Friday, June 20, 2008

Haunted Locations Around the World

When Sarah Winchester’s husband died in 1881, she got a case of the spooks. The gun maker’s widow became convinced that she needed protection from the evil spirits of all the people killed by Winchester rifles. (Winchester Model 1873 was affectionately known as “the gun that won the West.”) Her spiritual counselor advised her to find a house that would attract good spirits, but confuse evil ones.

Instead of moving, however, the widow hired a team of carpenters and craftsmen to add rooms to the Victorian mansion indefinitely. The expansion continued for 31 years until her death in 1922. After Sarah’s death, the workers began hearing their names being whispered from the deserted hallways, as well as footsteps; one of them claimed to see the widow’s ghost. They all decided to look for new work shortly thereafter.

Link

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Psychic's claim of abused child has Barrie, Ont., mom demanding apology

Tue Jun 17, 4:03 PM

BARRIE, Ont. - A mother from Barrie, Ont., is demanding an apology after the Children's Aid Society launched an investigation into sexual abuse allegations that came from a psychic.

Colleen Leduc says her daughter Victoria's teaching assistant visited a psychic who asked if she taught a girl whose name started with the letter "V."

The psychic then went on to tell her that the 11-year-old, who is autistic and non-verbal, was being abused by a young man.

The assistant told school officials who in turn called in the Children's Aid Society.

Leduc says a Children's Aid official visited her home but closed the file and called the report "ridiculous."

Under the Child and Family Services Act, anyone who works with children and has reasonable grounds to suspect a youngster is being harmed must report it immediately - and the CAS has an obligation to follow up.

The school board plans to launch its own investigation into the incident.

Leduc is now seeking legal advice and says she's pulled her daughter out of school and is off work so she can take care of her.

Link

Monday, June 2, 2008

Ghost in a bottle: Supernatural or Novelty?


I wish I had a spare $20 kicking around to get one of these...
Each Ghost is captured from a reported haunted establishment, (house, hotel, ship, cemetery, etc), by our Ghost Hunters.


We seal the ghost in it's own bottle. The bottle is sealed for your protection.


No maintenance required; except occasional dusting.

You may release the Ghost at your own discretion and at your own risk.

The Ghost in the Bottle is contained mysteriously and is therefore sealed with wax shortly after the Ghost is caught. The bottle is sealed for your protection. It comes with very important information . We supply the Ghost, you supply the name. Individual Ghost experiences may vary as "Each Ghost is Unique"!

But, like any other supernatural being in a bottle, it comes with warnings...

Many people nationwide have already purchased a bottle or two. Some respond stating that they did break or open the bottle and nothing happend and went on to say that it was a neat gift novelty and great conversation piece.

But there are quite a few that broke or opened the bottle and stated that nothing happened at first but, later began hearing noises during the night, missing car keys, T.V. remote, refrigerator door left open and some reported that they have seen ghostly images.

NOTE: WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISFORTUNE TO BEFALL YOU SHOULD YOU TAKE POSSESSION OF THIS OBJECT.

It is not recommended that you break or open the bottle.

The intent of this product is for entertainment purposes only. We have had several customers open or break the bottle and contact us stating that unexplained things have occurred in their homes and how could this activity be stopped?!
If you open or break your bottle you may experience any or all of the following:

• A voice out of nowhere.

• Muffled Moans and Groans for long periods of time during the day or night.

• Doors opening or closing slowly.

• A feeling someone is following you around your home.

• The T.V. volume Increases or Decreases by itself.

• Water left running at the sink.

• The feeling someone is watching you.

• Noises leading into or out of rooms that no one is present in.

• A unfamiliar smell of perfume or cologne.

• Small items moved (favorite items to move are shoes, car keys, T.V. remote and jewelry).

• Lights coming on or going off by themselves.

• Electrical appliances coming on by themselves (sometimes they are not even plugged in).

• Phone calls (yes, sometimes they call).

• Your night light may be turned off during the night.

• Bed covers pulled off you, or you pillow may be tossed on the floor during the night.

• Touches (light pat on the back, the touch can be warm or cold).

• Activity will usually peak around 3:00 am in the morning or on rainy days.
You may experience other Ghostly situations not stated above.

So, best of luck with your Ghost in a bottle, and keep an eye on your night light.

Source: The Presurfer

Voodoo Veves

In Vodou (Voodoo) practice, Veves are intricate symbols of the Loas (gods), and are used in rituals. Each Loa has his or her own complex veve, which is traced on the ground with powdered eggshell or cornmeal prior to a ritual.

The ability to draw a Veve correctly is considered to be the skill of an initiate. A veve is believed to be more powerful if it is drawn with the correct details- the better the detail, the better its power to invoke the Loa.

You can see a gallery of Veves here.

Pronunciation: Vayv or vay-vay • (noun)

Source: About.com

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
By ARIEL DAVID –
1 day ago

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."

In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.

The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life.

Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.

The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.

But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."

Funes urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has "caused wounds."

In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.

"The church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."

Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."

The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.

The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Roma Poltergeist

Roma Poltergeist
by Rebecca Ridge

In October, 2006, my fiancé, two brothers-in-law and I were renting a nice little house in Roma, Queensland, Australia. The first night I was there, it was just Joey and I; the other two were yet to move in. As Joey worked at night, I set about unpacking and doing the usual. I felt really uneasy while doing this. Although being home alone in a new place can make you feel uneasy, I had the distinct feeling that I wasn't alone and that I was being watched.

About two weeks later, after we were all in and unpacked, we had our first experience. The blinds behind the computer lifted up then slammed back down. Our cat, Strey, went over and had a look. She instantly put up her hackles and started to screech like a banshee and then, as if she had been hit, took off. We tried to vain to come up with a valid reason, but nothing made sense.

The next experience was when only Phil and I were home, as everyone else had gone to work. We were in the kitchen making dinner when we heard footsteps coming up the hallway. We both checked and nothing was there. We heard footsteps going up and down the hallway for about half an hour, then silence. The next was when my godson was going to sleep in Danny's bed. We were having a couple of drinks out side while my goddaughter slept in her pram and my godson was in the bedroom. He came out of the bedroom to tell us that someone was shaking the bed and he was scared. We went to go check it out, and as we all piled inside, Jaya's pram flew across the room with Jaya in it. She was unharmed, but it scared as half to death.

The next night we all felt the bed shaking. We were hanging out in Danny's room watching him play on the XBox 360 when the bed began to shake violently. After a moment it stopped as suddenly as it started. Needless to say, we were all silently freaking out. After that the bed never rocked so hard, but would still shake often.

Another night, Danny went to make something to eat and the broken CD player that wasn't plugged in began making the most horrifying noises. It sounded like a demonic voice. Another time, Joey, my fiancé, was in the shower. He had just turned the water off when he felt something grab his ankle, then let go. He quickly got out and started to dress. As he looked up into the mirror, he saw what he said was a man disappear behind him.

By now it was normal to hear footsteps going up and down the hallway, but even though it was normal we still felt unsettled. One night I was lying in bed with Strey lying on my belly. All of a sudden, she shot up and was staring beside me. I then heard a little girl giggle in my ear. At this, Strey took off out of the bedroom. I was too frightened to move.

Also, I forgot to mention that every child that came into that house was terrified of Danny's built-in wardrobe. Even we adults felt uneasy about it. Then, over Christmas, Joey and I went to Bundaberg and Phil went to Wondai while Danny stayed in Roma. On the first night he was alone, something was hitting all the windows and the CD player again began to make noises. Every time he entered a room, something would hit the window from the inside. As he tried to sleep, he kept hearing the hitting and then what sounded like a scream. He packed a bag and took off to a friend's house for the rest of the week.

On our return, things had been moved and the place was a bit of a mess, although after that night the place went quiet for about two weeks. Then it came back.

Once it came back, we started to hear footsteps behind us and following us around the house. This continued until about a month later when it stepped up another notch. We were in the lounge room while Joey was near the computer. All of a sudden, Johnny Cash's "I Won't Back Down" started to play backward through the computer speakers. Nothing was open on the computer and I don't think this song was even on the computer at the time. It stared to get louder and louder. It was louder than what the speakers could actually do. Joey turned the speakers off and it continued to play, then halfway through the song it stopped. We were all a little shaken over it, but tried to not freak out.

We had two cats by that time and they kept getting outside, although the house was closed tight. But when a window was open in this house, the blinds would be sucked up against the window. I noticed this next to the computer just after the music stopped. I thought I'd found out how our kitties had been getting out, but when I went to move the blinds to shut the window, the blinds suddenly released and started to shake, then stopped... the window wasn't open. We heard footsteps going up and down the hallway and we all went to the bedroom, but walking through the hall we felt and heard someone jump on the floor behind us.

Things stayed weird like that from then on. The day I found out I was pregnant, everything stopped. We no longer heard, felt or saw anything. One month later, we moved. Everyone that went to that house has a story and no one felt comfortable or alone there. No tenant has lasted more than six months either.

Source: About.com's Paranormal Phenomenon

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Ghostly Voices Tell Woman of Brain Cancer: Miracle or Madness?

Here’s a story recounted by consultant psychiatrist Dr. Ikechukwu Azuonye:

The story begins in 1984 when a married woman in her 40s was referred to him, apparently suffering from a psychiatric illness. Her ‘symptoms’ appeared when she was at home in London quietly reading a book, and a distinct voice appeared in her head.

‘Please don’t be afraid,’ the voice said in a firm but soothing tone. ‘I know it must be shocking for you to hear me speaking to you like this, but this is the easiest way I could think of. My friend and I used to work at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and we would like to help you.’

She was understandably shocked and was initially determined to dismiss the voice as a bizarre daydream. But it refused to go away and claimed that she was physically ill and would soon need help. […]

‘The voices told her to go in and ask to have a brain scan,’ says Dr Azuonye. ‘This was apparently for two reasons. She had a tumour in hebrain and her brain stem was inflamed.

Because the voices had told her things in the past that had turned out to be true, she believed them when they said that she had a tumour. I requested a brain scan.’

It turned out the diagnosis made by the voices was correct. Interestingly, says Dr Azuonye, there were no clinical signs that would have alerted anyone — including the patient — to the tumour.

The surgeon suggested an immediate operation to remove the tumour, a decision the voices agreed with. ‘They said they would have preferred the operation to be done at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London, because they specialised in neurological diseases. But because she was already at the Royal Free Hospital, they told her to have the procedure done there because it was urgent,’ Dr Azuonye says.

After the operation, and when the woman had recovered consciousness, the voices returned one last time, to bid her farewell. ‘We are pleased to have helped you,’ they said, before bidding her goodbye. ‘It is a miracle,’ says Dr Azuonye. ‘The patient regards herself as being helped by a guardian angel.’

Was it miracle or madness? Link - More over at Cabinet of Wonders

Source: Neatorama's Ghostly Voices Tell Woman of Brain Cancer: Miracle or Madness?

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The stories behind four exorcisms

Teenager at the Vatican

Pope John Paul II reportedly performed an exorcism on a 19-year-old girl at the Vatican in 2000. Father Gabriele Amorth, the official exorcist for the Diocese of Rome, had attempted to exorcise the girl the day before and failed. Her parents brought her to Pope John Paul II’s Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square in hopes that a Papal blessing would do her some good, but apparently it just incensed her even more. Italian newspapers wrote that the girl started screaming insults at the Pope in a “cavernous voice” and struggled with guards with superhuman strength. The Pope was informed about her and spent 30 minutes with her. When the Pope left, the girl said (in a voice apparently not belonging to her), “Not even the head of the church can send me away.”


Source: Neatorama's The stories behind four exorcisms

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Lee Hadwin, the "Sleeping Artist"

By day, Lee Hadwin is a nurse from north Wales, UK and by night he is an artist. That’s not so unusual, but here’s where Lee is different:

… but when he wakes up, he says he has no memory of having created them.

Hadwin has been walking in his sleep since he was four, but it was only when he stayed over at a friend’s house, aged 16, that he first began to draw in his sleep. "The next morning, my friend’s mother found drawings all over the walls in the kitchen," he says. "But we had been drinking that night, so we put it down to that." (Source)

Gallery of Lee’s sleep-walking art. Video of Lee sleepin’ and drawin’ at Cabinet of Wonders.

Source: Neatorama's Lee Hadwin, the "Sleeping Artist"

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Zombies in Ancient Egypt

Zombie attacks are a very, very serious matter. So it’s only right that the Archaeology, a publication of the always serious Archaeological Institute of America, delved into the evidence of a zombie attack, caused by the Solanum virus, in 3000 BC Egypt:

… in 1892, a British dig at Hierakonpolis unearthed a nondescript tomb containing a partially decomposed body, whose brain had been infected with the virus (Solanum) that turns people into zombies. In addition, thousands of scratch marks adorned every surface of the tomb, as if the corpse had tried to claw its way out!

Source: Neatorama's ZOMG! Archaeologists found evidence of Zombie attack in Ancient Egypt!

Haunted Hospitals

Glenn Dale Hospital
morgue
photo from The Glenn Dale Hospital Mission
Glenn Dale opened in the same era as Fairfield State – the 1930s was a popular time for mental institutes, apparently. Well, actually, Glenn Dale wasn’t originally used for that purpose – it was a tuberculosis hospital with one building for adults and one for children. Eventually the tuberculosis problem died down and Glenn Dale was repurposed. It closed in 1982 due to asbestos and structural problems, but before it closed it was (supposedly) home to the criminally insane. As with Fairfield State, the buildings are connected via underground passageways, which people have been exploring since the day Glenn Dale officially closed its doors.

Exploration might not be the best idea, though, and not just because of the asbestos (although that should be an obvious deterrent). One rumor says that when the hospital closed, the remaining patients were just turned loose. Having nowhere else to go, many of them simply broke back into the abandoned buildings and lurk there even today.

Another story goes that a police officer went to check out the buildings himself after getting a call that the buildings were being vandalized by a bunch of kids. After he went in, someone in the vicinity heard gun shots and called the police. When the police arrived, they found the first officer standing in one of the rooms, staring straight ahead at nothing. He had emptied his gun firing at something that no one ever found.

Source: Neatorama's Five hospitals you don't want to check into

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Dark Spirits of St. Louis

(1 of 4)


(2 of 4)


(3 of 4)


(4 of 4)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

20 tips for photographing Ghosts

1. Ghosts are not just in haunted old buildings. Ghosts are almost everywhere in one form or another. So don't be afraid to take photos at the mall or out on a busy intersection at night, or anywhere else for that matter.

2. When you take photos at night, let's say in a cemetery etc. make sure you have you camera set for night filming. If your camera has this setting, please use it otherwise your photos might come out to dark or fuzzy.

3. Always take photos of something and not just a clearing. Having a background image such as a tombstone, tree, building etc., It adds to the quality of the photo and allows mild light reflection for best possible results.

4. Take lots of pictures! Takes photos of anything & everything with a good background image. The odds are good that you will capture an anomaly if you take at least 50 pictures on your hunt. Then again, you might just get some great stuff on your first roll, you just never know.

5. When taking your photos, make sure to avoid shinny surfaces. The shine from a glossy tombstone or pane of glass etc. can cause anomalies that can appear to look like ghost mist, fog & orb shapes. Oh, and never try taking photos through a glass window. It's just to easy to create shapes that aren't really there. Not worth wondering if it was created from the glass or not. Old glass is the worst.

6. Make sure your camera lens is clean at all times. Again, this can cause anomaly type images to appear. If the lens has a smudge it can easily show up on several pictures and can look like an anomaly, so look for that sign. Try to always keep your lens spotless.

7. Make sure you know where your camera strap & lens cover are at all times. These can appear as a vortex or other ghostly images if left to dangle free from the camera. If your thumb or finger is in the way of the lens it can cause this same effect.

8. Make sure long hair is tied back. Hair can also appear as a ghostly anomaly. Strains of hair can look like orbs in motion as well as ghost energy.

9. Completely avoid taking photos when conditions are windy, foggy, rainy, dusty and where it's snowing or when moisture is in the air. All of these conditions can cause images to appear that look exactly like orbs and ghostly anomalies.

10. In cold weather make sure your breath is not affecting the photo results. Exhaled air in cold weather can appear in front of the lens to create all sorts of strange elusions including mist & orbs shapes.

11. A condition called "Lens Flair" produces strange effects in your photos. To avoid this do not take photos in the direction of the sun. Also, never take a picture in the direction of any direct light source. Preferably have all light sources away from you or even behind you when snapping your photos.

12. Talk to the ghosts. When you enter an area that you want to photograph, such as a cemetery, follow these steps: Walk around the area for about 15 minutes before doing anything else. As you're walking around, clear your mind and think only good thoughts. (Ghosts can sense your feelings and read your thoughts) After 15 minutes, recite the following statement or something similar. "Hi, my name is ______, We have come here to take some pictures of you as ghosts in order to show & document that there is life after death. We have only the best of intentions. We are not here to do any harm and we will only be here long enough to take our photos and then we will leave. Our only request is to take a picture of you, any of you! Thank you so much. I'll begin taking pictures now......thanks. Take all the pictures you think you need to and start heading back to your car. On the way, stop one last time and say: We are leaving now, just in case I didn't get any pictures of you on film can I take just 5 more pictures of this monument (or whatever) and would one of you mind posing for me in these very last photos? Take five more photos and then say: Thank you so much for putting up with me & my group.....we enjoyed being here in your company and am grateful for any photos you have allowed us to have of you..........thanks again, bye. If you were able to get some good pictures and you proved your good intentions to the ghosts.....then you will be welcomed back on your return visit. :)

13. Most ghost energy will appear in the air from two to ten feet above the ground. So focus a portion of your attention at that level but don't limit yourself totally to it. Ghostly phenomena can and will also appear above your head at times so be sure and snap some random shots up above at times. Note: in a buildings they can appear at any level of the structure and at any height.

14. The odds of encountering an evil spirit are slim to none but here is the counsel concerning them. Don't go hunting for evil spirits and DO NOT dare them to come around. If you hear or see a sign of evil spirits you should leave immediately.

15. Avoid mirrors or even taking photos in the general direction of a mirror. The camera flash can create a flash in the mirror that can produce a variety of effects including vapor, mist & fog.

16. Try following your instincts when taking ghost photos. If you have a particular inclination to snap a photo in a particular direction or at a particular object, do it. Trust your feelings an as you do, your abilities to sense ghosts should increase.

17. Ghosts are quite often attracted to people and will follow them around. So include people in the photos you take. Tip: When taking photos of others try to include enough space to one side of the picture and above the heads of those in the photo to capture any anomalies present. Remember the purpose is to catch anomalies and people together in the same photo. Here's another trick to use when ghosts might be following you around......put the camera over your shoulder and snap a picture behind you. This can be an effective technique at times......trust me.

18. The best time of the year for capturing ghost images on film are in the colder months when electrostatic energy is at it's highest. These months being October through February. You can capture any kind of ghost type on film at any time of the year but the above mentioned months just increase your odds is all. Orbs however, don't seem to be affected by seasons and are by far the easiest anomalies to capture on film.

19. Remember your flash limitations. A flash can only be useful for up to a certain distance. Normally within 15 feet. So if you are in a cemetery at night and take a picture of a mausoleum 30 feet away, the image will be hard to view and a bit washed out, as well as any anomalies present. Important note: The flash will help highlight the anomaly if the background image is within the the range (15 feet). Note: A flash attachment will increase your range if you desire to use one.

20. Best places to take pictures: Some places are more haunted than others. Some typically haunted locations are cemeteries, old buildings, including old hotels, houses, hospitals, schoolhouses, and churches. Other good spots are theaters as well as any historic part of a city. Use your imagination and see what works for you. Just remember the best rule of thumb is to include places that are rich in history on your investigations. That's the basics in a nutshell.......study and know them well and you will be well on your way to capturing strange phenomena on film in the near future. I might add, once you start seeing the fruits of your labor, you will be hooked! And life will no longer be the same for you as it was before. Ghost hunting is a great hobby and can be a truly fulfilling one as well. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Don't forget to check out your old photos and photo albums for ghost anomalies. You might be pleasantly surprised at the ghost pictures you already have!

GhostStudy.com

How to Practice Automatic Writing

Automatic writing is an old form of divination in which messages seem to come out of nowhere through your hand and onto paper. Some who have attempted this form of mediumship have written lengthy messages, songs -- even complete novels.
Difficulty: Hard
Time Required: 15 minutes to an hour

Here's How:

  1. Find a quiet spot without distractions.
  2. Sit at a table or desk where you'll be comfortable, with paper and pen (or pencil).
  3. Take a few moments to clear your mind.
  4. Touch the pen or pencil to the paper.
  5. Try not to consciously write anything.
  6. While keeping your mind as clear as possible, let your hand write whatever comes across.
  7. Avoid looking at the paper; you might even keep your eyes closed.
  8. Give it time to happen (nothing might happen for quite a while).
  9. When it seems to be done, if and when automatic writing does occur, look over what your hand has produced carefully. The writing may appear to be nonsense or just scribbling, but try to decipher it as best as possible.
  10. In addition to letters and numbers, look for pictures or symbols in the writing as well.
  11. Keep trying. Nothing might happen your first few attempts.
  12. If you start to achieve success, you can try asking questions to see if you can receive responses.

Tips:

  1. There is no guarantee that automatic writing will work for you, but don't give up if it doesn't work the first few times. Give it a chance.
  2. Be aware of psychological dangers. Some messages that come across might be disturbing. If you're at all not able to handle this possibility, don't attempt automatic writing.

What You Need:

  • pencil or pen
  • paper
Source: Paranormal Phenomena

UFO sighting in Texas

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) - The latest UFO buzz is in Stephenville, Texas, where several dozen people insist they've seen something up there that's unexplainable.

One pilot says the thing he spotted last week was a mile long and a 1/2 mile wide, and made no noise. As he puts it, "It was positively, absolutely nothing from these parts." Others have talked about bright lights, and said they saw fighter jets chasing it.

Federal officials insist there's a logical explanation. A spokesman for a local fighter wing says it may have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes. He says lights from the planes would seem unusually bright, and may appear orange from the setting sun.

Last year, 14% of Americans polled by The Associated Press and Ipsos said they have seen a UFO.

Source: WTOC

In-depth article HERE