investigations into the supernatural

I am always seeking new evidence of the occult and paranormal in our world, but I’m afraid I haven’t found any compelling cases recently.  If you have any leads, I urge you to put them in touch with me.  

In the meanwhile, two of my earlier cases are being released this fall under a new cover and title:

At present, I'm afraid my various researches into paranormal phenomena keep me too busy to maintain an extensive web presense.  However, you can follow the work of my assistant, Amy Danziger Ross, on these platforms:

You are correct!  

Well, partly...  I do have a book coming out in September from Simon Pulse, but it’s actually a re-release of the original Diary of a Haunting and Possession, bound together in one volume. 

I’m excited about the opportunity for these stories to reach more people.  And the new release does come with a sinister new cover:

Thank you, first of all, for sharing such a fascinating experience.  How lucky you are to have known first hand the icy touch of supernatural forces! 

As to your question, there is precedent for such experiences. They are not universally acknowledged as legitimate, of course, but are nonetheless well-attested in the literature of the paranormal.  There remains, however, the intriguing if troubling question -- what sort of entity might be responsible for these sensations?

We cannot know with any certainty, of course.  But be warned -- experience indicates it is unlikely to be a friendly spirit.  The ectoplasmic manifestations of dead humans (better known as “ghosts”) are generally understood not to be capable of physical contact with our world.  It is much more likely, unfortunately, that such contact come from a daemonic or otherwise malevolent creature who may pose a far greater threat to the living. 

Not at all stupid, and you’re right, the Diary of a Haunting stories are based on some actual events.  The first Diary of a Haunting deals with a cult called Pronoica, which was closely based on the real cult of Psychiana.  

DoaH:Possession was loosely adapted from a more recent paranormal event that took place in Gary, Indiana.  

DoaH: Book of Shadows was drawn from any number of stories and superstitions associated with grimoires like this one, through the ages.  

May I present the cover for the newest Diary of a Haunting volume, Book of Shadows!

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

Then my eye caught on this one book. Unlike the others, it didn’t have a title on its spine. With cracked, leather binding, It looked much older than its neighbors. Most were paperbacks from the 80s and 90s with lurid, colorful covers. But this one had gold embossing engraved into its matted, black leather. I took it down from the shelf, my eyes widening when I felt its cover—soft and unusually hairy, as if made from animal hair. Gold covered the pages’ edges, shining a bit in the dimming candle light flickering in the store. More gold in fine, wispy lines decorated the front and back covers in a frightening design. At first I thought it was an abstract pattern, but as I stared at it, I started to pick out shapes—not only twisty vines and wilting flowers, but animals with human faces, and sneaky looking little monsters. It was hard to see them at all through the delicate tracery, but if you looked closely enough, you'd catch an eye staring out at you, or a gleaming golden fang. Each one was different, and incredibly detailed. Thinking there had to be a title somewhere, I turned the book over and over again, searched its spine and looked for words hidden between the unusual figures. But nothing.

This is an excellent question, though like most things in the field of the paranormal I'm afraid that there are no easy answers.  How common is this phenomemon of common doubling and repetition, and what causes it?  Science has yet to reveal a definite answer, but there are some theories.  

Most intriguingly, Freud gives the question some thought in his famous essay on Das Unheimliche:

That fact or which consists in a recurrence of the same situations, things and events... recalls that sense of helplessness sometimes experienced in dreams.

...It is only this factor of involuntary repetition which surrounds with an uncanny atmosphere what would other-wise be innocent enough, and forces upon us the idea of something fateful and unescapable where otherwise we should have spoken of “chance” only. For instance,we of course attach no importance to the event when we give up a coat and get a cloakroom ticket with the number, say, 62; or when we find that our cabin on boardship is numbered 62. But the impression is altered if two such events, each in itself indifferent, happen close together, if we come across the number 62 several times in a single day, or if we begin to notice that everything which has a number — addresses, hotel-rooms, compartments in railway-trains—always has the same one, or one which at least contains the same figures.

...It must be explained that we are able to postulate the principle of a repetition-compulsion in the unconscious mind, based upon instinctual activity and probably inherent in the very nature of the instincts—a principle powerful enough to overrule the pleasure-principle, lending to certain aspects of the mind their daemonic character.

More recently, discussions have proliferated online about this and related phenomena, with new suggestions of possible causes and explanations.

Dear Readers,

I regret that I must put this blog on hiatus for a time as I focus my energy on a new investigation.  A series of supernatural occurrences was recently brought to my attention – and if the account I've received is legitimate, the entity in question may be as powerful and dangerous as any I have as yet encountered.  

In the meanwhile, I encourage you to explore my existing case studies, Diary of a Haunting and Possession.  If you have questions about those narratives or need to contact me for any reason, I will continue to check all messages associated with this account or at montagueverano at gmail.  

Dr. Montague Verano

A couple more images from Possession (Diary of a Haunting) that were considered too disturbing to include in the published book.  Due warning to sensitive viewers. 

Diary of a Haunting: Possession is on sale today!  Available at Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Walmart, Costco, and of course Amazon and your local independent bookshop.

Also take note: the original Diary of a Haunting is now available in paperback.  Look for them both.

The documentation surrounding the events described in Possession (Diary of a Haunting) included a number of photographs taken by the victim herself.  Where possible, we chose to incorporate her work into the text, as evidence of the trauma she experienced.

The documentation surrounding the events described in Possession (Diary of a Haunting) included a number of photographs taken by the victim herself.  Where possible, we chose to incorporate her work into the text, as evidence of the trauma she experienced.