Maybe you are asking, “What is a vile vortex?”  You’ve heard the chilling stories about the Bermuda Triangle, right? Well, there are several other mysterious places where ships and planes seem to vanish.  In fact, there are 12 places collectively called the Vile Vortices, and like their more famous sibling, they all hold some rather creepy secrets. There are smaller vortices, too. For this article, though, I’ll concentrate on the 12 identified vortices and give an example of one of the smaller vortices.

But, first, some background.

To this day, scientists are not exactly sure how vile vortices work or why they happen. We know that there are areas in which strange, possibly even paranormal phenomena, disappearances, and disturbing tales seem to be commonplace. The Bermuda Triangle most likely being the most famous of the vortexes.

The Vile Vortices are twelve equidistant vertex points on a planetary grid.  Ivan T. Sanderson, a naturalist, and paranormal investigator, originally plotted these anomalies. Sanderson first coined the term “Vile Vortices” in his article “The Twelve Devil’s Graveyards Around the World,” published in Saga magazine in 1972.

Sanderson is the founder of the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained and was avidly interested in investigating ship and plane disappearances linked to the paranormal. So, in the late 60’s he focused his attention on ten areas that were approximately equidistant and were the subjects of reported unexplained incidents and/or electromagnetic distortions.

These ten Vile Vortices are located in the Earth’s tropical climates; five of them fall within the Tropic of Cancer and the other five within the Tropic of Capricorn. The remaining two Vile Vortices are located at the North and South Poles. Together the Vile Vortices form the vertices of an icosahedron, which is a 20-faced polyhedron.

Sanderson theorized that hot and cold air and sea currents crossing these saucer-shaped areas might create the electromagnetic anomalies responsible for the disappearances of planes and sea-going vessels and the reported mechanical and instrument malfunctions in these areas.

Half of the vortices reside above the equator and half below it. They are also evenly spread out on the Earth, which investigators suggest prove there is something logical and mathematical to the chaos. 

Here’s a list of the vile vortices: Bermuda Triangle, the Algerian Megaliths, the city of Mohenjo Daro, the Hamakulia Volcano east of Hawaii, the Dragon’s Triangle in the “Devil’s Sea,” the South Atlantic Anomaly, the Wharton Basin, the Easter Island megaliths, East of Rio de Janeiro, the Loyalty Islands, the North Pole, and the South Pole.

Today, I’ll share the three best-known of these Vile Vortices: the Bermuda Triangle, the Dragon’s Triangle (Devil’s Sea), and the South Atlantic Anomaly. However, all 12 geographic areas have reported instances of magnetic anomalies and other unexplained phenomena.

The Bermuda Triangle has a long and sordid history.  Whole fleets of torpedo bombers, spy planes, navy ships, the infamous Mary Celeste, and others have all come to mysterious calamity in this ocean area near the tip of Florida. Glowing water, spinning compasses, random malfunctions, and strange sightings while passing through are reported by the lucky ones who weren’t lost.  The other thing we know for sure is that people are dying here. In the last 100 years, over 1000 people have lost their lives to the Bermuda Triangle. Whether or not you believe something paranormal is happening, you must admit that those are some pretty scary numbers.

This South Atlantic Anomaly is particularly interesting because NASA has extensively studied the area itself. 

An inner and outer radiation belt surrounds the Earth. In the South Atlantic, the inner radiation belt comes closest to the Earth’s surface than anywhere else, creating an area where the Earth’s magnetic field is weaker, and there’s a flux of energetic particles. Many times, satellites who go through this belt experience malfunctions and glitches, and astronauts see strange shooting star-like lights. 

This place also causes severe problems for aircraft. Planes disappear mysteriously here, which probably has something to do with navigational and electronic malfunctions. 

The Dragon’s Triangle is located in the sea the Japanese call Ma-no Umi which loosely translated as the Sea of the Devil. Often compared to the Bermuda Triangle, the Dragon’s Triangle is an area where sea-going vessels and aircraft allegedly mysteriously disappear. Besides vanishing planes and ships, phenomena linked to the Dragon’s Triangle include ghost ships, UFOs, lapses in time, and electronic equipment malfunctions. Some writers, including Charles Berlitz, even link the Dragon’s Triangle to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

In the USA are the Bridgewater Triangle in Massachusetts, and the Alaska Triangle is, well, in Alaska.

Although not an ‘official’ Vile Vortex, the inland Bridgewater Triangle is likely one of the world’s most concentrated areas of various paranormal reports. Located just 30 miles south of Boston, this 200-square mile area has the Massachusetts towns of Abington, Freetown, and Rehoboth at its angles. Located nearly dead center within the triangle is the town of Bridgewater, and the area also encompasses six other Massachusetts towns: Raynham, Taunton, Brockton, Mansfield, Norton, and Easton.

Aside from the number and diversity of paranormal reports, what is phenomenal about the Bridgewater Triangle is that the first report of paranormal activity was made almost three centuries ago, in 1760.

At 10 am on May 10, 1760, a “sphere of fire” was reported to hover over New England and emit light so brightly it cast shadows in the morning sun. Reportedly, people saw the light in both Bridgewater and Roxbury. Since then, the area has spawned diverse reports, including paranormal events ranging from ghost dancers to UFOs to Cryptozoological sightings.

Sources: Marine Insight.com; Article by Laura Allan, Rankor.com

Until Next Time,

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Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

Bowden Road is located in Huntsville, Texas. Known by locals as Demons Road, it has nonstop claims of supernatural experiences by travelers who drove the old road. It leads to the especially creepy Martha Chapel Cemetery and is said to be one of Texas’s most haunted spots.  Even in daylight, this isolated little back street emits an eerie vibe. After dark, well, it’s even worse.

People who have traveled Demons Road tell tales of frightening encounters and an eerie feeling sweeps over anyone who dares disrupt the ghosts said to be lingering there.

Locals warn the curious who intend to explore the path or visit the graveyard against provoking the spirits. Many of those cautions are from people claiming a ghost followed them home after being in that area.

In May of 2010, a woman reported an encounter by her husband and their friends at the cemetery. She claimed they saw a man wandering through the graveyard one evening but paid little notice to the traveler. The woman returned home. While entering her shower, she turned around to close the shower curtain and saw the man from the cemetery stood in her bedroom. The man disappeared after accomplishing what he came to do: Instill terror in the woman. She has not reported seeing him again.

In another story, a man and his buddy saw a hand protruding from a grave in the Marsha Chapel Cemetery. As they watched, the whole arm came out of its grave, clutching at the ground as if searching for something. They walked toward the grave, his friend urging him to stay put. He leaned down to touch the hand, his friend trying to yank him away the whole time. He made contact. It reportedly gripped his hand and began to pull him down. He managed to pull free. His terrified pal asked if he was ok. Then the man saw a person standing close behind his friend. He rushed to his friend to protect him. Right before he reached his friend, the man lifted his head and stared at him. According to this report, the apparition looked like his friend, who had been begging him to leave. When he turned to look at his “real” friend, he was not there. He bolted and headed for the vehicle. As he raced up to the car, he saw handprints in the dust on the vehicle. He climbed into the safety of the vehicle, and he realized his friend was dead in the back seat.

Other witnesses report large handprints on their vehicles. Some claim the prints look like someone or something unseen grabbed at their car. All in all, almost 100 car owners have reported handprints on their vehicles after a supernatural encounter.

Travelers report mysterious red lights along Bowden Road. People claim the number of lights that appear is contingent on how many people travel in the vehicle. As an example, when leaving the road in the early morning hours, a group of four passengers reported four red lights appearing out of nowhere. Four handprints appeared on the hood of the truck, according to one in the group.

Other reports include being visited by a young child’s apparition, with glowing eyes, riding a tricycle, and a strange, faceless, threatening creature.

Whatever form the spirits choose, they are always reported as hostile and terrifying.  

If you cannot resist the urge to explore the unexplained on Bowden Road, I’d take along some Holy Water at the very least. Happy travels!

Source: Texas Escapes.com “Demons Rd” in Huntsville
and Martha Chapel Cemetery
Dana Goolsby

Source: The Hartford Extra Mile

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Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

A forest stroll is usually a peaceful activity – unless you’re in Freetown-Fall River State Forest. The majority of these woods, usually referred to as Freetown State Forest, pass through the center of Freetown itself.  If you dare, you can meander the 50 miles of unpaved roads and trails, which cut through its 5,441-acres. Freetown State Forest regularly makes the list of “most haunted forests in the world.” It is part of the fabled Bridgewater Triangle and is known as the “Cursed Forest of Massachusetts.”

Behind Freetown State Forest’s comforting, shady paths and bright clearings lurk a dark reputation. Documented murders and tales of the paranormal surround these woods.

First, some of the murders:

In November of 1978, the corpse of 15-year-old Mary Lou Arruda was found tied to a tree in the woods. James M. Kater was eventually convicted of the murder.

In 1980, police investigated another murder near the forest. Several locals told them they witnessed Satanic cult activity in the woods. Some believed this activity to be connected to the so-called “Fall River Cult Killings” occurring during the same period. Suspicious clearings, stained with animal blood, were found in the forest. The oddly arranged carcasses of cattle were later discovered in the woods, giving more credence to ritual sacrifice rumors.

In 1987, a homeless man was somehow mistaken for an undercover police officer and killed.

In 2001, two bullet-riddled bodies were discovered on Bell Rock Road, which winds through the forest.

And, then, these bizarre instances:

 In 2006, reports of roving and aggressive dogs plagued the area, and an escaped emu was spotted wandering the forest and charging visitors.

In May of 2016, people discovered wires stretched across frequently traveled forest paths, strung in such a way as to catch off-road motorbike riders across the neck, and likely to decapitate them.

These explainable events are enough to give any place an eerie, unwelcoming feel. Add the forest’s supernatural reputation, and the area pegs the extreme creepy needle.

As mentioned initially, the forest sits in the infamous “Bridgewater Triangle,” a 200 square mile area within southeastern Massachusetts. The triangle is the epicenter of an astonishing collection of inexplicable, bizarre phenomena reported since colonial times, including strange creatures, Bigfoot, UFOs, ghosts, specters, ominous black helicopters, mysterious orbs of light, strange disappearances, giant snakes, poltergeist activity, and cattle mutilations.

The forest is rumored to be home to a race of diminutive humanoid creatures known as Pukwedgies, which have long been known by the native Wampanoag tribe. These creatures are described as troll-like beasts between 2 and 3 feet in height. They sport smooth, hairy grey skin that is said to glow on occasion. The Pukwedgies have a reputation for mischief and mayhem and are said to intentionally startle people, throw rocks or sand in their faces, push or shove them, kidnap them, hurl them from cliffs, wrestle with them or even attack them with knives or spears.

Legend says the Pukwedgies are competent magic users and shapeshifters. The Natives give these creatures a wide berth, claiming that they cannot be trifled with or approached. Numerous visitors to the forest claim to have seen such beings. The mischievous beasts are blamed for a high number of people supposedly falling from cliffs to their deaths in the area.

Freetown State Forest is littered with locations that seem to be possessed of some dark power. Perhaps the most well-known of these is an 80-foot-deep rock quarry known as the Assonet Ledge, or “The Ledge.” Visitors to The Ledge report being overcome with a burning, unshakeable sense of dread when nearing the quarry. It is rumored to be a hotspot for Satanists and other cults, as well as ghost sightings. Numerous people report seeing ghosts jumping from The Ledge only to disappear before reaching the water below. Others say they see a spirit standing ominously at the top of The Ledge.

In 1974, then-governor Ronald Reagan reported seeing strange lights in the sky within the forest. The story goes that Reagan was flying in a Cessna over The Ledge with pilot Air Force Colonel Bill Paynter and two security personnel. They noticed strange lights tailing the plane. The lights accelerated, decelerated, and elongated, all within minutes. It reportedly shot upwards at a 45-degree angle and disappeared. Reagan related the incident to Norman C. Miller, the Washington bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, in 1974.

A Wampanoag legend is related to Profile Rock, sometimes called Joshua’s Mountain. It reportedly takes on the image of Wampanoag Chief Massasoit, and, legend has it, is the location where the chief’s son died. The tribe has long held the rock to be a sacred place. To this day, the name Profile Rock conjures images of various ghostly phenomena from strange glowing, disembodied voices, to orbs of light, to sinister apparitions.

Then, there is the Hockomock Swamp. The swamp is a 16,950-acre wetland covering much of the northern part of southeastern Massachusetts and is the state’s largest freshwater swamp. The swamp gets its name from the native Wampanoag people and means “place where the spirits dwell.” Early settlers to the area quickly learned of the swamp’s dangers and numerous alleged ghosts prowling its darkness and called it “The Devil’s Swamp.”

Mysterious animals are said to prowl the swamp. These wetlands are also a hotbed of UFO sightings. There are regular reports of ghosts, specters, and phantoms in the vicinity.

Hockomock Swamp is the site of numerous massacres and brutal conflicts between early settlers and the native people. One theory is these horrors infused the swamp with an evil force and made it the haunt of vengeful spirits.

Adding to the list of strange places within Freetown State Forest is an immense, 40-ton boulder known as Dighton Rock. Numerous and mysterious petroglyphs, drawings of figures, geometric shapes, and alleged cryptic writing cover the boulder, none of which can be comprehensively identified and have unknown origins.

In summary, if you decide to visit Freetown-Fall River State Park, be ready to see more than beautiful scenery. Prepare yourself to encounter UFOs, ghosts, and mysterious animals. You never know who—or what—will join you.

Source: Mysteriousuniverse.org

Source: The Hartford Extra Mile

Source: Onlyinyourstate.com

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Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

Clinton Road, New Jersey is a 10-mile stretch of road which runs in a generally north-south direction, starting at Route 23 near Newfoundland and running to its northern terminus at Upper Greenwood Lake. It has been dubbed by many as “The Most Haunted Highway in America.”  

Any road with a section known as “Dead Man’s Curve” sounds dangerous enough. But that reference alone isn’t sufficient to earn its reputation. There are many other reasons this thoroughfare is a scary place.  Following are just a few examples of encounters that lend credence to Clinton Road’s reputation.

The Boy Haunting the Bridge

Under one of the bridges crossing Clinton Brook (which is the place known as Dead Man’s Curve) is one of the Road’s most famous haunts. Story has it, if you throw a quarter into the water below and take a few steps back, the coin will be thrown back by the ghost of a boy. In other tales, this spirit pushes living visitors into the water if they peer too far over the side. Some who have stopped to look into the water have reportedly caught a glimpse of the ghost boy’s reflection. Reasons for his death vary. Was he hit by a car while running after a ball? Did he drown in the lake? No one knows for sure.

Ghostly Car Crash Victims

Some claim to have encountered two ghosts near Terrace Pond. People believe these apparitions to be the ghosts of two park rangers who died on duty in 1939.

There are first-hand accounts of tourists and locals seeing a ghost Camaro driven by the girl who may have died in a tragic crash in 1998. A mere mention of the incident causes the ethereal appearance.

Ghost Vehicles

There are countless accounts of phantom vehicles. The majority of the sightings are of pickup trucks, but in some cases, there are only floating headlights not attached to any vehicle. The headlights chase drivers to the end of Clinton Road, then disappear.

Strange Creatures

From hellhounds to monkeys, a variety of bizarre creatures have been reported on this road after dark. Some people say an undetermined hybrid. It vanishes too quickly for them to give a fair description. The more mysterious sightings are blamed on Jungle Habitat survivors, an attraction that housed wild and exotic animals before closing its doors in 1976. 

If this isn’t enough, Clinton Road is rumored to be a site for alien sightings and satanic cult rituals. It has attracted so much attention over the years that a movie, Clinton Road, was produced.

If you’ve ever wished to play a game of catch with a ghost boy, race a phantom Camaro, or encounter a mythological beast, you may want to add Clinton Road to your sightseeing adventures. Taking a friend along is recommended. If nothing else, rural New Jersey’s Clinton Road will undoubtedly make your skin crawl. 

Sources: The Hartford:The Extra Mile; The LineUp

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Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

Banwell Bridge is in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  This bridge is also called the Banwell Terror Bridge because it has many stories that give it a haunted reputation. The most famous story of Banwell Terror Bridge is a “woman in white” plagues it.

For over 20 years, locals testify to seeing the spirit of a mother who threw her three children off the Banwell Bridge. It is rumored the woman took her children to the location, purportedly to watch a train pass below. But, just as the train passed, she threw all three of the children off the overpass. The train killed them instantly. The mom then threw herself over the bridge and died.

To this day, residents in the area warn drivers to roll up the windows and lock the doors before crossing. Otherwise, the woman’s spirit will try to pull you out of the vehicle and throw you over, just as she did with her children. Those brave enough to get out of their cars have reported hearing voices, seeing orbs, and, at times, hearing a woman moaning from beneath the overpass. Many report finding handprints on their vehicles after reaching the other side of the crossing.

And if that isn’t enough, some also report sightings of a decapitated railroad worker, and recently, a werewolf-like creature.

Sources: The Hartford Extra Mile and K98.5 The Cedar Valley’s #1 for New Country

Until Next Time,

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