My fascination with the paranormal and spirits seems to have originated from my religious upbringing as a child. It was always my need to fully understand the complex idea of life after death that my father had so often preached about in his sermons. This question of how our existence goes on after our mortal body has failed, intrigued me more than most. If our brain, which is the hard drive that holds memories, thoughts, emotions, dreams, and basically how we understand the world, were to suddenly switch off, how could our life or presence still exist? My logic said that once we took our last breath, when the heart failed, and the last synapse was fired in the brain, our consciousness was no more. Death, I was certain, was final.
In 2004, the television show, Ghost Hunters made it's debut. This show about a group of what I can only describe as paranormal case workers, looking to scientifically investigate claims of unexplained activity grabbed me from the moment they walked into the first location. Here was a group that would go into a home to not only look for evidence of the paranormal, but make every effort to debunk claims as well to make a homeowner feel safe. I was hooked, as were countless others judging by the show's popularity. From that point forward, I never missed an episode, read as many books as I could find on the subject, and would talk about it with whomever I thought would listen. The paranormal craze went on to spawn other television programs such as Ghost Adventures, Paranormal State, Ghost Lab, Paranormal Cops, and several others. I watched them all including Most Haunted, a British television program which chronicled the cases of paranormal investigators in Europe. One has to know that any television show, reality or otherwise, includes quite a bit of hype and relies on entertainment to keep it's audience. At the time, it didn't matter to me. The haunted locations, the history, and the techniques of the investigators were the most interesting aspects to me. As far as any evidence collected, I always knew it would take me experiencing these types of phenomenon to even begin to entertain the possibility of any truth behind them.
In 2008, my father died after years of sickness. The untimely death of a good and honest man who held my highest respect and admiration shook me to my core. I had lost, who I felt, was my greatest supporter and friend. Along with that, he had been my greatest adversary in debate over what happens after we die. A Pentecostal Holiness Minister versus a self identified Agnostic. We respected each other's opinion although neither would ever relent on any matter. Our back and forth was always spirited and sometimes even heated, but we both were able to agree to disagree. I miss him everyday. He was light in my life and I wish I had told him that more often. It does make me a bit jealous to know that if there is indeed a life after death, he has gained far more knowledge of it than me and will rub it in my face in due time. Dad's death in September of 2008, only strengthened my curiosity in the paranormal and of spirit's ability to communicate or manifest themselves.
In October of 2010, my girlfriend and I saw a flyer advertising a paranormal investigation open to the general public. The event would take place at an old plantation home already documented to have paranormal activity. We would be joined by actual investigators and allowed to use their equipment. I was sold the minute we read the advertisement and counted down the days until my opportunity to experience this for myself. It had been years in the making. It was an opportunity to do something tangible to increase my understanding of the paranormal. I was going to be there. I had no idea about how things were about to get real...
MORE TO COME...
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