Give Me A Ring Once You Have Expired....

We have all gotten calls from unfamiliar numbers.  Most of us refuse these intrusions and hope that a voicemail reveals the source.  But since long before the days of caller ID and messaging, there are stories of people who answered rings that changed their lives (and their beliefs) forever.

There have been reports of electronic contact from the dead that range from e-mail to pagers, etc. But personal phone calls seem to be predominant in this communication, as if the primary way of expressing ourselves has always come in the preferred form to get a point across- our voice.

Phone calls from the other side are not an uncommon tale. 

Many of these reports reveal a distant rattle of static on the other end. Other times, music from a different era is played in their ear from a disconnected line- like stories from the Santa Fe Union Station in Galveston, Texas.  Yet, on several occasions voices of loved ones that sound distraught or comforting have had a last message that left the living confused and unaware.

The calls usually come from a relative who had very close relationships with the recipient.  They often have an important message to convey, but other incidences have no message at all. It just seems like another small talk session.

It is not long after the conversation that another phone call is answered– a call from the living to tell them about the death of the very person with whom they just held the conversation.

Other reported calls from the dead come on the date of a birthday, holiday, or anniversary. Sometimes it is a lengthily time after the person has passed away.

Imagine those which were never reported.  The otherworldly exchanges that took place on mobile devices, rotary dials, and probably as far back as the crank phone. One incident was even reported to come from a toy phone, long before an episode titled “Long Distance Call” aired on ‘The Twilight Zone’ television series.

Even author Dean Koontz said that he received a jingle on his unlisted number. The voice sounded like his deceased mother warning him to be careful.  Not long after, an altercation with his deranged father and police nearly costed him his life.

A more recent and strange event is the case of Charles Peck who managed to make 35 calls to several loved ones, even though he had died on impact in a Metrolink train crash, and his phone was not found anywhere near his body.

Actor Johnny Depp recalled a voicemail that was left by the creator of Gonzo Journalism, Hunter S. Thompson. In a hurry to meet his hectic schedule, Depp deleted the message only to find out that Thompson would soon commit suicide. He said that he will always regret not giving it a listen.

There is a message of our own to gain from this for those of us who are still among the living. That being, we should try our best to never avoid a call, to never take a voicemail for granted, and to make as much time as we can to hear the voices of people we care for, no matter how inconvenient it may seem at the time. You never know when it will be the last talk.

More importantly, if there is a call of your own you want to make- to a person you have been out of touch with, to anyone whose memory has been aching you to make contact, or just to someone you want to remind that you love them... now is the time to make that call.

If you have ever been the recipient of a phone call or messages from the afterlife, please fill us in. Your story may be relatable to someone who is suffering the result of this strange happening, and it just may touch the heart of someone who needs it....

The Queen Is Elegant

When you are an enthusiast for paranormal places and happen to be visiting Southern California, pretty much the main hotspot you will find in any online search is the Queen Mary- a luxury ship that has been docked in Long Beach for decades. Now a hotel and museum with classy rooms, timeless hallways, and so many exhibits to see, there is plenty of room to get lost and find yourself... or something else.
Music from an older era plays in the lobbies, helping to lend an antique feel to the environment. Stairways and corridors go on for hours, and one can easily find themselves in places they did not expect.

Some of us leave with fantastic experiences to store in the memory banks. Others leave in the middle of the night.




The lights of Long Beach are incredible from the bow. There is plenty on the surface to discover.  Preserved quarters of the captain and his mates, along with old communication rooms can be found in random places along the deck. There are perfect locations to watch sunset, smell a cool ocean breeze, and see where past ceremonies have occurred- such as this pavilion near the rear of the ship.

But upon further searching, I found that the room in which I had the least interest became the spot where I felt the most overwhelming energy.
A sense of fear pervaded my mind and body the moment I stepped into that darkness. A dim, greenish light shined in water down below where you could see the large propeller at rest. Around it were coins and floating dollar bills, as if people considered the room to be a wishing well. Perhaps it was my phobia of enclosed areas filled with water, or perhaps the stories of men who died in the propeller's grinding twist are not legends after all.
The moment I went around to the next entryway and exited back into the museum, I felt immediate relief.

Although the entire ship is said to be haunted in one way or another, the area where most evidence has been recorded would be the first class pool- said by some to be a gateway for entities. Now off limits for safety reasons, it was saddening to not be granted access and witness this area in all its eerie glory. The pool is currently under renovations to be returned to its original state and may open some time in the next year. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime, all we have to indulge our fascination is the locked doors leading inside.

I explored all night and could not decide if I should be happy or worried that people seemed to disappear after 1AM. When I finally did retire to the room I woke up hours later in one of the most chilling cold spells I have ever suffered. My travel companion had to wrap around me to stop the shivering, and even she became frozen trying to warm me.

What an amazing feeling when it subsided.

The next day we were allowed access to the infamous B340- a room surrounded by rumors and no shortage of paranormal tales involving death, poltergeist tampering, and activity so prominent that guests are no longer privileged to stay. We found a gutted, empty room. And we were not allowed to hang around long.

The paranormal tour was intriguing. It included the tale of a security guard who still works his shift there, even after a small child held up its arms then walked right through him.  The tour guide also mentioned ghosts in a front lobby area, the aforementioned propeller room, and the spirit of a man who was crushed in the engine room #13 door.

  It wasn't just the comfy accommodations and their cool portholes that allowed me to leave smiling the next day. It was not the surreal experience of a place that has long been on my bucket list. It was the thought and further realization of this strange world that, many times, the most elegant and gorgeous places also have plenty of ghosts to hide.

Have you visited the Queen Mary? We'd love to hear your experience.  Comment below to tell us all about it....