Thursday, September 5, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Interview with Melissa Martin Ellis
Before my team was a team, we were family. I remember us being glued to the television to catch the next episode of Scariest Places on Earth, hosted by Linda Blair. We would talk all the time about how, one day, we too would be exploring haunted places. We have been recently able to get our equipment and begin the process. Part of that process has been finding books in order to educate us better.
Me: Is there a message that you would like to give to the fans?
MME: "I'd like to thank them for being so supportive. I get contacted quite a bit by people who are using the book as a training manual or who take it with them when they're in the field...I love to hear from them and really appreciate that they've taken the time to drop me a line. I also would like to say I support paranormal unity--it's good for us all to remember to respect each other and behave professionally, if we want to be considered professionals ourselves."
Thank you to Melissa Martin Ellis for this great interview.
Follow her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/melissamartinellis
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/MMartinEllis
I came across a great book by author Melissa Martin Ellis. It is called The Everything Ghost Hunting Book. It is twenty chapters of all the basics needed to have successful investigations. I found it to be a great and entertaining read, full of great pictures. Chapter 9 covers scientific protocol and accountability. Chapter 17 talks about the legalities involved with investigating. Every different aspect of investigating is covered. She even gives brief descriptions of some haunted sites and a brief history lesson about Victorian age ghost hunting. I have used the information she gives about matrixing in order to analyze a few pictures I have run across recently. I highly recommend this book to anyone just starting out in the paranormal, as it is written for them. An updated version is scheduled to come out sometime next year.
Me: What made you decide to investigate the paranormal?
MME: "I am actually very dismissive and skeptical when it comes to orbs, (as most folks are these days) but an orb I captured at the Lizzie Borden House a few years back really creeped me out. The sofa where Andrew Borden was slain is adjacent to a doorway to the dining room. Whoever took that axe to Borden's head was very probably standing right behind him in the doorway. I captured two orbs in the photos I took of the murder scene--one in the doorway and one on the sofa where Andrew's head would have been. The large orb in the doorway seemed to have a deaths-head in it. Cold chills ran down my spine when I enlarged it on my computer screen."
Me: When is the next edition of your book coming out?
MME: "I expect the book to hit the shelves in 2014. It will have equipment and tech updates, as well as updates on some of the stories. Look for a few more stories of my own experiences and encounters."
The Interview:
MME: "My overwhelming interest in the paranormal led me to investigating, researching and writing about the paranormal from about age 12."
Me: How many investigations have you done?
MME: "Countless ones, since I've been at it for decades now. But I must say I don't think it is the number of cases you've been on that makes you a good investigator. I think if you bring a professional attitude to bear on cases, you're way ahead of the game, no matter how many investigations you've been on. That being said, a bit of experience is a nice thing to have, though."
Me: What is your favorite tool?
MME: "I really love to find photographic evidence, so I'd have to say a digital camera would be my favorite investigative tool. I use a Nikon DSLR."
Me: What is the most exciting/scary moment you have had investigating?
MME: "That's a tough one. I investigated at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI a few years back--I had a pair of firmly secured doors clang shut right behind me that startled the bejesus out of me. Was it paranormal? Frankly, I can't see any other explanation. Another notable one was a psychic attack I experienced after investigating the scene of a triple homicide. I was flabbergasted when the attack happened, in broad daylight, wave after wave of darkness washed over me, combined with the sickening stench of death. It passed quickly but that sort of experience is a reminder to investigators that sometimes some very unpleasant things can happen when you least expect them."
Me: What was the best piece of evidence you have collected?
MME: "I am actually very dismissive and skeptical when it comes to orbs, (as most folks are these days) but an orb I captured at the Lizzie Borden House a few years back really creeped me out. The sofa where Andrew Borden was slain is adjacent to a doorway to the dining room. Whoever took that axe to Borden's head was very probably standing right behind him in the doorway. I captured two orbs in the photos I took of the murder scene--one in the doorway and one on the sofa where Andrew's head would have been. The large orb in the doorway seemed to have a deaths-head in it. Cold chills ran down my spine when I enlarged it on my computer screen."
Me: When is the next edition of your book coming out?
MME: "I expect the book to hit the shelves in 2014. It will have equipment and tech updates, as well as updates on some of the stories. Look for a few more stories of my own experiences and encounters."
Me: Is there a message that you would like to give to the fans?
MME: "I'd like to thank them for being so supportive. I get contacted quite a bit by people who are using the book as a training manual or who take it with them when they're in the field...I love to hear from them and really appreciate that they've taken the time to drop me a line. I also would like to say I support paranormal unity--it's good for us all to remember to respect each other and behave professionally, if we want to be considered professionals ourselves."
Thank you to Melissa Martin Ellis for this great interview.
Follow her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/melissamartinellis
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/MMartinEllis
Monday, September 2, 2013
Hello again,
Things are still going slow for my team, but progress is being made! I can not wait to bring you guys the evidence we collect. I have decided that in-between investigations, I will bring you book reviews and interviews with some of my friends in the paranormal community. I have two potential interviews coming soon. Please feel free to contact me or comment! Thank you all for reading, and I hope to bring you more very soon. Until next time.
Things are still going slow for my team, but progress is being made! I can not wait to bring you guys the evidence we collect. I have decided that in-between investigations, I will bring you book reviews and interviews with some of my friends in the paranormal community. I have two potential interviews coming soon. Please feel free to contact me or comment! Thank you all for reading, and I hope to bring you more very soon. Until next time.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Mainstream Science and Paranormal Investigation
Hello again to all you paranormal fans. I wanted to take the opportunity to discuss something that affects all of us who investigate the paranormal. It does not matter if you investigate ghosts, UFOs, or cryptozoology. We all have to deal with the fact that mainstream science will not take us seriously. There are many reasons for this, but I do believe that we can create the needed change and work towards credibility. We have to take responsibility and build it for ourselves.
I first want to bring up how our mainstream scientific community works. This should already be understood, and many of you may not want me to explain what you already know; but, science is corporate. Scientists can only create new technology, make discoveries and test their theories when they have funding. Who is it that has the money to spend? Corporations who expect a return on their money are the ones who fund. There are not many people who are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to make discoveries just for the love of it. Look to the example of Nikola Tesla. He was funded when he created alternating current technology. Of course, he was funded because of the potential return for the investors. Our modern power grid is based on his work. Power companies make a killing. The moment he tried to pitch free energy, he was shot down. I do not want to start a debate involving any controversy surrounding this genius, I am just trying to make a simple point. There could be potential for money to be made from our discoveries, but are those who fund going to see a payout? Probably not. It is not about the money for us anyway. I hate to say it, but I feel like the lack of major profit for investors is one of the reasons we can not be taken seriously, except for in the entertainment industry.
Mainstream scientists are also very concerned about their image. Many times they do not want to get involved in something as controversial as paranormal research. They do not want to be ridiculed by their peers. It could be a career-killer for them. I almost can not blame them. Jobs are even harder to get today. Why risk doing something that could cost you a prestigious career? Unfortunately, it means that we have to fight harder to be taken seriously. Look at all of those dedicated Bigfoot researchers who bring back hair samples and have to have the DNA analyzed by small, non-influential labs. These labs usually have much less experienced staff and equipment that probably needs upgrading. These labs still seem to do a good job overall. They can identify and rule out many samples. But, when they declare that the sample is unidentified and not in our known databases, who really takes them seriously? Bigfoot researchers have no choice but to go to these labs because the better ones simply refuse. Then, at the end of the day, mainstream science says, "Where is the proof?" I thought DNA was good enough to convict people in a court of law. Why is it not good enough for academia?
Then, to top it all off, we have many people who give paranormal research a bad name. There has always been the controversy surrounding investigators who studied mediumship. This is because so many of them let the mediums decide how the experiments would be ran. The mediums made the rules. In fact, these mediums were frauds. They created rules that would keep investigators from discovering their tricks. Because so many of them were in fact fraudulent, it made it difficult for the real ones to be discovered. Even if they were legitimate, they were to be grouped together with the cons. This has even happened in modern times. I hate to call out the Skole experiments, but they are a perfect example. These experiments happened in the early 1990's and lasted five years. Once again, the experimenters let the mediums call the shots. They conducted the experiments in the medium's house and not in a controlled scenario. Video cameras were severely limited. I am sorry, but if that had been me, cameras would have been everywhere. How can we take the results from these experiments seriously? We then have the famous hoaxes, like the first Nessie photo, or certain man-made crop-circles. People have different reasons for perpetrating a hoax, but it has the same end result. A potential subject of study is made to look ridiculous. We also have the supposed "investigators" who are conning people. I read a news story recently about a ghost-buster who told a client that her vagina was haunted, and that his penis was the only was to rid the spirits. I am glad that this man was ultimately arrested. And lastly we have the investigators who do not know how to keep to confidentiality agreements and respect the privacy of the clients.
We as real investigators have a lot working against us. It is sad because we have the genuine love for the field and we generally fund ourselves with no financial reward. We help others. We are brave and willing to step into potentially dangerous situations in order to obtain the truth. We risk ridicule. It seems like we are more accepted by the medium of television entertainment than by the mainstream scientific community. I am not bashing any investigator who has had a successful show. You guys are an inspiration and have done a lot for awareness. I respect you and thank you for what you have done. It is just sad that we are shunned by those who would be our brothers and sisters in academia.
What can we do to gain credibility? I say, that until the day when the mainstream is willing to accept us, we should all come together. We should all be on board with the ParaUnity movement. Let us support each other. Let us hold ourselves responsible. Let us hold each other responsible. Let us, not them, call out the con-artists and frauds and hoaxes. Let us share theory and data. Let us be critical of each others work for the greater cause of credibility. Let us give proper credit to those who deserve it. Let us all act in a professional manner. Let us all be truly objective. Let us not get way too caught up in wild theory and speculation. Let us be tolerant of another investigator's individuality. Some of the most brilliant people that this world has ever seen were eccentric. Let us be open-minded, but at the same time skeptical. Let those of us who have funding, and can not investigate, help groups that can investigate. If you have a business that can assist investigators, assist them. When we come together, we become our own academia. We can do more to publish real scientific data, and publish less of what gives us a bad name. We can build credibility for ourselves. We should also be patient.
I will not end this without mentioning that there are some mainstream scientists and researchers who courageously face the possibility of contempt. They are important to us because they help us validate our findings and give us direction. They should be respected. I am not saying that mainstream scientists and researchers are the enemy at all. They have given us our foundations. I am simply saying that we should not expect too much from them. I feel bad for them because they are actually limited in a way (going back to my statement about Tesla). One day, they will see the benefit from our work. I predict that we will make some world changing discoveries. One day, paranormal research will be mainstream and taught in many colleges as serious studies. It will then be normal and no longer paranormal. It will be natural, as apposed to supernatural.
There is just so much more that I could say about this subject, but I have my reasons for limiting it and keeping it as brief as possible. I have purposely tried to avoid going into the realm of popular "conspiracy theories," and religious implications. Again, I have my reasons. I wanted this to be as simple, and serious as it could be. Trust me, I have done my share of speculating and coming up with controversial theories. This is just not the time. Well, that is all for now. I am half-asleep writing this so I hope it made sense. Thank you for reading. See you next post.
I first want to bring up how our mainstream scientific community works. This should already be understood, and many of you may not want me to explain what you already know; but, science is corporate. Scientists can only create new technology, make discoveries and test their theories when they have funding. Who is it that has the money to spend? Corporations who expect a return on their money are the ones who fund. There are not many people who are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to make discoveries just for the love of it. Look to the example of Nikola Tesla. He was funded when he created alternating current technology. Of course, he was funded because of the potential return for the investors. Our modern power grid is based on his work. Power companies make a killing. The moment he tried to pitch free energy, he was shot down. I do not want to start a debate involving any controversy surrounding this genius, I am just trying to make a simple point. There could be potential for money to be made from our discoveries, but are those who fund going to see a payout? Probably not. It is not about the money for us anyway. I hate to say it, but I feel like the lack of major profit for investors is one of the reasons we can not be taken seriously, except for in the entertainment industry.
Mainstream scientists are also very concerned about their image. Many times they do not want to get involved in something as controversial as paranormal research. They do not want to be ridiculed by their peers. It could be a career-killer for them. I almost can not blame them. Jobs are even harder to get today. Why risk doing something that could cost you a prestigious career? Unfortunately, it means that we have to fight harder to be taken seriously. Look at all of those dedicated Bigfoot researchers who bring back hair samples and have to have the DNA analyzed by small, non-influential labs. These labs usually have much less experienced staff and equipment that probably needs upgrading. These labs still seem to do a good job overall. They can identify and rule out many samples. But, when they declare that the sample is unidentified and not in our known databases, who really takes them seriously? Bigfoot researchers have no choice but to go to these labs because the better ones simply refuse. Then, at the end of the day, mainstream science says, "Where is the proof?" I thought DNA was good enough to convict people in a court of law. Why is it not good enough for academia?
Then, to top it all off, we have many people who give paranormal research a bad name. There has always been the controversy surrounding investigators who studied mediumship. This is because so many of them let the mediums decide how the experiments would be ran. The mediums made the rules. In fact, these mediums were frauds. They created rules that would keep investigators from discovering their tricks. Because so many of them were in fact fraudulent, it made it difficult for the real ones to be discovered. Even if they were legitimate, they were to be grouped together with the cons. This has even happened in modern times. I hate to call out the Skole experiments, but they are a perfect example. These experiments happened in the early 1990's and lasted five years. Once again, the experimenters let the mediums call the shots. They conducted the experiments in the medium's house and not in a controlled scenario. Video cameras were severely limited. I am sorry, but if that had been me, cameras would have been everywhere. How can we take the results from these experiments seriously? We then have the famous hoaxes, like the first Nessie photo, or certain man-made crop-circles. People have different reasons for perpetrating a hoax, but it has the same end result. A potential subject of study is made to look ridiculous. We also have the supposed "investigators" who are conning people. I read a news story recently about a ghost-buster who told a client that her vagina was haunted, and that his penis was the only was to rid the spirits. I am glad that this man was ultimately arrested. And lastly we have the investigators who do not know how to keep to confidentiality agreements and respect the privacy of the clients.
We as real investigators have a lot working against us. It is sad because we have the genuine love for the field and we generally fund ourselves with no financial reward. We help others. We are brave and willing to step into potentially dangerous situations in order to obtain the truth. We risk ridicule. It seems like we are more accepted by the medium of television entertainment than by the mainstream scientific community. I am not bashing any investigator who has had a successful show. You guys are an inspiration and have done a lot for awareness. I respect you and thank you for what you have done. It is just sad that we are shunned by those who would be our brothers and sisters in academia.
What can we do to gain credibility? I say, that until the day when the mainstream is willing to accept us, we should all come together. We should all be on board with the ParaUnity movement. Let us support each other. Let us hold ourselves responsible. Let us hold each other responsible. Let us, not them, call out the con-artists and frauds and hoaxes. Let us share theory and data. Let us be critical of each others work for the greater cause of credibility. Let us give proper credit to those who deserve it. Let us all act in a professional manner. Let us all be truly objective. Let us not get way too caught up in wild theory and speculation. Let us be tolerant of another investigator's individuality. Some of the most brilliant people that this world has ever seen were eccentric. Let us be open-minded, but at the same time skeptical. Let those of us who have funding, and can not investigate, help groups that can investigate. If you have a business that can assist investigators, assist them. When we come together, we become our own academia. We can do more to publish real scientific data, and publish less of what gives us a bad name. We can build credibility for ourselves. We should also be patient.
I will not end this without mentioning that there are some mainstream scientists and researchers who courageously face the possibility of contempt. They are important to us because they help us validate our findings and give us direction. They should be respected. I am not saying that mainstream scientists and researchers are the enemy at all. They have given us our foundations. I am simply saying that we should not expect too much from them. I feel bad for them because they are actually limited in a way (going back to my statement about Tesla). One day, they will see the benefit from our work. I predict that we will make some world changing discoveries. One day, paranormal research will be mainstream and taught in many colleges as serious studies. It will then be normal and no longer paranormal. It will be natural, as apposed to supernatural.
There is just so much more that I could say about this subject, but I have my reasons for limiting it and keeping it as brief as possible. I have purposely tried to avoid going into the realm of popular "conspiracy theories," and religious implications. Again, I have my reasons. I wanted this to be as simple, and serious as it could be. Trust me, I have done my share of speculating and coming up with controversial theories. This is just not the time. Well, that is all for now. I am half-asleep writing this so I hope it made sense. Thank you for reading. See you next post.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Ghost Photography
Hello all you ghostheads out there,
I would like to talk about ghost photography a bit. I think everyone has seen pictures of what appears to be some sort of apparition or mist. Maybe you have seen the pictures of the ghostly orbs. Of course, as an investigator who looks for truth, I have an obligation to try and find a natural cause for unexplained phenomenon. If I can't debunk it, only then will I consider it paranormal. With pictures, it can be tricky. First there is a phenomena called matrixing. This is when trees or some kind of environment looks similar enough to something that our brains perceive it as that thing it resembles. Its kind of like seeing Jesus' face in a door, or seeing an animal in the clouds. It's an optical illusion. Many ghost photographs can be explained by this. Then you have the orbs. They are little balls of light that appear in the picture. Most of them can be explained by the light from the flash reflecting off of a shiny surface, or the light reflecting off of dust in the air. Even light reflecting off of insects can create it.
I have had the opportunity to look at a couple of photographs lately. I like this one a lot. I will not give my opinion on it. I'll just post it and let you guys form an opinion for yourselves. It is from a friend I met in college. Take a look at this:
The picture was taken by the husband of my friend Claudia Rodriguez in California. She told me that her husband, Chris, had taken this picture right after buying a new camera to test it out. The picture was taken in a house in Fresno that was built in 1960. She reports that her family, "has seen shadows and heard voices." She says that they have also had, "encounters with three black figures and a small boy." It makes you wonder about the history of this house. The face in the picture is clearly visible.
Again, I will let you decide what you think. Feel free to comment and subscribe. I will keep everyone posted as new events develop for me and my team. Until next time!
I would like to talk about ghost photography a bit. I think everyone has seen pictures of what appears to be some sort of apparition or mist. Maybe you have seen the pictures of the ghostly orbs. Of course, as an investigator who looks for truth, I have an obligation to try and find a natural cause for unexplained phenomenon. If I can't debunk it, only then will I consider it paranormal. With pictures, it can be tricky. First there is a phenomena called matrixing. This is when trees or some kind of environment looks similar enough to something that our brains perceive it as that thing it resembles. Its kind of like seeing Jesus' face in a door, or seeing an animal in the clouds. It's an optical illusion. Many ghost photographs can be explained by this. Then you have the orbs. They are little balls of light that appear in the picture. Most of them can be explained by the light from the flash reflecting off of a shiny surface, or the light reflecting off of dust in the air. Even light reflecting off of insects can create it.
I have had the opportunity to look at a couple of photographs lately. I like this one a lot. I will not give my opinion on it. I'll just post it and let you guys form an opinion for yourselves. It is from a friend I met in college. Take a look at this:
The picture was taken by the husband of my friend Claudia Rodriguez in California. She told me that her husband, Chris, had taken this picture right after buying a new camera to test it out. The picture was taken in a house in Fresno that was built in 1960. She reports that her family, "has seen shadows and heard voices." She says that they have also had, "encounters with three black figures and a small boy." It makes you wonder about the history of this house. The face in the picture is clearly visible.
Again, I will let you decide what you think. Feel free to comment and subscribe. I will keep everyone posted as new events develop for me and my team. Until next time!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Contact Me
Hello again,
My groups website is in the works right now. It is looking good so far, but we need to tweak it some more. I will post the link once we get it done. Feel free to contact me at my blog's email: ewardparanormal@gmail.com. I welcome comments, stories about personal experiences, and questions. It takes a while to get a paranormal investigation team started and working. It might be thought that all you need is some equipment and a location, but there is so much more to it than that. We want to do it right, and become a respectable team. Please bear with us as we get things together. It will be worth the wait.
My groups website is in the works right now. It is looking good so far, but we need to tweak it some more. I will post the link once we get it done. Feel free to contact me at my blog's email: ewardparanormal@gmail.com. I welcome comments, stories about personal experiences, and questions. It takes a while to get a paranormal investigation team started and working. It might be thought that all you need is some equipment and a location, but there is so much more to it than that. We want to do it right, and become a respectable team. Please bear with us as we get things together. It will be worth the wait.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
About Me
Hello everyone,
It feels so good to be able to share this adventure with everyone. Of course, I am just starting out as an investigator, but I am not at all uneducated about the paranormal. I have spent my whole life in its study. I remember going to the library in elementary school. The only books I seemed to check out were about ghosts, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, UFO phenomenon and anything that was deemed supernatural, unexplained, or paranormal. I went much deeper into my studies as I got older. I have done extensive studies of religions, mysticism, magick, new age, mystery school teachings and psychic development.
I have had numerous encounters with entities. In fact, I grew up in a house that was haunted by a shadow spirit. That is a great story, for another time. I remember the first and best EVP I ever recorded. It was me and my best friend/ co-team-founder Curtis Nealon. We had a recorder in between the two of us as we sat on the floor, asking questions. When we played it back, we heard what sounded like the most evil, demonic voice we had ever heard. It spoke a language that was totally unfamiliar to us. Like a lot of things in that house, the tape went missing. We never found it. I wish we still had a copy.
Now, we are going to put our collective knowledge to use by starting investigations. I will use this blog to post updates on our progress and any evidence we collect. I am excited to be able to share this journey with everyone. We have waited a long time to get this project started. Now, our journey has begun. Until next time!
It feels so good to be able to share this adventure with everyone. Of course, I am just starting out as an investigator, but I am not at all uneducated about the paranormal. I have spent my whole life in its study. I remember going to the library in elementary school. The only books I seemed to check out were about ghosts, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, UFO phenomenon and anything that was deemed supernatural, unexplained, or paranormal. I went much deeper into my studies as I got older. I have done extensive studies of religions, mysticism, magick, new age, mystery school teachings and psychic development.
I have had numerous encounters with entities. In fact, I grew up in a house that was haunted by a shadow spirit. That is a great story, for another time. I remember the first and best EVP I ever recorded. It was me and my best friend/ co-team-founder Curtis Nealon. We had a recorder in between the two of us as we sat on the floor, asking questions. When we played it back, we heard what sounded like the most evil, demonic voice we had ever heard. It spoke a language that was totally unfamiliar to us. Like a lot of things in that house, the tape went missing. We never found it. I wish we still had a copy.
Now, we are going to put our collective knowledge to use by starting investigations. I will use this blog to post updates on our progress and any evidence we collect. I am excited to be able to share this journey with everyone. We have waited a long time to get this project started. Now, our journey has begun. Until next time!
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