I'm curious about this because my husband has told me that my love of graveyards--especially old ones---horror movies, horror novels, and the paranormal is, um, abnormal. Anyone else get smart *** comments from loved ones, LOL?

Horror and supernatural movies, shows, and books are a whole lot different than the real thing, I'm sure you know. Those are just entertainment. The real thing is anything but entertaining IMO!

Sure, I've gotten a few negative comments about my experiences, but mainly by people who don't know me well.
It was some time after the fact that I began to do some research of my own to try to understand what I had been up against.
Now, that was actually the scary part, learning about the potential damage to the psyche that could be done!
Sadly, people like Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted never seem to delve into that fact very deeply. They should, IMHO.

But if people don't believe me, it honestly doesn't hurt my feelings one bit. I wouldn't want to believe it either.

My family knows my 3 loves: it’s them, Astronomy/ Cosmology/Quantum mechanics/History/Archaeology, and the Paranormal/thinking what is after-death/Ufos/Cryptozoology/Demonology/God.
Every Summer, we go out for picnics n’ we always find a new graveyard to walk around in. I had taken a lot of pictures and recording. I need an blog. Anyway, the last picnic, last Wednesday, the kids didn’t want to find a graveyard. I was kind of hurt, and they just wanted to go home to their rooms with the Internet, cell phones strapped to them, etc., etc. They are getting older and finding new interests of their own. But, when we come back from our Ghost Hunting, they always ask us what happened. We will tell them and sometimes we would hook up the Camcorder to the TV and watch the whole footage(much clearer on the TV). Angela(10)has a good eye of seeing something strange, but Lynn n I knows that it’s nothing. Aaron(13) likes all the different types of Gravestones and the effects that I do. Josh(18 this June) likes to turn the TV loud bec he believes in more in EVP. Josh is into Ghosts/Occult/Metal Shows/morbid pictures on tees, Gothism., etc. I guess,.. he did some Ghost Hunting of his own. I hope that his friends are respectful.
Every now and then , my friends/cousins will go out with Lynn and I and Ghost Hunt. Most of the time, we wouldn’t tell them on what we r doing. We tell them the rules n all reason when we arrive, but after awhile some of them do act strangely..like screaming at every little noise and quick movements(bolting out). I always call it off when someone screams or runs away. Lynn and I are always quiet. Lynn is going to be..this year and we have been Ghost Hunting ever since we had met. She loved my interests in the Paranormal n still do. We met in 89’. Someday, we are going to have grandchildren and walk over the same ol graves..

Just the usual ghostbusters quotes from mates tryin to be smart arses.

my parents just think im mental

My family sees me as just plain weird.

LOL People think most of us are weird to a degree, but to me, its JUST NORMAL..

Well, my Mom and Dad have always kinda brought me up, to think for myself,
so they don't have a problem with it.
One of my sisters, thinks it's okay.
The other one doesn't like ghosts and stuff that much. She loves horror movies though!
I have an aunt and cousin who are into the paranormal but go WAY overboard with it.
I mean, every speck of dust or light streak is a ghost to them.

Oh, Good question!!!
My mother, after finding out that I'd been visiting cemeteries and taking pictures, will now every time we drive by a graveyard, turn to me and say very sarcastically, "Well look dear, there's a cemetery, should we stop so you can take your little pictures?".

My niece shares my interest. My children have lived in two seperate houses with some pretty stange stuff going on. They're very nonchanlant about it though, and don't have much interest in the why's? and the what's?.

When I was dating my (now) husband, he thought I was a little off in the head and the whole ghost/spirit thing was funny. But then we got married and he moved into my house. He no longer thinks it's all that funny.

I'm lucky in that my best friends are also deeply into the paranormal and we are all in a paranormal investigation group together. So, it's cool! But, of course, there are always people you meet here and there who wanna prod you with the "ghost buster" stuff or things like, "Wow, you don't really believe in any of that nonsense do you?"

The funny thing I've found is that sometimes the people who make fun of you end up being a source for possible investigations. Occasionally I'll talk to someone who will make jokes at first, but then when they find out you're serious about it, they'll start asking questions and then THEY ACTUALLY TELL YOU EXPERIENCES THEY'VE HAD, hahaha.

Paranormal research and investigation is probably still considered a bit "out there" by the mainstream. But I've found the best way to get rid of that label is to be unashamed and to talk about it openly. The paranormal is only in the dark now because most people aren't comfortable talking about it without feeling embarrassed. Be open about it and the loudmouths will quickly shut up.

Click to view attachment

Old cemeteries are cool. One of my relatives visted New England last year and took some photos, similar to this one.
The tombstones from the 1700's are so gothic and spooky looking. I wouldn't go looking for a ghost at night, though.

My family think my interest is strange, but what is Normal?
Whats better than spirits and ghosts?

LMAO-- secret obsession of mine I guess. My immediate family knows, my sister, some extended family and a handful of close girlfriends and that's it. Heck, they already think I'm a goofball anyway so who cares... I don't think anyone would be "shocked" if I told them... then again, I also dance with lampshades on my head Go figure.

Yea my family is the dont ask dont tell type so I am on my own but I have all you guys ...right..

My father will get excited when we find evidence and makes fun of me and my group when someone asks about it.

No. People ususally see my "hippy" exterior and go after that factor first.

Actually, my dad, while not a "believer" and more of a skeptic, is often compelled by evidence that supports paranormal things. He used to watch X-Files back in the day, so My mother is indifferent, and my sister is pretty much for it.

I totally didn't realize til now my family is as effed up as I am

Well thats wierd he says your love for horror movies, novels and paranormal is abnormal....it's a genre in society like everything else LOL
anyways not bout that but, one of my sisters thinks i'm crazy and dosnt believe theirs a ghost in my house...even though she said she used to see things when she was littler, my other sister she believes shes like me having strange events so....my mom also believes in them too, but dosnt really like me using the ouija board but i do it anyways...my dad just thinks i'm plain our crazy but he believes things like this do exsist because like me he was home once when we heard an unexplained banging....
im just nervous to say anything to any other family members about this or anyone else in general besides my friends...

Well, I didn't really get interested in the paranormal stuff until our family went through hell.. and that literally. So, now, we all believe. But, they do give me a *heads up* or *warning* every now and then about "opening doors" that shouldn't be opened. I agree with them. However, I feel if I didn't learn anything from it all, then it was all in vain. I'll rather take my chances, and attempt to find out the whys, & hows!

* & to add
I think sometimes that the interest in such subjects is genetic-

My Wife and sons couldn't care less either way

My daughter and I just agree to differ!

She puts my interest in the UM site and its topics as part of the Male menapause and I tell her she is just baiting 60 year old perverts who are pretending to be teenagers on facebook etc!

LMAO-- Aren't we all in one tiny way or another? ♥

Love the hair

My mom and i used to walk through old graveyards when i was little, they are all really supportive of it, my best friends are in a paranormal group as well, and just yesterday a neighbor of mine just came over with a photo of an "orb" for me to look at. I just don't care what other people think, they either love me or hate me, i mean when you are 30 years old and covered in tattoos, people have a preconceived notion about you anyway :/

Me and your dad were just talking about evidence and the paranormal, etc last night.

Actually, my family is pretty cool when it comes to this stuff. My mom is a believer, although she doesn't have a passionate interest in the subject. She just believes in ghosts, ufos, and thinks she may have seen the Jersey Devil once. My sister used to be a skeptic, but now she has become a believer. My dad is one of those skeptics who might believe deep down. I'll talk about this stuff and he'll joke around with me, but on summer nights he'll call me outside to look at some bizarre lights in the sky that he himself says "can't possibly be planes".

The house my mom lived in when she was growing up was possibly haunted. My aunt occasionally sends me e-mails about it, as well as other bizarre experiences she has had, so my relatives clearly don't think it is too weird.

My friends are fairly into it.

my family supports what I do & actually sometimes come along on "ghost hunts" but my hubby, even though he supports me, he doesnt believe in it.

My friends are at the minimum very curious about it. I've played some EVPs for them and they really freaked.
My cousin thinks I'm incredibly brave for doing it.
My co-workers are curious, especially about the better known places I've been and the people from TV etc I know.

My wife thinks I'm nuts.

I was brought up in a Christian household, by two parents. That was a rarity in itself, with all the single parent households of my friends. Anyway, there is and has to be a belief in the afterlife and ghosts by Christians, as it is in the Bible. However...it is not something that they dwell on. They just consider it as not important to the central theme, and don't give it another thought. I, on the other hand, want to know what the 7 utters said, and who those ghosts under the alter were and why they were there. So, my fascination began early, after an incident when I was just a child. As I grew up, my folks just smiled at me and worried about the consequences this realm had to offer, when it came to creeping around cemeteries at night, and stuff. And I have been just as open with my beliefs with my friends as well. Shoot, they don't even have to be friends....I'll talk ghosts with anybody....and I have.

There are going to be those with a very limited imagination that can not allow themselves to go there. Then there are those that will openly scoff at such accounts, but if you get them alone, they indeed have an experience of their own they don't understand. Almost everyone does. Few people go through life never experiencing something in the dark that they can't quite explain in rational terms. But most will find away, even if it is more absurd than what they witnessed in the first place. Then there are those of us that are open books about our beliefs in the paranormal. And some of us actively pursue some proof of its' existence. I have recently given up on this pursuit, as I now feel that the unknown, is unknown for a reason. I still chase these events in my life, but not to prove the existence of the paranormal. I mostly document the events now, just as a matter of remembrance...much like a photo album. My frieds often think the lengths I go to place myself in these potentially frightening situations is crazy. But, I chase tornadoes for the National Weather Service too. Somethings are tamer than others. ~Jackal

My Mom dosen't like it at all. She is always telling me you need to leave that stuff alone (like it is some kind of drug or something). My Dad kinda jokes with me about it... he is a beleiver, but his experiance was not a cool one at all...and he is afraid of it. On the other hand I have two other ladies that is joing my ghosthunts with me so I am not alone...they are my best friends and are very supportive.

I thought of you Jackal when I saw this...for you my dear! I put myself in frightening situatuins all the time also

Did you happen to catch the alien who is peeking round the corner above the lady on the left of the picture?

OMG Where???? LOL

Where? LOL

Above the red head (Liz)...I beleive...LOL

Ok but I dont see a thing..OMG HELP ME V.>LOL..JN

Hahahaha dont worry Mom I have no aleins here. I promise....*wink* It is just an air freshner sprayer...lol

So Vel... what is this?? Casper?? Hahahahaha!

♥ Jody

Here's a little bigger for ya- LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!

LOL ::throws a few orbs at Veliska:::::::::::::::::: JN

((((Shera)))) I think thats a knick knack..JN..welcome back my friend..JN..

Hehehe! A knick knack of Casper no doubt. Bahahahahaha!! Good to be back hun but I leave again on Satuday for like 3 weeks! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!♥

AWWWWWWWWW Hopefully you are going on vacation?? ((Jody)) JN

LOL JN- Note my siggy!!

LOL Sorry, a few blonde moments going on here..ENJOY!!!!

My mom's scared of me using Ouija boards (have'nt yet but Im gunna! Thx 4 the idea mom!) my dad...does'nt care a bit. (He is like furniture,you notice it but it does not talk or move and annoys you when you trip over it). Mom is a skeptical about things like O.B.E'S (when I told her about mine she looked disbeliving and kept calling them 'alien moments' and when I talk to her she says 'stop going alien on me and clean your room!').
My sister is 100% skeptic,ignores my existence,and is an all-round b*tch. My brother moved out and is like my sister.


I have nobody but my teddy now *tear-drop* atleast Rio my teddy belives me!

The gripe from my family does not bother me anymore but the comments from the shrink are starting to piss me off.....
JK Just the usual "what's wrong with you? This is unhealthy, you shouldn't be so morbid, your such a weird freak!" (the last one being from my plastic blonde younger sister)

I have a great family support group. My dad used to tell me stories of strange happenings before he died. Of course my sister and husband have experienced a whole lot with me, at different times.

I don't discuss it with friends unless someone brings up something unusual that they went through. Then I might open up a bit.

UM is where I feel safe to ask questions and talk about things that happen to me.

Some of these things I prefer not to discuss with any of them. My mother had an interest (small one) in paranormal because of a childhood experience, but not to the degree I do. Come to think of it, she'd probably think it was all cool, and would want me to tell her everything I've learned along the way.. I couldn't say that for my pops.

*happy happy joy joy*
I've met someone who shares similar interests with me, she too's a spiritualist seeking truth, she does tarot readings and is helping me to better myself at them ^-^
Me and her have often talked bout something similar on things, and i hope to sometime see if she'd join me in a investigation, she's training in wiccan rituals and yeah.
*happy happy joy joy*

mom and dad dont take much interest but dont want me to become obsessed with it
brothers and sisters think i'm stupid for doing it
closest cousin who is like a best friend and brother thinks i'm foolish
friends dont beleive me
i keep it to myself from now on,and the people on the forum

I"m "happy happy joy joy" for ya, man!

LOL thanks yeah i'm half awake so yeah if it sounds wierd of things i type....yeah thats why LOL i get bit loopy when tired lol
*not de-railing here*