HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: frantz@bvc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: re: traveling to Staunton
Date: 12 Oct 92 16:09:47 CDT
Organization: Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, IA

I like Joel's idea for the ghosts repeating the same action over and over 
agin in an effort to "get it right," so to speak.  However, I might suggest 
that the image reminds me a little of some of the classic notions of 
Purgatory.  Does that, in effect, make earth (our plane of existence) a 
plausible setting for Purgatory?  You might raise a good number of 
interesting questions with those images.

Andrea

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: rhadden@isdres.er.usgs.gov
Subject: RE: halloween
Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:53:06 GMT

There's the story of the child dropped off to trick or treat a street, and comesback with a "half-dime" coin. His explainantion was that the old lady on the corner had given him the money, since hxx it did not realize it was Halloween.
Naturally, the parents took the child back to return the unusual coin, to
find that there was no house on the corner.
   Later they find an old woman had lived there before the turn of the century,
who had loved children but remained childless all her life. After some digging,
a photo of the house and woman was found, and both were identified by the
child. I've seen the half-fdime, and there have been other accounts of
children coming back with coins. The location is now littered with holes
where people have looked for the "lost hoard of silver." I've always
thought it was a lost hoard of kindness and lonliness...
lee hadden

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: Matt Garretson
Subject: "Hooker Man" in THE FAR SIDE
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 22:43:36 GMT

Check out our old pal in the 10/8 THE FAR SIDE! Pretty damned funny if you
ask me.

-Matt
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: tblascho@sierra.com (Tom Blascho (SPEar))
Subject: Re: The Lyric Theater
Followup-To: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Organization: Sierra Geophysics,  Kirkland WA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 21:18:29 GMT

In article <9210050544.AA01398@news.cis.ohio-state.edu> FURRJK@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu (Joel Furr) writes:
	[stuff deleted]
>The other ghosts, the chatting people in the balcony ...
>
>Why do you suppose the various ghosts, if there are any, are there, rather
>than off in heaven, hell, or whereever the dead go?

In the limited experience that I have had with ghosts, I have noticed that 
they tend  to be where they want to be.  They seem to choose of where they
spend their time.  Although they obey different rules, they seem to behave 
similarly to how they behaved when they were alive.

Is this any surprise?

As to the people chatting in the balcony, I would guess that they like a good 
show.  In life, I would speculate, that their favorite times were spent in the 
theater -- it does sound like a wonderful place.  In death why should things
be different?

As for the other, darker spirits, I suggest that you think about times when
something bad has happened to you (car accident, divorce, death of a freind,
etc.).  When things like this happen to people, they tend to think about
them a lot -- sometimes almost constantly.  I would suggest that ghosts go on
thinking about them even longer, even after they have died.

Remember it is people just like us who become ghosts (if such things exist,
of course 8-)).  Expecting them to act like us should be our first way of
trying to understand them.

I, for one, plan to stay around to see my children grow up -- whether I am
alive or dead.

Happy Haunting, Tom

.ghost sig is haunting my system
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator)
Subject: Re: EXORCIST
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 01:43:26 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.174616.7731@shearson.com> scarrobi@shearson.com writes:
>In article 1bhfauINNk2l@rodan.UU.NET, evie@rodan.UU.NET (Evie Allen) writes:
>> In article <aec1.717957682@crux1.cit.cornell.edu> aec1@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (Allen Chen) writes:
>> >
>> >After he finished the story, I remember him telling us about the movie,
>> >_The Exorcist_ and that it is an actual story that took place nearby.
>> >(I'm from Maryland, I believe it took place at Fort Washington or
>> >somewhere like that).  I think that was one of the first things that really
>> >got me interested in this field...
>> 
Actually, according to Peter Blatty, author of the Exorcist, the majority 
of the "facts" he based the book around, ie what Regan "did" was taken from
an exorcism performed at a hospital in St. Louis.  So horrifying were the
events that the wing was shut down until it could be completely remodelled.
I'll try to find the specific name of the hospital.  

-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / "No, I don't know how much unknown is... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	...THAT'S THE POINT!" 
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: eiverson@nmsu.edu (Eric Iverson)
Subject: Re: The Lyric Theater
Organization: Computing Research Lab
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 20:46:33 GMT

In article <9210050544.AA01398@news.cis.ohio-state.edu> FURRJK@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu (Joel Furr) writes:

   Why do you suppose the various ghosts, if there are any, are there, rather
   than off in heaven, hell, or whereever the dead go?

Although heaven had a thriving film industry during the birth of
christianity, it has fallen off in recent years.  I believe Earth
still ranks as one of the best places to see first run movies.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Iverson				Internet: eiverson@nmsu.edu
Computing Research Lab
Box 30001/3CRL				Life is something to do when
New Mexico State University		you can't get to sleep.
Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001			-Fran Lebowitz
VOICE: (505) 646-5711	
FAX:   (505) 646-6218
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Bloody Mary
From: MARLEY@hacks.arizona.edu (Marley Treadwell)
Date: Saturday, 10 Oct 92 19:31:07 MST
Distribution: world,local
Organization: The Camelot System (Excalibur)
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.05
From: uni@acs.bu.edu (Shaen Bernhardt)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Re: cthulhu
Date: 10 Oct 92 19:48:08 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

In article <1992Oct10.180813.3063@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA> bchapman@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA (Bruce Patrick Chapman) writes:
>apparently this newsgroup will be less plagued by cthulhu etc...i was greeted
>by the new cthulhu newsgroup on entering rn today.
>BTW: I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS CALLED. I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO IT.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>This is forwarded mail.  Please send all comments etc. to the following
>		address: <9005904@mcmaster.bitnet>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May such good fortune find us repeatedly.

uni

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: scarrobi@shearson.com (Steve Carrobis)
Subject: Re: Ectoplasm
Reply-To: scarrobi@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 13:38:08 GMT

well you know how we are supposed to be made up of protoplasm ... well actoplasm is a spectral gunk or slime .. which makes the ghost a ghost .... but hey if u watch GhostBusters you'll see .. (not a flame ) ... 

---
Steve C. 

 ==> A wise man once told me - There ARE NO Wise Men !
                             - Just fools who think they are.
---------------------------------------------------------------		
 I understand you need someone to do work.
 I don't do work, but, I know this guy who does.
    -Vladimir Taltos
---------------------------------------------------------------
From: jfurr@vtssi.vt.EDU (Joel Furr)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: re: means of detecting ghosts
Date: 7 Oct 92 18:38:09 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University Department of Computer and Information Science

kanderso@reed.edu (Karl Anderson) writes: 

>
>While we're on the subject, does anyone have any suggestions for
>sensing a ghost?  I habituate a few areas that seem ripe for haunting.
>
>I can give one that wouldn't be very useful here in the U.S.:
>my friend lived with a family in Nepal for a time.  He likes to
>whistle, but would be gravely discouraged by the family against
>whistling in the house, because this was known to attract spirits.
>

I do *not* want to start a thread on Ted Serios's so-called "psychic photogra-
phy" by bringing up the subject of photography as a way to detect ghosts. 
Just thought I'd say that here...

But as far as photography goes, I've heard a lot of folklorish and UL-ish
stories about still cameras, movie cameras, and video recorders being used to
detect ghosts, with two main threads: 1) the ghosts were seen and were filmed.
2) the ghosts were not seen but appeared in the developed film or the viewed
videotape.

Comments?
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: pingleto@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Mike Pingleton)
Subject: Re:  EXORCIST
Originator: pingleto@mars.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 13:04:21 GMT

Mike "Your mother eats kitty litter" Pingleton


Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: scarrobi@shearson.com (Steve Carrobis)
Subject: FLAME OFF
Reply-To: scarrobi@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 14:09:57 GMT

hi guys .. i wanted tgo say something .. all this CTHULU stuff is getting way out of hand ... and before u flame .. yes i even had stuff to say in its defense .. but hey i am very open-minded and am not happy with constraints put on people ..
but instead of making a new access ... tell everyone to take it to ALT.HORROR ...
because it appears to me that the people here dont seem to equate ghost stories with horror stories or demon stories .. even though they do relate .... but hey .. i am just stating a point of fact ... i will no longer continue the CTHULU thread ..
cause i hate  all this bickering .. gives me a migraine .... and to Joel Furr .... if u r the sysop for this my apologies for what i am going to say but ... 
i think u should lighten up a bit ... just because u dont have an affinity to Lovecraft u jumped down many people's throats .. i dont like that stuff ... and if u notice i use little vulgarity because i am an old time BBSer where the rules are very strict no foul language .. which needs to be used from timt to time...
well just leave  it be and it will go away ... Just like Casper ... heheh couldnt resist ....

-----

Steve C. 

 ==> A wise man once told me - There ARE NO Wise Men !
                             - Just fools who think they are.
---------------------------------------------------------------		
 I understand you need someone to do work.
 I don't do work, but, I know this guy who does.
    -Vladimir Taltos
---------------------------------------------------------------

   	


Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: cvantwrp@news.weeg.uiowa.edu (Cyndi Van Antwerp)
Subject: A variation on "light" stories
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 17:16:42 GMT

Here's another incident that happened to me.  I was renting this "house"
(it was actually an old garage converted into a dwelling) in the late 
sixties and lived there alone.  One night I awoke from a dead sleep and
there was this bright blue light shining in the window illuminating the
whole room something like a black light illuminates an area.  It was kind of
eerie, but kind of cool, too.  I mean, the light felt _warm_, and I
thought it was pretty neat, but was curious as to where it was coming from.
After what seemed like a long time I got out of bed and walked around the
room marveling at how everything "looked" under this strange light.  For
some reason I wasn't afraid.  I finally walked over to the window to
see where the source of this light was and looked out.  It was pitch
black outside!  There was no light whatsoever!  I turned back to the room
and sure enough, it was still illuminated!  

I did this looking back and forth several times and never found a source
for the illumination, but still never had any trace of fear (and I usually
frighten easily).  I finally went back to bed and fell back asleep with
the light still shining away--it never came back the rest of the time I
lived there (which wasn't very long, but is another story).


-- 
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
					-- John Lennon

Cyndi Van Antwerp
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: wombat@cs.montana.edu (Izurieta)
Subject: scared!
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, MSU, Bozeman Mt 59717
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 20:34:52 GMT

Newsgroups: Alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: scared
Summary: 
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, MSU, Bozeman Mt 59717
Keywords: 

	Some time ago, an asian person said that he was extremely scared
of gosts.  He wanted to know of a way to stop being affraid.

	Here is my recomendation:

	Go to the local cementery.  Make sure it is midnight, with a full
moon preferably but not necessary. Go towards the center of the cementery
and find a headstone from around the 1800's, these spirits are more
experienced!  After you find the headstone, lie on your back on top of
the tomb, just as if you were the dead person lying underneath you.

	At this point you may want to take a deep breath and relax a little
bit.  I'd imagine your heart might be beatting a little harder by now.

	Now that you are fully relaxed (sure!) get your ouija board and
call the spirit of the person lying underneath you.  Do not be scared
if you feel something scratching your butt.

	If you can go through the whole experience and go home, you'll
never be scared of anything else!  Or, it will take a hell of a lot to
scare you!

PS: I would never ever ever do what I just said.  I would take another
    pair of underware if you want to try it.

					Clem
					(wombat@cs.montana.edu)
.


Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator)
Subject: Re: Ghosts and Cthulhu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 12:22:56 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.180557.134@gems.vcu.edu> ccooke@gems.vcu.edu writes:
>Thank you to those of you who took the time to explain Cthulhu to me.  I had 
>never heard of H.P. Lovecraft and was never involved in the Dungeons and  
                                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Dragons craze.  
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA!!!!

What have you guys been filling him with?  Talk about two mutually exclusive 
statements!  Prattle all you want about "Newsgroup Purity," but let us not 
indulge in misinformation...

OB Cthulhu Reference:  When good Ol' HPL was growing up, he would look out 
over the sea, and sometimes would behold the ghosts of mariners returning
from their watery graves.  His relatives laughed at him, and told him they
were just paying a visit.  But he remarked that they looked like they were
being _chased_ out...
-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / "No, I don't know how much unknown is... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	...THAT'S THE POINT!"
From: zimm@hmivax.humgen.upenn.edu (Laurie Zimmerman, HHMI, Univ. of Pa.)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Re: halloween
Date: 14 Oct 92 18:40:34 GMT
Organization: HHMI/Human Genetics, Univ of Pa.

In article <1992Oct13.215746.2581@coe.montana.edu>, wombat@cs.montana.edu (Izurieta) writes:
> 
> 	Dear ghostly friends,
> 
> 	Halloween is approaching fast, and I am suppossed to scare the
> living pants of some neighbourhood kids.  Any ideas?  Storytelling would
> be interesting but not very effective.  Has anyone done anything that deserves
> mention?
> 
> 
> 		Please let me know,  better still, post it to the network
> as I am sure other netters want to hear about it.
> 
> 
> 					Clem
> 
> 					(wombat@fubar.cs.montana.edu)


why sure!  if they are coming by for trick-or-treat, why not do the scarecrow
thing...  stuff a shirt and pants with straw sticking out, and make a head with
a hat over it (so you can't see much of the face) and shoes and gloves too.
place this guy on your porch or somewhere else that is highly visible.

then the night the kids are supposed to come by, unstuff the whole thing, put
on the shirt, pants, gloves, and shoes (and hat) and sit slumped over until
they get close enough for you to scare the heebiejeebies outta them!

(they will have gotten used to seeing a scarecrow on your porch or wherever)


it works quite well, esp on me!

nut

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: st1dg@rosie.uh.edu (Wilkinson, Damon E.)
Subject: Re: CANDYMAN == Bloody Mary/Mary Worth ??
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 02:59:00 GMT

In article <hgvzm+h@rpi.edu>, Matt Garretson writes...
>Have you seen the TV ads for the new film CANDYMAN? It seems like an alternative
>take on our own beloved Mary Worth story. "Look into the mirror. Say it once
>for fun..."  But you damn well better not say it five times!


What in the world are you taking about?
From: toma@hyperion.gsfc.nasa.gov (Tom Atwater)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Re: Ghost stories-mini series
Date: 9 Oct 92 13:15:56 GMT
Organization: Code 916, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

In article <1992Oct7.142123.20980@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> jmarinel@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jennifer L Marinello) writes:
>Story number 2
>Suddenly she saw a
>blue glowing figure at the door. It's head looked deformed somehow and it was 
>staring at it's hands.  She thought that the ghost looked as though it had 
>elephantitis. The ghost hovered close by her bed.  She decided that
>he meant no harm so she tried very hard not to be afraid of it. Eventually it 
>walked away.

Sounds to me like some of the experiences that Whitley Streiber
("Communion", "Transformation") has had, among others.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: rbg41782@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Rich Grady)
Subject: Re: TAKE IT TO ALT.CONFIG!
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 18:14:42 GMT

FURRJK@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu (Joel Furr) writes:

>Ladies and gentlemen of alt.folklore.ghost-stories, and you Cthulhu idiots,
>I posted a message to alt.config asking that an alt.cthulhu newsgroup be
>created to take the jackasses OUT of here and put them in their own padded
>cell.  Those of you who insist on infecting other newsgroups with your stupid
>posts about Cthulhu being a Melnibonean deity ought to start posting this

	Cthulhu is _not_ Melnibonean diety.  If you are going to insult 
fans of H.P. Lovecraft, the least you could do is get some facts correct!

>drivel to alt.config.  An alt.cthulhu.melnibonean newsgroup would be created
>so fast your heads would spin, and then you'd have NO excuse not to go there
>and LEAVE US ALONE.
From: v076r95v@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (The Nature Boy)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Candyman: True ghost story or fiction?
Date: 16 Oct 92 20:06:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	I got to see the movie, "Candyman", as a sneak preview last night at 12
A.M.  It REALLY added to the mood of the movie and it was AWESOME!  Go see this
movie if you want the living daylights scared out of you!  :)
	Anyway, my question is: Does anyone know if the "story" of Candyman was
fiction from Clive Barker, or did he adapted the story from some folklore
somewhere?  If anyone can answer this question, it would be greatly
appreciated.
					PHOENIX 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bernard Eric Cana      "We go out in the world and take our chances.        |
| 490 Spaulding Quad      Fate is the just the weight of circumstances.       |
| SUNYAB                  That's the way that lady luck dances.               |
| Buffalo, NY 14261       Roll the bones!  Roll the bones!"                   |
| (716) 645-5008                      -Rush "Roll The Bones"                  |
| in%"V076R95V@UBVMS.BITNET" or in%"V076R95V@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU"            |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: Matt Garretson
Subject: Re: means of detecting ghosts
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 01:26:53 GMT

It's an old spouse's tale that if you get behind a cat and look between its
ears, you are able to see ghosts.  Unfortunately, my cat doesn't function well 
in this capacity because she keeps turning around to keep an eye on me!   :)

BTW, It really used to freak me out when my cats would walk into the room,
stare at the wall for 5 minutes, then suddenly get spooked and frantically run
from the room with their eyes wide and their fur ruffled. I used to think that
they were hallucinating or seeing ghosts or something. But luckily, I now read
rec.pets.cats and have learned that the cats are probably just hearing bugs
inside the walls. Not very comforting, though; I'd rather have ghosts than bugs!
--
Matt Garretson                    :-)                 temporarily kaminl@rpi.edu
From: ccooke@gems.vcu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Ghosts and Cthulhu
Date: 13 Oct 92 18:05:57 -0400
Summary: Please move Cthulhu and send more ghost stories!
Organization: Medical College of Virginia

Thank you to those of you who took the time to explain Cthulhu to me.  I had 
never heard of H.P. Lovecraft and was never involved in the Dungeons and Dragons 
craze.  The Lovecraft stories sound intriguing and I plan on checking them 
out; unfortunately, I must agree with the faction that wants the Cthulhu 
discussions in another group.  They really do not belong in the ghost stories 
category.  Since I'm new to the net and still picking my way through I would 
certainly enjoy not having to manually skip these items and have no earthly 
idea (yet) how to automate skipping them.  So please, move Cthulhu and I'll 
join in the chatter on another file after reading the books.  In the meantime 
keep those ghost stories coming.  I'm really enjoying them.  I've got to be 
careful not to log on too late when I'm at work alone in this old haunted 
government building in Richmond....shiver, shiver, shiver.....
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: j_herlih@oz.plymouth.edu (Axl)
Subject: Re: cthulhu
Reply-To: j_herlih@oz.plymouth.edu (Axl)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 22:14:27 GMT

In article <1992Oct10.180813.3063@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA>
bchapman@spartan.ac.Bro ckU.CA (Bruce Patrick Chapman) writes:

>apparently this newsgroup will be less plagued by cthulhu etc...i was greeted
>by the new cthulhu newsgroup on entering rn today.
>BTW: I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS CALLED. I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO IT.
>
`tis known as alt.horror.cthulhu, my friend...

-Axl
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories