| Whether you believe paranormal events to be true or | | | | claimed that the spiritual communication had been part |
| not, there is no denying that the subject matter has led | | | | of a scheme, and that she was responsible for the |
| to some of the most fantastic hoaxes of modern | | | | noises. Skeptics reacted knowingly, but others didn't |
| times. Coming up with a grand scheme to deceive the | | | | buy it. Believers had faith in the possibility of mediums |
| masses requires quite a bit of time and effort, but for | | | | at work and were convinced that communication |
| the mastermind behind a hoax, it is well worth it when | | | | between this world and the next was possible. |
| they are rewarded with believers willing to give them | | | | Unfortunately for the sisters, their lives ended tragically, |
| the fame and fortune they seek. Hundreds, possibly | | | | marred by alcohol, poverty, and depression. But their |
| thousands, of hoaxes have taken place over time, all in | | | | legacy lives on in the resulting Spiritual movement that |
| an effort to dupe others into believing something that | | | | they played an integral role in. |
| seems to defy logic. Following is an overview of two | | | | Crop circles - With their intricate patterns and |
| of the most famously purported paranormal hoaxes | | | | mysterious origins, crop circles have prevailed as one |
| that have occurred during the last century; however, | | | | of the most intriguing occurrences over the past two |
| it's important to keep in mind that controversy does | | | | decades. Usually done in the shadows of night, crop |
| remain over the validity of these events, and | | | | circles range in size and pattern and have occurred all |
| sometimes the line between fact and fiction can be | | | | over the globe. People first began taking note of these |
| blurred. | | | | perplexing formations during the 1970s as they began |
| Amityville haunting - The quaint town of Amityville, New | | | | popping up all over England before spreading to the |
| York is located on Long Island, and is known to be a | | | | U.S., Canada, and Russia. One of the most puzzling |
| small, close-knit community of folks who treasure the | | | | features of crop circles is the complexity of the |
| peaceful atmosphere of their town. But on the night of | | | | geometric patterns which characterize them. Many of |
| November 13, 1974, the events that transpired were | | | | the circles are much more than their name implies, with |
| anything but peaceful. Four children, along with their | | | | designs that are so accurate and symmetrical that it |
| parents, were brutally murdered at the hands of their | | | | seems virtually impossible that any human could have |
| oldest brother, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. Barely a year had | | | | created them. Additionally, the large sizes of most of |
| gone by before the large colonial-style house was on | | | | the crop circles also lend credit to the belief that these |
| the market, the scene of the crime already a fading | | | | patterns could not possibly be manmade. Perhaps the |
| memory. Newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz were | | | | most mysterious circumstance surrounding the circles, |
| eager to start their lives together raising their three | | | | however, is that they are done in the cover of night |
| children, and the fact that six murders had occurred in | | | | and with uncanny speed. Unwitting farmers go to bed |
| the house did not deter them from purchasing the | | | | after a long day at work and wake up to find that the |
| home. Just twenty-eight days after moving in, the | | | | very same field they had been working in the previous |
| Lutzes fled, claiming they were being terrorized by | | | | day now has an extraordinary array of circles and |
| supernatural and demonic forces at work in the home. | | | | other designs! Indeed, crop circles appear to be the |
| In September 1977, not two years after leaving the | | | | result of paranormal forces at work; however, most |
| home, the Lutzes shared their experiences through | | | | cases have been proven to be the work of men. |
| Jay Anson's book, The Amityville Horror. | | | | Most reports say that the circles we have been so |
| The "true story," though immensely popular, was | | | | mystified by over the years stem from the idea of |
| immediately met with criticism from people familiar with | | | | two bored Englishmen itching to pull a prank. With a |
| the home and the details surrounding the DeFeo | | | | little rope, wire, wooden planks, and a whole lot of |
| murders, the grounds upon which the subsequent | | | | ingenuity, these two men were able to flatten portions |
| paranormal aspect had been formed. Though the | | | | of wheat fields into creative patterns across Britain, |
| debate continues to this day over the accuracy of the | | | | reveling in the surprise of their fellow citizens in the |
| Lutzes' claims, the most popularly held belief is that the | | | | morning. Word spread, and soon people around the |
| events detailed in Anson's book are part of a hoax | | | | world were reporting their own crop circles and |
| created by the Lutzes for monetary gain and celebrity | | | | offering explanations ranging from UFOs, wind |
| appeal. Whether the events were fabricated or real | | | | vortexes, ball lightening, or yes, even a grand hoax. In |
| remains a mystery in the eyes of many, but the | | | | spite of the compelling evidence that the phenomenon |
| Amityville story is undoubtedly regarded as one of the | | | | is nothing more than a prank, crop circles continue to |
| most well-known hauntings, and hoaxes, of the | | | | spring up today in all corners of the globe, continuing |
| 20th> century. | | | | the debate between paranormal believers and those |
| The Fox Sisters - In 1848, sisters Kate, Leah, and | | | | who view the events as nothing more than manmade. |
| Margaret Fox became instant celebrities when they | | | | Paranormal activity has always been a controversial |
| began communicating with the dead. Living in a house | | | | issue, with sound arguments from believers and |
| supposedly serving as the burial site of a murder victim | | | | non-believers both. Unfortunately for those who |
| substantiated these claims of spiritual communication, | | | | strongly believe in supernatural events, there is a |
| and the series of raps and knockings that could be | | | | continuing backlash that various hoaxes, or supposed |
| heard in response to the girls' questions were | | | | hoaxes, have caused over the years. A great |
| immediately assumed to be coming from beyond the | | | | example of this is shown by the story of the Fox |
| grave. People from all over the girls' hometown of | | | | sisters. When the girls' claims of spiritual communication |
| Hydesville, New York came to witness the | | | | were disputed, the unquestioning belief that many had |
| phenomenon, and soon people from all over the state | | | | in supernatural events was challenged, creating a |
| and country arrived to see for themselves. The sisters | | | | backlash that paranormal believers struggle with to this |
| became famous, holding public séances, | | | | day. |
| serving as mediums between the living and dead, and | | | | You can learn more about paranormal events, |
| playing key roles in the growing Spiritual movement. | | | | supernatural hoaxes, and specifically, the Fox sisters |
| From the beginning, however, there were doubters | | | | and their claims of ghostly communication in "In Search |
| who believed that the communication was nothing | | | | of White Crows," just one of the chapters from the |
| more than a hoax, and that the rappings and knockings | | | | fascinating documentary "Visions," True Stories of the |
| were somehow created by the girls themselves. | | | | Supernatural produced by Ad-Hoc productions. |
| Years later, Margaret made a startling confession; she | | | | |