A NIGHT OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD ON THE QUEEN MARY

Saturday night I met up with a group of paranormal investigators and we went to the Queen Mary. This was going to be a fun night because we were allowed to go where we wanted and stay as long as we wanted. No tour guide or Queen Mary "psychic" to take us around.

We met up at midnight. We did have a security guard walking around with us to unlock the doors we wanted but he sat outside and waited for us. He didn't tell us to go anywhere or stay away from any place. He was just the keeper of the keys.

We all wanted to go to the Isolation rooms where they kept the sick and dying when the ship was active.

So we walked down a long hall. Yes there is an orb there! In fact, there are two. If you look on the floor area you see a smaller lighter one.

This is interesting because we felt we had two spirits in there with us. Could these orbs be the two we felt?

Up on the wall was an old rescue stretcher. It was in this area that I got a very odd feeling. I felt like a younger man around 25-30 years old was trying to contact us.

I had a strong feeling he was trying to tell us how he died. I got a heavy feeling in my chest, like he had a hard time breathing. I got warm as if I had a fever. I felt like he died from suffocation. Like he had fluid build up in his lungs. Perhaps pneumonia.

Then, one of the girls in our group, who I had not met before and claimed she was a medium, came over. She had not been around when I told a few of the people near me what I had felt.

She said she had the same feelings. I asked her if she felt it was a young man and she said "No, he seems older to me". I asked her how old and she said "late 20's to early 30's". I had to laugh because to her that was older. She is only 18.

To me, that was a younger man because I'm 52.

Well, we got enough interest in this area that everyone wanted to do an EVP session. This is where we try to "talk" to the dead. Sometimes voices can be captured on recorders. Sometimes we use a KII devise which picks up on the electric magnetic fields and they say a spirit can make the lights flicker from green up to red by getting near it. Thereby being able to answer our questions.

We ended up having about a 10 minute conversation. We asked questions like "are you a man" the KII flickered to red. We asked "did you die on the ship". Again it flickered to answer yes. We asked if he worked on the ship. Nothing. We asked if he was in the Military when he was on the ship. The KII showed us that yes he was.

We also asked questions like "Are you a woman" right after we get a yes to the question "are you a man". We want to be sure that the KII is not just malfunctioning.

It was very interesting and exciting that we started to get something right away in our investigation.

After about 10 minutes we stopped getting any activity so we moved on.

We came across a list of some of the people who died on the ship. The picture is not great because I had to use my flash to get a good photo and there is a glare.

Not all the military men were listed on here.

We then went to the actual rooms where the sick and dying were kept. They had it set up in one room to be just like how it was. I'm not sure if these beds were the actual ones or not.

They had some display cases set up too. When I saw this it gave me chills.

You can read what it is better here.

There was a whole area about how they handled Death at Sea. How they buried some in the sea, some were cremated. Some carried home.

It was when we sat down in the actual rooms that I got a very very strong feeling of sadness. So strong that I felt like I was going to start to cry. I have never had that happen before.

We did another EVP session and I asked the questions. We didn't get any actually KII hits but at one point I asked "How long have you been here" one of the other guys who had his recorder taping heard "7 years". He played it back and we could all hear it.

I really got chills when I heard that.

Many in the group wanted to go down to the Engine and Boiler rooms. So we went behind the doors marked EMPLOYEES ONLY.

Down several flights of stairs and through some dark hallways.

We were 50 feet below water level.

Soon, the only thing we could see was darkness and our flashlight beamed in rooms of endless blackness.

We finally made our way to the Engine room. If you have seen the movie The Poseidon Adventure, you have seen this room before as that movie was filmed in here.

I have to admit, I felt and saw nothing in this area at all. Though they claim this is one of the most haunted areas on the ship.

We were by the famous water tight door 13 which they say is where two young men were killed. One tried to run through the closing door when a fire broke out but was to late to make it and it shut on him, cut him in half, killing him instantly.

Another young man was playing "Chicken" during a drill to see how close he could get to running through before the door shut. Sadly he was to slow and ended up getting killed by the door he thought he could beat.

After spending about 1/2 hour in this area, all of a sudden, the loud sounds of the machines filled the air. We didn't really think anything of it until we left the area and was talking to the security guard who told us that these machines no longer work and have not worked for years.

He looked at us like were making up the story of them being turned on. They did stay on for about 8 minutes and then turned off. However, by the time we spoke to the guard, they had already shut off.

Was this one of the workers who died showing us how he did job while alive? I have no way of knowing but it is odd that after 30 years of not working they would all of a sudden turn on.

We walked even further down and our flashlights dimly lit the darkness of spaces deep in the bowels of the ship in rooms all but forgotten by most people.

These are the spaces sought after by paranormal groups around the world.

In these sort of spaces it is a bit creepy and you get the feeling you would have as you are watching a scary movie. Your senses are heightened. You wait for something to jump out of the darkness. You have to watch your step to make sure it is safe to move forward.

Yet, when I came across these little wet footprints I was happy.

No, these are not the prints of some ghost animal on board. They were made by a little raccoon that some how made his way on the ship. He was very cute.

I tried to get a photo of him but my camera wouldn't take a picture. It went off and the flash brightened the room, yet there was no picture. These sort of strange phenomenons happen often. Batteries drain quickly, cameras, recorders and other things stop working. Yet, when you leave the area, they seem to work again.

As I moved away from the area I was in, my camera started to work again. You can see how this part of the ship is not kept up at all.

We were in one of the boiler rooms. It was in here that a few men were killed by steam that shot out and killed them.

Again, another area that is said to be very haunted.

You can see some orbs in this photo. Yes, this area was dusty and dirty. However, none of the other photos had orbs. Are these orbs just dust? Could be. Maybe not. I can't really say for sure.

We did another EVP session in this little room which is also in the boiler room. There were no hits on the KII at all.

However, at three different times I heard heavy breathing and what almost sounded like a growl.

I didn't say a word. Then two other people said they heard it too. Then the third time I heard it at least five other members heard it too.

As we were walking to the swimming pool area I turned my light down a hallway and saw this.

Looking at it now I laugh because it is so clearly a dummy that is used as a prop. However, when strange things are going on around you and you are walking in complete darkness, coming across this is a bit startling for a moment.

As we were walking around from room to room I did think it was a lot like going into a haunted house. You expect something to pop out at you with every turn you make.

However, that is not what really happens. It's rare to see anything and when you do, it's not like at a haunted house where a monster jumps in front of you.

When something does happen, the first thing you do is wonder if anyone else saw or head the same thing. Then you try to explain it away. It's only when it can't be explained away that you start to wonder if you really just had some type of contact from a spirit.

This is the famous pool area where a little girl named Jackie has been heard by many people. A small orb is in this photo but I don't really think it's anything more then dust or a bit of moisture in the air.

I'm not as sure about this photo though. This orb seems to be pretty big and this photo was taken while we were calling out to Jackie to show herself.

I personally love being in this area of the ship. Not just because it is where Jackie has been seen and heard. But, because it is really a glimpse back into the art deco time. I can picture the people in 1st class in here swimming around and enjoying themselves.

One thing I noticed is the pool is very deep. There really isn't a shallow end. There is deep and deeper.

The slide is very short and at a step angle too.

This is a sign showing some of the treatments that could be purchased by the passengers to be pampered. You can click on the photo and it will get bigger so you can read it better.

The night we were there, nothing happened in the pool area. There wasn't anything more then some distinct knocks and high pitched sounds. Though they could have come from almost anywhere on the ship.

This area seems to be a room that picks up on sounds from all over the ship.

Little Jackie, who is a girl who they say drowned in the pool and still roams around looking for her mommy, never made a peep while we were there. In fact, in all the times I've been on the Queen Mary I've never seen or heard Jackie.

How many men and woman stepped on these scales and moaned when they saw the weight gain from all the good food on board the ship? Oh, it seems some things in life never change.

The women's dressing rooms are said to be where a vortex to the "other side" can be found. To be honest I have a hard time believing in a vortex.

For those of you who don't know what a vortex is, some believe there are certain areas where the spirits can pass through to our world in these areas that are a thin veil from our world and that of the hereafter.

While we were in the dressing area, we did an EVP session. I found it odd that right at the time this photo was taken, this guy said he felt like his clothes was being tugged on.

If you look on his arm you can see an orb. Could that be a spirit tugging on him?

I like to take photos when someone says they feel someone is near them. If an orb shows up at that time it's almost like proof something really was there at the time.

One of the girls said she felt like there was a spirit in the dressing room with us.

Now let me tell you, while we are in here all lights are off. You can't even see your hand in front of your face. The only reason you see anything in these photos is because of the flash of the camera.

On the way out, we passed the shower area. I clicked a quick photo. Can you see the orb? Perhaps that was the spirit the girl felt that was with us.

So, we didn't see any actual ghosts appear in front of us, we did seem to have a lot of activity taking place on the ship.

It was really a lot of fun having full run of the ship. I would love to go back and see other places I've not been to before. We all agreed we will be back here soon.

I hope you enjoyed being able to go along on our investigation. I'll let you know if any of the recorders picked up anything once all of them have been reviewed.

So tell me, do you believe in ghosts? If you have ever had anything happen to you I would love to hear your story.

PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION ON THE QUEEN MARY

I know I said I was going to post about this two days ago but I've had problems getting the photos to upload properly.

Anyway, Glenda, from Many Fond Memories and I went on a tour at the Queen Mary called Paranormal Investigations. They only have this tour on Fridays at Midnight. It is lead by a well known Paranormal Investigator.

We got there a little bit early so while we were waiting we decided to look around a little bit before the tour started.

Glenda had taken a few photos and then while taking a photo of a staircase she noticed she had what is called an orb.

For those of you who don't know, an orb is what they call it when you catch a "spirit, ghost or energy" of a dead person on film. You can not see them in person. They just show up in photos or on film.

Glenda showed me her photos with the orbs. I then took out my camera to see if I got the same things. After all, sometimes what appears to be an orb is really nothing more then a speck of dust or water or some other mark on your camera lens.

Having two cameras taking photos of the same area would not likely show an orb if one was not really there.

So I clicked my first photo of the stairs and this is what I got.

An orb! I was really surprised to see this. You see, I assumed all these ghost stories I've heard about at the Queen Mary was really nothing more then just that...stories. Stories of sightings in order to bring in the tourist.

So, after seeing that I too had an orb in my photo I then said out loud "OK then, is there anyone else who wants to come along on the tour with us? If so, come out now." Then I clicked the camera again.

Much to my amazement that photo had even more orbs. Now I was not sure if I was starting to believe yet or not. So again I spoke out loud. This time I said "If you are really a spirit showing up then make yourself much brighter so I can really see you." Then I took another photo.

As you can see I got a much brighter orb this time. There is also a smaller fainter one at the top of the stairs.

I have to admit I was a bit freaked out by this. Not scared. Just a strange feeling.

We then left and went back to meet up where the group was gathering waiting for the Paranormal Investigator to show up.

We spoke to the guy who had checked us in and told him about our photos. He was a young guy who had been working at the Queen Mary for about 2 years and when he first started he said he didn't believe in ghosts or anything with the paranormal. After working there he said he has never seen anything but he has felt things. Things like the room getting cold and someone touching him when no one was in the room.

He asked which set of stairs we took the photos at. When we told him he smiled and said that many people have seen things there. He then said those stairs were right by where the children's play room used to be.

Could we have captured some spirits that were really there? I don't really know. I do know it was strange that I asked for certain things and then the next picture they showed up.

Finally our Tour Guide showed up. His name is Pat and he is the one who founded the Paranormal Tours at the Queen Mary. He also is the founder of a Paranormal Magazine. I forgot which one. To be honest, I never even knew there was one.

He then explained what the equipment was that was used when doing investigation and showed us how everything worked. Then he handed out stuff so everyone had a flash light and some piece of equipment to use.

It turned out there was a team of Investigators from San Diego on the ship doing research. We ran into them at the pool area. We were asked to be quiet and careful so as not to disturb their work.

They were set up just outside the pool area in the hall. They were picking up some kind of readings of activity with their camera, infrared machine and something that measures the electromagnetic readings.

I didn't see or feel anything as I watched them.

Our investigator told us there have been stories by many people of a little girl that has been seen in the pool area. There have been sightings of wet footprints coming from the pool even though there is no water in the pool any longer.

Also a lady in white with no head has been seen there.

There is another tour at the Queen Mary that is a special effect show/tour and they darken the room and foot prints appear to be walking on the deck. Our guide told us he was the one who painted the foot prints for the special effect show and so we shouldn't come to him saying we saw foot prints as they were not real.

I took a photo to show the painted foot prints. However, right near them...an orb shows up. Right in the area where the little girl is said to be seen.

Her name is Jackie and it has been reported that she has been seen upstairs in this area and also heard. I didn't hear or see or feel anything and nothing showed up in my photos.

The investigator told us that while doing a four day investigation in the pool area they picked up the sound of a little girl giggling in this area at 3:00am.

This is just another shot of the pool area. As you can see, I didn't pick up orbs in every picture. In fact, more often then not I got nothing. So they clearly were not just something on my camera lens.

This area is in back of the pool and was the woman's changing room. There have been lots of reports of people seeing things and hearing voices in this area. Many believe this is where there is a portal that is a pathway between this world and the hereafter.

There are no lights in this area any longer. Glenda and I waited until everyone left this area and turned off our flash lights to see if we felt or heard anything.

Nothing.

We moved on to areas not open to the public at all. We went to the front cargo hold area. To get there you have to go through back rooms, storage areas and climb lots of stairs.

This is also the area where they kept the Prisoners of War. Many of whom died here.

We are sitting in an area just before we entered the actual room. We were warned that if we had any fear of heights or closed spaces that we should stay here and wait for the rest of the group to return.

To get to where we were going we had to climb down a very old, narrow and long ladder. Once we got down we would be in the very bottom of the ship where the Prisoners were held durning World War II.

We were also warned that down there we had to be very careful because there were several places of missing floor boards and we could very easily fall down through the boards and get hurt.

Do you see the orbs in the photo above? Could these be some of the Prisoners or Soldiers from the War?

This is a shot looking down to where were going. Believe me it's much further down then these photos look. It was a scary and eerie feeling just looking down there.

I did have a strange feeling about going down there. Like it wasn't a happy place. A feeling of sadness and gloom came over me.

Do you see the orbs?

But, we were brave and went down. Not everyone in our group did so.

Another shot just before I turned around to go down the ladder. I had a fear that maybe I was doing the wrong thing by going down there.

No orbs in this shot.

This is once I'm down there. I was taking a lot of photos. I caught many orbs down in this area.

It's said to be the most haunted place on the ship.

Our guide played a recording for us of sounds and voices that he had captured over time.

It was scary as we heard voices saying "Help me!" and "We are dying". There were banging sounds and clinging noises.

Our guide had us all sit down so we would be safe. We were going to turn the lights out and record as he asked questions. Everyone was very quiet and we all waited to hear answers to questions such as "Is there anybody with us? Can you make a noise so we know you are here? Will you show yourself to us? Do you want us to leave?".

My heart was beating a bit faster as I waited. It was pitch black down there. I just knew were were going to hear something or see something right before our eyes. The feeling in there was so strong that we were not alone.

After about 15 minutes he stopped the recording and we turned our lights back on and listened to the recording. Again...nothing.

Yet the photos once again showed more orbs.

I snapped a few more photos before heading back up the ladder. Which, by the way, was even scarier going up then it was going down. I had a feeling someone or something didn't want us to leave.

I had a photo showing the ladder and near it were orbs but even though I finally was able to get it to upload here I notice it is now missing again.

Is there a problem with blogger or does someone not want that picture to be shown??? I don't know.

We then went to the engine room. You can see one of the other investigators was in there running tests.

You also notice that to the left of the door it says 13. That is door 13 where a young man of 19 who had just become a fireman was killed as the door shut on him trapping him between rooms.

It is said that this young man still is there in the engine room. Seen by many over the years.

At this point I was standing next to Glenda and we both took a photo of this area. She took a picture first and I then clicked my camera thinking maybe I would capture an orb that may or may not be the young man that was killed.

What I saw was not an orb. I saw a shadow. This shadow did not show up on Glenda's photo so I knew it was not something on the wall or the way the light was shinning.

One of the San Diego Paranormal Investigators heard me talking to Glenda about maybe seeing something. So he asked to see my camera. He agreed that was was captured was not what we could see with our own eyes. He said he wasn't sure what it was but it wasn't a shadow made by any light up in the area as nothing was up there. He found it to be very interesting.

I zoomed in and took another photo and captured it again.

Click on the photos to blow them up for a better look. Everyone agreed it looked like a shadow of a person with a hat on.

The real strange thing was Glenda did capture this same type of image only in the swimming pool area.

Did someone decided to walk with us on the tour???

Now I don't know if what we caught on film is a ghost or spirit. I do know we could not explain them or rule them out as being anything certain.

Are they from those who lost their life while on the Queen Mary years ago? I can't say. I'll let you decide.

I had so much fun on this tour. However, I did think our Investigator was all wrong for this tour. He would try to put a damper on everything everyone saw, heard, felt or captured on film. He said it was his job to explain what these unknown things were. Though he did agree that not everything could be explained.

At the end of the tour we returned all the equipment and he said "So did you have fun? Wasn't that boring? That's what 99% of the time is as a Paranormal Investigator". I was shocked he said that. After all, doesn't he want people to think they saw things, heard thing or felt a presence? Isn't that how they get more people to sign up for the tours? Strange.

There are a lot of words I would use to describe this tour but boring was not one of them.

I want to thank Glenda for finding out about this tour and for asking me to go along. It was really like no other tour I've ever been on before.