Dr. Barry Taff

Are you familiar with the parapsychologist Dr. Barry Taff? If you're reading a website called The Arcane Hour then you probably should be -- so we'll help you out a little here. Yes, he actually has his doctorate in parapsychology. When he was at UCLA he investigated the case that was eventually retold in the movie The Entity (a great and very creepy movie if you haven't seen it). We're also suspicious, even though we can't find anything to prove it, that Dan Aykroyd based quite a bit of the serious parts of the Ghost Busters characters on Taff.


So what has Dr. Barry Taff been up to lately? It looks like he's (sort of) set up a website at barrytaff.net. There isn't much there yet but it does point us to the book that he's released this year: Aliens Above, Ghosts Below.

Dr. Taff is also involved in the American Institute of Parapsychology, which was founded in 1992 as the Center for Paranormal Studies. He is listed as a director and faculty member.

If you have any links for Dr. Taff or his works, feel free to share them with us in the comments.

The New England Grimpendium

Our Good Friend J. W. Ocker from Odd Things I've Seen has published this fabulous tome, The New England Grimpendium. Get your copy now. Yes, now. Or you will be beset by ghosties, ghoulies and long-leggety beasties. Not to mention things that go bump in the night.

Extra-sensory Transplant

Watching The Eye on cable. If you could get an eye transplant to see ghosts, would you?

America's Arcane History

Check our shop for Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. Tip of the Grimoire to Mitch Wagner.

If There's Something Strange in Your Neighborhood

Need a Ghosthunter? Then check out this list from The Shadowlands, organized by state.

The Ghost Hunter Store

In case you are doing some ghost hunting this season, there will be a new Ghosthunter Store to help you stock up on supplies. Opens October 1.

Google Highlights "Unexplained Phenomenon"

If you've been to Google today you might have noticed that the logo includes a little UFO with abduction light turned on. Instead of going to an explanation of the doodle, clicking on the graphic leads you to a search of "unexplained phenomenon." Telegraph UK reports.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

With the first cool, crisp morning hinting at the oncoming fall we knew one thing. It's Ghost Tour season!

One that we are looking forward to checking out is the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (also known as Weston State) with their Overnight at the Asylum option.

Congratulations to the "Very Serious" Blogsquatcher

Blogsquatcher gets a nod from the LA Times. As Wilde wrote, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

The Arcane Hour

Welcome, darlings, to an exploration of the arcane.

The Arcane Hour is dedicated to bringing you, the reader, some of the weirdest, scariest news and research.