Changing a Legitimate Stigma

The LeBeau Plantation House So by now, most everyone in the paranormal field has heard about or seen links concerning the seven young men below:

These fellows are self described "ghost-hunters" who have been arrested for trespassing after they entered the boarded up LeBeau Plantation in Louisiana. The seven have also been brought up on charges of illicit use after smoking marijuana on this historic property. This illegal substance along with their consumption of alcohol probably contributed to the decision that led to the next charge of arson. According to most news articles, the so called leader of this unit became so frustrated by the lack of paranormal activity that he began stacking wood in order to burn the place down. He was then able to convince his cohorts to help him. The fire was set. The plantation home was left a smoldering pile of ash. Only the four chimneys that still stand give evidence that this was once the site of an enormous residence.

This is a historic home which was once part of the largest plantation south of New Orleans. It was built in the 1850's. It's enormous history does not end after the plantation closed up shop as it was also used as a hotel and illegal casino. 

The seven men involved were arraigned recently and their bonds were set between $75,000 and $450,000. 

Let's look at this closer. These young men claim to be ghost hunters or paranormal investigators.

 Do you think they have a right to call themselves either of those things? Do you blame the general population for making negative assertions about all "ghost hunters"?

If I call myself a lawyer, how do you know for sure that I am an attorney. A lawyer would have passed the bar exam. He would have a license. He would have a law degree. Right?

What do we as paranormal investigators have that would prove ourselves worthy of being the researchers, professionals, and the scientists we feel we are. The answer for the overwhelming majority of us is nothing. Well, nothing in a frame anyway. 

Until there is a nationwide recognized credential, degree, or licensure for our type of work, all we have is our reputation. We live and die by it. The stigma that is created by these young men and others will always find its way into the headlines, but your team will only be as good as its weakest link. If you allow yourself to be associated with those with no ethical standards, you will be judged along with them. I truly believe teams who engage their hosts with honesty, trustworthiness, and purpose will find more invitations to do what they love. 

To all those teams who legitimately research claims of the paranormal, who obtain consent for every location they investigate, who make long lasting relationships with clients and property owners, and to the paranormal investigators whose dedication is relentless, let me say thank you! We fight this stigma together and gain the trust of our communities. Keep up the good work!

-Christopher M. Melvin (East Koast Paranormal)

Be Our Guest

The picture above is from a movie entitled "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". This was a movie released in 1947 about a woman who moves into a seaside cottage in England. She arrives to find the portrait of an old sea captain hanging in the home. She soon learns the home is haunted and you'll never guess whose presence walks around the cottage... It's the old sea dawg himself Captain Gregg. After some time the Captain and Mrs. Muir become friends and come to terms with the fact they both lay claim to this home.

I use this movie in fun to show how the known history of a location can certainly influence us when it comes to paranormal activity. Sometimes a client can develop a connection or even relationship with a perceived spirit.

In the years I've been involved in researching the paranormal, the team has encountered a number of clients who reach out to us not because of fear, but for confirmation. Some feel that family members visit them and others attribute activity to former owners or those associated with a property. There is an unsaid protocol when you walk into a home where the residents have already diagnosed their location as haunted especially when they embrace the notion. The entire team knows the information you obtain from a client is vital to our research. It's not only important in figuring out what the client feels is happening, but to also learn about the client themselves. For instance, we will ask if a person has a history of previous paranormal encounters. If it is not a subject that is uncomfortable, discussing culture, religion, or the upbringing of the client can help a team figure out if there is a link that would make normal their sensing or having communication with the dead. Sometimes if we can place ourselves in the shoes of our clients we can gain perspective and may even get a better picture on how the client has concluded what they have thus far. These questions have to be handled tactfully and in no way are they meant to be disrespectful to the person we are trying to help. It is done for insight and I feel it should never hinder an investigation or negate a team from putting forth every effort to discover the truth.

Lastly, I would say being upfront with a client about your intentions is a must. For  example, our clients know we come into a location objectively and impartial. We make it plain to the client that we are there to research the client's claims. That means not only to document but to debunk. In a nutshell, we want to let a client know delicately that we are not there to reaffirm their own synopsis, but to use our sample of time there to give a report on what we have witnessed and concluded through scientific research. We want to uncover the truth even if it's not the truth our client's wanted. No team can claim to be the final authority on the matter, but it's important to make every effort to find the answers for those who have trusted you to come into their home, business, or location. 

It's not always as cut and dry as it was in the case of Captain Gregg.   ;)

What Draws You?

Is there something innate among all paranormal investigators? Do we all have questions that faith and science cannot answer to our satisfaction. Is it the quest for adventure? Do we have a need for the adrenaline that comes with venturing into the unknown. Are we rebels? Do we want to be a part of something that makes general people cringe or unable to understand. Is there a need to conquer a long held fear? Were we petrified of the dark or death as kids? Believe me, this is not my attempt to put us all in a box, but to find some of our commonalities.

Some of those in our field were brought into it not by their own choice. Some had paranormal experiences that led them to try to find answers to fill that mystery that haunted them long after the initial event. Others say they were given talents that put the paranormal on the same stage as reality. I can't comment on those folks other than to pose the same question. Do you personally feel that you would have still found your way into the paranormal world without those encounters.

I fit all of the traits from the top paragraph. And yes, even the one's I'm not particularly proud of. I've questioned faith all my life. I grew up in a very religious family and have always had a need to find my own truth. I love the adrenaline factor of the unknown. I get a small dose from time to time with bungee cord jumping, roller coasters, paintball, and driving down curvy back roads, but you can have all that for the potential of experiencing something supernatural. Do I like the questions I get from those who know what I do at night and are curious? I do! I love talking about it to the point that I have to carefully pay attention to when the person has lost interest and their eyes begin to glaze over. I do tend to have a smile on my face when I hear people often say, "Oh, no! I'd never do that!" Hey, what can I say?  I'm a total bad ass. I'm fearless, right? Wrong. Death scared the hell out of me as a kid. The thought of being under the ground was probably the worst thought of all. The dark was surely no where I wanted to be. There is a part of me that feels like I'm walking that smaller version of myself through these dark corridors and rooms to say, Look! There's nothing in here and if there is, hey, we got this, and we can look it in the eye.

Where are you? We've got some work to do now...

Unlike the gang from Mystery Inc, teams don't always remain together for 40+ years... So lets explore why a group of people sharing the same interest could ever part ways? Here's my top 5 in no particular order.






1.) RULE BREAKERS: You're on the team! You're front center in the team photo. Here's what you're not...
-available for meetings
-ever able to return analyzed audio and video on time
-able to keep the dress code
-able to be objective
-able to keep from running at the sounds of the first bump in the night.
-looking into the history...Who needs it? We'll just ask, "Are you there?" "Are you  male or female?" How many of there are you?" and "Do you want us to leave?" over and over again...  ZZZZZZZZZ.....

2.) ABUSERS OF POWER:
You're the "LEAD" Investigator, the Tech / Team "MANAGER" so you let power corrupt you into thinking you can treat people poorly.
- No ones getting paid, so why not teach instead of barking at someone.
- Why not tell the person what you're seeing instead of going to others to vent. You're in that position for a reason or ARE YOU?

3.) THOSE LACKING in SELF ESTEEM:
If it had been me, I would have placed the digital recorder over here! I know more about this than he/she does. Here's what you really know:
-I'm not the leader of this organization after 3 weeks??? How's that???
-No one likes me.
-I do so much more than that guy/gal.
GET OVER IT. We're all here for the same reason and we have a job to do.

4.) THE DICTATOR
It's my way or the highway. I'll take my ball and go home.
- You'll never work in this town again! ...that is, unless you join the team down the street, the one across town, or create your own.
- You're only as good as your last mistake here.



5.) THOSE WITHOUT OBJECTIVITY or CREATIVE FOLKS
 You see and hear the paranormal more than most because they know you on that side...
- It's a guarantee that you'll have an experience every trip...funny no one else sees or hears it.
- I'm a benefit to this team, so why is everyone calling me a poison?


Got any more? Jot them down in the comments below! Thanks for reading...

Beauty in Mystery

As of this month, I am a year into my paranormal experience. In that time, our team has captured video and audio evidence of phenomenon that we are unable to explain with any plausible logical explanation. What's amazing to me is that if you lined up all the video and audio that we deemed as being "paranormal" in that time span, you'd have no more than 15 minutes of evidence. Just a few days ago, I listened to five hours of audio and during the last actual investigation, I sat and watched probably three and a half hours of (DVR) video footage. So in that year, I can't even begin to fathom how many hours we've all analyzed of recordings and footage. It would be some mind-boggling number.

So, why would anyone do this? Well, there are six people currently on our team and I suppose you would get 6 different answers, but I think all would include that 15 minutes. It's about hearing four people talking in a room with only three people in it. It's doors opening on command. It's lights coming on when asked to do so. It's hearing the answer to a question you ask from someone or something who is not in the room with you.

Albert Einstein said, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." This brilliant mind sums it up pretty well. I think the whole team would agree. We also see beauty in the mysterious.

Skepticism

"Education has failed in a very serious way to convey the most important lesson science can teach: skepticism." -David Suzuki


Definition of SKEPTICISM

Merriam-Webster Definition of Skepticism:
1: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object
2.a : the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain
b : the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics
3: doubt concerning basic religious principles (as immortality, providence, and revelation)

My philosophy is that in order to truly find the unexplained, paranormal, perhaps even supernatural event, one must make every effort to first look for plausible, logical, natural answers and then open that up for others to view, research, and offer opinions on. I have a very difficult time with those who would take personally your examination of their experiences or evidence. This field is so wide open to speculation and anyone can feel that they are "knowledgeable" and even "experts".

For example, I heard two people, not long ago, arguing about the personalities of shadow people. One says they are dark demented spirits who are always negative. The other argues, that's not the case and there are good shadow people. Are you kidding me? Please don't pretend to advocate or a make a judgement on something you have no clue about. Have you polled shadow people on their intentions? It's damn embarrassing.
To claim you have answers to things most of us refer to as the "unknown", means you have unveiled something. You claim to have a knowledge or truth. Without hard, irrefutable evidence, it still remains your own personal opinion and we all have those.
I'm a proud member of a scientific research team. We look to find the truth behind claims of the paranormal. Debunking claims is a main strategy in that effort. Anyone who has ever done case work in this field knows that a majority of claims can be naturally explained. If you get no satisfaction in comforting a client that an experience has a reasonable explanation, then your efforts may be more geared towards increasing your adrenaline level and I would suggest hang gliding or platform jumping. A paranormal investigator knows patience and diligence is key. Much like a paleontologist we dig and dig and on very rare occasions make a find that is enough to raise eyebrows. Don't be scared to look at multiple angles. Don't go along with the paranormal explanation just because someone else believes it to be. I have my other team member's back by being objective, looking for truth and I know they are doing the same. Skepticism is not a dirty word. It's the way I filter through my experiences. Suspend your judgement and look for truth before placing it in to the category of "paranormal".

Electronic Voice Phenomenon

As you can see by this Thomas Edison quote, the theory of instruments capable of recording the dead has been around since the 1920's. I've read any number of articles on this phenomenon and the theories behind them. I've read articles from sound engineers that state that due to the lower standard of our equipment that we are hearing a great deal of white noise that our minds when heard and interpreted can cause us to believe we've heard something that is misconstrued as ghosts or spirits. One Sound Engineer named David Federlein put it this way, "When you factor in other aspects of physics, such as cross modulation of radio stations or faulty ground loops in equipment, you have a lot of people thinking they are listening to ghosts when in fact it is nothing more than a controlled misuse of electronics." He went as far to basically insult some investigators by saying, "It is safe to say that unless the EVP believer is highly bankrolled, I use much higher standard recording equipment, built to much higher tolerances. That being said, I've never heard from the dead, and I have been listening to tape and hard disk recordings for years. It may be the low quality of their equipment that is cause for mistaken ghosts, but it sure isn't lack of willed ignorance!" Found Mr.Federlein's view on EVP's at http://www.skepdic.com/evp.html

I have to say, I respect Mr. Federlein's expertise on recordings and audio, but I have experienced these voices for myself and if not for direct responses that go well beyond ironic, I may fall in line with his thinking. My first paranormal experience was an EVP from an investigation that I was a part of in 2011. Here I am in a stairwell with three other members, when Amanda, one of the investigators says, "I'm feeling very cold." I felt no change at the time. She continued to ask a spirit by name if "she" was the one making it cold. Hours later when I'm reviewing this recorder, I hear an EVP that speaks over the end of her sentence that plainly as one can imagine says, "I make it cold." The word cold stretched out for a brief second, but you could clearly hear the "d" sound at the end. It was the most eerie thing I had ever heard, and I could not explain it. I never heard anything remotely close to that phrase while we were doing our session. This fascinated me because I had others listen and each heard the exact same phrase. Paranormal means "not" normal. This fit the description for me and fueled me to want to hear more and go places to confirm that this was no hoax or mistake. So while I admire those who believe they have witnessed apparitions and I await that chance, I'm glad communication was my first experience, because it's what interests me the most about this field. Is it possible that our being and personality lives on after death? If that were a proven fact, how would that change a person's living existence? Are these voices human at all? It's mind blowing for me to imagine, seeing as how there is no real science behind any of it.