I finally went to check out ghost hunting "the professional way". Last Friday I joined the group RIP Midwest http://www.ripmidwest.com in a ghost investigation.
I use quotes for professionalism in the ghost hunting field, because for as many groups there are out there, you have just as many different approaches to the content.
A perusal of the various shows on television are a testament to that, regardless of the fact that they are filtered for tv viewing. How else can you turn countless hours of work and case review into a 30 or 60 minute show?
I digress.
The case that is (and I am aware the investigation is still ongoing) involves a local cemetery. This case is rather unusual for a number of reasons. First of all, it's not usual to have a cemetery considered haunted. Yes, it is the final resting spot for many people, but ghosts usually don't hang around their bodies. Instead they hang around the places where they knew best and the people that they loved.
Secondly, it involves a factor considered in many hauntings... water. The location of a huge supply of water looms over the cemetery. This is possibly a secondary or even tertiary reason for the haunting.
Now if I understood what was being said (meaning, I tend to not hear things... correctly... at times) then the houses that surround this cemetery are also experiencing paranormal activity. I guess if your house was backed up to a cemetery, you'd expect that, but if cemeteries aren't supposed to be haunted, then why are the houses surrounding the area haunted?
There's a lot going on here. We could go into the topographical nature of the cemetery or the fact that the sub ground contents are limestone, but I think you get the picture.
Now before I begin to detail my experience, I do have to point out that in all of the paranormal places I have been that I have felt that there is something out of place. Maybe it's the presence of spirit, or maybe it's something to do with the nature of the area. Lemp Mansion and Bachelor's Grove are the sites I've been to and there's something that sets off something in my head really fierce.
Not the case with this location. I felt nothing.
So me and 11 other guests get out of the vehicles and get a quick crash course in the various implements and equipment to be used. I already had my flashlight, an audio recorder and a digital camera. In addition to that, I got to use the IR laser sighted temperature gun. A nice piece of equipment, but it didn't produce any results. Believe me, I tried.
Another thing I got was a set of dowsing rods. I guess it's because I got one, because when RIP's head investigator Cindi Muntz asked who should get them, they pointed right to me.
I am no expert on dowsing rods, but I actually think the ones I made are just a little bit better than the ones I borrowed. I probably need to place something on the end of my rods so I don't end up poking someone in the eyes, but for the most part, mine are more responsive.
Some of the other devices were a mel meter (measures temperature and electro magnetism aka EM) a simple EM meter, a EM meter with readout, and a pendulum.
I should note that the pendulum was responding in ways that one would usually respond to me. Up and back is "yes", side to side is "no"... etc.
So after handing out the various pieces of equipment, we split into two groups. Half of the group went with Cindi while the other half were led by her husband Brian. I was in Brian's group.
So since the two dowsing rods sets were in different groups, we learned right from the start that the first thing they do in an investigation is to find out via the rods whether a spirit is present, and where they are located. The rods will point out the direction and off we begin a trek. Eventually it led us to a grave site where we asked if this is who we are communicating with and we can pretty much ask any yes/no question. Once we determined the location of the spirit, then we took a series of photographs at the direction the rods pointed.
I should point out that only after the fact did I realize the setting on the camera was set to the lowest it would go, thereby making all photographic evidence (if I found any) ineligible for review.
We spent a bit more time there at that location before rejoining the rest of the group. (actually it's because Brian had to leave)
So at that point people just started breaking off and investigating on their own. It was a little haphazard, until there was a blinking light going off near one group. Basically they had found a spirit and he was quite active.
So everyone slowly began to gather at that location. The dowsing rods were going nuts, the EM box was going off and there was something unusual going on at that spot.
We invited the "spirit" to follow us... which it did.
We then did something that I thought was a "never do ever!" That was to use a ouija board. I guess it was okay, because it was a spirit board, similar to ouija, but not really. There's a difference. Built from natural materials and undergoing many forms of blessing in each stage of its construction, it's supposed to be a preferred way of spirit communication.
The planchette wasn't the normal one you would expect. To me it looked like an upside down pyrex dish with 3 little foam cushions on it to help it slide.
So we did spirit board communication. It wanted a stronger male presence, so some of the girls had to be switched out for guys.
Once it moved, it moved as if it was a glass hydroplaning on water. A smooth effortless motion made possible only through the slightest touch of the... you know. I have no idea what it's called, if it's not really a planchette.
About halfway through the first session (as we switched groups), my mind all of a sudden drifted and I wasn't really there. A quick wake-up and I was back in the game.
If you've ever studied channeling, you know that in order for a channel to take effect, the channeller must secede consciousness to another. This is usually assisted by means of a support group. A simple form of channeling is called automatic writing. It's a process of just scribbling on a piece of paper with only the lightest amount of touch to the pen in the hand. Occasionally a word will form in the scribbles.
Was I about to channel the spirit from the board? Maybe I was just a little tired. I don't really know.
So after switching groups, I got the pendulum and we watched as the 2nd group had their turn. Nothing too out of the predicable occurred, but my mind kept drifting and at one point I was imagining music.
Not just any music mind you, but unique pieces of music with key structures and chords that I am not familiar with via my own abilities or music I've heard.
After the spirit board was completed we did something called an EVP sweep. Basically, each one of us asked one question and then the recorder having recognition technology, would stop recording once there wasn't anything else being said. My question was to the male spirit that followed us. I asked him what color his eyes were.
The answer was... "red".
The creepy factor just went up 100%.
There were some other good questions, but nothing like my question.
We then concluded the night and packed up and left.
In all, it was a rather unique experience. I did learn enough on how to ask questions an how to get a response. Maybe now I don't have to resort to chance when dealing with a haunted location?
A lingering and nagging question is whether I want to do this again or not.
In some regards I do want to. In other regards, I don't know. It's as if I am still waiting for some deciding factor.
Until then, I will try to nurse my spine back to health. I must have blown a gasket or pulled a muscle, because the motion of standing is possibly the most painful thing I can do. A couple more weeks of this and I'll probably need to see a doctor about it.
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