“Every man feels instinctively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single, lovely action.”
- James Russell Lowell (1816 - 1891)
I have felt there is one spirit of love which runs through our lives and touches us, bringing us together with those we love, and making sure that we are not separated from those we have lost. I miss my parents terribly this time of year, and I hold on to the memories of Christmas past, knowing that Momma and Daddy, and my adoring grandparents are not far from us all, especially in this season when love abounds.
This spirit of love is like a river, sometimes strong, and sometimes full of rocks and other obstacles, as I was reminded last weekend at our home. Rarely is there quiet time with the phone ringing, the dog barking, and my twins clamoring. I told myself I would never buy anything to add to the chaos, and then the Wii was created and the spirit of Christmas was in the air.
After searching every Target, Wal-Mart and gaming store in this part of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia- to no avail, I discovered the Wii Fit shipment arrives at our Target store on Saturday nights. I had planned to arrive at Target upon their opening on Sunday, but thankfully, my husband Chris volunteered and insisted. He is, after all, one of those morning people.
Chris arrived at Target at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, half an hour before the store opened. He parked amongst numerous idling cars in the lot, and upon exiting his Hyundai, he was alerted by the crescendo of mini-van doors slamming that he had better make haste before women of all shapes and sizes pummeled him on their mad dash to the entrance. Chris made it there fourth, and then waited a half-hour in the sub-freezing temperatures. Had I been there, I would have begun a diatribe to the group on the spirit of Christmas and my disgust at the human race. But not Chris. He was silently focused on his win. By 8:00 a.m., there was a line of 10 people on the top floor entrance (where electronics is located), and longer lines had formed on the other floors.
As the Target employee opened the doors, he pointed at each individual and counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six - all the rest of you have to come back next week- we only got six in the shipment," without asking anyone why they were there.
One of Chris’ competitors yelled, "I am buying TWO!," and the Target referee said, "You get ONE this week, and you come back NEXT week for the other one!"
One woman commented, “I don't know if I want one until I see it," and three people screamed, "I GET HERS!"
"Only ONE to a customer!" rang out in the chilled air as the doors were flung open and the race was on!
Everyone in line ran as fast as they could to break ahead of the others. A woman untrained in bargain basement sales ran for a cart, but she soon realized it was dead weight and shoved it down a gift wrapping aisle. Two competitors ran down another aisle to grab the Wii Fit from the display. They will have to return next Sunday.
Chris, being a man of logic, figured it would lack sound reasoning for Target to lock the Wii Fits in the display, so he made a beeline to the cash register in the electronics department. He ran as fast as I have never seen him run before. He may have jumped a cart and even slid, I don't know. Having been fourth in line, he had now jockeyed for the prime #3 position when he arrived at the register and found six Wii Fits lined up neatly for the top six seeded competitors.
As he was checking out, the other competitors were arriving from the lower floors. Those who had mistakenly waited for the elevator, those who rode the escalator, and those who ran up the "down" escalator to pass the others. The loud speaker was blaring, "WE HAVE NO MORE Wii FITS!.... WE HAVE NO MORE Wii FITS!... THERE IS NO REASON TO RUN ...WE HAVE NO MORE Wii FITS!"
Chris made it home before I even knew he had left. His hair was a bit messy, but he had a smile on his face and a Target bag in hand.
Some women love their husbands because of the roses they send, the romantic dinners, or the diamond anniversary bands. My husband beat the president of the PTA in a race in Target, just to bring home a Wii Fit for our children’s Christmas present. It doesn't get any better than that! May you all experience the true spirit of love this Christmas, and a holiday filled with all the love, hope, family, and chaos we’ll long to remember when we can no longer jump the aisles.
Merry Christmas,
Laine
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
A Beautiful Mistake
My fears over the past few years have changed drastically. I am now afraid I will be arrested. One of these days, I am certain a police officer will arrest me for erratic driving while inebriated, but she will be wrong. I will be driving while being a hot potato.
This is because when my twins are riding in the car with me, they demand to listen to the Wiggles. If you are unfamiliar with the Wiggles, they are an Australian Group of middle-aged men who dress up in Star Trek-like uniforms of various floral colors, and sing and dance. I saw them in concert once, but please don’t tell anyone. I felt guilty for laughing because somehow, they had to know, we parents were not laughing with them.
It’s not just the Wiggles I’m required to dance to in the minivan. B-I-N-G-O can send me fetching the Excedrin, and after those Christmas CDs in January, I have been known to relocate the wine to the top shelf of the fridge. Other moms seem to understand this. One of my best girlfriends is a little tea pot.
If you asked about my biggest fear on October 7, 2004, I would have told you it was being psychic. My psychic abilities came flooding into me that month, and I’ve never since been quite the same. I could see and hear ghosts just like Melinda Gordon, and then God added clairvoyance to the recipe and I was really half-baked. I couldn’t make it stop.
I asked God to take it all away, and if I was meant to have it, I asked Him to give it back as I could deal with it. Being able to see ghosts so vividly scared me the most, so I have only regained a portion of this ability, and I’ve accepted it kicking and screaming. I am writing my story for a book I hope to complete by the end of the year, but for many others who write me today with similar tales, I want to offer a lifeline.
I saw my first ghost when I was a little girl, and it scared me. When I told my parents, they told me I was imaginative and I should go sing Silent Night and not mention it again. Remember, this was an era when mothers didn’t worry about sending their kids to school without a gun, and married T.V. couples slept in separate beds and reproduced by being imaginative. So, I didn’t mention it again. I learned to ignore, make excuses, and fit-in. That is, for about thirty years, give or take a few.
I’m sure my parents shared the same ideals as the parents of others who write me now about their gift (it took me two full years to stop calling it a curse). When parents are not accepting of their psychic child, or are scared themselves, our perception as the psychic child is that the world will feel the same. I’m not sure that’s far off the mark, either. I also know that having psychic abilities suddenly, or having psychic experiences can be terrifying and very draining.
I didn’t want this, I didn’t ask for this, and more than anything, I wanted to get rid of it. However, I only found books on how to become more psychic. At the time, I found it humorous that so many people actually wanted this ability for themselves. To me, it proved there were a lot of people who were not in their right mind, and they were not the psychic ones! I even thought about moving, but then I heard a voice say I would have this ability no matter where I lived; it was now mine. I had no choice but to surrender.
Here is my best recommendation for your surrender:
Prayer. Prayer is highly underrated, and it works. I prayed to learn how to control this ability, and I was taught through feelings and experiences. I also pray for guidance, wisdom, strength, and protection.
There are those who ask me whether they should go to London or Paris, or if they should take out loans for their businesses, or if they should leave their husbands. My advice is always the same- pray. I’m no one’s On-Star, and I can’t guide folks through every turn just because I have psychic abilities, and I wouldn’t if I could. Prayer is the answer.
Have Faith and Do Not Fear. Fear is an emotion that is attractive to negative entities. When you begin to fear, make a conscious decision not to let it overcome you, and then put it out of your mind. If you pray to your higher power, and have faith that nothing bad will happen to you, you are protected. Faith and prayer are inextricably linked, and the application of faith and prayer goes far beyond protection.
Accept Yourself. We live our lives for a reason. The world is a university and a playground, and if we knew what to expect we would never grow and learn. Take the punches and grow wiser as a result. If your sister wants to shun you, remember, you can say,”I told you so” for an eternity.
Surrender. Inherent in surrendering is self acceptance, but it goes even further. We have to learn we can’t control everything in our lives, and we have to stop fighting what we can’t control. Doing so holds us back in reaching our goals in this life.
Take Control. While surrendering is letting go of our control issues, taking control of our abilities and surroundings is important and distinctly different. Many people who contact me have ghosts that won’t leave, or who frighten them. You can’t get rid of a ghost by asking it to leave if it is convenient for them. You must take control and tell the ghosts in a courteous, yet stern manner, they are not allowed to frighten you and that they have to leave, if this is a problem for you or your children. Remember, ghosts were people too, and you wouldn’t just let anyone in your house to hang out during dinner. Ghosts are not pets either, and most of the time, they get the message and move on. If it is not a human entity bothering you, that is cause for bigger guns which I will not discuss here.
Journaling. I would suggest keeping a journal to catalog what is happening to you. Writing about our experiences helps us to accept them, work through them, and let go. You will always have them to reflect upon and see how far you’ve come, and how you’ve grown. Experiences that do not make sense today may have clarity next year.
Meet Like Minds. Find people you can trust who understand your abilities and will listen. There are hundreds of groups on MySpace, FaceBook, IamHaunted and many other sites. You may meet people through paranormal groups, religious groups, or events. Share with those whom you trust and those who won’t judge you.
Read. The more you read, the more you’ll understand about the other side and what is happening to you. A great place to start is a trilogy by Elsa Barker. In 1912, this young woman was minding her own business when she became suddenly psychic. Through automatic writing, the spirit of an acquaintance, Judge David Hatch, took her pen and began to write through her hand. It wasn’t long before she could hear, and she scribed three books which were big news in the day, detailing life on the other side. You can download the books for free on my site at www.investigativemedium.com/resources . I also recommend authors John Edwards, Gary Schwartz, Betty Eadie, Raymond Moody, and of course my book, available in 2009.
Meditate. Prayer and meditation helps us make sense of the messages we receive. Although it can be difficult at first, meditation is important because it helps alter our state of consciousness to bring us closer to the other side. Meditation brings discipline, concentration and practice with our abilities, which helps us have more clarity and less confusion.
There are videos and documentaries you can also watch on the Ghost Channel (www.GhostChannel.TV), and I typically have my events and lectures posted on my site, investigativemedium.com, if you are ever interested in coming and learning more in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Just know you are not alone, and you can learn to control your abilities through prayer and meditation. You may soon find that like me, you are the beneficiary of a beautiful mistake, and I wouldn’t trade my gift for anything in the world.
This is because when my twins are riding in the car with me, they demand to listen to the Wiggles. If you are unfamiliar with the Wiggles, they are an Australian Group of middle-aged men who dress up in Star Trek-like uniforms of various floral colors, and sing and dance. I saw them in concert once, but please don’t tell anyone. I felt guilty for laughing because somehow, they had to know, we parents were not laughing with them.
It’s not just the Wiggles I’m required to dance to in the minivan. B-I-N-G-O can send me fetching the Excedrin, and after those Christmas CDs in January, I have been known to relocate the wine to the top shelf of the fridge. Other moms seem to understand this. One of my best girlfriends is a little tea pot.
If you asked about my biggest fear on October 7, 2004, I would have told you it was being psychic. My psychic abilities came flooding into me that month, and I’ve never since been quite the same. I could see and hear ghosts just like Melinda Gordon, and then God added clairvoyance to the recipe and I was really half-baked. I couldn’t make it stop.
I asked God to take it all away, and if I was meant to have it, I asked Him to give it back as I could deal with it. Being able to see ghosts so vividly scared me the most, so I have only regained a portion of this ability, and I’ve accepted it kicking and screaming. I am writing my story for a book I hope to complete by the end of the year, but for many others who write me today with similar tales, I want to offer a lifeline.
I saw my first ghost when I was a little girl, and it scared me. When I told my parents, they told me I was imaginative and I should go sing Silent Night and not mention it again. Remember, this was an era when mothers didn’t worry about sending their kids to school without a gun, and married T.V. couples slept in separate beds and reproduced by being imaginative. So, I didn’t mention it again. I learned to ignore, make excuses, and fit-in. That is, for about thirty years, give or take a few.
I’m sure my parents shared the same ideals as the parents of others who write me now about their gift (it took me two full years to stop calling it a curse). When parents are not accepting of their psychic child, or are scared themselves, our perception as the psychic child is that the world will feel the same. I’m not sure that’s far off the mark, either. I also know that having psychic abilities suddenly, or having psychic experiences can be terrifying and very draining.
I didn’t want this, I didn’t ask for this, and more than anything, I wanted to get rid of it. However, I only found books on how to become more psychic. At the time, I found it humorous that so many people actually wanted this ability for themselves. To me, it proved there were a lot of people who were not in their right mind, and they were not the psychic ones! I even thought about moving, but then I heard a voice say I would have this ability no matter where I lived; it was now mine. I had no choice but to surrender.
Here is my best recommendation for your surrender:
Prayer. Prayer is highly underrated, and it works. I prayed to learn how to control this ability, and I was taught through feelings and experiences. I also pray for guidance, wisdom, strength, and protection.
There are those who ask me whether they should go to London or Paris, or if they should take out loans for their businesses, or if they should leave their husbands. My advice is always the same- pray. I’m no one’s On-Star, and I can’t guide folks through every turn just because I have psychic abilities, and I wouldn’t if I could. Prayer is the answer.
Have Faith and Do Not Fear. Fear is an emotion that is attractive to negative entities. When you begin to fear, make a conscious decision not to let it overcome you, and then put it out of your mind. If you pray to your higher power, and have faith that nothing bad will happen to you, you are protected. Faith and prayer are inextricably linked, and the application of faith and prayer goes far beyond protection.
Accept Yourself. We live our lives for a reason. The world is a university and a playground, and if we knew what to expect we would never grow and learn. Take the punches and grow wiser as a result. If your sister wants to shun you, remember, you can say,”I told you so” for an eternity.
Surrender. Inherent in surrendering is self acceptance, but it goes even further. We have to learn we can’t control everything in our lives, and we have to stop fighting what we can’t control. Doing so holds us back in reaching our goals in this life.
Take Control. While surrendering is letting go of our control issues, taking control of our abilities and surroundings is important and distinctly different. Many people who contact me have ghosts that won’t leave, or who frighten them. You can’t get rid of a ghost by asking it to leave if it is convenient for them. You must take control and tell the ghosts in a courteous, yet stern manner, they are not allowed to frighten you and that they have to leave, if this is a problem for you or your children. Remember, ghosts were people too, and you wouldn’t just let anyone in your house to hang out during dinner. Ghosts are not pets either, and most of the time, they get the message and move on. If it is not a human entity bothering you, that is cause for bigger guns which I will not discuss here.
Journaling. I would suggest keeping a journal to catalog what is happening to you. Writing about our experiences helps us to accept them, work through them, and let go. You will always have them to reflect upon and see how far you’ve come, and how you’ve grown. Experiences that do not make sense today may have clarity next year.
Meet Like Minds. Find people you can trust who understand your abilities and will listen. There are hundreds of groups on MySpace, FaceBook, IamHaunted and many other sites. You may meet people through paranormal groups, religious groups, or events. Share with those whom you trust and those who won’t judge you.
Read. The more you read, the more you’ll understand about the other side and what is happening to you. A great place to start is a trilogy by Elsa Barker. In 1912, this young woman was minding her own business when she became suddenly psychic. Through automatic writing, the spirit of an acquaintance, Judge David Hatch, took her pen and began to write through her hand. It wasn’t long before she could hear, and she scribed three books which were big news in the day, detailing life on the other side. You can download the books for free on my site at www.investigativemedium.com/resources . I also recommend authors John Edwards, Gary Schwartz, Betty Eadie, Raymond Moody, and of course my book, available in 2009.
Meditate. Prayer and meditation helps us make sense of the messages we receive. Although it can be difficult at first, meditation is important because it helps alter our state of consciousness to bring us closer to the other side. Meditation brings discipline, concentration and practice with our abilities, which helps us have more clarity and less confusion.
There are videos and documentaries you can also watch on the Ghost Channel (www.GhostChannel.TV), and I typically have my events and lectures posted on my site, investigativemedium.com, if you are ever interested in coming and learning more in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Just know you are not alone, and you can learn to control your abilities through prayer and meditation. You may soon find that like me, you are the beneficiary of a beautiful mistake, and I wouldn’t trade my gift for anything in the world.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Communicating with Family!
Attached is an article by Janet Bernice Jeys which appeared in the September/October issue of Ancestry Magazine. Janet did a lovely job writing the article, and I am happy because it conveys what I feel is of great importance- remembering our personal history as well as our country's.
My father, C.P. Crosby, fought in the U.S. Army in World War II and later was a Civil War historian, and this week is his birthday. He is now on the "other" side, but I am sure he is pleased that perhaps others are inspired to set a place for their Daddy or Great-Grand Daddy to remember him at the dinner table from time to time. There will be peach cobbler at mine, and we will all be grateful to this man from rural Mississippi who made the world a better place.
I have attached the article below in case you are interested.
Believe!
Lainey
Communcating with Family
by Janet Bernice Jeys
LAINE CROSBY IS A MOM. She goes to swim meets, attends church with her family, volunteers at the elementary school, and regularly burns pizza. She lives a completely ordinary life, except for one little thing; as an investigative medium, Laine does her family research for folks who contact her from the other side.
Though her roots lie in Atlanta, these days Laine, husband Chris, and their twins live in Maryland on property where a plantation from the 1700s once stood. One afternoon Laine saw several men in the field with straw hats, white shirts and suspenders. Later that day, in the midst of a fitful nap, Laine heard a sweet, soft voice say, "I had a son the same age as yours."
"He is my son and not yours," Crosby answered, realizing she sounded a bit unbalanced.
"I know he is your son," the woman said.
Now fully awake, Laine saw the image of a beautiful dark-skinned woman. She was peaceful, composed, and her name was Jannette. Crosby's search of records eventually revealed that Jannette was a slave of plantation owner William George Robertson. A nanny to his 11 children, she died giving birth to Robertson's twins.
This was only the beginning.
Living only an hour from the Gettysburg battlefield, Crosby has visited with both Union and Confederate soldiers, men who don't want to be forgotten or who have no sense that they have died. "No one is unimportant," Crosby says. "Love binds us to the next world. God is right there and answers prayers of all people, living or dead. Prayer is more important than most of us realize."
Crosby now works on missing person cases with police and families. She also helps authors, historians, and archaeologists uncover what happened long ago in specific locations. She and her business partner appeared on the "Ghosts of Gettysburg" episode of the Travel Channel's Mysterious Journeys. They also host an Internet talk show, Ghost Talkers.
But ask Laine and she'll say that she mostly takes orders from the "other" side. She describes herself as little more than a mouthpiece, not much different from a television or radio. Says Laine, "As I experience information, I do the best I can to make sense of it, define it, and pass it on."
My father, C.P. Crosby, fought in the U.S. Army in World War II and later was a Civil War historian, and this week is his birthday. He is now on the "other" side, but I am sure he is pleased that perhaps others are inspired to set a place for their Daddy or Great-Grand Daddy to remember him at the dinner table from time to time. There will be peach cobbler at mine, and we will all be grateful to this man from rural Mississippi who made the world a better place.
I have attached the article below in case you are interested.
Believe!
Lainey
Communcating with Family
by Janet Bernice Jeys
LAINE CROSBY IS A MOM. She goes to swim meets, attends church with her family, volunteers at the elementary school, and regularly burns pizza. She lives a completely ordinary life, except for one little thing; as an investigative medium, Laine does her family research for folks who contact her from the other side.
Though her roots lie in Atlanta, these days Laine, husband Chris, and their twins live in Maryland on property where a plantation from the 1700s once stood. One afternoon Laine saw several men in the field with straw hats, white shirts and suspenders. Later that day, in the midst of a fitful nap, Laine heard a sweet, soft voice say, "I had a son the same age as yours."
"He is my son and not yours," Crosby answered, realizing she sounded a bit unbalanced.
"I know he is your son," the woman said.
Now fully awake, Laine saw the image of a beautiful dark-skinned woman. She was peaceful, composed, and her name was Jannette. Crosby's search of records eventually revealed that Jannette was a slave of plantation owner William George Robertson. A nanny to his 11 children, she died giving birth to Robertson's twins.
This was only the beginning.
Living only an hour from the Gettysburg battlefield, Crosby has visited with both Union and Confederate soldiers, men who don't want to be forgotten or who have no sense that they have died. "No one is unimportant," Crosby says. "Love binds us to the next world. God is right there and answers prayers of all people, living or dead. Prayer is more important than most of us realize."
Crosby now works on missing person cases with police and families. She also helps authors, historians, and archaeologists uncover what happened long ago in specific locations. She and her business partner appeared on the "Ghosts of Gettysburg" episode of the Travel Channel's Mysterious Journeys. They also host an Internet talk show, Ghost Talkers.
But ask Laine and she'll say that she mostly takes orders from the "other" side. She describes herself as little more than a mouthpiece, not much different from a television or radio. Says Laine, "As I experience information, I do the best I can to make sense of it, define it, and pass it on."
Friday, April 4, 2008
Mark Nesbitt regarding Mysterious Journeys on The Travel Channel
The following post is from Author/Historian Mark Nesbitt. Mark has asked me to post this on his behalf to clarify misconceptions of our appearance on the Travel Channel.
Since the Travel Channel's Mysterious Journeys segment on the Ghosts of Gettysburg first aired in October of 2007, I have received a few e-mails that have voiced concerns, and dozens of others that were positive and asked for more information on paranormal investigations, equipment, etc. The concerns seem to be thematic with 1) how, as a historian, I work with our medium, 2) how programs are made for television and, 3) the historical research done for and by our medium.
As to how I work with Investigative Medium Laine Crosby:
One of the complaints was that our Investigative Medium, Laine, "didn't know her history" and I didn't correct her when her history didn't agree with history available on the world wide web.
First and foremost, I never tell Laine anything about the history of the site we are to visit. That would negate any real psychic information received at the site. In most cases, I try to set up classic "double-blind" experiments: I'll choose five or six historic sites, then randomly visit only two or three. That way, even I don't know where we will end up ... so there is no way she can "study-up" on the history of the site and "fake" getting historically correct information. I try never to react to what she comes up with during an investigation- sometimes to the point of not answering her questions and appearing rude. A classic way many well-known psychics get their "other worldly" information is actually by reading the reactions of their audience. If I were to react and "tip off' a psychic/medium when she was wrong historically, it would help her to eliminate what she "receives."
The fact that Laine "messed up" the history by appearing to say that Isaac Trimble had been shot in the side and died in that room is only proof that she hadn't studied about the Lady Farm or Isaac Trimble. But that is not what she said during the actual filming of the segment.
The editing process in television productions:
The production company for the Travel Channel spent two weeks in Gettysburg and shot approximately 70 hours of tape-all for a 45 minute (minus 15 or so minutes of time for commercials) program. It wasn't Isaac Trimble, the Confederate general, with whom Laine was speaking, but the editing done in California made it appear that way. What was edited out of Laine's reading was that after she got the name "Isaac Trimble," who was a relatively famous person who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, she went on to hear that the person with whom she was communicating was NOT Trimble himself, but had been commanded by Trimble, and was from Georgia. At Gettysburg, the man had been shot in the torso. Paranormal investigators must word their questions very carefully. I asked, "Did he die here in this room?" Laine became incredibly sad at that moment and said, "He didn't know he had died." I had committed a grave error in the field of paranormal studies: You never tell the spirit with whom you are communicating that they have died because many are not aware of that fact. That explained the look on Laine's face as she heard the man say, "You mean I'm dead?" (It is indeed a mysterious place, the land of the dead.)
The remarkable thing is that Laine came up with the name "Isaac Trimble," a name she'd never heard before. I remember her struggling with it as the information came to her: "Trem ... Tremble ... " A long pause. She asked, "What is the first name, please?" Another long pause as she listened intently. "Isaac? Isaac Tremble" She listened and that was the name she heard. (All of this was edited out.) I had heard of Isaac Trimble, of course, but didn't connect him with the Lady Farm. Laine also got "Earl." I thought she was saying "Ewell," but she may have been coming up with "Early"- Jubal A. Early, another Confederate officer associated with Ewell's 2nd Corps, and another remarkable psychic "hit" by Laine.
The drawbacks of using the internet for historical research:
The internet has given virtually everyone almost instantaneous access to general facts.
Unfortunately, not all historical sources are available there. After concern was raised about Trimble's psychic "presence" at the Lady Farm, I checked my personal library, compiled over the last 30 years as a writer and researcher and containing much from my 6 years as a National Park Service Ranger/Historian at Gettysburg. I found some interesting things.
According to Trimble's own Civil War Diary (located in the Maryland Historical Society archives and published in the MD Historical Magazine, Vol. XVII in 1922), he was operated on by "Drs McGuire, Black & Hays" (Trimble's quote) on Saturday, July 4. McGuire (Hunter H.) first served as a line officer with the 2nd Virginia, "Stonewall Brigade," then became Stonewall Jackson's surgeon until Jackson's death in May of 1863. During the re-organization of the 2nd Corps, McGuire served as Chief Surgeon for the 2nd Corps under Ewell at Gettysburg. Would he have bivouacked with old friends in the Stonewall Brigade (on the Lady Farm) at Gettysburg, just a few weeks after Jackson's death? I think it very likely.
We know McGuire was already in the vicinity because he visited another of Jackson's former staff members who had been wounded, Henry Kyd Douglas, at a farm on the Hunterstown Road, just a few miles away, on July 3. (I Rode with Stonewall, by H. K. Douglas). McGuire did not operate on Douglas or apparently spend much time with him according to Douglas; just a quick visit, then McGuire moved on.
A second confirmation to Trimble's diary is in McGuire's biography in the Southern Historical Society Papers. It states that McGuire amputated Trimble's leg. Dr. Harvey Black, who was named as one of Trimble's surgeons, was also one of Jackson's surgeons, serving in the 4th Virginia Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, Johnson's Division, which was bivouacked on the Lady Farm. Trimble, having been wounded in 1862, was without a command before Gettysburg. He attached himself to Ewell's Corps on June 28, no doubt re-acquainting himself with his fellow soldiers in the corps. Trimble had commanded a brigade earlier in the war in Ewell's Division and almost got the command of Johnson's Division before Gettysburg. We also know that on the evening of July 1, Trimble claims to have had a very famous contretemps with Ewell about attacking Culp's Hill wherein he threw down his sword and exclaimed that he refused to serve under such an officer, linking Trimble with Ewell/Johnson and Johnson's headquarters at the Lady Farm. Although Trimble was wounded in Pickett's Charge on July 3, would he have requested to be operated on by surgeons he knew and trusted? As a high-ranking officer he, no doubt, would have been accommodated.
According to Gregory Coco in his book, A Vast Sea of Misery, a guide to the field hospitals at Gettysburg after the battle, Trimble's leg was amputated at the Samuel A. Cobean Farm just north of Gettysburg on the Carlisle Road. What Laine had picked up on was someone talking about Trimble, perhaps the soldier who had been wounded in the side.
One e-mail correspondent was irate and insisted that Laine's picking up on Trimble's energy was impossible, because Trimble didn't die at the Lady Farm. Trimble did not get command of Major General William Dorsey Pender's Division until after that officer was wounded on July 2, and so was likely with his old division, at the Lady Farm, until then, or off petitioning Lee for the command he finally received. As an officer he would have had access to the Lady farmhouse. Did he leave a psychic imprint there? Perhaps. It is well known in paranormal studies, that one's psychic energy can be imbedded or imprinted on a site without one having to die there.
As well known as Trimble was in Johnson's Division, and especially with two of the three surgeons who had amputated his limb associated with the units bivouacked at the Lady Farm, it is very likely his name would have at least been mentioned there. If so, his men, some of whom he had once commanded, may have inquired about him, especially if they had once served under him. It was not Trimble's energy, but someone he had once commanded that Laine picked up on. (This, as I mentioned before, was edited out of the final cut.)
In addition, no one was more surprised than I when I first saw the program and they talked about G.W. Sandoe being a Confederate soldier and being killed near Cashtown. In reality, Sandoe, who was one of the first soldiers to be killed in the battle, was a Federal and was killed south, not west, of Gettysburg. The mistake is a result of filming in Gettysburg and editing in Hollywood, where there are precious few Gettysburg historians!
The film crew was a highly professional group and spent 2 weeks putting 70 hours of tape "in the can." However, in the editing process things got cut, turned around, and generally re-arranged.
Fortunately, most of the viewers (Travel Channel programs get some 77 million) understood the program for what it was: a program on the mysteries of paranormal phenomena. They also appreciated the good things that resulted from the program: Five never before filmed haunted venues in Gettysburg were brought to light; that Scott Crownover shared with them one of the biggest break-throughs in the field of paranormal research in decades: his technique of taking photographs of spirits in the daylight; that Laine accomplished the incredible feat of correctly identifying (by psychically "talking" to him) Mr. "Culbertson" a local soldier whose name appears in the historical records of the men from Gettysburg who fought in the Civil War; and finally, that Gettysburg remains one huge laboratory for paranormal research and not just an obscure historical event many people (sadly) merely gloss over.
The bottom line is that this was "Mysterious Journeys" on the "Travel Channel "and not the "History Channel." The emphasis therefore was more on the paranormal aspects of the story. Some historical latitude is in order. My philosophy is that whatever gets people interested in the history of Gettysburg and the Civil War is productive.
Mark Nesbitt
Since the Travel Channel's Mysterious Journeys segment on the Ghosts of Gettysburg first aired in October of 2007, I have received a few e-mails that have voiced concerns, and dozens of others that were positive and asked for more information on paranormal investigations, equipment, etc. The concerns seem to be thematic with 1) how, as a historian, I work with our medium, 2) how programs are made for television and, 3) the historical research done for and by our medium.
As to how I work with Investigative Medium Laine Crosby:
One of the complaints was that our Investigative Medium, Laine, "didn't know her history" and I didn't correct her when her history didn't agree with history available on the world wide web.
First and foremost, I never tell Laine anything about the history of the site we are to visit. That would negate any real psychic information received at the site. In most cases, I try to set up classic "double-blind" experiments: I'll choose five or six historic sites, then randomly visit only two or three. That way, even I don't know where we will end up ... so there is no way she can "study-up" on the history of the site and "fake" getting historically correct information. I try never to react to what she comes up with during an investigation- sometimes to the point of not answering her questions and appearing rude. A classic way many well-known psychics get their "other worldly" information is actually by reading the reactions of their audience. If I were to react and "tip off' a psychic/medium when she was wrong historically, it would help her to eliminate what she "receives."
The fact that Laine "messed up" the history by appearing to say that Isaac Trimble had been shot in the side and died in that room is only proof that she hadn't studied about the Lady Farm or Isaac Trimble. But that is not what she said during the actual filming of the segment.
The editing process in television productions:
The production company for the Travel Channel spent two weeks in Gettysburg and shot approximately 70 hours of tape-all for a 45 minute (minus 15 or so minutes of time for commercials) program. It wasn't Isaac Trimble, the Confederate general, with whom Laine was speaking, but the editing done in California made it appear that way. What was edited out of Laine's reading was that after she got the name "Isaac Trimble," who was a relatively famous person who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, she went on to hear that the person with whom she was communicating was NOT Trimble himself, but had been commanded by Trimble, and was from Georgia. At Gettysburg, the man had been shot in the torso. Paranormal investigators must word their questions very carefully. I asked, "Did he die here in this room?" Laine became incredibly sad at that moment and said, "He didn't know he had died." I had committed a grave error in the field of paranormal studies: You never tell the spirit with whom you are communicating that they have died because many are not aware of that fact. That explained the look on Laine's face as she heard the man say, "You mean I'm dead?" (It is indeed a mysterious place, the land of the dead.)
The remarkable thing is that Laine came up with the name "Isaac Trimble," a name she'd never heard before. I remember her struggling with it as the information came to her: "Trem ... Tremble ... " A long pause. She asked, "What is the first name, please?" Another long pause as she listened intently. "Isaac? Isaac Tremble" She listened and that was the name she heard. (All of this was edited out.) I had heard of Isaac Trimble, of course, but didn't connect him with the Lady Farm. Laine also got "Earl." I thought she was saying "Ewell," but she may have been coming up with "Early"- Jubal A. Early, another Confederate officer associated with Ewell's 2nd Corps, and another remarkable psychic "hit" by Laine.
The drawbacks of using the internet for historical research:
The internet has given virtually everyone almost instantaneous access to general facts.
Unfortunately, not all historical sources are available there. After concern was raised about Trimble's psychic "presence" at the Lady Farm, I checked my personal library, compiled over the last 30 years as a writer and researcher and containing much from my 6 years as a National Park Service Ranger/Historian at Gettysburg. I found some interesting things.
According to Trimble's own Civil War Diary (located in the Maryland Historical Society archives and published in the MD Historical Magazine, Vol. XVII in 1922), he was operated on by "Drs McGuire, Black & Hays" (Trimble's quote) on Saturday, July 4. McGuire (Hunter H.) first served as a line officer with the 2nd Virginia, "Stonewall Brigade," then became Stonewall Jackson's surgeon until Jackson's death in May of 1863. During the re-organization of the 2nd Corps, McGuire served as Chief Surgeon for the 2nd Corps under Ewell at Gettysburg. Would he have bivouacked with old friends in the Stonewall Brigade (on the Lady Farm) at Gettysburg, just a few weeks after Jackson's death? I think it very likely.
We know McGuire was already in the vicinity because he visited another of Jackson's former staff members who had been wounded, Henry Kyd Douglas, at a farm on the Hunterstown Road, just a few miles away, on July 3. (I Rode with Stonewall, by H. K. Douglas). McGuire did not operate on Douglas or apparently spend much time with him according to Douglas; just a quick visit, then McGuire moved on.
A second confirmation to Trimble's diary is in McGuire's biography in the Southern Historical Society Papers. It states that McGuire amputated Trimble's leg. Dr. Harvey Black, who was named as one of Trimble's surgeons, was also one of Jackson's surgeons, serving in the 4th Virginia Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, Johnson's Division, which was bivouacked on the Lady Farm. Trimble, having been wounded in 1862, was without a command before Gettysburg. He attached himself to Ewell's Corps on June 28, no doubt re-acquainting himself with his fellow soldiers in the corps. Trimble had commanded a brigade earlier in the war in Ewell's Division and almost got the command of Johnson's Division before Gettysburg. We also know that on the evening of July 1, Trimble claims to have had a very famous contretemps with Ewell about attacking Culp's Hill wherein he threw down his sword and exclaimed that he refused to serve under such an officer, linking Trimble with Ewell/Johnson and Johnson's headquarters at the Lady Farm. Although Trimble was wounded in Pickett's Charge on July 3, would he have requested to be operated on by surgeons he knew and trusted? As a high-ranking officer he, no doubt, would have been accommodated.
According to Gregory Coco in his book, A Vast Sea of Misery, a guide to the field hospitals at Gettysburg after the battle, Trimble's leg was amputated at the Samuel A. Cobean Farm just north of Gettysburg on the Carlisle Road. What Laine had picked up on was someone talking about Trimble, perhaps the soldier who had been wounded in the side.
One e-mail correspondent was irate and insisted that Laine's picking up on Trimble's energy was impossible, because Trimble didn't die at the Lady Farm. Trimble did not get command of Major General William Dorsey Pender's Division until after that officer was wounded on July 2, and so was likely with his old division, at the Lady Farm, until then, or off petitioning Lee for the command he finally received. As an officer he would have had access to the Lady farmhouse. Did he leave a psychic imprint there? Perhaps. It is well known in paranormal studies, that one's psychic energy can be imbedded or imprinted on a site without one having to die there.
As well known as Trimble was in Johnson's Division, and especially with two of the three surgeons who had amputated his limb associated with the units bivouacked at the Lady Farm, it is very likely his name would have at least been mentioned there. If so, his men, some of whom he had once commanded, may have inquired about him, especially if they had once served under him. It was not Trimble's energy, but someone he had once commanded that Laine picked up on. (This, as I mentioned before, was edited out of the final cut.)
In addition, no one was more surprised than I when I first saw the program and they talked about G.W. Sandoe being a Confederate soldier and being killed near Cashtown. In reality, Sandoe, who was one of the first soldiers to be killed in the battle, was a Federal and was killed south, not west, of Gettysburg. The mistake is a result of filming in Gettysburg and editing in Hollywood, where there are precious few Gettysburg historians!
The film crew was a highly professional group and spent 2 weeks putting 70 hours of tape "in the can." However, in the editing process things got cut, turned around, and generally re-arranged.
Fortunately, most of the viewers (Travel Channel programs get some 77 million) understood the program for what it was: a program on the mysteries of paranormal phenomena. They also appreciated the good things that resulted from the program: Five never before filmed haunted venues in Gettysburg were brought to light; that Scott Crownover shared with them one of the biggest break-throughs in the field of paranormal research in decades: his technique of taking photographs of spirits in the daylight; that Laine accomplished the incredible feat of correctly identifying (by psychically "talking" to him) Mr. "Culbertson" a local soldier whose name appears in the historical records of the men from Gettysburg who fought in the Civil War; and finally, that Gettysburg remains one huge laboratory for paranormal research and not just an obscure historical event many people (sadly) merely gloss over.
The bottom line is that this was "Mysterious Journeys" on the "Travel Channel "and not the "History Channel." The emphasis therefore was more on the paranormal aspects of the story. Some historical latitude is in order. My philosophy is that whatever gets people interested in the history of Gettysburg and the Civil War is productive.
Mark Nesbitt
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Chestnut Lodge
I had the pleasure of working with Investigative Reporter Stacey Cohan of Fox News last Tuesday. Stacey developed a story on Chestnut Lodge, which aired on Fox 5 News in the
Stacey wondered if the building was haunted, and she called me to investigate. The developer refused to let me on the property, and I rather enjoyed the challenge since my strongest psychic ability is remote viewing. Even some of the work I do with historian, author and paranormal investigator Mark Nesbitt has been across the miles, and he writes about our work in his latest book,
I remote viewed the property and drew pictures before I arrived, and I viewed more when I stood in the rain at a distance from the building. Not only was there a nurse and female patient who looked out of the window on the left front corner on the middle floor, but there were many other spirits inside. On the very top floor, there were 3 spirits in the middle of the building on the left. The building looked like it had been ransacked with large beams of wood falling down, and trash, plastic sheets and soda cans strewn about inside. I believe one of the spirits on the top floor was a male nurse or orderly and there was a suicide or murder. Either a person hung himself, jumped, or was thrown out a window, because I see a brief view of someone suspended in air, and this vision relates to his death.
In the basement, if you were to view the entire floor like the face of a clock, with 12:00 being in the far middle back, at about 2:00, there is a concentration of energy from extreme emotions. As I look back through time, I see a man who does not understand where he is or what is happening to him. He has wires attached to his head and he is sitting in a chair with a tall back. There are four people standing around him in white coats and two men who appear to be managing his care rather than helping. A young blonde woman comes down the stairs or out of the elevator- I can't see which is behind the open door. She screams hysterically and tries to get to the man in the tall chair that has no idea what is happening. A slightly plump man in his thirties, with dark hair, trips over an obstacle as he runs after her to stop her. I see him at the point where he grabs her and I assume her takes her back upstairs.
During the interview with Stacey, a spirit walked from the building out to talk to me. I had been told by my guides in meditation this morning that a spirit would approach me and want to follow me home. When I was leaving, I was supposed to tell him to find his mother, and then he would no longer follow me. The spirit told me he was trying to find his brother, who was inside, and he needed my help. He told me the name Mark Reichard, and I am unsure of the spelling. Mark Reichard was either his name or his brother's name, I do not remember which. The spirit told me that his brother was with a secretive government agency that was holding him at Chestnut Lodge, but that he wasn't mentally ill, and he needed to be saved. My impression was that his brother had been kept there years before because the government was trying to hide him for his own safety. The spirit told me that his brother looked like he could be from another country, and he spoke the language fluently, as if the other country had been his home. His brother had dark skin and dark hair, and he mentioned "
When it was time for me to leave, the spirit followed me to my car and I soon realized although he was of no great concern to me, that he was going to follow me home. I told him that he needed to return to his mother. We talked in the car and I told him he could not come home with me to my family because his mother needed him and he must now comfort her. He told me I was right, and he thanked me three times and left by passing through the passenger door.
Stacey tells me that it is rumored the CIA use to have people at Chestnut Lodge and may have held interrogations, I believe. Of course, this is denied by the CIA, but if they confirmed, they wouldn't be the CIA, would they?
Please be sure to watch this excellent story by Stacey Cohan, available through clicking the blog title above or the word "watch" below.
WatchBelieve!
Laine Crosby
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