I would like to cover some of the protection practices I use in the field of the paranormal. It seems like this area doesn’t get much attention even though it is one of the top priorities that you have to be aware of in the paranormal field.
First of all, when going into an investigation, every member of your team must have a positive attitude. The theory is that a spirit can pick up on your energy and if you are angry, mad, etc. that is the type of spirit or energy you will encounter.
I like for my group to say a prayer of protection upon arriving at the investigation location or prior to arriving. To say this prayer, we gather in a circle, hold hands, and then say the prayer. Below is the opening prayer of protection that we use:
“In The Name Of All That Is Goodness and Light,
Surround Our Circle In The White Light of Holy Protection.
We Ask That No Harm Befalls or Follows The Protected Circle
And That Our Quest Benefit All Who Are Among Us.
In The Name of All That Is Goodness and Light,
We Thank Thee For Your Protection of Holy White Light. Amen”
Upon completion of the investigation, we also say a closing prayer. The closing prayer is to help ensure that no spirits from the location attaches itself to anyone present. Below is the closing prayer that we use:
“In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all human spirits to be bound to
the confines of this location. I command all inhuman spirits to go where Jesus Christ tells you to go, for it is He who commands you. Amen”
For more negative energies, we say the prayer to St. Michael.
The St. Michael prayer was originally used by Catholics and started being used in 1886.
There are two version of the St. Michael prayer, but below is the version that we use:
“Saint Michael the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do though, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen”
These are the three main prayers that we use. There are also different prayers when you get into blessing the house and land.
There are also other items that you can use for protection; such as, Holy Water, crystals, etc. You can buy Holy Water at most Christian book stores. If you would rather, you can simply go to your local church and ask for a vial of blessed Holy Water. Keep in mind though, your religion or denomination may not, in general, believe in the paranormal, so you may get weird looks when going to the church.
Also, the prayers I have listed are Christian prayers. If you are a different religion, there will be similar prayers of protection.
For example, below is an example of a Jewish prayer for protection:
Psalm of Protection
“HaShem is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? HaShem is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evil doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise up against me, even then I will be confident.”
Psalms 27: 1-3
St. Michael (Michael the Archangel) is also acknowledged in the Jewish faith, so the St. Michael prayer will function as well.
Also, you can call upon Jesus to protect/surround you with his white light of hole protection. As well as, if you feel treatened, or scared, you can ask that he cover you in his blood; or ask him to send down Archangels to protect you.
This post is not meant to scare, or startle anyone; it is meant to bring more awareness to the need for protection when you are involved in the paranormal field. In fact, most paranormal investigators or ghost hunters never have a problem, but I sure want to be covered just in case…
So this is my plea: If you are involved with the paranormal, and are comfortable with praying to protect yourself, then please research and find the right prayer of protection for you and your group.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Teamwork within a paranormal group.
Teamwork within a paranormal group should come naturally. The team should be a cohesive unit, each with the main goal of helping the group succeed and move forward, as well as, looking out for the clients best interest, of course! Recently, I have seen many groups where it appears that some of its members are only out for themselves. This is neither good for the field of the paranormal nor the group itself. When someone on a team has ulterior motives, it is not at all good for the group, nor is it good for the individual. I have been witness to this personally, and let me tell you, I did not like to see it happening. Needless to say, the gentleman was removed from the group shortly thereafter. At first, yes, there will be a few minor bumps in the path, but the more that your members work together; the more smoothly it will float.
When you are on a paranormal group, your single most important priority should be the client. If you are on a paranormal group for the “thrill” factor, please leave now. You are not helping this field or the group. If you are simply doing this for the “thrill” of the 1 in a million chance that you might see a spirit, please leave now, you are not welcome in this field. Most of the investigations that you will go on, nothing will happen. Not a knock, not a voice, and certainly not an apparition; and most of that can be easily debunked if you try...
There is a lot within building and maintaining a paranormal group that many people do not realize. There is interaction with the client, making them feel comfortable with the situation they are going through, setup and breakdown of all of the equipment, paperwork (case reports, investigation logs, etc), and the review of all of the data collected, just to name a few. The review of the data can sometimes take several days depending on how long your investigation was and how much data was collected. So you can see how important teamwork can be.
If you join a group thinking you will get rich, famous, popular, or with some other ulterior motive in mind, LEAVE NOW! You are NOT welcome in this field. The above will not happen and you are in this field for the wrong reasons. What you will end up getting, after investigating for some time, you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped someone. You have helped them in understanding and coping with something that they didn’t comprehend when your group came in. You will get the gratification from your clients when they are in tears, explaining what is going on within their homes and you are able to give them an answer as to why it is occurring. Be it paranormal or natural. As long as you are honest and PROFESSIONAL with the public and your clients, they will think very highly of you and your other team members.
So this is my plea: If you are in this field to truly help your clients, be professional, advance the research of this field, and promote paranormal unity, then please stay! You are welcome in it. If you are not in for most of these reasons, please leave now, you are not welcome!
When you are on a paranormal group, your single most important priority should be the client. If you are on a paranormal group for the “thrill” factor, please leave now. You are not helping this field or the group. If you are simply doing this for the “thrill” of the 1 in a million chance that you might see a spirit, please leave now, you are not welcome in this field. Most of the investigations that you will go on, nothing will happen. Not a knock, not a voice, and certainly not an apparition; and most of that can be easily debunked if you try...
There is a lot within building and maintaining a paranormal group that many people do not realize. There is interaction with the client, making them feel comfortable with the situation they are going through, setup and breakdown of all of the equipment, paperwork (case reports, investigation logs, etc), and the review of all of the data collected, just to name a few. The review of the data can sometimes take several days depending on how long your investigation was and how much data was collected. So you can see how important teamwork can be.
If you join a group thinking you will get rich, famous, popular, or with some other ulterior motive in mind, LEAVE NOW! You are NOT welcome in this field. The above will not happen and you are in this field for the wrong reasons. What you will end up getting, after investigating for some time, you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped someone. You have helped them in understanding and coping with something that they didn’t comprehend when your group came in. You will get the gratification from your clients when they are in tears, explaining what is going on within their homes and you are able to give them an answer as to why it is occurring. Be it paranormal or natural. As long as you are honest and PROFESSIONAL with the public and your clients, they will think very highly of you and your other team members.
So this is my plea: If you are in this field to truly help your clients, be professional, advance the research of this field, and promote paranormal unity, then please stay! You are welcome in it. If you are not in for most of these reasons, please leave now, you are not welcome!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Client Interaction…
In this field, other than the advancement, unity and understanding of the paranormal, the only thing that matters is the client. Some groups I have seen recently seem to have forgotten this. Maybe not so much groups, but individuals within the group, which in turn, make all of the others look badly. One thing that all paranormal investigators have to keep in mind is the clients called you into their home, into their sanctuary, into their privacy.
When you are performing an investigation at a client’s home, you must above all else, keep everything fully confidential, and treat them with the respect they deserve. In my honest opinion, if you enter into a client investigation and your team provokes, that is very unprofessional. Some people seem to forget when you provoke; it is the client that has to deal with the repercussions, not you or your team. Yes, if you do provoke, there is always a chance of the entity attaching itself to you and following you; however, most of the time, this is not the case.
When performing an investigation at a client’s home, set up the equipment as you would in a museum or your mother’s home. Always make sure to tape down any wires, cameras, etc. for safety’s sake. Not only do loose wires look unprofessional, but they are also a trip hazard when you go lights out. Also, if you do not have your equipment taped or set firmly on a tripod of solid level surface, it may fall and damage the equipment itself or a piece of the location or even may cause injury to the client or one of your team members.
As a paranormal investigator, you must always keep in mind that the client has called you into their home in a time of crisis. It has been my experience when a client calls a paranormal group into their home; they are dealing with something that they do not understand and at times frighten them. Throughout the entire process, the client’s wishes should be respected. If they do not give you permission to include the results from the investigation on your website, do not simply hand their case off to someone else. If you do this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. The clients are still in a situation that they feel is out of their control. It is your duty to help them cope as best as is possible.
I have seen some groups in the past fake evidence in order to call a location haunted. If you are doing this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. When a client calls you in, it is your duty to find out what is happening at the location, be it paranormal or of natural explanation. There are logical explanations for most of the reports that you will find. For example, a feeling of paranoia, or being watched, can be caused by high electromagnetic fields within the location. If you find that there is a logical explanation for the occurrences, tell the client. It will put them at ease about being in their own home. Just because they call in a paranormal group, doesn’t always mean that there are spirits at work.
Orbs. In my experience, I have found that 99.999% of “orbs” are either dust particles reflecting off the light emitted by your IR diodes in your IR lights, insects, or have other logical explanations. If you present “orbs” as evidence to the client, you have to make certain that there are no other logical explanations for their occurrence first. Make sure you have exhausted all possibilities before coming to the conclusion that an “orb” is of a paranormal nature.
Charging for investigations. I know I have mentioned this before, but I want to reiterate that charging for your paranormal investigations is not only extremely frowned upon in this field, but also makes your team look unprofessional. Now, with the economy the way it is, I can see how people think that it would be ok for charging for them, but it is not. In my opinion, if you charge for your investigations you are taking advantage of the client. They called in your group in a time of crisis. You have to understand, that when a client calls in a paranormal group, they are dealing with something they do not understand. Most do not know what an EMF is, what infrared is, or even what EVP is. They do not know the majority of what paranormal investigators take for granted. That is why I entered into this field and hope you did too. The ultimate goal, aside from obtaining evidence of the paranormal, is to help the clients understand and inform them as to what is happening in their home.
If you are only involved in this field for the “thrill” factor, please leave now. If you are only doing this for the way it makes you feel when something happens when you’re in the dark, please leave this field. You are not welcome. Stay home and go lights out. Something will happen to you, I guarantee it. If you are not in this field with the client’s feelings and interest in the forefront of your mind, you are not welcome. Please leave now.
So this is my plea: If you are a paranormal investigation group, please be responsible and professional. Always keep the client in mind. If your main objective is not to help the client, please leave this field now. You are not welcome.
When you are performing an investigation at a client’s home, you must above all else, keep everything fully confidential, and treat them with the respect they deserve. In my honest opinion, if you enter into a client investigation and your team provokes, that is very unprofessional. Some people seem to forget when you provoke; it is the client that has to deal with the repercussions, not you or your team. Yes, if you do provoke, there is always a chance of the entity attaching itself to you and following you; however, most of the time, this is not the case.
When performing an investigation at a client’s home, set up the equipment as you would in a museum or your mother’s home. Always make sure to tape down any wires, cameras, etc. for safety’s sake. Not only do loose wires look unprofessional, but they are also a trip hazard when you go lights out. Also, if you do not have your equipment taped or set firmly on a tripod of solid level surface, it may fall and damage the equipment itself or a piece of the location or even may cause injury to the client or one of your team members.
As a paranormal investigator, you must always keep in mind that the client has called you into their home in a time of crisis. It has been my experience when a client calls a paranormal group into their home; they are dealing with something that they do not understand and at times frighten them. Throughout the entire process, the client’s wishes should be respected. If they do not give you permission to include the results from the investigation on your website, do not simply hand their case off to someone else. If you do this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. The clients are still in a situation that they feel is out of their control. It is your duty to help them cope as best as is possible.
I have seen some groups in the past fake evidence in order to call a location haunted. If you are doing this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. When a client calls you in, it is your duty to find out what is happening at the location, be it paranormal or of natural explanation. There are logical explanations for most of the reports that you will find. For example, a feeling of paranoia, or being watched, can be caused by high electromagnetic fields within the location. If you find that there is a logical explanation for the occurrences, tell the client. It will put them at ease about being in their own home. Just because they call in a paranormal group, doesn’t always mean that there are spirits at work.
Orbs. In my experience, I have found that 99.999% of “orbs” are either dust particles reflecting off the light emitted by your IR diodes in your IR lights, insects, or have other logical explanations. If you present “orbs” as evidence to the client, you have to make certain that there are no other logical explanations for their occurrence first. Make sure you have exhausted all possibilities before coming to the conclusion that an “orb” is of a paranormal nature.
Charging for investigations. I know I have mentioned this before, but I want to reiterate that charging for your paranormal investigations is not only extremely frowned upon in this field, but also makes your team look unprofessional. Now, with the economy the way it is, I can see how people think that it would be ok for charging for them, but it is not. In my opinion, if you charge for your investigations you are taking advantage of the client. They called in your group in a time of crisis. You have to understand, that when a client calls in a paranormal group, they are dealing with something they do not understand. Most do not know what an EMF is, what infrared is, or even what EVP is. They do not know the majority of what paranormal investigators take for granted. That is why I entered into this field and hope you did too. The ultimate goal, aside from obtaining evidence of the paranormal, is to help the clients understand and inform them as to what is happening in their home.
If you are only involved in this field for the “thrill” factor, please leave now. If you are only doing this for the way it makes you feel when something happens when you’re in the dark, please leave this field. You are not welcome. Stay home and go lights out. Something will happen to you, I guarantee it. If you are not in this field with the client’s feelings and interest in the forefront of your mind, you are not welcome. Please leave now.
So this is my plea: If you are a paranormal investigation group, please be responsible and professional. Always keep the client in mind. If your main objective is not to help the client, please leave this field now. You are not welcome.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Provocation….is it worth it?
What would your reaction be if someone called you a coward? A bastard? Or a Son of a Bitch? Your reaction, most likely is to punch, kick, shove, or all out wallop the person who said that. As we say in the south “Them’s fightin’ words!”. In the world of the paranormal, especially on television, these words are common place. What amazes me about the entire ordeal, from start to finish, is that when the paranormal investigator is attacked, they are genuinely shocked and appalled at the behavior of the spirits. What did you think the reaction would be? Did you think after you cursed them they would come up and give you a hug?
Now, I understand that by paranormal investigators doing this, they are just trying to get “proof” of their existence. Whatever happened to “Treat others as you want to be treated”? It is my belief that most spirits were once living, breathing people and their personality carries over after they pass. What I mean by this is, if they were mean when they were alive, they will be mean in the afterlife, and so forth. If you are provoking a mean spirit, you will probably get hit, slapped or worse. Even if the spirit is nice, you may still get something that you are not ready for.
With a lot of paranormal groups claiming that they respect the spirits, provoking the spirit is not respect. If the spirit is earthbound, they are stuck in a world we know nothing about. We do not know what their environment is like. I’m willing to say that most of them are searching for some form of help. From all of the “Help” or “Please help us” evps I gotten, I am willing to bet that provoking them is in no way helping them.
Provoking as of late, has unfortunately become a popular practice due to shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures. Don’t get me wrong, I like to watch these shows, but I do not agree with some of their methods. Remember, they are doing the provoking to get ratings, not to help the spirits or a client. Not to mention, when you provoke, your chances of being attacked or bringing something home with you highly increases, especially if the spirit is of more negative intentions.
If you provoke a spirit at a client’s home, you are not professional. If the spirit does not follow you home, the spirit can take out its aggression (that you built up) out on the occupants on the location, which in turn will make their life even worse than what it was when the client initially called you in to help understand and deal with something they already do not understand.
How would you feel if you were not familiar with this field, and a paranormal group came into your home and yelled and cursed at the spirits that you thought resided there? Remember, some clients think that the spirits in their home are family members that have passed. (We have found this not to be the case, but they believe it is at first.) If your clients believe this, you will not only anger the spirits, but you will offend your clients as well.
I know that provoking has long been a hot topic in the paranormal field. I wanted to write this blog to let you know my stance as far as this issue goes. I do not provoke, and I personally feel that if a client calls you in and you end up provoking, you are not professional. I have never provoked and have gotten some great evidence. So I know that you do not have to provoke if you want to get something. I’ve found that you can get great results without provoking. If you do provoke and you do not believe me, try it. Go one investigation without provoking and just see what happens.
This entry is mainly focused at private residence and/or client investigations. If you feel the need to provoke at a well known public location, such as Waverly Hills, for example, you do that at your own risk.
So this is my plea: Please help the paranormal community by not provoking. You are not and you do not look professional while doing this. If you provoke, try to not do it on your next investigation and see what happens.
Now, I understand that by paranormal investigators doing this, they are just trying to get “proof” of their existence. Whatever happened to “Treat others as you want to be treated”? It is my belief that most spirits were once living, breathing people and their personality carries over after they pass. What I mean by this is, if they were mean when they were alive, they will be mean in the afterlife, and so forth. If you are provoking a mean spirit, you will probably get hit, slapped or worse. Even if the spirit is nice, you may still get something that you are not ready for.
With a lot of paranormal groups claiming that they respect the spirits, provoking the spirit is not respect. If the spirit is earthbound, they are stuck in a world we know nothing about. We do not know what their environment is like. I’m willing to say that most of them are searching for some form of help. From all of the “Help” or “Please help us” evps I gotten, I am willing to bet that provoking them is in no way helping them.
Provoking as of late, has unfortunately become a popular practice due to shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures. Don’t get me wrong, I like to watch these shows, but I do not agree with some of their methods. Remember, they are doing the provoking to get ratings, not to help the spirits or a client. Not to mention, when you provoke, your chances of being attacked or bringing something home with you highly increases, especially if the spirit is of more negative intentions.
If you provoke a spirit at a client’s home, you are not professional. If the spirit does not follow you home, the spirit can take out its aggression (that you built up) out on the occupants on the location, which in turn will make their life even worse than what it was when the client initially called you in to help understand and deal with something they already do not understand.
How would you feel if you were not familiar with this field, and a paranormal group came into your home and yelled and cursed at the spirits that you thought resided there? Remember, some clients think that the spirits in their home are family members that have passed. (We have found this not to be the case, but they believe it is at first.) If your clients believe this, you will not only anger the spirits, but you will offend your clients as well.
I know that provoking has long been a hot topic in the paranormal field. I wanted to write this blog to let you know my stance as far as this issue goes. I do not provoke, and I personally feel that if a client calls you in and you end up provoking, you are not professional. I have never provoked and have gotten some great evidence. So I know that you do not have to provoke if you want to get something. I’ve found that you can get great results without provoking. If you do provoke and you do not believe me, try it. Go one investigation without provoking and just see what happens.
This entry is mainly focused at private residence and/or client investigations. If you feel the need to provoke at a well known public location, such as Waverly Hills, for example, you do that at your own risk.
So this is my plea: Please help the paranormal community by not provoking. You are not and you do not look professional while doing this. If you provoke, try to not do it on your next investigation and see what happens.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Paranormal Investigators...I dare you!
I dare you to be professional. Over the past year or so, I have noticed several paranormal investigation teams charging for their investigations. I understand with the economy the way it is, with millions of people currently unemployed (which included me for several months), going on investigations could hurt the pocket book. With all of the investments you have to make, such as, equipment, lodging, fuel, etc., I can see how people can think that charging for investigations is a reasonable accommodation. However, in the paranormal community, charging for paranormal investigations is extremely frowned upon. It makes your team look very unprofessional to say the least. You have to keep in mind that your clients are going through a very traumatic experience, when they call or email you; they have experienced something that has terrified them enough to make them seek out help. To me, when you charge them to investigate, you are taking advantage of them. If you have to charge for investigations, just do local investigations until you get back on your feet. Do not accept to investigate a location 60 miles away if you cannot afford the fuel, lodging, etc. costs. Easy as that!
I have also noticed a few paranormal investigators complaining on a few different message boards that they are not making the amount of money that they thought they would when they started this “hobby”. If you are in the paranormal field to make money, please leave now. Not only are you in it for the wrong reasons, but you are also making all of the true paranormal investigators look bad. You will not make money doing this. You will not get famous. Yes, there are a few individuals that are known the world over for paranormal investigating but each of them started out as true paranormal investigators, and over the span of twenty years or so have built the respect and the title they have each earned. Your team will not be the next TAPS, Ghost Adventures, Paranormal State (PRS) or any of the like. If you are in this field for fame, please leave now. If your purpose to get into this field is to get famous or popular, you are wrong. The individuals who have become famous, have put in several years of research in and have acquired some well known cases in order to reach the platform they are at now.
Faking evidence-- If you are in this field and you have or plan to fake evidence, please leave now. You are not welcome in this field. We are trying to reach into the true paranormal realm to understand what happens in the afterlife. If you fake evidence, you are not helping us in that endeavor. I reiterate; you are not welcome in this field! You may get your name out there, but when people find out that you have faked evidence, your name will not mean anything. Your reputation will be ruined and you will never be respected in the field of paranormal again. By you faking evidence, you are in no way professional. If you think you are professional, you are mistaken.
Client Interaction—If you are one of those “fly by night” groups, please leave now. You are not welcome in this field. The client is the only person or people that matter in the situation. If you do not respect these individuals enough to do a professional paranormal investigation, relentlessly review the audio and video, and give the clients the proper reveal, then please leave this field now. Remember, they called you, not the other way around. Sometimes I have spent weeks reviewing audio and video. If the location is very active, then there will be a lot of data to go over. When this is the case, go over it! When you get tired, take a break. Never skip any part of the data simply because you do not feel as if there is nothing present. I have seen people skip over pieces of audio in the regular waveform format because the waveform itself had no spikes. The spikes in a waveform are only showing increased decibel levels, not EVP’s. I have found most of my evps within the waveform where no spikes are present. Most evps come across under the 300 Hz range, which is below human hearing range. If you miss something while going over the audio or video, that could be the one individual piece of evidence that could break the paranormal field wide open!
"Certified Ghost Hunters" -- I have seen alot of this as well lately. This is a scam. No one can be a "Certified Ghost Hunter". Anyone who says they can make you certified is lying to take your money. This, to me, is also taking away from the professionalism of the paranormal field. Taking a 4 hour class, and BOOM, your a professional "certified" ghost hunter?! Get real, I have been involved with the paranormal for going on 6 years, have seen alot of things, but this almost takes the cake! Anyone who is offering "Certified" Ghost Hunting classes, stop now. You are not professional and are taking away from the Paranormal field, not adding to it!
So, this is my plea: If you are, or are thinking about getting into the paranormal field, be professional. Your clients deserve at least that from you! Paranormal investigators...I dare you!
I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Hope 2010 is even better than 2009 was!
Thanks for reading!
I have also noticed a few paranormal investigators complaining on a few different message boards that they are not making the amount of money that they thought they would when they started this “hobby”. If you are in the paranormal field to make money, please leave now. Not only are you in it for the wrong reasons, but you are also making all of the true paranormal investigators look bad. You will not make money doing this. You will not get famous. Yes, there are a few individuals that are known the world over for paranormal investigating but each of them started out as true paranormal investigators, and over the span of twenty years or so have built the respect and the title they have each earned. Your team will not be the next TAPS, Ghost Adventures, Paranormal State (PRS) or any of the like. If you are in this field for fame, please leave now. If your purpose to get into this field is to get famous or popular, you are wrong. The individuals who have become famous, have put in several years of research in and have acquired some well known cases in order to reach the platform they are at now.
Faking evidence-- If you are in this field and you have or plan to fake evidence, please leave now. You are not welcome in this field. We are trying to reach into the true paranormal realm to understand what happens in the afterlife. If you fake evidence, you are not helping us in that endeavor. I reiterate; you are not welcome in this field! You may get your name out there, but when people find out that you have faked evidence, your name will not mean anything. Your reputation will be ruined and you will never be respected in the field of paranormal again. By you faking evidence, you are in no way professional. If you think you are professional, you are mistaken.
Client Interaction—If you are one of those “fly by night” groups, please leave now. You are not welcome in this field. The client is the only person or people that matter in the situation. If you do not respect these individuals enough to do a professional paranormal investigation, relentlessly review the audio and video, and give the clients the proper reveal, then please leave this field now. Remember, they called you, not the other way around. Sometimes I have spent weeks reviewing audio and video. If the location is very active, then there will be a lot of data to go over. When this is the case, go over it! When you get tired, take a break. Never skip any part of the data simply because you do not feel as if there is nothing present. I have seen people skip over pieces of audio in the regular waveform format because the waveform itself had no spikes. The spikes in a waveform are only showing increased decibel levels, not EVP’s. I have found most of my evps within the waveform where no spikes are present. Most evps come across under the 300 Hz range, which is below human hearing range. If you miss something while going over the audio or video, that could be the one individual piece of evidence that could break the paranormal field wide open!
"Certified Ghost Hunters" -- I have seen alot of this as well lately. This is a scam. No one can be a "Certified Ghost Hunter". Anyone who says they can make you certified is lying to take your money. This, to me, is also taking away from the professionalism of the paranormal field. Taking a 4 hour class, and BOOM, your a professional "certified" ghost hunter?! Get real, I have been involved with the paranormal for going on 6 years, have seen alot of things, but this almost takes the cake! Anyone who is offering "Certified" Ghost Hunting classes, stop now. You are not professional and are taking away from the Paranormal field, not adding to it!
So, this is my plea: If you are, or are thinking about getting into the paranormal field, be professional. Your clients deserve at least that from you! Paranormal investigators...I dare you!
I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Hope 2010 is even better than 2009 was!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Ghost Hunting Equipment: Past, Present and Future
It seems that with all of the technological advances in science comes another piece of equipment that can be adapted to help validate the evidence that we gather in the paranormal field. In the past, starting out for Thomas Edison, I'm sure he was using the most up to date technology for the time. Some say that Edison is the leading pioneer in the seach for evps or disembodied human voices. Electronic Voice Phenomena has blasted into the fore-front as of late with the numerous ghost hunting television shows such as, Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, and Ghost Adventures, among many others. Some say that Edison was working on a "telephone to the dead". There's no blueprints, no schematics, or anything found that correlates with this theory, but only a quote by Edison himself:
"Nobody knows whether our personalities pass on to another existence or sphere, but it is possible to construct an apparatus which existence or sphere who wish to get in touch with us in this extince or sphere, this apparatus will at least give them a better opportunity and Ouija boards and mediums and the other crude methods now purported to be the only means of communication."
The above statement seems like Edison was in fact, trying to construct a device to speak with the dead. Imagine what our efforts would be, if Edison had been able to fully develop this "apparatus". How far would we be from where we are now?
Another leading EVP researcher, Friedrich Jurgenson, while listening and watching birds, would occasionally bring an anolog recorder along to record the tweety bird songs. Upon listening to his recordings one time, he noticed what seemed to be an actual human voice. The voice that Jurgenson heard, he believed, to be his own mother.
As of more recently, paranormal investigators have been using mostly tools developed to the electrical field: Gauss meter, K2 meter, ELF meter, Trifield meter, magnetic field sensor, digital thermal hydrometer, and the like. It is believed that spirits generate a disturbance in the electromagnetic field when trying to manifest, speak, or interact with the living. Many skeptics believe that these tools hold no validation at all in the paranormal field.
When it comes to video and photography, with all of the digital cameras used in the paranormal field today, it is easy to falsify evidence with the many photo editing software available. The best way, I believe, is the older 35mm type of camera. If someone questions your photo, you have the negative to fall back on. If you are using a digital camera, most of the newer digital cameras have a format known as RAW format. These RAW files are uncompressed and any RAW image that you believe to have anything interesting in, can be authenticated somewhat easily. Another good thing about digital photographs, is the data stored within them. Most state the camera make and model, as well as, the time and date the picture was snapped.
I recently started using a "Ghost box" or "Spirit box". Popularized by Frank Sumption, his creation of the "Ghost box" is what he says is a direct link to the other side. His version of the "Ghost box" is of course extremely more advanced than the one that I am currently using. The one I own is a regular as/fm radio modifed to constantly scan the band. One theory of paranormal research is that spirits speak on a different frequency than humans can hear. So if the radio is constantly scanning the many radio frequencies out there, it will be able to pick up the voice of a spirit that is trying to communicate. On one occasion, I had some interesting results. I was using my "Ghost box", and met a spirit named Jeff. He stated his age, his mothers name, his mothers city of residence, along with a message for her. He also was able to give me a full ten digit telephone number for his mother. The entire experience was unbelievable. It truly was as if I were on a telephone with him. I would ask a question, and get an almost immediate response. The last thing he said to me, after letting me know what he wanted me to pass along to his mother, was "I have other business to take care of now" and just like that, he was gone; or he quit speaking with me.
You may not believe the veracity of the "Ghost box", but after that session, I do. I would advise anyone even vaguely interested in paranormal research to buy a regular am/fm radio and go to youtube.com and modify it for use as a "Ghost box". It has paid for itself several times over as it related to the advancement of paranormal research. While listening to a "Ghost box", you do have to remain skeptical. You will hear bits and pieces of radio fragments and you have to build an ear for it just as you do for your EVPs in your audio.
So I ask you this, if the project that Edison was working on was in fact something like a "Ghost box" as we know it, how far could we have come if he had produced one? Who knows what the future holds. Many people say that there will never be proof of the afterlife. I believe that we, as a paranormal community, are not too far away from proving, without a doubt, that spirits are around us, and that they are trying to communicate with anyone who will listen. Even with the many paranormal researchers across the world constantly doing everything they can to help prove the existence of spirits, we may never know until we're on the other side.
"Nobody knows whether our personalities pass on to another existence or sphere, but it is possible to construct an apparatus which existence or sphere who wish to get in touch with us in this extince or sphere, this apparatus will at least give them a better opportunity and Ouija boards and mediums and the other crude methods now purported to be the only means of communication."
The above statement seems like Edison was in fact, trying to construct a device to speak with the dead. Imagine what our efforts would be, if Edison had been able to fully develop this "apparatus". How far would we be from where we are now?
Another leading EVP researcher, Friedrich Jurgenson, while listening and watching birds, would occasionally bring an anolog recorder along to record the tweety bird songs. Upon listening to his recordings one time, he noticed what seemed to be an actual human voice. The voice that Jurgenson heard, he believed, to be his own mother.
As of more recently, paranormal investigators have been using mostly tools developed to the electrical field: Gauss meter, K2 meter, ELF meter, Trifield meter, magnetic field sensor, digital thermal hydrometer, and the like. It is believed that spirits generate a disturbance in the electromagnetic field when trying to manifest, speak, or interact with the living. Many skeptics believe that these tools hold no validation at all in the paranormal field.
When it comes to video and photography, with all of the digital cameras used in the paranormal field today, it is easy to falsify evidence with the many photo editing software available. The best way, I believe, is the older 35mm type of camera. If someone questions your photo, you have the negative to fall back on. If you are using a digital camera, most of the newer digital cameras have a format known as RAW format. These RAW files are uncompressed and any RAW image that you believe to have anything interesting in, can be authenticated somewhat easily. Another good thing about digital photographs, is the data stored within them. Most state the camera make and model, as well as, the time and date the picture was snapped.
I recently started using a "Ghost box" or "Spirit box". Popularized by Frank Sumption, his creation of the "Ghost box" is what he says is a direct link to the other side. His version of the "Ghost box" is of course extremely more advanced than the one that I am currently using. The one I own is a regular as/fm radio modifed to constantly scan the band. One theory of paranormal research is that spirits speak on a different frequency than humans can hear. So if the radio is constantly scanning the many radio frequencies out there, it will be able to pick up the voice of a spirit that is trying to communicate. On one occasion, I had some interesting results. I was using my "Ghost box", and met a spirit named Jeff. He stated his age, his mothers name, his mothers city of residence, along with a message for her. He also was able to give me a full ten digit telephone number for his mother. The entire experience was unbelievable. It truly was as if I were on a telephone with him. I would ask a question, and get an almost immediate response. The last thing he said to me, after letting me know what he wanted me to pass along to his mother, was "I have other business to take care of now" and just like that, he was gone; or he quit speaking with me.
You may not believe the veracity of the "Ghost box", but after that session, I do. I would advise anyone even vaguely interested in paranormal research to buy a regular am/fm radio and go to youtube.com and modify it for use as a "Ghost box". It has paid for itself several times over as it related to the advancement of paranormal research. While listening to a "Ghost box", you do have to remain skeptical. You will hear bits and pieces of radio fragments and you have to build an ear for it just as you do for your EVPs in your audio.
So I ask you this, if the project that Edison was working on was in fact something like a "Ghost box" as we know it, how far could we have come if he had produced one? Who knows what the future holds. Many people say that there will never be proof of the afterlife. I believe that we, as a paranormal community, are not too far away from proving, without a doubt, that spirits are around us, and that they are trying to communicate with anyone who will listen. Even with the many paranormal researchers across the world constantly doing everything they can to help prove the existence of spirits, we may never know until we're on the other side.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Starting out...
I guess a good start to this blog would be, me letting you know what got me interested in the paranormal. It all started when I was about 16 years old. When I was 16, when I would get off of work, a few friends and I would visit local "haunted" spots in search of a thrill. One night we decided to visit a place, known locally as "Dead Children's Playground". It is a small playground set in the ground behind a prominent cemetery here in town. I had been there a few times before, with very little happening except for the local police department running us kids away...
But little did I know, this night would change my life forever.
But little did I know, this night would change my life forever.
The rumor about the playground was that children were supposed to haunt the area. The swings would reportedly swing by themselves, you would sometimes be able to hear children laughing and playing in the dead of night, and of course...full body apparitions. The night we decided to go to DCP, the moon was bright, and there was an eerie mist in the air. It was the middle of summer, so temperatures were pretty warm. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was sitting on the swing, just trying to waste time, and all of the sudden, the swing immediately to my left starting moving. At first, just a little, then it was as if someone was sitting in it. The rubber seat actually took form to appear as if someone was in it, and then it got faster and farther.
I was in shock as to what I was witnessing, because there was no breeze, no wind, it was a hot, humid night during an Alabama summer. As I stood up, the swing next to me came to a slow stop. I went and told the others what had happened, and of course, they didn't believe me. That's fine with me, I know what I saw that night, I know it happened. Ever since then, I have been trying to learn everything I could about the paranormal phenomena.
I was in shock as to what I was witnessing, because there was no breeze, no wind, it was a hot, humid night during an Alabama summer. As I stood up, the swing next to me came to a slow stop. I went and told the others what had happened, and of course, they didn't believe me. That's fine with me, I know what I saw that night, I know it happened. Ever since then, I have been trying to learn everything I could about the paranormal phenomena.
Several years later, I was living in a house that I believed to be haunted. The only thing was that the house was built in 1998 so I was thinking that the haunting probably had more to do with the land than the house. The house that I am speaking of is one that my mother bought in 2004 and still has to this day. My mom was so excited to have bought this house. She told me of a story once that I still remember to this day. The night before she was to close on the house, she visited it once last time. When she arrived, the door was locked so she used her key and unlocked the door. She opened the door to find a woman sitting on the hardwood floor of the living room crying hysterically with only the light of a candle flickering off of the flooring. My mother assumed that the woman was the previous homeowner saying her final goodbyes and recounting all of the memories made in the house. So my mother, feeling as if she was intruding, left. The next day when it came time to officially close on the house, my mother went to the closing appointment. The former homeowner was an hour late, when she finally arrived, she was in good spirits and sincerely apologized for being so late. She stated that her flight was delayed and she had just gotten back into town only moments before.
Had the woman my mother saw sitting on the living room floor crying hysterically been a ghost? A full body apparition? After the house closing papers were signed and the house was officially hers, she went over to try to create a layout for the furniture. There was no sign at all of the woman or the candle who's light had been flickering on the hardwood floor the night before.
When I was living in her house, I noticed several odd occurrences myself. As you were going down the stairs, I would always get the feeling as if someone was right behind me urging me to go faster, or perhaps trying to push me down the stairs...We all would hear unusual sounds. Like one day, my fiance was in the only person in the house, I had run to the store to pick up a few things. He was intently playing my Xbox when I left, shortly after my leaving, she hears heavy footsteps coming from what was my bedroom. She pauses the game and yells for me, no answer. She then proceeds to walk up the stairs, about half way up she remembers that I had just left, still hearing the sound of footsteps and papers being shuffled around, she goes to the front porch and waits. That is where I find her when I arrive back at home. On the front porch. She then tells me what she had heard, I automatically assume someone was in the house, so I search the house inside-out, finding no one.
After that, we then decide to do our first EVP session. At the time, all we had was an old analog tape recorder, so that is what we used. We had read somewhere that it is good to use background noises such as white noise. So taking their advice, we turned the television on a snow channel and turned the volume low. With me sitting on the side of the bed and my fiance setting on the foot, we had every area visually covered, just in case something or someone did appear. Towards the end of the EVP session, I asked if the spirit would do something to let us know of their presence. I didn't expect what was coming next. Immediately after I asked that question, the television turned off. Here we are, setting in complete darkness, doing our first EVP session...you can imagine our feelings at the time. I knew that some televisions are set to turn themselves off after a certain amount of inactivity. We began testing that theory, by seeing how long the TV took to turn off by itself. To this day, we both believe that it was a spirit turning off the TV that night, after me asking for prove of their presence. We ran the test on the TV several times and each and every time, it turned off at exactly 16 minutes. When I had asked the question, it had only been 9 minutes.
Up until 2007, I was very interested in the paranormal. Watching the numerous ghost hunting shows that were out at the time, but in mid 2007 we really wanted to learn more. I did a google search on local paranormal groups and we found the North Alabama Paranormal Society meetup. My fiance and I thought that we would check it out because we really wanted to learn more about the paranormal than the ghost hunting shows teach you...lol.
We attended our first meetup and we were hooked. Everyone attending the meetup was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the paranormal. My fiance, who is empathic and psychic has learned alot on how to handle and cope with the information, visions, and emotions she is given. Everyone at the meetup has been extremely helpful. Shortly after joining the TNAPS meetup, we were approached by Leilani Catalan, the founder of the Alabama Paranormal Society. She first asked me if I would like to be a member of APS and a short time later, she asked my fiance to become a member. Of course, we said yes. Being part of APS has been one of the best things that could have happened to us. We have learned to so much from everyone that we have crossed paths with. Alabama Paranormal Society has had the opportunity to work with the likes of the Paranormal State team, as well as, the Ghost Adventures guys. I took on the role of the Tech Manager, and my fiance is an Investigator. I love going on investigations and setting up the video cameras, CCTV system. I would have to say that my favorite part of all of this is the review or explaining exactly what is going on to the client. Giving them at least some relief as to what is going on in their home. APS does not use psychics so no one uses their gifts during an investigation.
As of late, my fiance and I have come on hard financial times. Meaning, we are not able to go on many investigations due to work schedules. Right now, unfortunately, a job is top priority. I wish we could do paranormal investigations for a living, that would be the life! On a more personal note, I am a volunteer firefighter for my local fire department. I am hoping that will lead to a permanent position with our major city fire department, if not, I would like to work as a Corrections/Detention Officer, Police Officer, or a Paramedic with HEMSI. My fiance is trying to obtain her Bachelors degree in Atmoshperic Sciences. She would like to work with The National Weather Service.
Sorry this entry was so long, I was just laying the ground works... Maybe my future posts won't be so long, no promises!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is greatly appreciated!
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