| Some debates are everlasting: since the dawn of | | | | claim has been disputed. Visitors to the house |
| time, people have tried to establish whether | | | | assume that its foundations are normal, and thus |
| paranormal activity exists in the world. This | | | | the events that occur in it seem to have |
| burning passion for the unexplained has been | | | | somehow sidestepped gravity. Yet there are fatal |
| enshrined in popular culture: from the Twilight | | | | flaws in this argument: John Litser, a former |
| Zone to The X Files, we have seen alien and | | | | owner of the property who died in 1959, |
| unearthly events being dissected from all sorts of | | | | apparently carried out detailed tests and |
| angles, but we have still reached no firm | | | | investigations on the activities in the Oregon |
| conclusions about their origins. However, there are | | | | Vortex, and allegedly burned his findings, |
| actual sites of so-called paranormal activity where | | | | screaming, "The world is not ready for this." |
| evidence seems so irrefutable that even the | | | | Some of these notes survive, however, and are |
| most die-hard sceptics are tested. One of these | | | | sold in pamphlets at the House of Mystery gift |
| sites is Oregon's House of Mystery.The House of | | | | shop: in them he argues the existence of an |
| Mystery is a roadside attraction in Gold Hill, | | | | actual vortex in the region, which affects a |
| Oregon, located to the north west of the town of | | | | circular area measuring 165 feet, 4 1/2 inches in |
| Medford. The house itself was built in 1904 by the | | | | diameter. Proven vortex or not, however, the |
| Old Grey Eagle Mining Company. First used as a | | | | House of Mystery provides the perfect forum to |
| gold assay office and then for tool storage, it is | | | | demonstrate its quirks and abnormalities to a wide |
| situated in the famous Oregon Vortex, a region | | | | audience.The Oregon Vortex is only one among a |
| so well-known for its paranormal qualities that it | | | | variety of mystery spots in the world. As well as |
| was featured in an episode of The X Files in 1999. | | | | the Bermuda Triangle, perhaps the most |
| The Oregon Vortex is renowned for its unnatural | | | | legendary example, other mystery spots include |
| events: it is said that the laws of physics are | | | | Pennsylvania's Laurel Caverns, also known as |
| temporarily abandoned in the area, which first | | | | Gravity Hill, California's Mystery Spot in Santa |
| opened to visitors in 1939. Objects are said to | | | | Cruz, and the Mystery Vortex in Hungry Horse, |
| defy laws of gravity, brooms stand vertically | | | | Montana. These sites of paranormal activity are |
| unsupported, balls can roll uphill and the laws of | | | | certainly best appreciated in comparison with one |
| perspective appear dramatically altered. Some | | | | another; a tour of America's mystery spots, for |
| visitors even claim to find relief from backache in | | | | instance, would be an ideal holiday for the aspiring |
| the Vortex, and its powers are said to be | | | | mystery solver. By joining a hotel honours |
| strongest when the moon is full.Yet sceptics have | | | | rewards scheme with wide benefits, such as |
| found natural reasons for this so-called paranormal | | | | Hilton Honours, this multi-stop travel can still be |
| activity. Some critics say that when the House of | | | | value for money, and you can extend your |
| Mystery was a gold assay office, it slid from its | | | | mystery solving impulse to all corners of the |
| foundations, settling at an odd angle, although this | | | | country. |