Doug Dillon's Blog, page 56
August 30, 2015
Life After Death True Stories
Most likely, you’ve clicked on this article because you’re searching for a deeper understanding of life. 
Well, you’ve found a friend in that worthy effort and it is my pleasure to share some of my discoveries with you.
You see, I’m a Florida writer, educator, meditator, grandfather and investigator probing into the nature of reality. Through my years of careful observation, intensive research, and startling personal experiences, I’ve come to some partial conclusions about the nature of our existence and what lies beyond life as we know it.
In that light, I offer you access to my extensive blog postings about such things through this website. You can either use the categories I’ve set up or you can insert your own and see what pops up. For a few examples of such posts, see the active links at the end of this article.
Then again, if you would like to investigate some of the books I’ve written, you’ll find that information below.
But no matter what, I wish you well on your journey of exploration. May you find what you’re looking for and how very much I hope you share what you uncover with others, including me.
We’re all in this together and we very much need each other’s help. You may contact me through the link to this posting or you can use the contact form on the website. I would love to hear from you.
Now as to my books that I think you might find of value. If you’re interested, you can order any of them from your local bookstore and all the major online book outlets.
Or, you can ask your local library to make copies available if they don’t already have them in the stacks.
Every library has some sort of procedure for patrons to make book purchase suggestions and they often follow through with those ideas just like the Orlando Public Library does near where I live (pictured here).
First, let me first show you my nonfiction books:
Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Experiences (Published as a paperback, hardback and Kindle eBook)
I’ve always been fascinated by Carl Jung and his theory of synchronicity.
His idea that there are no true coincidences, and all things are linked, increasingly fits with what I’ve experienced in recent years to an astounding degree.
And when I investigated Jung’s life, I also found how many truly strange events occurred in his life. Here was a famous psychiatrist whose paranormal experiences mirrored so much of what I was coming to understand that I had to pull it all together in book form.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
An Explosion of Being: An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic (Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback)
The title almost tells it all. This is a true life adventure that extended to my entire family. Many years ago, right after my father died, strange things began happening.
Those events led to my lifelong pursuit of things paranormal and to the writing of this book with my wife, Barbara.
An imprint of Prentice Hall published the book across the world and Barb and I launched into an eye-opening round of radio and TV presentations.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Now for my fiction work:
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Much of my educational career involved teenagers. And after taking early retirement, I decided to combine my experience with young people, my love for history and my paranormal understandings in a book series for young adults. The stories are action packed, with the premise being: “You Create Your Own Reality.”
This series takes place in present day St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. And surprisingly, what I have found is that even older adults like what I’ve written despite it originally being designed for teens.
Below you can see larger versions of the book covers and a brief description of each plot.
Sliding Beneath the Surface {Book I}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.
Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.
A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Stepping Off a Cliff {Book II}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
An otherworldly, evil and dangerous force infests America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone living there, or visiting, is at risk in ways too horrible to imagine.
Standing between this invader and the people of St. Augustine are teenagers Jeff and Carla, the mysterious Native American shaman, Lobo, and Lyle, the homeless guy.
In their quest to save themselves and all the inhabitants of this ancient Florida city, Jeff and Carla uncover lost parts of St. Augustine history, push past the limits of space and time, and come face-to-face with what they come to realize are the true walking dead.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Targeting Orion’s Children {Book III}. Publication due in late 2016.
In this, the final book of The St. Augustine Trilogy, the team of Jeff Golden, Carla Rodriguez, old Lobo, the Native American shaman and Lyle, the homeless guy, gather once again to join forces.
This time, though, the two teens face a paranormal presence that defies full human understanding and becomes a threat far beyond the oldest city in America where they live.
Overwhelmed by the immense responsibility they hold in their hands, Jeff and Carla make a jaw-dropping discovery that leads them in directions they could never before have imagined.
OK, and finally, as promised, here are the links to those blog post samples:
Meditation, Mindfulness and Premonitions
Haunted Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida
Blogging & Paranormal Coincidences
I write a lot about how coincidences often show the true paranormal nature of the world in which we live. These events, especially when there are a serious of them related to each other, can be a bit startling. Even so, over the years I’ve gotten fairly used to them. Once in a while, though, something will happen that really makes my jaw drop in wonder. That’s what happened to me just a few minutes ago.
Let me back up here. A few days ago, I published a short article on my blog titled, “Paranormal Coincidences: The Hummingbird and Stained Glass”. It was all about a set of simultaneous events involving a hummingbird right outside the window of my home office. Today, I decided to post that piece on Facebook because it was a warm, touching story related to my deceased mother. If you want to read that article, I’ve provided a link at the bottom of all this text. The picture on the left, however, is one of those I used in the article.
Now back to a few minutes ago. Right after dinner, I checked my emails and noticed I had received a Google Alert. I have them set up so that Google scours the Internet for me on all kinds of subjects including, Doug Dillon. Tonight, the Google email said, “Join Doug Dillon on Facebook.”
Bridge of Lions Photo courtesy of Greg Dillon-Photography by Greg
Figuring it must be the hummingbird posting I did today, I clicked on it. Sure enough, the hummingbird picture came up. The thing is, it wasn’t my hummingbird. The color of the flowers was wrong. In fact, this picture filled a good chunk of the screen with a smaller version of itself where my Facebook profile photo usually sits. For a few seconds, I was really disoriented because my cover photo is actually a nighttime picture of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine. Even so, it still said, “Doug Dillon.”
Finally, I tore my eyes away from the pictures and looked at the profile. That’s when I discovered I was looking at a description of another Doug Dillon. That’s what I said, another DOUG DILLON. Not only that, but this other Doug Dillon and I have these items in common:
We both are retired
We both are retired from a school system
We are both retired from a school system in the state of Florida
We both like history
We both went to public universities in the state of Florida
See why I really jumped up and took notice? As I look at the other Doug Dillon’s Facebook timeline, I see this entire event as a giant cosmic exclamation point-one I will now have to insert into my original posting on the hummingbird and stained glass.
If you would like to see the other Doug Dillon’s Facebook timeline, click here. I don’t know how long he will keep that hummingbird picture up, but I hope he keeps it there long enough for you to take a look at it. Oh. I immediately sent Doug # 2 a Friend Request. I think this event will blow his socks off. It will be interesting to talk to him.
If you would like to see that previous posting, click here.
UPDATE: The other Doug Dillon responded to me on Facebook where we are now friends. He read this article and found it pretty startling. This was especially true since he had some things to add to the string of coincidences listed above and here they are:
Like me, he was a district level school administrator
Through his job back in those days, he visited Orange County Public School’s district office in Orlando where I worked. During that day, he happened to walk by MY DESK. He noticed my nameplate and stopped short. When he asked if I was around., someone told him I was away at a conference. So, Doug and I think that for whatever reason, we were destined to make contact. The thing is, it sure did take a long time. I would like to meet him one of these days.
If you are truly interested in all kinds of strange phenomena, you also might be like to take a look at my book, Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Coincidences. You can find it in most online bookstores. Listed below, however, are direct book links to some of the larger retail outlets in the English speaking world:
Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon India, Amazon Australia, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository
August 28, 2015
Proof of Ghosts
Most likely, you’ve clicked on this article because you’re searching for a deeper understanding of life. Well, you’ve found a friend in that worthy effort and it is my pleasure to share some of my discoveries with you.
You see, I’m a Florida writer, educator, meditator, grandfather and investigator probing into the nature of reality. Through my years of careful observation, intensive research, and startling personal experiences, I’ve come to some partial conclusions about the nature of our existence and what lies beyond life as we know it.
In that light, I offer you access to my extensive blog postings about such things through this website. You can either use the categories I’ve set up or you can insert your own and see what pops up. For a few examples of such posts, see the active links at the end of this article.
Then again, if you would like to investigate some of the books I’ve written, you’ll find that information below.
But no matter what, I wish you well on your journey of exploration. May you find what you’re looking for and how very much I hope you share what you uncover with others, including me.
We’re all in this together and we very much need each other’s help. You may contact me through the link to this posting or you can use the contact form on the website. I would love to hear from you.
Now as to my books that I think you might find of value. If you’re interested, you can order any of them from your local bookstore and all the major online book outlets.
Or, you can ask your local library to make copies available if they don’t already have them in the stacks.
Every library has some sort of procedure for patrons to make book purchase suggestions and they often follow through with those ideas just like the Orlando Public Library does near where I live (pictured here).
First, let me first show you my nonfiction books:
Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Experiences (Published as a paperback, hardback and Kindle eBook)
I’ve always been fascinated by Carl Jung and his theory of synchronicity.
His idea that there are no true coincidences, and all things are linked, increasingly fits with what I’ve experienced in recent years to an astounding degree.
And when I investigated Jung’s life, I also found how many truly strange events occurred in his life. Here was a famous psychiatrist whose paranormal experiences mirrored so much of what I was coming to understand that I had to pull it all together in book form.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
An Explosion of Being: An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic (Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback)
The title almost tells it all. This is a true life adventure that extended to my entire family. Many years ago, right after my father died, strange things began happening.
Those events led to my lifelong pursuit of things paranormal and to the writing of this book with my wife, Barbara.
An imprint of Prentice Hall published the book across the world and Barb and I launched into an eye-opening round of radio and TV presentations.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Now for my fiction work:
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Much of my educational career involved teenagers. And after taking early retirement, I decided to combine my experience with young people, my love for history and my paranormal understandings in a book series for young adults. The stories are action packed, with the premise being: “You Create Your Own Reality.”
This series takes place in present day St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. And surprisingly, what I have found is that even older adults like what I’ve written despite it originally being designed for teens.
Below you can see larger versions of the book covers and a brief description of each plot.
Sliding Beneath the Surface {Book I}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.
Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.
A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Stepping Off a Cliff {Book II}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
An otherworldly, evil and dangerous force infests America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone living there, or visiting, is at risk in ways too horrible to imagine.
Standing between this invader and the people of St. Augustine are teenagers Jeff and Carla, the mysterious Native American shaman, Lobo, and Lyle, the homeless guy.
In their quest to save themselves and all the inhabitants of this ancient Florida city, Jeff and Carla uncover lost parts of St. Augustine history, push past the limits of space and time, and come face-to-face with what they come to realize are the true walking dead.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Targeting Orion’s Children {Book III}. Publication due in late 2016.
In this, the final book of The St. Augustine Trilogy, the team of Jeff Golden, Carla Rodriguez, old Lobo, the Native American shaman and Lyle, the homeless guy, gather once again to join forces.
This time, though, the two teens face a paranormal presence that defies full human understanding and becomes a threat far beyond the oldest city in America where they live.
Overwhelmed by the immense responsibility they hold in their hands, Jeff and Carla make a jaw-dropping discovery that leads them in directions they could never before have imagined.
OK, and finally, as promised, here are the links to those blog post samples:
Meditation, Mindfulness and Premonitions
Haunted Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida
August 26, 2015
What Are Ghosts?
Most likely, you’ve clicked on this article because you’re searching for a deeper understanding of life. Well, you’ve found a friend in that worthy effort and it is my pleasure to share some of my discoveries with you.
You see, I’m a Florida writer, educator, meditator, grandfather and investigator probing into the nature of reality. Through my years of careful observation, intensive research, and startling personal experiences, I’ve come to some partial conclusions about the nature of our existence and what lies beyond life as we know it.
In that light, I offer you access to my extensive blog postings about such things through this website. You can either use the categories I’ve set up or you can insert your own and see what pops up. For a few examples of such posts, see the active links at the end of this article.
Then again, if you would like to investigate some of the books I’ve written, you’ll find that information below.
But no matter what, I wish you well on your journey of exploration. May you find what you’re looking for and how very much I hope you share what you uncover with others, including me.
We’re all in this together and we very much need each other’s help. You may contact me through the link to this posting or you can use the contact form on the website. I would love to hear from you.
Now as to my books that I think you might find of value. If you’re interested, you can order any of them from your local bookstore and all the major online book outlets.
Or, you can ask your local library to make copies available if they don’t already have them in the stacks.
Every library has some sort of procedure for patrons to make book purchase suggestions and they often follow through with those ideas just like the Orlando Public Library does near where I live (pictured here).
First, let me first show you my nonfiction books:
Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Experiences (Published as a paperback, hardback and Kindle eBook)
I’ve always been fascinated by Carl Jung and his theory of synchronicity.
His idea that there are no true coincidences, and all things are linked, increasingly fits with what I’ve experienced in recent years to an astounding degree.
And when I investigated Jung’s life, I also found how many truly strange events occurred in his life. Here was a famous psychiatrist whose paranormal experiences mirrored so much of what I was coming to understand that I had to pull it all together in book form.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
An Explosion of Being: An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic (Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback)
The title almost tells it all. This is a true life adventure that extended to my entire family. Many years ago, right after my father died, strange things began happening.
Those events led to my lifelong pursuit of things paranormal and to the writing of this book with my wife, Barbara.
An imprint of Prentice Hall published the book across the world and Barb and I launched into an eye-opening round of radio and TV presentations.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Now for my fiction work:
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Much of my educational career involved teenagers. And after taking early retirement, I decided to combine my experience with young people, my love for history and my paranormal understandings in a book series for young adults. The stories are action packed, with the premise being: “You Create Your Own Reality.”
This series takes place in present day St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. And surprisingly, what I have found is that even older adults like what I’ve written despite it originally being designed for teens.
Below you can see larger versions of the book covers and a brief description of each plot.
Sliding Beneath the Surface {Book I}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.
Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.
A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Stepping Off a Cliff {Book II}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
An otherworldly, evil and dangerous force infests America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone living there, or visiting, is at risk in ways too horrible to imagine.
Standing between this invader and the people of St. Augustine are teenagers Jeff and Carla, the mysterious Native American shaman, Lobo, and Lyle, the homeless guy.
In their quest to save themselves and all the inhabitants of this ancient Florida city, Jeff and Carla uncover lost parts of St. Augustine history, push past the limits of space and time, and come face-to-face with what they come to realize are the true walking dead.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Targeting Orion’s Children {Book III}. Publication due in late 2016.
In this, the final book of The St. Augustine Trilogy, the team of Jeff Golden, Carla Rodriguez, old Lobo, the Native American shaman and Lyle, the homeless guy, gather once again to join forces.
This time, though, the two teens face a paranormal presence that defies full human understanding and becomes a threat far beyond the oldest city in America where they live.
Overwhelmed by the immense responsibility they hold in their hands, Jeff and Carla make a jaw-dropping discovery that leads them in directions they could never before have imagined.
OK, and finally, as promised, here are the links to those blog post samples:
Meditation, Mindfulness and Premonitions
Haunted Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida
August 25, 2015
Can We Contact the Dead?
Mom, fussing at me for taking her picture before she was ready
I think paranormal events sometimes occur when we think of people who are no longer in this life. Or, maybe it happens when they think of us. Anyway, when such a thing occurs, it immediately connects me with the person and that is the beauty of it. The exact reasons why this type of thing comes about isn’t as important as the fact that, for me, it accomplishes something very important on an emotional and spiritual level.
One day as I was writing at my desk, I took a stretch break and looked through the window on the other side of my computer. That always helps to refresh me since we have a large backyard full of trees and lush tropical growth. In scanning my domain, I glanced at one of the pieces of my mom’s stained glass art we had saved after her death. It mirrors our backyard since we have some flowers and the occasional hummingbird.
Mom had that same piece up in her kitchen window and I smiled with the memory of how much she enjoyed her house over in Indialantic. As soon as that thought flashed through my mind, a hummingbird came out of nowhere and hovered just inches from the window. Not only that, the position of its hovering was directly behind the stained glass hummingbird. The real creature was perfectly framed by the wire oval.
The little bird, with wings blurred in stationery flight, moved his head back and forth as if inspecting the interior of my home office. That lasted for about 10 seconds and then he was gone. The event couldn’t have been scripted more perfectly.
Thanks Mom.
NOTE: For a truly fascinating update on this event, click here.
If you are truly interested in all kinds of strange phenomena, you also might be like to take a look at my book, Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Coincidences. You can find it in most online bookstores. Listed below, however, are direct book links to some of the larger retail outlets in the English speaking world:
Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon India, Amazon Australia, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository
August 23, 2015
Slavery, the Slave Trade and the Law
Excellent addition to an important field of study.
Book review
of: Dark Places of the Earth: The Voyage of the Slave Ship Antelope
Author: Jonathan M. Bryant, professor of history at Georgia Southern University specializing in slavery, emancipation, and constitutional law.
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Group, a division of W.W. Norton & Company
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audio CD
Details: 376 pages with 47 pages of notes. Includes some drawings and photographs.
Johnathan Bryant does a very skilful job of shedding a bright light on a little known but extremely important event in American History. Meticulously researched, the author’s efforts show in graphic detail the plight of over 300 Africans brought to the shores of the United States by the slave ship Antelope. And in the process, he lays before readers the intricate legal wrangling that ended in Supreme Court rulings solidifying the rights of property over the natural rights of human beings, rulings that lasted for thirty-five years.
As the book title indicates, this is a dark tale, one that throws readers directly into the horrors of the slave trade and the institution of slavery as practiced during the early years of the republic. Author Bryant’s simple statistics of what remained of the Antelope’s starving and diseased human cargo when it finally arrived in Savannah, Georgia during the year 1820 give stark and concise testimony to the brutality of such transatlantic profit seeking voyages:
• Out of 331 people originally captured and put aboard the Antelope, only 258 remained alive – a 22% loss of life.
• 83% of the captives were under the age of 20.
• The average age of all the captives was 14.
• 106 were between the ages of 5 and 10.
• 8 were between the ages of 2 and 5. 2 and 5 (that is an intentional factual repeat)
For almost eight years after landing in the United States, the captives languished in servitude on Savannah plantations as if they had been bought and sold as slaves, which they were not. And after those eight years, most of those people who actually survived were legally enslaved and sent to Florida by Supreme Court rulings. Only a small group ended up being sent back to Africa where they faced severe hardships, disease and attack by the nearby native population.
Jonathan Bryant’s story of the multiple legal battles that caused the captives to wait nearly eight years is fascinating and so full of detail as to be almost overwhelming. But true to presenting the facts as he found them, the author offers readers these historical events in step-by-step fashion in order to leave no doubt about what happened. His 47 pages of notes at the end of the book speak to the incredible depth of his research.
One of the most telling scenes is when the Antelope case finally arrives at the Supreme Court of the United States in 1825, five years after the captives set foot in Georgia. The legendary John Marshall was Chief Justice and four of the justices were slave owners. The attorney for the supposed owners of the captives, Spanish and Portuguese citizens, was a slave owner as well. Enter the attorney for the government of United States trying to free the captives, Francis Scott Key. The same F.S. Key of the Star-Spangled Banner fame had slaves of his own. Slave ownership stood out on that day as a vivid yet unofficial finger pressing on the scales of justice.
This author’s work is beautifully organized, well written and thoroughly documented. It is an important scholarly work and should be read by those deeply interested in slavery, the slave trade, constitutional law, international law, and American politics during the first quarter of the 19th century.
August 22, 2015
Second Seminole War: Dade Battle, Part I
A tragic seven-year period in Florida history began on December 28, 1835. The nasty business of slavery was still thriving in what was then a territory of the United States and most of the surviving Native A
mericans were desperately trying to hold on to what land they had left. It was a time when the United States government allowed slave catchers to run rampant and used its army to evict the Seminole people from their homes.
On that date in the present day city of Bushnell, a large force of Seminoles, supported by their black allies, attacked Major Francis Dade’s column of over 100 soldiers. In the end, Dade lay dead and only three of his men lived to tell the tale. One of the three was Luis Pacheco, a slave pressed into serving the military as a guide and interpreter. Only a few Seminoles didn’t survive but this event sparked the Second Seminole War that lasted until 1842 and took thousands more lives.
Why do I bring up such a thing? In addition to referring to the Dade battle in my young adult novel, Sliding Beneath the Surface, I hope to spark interest in this difficult period of Florida and American history as its anniversary of December 28 nears. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting blogs and photo galleries that will give some depth to what I’m trying to do.
Where the battle took place is now called the Dade Battlefield Historical Park. It’s a beautiful site with a small museum, a replica of the meager log fort erected by Dade’s troops, and markers showing where Dade and some of his advance party fell. The mural at the top of this blog is the work of Florida artist Jackson Walker . It shows Major Dade’s men in the midst of battle and is located in the museum.
Annually, during the first week in January, the Dade Battlefield Society presents an excellent on-site reenactment of what happened so long ago. I’ve seen it three times and each time I am astounded how real it looks. If you are interested in going, here is some information you should know:
Dates: The weekend after January 1
Where: Dade Battlefield Park, Busnnell, FL. Just off I-75 about midway between Tampa and Ocala
Times: The park opens at 9 a.m. but the reenactment doesn’t occur until early afternoon on each day. Saturday is usually the most crowded.
Cost: $10 but free for members of the Dade Battlefield Society
Parking: You will be directed to a parking lot and a bus will take you into the park.
Food: Food vendors will be on-site.
What else? Both the Seminole and solider reenactors set up actual camps where you can can mingle with them and chat.
Directions: Take exit 314 off I-75 and go east on State Road 48 for about a mile. Then go right on Battlefield Parkway (County Road 603). That will take you straight to parking and the park itself.
Also, if you live in or are visiting South Florida, be sure to visit the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Seminole Reservation. Especially if you are not Native American, you might find their perspective on the history of all the Seminole Wars of, uh, well, great interest.
Click items below for Dade Battle related photo galleries and other postings
Photo Galleries
Dade Battle: Reenactment, Part I
Dade Battle: Reenactment, Part II
Postings
Florida History: The Dade Battle Part, II
Florida History: The Dade Battle Part, III
Florida History: The Dade Battle, Part IV
August 20, 2015
Discoveries in Parnormal Coincidences
I write a lot about how coincidences often show the true paranormal nature of the world in which we live. These events, especially when there are a serious of them related to each other, can be a bit startling. Even so, over the years I’ve gotten fairly used to them. Once in a while, though, something will happen that really makes my jaw drop in wonder. That’s what happened to me just a few minutes ago.
Let me back up here. A few days ago, I published a short article on my blog titled, “Paranormal Coincidences: The Hummingbird and Stained Glass”. It was all about a set of simultaneous events involving a hummingbird right outside the window of my home office. Today, I decided to post that piece on Facebook because it was a warm, touching story related to my deceased mother. If you want to read that article, I’ve provided a link at the bottom of all this text. The picture on the left, however, is one of those I used in the article.
Now back to a few minutes ago. Right after dinner, I checked my emails and noticed I had received a Google Alert. I have them set up so that Google scours the Internet for me on all kinds of subjects including, Doug Dillon. Tonight, the Google email said, “Join Doug Dillon on Facebook.”
Bridge of Lions Photo courtesy of Greg Dillon-Photography by Greg
Figuring it must be the hummingbird posting I did today, I clicked on it. Sure enough, the hummingbird picture came up. The thing is, it wasn’t my hummingbird. The color of the flowers was wrong. In fact, this picture filled a good chunk of the screen with a smaller version of itself where my Facebook profile photo usually sits. For a few seconds, I was really disoriented because my cover photo is actually a nighttime picture of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine. Even so, it still said, “Doug Dillon.”
Finally, I tore my eyes away from the pictures and looked at the profile. That’s when I discovered I was looking at a description of another Doug Dillon. That’s what I said, another DOUG DILLON. Not only that, but this other Doug Dillon and I have these items in common:
We both are retired
We both are retired from a school system
We are both retired from a school system in the state of Florida
We both like history
We both went to public universities in the state of Florida
See why I really jumped up and took notice? As I look at the other Doug Dillon’s Facebook timeline, I see this entire event as a giant cosmic exclamation point-one I will now have to insert into my original posting on the hummingbird and stained glass.
If you would like to see the other Doug Dillon’s Facebook timeline, click here. I don’t know how long he will keep that hummingbird picture up, but I hope he keeps it there long enough for you to take a look at it. Oh. I immediately sent Doug # 2 a Friend Request. I think this event will blow his socks off. It will be interesting to talk to him.
If you would like to see that previous posting, click here.
UPDATE: The other Doug Dillon responded to me on Facebook where we are now friends. He read this article and found it pretty startling. This was especially true since he had some things to add to the string of coincidences listed above and here they are:
Like me, he was a district level school administrator
Through his job back in those days, he visited Orange County Public School’s district office in Orlando where I worked. During that day, he happened to walk by MY DESK. He noticed my nameplate and stopped short. When he asked if I was around., someone told him I was away at a conference. So, Doug and I think that for whatever reason, we were destined to make contact. The thing is, it sure did take a long time. I would like to meet him one of these days.
If you are truly interested in all kinds of strange phenomena, you also might be like to take a look at my book, Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Coincidences. You can find it in most online bookstores. Listed below, however, are direct book links to some of the larger retail outlets in the English speaking world:
Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon India, Amazon Australia, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository
August 19, 2015
Do Ghosts Exist?
Most likely, you’ve clicked on this article because you’re searching for a deeper understanding of life. Well, you’ve found a friend in that worthy effort and it is my pleasure to share some of my discoveries with you.
You see, I’m a Florida writer, educator, meditator, grandfather and investigator probing into the nature of reality. Through my years of careful observation, intensive research, and startling personal experiences, I’ve come to some partial conclusions about the nature of our existence and what lies beyond life as we know it.
In that light, I offer you access to my extensive blog postings about such things through this website. You can either use the categories I’ve set up or you can insert your own and see what pops up. For a few examples of such posts, see the active links at the end of this article.
Then again, if you would like to investigate some of the books I’ve written, you’ll find that information below.
But no matter what, I wish you well on your journey of exploration. May you find what you’re looking for and how very much I hope you share what you uncover with others, including me.
We’re all in this together and we very much need each other’s help. You may contact me through the link to this posting or you can use the contact form on the website. I would love to hear from you.
Now as to my books that I think you might find of value. If you’re interested, you can order any of them from your local bookstore and all the major online book outlets.
Or, you can ask your local library to make copies available if they don’t already have them in the stacks.
Every library has some sort of procedure for patrons to make book purchase suggestions and they often follow through with those ideas just like the Orlando Public Library does near where I live (pictured here).
First, let me first show you my nonfiction books:
Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Experiences (Published as a paperback, hardback and Kindle eBook)
I’ve always been fascinated by Carl Jung and his theory of synchronicity.
His idea that there are no true coincidences, and all things are linked, increasingly fits with what I’ve experienced in recent years to an astounding degree.
And when I investigated Jung’s life, I also found how many truly strange events occurred in his life. Here was a famous psychiatrist whose paranormal experiences mirrored so much of what I was coming to understand that I had to pull it all together in book form.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
An Explosion of Being: An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic (Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback)
The title almost tells it all. This is a true life adventure that extended to my entire family. Many years ago, right after my father died, strange things began happening.
Those events led to my lifelong pursuit of things paranormal and to the writing of this book with my wife, Barbara.
An imprint of Prentice Hall published the book across the world and Barb and I launched into an eye-opening round of radio and TV presentations.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Now for my fiction work:
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Much of my educational career involved teenagers. And after taking early retirement, I decided to combine my experience with young people, my love for history and my paranormal understandings in a book series for young adults. The stories are action packed, with the premise being: “You Create Your Own Reality.”
This series takes place in present day St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. And surprisingly, what I have found is that even older adults like what I’ve written despite it originally being designed for teens.
Below you can see larger versions of the book covers and a brief description of each plot.
Sliding Beneath the Surface {Book I}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.
Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.
A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Stepping Off a Cliff {Book II}. Published as a Kindle eBook and paperback.
An otherworldly, evil and dangerous force infests America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone living there, or visiting, is at risk in ways too horrible to imagine.
Standing between this invader and the people of St. Augustine are teenagers Jeff and Carla, the mysterious Native American shaman, Lobo, and Lyle, the homeless guy.
In their quest to save themselves and all the inhabitants of this ancient Florida city, Jeff and Carla uncover lost parts of St. Augustine history, push past the limits of space and time, and come face-to-face with what they come to realize are the true walking dead.
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Books-A-Million.com
Targeting Orion’s Children {Book III}. Publication due in late 2016.
In this, the final book of The St. Augustine Trilogy, the team of Jeff Golden, Carla Rodriguez, old Lobo, the Native American shaman and Lyle, the homeless guy, gather once again to join forces.
This time, though, the two teens face a paranormal presence that defies full human understanding and becomes a threat far beyond the oldest city in America where they live.
Overwhelmed by the immense responsibility they hold in their hands, Jeff and Carla make a jaw-dropping discovery that leads them in directions they could never before have imagined.
OK, and finally, as promised, here are the links to those blog post samples:
Meditation, Mindfulness and Premonitions
Haunted Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida
Primary Documents – Early Florida Seminole Wars History
Assistant inspector General reports made to U.S. Inspector General: 1817 and 1835-1836.
As a member of the Seminole Wars Foundation, it was my pleasure to transcribe some of the original military status reports of the U.S. Army during the early years when Florida was still a relatively wild territory. I am publishing these documents with the permission of the Foundation in hopes of offering some excellent primary sources material to students, researchers and anyone else who might be interested.
It was the job of the Assistant Inspector Generals to visit the various forts in Florida in order to:
Analyze the status of the forts themselves
Assess the condition of and need for supplies and equipment and to
Evaluate personnel
The reports were made in booklet-like journals and, of course, in longhand.
Transcribing those documents wasn’t an easy task because of the various writing styles, the fading of ink, the compactness of the writing, and the periodic unclear words. But in the final product, I kept each line of words exactly as they were written, which makes them look very abbreviated on a regular sized piece of paper and on a computer screen.
There was no way to reconstruct some of those unclear words so you will find a lot of question marks.
Overall, this isn’t fun reading but it does offer some wonderfully detailed insight as to exactly what was going on in those forts of old. And because of my interest in the Dade battle of 1835 that triggered the Second Seminole War, I found it interesting when I discovered the mention Francis Langhorne Dade. This was when he had the rank of Lieutenant in the year 1817 instead of the rank of Major that he had time of his death in 1835
The 4 links below offer you first the original and then the transcription:
————————————————————————————————
If you are looking for other sources of information regarding the Seminole Wars, here are some further links:
The St. Augustine National Cemetery
Florida History: The Dade Battle, Part I
Florida History: The Dade Battle Part, II
Florida History: The Dade Battle Part, III
Florida History: The Dade Battle, Part IV
Florida History: Fort Christmas, FL
Photo Galleries:
Dade Battle: Reenactment, Part I
Dade Battle: Reenactment, Part II
