Haunting Experiences: Encounters with the Otherworldly

by Michelle Belanger

Working the graveyard shift at a haunted hotel, encountering a Voodoo spirit in New Orleans, helping the victim of an astral vampire attack... the supernatural has played a part in Michelle Belanger's life since the age of three. Yet she refuses to take the "unexplained" for granted, especially when the dead speak to her.
From haunted violins to dark fey, Belanger relives her thrilling experiences with haunted people, places, and things. Inspired to understand the shadowy truths about these paranormal mysteries, she examines each otherworldly encounter with a skeptical eye. What remains is a solid survey of the paranormal from a credible narrator, who also learns to accept her own gifts for spirit communication.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction, Ghosts, Supernatural, Horror, Spirituality, Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2009

About the author

Michelle Belanger is an American author, singer, and television personality, widely recognized for her work on television's Paranormal State. A leading authority on psychic and supernatural topics, her non-fiction research in books like "The Dictionary of Demons" (Llewellyn, 2010) and "The Psychic Vampire Codex" (Weiser, 2004) has been sourced in television shows, university courses, and numerous publications around the world.
She has worked as a media liaison for fringe communities, lectured on vampires at colleges around North America, performed with Gothic and metal bands, including Nox Arcana, and designed immersive live actions RPGs for companies such as Wizards of the Coast. Her research on the Watcher Angels led to the creation of a Tarot Deck and the album Blood of Angels. She has appeared on CNN, A&E, Fox News, Reelz, and the History Channel.
Michelle resides near Cleveland, Ohio with three cats, a few friendly spirits, and a library of more than five thousand books.

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was a surprise.

I half expected something dense and full of "crazy", like unicorns healing people and angels giving them money or something.

Each chapter in the book is a different experience Belanger had in her life. If you run to the more skeptic end of the spectrum (and I do) you'll take a lot of this with a grain of salt (and sometimes the rest of the salt shaker, too). The author even encourages this attitude throughout the book. If you're more of a believer then you'll just find this to be a very enjoyable, probably inspirational read.

I can see this being great fodder for someone planning scary Halloween stories.

It doesn't matter what beliefs you have, you'll probably enjoy this book. Belanger has an easy to read style, which is a definite plus. It's not an overly long book, so I blew through it in about 24 hours.

I'd love to see this as an audio book narrated by the author sometime - she has a very good voice and her own cadence would probably add a good deal to the experience.

This really makes me want to check out some of her fiction.

[Cari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me just start this review by stating that I did not dislike this book because I am closed-minded or an unwavering skeptic. If I were, there's no way I'd even attempt to read a book with the title, Haunting Experiences: Encounters with the Otherworldly. I love a good ghost story and tend to enjoy them even more if they are supposed to be true accounts. Yes, I am a definite believer. But oh for Pete's sake, this book bored me to tears. I felt like much of it was a lecture on the paranormal, but it was said in a way that didn't resonate well with me. I think it was just the overall tone of the author that rubbed me the wrong way. I thought that some of the topics were just a little too "out there" for me to take too seriously, but I'm still open to a small possibility that even the strangest phenomena really exist. I did really enjoy reading some of the stories of hauntings and I loved the chapter about voodoo and encountering Papa Ghede while visiting New Orleans (a culture and city I'm obsessed with).

Overall, it was a struggle to complete this one, but it did have its moments.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains highlights of her experiences; none of them are particularly spooky - even the episode where a suicide victim unleashes at her in the middle of the night was more funny than scary. Belanger writes well, and seems like a truly interesting person. I'd be interested in reading more of her stuff.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about hauntings and haunted places. This was good, not great.

[Charlie Easterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd.

I'm a pretty dyed in the wool skeptic but I love learning about paranormal, occult or other just generally non-scientific phenomena. I don't believe any of it, but that doesn't make it not fun. Michelle made it not fun.

This book is a real slog. It has moments of interesting ideas or stories but it's painted over with a tall coat of purple prose and pseudo-intelligence that eventually grated on me too hard to continue. Michelle is constantly describing herself as 'scientific' and ' a little skeptical' as well as making it clear that she's DEEPLY in touch with everything. Nobody has ever been more in touch with anything than Michelle. She's not a mature writer, which is evident in her slightly strained attempts to beef up the poetry of her prose, and it's only worsened by the continued attempts to paint Michelle and her associates as 'not like those other girls' Pagans who are unexpectedly cool, rational or not weird. (I have no problem with Pagans; again, I love a lot of the same things that a traditional Pagan does but I did have to laugh at the description of her friend Jay who was described as 'not looking like what you'd imagine a Pagan to look like' followed by a description of a bigger guy with a beard, fedora and leather trench coat which describes a rather large number of the Pagans I know.)

Also, her continued assertions that she's a science minded skeptic are a little undercut by multiple chapters describing complete non-events hyped up to be fairies, entities and giant collections of 'bad energies'. Also, as a side note, there are a few instances of impossibilities. I don't mean the fairies which I'll leave up to the individual reader to decide on; but in the presentation of some of the ghosts. The Lady in Blue (Rebecca Wilcox) died in 1869 according to Michelle, but is described in a style not accurate to that, or an earlier time period (it's very much what someone unfamiliar with the time would imagine the style to be, but was a much later fashion). This is one of multiple basic errors I found in the text undercutting Michelle's veracity. Again, that and the fairies.

[Carly]

My review is for the eBook.
I can relate to Michelle Belanger, i'm also psychic, I nave various psychic abilities and the potential to be a medium, paranormal & psychic experiences can be quite creepy, disturbing, or helpful & comforting.
It's different every time you encounter various types of spirits, entities, devils, demons etc..
My grandparent (who is now sadly dead) my mum and myself are all psychic.
My mum has literally seen and interacted with spirits, she had a premonition dream about a plane crashing and the exact same plane crashed, but she still thinks that is all BS, the gift is wasted on her.
I however choose to embrace my gift, I've had various paranormal, psychic & some occult related experiences since I was a teenager.
At least one paranormal experience I don't have a explanation for.
So my mum is similar to Michelle Belanger's grandmother she would prefer to pretend to not be psychic and ignore any intuitive feelings they have, until her gift goes away naturally due to not fully accepting and embracing it.
I understand that not everyone appreciates or wants to be psychic, a medium or to have various psychic abilities, for some people this is creepy, frightening, weird and some people are very open spiritually, they don't know how to control their intuition, or energy so if they are psychic or a medium they are beacon to spirits, they will naturally attract spirits to them weather they want to or not, but you don't have to acknowledge, or interact with spirits or embrace your gift if you don't want to.
You have free will, it's your choice.
Michelle is Clairaudient, Clairvoyant, the two women she has mentioned in the book are psychic, one is a medium and they all have varying degrees of intuitive/psychic abilities such as: Clairaudience, Clairsentience, Clairvoyance, psychic drawing.
I have various intuitive/psychic abilities I hear spirits talking to me and it does sound like whispering, it creeps me out sometimes because I clearly hear something say my name in a creepy way, but I don't respond to it, sometimes it's a good idea to not acknowledge a spirit, especially if it has unknown intentions.
I'm curious what Michelle Belanger, thinks & believes about Ouija Boards, automatic writing, evil spirits, spirits in general, devils, demons, entities, elementals, beings that don't have a physical form so it manifests itself in whatever way it wants to, it may have been invoked by a coven of witches, or inexperienced dabblers of the occult/paranormal/spiritual practices, shapeshifters, or entities & beings that are animalistic, or a human-animal hybrid.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done and intriguing! It's an especially good perspective if, like me, you lean towards being skeptical and need some tangible evidence. I really like her point of view and can totally relate to simultaneously experiencing things and wondering about them.

I also like the reminder that there are more than just dead people involved in a haunting, but we don't need to jump to the conclusion that something is demonic if it's not human. It requires some discernment and some of her other books speak to this as well, but this book describes some of the nuances of ghost hunting effectively as well.

The time frame is before ghost hunting t.v. shows became popular, so it's interesting to get that perspective as well.

[Ashley Lamore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome non-fiction /memoir of Michelle Belanger’s experiences with the paranormal, with spirits, helping friends who experience paranormal phenomena and so forth. It’s also about Michelle exploring her gifts, learning to control them, and coming to terms with these amazing gifts that has been passed down to her from her family and ancestors. This memoir represents a small portion of who Michelle Belanger is as a person and a psychic vampire. She was kind of enough to open the door and let readers in and see the world through her eyes . Definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you are into the paranormal.

[Hana the Suburban Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick little read that goes into Michelles many experiences with the supernatural. Nothing overly spooky but it did give a few great hints at the many forms entity's can take, and some ways in which you can work with energy to manipulate them. She definitely doesn't share all her secrets in here though. Was a quick and easy read, not scary by any means but it has given me a taste to potentially read some of her other books.

[Travis Stacey Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still terrific after all these years

I loved this book when it first came out. The author’s thought processes remind me of my own at times, sceptical but knowing that something is happening. The intensely personal accounts are well written and provide real insight into the often bizarre things encountered when one opens up to the energy all around.

[Doc Kinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a "friend of a friend" and while we definitely don't see eye to eye on this subject, she has great stories, and as long as that's what you see them as, this is a wonderful read!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my three stars may be somewhat generous for this book, but I guess it all depends on the context in which you are reviewing. I didn't think it was a great book, but I did enjoy reading it.
I can certainly relate to a previous review's opinion that the book was not worth the time it takes to read since it's little more than a "rehashing of the writings of a 13 year old girl." A lot of the stories can really be boiled down to something like: "This one time, my friend saw a ghost or something." With a few more details, it might read: "This one time, my eccentric and/or pagan friend saw a ghost and at first I was skeptical but then I saw/felt it too." Of course, in the book, none of the stories are boiled down this far. They are often filled with paragraphs and paragraphs of uninteresting and unimportant details about the setting or the circumstances. I think these details were generally provided for added credibility but rarely did they actually end up serving that purpose (in my opinion) in execution. Instead, they just made the stories more dull and somehow less poignant.
For the most part, the writing itself was really not terrible, which is seemingly something of a rarity in these types of books. However, it also wasn't particularly good and there were definitely a few cringe-worthy passages where the same cumbersome phrase would be used multiple times in the same paragraph or where it just seemed as though the author was perhaps trying a bit too hard to sound, I don't know, unique? Original? Exceptionally-talented?

Despite all this, as I said in the beginning, I did enjoy reading the book. Some of the stories and/or ideas/theories were kind of fun to think about, whether you read them as fantasy or fact. It also came across as a very honest and open book and I personally find it somewhat fascinating to read open and honest first-person accounts regardless of topic or subject, especially when the writing isn't so bad as to totally take away from the experience. At points, the descriptions did really take you into the story and that's always something you want from a book, right?

[Boris · Rating 1 out of 5]

The world view of a goth girl, self-proclaimed psychic, medium, Wiccan and touring rock-and-roll singer along with a farrago of other-worldly experiences including but not limited to ghosts, fairies, Hell hounds, poltergeists, voodoo gods, a genuine necromancer and shadow creatures. Oh, yes, and "egregores" (I had to look that one up).

The one saving grace is that the author comes across as intelligent,thoughtful and well spoken. She displays a healthy skepticism about her own experiences and those of others. The writing is generally excellent and I hope the prose is that of the author and not that of a ghost writer or her editor.

I learned a great deal about the author's perceptions of how she sees and interacts with the world but very little else; all those corollary historical facts and the cultural milieu that give context and interest to supernatural experiences were missing. Her personal circle consisted of an utterly unremarkable and un-noteworthy collection of gamers, rock n rollers, witches, Wiccans and fellow travelers of her presumed psychic world.

Read Deborah Blum's "The Ghost Hunters" if one has a genuine interest in the subject.

[Arielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. So much in fact that I stopped reading it about 1/3rd of the way thru. Maybe that was unfair of me - usually I ALWAYS try to finish a book, but this one seemed like a colossal waste of my time. The author even mentions that when she was 13 she wrote a book of short stories and revisited some of them in this book. Bah! I have many books waiting to be read without reading a rehashing of the writings of a 13 year old girl. Plus the stories that I did read were all stuff like, "There was a bad feeling in the room". "Suddenly a light bulb went out." And if she mentions it once, she mentions it a LOT that she has Pagan friends. Guess that is really cool when you are 13, eh? Once again, I got this one for free, so this is a great case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. And I mean that literally. Perhaps I should try another of this author's books. Maybe this one was just unusual and the others are good.

[Leslie Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in the midst of doing a little research for my next book (which has to do with ghosts and an urban legend in St. Louis County, Missouri), I nabbed Belanger's book, HAUNTING EXPERIENCES and really loved it--and not just for the true accounts of her ghostly stories, but the writing is quite eloquent.

How, you may wonder can someone write so eloquently about the otherworldly? It's beyond me, but if you so have an inclination to either perceive spirits, or just like a good ghost story, this one is packed with many. Along with the actual accounts, as they happened to the author, she is quick to indicate a skepticsim to each of her findings...a self-proclaimed reluctant sensitive, Belanger will turn you from a critic to a believer.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c2009. I have shelved this as non-fiction although it could be seen as collection of ghost stories. Some were actually really quite unsettling. More so as they are presented as factual happenings. I can't quite determine whether I am a cynic or a believer. Too scared to say I am a cynic just in case I tempt fate and too scared to say I am a believer in case I see something. Nicely written and can recommend - but not for night time reading **insert spooky laugh**. "That night, crouched before the memorial near the riverwalk, I wasn't sure what to expect, but given the persistence of my earlier experiences, I expected something."

[Jenn Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting Experiences gets a 4.5 star rating. I really enjoyed this book, mainly because the stories weren't about nuisance ghosts. Most of the ghostly phenomenon shows only go to locations where unruly ghosts are and don't try to document locations where the ghosts are relatively harmless. I LOVED Belanger's sense of humor throughout the book. These stories felt very real to me as they didn't have squeaky clean endings, and IMHO those stories about ghosts that do have nice tight endings are usually works of fiction. I will definitely be checking out more of Belanger's work.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a fun read. Entertaining and well written, for the most part.
I'm a skeptical person, so I always read paranormal accounts with a metaphorical salt shaker handy, and I think most readers will probably do likewise. However, none of the stories are too 'over the top' and most of them are fun. I may not have learned anything new about ghosts, spirits and ghost hunting, but I was thoroughly entertained and Michelle's writing style kept me turning pages!

[Jennifer Heikle · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had to do it again, I would not have read this book. I really wanted to like it, but she was just to detail oriented when it came to telling a story. I don't need to know what the sky looked like unless it is poignant to the story and almost every time her descriptions were irrelevant. She really needs to consider her diction. A lot of her word choice was unnecessary. When someone writes a book, he/she really needs to consider his/her audience. I don't feel like she did that.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle's unique way of writing makes reading about some of her experiences very relatable. This book is one of my "comfort reads"- I have re read these stories multiple times over the years, and I always enjoy the experience. She has an almost down-to-earth way of recounting her paranormal adventures that I love.
I picked this book up originally because I was an avid watcher of Paranormal State, which she was on frequently.

[Ashley Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at ScareFest and ate it up. I only wish I would have waited for Michelle to come back from her seminar to sign the 3 books I bought from her. 21 short stories of her experiences with the spirit world and her ability to harness energy that are spine tingling at times and at times sad and eye opening. A must read for paranormal lovers!

[Tracy M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a good "pass the time while camping" read. Stories ranged between interesting to down right unbelievable. Some mimicked stories I'd read in other books as a child. I felt the author was pushing too hard the notion of her skills. I was just looking for spooky and this book didn't do it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really believe in ghosts (though I try to keep an open mind) but I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author's writing was fine, and I found the stories very interesting. At the very least, it gave me some entertainment. I found the author's claims of being clairvoyant and able to move things with her mind and "See" ghostly energy a little hard to swallow. But I was entertained.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book from one of the individuals on Paranormal State. An interesting look at ghosts, and how things are perceived by different types of sensitive people. The first believable book I've read that talks about fairies.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting -- some stories were creepier than others. I especially enjoyed reading about the old Ohio State Penitentiary, New Orleans and a couple of other eerie spots.

[Nanci L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book but not as wonderful as I expected. Some stories were more believable then others.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting...very interesting.

[Tina Fredricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Some truly interesting supernatural experiences from the author. The way she writes draws you in. I would love to read about more of her personal experiences.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, I have read it so many times the spine is splitting

[Meghan Stoss newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great stories and info.