Spend some time in a location that is known to be haunted.  Be careful though — how you respond in one situation may be different from how you respond in another situation.

In Holly's case, a certain section of Hwy. 71 may be haunted (or it could have collected a large amount of negative energy) due to all the fatal car wrecks.  Most people can sense—on some level—energy that is different from the surrounding environment.

A "bad vibe" feeling (in the form of goosebumps, increased heartbeat) is commonly felt in areas where negative emotionally-charged events have happened—such as death, car accidents, battle wounds, or suicide.  The human body—and the surrounding electromagnetic field—is remarkably sensitive to changes in the external environment, and will respond to these changes.  Of course, it's also possible that *fear* of a car wreck could cause goosebumps, increased heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.  Holly would need to research and investigate Hwy. 71 (that particular section) to see if there is legitimate paranormal activity.

Why Do Some People Respond with Physical Symptoms in the Presence of Ghosts & Paranormal Activity?

No one knows why some people respond physically (i.e. goosebumps) to ghosts and paranormal activity.  As mentioned earlier, the human body is remarkably sensitive and can sense changes in the external environment.  So, when things feel "unusual" (due to paranormal activity) your body is alerted.  This is an instinctive, biological response.  It may also be connected to the strong electromagnetic fields that appear in the presence of paranormal activity.

So, why do some people feel nothing in the presence of paranormal activity?  The number of people who feel absolutely nothing in the presence of strong paranormal activity is very, very small—however, factors such as your physical health, your mental and emotional state, your intelligence/awareness, and your belief system could all play a role in how you respond.

Several people have asked me about EVP's in foreign languages.  David writes:

"I've captured an EVP that sounds like the person is speaking in a foreign language.  The land was previously occupied by Native American tribes.  Can EVP's appear in a foreign language?

Yes, EVP's can appear in any language.  Normally, the EVP will appear in the language that the spirit spoke during his lifetime.  For instance, if you travel to France, most of the EVP's will be in French.  Likewise, if you live in Brazil, most of the EVP's will be in Portuguese.  Cris, a new ghost hunter from Brazil, has captured two EVP's in Portuguese. Cris also has an interesting photo with images that appear to be moving orbs—along with a strange streak across the wall.  Cris writes:

Hi. My name is Cris—I'm a girl from Brazil, and I am new to ghost hunting.  Lately, I kept hearing footsteps in a floor above my room. So I went there one day and decided to try some EVPs.  I got results.  Two different voices, one saying "Pedro" (meaning "Peter", in Portuguese) and the other one, about an hour later saying "Meu pai" (meaning "my father").  After that I decided to try and take some photos.  While taking the pictures, me and my brother, at the same time, saw a thin shadow pass.  In the photos, I got some orbs, that I believe were just dust, but there was one picture that was a little different.  I would like to know your opinion on the pic, because, being new to ghost hunting, I'm still not so good at identifing real orbs.  It's the one I circled in red that caught my attention. I am also sending the original photo attached and the EVPs, just to illustrate.

Cris has given me permission to post her EVP's and photos online for everyone to see.

Meu Pai ("My Father" in Portuguese) EVP

Pedro EVP

Wide-angle View :

Close-up View:

I'll let readers make their own determination about Cris' photo.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.  Thanks to David for his question about foreign EVP's, and congrats to Cris on her EVP's (and unusual photograph).

Sarah wants to know about corpse candles.  She writes:

Have you ever had any experiences with what are called will-o'-the-wisps—also known as corpse candles?

Corpse candles (also called deadman's candles, fetch lights, jack o' lanterns, and will-o'-the-wisps) are very mysterious lights that are often seen in churchyards and graveyards.  According to ancient folklore (Welsh, Irish, and British lore), corpse candles hover over the ground and stop at houses or other sites where death is expected.  Candle lights may be red, blue or white and they are seen both indoors and outdoors.  At a distance, they look like flickering lamps or candle flames.  According to Welsh lore, if the lights are approached, they vanish or recede in brightness.

Skeptics claim that the strange lights may be caused by marsh gas, since the lights often appear in marshy, bog-like areas.  However, this theory does not explain why corpse candles are also seen indoors in dry areas.  Another possible explanation is that corpse candles may be produced by atmospheric conditions or unusual weather.  Despite the disagreement over what causes them, corpse candles appear in folklore and eyewitness accounts throughout the world.

Over the years, I have seen a number of strange and mysterious lights, including orbs, moving streaks, and shape-shifting, misty lights.  Could some of these lights be considered corpse candles?  I suppose it's possible.  I have seen lights that look like candle flames, bobbing over a graveyard.

Bob asks an interesting question about electromagnetic fields, ghosts, hallucinations, and base readings.  He writes:

TAPS says that ghosts cause EMF fields and need energy to manifest.  Well, they also say that EMF fields cause hallucinations, so my question is what type of evidence is available to prove that a ghost causes or even raises an EMF field?  Are there base line readings done beforehand?  I have had many promising results with magnetic fields, but I am in need of some supporting evidence.  If you or any of your members know of any supporting facts, can you let me know?

Thanks,

Bob

Base Readings and EMF Meters

Hi Bob.  Yes, a base reading should always be taken before using an EMF meter to record anomalies.  The base reading will tell you what the background EMF is at your location.  I recommend using a tri-field (3 way) EMF meter.  True 3-axis sensors ensure that your measurements remain accurate regardless of the direction of the meter.

Ghosts and Electromagnetic Fields

You asked, "What evidence is available to prove that a ghost causes or even raises an EMF field?"  It has been proven that when a ghost is sighted there is normally a high EMF reading (significant from base/background readings).  Whether the EMF is *caused* by the ghost—or whether something else causes the EMF is a subject of debate.

Strong EMF's that move (through walls, through different stories of a building) are certainly NOT normal.  These are unlikely to be caused by man-made power lines, or electrical equipment—which are stationary EMF's.  In my opinion, strong moving electromagnetic fields can be a good indication of paranormal activity.  I have found that moving EMF's will either move away from me, or follow me. In one case, I was able to follow a moving EMF through three floors of a building before it disappeared!

Effects of Electromagnetic Fields

As far as hallucinations go, the scientific community remains unclear on the precise effects of EMF exposure and what levels of exposure might be unsafe.  Almost every health organization has set certain limits on EMF exposure.  Power companies are subject to these limits.

Prolonged exposure to strong electromagnetic fields is thought to cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, skin rashes, weakness, increased anxiety, decreased mental function, impaired vision, emotional imbalances, reduced melatonin levels, and magnification of the "fight or flight" reponse.  At extremely high levels, electromagnetic fields can cause flickering of vision and disorientation.  Of course, this applies to prolonged exposure to extremely high-level electromagnetic fields.  Practically speaking, most electromagnetic fields (in the presence of ghosts) are not prolonged or extremely high-level.  So, I don't think you need to worry about hallucinations.

Great question.

Jamie wants to know whether strange electrical activity could be a sign of paranormal activity.  She writes:

Hi Michelle!  I have a spirit here in our apartment.  I have heard him speak before; I have felt his presence, and even caught an EVP of him.  The past couple days, I noticed something strange: the nightlight in our guest bathroom turned a VERY bright white and then burned out….and last night, the lights on our ficus tree did the same thing (the lights got so bright that it woke me up…was like a sunlight)..and then they burned out, too.

Is this a sign of paranormal activity?  I never heard of anything like this, with the exception of lights flickering and going off and on..all of which we have had in the past month as well.  Thanks so much.

- Jamie from Wisconsin

Hi Jamie.  Yes, it could be a sign of paranormal activity—or it could be an electrical wiring problem in your home.  Ghosts are known to cause electrical disturbances (including flickering lights, electrical failures) and they can drain freshly charged batteries.  This is because strong electromagnetic fields (EMF's) are usually found in the presence of ghostly/paranormal activity.  Science has shown us that strong electromagnetic fields can cause electrical disturbances, power failures and other anomalies.

Check to see if there are natural causes that could explain the strange electrical activity in your home.  Natural causes could include short circuits, electrical wiring problems, blown fuses, or man-made EMF's.  If there are no natural causes, then it's possible the light activity could be paranormal.

Brandon asks whether he can use the built-in recorder on his MP3 player to capture EVP.

Yes.  Anything that records voice—including digital cameras, tape recorders, answering machines, and video cameras—can capture EVP.  Of course some devices will produce better quality sound than others.  For instance, an answering machine will generally produce lower-quality audio than a digital voice recorder.