On Thursday, July 5, 2001 my phone rang at 10:30am. The caller identified herself as "Jennifer Jones with CBS NEWS." She said 'We are looking for someone who would agree to be interviewed on the Paranormal. There was an article in the Charlotte (NC) Observer in June about a farm in Lancaster County, SC that has evidence of spiritual activity or ghosts."
When I replied that I was familiar with the article, Jennifer said "We received your name from The Rainbow Path bookstore as someone who is knowledgeable about, or involved in, spiritual investigations."
After a bit more conversation, we arranged for Jennifer & crew to come to my home office at 11:30 that morning for an interview.
Jennifer Jones and cameraman, Morris, arrived and Jennifer & I chatted while Morris set up the camera and equipment. Jennifer laughingly assured me that "Television is your friend!" The interview took approx. 30 minutes and I felt it went very well.
I said to her right off that I was not out to change anyone's belief system, but, that there was one quote I remembered in the Charlotte Observer article made by the husband(an engineer)-- he said that as a scientist he has a rational approach to looking at the world.
He would like a scientific explanation of this activity, but, he also knows that many of our sciences are in their infancy and the universe is vast.
I explained my views on the spiritual realm and my views on the specifics of 'ghosts' -- one question to me from Jennifer had to do with a specific photo taken at this farm -- interpreted by some as being of skeletons rising from a coffin in a fog.
I spoke of many viewing these photos and then assigning a meaning to an image, in part due to being conditioned by so many horror movies, or, by someone else passing a comment or by making an assumption -- as of this farm being on an old graveyard!
Jennifer said firmly "Oh, come on Jeanne. I saw the picture and it certainly looked like a skeleton to me!" My reply was "Well, Jennifer, I guess I cannot comment on that interpretation since I have not seen the photo."
As I said, the interview was over in about 30 minutes and after I walked them to their van, we spoke briefly and parted company. Jennifer had mentioned earlier that Morris was not a believer in spirits or entities.
On the sidewalk to the vehicle, Morris and I traded some jokes and banter about "woo-woo stuff and ghosts" as I am want to do. I had mentioned in the interview that spirits really do love us to have a sense of humor about all this activity -- "Oh, you guys, cut that out!"
At 12:15, my phone rang. It was Jennifer Jones -- Morris wanted to know if he left his sunglasses at my house! I started laughing and I could hear her say "Morris, she's laughing!" I said "Hold on, I'll look."
I found them on the end table in the living room and carried them back to the phone. I picked up the phone and said "Do-DE-do-DE Do-DE-do-DE (The theme from Rod Serling's Twilight Zone -- or was it the Outer Limits?) and Jennifer laughed and said "Morris, she's saying "Do-DE-do-DE Do-DE-do-DE."
She said they were "at the Mall and would run back by after they ate lunch and if I wasn't home would I leave them on the porch railing?" I agreed to do so.
Immediately after hanging up from speaking to Jennifer, the phone rang again. It was Morris. He invited me to join them for lunch.
And, I offered to bring his glasses.
I arrived at the restaurant at 12:30pm. We had good food, a discussion of religious dogma, an intuitive reading, a lively spiritual debate, Feng Shui suggestions, reincarnation info & rebuttal, astrological jokes, medical intuitive readings, past-life info channeled and plenty of 'visitations' during this time together.
And, so, I finally got back home from this lunch at 3:15pm. What a fun way to spend the day!
The interview should be broadcast on CBS later in the month of July 2001.
A NOTE: The Interview was broadcast in July and August (at the individual stations option) 2001.
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Jeanne Porter Ashley Home Page
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