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Overshadows: An Investigation into a Terrifying Modern Canadian Haunting

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In 1995, a young girl living with her abusive mother commits suicide. Shortly afterwards, her spirit returns to the house, only to find her mother gone and strangers moving in. She also finds the older spirits who dwell there, beginning a powerful battle for control of the house - and trapping its new residents in the middle.

Overshadows chronicles the events of this terrifying multiple haunting, but more importantly, it shares the incredible discoveries made during the course of a six-year investigation. This book will challenge and disprove classic theories, and create upheaval in the circle of life-after-death research.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

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Richard Palmisano

10 books2 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for C.  (Comment, never msg)..
1,563 reviews207 followers
May 4, 2023
* I appreciate knowing how you enjoy my reviews with a comment, not an empty ‘like button’ click.

I wanted this book March 29, 2006: a pioneer of my wish list! Returning it to the forefront, after long seeking meaningful paranormal literature; what a reward to find that it is good. I hesitated over a disturbing introduction but bestow five stars. "Overshadows" stands apart easily from the haunted books we surmise it will mirror. It is not a story of odd occurrences. It is a logical investigation of Richard Palmisano's friends! What's more, he illustrates why parapsychology has not advanced. He convincingly points out that all most explorers do, is capture pictures and electronic voice phenomena and go no further than publishing the observation: "Isn't that interesting"?

If you have wanted the history of an expedition that seriously pieces together the originating players of a haunting: this will be refreshing for you. Readers are treated to a rare discussion of how our hearing works and how spirit communication might scientifically work. I agree it is time to push completely outside boxes, to stop limiting possibilities to established spectral labels, and to consider how the metaphysical might work. Richard offers discussions at the conclusion of very compelling storytelling, that are the most scientific and logical things I have ever seen proposed.

I have never cared about proving spirits in a measurable way. Those who have spiritual experiences are reached with an indisputable certainty that they don't require the thick-headed to believe. However if he can do it, if he is right that our souls are measurable components of our brains and corporeal forms: great! I devoured "Overshadows" in a day, an extra appeal being that the setting is Ontario. Canadians happily obliterate the usual distancing from ghost discussions, that too often derive from Europe or the United States. Additionally, the paranormal activity is compellingly recent, like the title states.
Profile Image for Kristen.
94 reviews30 followers
July 27, 2015
Since I wasn't going to believe this book as non-fiction no matter what the author said, it was a decent read.

It would have been better had it not been presented as truth, honestly, because the author kind of wandered off on tangents of story-telling that would have been interesting as "reenactment"-type scenes, but when its presenting itself as a scientific investigation, its really distracting to have these scenes. They included the death of two young women, and the motivations and life of 'Edward', among other things, where there is just no evidence for what the author is claiming happened (except in some cases the psychic readings of Jon which doesn't count). It kind of comes with the territory, but it was really obvious and distracting.

It was decent story-telling, though it kind of felt like a ripoff since they didn't actually DISCOVER ANYTHING. They didn't /quite/ get to where the body was supposed to be in any of the three searches they made. It was written like if situations had been /just slightly different// they //definitely/// would have found the evidence, so it practically counts, right?

No, it does not.

The pictures, also, what the hell, there was nothing in them/

Okay, that's all. It was a little boring, and I didn't buy the story, but it was what anyone should have expected from a true ghost story so I brought it on myself.
Profile Image for Teena in Toronto.
2,462 reviews79 followers
February 9, 2012
Al and Kellie moved into a townhouse in the spring of 1996 in Toronto. As they were putting their stuff away, they heard a noise of someone coming up the stairs ... but there was no one there. The next day a rocking chair was rocking on its own in one of the bedrooms. The doors to a cabinet kept opening.

With the author (Richard) and Jon (who communicated with the spirits with a pendulum), Al spends a few years researching and discover that not only is the girl who overdosed on drugs still "residing" in the house but there are also other spirits residing there too.

It's an interesting true story.

Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2011/08...
Profile Image for theghostwriter.
128 reviews
April 6, 2009
Lots of switching between past and present can get confusing, but its still interesting.
Profile Image for Trizzan Blair.
34 reviews14 followers
January 30, 2014
What a great paranormal book. I love all of Richard palmisano's books, I love how he includes all the dialogue making it seem like I were reading a movie!
Profile Image for Tamara.
505 reviews4 followers
May 13, 2017
While I understand that this book was accounts of the investigation, a lot of the time it was confusing, and I wasn't sure where they actually were on the property investigating. I also wasn't a big fan of the more 'story-like' elements in writing some chapters in the 'ghost's point of view'. It came off as really weird. I enjoy reading theories and hypothesis about the ghosts and their lives, but to write in their perspective instead of just writing your views gives the book a fictional flavour that doesn't match the book being an investigative research book.

Still, it was an interesting read, and I enjoy that these investigations are carried out over a substantial length of time.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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