ParaMonthly Review
International Paranormal Research Association, Inc.
February 2008
Mississippi Belle Restaurant with Fate Magazine’s Phyllis Galde and the Hastings Paranormal Team
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The Mississippi Belle is
located on the site of the first permanent structure in Hastings, MN. The original building was a log cabin that served as a trading post and later after
additions served as a hotel and restaurant.
The IPRA team recently joined Phyllis Galde of FATE magazine and the Hastings Paranormal team to investigate the Restaurant owned and operated by Hope and Bill. Watch for the next episode of “Seekers of the Paranormal” to share the experience with the IPRA team and their guests. |
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Beth, I.P.R.A. Tech Manager with Michelle, I.P.R.A. Research Tech at the Mississippi Belle |
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Tim and Josh of Hastings Paranormal with EMF field readings at the Mississippi Belle |
I.P.R.A. Affiliate Team Feature: Hastings Paranormal
We are a small group of folks, from a small town, with a lot of big questions. We believe in things unseen and search to find a way to see them. Whether it's something caught on a digital camera (an orb or mist?), some strange lurking shadow captured by a video camera, an eerie voice caught in time and revealed through e(lectronic) v(oice) p(henomenon)...a view into another time as seen through the eyes of one who has the gift of seeing it...we're out to research it. We are The Hastings Paranormal Team!
Tim and Judy, our humble founders, began HPT in June 2006, by sheer curiosity of the area in which they live. They had been experiencing some odd phenomena and felt the need to start learning about it. In time they recruited others who shared the love of learning and experiencing the unknown along with them. Rich is one of our original members. Tim enjoys telling of one of his first outings with Rich when he thought he saw something, yet was afraid to mention it out fear of being thought of as weird or strange. Hey…that’s the stuff we want to know if you see it!!
Juli and I were recruited at around the same time. We had known each other for a while as her daughter and my granddaughter go to school together. We had often shared with each other about our paranormal experiences and our desire to further pursue research in that area. We were both delighted to come aboard our hometown team! Over the summer, as a team we decided to expand and invited applications from the public and were surprised with a couple of them coming from family members. Judy’s daughter, Jessica and my own son Josh applied for membership and after both being interviewed were asked to join us. Along with this recruitment drive we accepted Kevin, who is a true skeptic at heart! He has yet to experience something he would admit to being paranormal in nature! Our newest member is Andrea who had been under consideration for quite a while.
Together we’re exploring different avenues of investigating. Learning what works for us and what doesn’t. It’s a big adventure! Our home base, Hastings, is the second oldest city in the State of Minnesota so it’s literally dripping with history to explore. Together we will continue to learn all we can, try new methods, and open and expand our minds to the unseen world around us.
www.hastingsparanormalteam.com
IPRA Research Tech. Jeanette Tongay
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Jeanette is the mother of five and grandmother of five. She enjoys hanging with her kids or playing with the grandkids. Her journey into the unknown began when she was a little girl and has grown through the years. She believes that the house they have lived in for the past 16 years has many spirits sharing it with them. She enjoys helping those that feel they are haunted to find answers and to get the validation they need. In her words “I love my team’s dedication and all that IPRA stands for.” |
Is My House Haunted?
By: Jeanette Tongay
For 15 years my family and I have lived in what I
believe to be a haunted house. How do I know my house is haunted? I don’t…not
factually…but there have been enough occurrences throughout the years to lead
me to believe we are sharing this residence with “other-worldly” beings.
Among the many happenings that we have experienced are hearing footsteps, music (from another era), voices (whispering as well), we have seen apparitions, been touched by something invisible, had articles go missing only to turn up a few minutes later in the place we have already searched, beds moving and vibrating, orbs of lights shooting across rooms, shadow figures moving through rooms, heavy furniture lifting off of the ground of its own accord…and much, much more.
Is it frightening? Of course it is, especially for my children, but we have actually learned to live with our house guests.
Often times, usually in the autumn months, the activity in our home picks up so much that my sons camp out in the living room until it subsides. At these times I find myself talking to them asking them to please stop scaring the children and this usually helps for a while.
I do not believe there is anything here in the house that is evil or that is a threat to anyone living here. On the contrary I am convinced that our spirit/spirits once belonged in the house just as we do now. I know that one of these ethereal beings is an older woman from the early 1900’s because both my young daughter and my husband, the skeptic, have seen and heard her. But, I also believe that there are others either because of a connection to the house/land or a connection to someone in my family.
I am a paranormal investigator and the question I get asked the most is have I conducted an investigation in my home. The answer is no. I, unlike most of the clients my team deals with; do not feel that I need to know anymore about these entities than I already do. As stated earlier, I don’t feel threatened by them nor does any family member living here. Oh sure, there are times that the activity is frightening but only because it is coming from something we cannot see. Had the same things happened by someone living they would have been annoying at most. It is this aspect of our haunting that is most bothersome but not to the point that I feel we need an investigation.
So, how do we deal with the things that go bump in the night? Usually by talking about them with each other and my reassuring others that it’s ok, that they are not going crazy, and that the activity will decrease, and it usually does.
I also believe that some if not most of our activity
is what is termed a “recording” of past events that played out in our dwelling
long ago. I am of the belief that we create energy all around us and that
sometimes that energy gives off bursts and leaves its impression on the things
it comes into contact with. I believe this happens most times when our energy
is at a peak such as might occur during heated arguments or other life altering
events such as a death.
We have learned to live with our situation and have grown more interested
through the years in those that are here but not seen and, as a paranormal
investigator with her own haunting I believe I can empathize with our clients
and maybe provide answers that I might not otherwise have had.
Paranormal investigation is not an exact science but it is getting there. Personal experience is an important aspect of what we do and I am happy that I have my own experiences to draw on while out in the field trying to help others.
Featured Guest: Steve Cross
Radio Host Steve
Cross
I have been interested in the paranormal most of my life. Early experiences of my childhood and conversations with someone near and dear to me led me to believe. September 2006 changed my life forever and has afforded me the opportunity to explore other worldly phenomenon with an open mind. I am a skeptic believer and I plan to share my personal experiences with those who will listen. And through this remuneration, I plan to validate my beliefs. I also possess other abilities that are just now being discovered and practiced.
I belong to a wonderful paranormal group called Crossroads Paranormal based in Lafayette, Indiana. I've been participating in meetings since April of 2007 and became a member in July of 2007. I am the Regional Manager for Central Indiana and help co-ordinate investigations and meeting with prospective members.
I also host my own radio show, non-paranormal topic, called Quiet on the Set!
In The Market for a New Ghost? Have I Got A Deal for You
By: Steve Cross
Have you ever wanted your own ghost? Maybe a companion that travels with you that doesn’t cost extra on vacation? Or perhaps someone that guides you along your journey and gives you advice, like a silent business partner? Have I got a deal for you! You may already have your very own ghost. Ghost, spirit, angel or however you decide to identify them, you may already have one. In this article, I will outline the different aspects of the spirit world and give general definitions. I’ll let you determine if you have your own ghost and what type accompanies you daily. And the great part about this opportunity? I provide this information at no cost to you!
The following information pertains mainly to ghosts and the world of the after-life. In this article, I will cover the topic of ghosts, apparitions and the unexplained occurrences many people witness. The after-life, ghosts, Sasquatch or extra-terrestrial life are beliefs I regard as a personal thing. Beliefs are instilled in us by our parents and our peers; it is taught to us by our religious and sociological mentors. We are taught to believe in the power of science, we are taught to believe in the power of God and we are taught to believe in natural forces. We modify all of our various inputs to come to our own beliefs. We put greater emphasis on some, less on others and discard others altogether.
We go forward with our knowledge and apply our experiences into an internal database to modify our beliefs. Some people believe in the power of the Blarney Stone, others do not. I think it is that simple. It is directly related to the environment we grew up in and then how we categorize our experiences using the knowledge we already have. When we were kids Santa visited us every year, the tooth fairy also came around a lot. Later in life we find that what we thought had transpired wasn't exactly what transpired, yet we still had the experiences. And even today people believe that Santa and others still exist within their hearts and minds.
I have formed an opinion that ghost hunters are not hallucinating. I've had my own experiences which validate most of what I read. I am not ready to conclude though that ghosts are the only plausible answer. Every instance of unexplainable moments has reason and meaning whether we chose to believe or use scientific methods to validate or disprove based upon logical explanations. Just because we cannot prove or disprove that moment scientifically shouldn't allow us to dismiss it as a tall tale. The Earth was once flat, right? I've read a lot of articles concerning the paranormal (but not even close to all of them) and one thing I have picked up on is everyone believes differently about different things. Some us believe there is no other explanation for ghosts than ghosts, some of us believe ghosts are not even in the realm of possibilities. I grew up in a semi open-minded environment; my parents did not force their opinions on me. I was allowed to develop my own conclusions. This led me to look at every side of every issue. I do believe you when you tell me you saw a ghost, you aren't making it up, and this is what you believe you saw. I do not necessarily believe it was a ghost though. I can't prove to you it wasn't a ghost anymore than you can prove to me it was a ghost. But I do believe you experienced something we define as unexplainable.
Traditional
apparitions are ghosts that interact with human beings. This can be for good or
for bad. These ghosts are believed to hide objects, frighten people, and throw
objects or plea for help. These ghosts are also said to be present because of
unfinished work. This can be due to their death in untoward circumstances, and
they generally seek human help to resolve the issue and progress into a
different realm. These spirits are said to be “intelligent” yet haunting, as
they appear to be aware of the people around them and their surroundings. Often
what we deem as a "demonic" experience is actually a spirit doing
things only to get your attention.
Crisis apparitions are ghosts who appear to inform someone about danger. They
are solid or transparent by nature. Anniversary ghosts appear on the
anniversary of their death caused by some tragic event. These ghosts are
commonly found in haunted houses or castles, and often relate to legends of
tragedies from centuries past. Messenger ghosts, like banshees, appear to
family members to herald the death of another family member. Poltergeists are
noisy spirits who produce sounds like "psychic explosions" from a
teenage boy or girl.
Ghosts are believed to be the apparitions of dead people. A ghost is the spirit
of a human who survives on the earth after death. Every culture in the world
has folklore about ghosts. These disturbed souls are unaware of being dead and
remain attached to familiar places and repeat the same acts as alive. Ghosts
are commonly depicted in a human size and shape, but there have been theories
that have announced their appearance in silvery, shadowy or fog-like forms.
Ghosts don’t have any physical body like humans, but only possess a subtle
astral body. Ghosts make their presence felt by moving objects, throwing vivid
lights etc., which have no practical explanation. People who believe in ghosts
explain their existence by stating that they are souls who could not find rest
after death or souls who have an unfinished business on the earth.
The following classifications are based upon my personal beliefs and should not
be misconstrued as the Holy Grail of Ghostly Classification.
Classification
of Ghosts
1. Past: revenants, deathbed and near-death, haunters
2. Present: crisis apparitions, living ghosts
3. Future: still not clearly defined and remains a myth
4. Out of Time: aerial battles and other events
Characteristics of Ghosts
1. Generally life-like in appearance
2. Usually 'seen' in much the same way as if it was real
3. May be seen either collectively or selectively
4. May change its appearance during the sighting
5. May appear by forming from a luminous or misty shape
6. May be seen in whole or in part
7. May be opaque or transparent, may reflect or not, cast a shadow or not
8. Can make sounds
9. May perform a physical action … but if so, the action is trivial
10. May act as though s/he isn't there
11. May depart naturally, or vanish abruptly, or simply fade away
12. Never leaves any souvenir, memento or trace
13. Frequently fails to establish its identity
14. Frequently sensed.
Purposes of the Ghost Experience
1. Offering comfort, counsel, help
2. Requesting comfort, counsel, help
3. Warning of danger
4. Seeking to complete 'unfinished business'
5. Manifesting malevolence
6. Messengers
Too Much Knowledge of a Haunted Site Impacts Paranormal Investigations
By: Lisa Carmody
Recently, I was part of a large ghost
hunting expedition to a very famous (some might say infamous) haunted
house. The Villisca Ax Murder House has been documented in many
newspapers, books, television shows, and movies and on various websites as the
site of a very brutal ax murder in the early 1900’s (See My Adventure at the
Villisca Ax Murder House). So it was perhaps not surprising that some
of the members of this investigation were tense and anxious, already expecting
to have negative experiences at the house. This adversely affected almost
everyone in this group at different levels, particularly me. I had to
fight very hard to separate my sensitivity to this group’s moods from my own
perception of the house.
Research shows that when a thought is planted in the human mind, the human mind tends to retain some of that thinking, either negatively or positively. CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd, the author of “The Undeniable Power of Suggestion” for Ezine @rticles (www.ezinearticles.com) writes, “Because the human brain is so very complex, it is sometimes unable to relinquish imbedded legends and trauma – somewhat like a computer, imbedded with a virus.”
Our thoughts can also influence our environment, according to Dr. Masuro Emoto, a Japanese researcher. Dr. Emoto was profiled in What the Bleep documentary in which he discusses his discovery that directing specific human thought towards water can affect the crystals found in the water using a microscopic study. When negative thoughts were directed towards the water, the water crystals reflected asymmetrical, incomplete patterns with dull colors. When positive thoughts were directed, the water crystals showed brilliant, complex and colorful snowflake patterns. His findings are detailed in his book The Hidden Messages in Water. This is particularly interesting in view of the fact that we humans are made up of primarily water and this research seems to validate the influence of positive and negative power of suggestion on us.
I spoke to a few experienced investigators about their thoughts on whether having this much information impacted investigations.
Doug Carnahan, founder, president and lead investigator of NPI, says, “I have an important decision to make every time NPI goes to a location for an investigation. How much information is really necessary to share with my investigators to ensure a successful investigation and how much is too much information that might contaminate the team? My general rule of thumb is to share general and or historical information along with the concerns of the clients. I can't and won't let my team go into an investigation blind. Paranormal investigations can be dangerous and it's my responsibility to ensure the safety of my team. The team needs to have an understanding of what they may be facing during the investigation and be prepared for anything.”
Doug goes on to say, “We are lucky to have a wonderful psychic medium with NPI, but we must be very careful when she is investigating with us on a case not to allow her to contaminate others in the group. We have her walk the area with one of the leading investigators to check it out without the other members of the team. Anything she may pick up she is to write down and keep details to herself. After she has done her walk-through the leading investigators do not allow her to share any of her information with the rest of the group in order not to ‘plant any seeds’. After the entire investigation is done she is then allowed to share with the group what she found.”
Shane Thornton, who is also a founder and lead investigator of NPI, concurs with Doug Carnahan and adds, “Giving too much info can create total chaos to an investigation. When it's the middle of the night and fatigue is setting in, you have a bunch of people in the pitch dark doing an investigation. It can be a total nightmare when people’s heads are planted with seeds about things that happened in the location. And even though the group can be as professional as they can, they all are still human and sometimes your imagination can get the best of you. So at NPI we have learned that giving the investigators just the info they need to know what to prepare for is the best solution to get the best evidence. Doug and I usually know everything that is going on and if we feel that something is wrong or unsafe for our team, we would let them know immediately and make the required arrangements. Safety of the clients and the team is always first priority.”
Jeff Belanger of www.Ghostvillage.com and the author of several books takes the approach that “knowing the background of a location isn't the only thing an objective investigator needs to worry about. We all have baggage that we bring everywhere we go. That baggage includes the way we were raised, our religious belief system (if any), our level of education, our emotional state, and our reasons for investigating. Knowing that a brutal event took place in a location we're checking out will play on all of those factors. Plus, if you're investigating in a large group, there can be a mass hysteria factor that can occur should one person believe they are perceiving something paranormal. If we understand all of these very human limitations, we can be better investigators and put the right people in the right places at the right time.”
Jeff also mentioned that “unless you're utilizing testing a psychic, I prefer to know the historic details of a location. I want to step back in time if I can. That way, when a witness says, ‘We saw a little girl's ghost right here.’ I will know if that fits with the history or not. If the eyewitness accounts don't fit with the history, and they are indeed credible (and hopefully multiple), that can spark a more in-depth historical search to try and reveal answers. The holy grail for any ghost researcher is to learn the identity of a ghost.”
During the Villisca House investigation, the group was broken up into smaller groups. I seemed to be able, after a while, to make my own assessment of the house after I was paired with just one other person. This is detailed in My Adventure at the Villisca Ax Murder House. I also mentioned in my article that I am profoundly deaf, but not that I am very dependent on reading lips. I do wear hearing aids, but it does not help me understand speech, just to be aware of sounds around me. The reason I mention this is that not hearing the investigating group’s verbal reaction (and not reading their lips due to the darkness) about the house, may have helped me not be as suggestible as the others. I tell people, often in a joking manner, that my deafness is an advantage because I am not as easily frightened as hearing people are when noises occur during an investigation.
On the other hand, many people might argue that because I knew quite a bit about the location’s history, it could still be considered “contaminated” information. As the founders of NPI indicated in their above-referenced statements, when I go on an investigation with NPI, I tend to be given just enough information. Not only do I use the technical equipment, I also depend on what intuitive information I can get, if any. I have to use my judgment as to whether I tell the group what I am sensing at that time if it is absolutely necessary, or write it down to be validated later after the investigation, through historical research.
Each paranormal group has its own methods for providing any information about a haunted location. However, the end result is basically the same: we are hoping to achieve results that we can share with other interested people, whether it’s paranormal evidence, historical research or even an understanding about each other as human beings.
www.norcalghosthunters.com
Think Outside the Box
This is a continuing section on innovative tools people incorporate into their investigations. This month Brian Schulte from Southern Illinois IPRA submitted this idea.
One day when it was 104 degrees outside and not much going on, my son and I come up with this idea. I had 2 B&W cameras with infrared led lights from Swann that can run off of batteries or ac adapter. They broadcast up to 300 ft to a receiver which can be hooked up to a television. I only have 2 cameras but up to 4 cameras can be used with one receiver. We hooked up the receiver downstairs in my son’s bedroom and had the truck upstairs. From his bedroom we chased the dogs around upstairs with the truck. We decided to end this experiment when my wife started getting a headache from the dogs barking and chasing it.
I am not sure how useful this idea is in paranormal research. It might help in a large building with multiple floors and little or no furniture. This truck doesn't have the power to drive in grass very well.
UPDATES
WISP continues to grow as we submit this issue to each of you. Patrick Burns has agreed to join us for the weekend as a guest and we are excited to welcome him aboard.
Phyllis Galde from FATE Magazine joined us this past weekend for an investigation of the Mississippi Belle in Hastings, MN., with the IPRA affiliate team Hastings Paranormal. The teams had a wonderful time, however weather in MN., is not much better than that in Iowa. For future reference we will be going South during the winter and North during the summer.
The invitation stands for the IPRA affiliate teams to invite the official IPRA team to join them on investigations allowing us time to get to know each other and share investigation protocol and technology. Contact Beth at info@iprainc.net
We would like to welcome Mike Judge back to the team, after a hiatus from paranormal research he has re-joined the team and brings to the table an extensive knowledge of investigation protocol.
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C & L Photography
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Meet father and daughter team, Dennis Caminiti and Andrea Lafreniere. They collectively bring over 40 years of photography experience to you through stunning works of art.Andrea Lafreniere, artist and photographer. Some of her fondest memories are those spent in her father's darkroom and sifting through the hundreds of photographs. You never see her without her camera, for she never knows when "The Shot" will present itself. Dennis Caminiti, artist, photographer, calligrapher, and poet. He has over 40 years of artistic experience and inspiration, which shows in all that he creates. From the perfect photograph to the newly created wooden jewelry box, you cannot deny his craft. http://www.cnlphotography.com/about.html |
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Sun Dog taken by Dave Seibert |
Paranormal Instrumentation-Part 1
By: David Rountree
This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing highlighting new technology and its applications in the field of “Haunted” research. I have alluded in the past to the introduction of data-logging to our arsenal of tools for measuring and documenting paranormal activity. Skylands Paranormal Investigations has embarked on a journey of new discovery by implementing this technology in our investigations. We are doing this for several reasons. First of all, it will give us a greater understanding of what exactly is going on during a paranormal event. Second, it will make “doctoring” the evidence difficult, if not impossible. Since the systems we are using create a real time record of the different aspects we are measuring, we would have to hack the program to alter the data. Even if we could do that, we would have to spend a lot of time creating machine code that may or may not work. In essence, it will be impractical, if not impossible, to alter. This will allow the data collected to have a greater impact in research circles. Finally, it will allow us to correlate several different types of data and compare them to real time events.
The first set up we will review is the Audio Console. We have broken down various functions into different “consoles”, meaning a work station based on a laptop PC. The Audio console we use does employ some very specialized equipment, significantly a calibrated MK8A Condenser Microphone, and an Audio Spectrum Analyzer, specifically, a Goldline 30MP Microprocessor controlled 1/3 Octave Audio Spectrum Analyzer. Not only does this device have an LED display, it also has a serial port connection that allows real time monitoring on its software package. Hence, we will have a graphic representation of what we are measuring, that can be saved for future comparison as an image. Additional Components we are employing is an Audio Technica dynamic Microphone, a Behrenger Xenite 802 mixer, and of course a laptop, where we will monitor and record the audio using Sony Soundforge 8.0. The Laptop is a Dell Inspiron 6400. Any dynamic Mic, any mixer, and any laptop will work in this application. I am sure there are other audio analyzers out there that also will work, providing they have logging software and a serial or USB port connection. In our case, we are using a serial port to USB adaptor as the Dell no longer employs a serial port in the mix.
The set up is as follows: The calibrated Microphone feeds the Audio analyzer, and provides a baseline for any EVP that may be captured. Since a Condenser Mic will not respond to EMF fluctuations, it will only record true audio, not an EVP. The line output of the Analyzer is fed to channel 1 on the mixer, and it is panned to the far left, essentially putting it only in the left channel.
The Dynamic mic is then inserted in to channel 2 of the mixer. This will be the primary EVP sensor, recording both the audio and any EMF fluctuation that may cause EVP. This in turn is then panned to the far right, in essence placing it only in the right channel. We then adjust the gain structure to make both channels as equal as possible. We then connect the mixer to the sound card input on the laptop (be sure the input is set for line level, not mic level) using a dual 1/4 “phone plug to stereo mini-phone plug adaptor. This will place the left channel on the left channel of the Sound card, and the right into the right channel of the sound card, since the input is a stereo mini-phone plug. We can now bring up our software (Sony Soundforge, but Audacity will work, as will any software that analyzes audio) and record through the software, so we can watch the stereo wave form in real time. Now we can make the fine adjustments to the mixer to exactly match the amplitude of the two wave forms displaying in the software. We can listen on headphones, or just watch the waveform. In our case, we record the night on an outboard hard drive that is only getting the audio recording. We will be using the laptop hard drive to log the serial port data coming from the analyzer.
Any EVP captured, will be only on the right channel, where the dynamic mic is connected. We can then compare each wave form to eliminate noise as a possible cause for the EVP. We also have an audio signal, and the EVP signal from the same environment for comparison. Any EVP captured can be displayed and mapped against the background of the true audio signal recorded on the left channel using the calibrated condenser mic. We will also be able to eliminate microphone coloring as a factor.
As always, we encourage others to duplicate our work and share your data.