A nationally recognized threat management expert and author, Spencer Coursen has an exceptional record of success in resolving threats, conflict resolution, and vulnerability reduction. In the first half, he discussed various measures people can take to protect themselves and their family from harm's way. While it's unlikely that you'll find yourself in a mass shooting, people should be cognizant of the real risks they face in their everyday lives, he noted. We don't always see the warning signs, he added, but awareness and preparation can be the keys to our safety. Coursen pointed out that in the age of social media, many sometimes post a lot of personal information about themselves and their whereabouts, and this could make them more vulnerable if someone decided to target them.
He talked about "safe havens," places other than our homes where we can go to be safe in an emergency. A family might have a designated restaurant to meet at, he suggested, where they could expect to find food and water, a bathroom, some form of first aid, as well as Internet or phone lines. If you are carrying a concealed gun in a situation where there is a shooting, Coursen advised against using it against the shooter unless you have extensive firearms training, as you could be held responsible if you accidentally hit an innocent person. For overseas travel, he recommended registering with the Smart Traveler program, and being aware of the emergency phone codes in foreign countries as they are different than 911.
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In the latter half, David Weatherly, Renaissance man of the strange and supernatural, and paranormal researcher Ross Allison talked about their new work delving into haunted prisons in the United States. Some prisoners spent most of their lives behind bars, and perhaps that's why they would haunt such places after their death, Allison suggested. Weatherly noted that many older prisons, such as the Missouri Penitentiary (called the "bloodiest 47 acres in America"), were built out of limestone, and according to one theory, this material is conducive to creating paranormal activity. Limestone possibly records traumatic events or emotional energies, he explained. Allison pointed out that some prisons or spots within them retain an intense negative energy or sense of dread.
The Holmsburg Prison in Pennsylvania (opened in 1896, closed in 1995) was considered one of the worst prisons in America, where prisoners were tortured and underwent bizarre and gruesome medical experiments. Reports of haunted phenomena there include the sounds of cell doors slamming, boots walking, and men screaming, as well as the smell of burning flesh, Allison recounted. At the Moundsville Prison in West Virginia, where there was extreme violence and abuse in an area known as the "Sugar Shack," disembodied voices have been frequently picked up as EVPs, said Weatherly. Allison described his overnight investigation at Alcatraz with a team of ghost hunters. While moving through a tunnel near the old morgue, he distinctly felt a hand stop him when he was backing up, but there was no one there when he turned around.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Dr. Peter Breggin