Although I don’t seem to find much time to watch television anymore, I have been a fan of a certain genre of shows. As a true Scorpio, I love books, movies and television shows about solving crimes.
By Rebecca Nidey
Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Haunted House
Scorpios are drawn to secrets; whether those secrets are being told to them, are their own secrets or are secrets that cry out to be solved and brought out into the light.
One of the first shows of this type that truly caught my attention was one that is still on the air: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Watching it the other day, I had another one of those V8 moments where I slap myself in the forehead and think…I should have thought of that! Paranormal investigations are very much like crime scene investigations. We are solving a mystery and trying to prove that what is considered conjecture is an actuality. Paranormal investigators even use the five W’s: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY.
As I have mentioned in some of my previous columns, the paranormal research team that I am a member of tries to follow a certain protocol when doing an investigation. If at all possible, we do historical research and/or a preliminary interview with those who have called us in. When this is done, we either start the investigation at that time or schedule a date for it. Sometimes the investigation is a one-time event and other times we have the luxury of ferreting out the secrets time and time again. Then we pull together all the information we have found and try to answer all those W’s.
WHO: If this is a true haunting, who is causing the phenomena? Just as a crime scene investigator gathers background information and narrows the list of possible perpetrators, so do paranormal investigators. If the activity is centered in one room, looking at the information we have gathered, we might conclude that someone who lived in the home actually spent most of their time in that one area or actually died there. By analyzing the activity, we might also be able to deduce whether it is residual (an echo of the past) or intelligent (actual interaction with the spirit) haunting. With an intelligent haunting there is always the possibility to learn more from the spirit itself by use of recorders, ghost boxes, and other pieces of equipment. My personal opinion is that EVP (electric voice phenomena) is one of the best, if not the best, way of communication and proof of hauntings. How cool is that-actually carrying on a conversation with someone who has passed! When we do EVP sessions we generally have only one person asking questions and interacting with the spirit at a time. However, there have been times that we have several people asking questions because the spirit may not respond due to factors when they were alive. If you were a battered wife who eventually died of her injuries, you might not speak to a male who was asking questions but a woman could elicit responses. A child spirit might respond better to a male or female depending on their age at death or which parent they were closer to. Tailor the questions to whom the spirit might be. Simple questions are always best but specific and more detailed ones might be appropriate also. We have investigated a fraternal lodge and asked questions specific to the rituals and beliefs of that organization and gotten wonderful responses.
WHAT is a question that can cover so many aspects of an investigation. Is there some physical trait of the area that might amplify the haunting? In my study of paranormal research, and through books that I have read from other researchers, it seems that there are factors that can either produce or accelerate activity. Running water such as a river or stream is thought to provide energy for spirits. Building materials or the actual area that the activity is taking place may also affect the possible hauntings. In the area where I live, limestone has been used as foundations for homes and it is also a component of the soil. In addition, we have many areas sacred to the Native Americans who were the First People of the area. Some of the older cemeteries in the area are actually built on the site of the mounds as if the early settlers sensed that it was a sacred and spiritual area. On the opposite side of the coin, there may be factors that cause an area to seem to be haunted. The old standby of animals in the attic that make the boards creak like footsteps is a prime example. With the spread of the large towers that are put up by power companies, people living close to them may be sensitive to that power and suffer mild hallucinations. Even aging or incorrectly done wiring in a building can cause this also. Mental, physical, or emotional disorders may also be a factor, as well as the use of drugs or alcohol. I might add that if my group comes into a sacred area for some reason; whether it is a cemetery, mound, or church, we treat the place with the proper respect. Actually, as I have mentioned in past columns, it is my belief that every area should be treated with consideration. We have found that natural occurring factors such as the weather (thunderstorms in particular), earthquakes, and moon phases may also affect the activity.
WHEN also covers many aspects of an investigation and alleged haunting. Do the activities seem to happen occasionally, randomly, or fairly often? If it is a residual haunting, it may only occur on a certain date or time such as the anniversary of a tragedy or murder. If the activity occurs only when certain specific persons or type of people are present, that may be a key clue. Perhaps someone present during the activity reminds the spirit of a loved one or someone that they feared. If the spirit was very shy in life they may not make themselves known when a large group of people, especially strangers, are present. The reverse can be true if there is a larger group of people present, they may attract the attention of a spirit that loved being the center of attention or they may simply need to draw more energy from those present (sort of like solar power).
WHERE the possible haunting occurs is very important. Evidence may have to be thrown out if there are factors that may interfere with or mimic the aspects of the alleged haunting. Hearing disembodied voices may be an excellent piece of evidence in a remote abandoned farmhouse. However, hearing them in an apartment building can be explained by shared duct work in the heating and cooling systems. That doesn’t mean that either one is haunted or not, just that some of the evidence is inadmissible in a scientific investigation, just as some evidence is the same in a court of law simply because it is flawed. No place should be ruled out simply because of where the alleged haunting is occurring. Many feel that only places of tragedy are haunted, but we have found that other more everyday areas can be very full of activity. In my December column, I spoke of a business that is owned by some dear friends and they have given me permission to discuss it further. Their place of business is a bowling alley that also holds a bar, and at one time a restaurant. While bowling is the primary use, it also holds a book store (the couple who own it are both authors), a jewelry store and, at one time, also had an internet radio station within its walls and was the host to concerts by famous bands. People would scoff at the idea that a bowling alley would be haunted. However, think of all the energy (both good and bad) that has been expended there. Many of those that spent time there have passed (including the Grey Man that I spoke of in my previous article) and have been known to still visit occasionally even if they are no longer in body. As with any place where there have been a large number of people, there were feuds, arguments, love affairs, and friendships started and ended. Those things all create a large amount of energy. All that energy is like DNA or bloodstains left at a crime scene, it is indelible even if it is not visible. Any place can be haunted, we just have to factor in what may have occurred there that is creating and feeding it.
WHY is probably the biggest clue that we want to solve. Why are the spirits lingering? Do they have unfinished business such as going into spirit and out of body without that last “I love you” or “I’m sorry”? Perhaps the spirit is a mother who left life before her children were raised and she wants to keep an eye on them as they grow, not even realizing they have reached adulthood and are long gone themselves. It could even be that the spirit died so fast or in such a horrific manner that their soul is still in shock and they do not realize they are dead. Through careful examination of the facts and evidence of the investigation, we are sometimes lucky enough to understand the why.
I have never claimed nor will I ever claim to be an expert in Paranormal Research. I will, however, always be a researcher who uses both scientific methods and my empathic abilities to conduct investigations. With that in mind, I ask only that you read my columns with an open mind and a willingness to consider some of the ideas I put forth. Through both Bellesprit Magazine, Hey Z Radio Network, and my paranormal research group, I have had the honor to meet and be influenced by several exceptional and innovative paranormal researchers and afterlife researchers (as Clarissa Vasquez, founder of the Colorado Coalition of Paranormal Investigators, has deemed herself). This includes Clarissa, Scott Haire and the founder of my group Jason Snider.
If you would like to find out more about the paranormal research team of which I am a member please visit our website: www.crawfordcountyghosthunters.com or our Facebook page. If you would like the group to do an investigation in the Illinois or Indiana area please contact team leader Jason Snider at 312-869-4792, by email IllinoisHauntings@yahoo.com or by private message on the group Facebook page.
About the Author:
Through her work on the investigative team for the Crawford County Illinois Ghost Hunters, Rebecca Nidey has an understanding of the paranormal, spiritual, and metaphysical worlds and how they work together.
Rebecca has trained in the Healing Touch technique (a form of energy healing). She is a certified Psychic Medium trained by Belle Salisbury, and she is a certified Paranormal Researcher.
Rebecca is the associate editor for Bellesprit Magazine and also writes a column titled Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Haunted House. She has been a co-host of several radio programs for the Haunted Voices Radio Network and HeyZ Radio Network highlighting the Paranormal, metaphysical and literary fields.
To learn more about Rebecca or to schedule a reading you can contact her at https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.nidey.
