True Hauntings: Spirits With a Purpose

Rating:
Summary: Read about hauntings from the ghost's point of view!
Review: Dr. Hazel Denning offers a unique and valuable perspective of a haunting -- that of the ghost(s). Dr. Denning is a Clinical Psychologist and also has a doctorate in meta-physical counseling. She worked with two gifted psychics to investigate hauntings and provide counseling to the dead and the living. The stories in this book are entertaining, filled with detail and are credible. Readers interested in ghostbusting will love this book!

Rating:
Summary: Read about hauntings from the ghost's point of view!
Review: Dr. Hazel Denning offers a unique and valuable perspective of a haunting -- that of the ghost(s). Dr. Denning is a Clinical Psychologist and also has a doctorate in meta-physical counseling. She worked with two gifted psychics to investigate hauntings and provide counseling to the dead and the living. The stories in this book are entertaining, filled with detail and are credible. Readers interested in ghostbusting will love this book!

Rating:
Summary: Proof in literature PhD's can be awarded to anyone.
Review: Hazel M. Denning has two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. And with a philosophy of dualism, Contributes a work with a not to fresh view of hauntings. That of the ghost(s) as told to us by the psychic(s)throughout the book -- and it has its problems.

Throughout reading the work, I couldn't help feeling insulted. In many cases the psychic [known here as Gertrude] is allowed to roam the clients house (unattended) while Ms. Denning keeps her client occupied talking about their ghostly experiences. Gertrude then returns after having a psychic conversation with the spirit. And in the presence of the client the spirit is told to go to the light. Sometimes the spirits do not believe them, until another spirit comes along to help them on their way. In one incident involving the spirit of a man's ex-wife, Gertrude returned proclaiming the man murdered her. He then becomes angry and kicks Ms. Denning and Gertrude out of his home, and rightfully so.

The book uses fictitious names, in an effort to protect the privacy of the people involved. But it also means each case cannot be researched by the reader, in other words we have to accept Ms. Denning's word or dismiss it whole-heartedly. With the information that can be researched, we start to see flawed reasoning. It was quite amusing reading her endorsement of Edgar Casey, stating quite hautingly, Edgar Casey's achievements cannot be denied. ...Famous known haunting cases such as Castle Glamis is Scotland. Or the Winchester Mystery House is not covered here. So any reader looking for known cases of hauntings should read another book...

Rating:
Summary: Proof in literature PhD's can be awarded to anyone.
Review: Hazel M. Denning has two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. And with a philosophy of dualism, Contributes a work with a not to fresh view of hauntings. That of the ghost(s) as told to us by the psychic(s)throughout the book -- and it has its problems.

Throughout reading the work, I couldn't help feeling insulted. In many cases the psychic [known here as Gertrude] is allowed to roam the clients house (unattended) while Ms. Denning keeps her client occupied talking about their ghostly experiences. Gertrude then returns after having a psychic conversation with the spirit. And in the presence of the client the spirit is told to go to the light. Sometimes the spirits do not believe them, until another spirit comes along to help them on their way. In one incident involving the spirit of a man's ex-wife, Gertrude returned proclaiming the man murdered her. He then becomes angry and kicks Ms. Denning and Gertrude out of his home, and rightfully so.

The book uses fictitious names, in an effort to protect the privacy of the people involved. But it also means each case cannot be researched by the reader, in other words we have to accept Ms. Denning's word or dismiss it whole-heartedly. With the information that can be researched, we start to see flawed reasoning. It was quite amusing reading her endorsement of Edgar Casey, stating quite hautingly, Edgar Casey's achievements cannot be denied. ...Famous known haunting cases such as Castle Glamis is Scotland. Or the Winchester Mystery House is not covered here. So any reader looking for known cases of hauntings should read another book...

Rating:
Summary: By far the best book I have read!
Review: OK, I have ready numerous books in effort to learn more about the afterlife. I enjoy reading books about families and how the cope with it. I personally enjoy books dedicated to one haunting. However this book gave me good stories about some people and the most important part of the book: TALKS ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH AND WHAT THE SPIRITS SAY. I can't explain how much detail Hazel Denning gives about why, how, and gives indepth information on the subject. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the afterlife more so than the hauntings. I highly recommed this book if you are looking for more than hauntings. Granted the names have been changed but in all the books you will find they do that, for protection. I would want my name changed.

Rating:
Summary: True Hauntings of All of Her Friends
Review: Ok. This book COULD be interesting to some. However, I found it to be pretty much the SAME story again and again.
A friend she knew (or friend of a friend)...
Have heard of her or her group....(you know how popular paranormal groups are - especially 60 years ago)
All these friends are psyhic (some not knowing it)...
All the spirits are talked to, need convincing, go into the light after apologizing to the friend....
I just find it really hard to believe any of these stories when they are all SO much the same.
Plus a gentlemen wrote in another review of this book that the names have been changed and cannot be researched.
I bought this book to get a better view of why ghosts haunt. I felt like she was asking a lot of whys and telling a lot of very short stories that didn't answer any question. I was very disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: If you're seriously interested in paranormal phenomena...
Review: This book was interesting but not that scary. It consists of accounts experienced by the author. Mny are wierd and some seem to be slightly scary while others tend to be unrealistic or over dramatic but I found this book to be an enjoyable light read.

Rating:
Summary: In one word.... Excellant!
Review: This was a well written book, by a resprcted authority. She puts forth many ideas, facts and notions. The author tells of her own experiences and give in depth explainations. When the event ends without a prolonged investigation she tells you so. The book also features a large bibliography.

One of the best books that I've read this year.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting for its philosophy
Review: True Hauntings is an intriguing book. My first surprise was that the author, Hazel Denning has a PhD. That spurred me to check her vita to see in what the degree was taken. Apparently it's in clinical psychology, not a bad beginning. A practice emphasis on past life regression, however, tended to make me a little skeptical.

My next surprise was the lady's age. The copyright of the book is 1996, and her stated year of birth (on the same page) is 1907. Not a bad output for an individual of 89 years. The book is eminently readable, very literate, and suggests a person with non-scientific mainstream ideas but with a firm conviction in them and the courage to set them to paper.

True Hauntings is not your average ghost story book. These are not the mythic or camp fire variety tales but more in the style of Hans Holzer. Individuals suffering haunting are described, the venues in which these phenomenon have occurred are also provided, and follow-up research where indicated was done. In short it is more of a case book.

While I'm not certain that I believe in ghosts beyond their entertainment value, I still found the author's deliberations about them and about life in general quite profound. If one can believe what she says about some of the individuals she treated for ghostly "infection," she has provided quite a few people with emotional relief for some very real life crises.

An interesting book.