Evidence: The Key to a Paranormal Investigation

                                                               Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

When I first became interested in the Paranormal I read every book and website I could find on the topic. Even though I am not big on reading, I could finish an entire book in two days. I just couldn’t get enough information to quench my desire for knowledge on the subject.
During a visit to my local library I came across a book that I thought was about ghosts and the paranormal. The title was very deceiving. I took it home anyways not really knowing what it was about.

As I read through the book I began to realize that the intent of the author was to discredit the paranormal. He wasn’t interested in entertaining the idea that it was possible that ghosts actually existed. He also wasn’t interested in attempting to capture any evidence to establish any kind of claim or attempt to use that evidence to debunk it. He would simply visit a location that was reported to be haunted, walk around for a couple of hours, and if a ghost didn’t jump out at him and say, “Boo!,” that location wasn’t haunted. By the end of the book, the author came to the conclusion that there were no haunted locations, just “haunted” people. In other words, those that believe are making it up. I will never get the two days back that I spent reading that book!

Today, there are tons of paranormal shows on TV and the internet. A majority of the shows collect evidence during their investigation, but some don’t. Some are based solely on one persons "special abilities" to detect if a location is haunted or not. Not one bit of evidence is collected to support their claims.

One such show, which I will refrain from mentioning the name, involves an individual going to different locations and telling the owner what they sense. It’s usually a demonic entity, which drives me nuts! I will save my disdain for those that believe demonic entities are hiding around every corner for another blog.

I have watched this show several times. If I don’t know someone or if I can’t point to any evidence that can back their claims, I am a little skeptical of their “abilities.” A famous politician once said, “trust, but verify.” I always refer back to that statement in cases where I find myself a little skeptical.

So, several of the episodes involved locations I have never been. Since I have never been there and I don’t know the history of the location, I remained skeptical, but had nothing to go off of. One episode involved a location that I knew very well! They went to the Amargosa Hotel and Opera House in Death Valley Junction, California. I had investigated and researched the heck out of that location.

After spending some time walking around, the star of the show sat down  with the caretakers of the hotel and explained what they felt was happening at the hotel. Everything they talked about was the same information that was common knowledge and you could find on every website about the history of the hotel or legends that had been passed around throughout the years. Some kind of evidence would have been nice to back up their claims. Without evidence, they were simply repeating the stories they have heard and these stories were not based off of any kind of physical proof.
Our team basis our investigations off of physical evidence, pictures/video/audio. We need something physical to present to the client so that they can see or hear for themselves that there is possibly something there. Without that physical evidence, we just have personal experiences that can’t be backed up.

I am sure many would say to themselves, yes, but evidence can be faked so what does it really matter? That is true and all you have to do is look at social media and you can find many instances where people put out fake videos, pictures, or audio in order to go “viral” and gain interest. Apps have also been created where you can insert a picture of a “ghost” into any picture to try and fool people to think that a picture of something paranormal was captured.
For those of us investigators who have reviewed 100s of hours of video and audio and 100s of pictures taken during an investigation, spotting a fake is rather easy. We take spotting fakes seriously. Every fake that comes out damages any credibility real investigators have and makes a mockery of the work that we do.

There is no way that we, as investigators, can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that our evidence is paranormal. There is no method to prove it. Most of what we go off of is based on theories by those that came before us. It would be wonderful if we had scientific proof that our evidence was paranormal. That is why we try to caveat our evidence as "possible" or "probable" when we refer to it. If all other reasonable explanations for what that evidence can be is debunked, then there is a good case to be made that it is probable that we have captured paranormal evidence. How else can one explain capturing a voice on audio that doesn’t match anyone that was present in an area or capturing a voice in an area where no one else was present?

Even though we can’t prove the evidence is 100% paranormal there are ways that we can verify the integrity of our video, photographic, and audio evidence. There are specialists in these fields that can review the evidence and certify that the evidence hasn’t been altered in any way. While this is a good method, it’s not always practical to send out every bit of evidence for every investigation to be verified.

Video, Audio, and photographic evidence is the key to a paranormal investigation. While personal experiences like seeing or having a direct encounter, sensing the presence of something paranormal, and the ability to communicate with ghosts is great, it doesn’t provide a client with the possible proof they are seeking unless something they can hear or see can be presented with the personal experience.

Watching a clients face during a review of evidence says it all. We can talk for hours about our personal experiences and you can tell that a client just isn’t as impressed. When we play a class A EVP for a client, the excitement that they have been validated is obvious. We have even had clients invite their neighbors over to listen to our evidence because they are so excited. It’s this reaction that proves that this form of evidence is the key to a paranormal investigation.

Tech Review: Ovilus 5b

The Ovilus 5b

A tech review by ALPS investigator Jennifer Furgerson

There have been many types of Ovilus' made over the years since it made its on screen appearance on the television show Paranormal State in the year 2008.

 It was created by Digital Dowsing.

Blow are some examples of the most popular models:

The most resent in the line of Ovilus' is the Ovilus 5b:

This device has a dictionary mode just like the others that came before. It has an easy to find on off switch and is rechargeable. Both nice features in any device used in the field for paranormal investigations. Just like the Ovilus 4 the voices sound real compared to the robotic voices of past models. The model 5b has the same modes as the 4: Dictionary, Draw, True/False, Phonetic, Proximity, Energy and Motion. The Ovilus 4 is 12 x 10 x 6.5 in and 3.75lbs and the Ovilus 5b is 7 x 5 x 3 in and 0.6875lbs. This makes the most recent model lighter and easier to stand upright on is own. With a touch screen on one side, the speaker, the rest of the features remain the same except two. The Ovilus 5b is rechargeable (as I mentioned before) and has on internal SD memory card (no need to remove the card, just plug the device into your PC) and this will allow you to download the dictionary log from a session before you clear the memory of what was said in dictionary mode (it will not wipe the dictionary that was programmed into the device).

The Ovilus 5b Mode Review:

Dictionary ~ (most used) the words are clear in female and male, and clear in English and Spanish. Best results come not holding the device as where holding it tends to feed off of our personal naturally occurring energies.

Draw ~ (still testing) tends to lend to the pareidolia effect (when you brain tries to make seance of the shapes it sees in order to form a picture). the lines being drawn can be adjusted in the settings to move faster, draw bigger, draw smaller...yet it is all done through pixilation. 

Energy ~ (still testing) it works similar to that of an oscilloscope ( an instrument in which the variations in a fluctuating electrical quantity appear temporarily as a visible wave form on a display screen). best when not held.

Motion ~ (used on occasion) this simply picks up vibrations. best used when not held. 

Phonetic ~ (used on occasion) parts of speech to be used to help form whole words, but using it while being held works great to generate random white noise. for better results to spit out whole words, let the device be placed on a flat hard surface. 

True/False ~ (hardly used) hard to tell if it is feeding off of naturally occurring static or an entity. results have been too random to be used for any feedback as actual answers.

Proximity ~ (still testing) responds to static and emf fields that are generated around the device. looking for spikes in its sonar like display.

My Total Review:

The Ovilus 5b, when used correctly can be an effective paranormal investigation tool. Where I do prefer to use the Dictionary mode the most, I have learned that once it is turned on, one must let it sit for a couple of minutes due to the device responding randomly. Patience is required when using this device. Rushing or assuming answers from the device, and/or any mode will lead to false positive conclusions. I recommend the use of the Ovilus 5b, like any other Ovilus, to not be the only device used to gather information during a paranormal investigation. The length of time to be used during an investigation will depend on the investigator. I have been using it between 15 and 30 mins, but no more than an hour in any one mode. When switching modes, allow the device to sit for another minute and try not to touch any part of the Ovilus unless you need to reset or turn it off. This device is not cheep by any means, so I do not recommend going out to buy one unless you have researched the device yourself, listen to many reviews, and if you are lucky enough to be able to use one before buying. My point: learn about the gear you tend to use before you buy. Not all paranormal equipment is for everyone. For me, I tend to like gadgets and love to test them in the paranormal field. 

I give the Ovilus 5b... a complete thumbs up!

Check out Digital Dowsing website for more information

Digital Dowsing

Was that the past??...a paranormal experience

Photo courtesy from the web page of the USS Hornet museum

A year ago fellow teammate Scott Wolf and I (Jennifer Furgerson) experienced a phenomena neither one of us could fully explain away. Each year our team, or sometimes only a few team mates attend the paranormal conference Grey Ghost in Alameda aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. The conference is your typical meet and greet, along with speakers from TV shows and other paranormal areas and then an investigation later that evening of all areas of the ship. Many have had their share of paranormal experiences ranging from having their hair messed with, being poked, and even seeing full body apparitions. After a long night of roaming the ship, we go to the bunks/cots/bedding we have been assigned to. The area we were in was on the second deck aft(rear) and port(left) side of the ship. Among our area were an array of men and women almost taking up every bed. Some had gone to sleep early (2 am) where others climbed into bed somewhere around 4 am. The lights are turned off and its not very quiet with all the different people snoring, or mumbling in their sleep. After awhile one tend to get used to the ambient sounds and eventually drifts off to sleep. 

This is where our story begins.

Scott's Experience
  "Strange experiences are common when you are a paranormal investigator. Many cases leave you with something that you can't quite explain. Most times you try to think through it logically and move on. Sometimes, like the experience Jennifer and I had aboard the USS Hornet, there is just no logical explanation for what transpired and the experience is one that is etched in your memory forever.

  After a long day of enjoying the conference and a long night of investigating, I decided it was time to head down to my bunk to get some sleep. My team mates were still investigating, but I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.

  I made my way, through the dark, to my bunk. All lights were off and everyone around me was asleep. A few die-hard investigators were still up, but they were in other areas of the ship. Except for the snoring, it was quiet.

  The bunks were three high and there was very little room in-between. For some strange reason I chose to sleep in a middle bunk. Since I am extremely claustrophobic, this was a terrible choice! I figured I was so tired that I would just fall asleep and sleep the few hours I had left before they woke us up to depart the ship. Things didn't quite work out that way.

  I fell asleep and woke up probably about 30 minutes later, in a full panic from the closeness of the bunk above me. I tried the best I could to block it out of my mind and soon fell back asleep. As soon as I would fall asleep I would wake in a panic. It was a cycle that repeated throughout the rest of the night.

  At one point I awoke, but not from the panic I experienced before. I heard a strange commotion happening around me. As I opened my eyes I noticed something strange. The lights, which were off when I went to sleep, were all on. I looked around and there was no one sleeping in the bunks around me. My first thought was that it was morning time, everyone had already left the area, and some how I slept through it. I sat and thought about it and knew there was no way that could happen because the others I was there with would have woke me.

  The commotion grew louder. The sound of heavy footsteps were all around me. As I listened to what sounded like people running in all directions, my first thought was how rude it was for people to be coming back from investigating, turning on all the lights, and running around like a bunch of fools! It made no sense!

  I turned my head to look at the bunks across from me. Since I was in the middle bunk, I could only see what was in-between the top and bottom bunk. I could see what looked like the torsos of dark figures as they ran back and forth in the open walkway. They never shouted or spoke, they just ran frantically. All you could hear were their footsteps.

  As soon as it began, it was over. I looked around and the lights were off. There was no more running. All I could hear was the sounds of the people sleeping around me. I was tired and at the time I just figured it was a bunch of rude people trying to get back to their bunks to go to sleep. I drifted off to sleep unable to fully process what I had just witnessed, but also too tired to care.

  The morning came, the loud speaker blared that it was time to get up, and the lights came on. I gathered my things and made my way up to the hanger deck where everyone would gather for breakfast. I was still dead tired from not sleeping very much. What happened never even crossed my mind. The only thing on my mind was getting on the road so I could get back home and take a nap.

  Jennifer was already on the hanger deck. She was full of energy. She told me about the rest of their time investigating. Then, she told me about this crazy experience she had during the night. I was listening, but what she was saying didn't really kick in. It wasn't until I had exited the ship and started walking to my car that what had happened to me started coming back.

  I thought about it the entire drive home. It consumed me. I wished I would have been able to talk to Jennifer about because it seemed like we experienced the same thing. One person's personal experience ends up being just a great story, if you don't have anything to back it up. Two people experiencing the same thing, is much harder to ignore. Later that night I would send Jennifer a message and we talked about our experiences.

  It's now been a year since that experience. I still think about it all the time. Jennifer and I still talk about what happened and try to figure out what the heck we experienced. Our team mate, Faye, was there and she didn't experience it. In fact, she had a recorder running the entire time and didn't capture anything that sounded like what we experienced. The only thing that could be heard was snoring.

  Did we somehow travel back in time? Did only two of us experience a residual haunting?  I guess our experience, much like many things in the paranormal field itself and the strange happenings on-board the USS Hornet, will remain a mystery!"

Jennifer's Experience
  "I honestly thought I had experienced this phenomenon alone... I was out investigating on the second deck of the Hornet when I realized that it would probably be a good idea to get some sleep. It was after 4 am and I decided to head back to the assigned berthing area. Not to long after I closed my eyes and attempted to settle into slumber, the room we were in began to sound of a low murmur of voices and feet walking fast and hard on the metal floor. There was metal clanking, and loud banging. All I could think was "what the hell are the people doing while so many of us are sleeping".  It began to irritate me, I rolled to my left side (since I was against the wall). Upon opening my eyes, I see the lights were on, but instead of the normal brightness of the lights, it was an odd glow of pale yellow.

  I was puzzled about the lights being on and from where I was laying I could see people walking very fast heading from one end of the room to the other. Who ever these people were, they needed to get into the next room quickly then back out again. All I could see from where I was laying were people from the waist down. The row of beds obscured the rest of their bodies. I could see that each person wore dark blue high water pants and dark shoes. In what seemed like a mater of minutes, the lights went out and the people that were running were just gone. They had vanished and the room went dark again. I turned on my back and closed my eyes trying to make sense of what I just saw. Moments later while laying there with eyes closed attempting to relax, I hear foot steps approaching. They stopped right in-front of where I was laying. At this point I just wanted sleep, and I was ready to roll over and tell whom ever it was to please leave me alone. I rolled, opened my eyes to find that it was still dark, andno one was there.

  Come morning, everyone received that lovely wake up call of reveille and then the announcement of sweeping your bunk area. In other words, wake up, clean up your area, pack up your gear because you are all heading to the mess for breakfast.

  My teammates Faye and Scott  joined up with me in the hanger bay and we all started to recant our experiences, our irritations, and especially what I had witnessed. I was very excited about what I saw, and I kept repeating that I know I was not dreaming. Faye was quick to point out that the light switch was right next to where she was sleeping, and was the only one who asked how to turn on an off the lights. We continued on to breakfast with those images still fresh in my mind.

  It was not till later that day, on my way home, that I remembered something crucial to this odd event. I received a message from Scott asking what I remembered, and the realization that we both recalled that everyone who had been sleeping in this berthing area were no longer there to be seen. I do not know why I had not thought about it before. It baffles the mind to think that maybe I was pulled into the past, or perhaps the past was repeating at that moment. Either way it does not explain why we did not see the people who were sleeping in the same area.

  Faye was recording audio that night while the room slept, but told Scott and I that none of the noises we heard or from what we saw ended up on her recorder. Once again Scott and I are baffled. So what really happened to us? We both experienced it at the same time, but did not know it till the next day. We both could describe what the people looked like, yet I saw the bottom half, while he saw the top.

  This has stayed fresh in my mind, as I am sure it has with Scott. We both have talked about it over the year. We have looked at pictures from different time periods to see if we could pin point the time of the past we had seen. I have asked docents and other people who have stayed aboard, if they ever experienced anything like this. So far our phenomenon is currently unique to the ship."

For more information click on the links below...

USS Hornet Muesum

USS Hornet overnights

Odd Noise

        So, the USS Hornet, huh?

A place of afterlife legends atop the water, where certain sections are still closed for asbestos removal.  Many areas are flat-out off limits, and there are plenty of living bodies around to tell you where not to go.  Of course those sectors always make me most curious. :)

It was early August, 2015.  The ALPS team took me to the ship.  It started on a top level, the museum full of aircrafts and other era artillery.  A fantastic place to see familiar faces that all seemed to start with the Spirits of the Old West event at the Washoe Club back in 2012.

The ship was packed with different exhibits that appeared around winding corners and in unexpected rooms.

Many people coming and going, much merchandise on display from vendors and our current paranormal generation of grinders.
Early on, a tour guide briefly led the team down to an engine room where unexplained things were heard by naked ears and also recorded on audio.  Off to a good start.
My next question... where will I crash?
At first I was worried to have to rest my head surrounded by many people on the top level.  Couples, strangers, snorers!  But then we were shown down to the bunks that were yet another level below the busy and packed area of the others.  A less-occupied level that Faye had mentioned earlier.
Indeed, it was dark.  So I paid attention to the guide when he flipped switches for lighting.  When I saw Faye ask him the procedure a moment later, I knew there was backup as usual.
In the evening they served us dinner.  A filling meal that made me just right for a smoke.  I stepped back above, where the dark museum opened up to the rear of the ship– and this sight hit me.

The sunset was far beyond the bridges, the ships, and the water, far beyond the buildings of San Francisco.  It made plenty of colors as we socialized, smoked, discussed, then prepared for when the sun went down behind the city.

Many people were assigned in different groups that explored separate areas.  We passed by each other and BSed.

Sommer took us up to the control room, a fantastic display of blue radars and yellow charts.  How many emotions and energies from important decisions had made their way through that place over the years?

We explored lonely rooms that branched off shadowed hallways.  Supernatural experiments with different strangers. The hallways were ominous at all times.  Several people later found EVP’s in their archives.  One from Scott seemed to mention me by name, and it touched on a major past nerve. 

And who knows what else was found by the many investigators who were there?  Do share your evidence if your eyes reach this post.

We were guided to some of the most notorious spots, and it was easy to feel uneasy in most of them.  Being surrounded by so many people made the areas easy to face.

But the night got quiet, and other groups seemed to fade off like souls in time.  The USS Hornet is not a place you want to be stranded in the dark.  Odd noises from all directions is enough to make the mind wonder– but the things that are really there?

Four of us were on the grind latest into twilight hours. Myself, Faye, Scott Litaea, and some guy who followed us, said nothing, and crunched on vending machine snacks that made me envious.  Everything seemed quiet, except for the hum of the ship.  Time came to call it quits around five in the morning.

I was tired enough that the bunk felt like a bed.

The alarm in the morning, a surprising siren that blasted like the good old military days.  It was a sound meant to rise you from that bunk and be ready for plans in store for you.  I can’t say, after maybe an hour of deep sleep, that I was entirely annoyed when I reached a lower deck.  The kitchen area!  It was an awesome breakfast.

The experience felt like a camping trip aboard a haunted and historic American vessel.  It was a mixture of so many different people with goals that revolve around a similar subject.  What can ever go wrong there?

How amazing it was to see so many familiar faces who are currently working hard on the grind for their passions and for the future.  Here’s links to some of their Facebook accounts where you can find further links to their projects:

Josh Heard:    https://www.facebook.com/josh.heard.9 

Conner Hopkins:     https://www.facebook.com/connor.hopkins.9

Scott Litaea:     https://www.facebook.com/scottdlitaea

Sommer Jonez:     https://www.facebook.com/sommer.jonez

Jessie Garcia:     https://www.facebook.com/JessiePGarcia

.... and so many more. 

Odd Silence

There was a strange silence at the Miner’s Cabin.
        The Gold Hill nights were cold, but the stars exposed themselves in spirit.  I watched the moon have a strange eclipse then vanish behind the horizon.
         Inside the cabin, the Angels kept it warm.  November cold drafts made their way in, but their source was always questionable.  The T.V. played Ghost Adventures.  It turned off when time to communicate, of course  :)

        You might have heard of the Miner’s Cabin on the premises of the Gold Hill Hotel.  It’s a saloon, too.  Rumored to be near the bodies (and souls) of men who perished in flames of a nearby mine.

A woman guided me through the hotel itself, years ago.  She let me have keys and pointed the way to some of the haunted rooms.  A property caretaker told me that the wooden side of the building was added in the 80's, but the stone section is the original hotel/ crash spot/ area for bizarre happenings.

The bartender spoke of plenty strangeness, some stories even happening on this staircase.  I believe there are other photos the very same, only with strange anomalies.

        The night was not kind on temperature.

Jen, Faye, myself– the three of us stood outside, a recorder on the table that sat under the ruins of an old elevator shaft.

 

        My focus pulled me to a place off in the dark.  An odd feeling coming from there, where most tense darkness hid.  Humans who are in tune can often feel watchful energy.

        Jen pointed and said, “Over there.  To the left.”

        A presence we both felt in the shadows.  I was surprised she verbally expressed what I started feeling just a moment before.  But we heard no voices, and we received no definite signals.  November drove us back inside.

        During a session when we asked questions and walked back and forth through the cabin I was nervous to be the only person to come face to face with something.  My main fear being that I would have to tell the tale with no witnesses.  But I walked back and forth through the cabin, a short route from the living room to the back bedroom.

It was almost a relief to not see an apparition.  And I thought we were ever so alone those nights.

But time always tells, and there is no denying the EVPs calling Faye’s name.  (Or did they say “Hey”?)  And it certainly sounds like someone addressing me by name in one audio clip that Faye sent my way.

I was provided food to eat, and a spot to sleep.    But most of all, good company.  There was silence at the Miner’s Cabin.  Or so I thought.  Either way, it was a ghostly one.

- JEB

You Decided to Become a Paranormal Investigator, Now What? Part II

Let’s re-cap a bit from Part I. You now know that being a paranormal investigator can be very time consuming. You also know that it is a good idea to talk to your family and significant others about your choice to become a paranormal investigator. Next, I discussed not investigating in your own home and how it’s not safe to rush and investigate on your own. Finally, I talked about how important it is to educate yourself in all things paranormal before you meet your first team. Now, let’s talk about one of my favorite things, equipment.

If you do a search, on the internet, for paranormal equipment or ghost hunting equipment, you’re going to come up with all kinds of results from eBay, amazon, online paranormal stores, and even individual groups that sell equipment. 

You will find every type of equipment imaginable. From the basic K2 to thermal (FLIR) cameras that cost thousands of dollars. While a thermal camera is very cool and many investigators would love to have one, you’re new to all of this so, let’s start out with the basics.

Before I go into the “basics,” let me tell a little story why it is important to start here. A while back our team went to an event that allowed new investigators and experienced investigators to investigate in one incredibly historic location. Everyone was broken up into groups. Our group consisted of our entire team as well as some new to investigating. When we arrived at our second location we were all forced to stay in a relatively small area. I noticed one of the less experienced investigators with us had a relatively advanced piece of equipment. It was obvious to us that the person wasn't exactly sure how to use this equipment. At one point one of our team members had to explain to them why it was doing what it was doing. At another point an alarm on the device began to go off and this person had no idea how to turn it off. It was very distracting to the rest of us and, I am not sure if the person knew it or not, but it was taking away from their own experience. That's why it is better to start out with the basics.

I understood why this person bought this device. It was cool and we all want to show up for an investigation with a cool piece of equipment. I was the same way when I first started. Lucky for me, I couldn’t afford much so I was forced to start out with the basics. What I didn’t know at the time was that was the best thing I could have done for myself.

So, what are the basics? Our group asks all our investigators to start out with a minimum of four pieces of equipment. We ask that they have a flashlight, a digital voice recorder, a digital camera, and some sort of EMF (electro-magnetic Field) detector. 

The flashlight doesn’t need to be anything special. I would suggest that you find one that has white, red, and or blue light. Red or blue light is easier on the eyes when the lights are out. You can buy a handheld version or one like I carry that has a strap that fits around your head. It is one less thing you need to carry.

Just about any handheld voice recorder will work. There are a lot of companies that make them. Just make sure that you can connect it to a computer so that you can download your audio files. A recorder that has the capacity to record 1GB of audio would be more than enough space for any investigation. Just as long as you delete the audio off your recorder after you download it to your computer.

If you own a professional camera set-up, by all means, bring it with you on an investigation, so as long as you know how to use it and it won’t disrupt your ability to investigate. If you don’t, a normal digital camera will do just fine. I would suggest doing some research about settings and taking pictures during an investigation. I would also suggest that you learn some of the conditions that can cause your photos to contain what you may think is something paranormal when actually it is something normal like reflection, refraction, dust, or improper settings causing anomalies in your pictures. 

Finally, we have the EMF detector. You can spend anywhere from $25-$200. I wouldn’t suggest the $25 model. It is very limited in detecting EMF. I also wouldn’t suggest spending $200. That is overkill for a new investigator. Your best bet would be to start out with a K2 meter, which costs about $60-$65. If you’re able to spend a little more money, I would highly suggest you purchase a MEL Meter. The basic MEL-8704R measures EMF and temperature. It is highly accurate and will filter out a lot of the natural sources of EMF. It will run you about $100. This device takes a little time to get used to so, you will want to mess around with it before you use it on an investigation. It’s really not that difficult to use. It is one of my favorite devices because it is so accurate and it was built specifically for paranormal investigations.

K2 Meter

MEL 8704R Meter

Once you get all of your equipment, learn how to use it! Don’t go out on your first investigation and fumble around with your equipment. Your first priority should be learning how to investigate. You can’t do that if you are spending 20 minutes worrying about how to turn your voice recorder on. Now that you have your equipment, it’s time for the most important step to becoming a paranormal investigator, finding a group.

Finding a group, in your area, that you would like to join may be one of the most important things you do on your journey. At this point you need to ask yourself what kind of group you want to join? In my opinion, there are two basic types of groups that would take on brand new investigators. 

One group investigates the paranormal in order to have experiences and capture evidence. This group will typically investigate places like hotels, businesses, and other public places. They may occasionally investigate residents, but that isn’t necessarily the primary goal. 

The other group is primarily concerned about investigating residents and helping people. This group will also investigate hotels and businesses, but this isn’t the primary goal. Our team would be in this category. We focus on helping people first, but we do enjoy going out and having the experience to be able to investigate some of the more well-known locations.

Once you have an idea about what kind of group you would be interested in joining, do a search, on the internet or Facebook, of paranormal groups in your area. Read their pages over and find out what their mission statement is. If there is a section with details about their investigators, you may want to read it to get an idea what the members are like. Another thing you may want to look at his how often the page is updated. If it hasn’t been updated for two years, they probably aren’t a very active group.

Once you find a group that interests you, look for contact information. If there is an e-mail address on the page, send them an e-mail and tell them that you are looking for a group to join. Let them know that you don’t have experience, but also let them know that you have some knowledge of the paranormal and that you own your own equipment. This will show you’re dedicated and despite your lack of experience, you will be willing to learn and do the work needed to become an investigator.

Another place to look for local teams, and this may seem strange, is Craigslist. Both of the teams I have been a part of have advertised on Craigslist and this is where we found a majority of our investigators. Look under “Groups” or “General” and you may find a group in your area that is looking for new members.

As I said before, this isn’t the end all be all for becoming an investigator but, I am very confident that if you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a great investigator. The rest just takes time, learning, and getting some investigations under your belt. 

So, you decided to become a paranormal investigator, now you know what to do. The rest is all up to you!

The MEL Meter: An EMF Detector with a Touching Story

I was first introduced to the MEL Meter when I was a relatively new investigator with my first paranormal group, Vegas Valley Paranormal, in Las Vegas Nevada. Our founder and director, Barrie Berry, had just purchased a new piece of equipment and he was eager to share his new purchase with me. Barrie was always eager to share his new equipment with me which helped me learn and grow as an investigator.

At the time, my knowledge on EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) detectors was rather limited. My first EMF detector was a cheap $20 “ghost detector.” It was simple and I didn’t really know, at the time, that it was not really that useful. It was one of my first pieces of equipment and it made me feel like a real investigator.

Barrie also had a K2 meter that I used from time to time. Compared to my “ghost detector” I thought the K2 was high tech. Maybe it was the instant satisfaction I got when the meter lit up when it came into contact with any source of EMF.

What I didn’t know at the time, and didn’t find out until much later, was that the K2 is very unreliable when it comes to determining the difference between natural EMF and something that may be paranormal. Don’t get me wrong, The K2 can be useful during an investigation, it’s just not the most reliable EMF detector on the market.

So, we are on an investigation and Barrie hands me this new device that he just bought. I had never seen anything like it. Barrie explains to me how to use it and what it does. It measures EMF and display the value on the screen. It also measures the temperature and can detect minor amounts of vibration where ever it is placed. My mind is blown! Wow, this thing can do all that? Oh, and unlike the K2, the Mel Meter can filter out things like appliances giving you a much better confidence in a reading being natural or unexplained.

I fell in love with the MEL Meter on the spot! Any time we did an investigation it was the first piece of equipment I would grab out of Barrie’s equipment box. It was my favorite piece of equipment and still is today.

I didn’t find out until many years later that my favorite piece of equipment and what I consider one of the most innovative pieces of paranormal equipment, had a story behind it that was incredibly touching and made me love it even more. It’s a little known story that many in the paranormal world don’t really know.

The MEL Meter is the creation of Gary Galka, an electrical engineer from Granby, Conn. Gary wasn’t a paranormal investigator. Actually, he had nothing to do at all with the paranormal, but his creation, was truly a labor of love.

Gary had a nickname for his daughter, Melissa. He always called her “Mel.” One night Melissa was driving home, around midnight, and for an unknown reason she swerved off the road and hit a tree. She sustained horrible injuries which left her on life support for four days. Melissa was eventually taken off life support and passed away, the worst nightmare for any father.

Shortly after Melissa’s passing, Gary and his family began to experience strange activity in his home. The TV, radio, and lights would come on by themselves and then turn off. TV channels would mysteriously change as well. The family could even smell the perfume that she would wear. They believed that Melissa was reaching out to them in order to help them heal.

Six months after Melissa’s passing, Gary and his wife began to reach out to other families who had lost loved ones in the form of grief counseling. Gary also began to research the paranormal to try and better understand what he and his family were experiencing.

After reading books and watching paranormal TV shows, it became apparent to Gary that investigators were using mainstream devices that were intended for totally different purposes. Gary wanted to create something that was designed specifically for paranormal research.

So, using his 30 years of experience as an electrical engineer, Gary created the very first Mel Meter. He call it the Mel-8704. “Mel”, of course was for his daughters nickname, 87 was the year that she was born, and 04 was the year that she died.

Not only did Gary create a device to, “give the paranormal community a push forward,” he also created a way to further help grieving families. A majority of the proceeds from the sales of his Mel Meters are donated to grief support charities. 

The Mel Meter has morphed into several different variations. Today’s versions include shadow detection, hot /cold spot alarm, and one version even creates its own electro-magnetic field which is believed to help develop paranormal activity. 

The next time you are out on an investigation and you pick up your Mel Meter, remember how a father’s love for his daughter helped improve how we investigate.