Turns out Canada has its very own Loch Ness monster, and this guy made its media debut before the Scottish creature. Ogopogo is the name given to the being that lives in Lake Okanagan in British Columbia, and in 1926 the Vancouver Sun described the curious phenomena, saying "Too many reputable people have seen [the monster] to ignore the seriousness of actual facts."

The animal is most often described as 15-20 feet long, either horse-, snake- or goat-like, and eerily similar in appearance to a log. Footprints have been found, varying from cup-like tracks to three-toed marks. Indians in the Okanagan Valley first spotted the monster and described him with various names, including N'ha-a-tik, and pictographs. The Indians viewed the monster as malevolent, and would avoid the area for fishing. The name Okopogo didn't come from the valley natives; instead a local singer came up with the name in 1924.

Ogopogo may not be as famous as Nessie in Scotland, but press and monster hunters have come from around the world to the area. In 1926, around 30 cars of people watched the monster, a rare feat of multiple witnesses that has repeated in smaller numbers in the years since. In all, over 200 sightings have been recorded (including "credible” witnesses of a priest, sea captain, surgeon, police officers and others). Today, the mystery survives. Cryptozoologists believe the creature could be a form of a primitive whale, but definitive answers are still far from reach.

Forget the Cold War. As this video attests, the Russians had far more unsettling things hidden behind the Iron Curtain than common nuclear bombs. Honored as a hero during the Siege of Leningrad, psychic Ninel Kulagina was able to interfere with compasses and move small objects with the power of her mind alone.

The last clip in our week of teasers delves into the technology used by the PRS in their investigations. See this gear in action starting Monday, Dec. 10, when "Paranormal State" debuts on on A&E.

Can a Polaroid camera capture images of the dead and spirits? That seems to be the case when a special device called the luminator is put into play. The luminator is one of the latest devices to be used in spirit photography, a field that has been controversial ever since photography was invented in the 19th century.

The luminator is a subtle energy device invented by Patrick Richards of Michigan for use in psychotherapy. There are only nine luminators in existence. In 1999, Mark Macy acquired a luminator to use for spirit photography. Macy, of Louisville, Colorado, is one of the leading researchers in the world in the field of instrumental transcommunication (ITC), which involves high tech and real-time, two-way communication with otherworldly realms.

The luminator looks like a large, slim stereo speaker. Inside is a Plexiglas barrel lined with rings filled with water-based liquid that acts like crystal, and two counter-rotating fans that pull air into the unit at the bottom and blow it out at the top, creating a vortex within the device.

Exactly how the luminator works is not known, but its specific subtle energy programming apparently enables the device to change environmental vibrations in a room. This creates a "noise" matrix for spirits to make impressions on film. With the luminator running, Macy snaps photos of people with a Polaroid camera. Sometimes the resulting photograph shows a blurry image in which full or partial spirit faces can be seen superimposed upon the subject. People have recognized dead loved ones. Other images may be spirit guides from higher realms.

I recently sat down with Keith Johnson, noted demonologist and cofounder of New England Anomalies Research.

Emily: What does it mean to be a demonologist?

Keith: A demonologist is essentially someone who makes a study of the activity, nature and history of demons, and is at least somewhat skilled in the practical application of this knowledge to apply this knowledge, hopefully in a positive aspect — i.e. in the protection of self and others.

Emily: Your twin brother Carl is also a demonologist. How did it come to be that you are both doing what you're doing?

Keith: Carl and I both grew up in a house in which some paranormal phenomena would occasionally take place, which fueled our interest in paranormal study and exploration. In the early 1970s, when we were teenagers, we attended a lecture given by pioneer paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren at Rhode Island College, and afterwards developed a lifelong friendship with them. Ed Warren was also a lay demonologist, which greatly influenced us. Carl and I were also invited to join a paranormal research organization at RIC, known as Parapsychology Investigation and Research Organization (P.I.R.O), which was the first official group of its kind we ever members of. Our first major investigation turned out to be a case of demonic infestation.

In today's teaser, we learn a little more about the setting of "Paranormal State" with a Penn State campus tour unlike any other.

Tune in to "Paranormal State" on A&E starting Monday, Dec. 10, for more insight into one of the nations most haunted schools.

You may not think you've heard of Joseph Merrick, but you almost certainly know him by his stage name. In the late nineteenth century, Merrick spent a small portion of his life as a sideshow attraction by the name of Elephant Man.

The Elephant Man's affliction — neurofibromatosis or perhaps Proteus syndrome, characterized by extreme deformities of the head and body — befell him at an early age. Abandoned by his father and stepmother, he was forced to live in workhouses and sell shoe polish on the street until he joined the sideshow circuit. Under the care of showman Tom Norman, Merrick received the medical care he needed and was even able to save a little money. His comfort was short-lived, however, as he was soon separated from Norman. After Merrick was found in a Liverpool train station destitute and barely able to speak, he was taken to a London hospital, where he would live for the rest of his life. He died at the age of 27 while attempting to sleep on his back; his neck could not support the weight of his oversize head.

In an excerpt from the autobiography on Merrick's sideshow pamphlet, he explains his condition thusly:

The deformity which I am now exhibiting was caused by my mother being frightened by an Elephant; my mother was going along the street when a procession of Animals were passing by, there was a terrible crush of people to see them, and unfortunately she was pushed under the Elephant's feet, which frightened her very much; this occurring during a time of pregnancy was the cause of my deformity.

Pittsburgh native Tonya, (pictured here posing with Jason Hawes at Univ-Con 5) didn't start life as a believer, but personal experience with "suspicious activity" eventually led to her ongoing fascination with the paranormal. Originally involved in The Center for Paranormal Study and Investigation, Tonya moved on to found her own group, the Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society. Together with co-founder Nancy Drexler, Tonya and her team conduct investigations in the greater Pittsburgh area and beyond.

A proud member of the growing TAPS family, the GPPS advocates the skeptical approach to ghostly phenomenon. They do not engage in any methods, such as dowsing or ouija boards, that they feel do not provide "scientifically viable evidence." Although they respect psychics and their ability to sense the otherworldly, the GPPS team itself does not employ psychics in investigations largely because they are seeking physical evidence of the paranormal. Their skepticism extends also to photographic or videographic "proof" of spirits. On their site, they offer a brief guide to false positives to help beginning ghost-hunters navigate the tricky world of ghostly evidence.

One of the most interesting portions of their website is their investigations section, where they share not only compelling photography and EVP captured during their many ghost-hunts, but they also share full case files on each investigation. Not all investigations end in a ghostly diagnosis. The GPPS looks for logical real-world causes of disturbances first, as with the instance of a suspected haunting in McKeesport, PA where the home owners reported strange knocks and banging noises in their attic. Rather than the ghost of some deceased prior resident, however, the disturbance turned out to be caused by nothing more than loose shingles banging against the chimney.

Every culture has its ghouls, bogeymen and monsters, but one of the most ferocious and stinky of them all is the windigo of Algonquian lore. The windigo is a human being-turned-supernatural-cannibal that roams the forests, swamps and plains of North America, in constant search of human flesh for its insatiable hunger.

The windigo has numerous physical descriptions and variations of the spelling of its name. It stands over six feet tall, has long, stringy hair, and smells like a rotting corpse. It runs faster than a human, is stronger than a grizzly bear, breathes fire and howls like the wind. It has a heart of ice.

The windigo seems to serve several social functions. One is to keep children from wandering into the woods. Another is to explain forbidden behavior, such as cannibalism by starving humans — which in earlier times occurred among the Algonquian peoples, who endured harsh winters. Another function is punishment for wrong-doing.

The Paranormal Insider's week of "Paranormal State" teasers continues with a clip describing how to become a PRS investigator.

Don't forget to tune in to the debut of "Paranormal State" on A&E Monday, Dec. 10 to learn more!

Last spring, a team of Swiss, French and Portuguese astronomers announced the discovery of an exoplanet, a planet orbiting a star other than our own, Gliese 581c, in the constellation Libra. It can actually be seen, very dimly, with a good telescope. Over 200 exoplanets have been found outside of our solar system but this particular planet has some intriguing features unlike any of the others. Gliese 581c is 120 trillion miles away from Earth (that's pretty close in astronomical terms — 20.5 light years), it has a radius 50 times larger than Earth, its mass is five times larger than Earth's and has an orbital year of 13 days. It's still the smallest exoplanet ever to be discovered. Most importantly, Gliese 581c orbits around a red dwarf star that is 50 times cooler and a third the size of our Sun. Given the planet's closer proximity to this star, the planet is expected to be habitable, with a temperature similar to ours. Researchers also say that the surface might be covered in ice, oceans, lakes and rivers. Temperatures are predicted to fall between 32 and 102 Fahrenheit. Researchers think that Gliese 581c might be comprised of rock and would therefore its surface could be made up of land and water like ours. The possibility also exists that the planet is made of ice or that its surface has no land, only a never-ending expanse of ocean.

The first exoplanet discoveries occurred in 1995. These exoplanets were known as "Hot Jupiters" because their sizes were near to or even larger than the size of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. They, however, are unable to support life because the distance to their parent stars is too close to sustain surface liquid water. Due to better technology, 237 exoplanets have been discovered since 1995, 20 of those since 2002. Out of all of these discoveries, Gliese 581c seems to be a good bet for finding extraterrestrial life — the only Earth-like discovery so far. Team member Xavier Delfosse of Grenoble University in France remarked that "Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrial life. On the treasure map of the Universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X."

The debut of "Paranormal State" is just two weeks away, and the Paranormal Insider has been given five exclusive video clips to share with our readers! The first one appeared on Friday; here's the second:

If you're ever in Taos, New Mexico, don't be surprised if you begin to think you have tinnitus. Taos, New Mexico is one of several towns around the world that plays host to a pervasive yet unidentifiable low humming noise.

Residents first reported the so-called Taos Hum in the early 1990s as a soft but distinct humming or grinding noise, like the sound of a diesel engine idling in the distance. Those that are able to hear the hum (about 2 percent of the population) say that it's more distinct inside a house or car than outside, and that wearing headphones or earplugs doesn't alleviate the dizziness and sleep loss they experience as a result of it.

In 1993, a New Mexico congressional delegation was sent to investigate. They found no seismic events or acoustic signals that might explain the hum, and could find no possible source from which the hum might emanate. They speculated that perhaps the hearers themselves were tinnitus sufferers, but nearly all the hearers reported hearing the hum only in the vicinity of Taos; it abated once they left town.

The cat has been an object of mystery to many cultures throughout the ages. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the animal, and hundreds if not thousands of cats were accorded the rites of mummification, a complicated funerary practice typically reserved only for the nobility. Cats were held in such high regard in this culture that one could incur the death penalty for killing one of these four-legged citizens. Ancient Egypt was not alone in revering the cat. In many African and South American cultures, big cats, such as the jaguar or the leopard, were viewed with a commingling of fear and awe, and they became mythologized as gods, demons or agents of the spirit world.

In the Middle Ages, cats had become objects of terror for many, associated with the Devil and witchcraft. In the time of the witch trials, it was not uncommon for cats to fall under suspicion of nefarious practices. Many witches were accused of keeping familiars, demonic spirits that assumed the shape of common animals, typically cats, dogs or toads. During a time when Europeans were singling out fellow villagers and torturing them by the thousands under suspicion of witchcraft, cats were believed not only to act as familiar spirits but also to work for Satan even without the influence of a presiding witch. In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IX issued a Papal Bull declaring all black cats to be agents of the Devil. Subsequently, thousands of cats were rounded up and burned alive in an attempt to protect the world from the influence of Satan.

Perhaps ironically, the wide-spread slaughter and mistrust of cats during this time period may have left certain areas more vulnerable to the Black Plague, as rodent populations boomed in the absence of industrious felines. Some of the original fears of witchcraft were inspired by a belief that certain antisocial members of a community were visiting sickness and disease upon their neighbors either out of jealousy or revenge. Killing cats that were suspected of witchcraft was an attempt to bring order and health back to troubled times. Given that rats and mice tended to carry the fleas that spread disease, this course of action, of course, had the exact opposite effect.

A&E has released another teaser video for "Paranormal State." This new video tells you a little more about what the PRS is and what it does.

There's also a "Paranormal State" contest running on Hollywood.com: Enter it and you might win a $100 Best Buy gift card, an A&E American Apparel track jacket and "Paranormal State" gear including a t-shirt, flashlight, mug and sling bag. Good luck!

He has a name that sounds like it should be a new flavor at Starbucks. In person, he has a wit and charm reminiscent of the late Charles Nelson Reilley. Bubbly and expressive, he was the master of ceremonies at this year's Univ-Con, and he'll be lending both his wit and insight to upcoming episodes of "Paranormal State." But who is Chip Coffey?

Psychic abilities seem to run in the family. Chip's great-grandmother, Minnie Sue Morrow Foster, was a Native American medicine woman whose abilities were well-known in the early portion of the twentieth century. As attested by his masters degree in counseling, Chip feels called to use his special gifts for the betterment of others. He has worked with hospice organizations and law enforcement agencies, and his ability as a fully conscious medium allows him to put his clients in contact with their loved ones who have crossed over. In early 2007, he was invited to join the Cold Case Research Institute, a prestigious forensic group that helps with unsolved criminal investigations.

A southern boy through and through, Chip resides near Atlanta. Often teaming up with friend and fellow psychic, Patti Starr, Chip's investigations have taken him all over the country. He has been called in to investigate ghostly phenomenon in the posh Las Vegas home of the renowned pianist, Liberace (who haunts more than just his home). A woman widowed during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 had Chip accompany her to the ruins of the World Trade Center to help her seek communication and closure. Described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as "every bit as accurate as John Edward," Chip's work in recent years has gained the attention of the media. His involvement with a demonic haunting in Connecticutt has been chronicled in the book In a Dark Place. Gold Circle Films, in collaboration with Integrated Films and Management, will be producing a feature film on that haunting. Chip's investigation of Sloss Furnace, the haunted Birmingham, Alabama iron mill, was chronicled by a film crew, and of course, Chip will be appearing with the PRS team in nine episodes of "Paranormal State."

If you've ever been on a long road trip, you might have seen signs along the highway advertising a Mystery Spot. "The Amazing Force of Gravity!" "World Famous!" "You Asked For It!" the signs say. Should you choose to investigate a mystery spot, you'll find yourself at a house where the rules of gravity don't seem to apply. Once you're inside the house you can walk along the walls, stand at improbable angles, and watch water flow uphill. Spooky, yes?

Well, yes, but it's only sort of spooky, as these mystery spots are fairly easy to explain. You may have heard about what happens to an airplane when the instruments fail and the pilot can't see the horizon. When a plane travels through heavy cloud cover or over the ocean at night, the pilot is unable to tell which way is up or down, since she lacks the visual aid of the horizon line in front of her. The advanced technology in the cockpit of the modern airplane allows the pilot to navigate properly even when she can't see the horizon, but without this technology, she may allow the plane to tilt at an uncomfortable angle, or at worst, the plane could crash.

A tired and weary peasant is making his way home on foot late one night through the Welsh countryside. It's dark, and the path is rocky and uncertain, but soon he sees a bright light in the distance. Assuming the light to be a lantern, the traveler follows it for some distance, trying to catch up to the person who must be carrying this beacon of warmth and safety. After several miles, however, the traveler finds himself standing at the very edge of a steep precipice. The light hangs in the air before him, but had he continued to follow it, he would surely have plunged to his death.

This unsettling tale, recounted in Wirt Sikes' book British Goblins, is a classic encounter with a Welsh pwca, better known to many people as the Will o' the Wisp. This lambent faery light, which appears in swamps and wild places and is believed to lead travelers astray, is a phenomenon recorded over many centuries in and many lands. Here in the West, we are most familiar with the stories of Will o' the Wisp that come to us from the British Isles, where the lights are most often ascribed to the mischievous — and occasionally malevolent — activities of the faery-folk. Although the most common activity of the Will o' the Wisp is to lead travelers on a merry detour through wild and waste places, according to some of the folk traditions surrounding these mysterious lights, they have also been known to lead people to hidden treasure. Most tales of Will o' the Wisp imply a type of sentience behind the faery light, even though modern debunkers are generally inclined to explain them away as swamp gas or even a reflection of the moon on water. Modern instances of faery lights, such as the Marfa Lights in Marfa, Texas, are often associated not with faeries but with extra-terrestrials and UFO activity.

The original faery lights go by many different names, depending on the region of the British Isles they come from. They're called Spunkies in lowland Scotland, Hobbedy's Lantern in Warwickshire, Peg-a-Lantern in Lancashire, and the Lantern Man in West Anglia. My favorite, however, is "Will the Smith," a type of Will o' the Wisp from Shropshire. The name is a reference to a traditional tale involving a wicked blacksmith doomed to wander the night with only one burning coal to light his way — but I can't help imagining the rapper Will Smith starring in the title role!

The Stanford Research Institute sounds upstanding and undeniable. But as declassified documents show, the CIA sponsored a program at this institute in the 1970s to study remote viewing, and its potential use in intelligence. And of course, they kept it secret.

The program's founder and first director, Dr. H.E. Puthoff, wrote a report after the 1995 declassification of CIA documents, describing the genesis of the program and glorying in the removal of its secrecy. He said that after some initial studies into parapsychology, the CIA approached him. As Puthoff says in the report, "There was, they told me, increasing concern in the intelligence community about the level of effort in Soviet parapsychology being funded by the Soviet security services... As a result they had been on the lookout for a research laboratory outside of academia that could handle a quiet, low-profile classified investigation, and SRI appeared to fit the bill."

Initially the tests were simple, but compelling. After a few months, a much larger pilot study was negotiated (the Biofield Measurements Program). In summary of the study's results, Puthoff said that there is "unequivocal evidence of a human capacity to access events remote in space and time."

The SRI project has gained a sinister image from other reports, most notably from the Constantine Report. In it author Alex Constantine contends the project projected words and images directly into participants' craniums, and says that the procedures were akin to torture.

[Image courtesy of DefenseTech.org]