1/28/07 News: Latest in Ghost Hunting and Supernatural Summit
Supernatural Summit
The Official Newsletter of the Supernatural Summit Ghost Hunter's
Conference
And Western New York Paranormal, Inc.
Visit us on-line at http://www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com
Vist us on-line at http://www.WNYPARANORMAL.com
28 January 2007 --- Welcome to the New Issue of the Newsletter!
Author, Linda Zimmerman will be speaking at the 2007 Supernatural
Summit Ghost Hunter's Conference! Zimmerman has authored several books
based on her personal investigations around New York State. In her
latest book, Ghost Investigator Linda Zimmermann encounters dark,
menacing apparitions across New York State in the sixth volume of her
true ghost stories. Included in this book is an infamous asylum in
Genesee County, one of the oldest Masonic lodges in McGarrah's Inn in
Monroe, and the Gomez Mill House in Marlboro, which is the oldest
surviving Jewish home in America. She'll share her experiences and
evidence including some compelling photographs, one of which is the
best Zimmerman has ever taken!
Make your reservations now for the Supernatural Summit Ghost Hunter's
Conference. Before you know it April 13-15, 2007 will be here.
For those who like to wait until last minute, reserve your place now
because it will guarantee you a place in the evening activities should
you decide to join them. In addition to over 30 workshops on
paranormal science, theory and practice, there are open forums,
spirituality and psychic development workshops and more.
The after-conference events for the weekend include:
Friday Night: Table Tipping Experiment. Participate and record this
event of
paramount spirit communication.......7 PM - 9 PM $15 pp
Saturday Evening: Ghost Stories of the Genesee. A two hour
presentation of local
lore and legend with supporting evidence....7 PM - 9PM $15 pp
Ghost Hunt at an Undisclosed Location with PROVEN activity.
Maximum of 16 investigators.....9:30 PM - Midnight $30 pp
You can register at http://www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com. Registration
may be done on-line or downloaded and sent by snail mail. Groups of 5
or more e-mail us for a special link that receives you a 15% discount!
You can download the registration forms from http://
www.supernaturalsummit.com/register.html
And it's not just the conference that we are talking about in this new
issue but also some other great articles from our members
Contents for this Issue:
* Supernatural Summit Ghost Hunter's Conference and Psychic Fair
* DEVA - Dust Eliminating Video Apparatus: A Review By Dwayne Claud,
WNY Paranormal
* Basic Investigative Equipment By Derek Bartlett, CAPIRS
* Basic EVP By Christopher Bailey, Grimstone
2007 SUPERNATURAL SUMMIT GHOST HUNTER'S CONFERENCE - REGISTER NOW!
Don't Miss out on the Supernatural Summit Ghost Hunter's Conference
and Psychic Fair!!
All the information you need to sign up can be found at http://
www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com. Reservations are first being offered to
those working in the paranormal community. Beginning March 1, 2007 -
tickets go on sale to the general public. You may also call
585-399-7765 for more information. Registration forms may be
downloaded at http://www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com/register.html .
Payments are accepted in the form of check or money order, credit
card, paypal, or google check out.
About the conference: The 2007 Supernatural Summit Ghost Hunter's
Conference and Psychic Fair, hosted by Western New York Paranormal,
will be held during the weekend of April 13, 14, and 15 at the Holiday
Inn in Batavia New York. This annual event is one of the quickest
growing paranormal ghost conferences in the United States bringing the
experts in field research together to share their information with
you. This year's conference will again feature leaders in field
research presenting over 30 workshops, lectures and other surprises.
This event is specially tailored to let you pick your own area of
interest with two different choices each hour to choose from on a
variety of subjects. New this year, is a Friday night mixer and
orientation with the speakers followed by a special paranormal event
with special events also on Saturday evening.
Speakers for 2007 include: Conference Vince Wilson of Ghost Tech,
Derek Bartlett of CAIPRS, Christopher Bailey of Grimstone Paranormal,
Parapsychologist Mary Grace, Jeremy Hawthorne from ARC Paranormal, Joe
Cetrone and Michael Puccerll from R.I.D.D.I.A., Richard Kimmel of the
WW2 Paranormal Organization, Robin VanPelt of the United States Ghost
Chasers, Ralph Esposito of RE Paranormal, Jenni Oneski of East Coast
Paranormal, psychic Karyn Reece, and Dwayne Claud, Reverend Tim Shaw,
Steve Salatino, Sarah Higgins, and Rich Eider of Western New York
Paranormal. Ghostly Talk Radio will also be on-site with Scott and
Doug all weekend.
Booth Space is available to paranormal organizations to promote their
group for just $50.00. The space is 8' x 10' and includes a table,
linen and two chairs. In the past, many people have attended looking
for information on groups in the region to call for assistance or to
even join. For more information email in...@supernaturalsummit.com .
Space is limited.
Registration for the 2007 Supernatural Summit Ghost hunter's
Conference:
Admission: $125 Per Person until January 30th (groups of 5 or more
save 15%)-- Includes Friday night mixer, Saturday and Sunday Workshops
with breakfast and lunch both days and admission to the trade show!
Discounts are available at The Holiday Inn in Batavia by mentioning
the Supernatural Summit. See More About the conference at http://
www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com or register at http://
www.SUPERNATURALSUMMIT.com/register.html
DEVA - Dust Eliminating Video Apparatus: A Review By Dwayne Claud
Suspected unexplained phenomenon gathered on paranormal investigations
are always under scrutiny of skeptics. Skepticism is always a good
tool to have for any paranormal investigator. It helps us to look for
all the natural explanations for potential evidence leaving only that
which can not be explained. Orbs are phenomena that have always been
under tough skepticism by critics. Many believe these to be spirits or
spirit energy while others write them off as dust or pollen particles
which are seen by a camera's flash or by the reflection of an infrared
light from a video recorder. The D.E.V.A. unit is an excellent tool to
eliminate all possibilities of dust or pollen contamination.
D.E.V.A. stands for dust eliminating video apparatus and was developed
by Erik Smith and Becky and Ron Cosgrove of the Oklahoma City Ghost
Club. D.E.V.A. works by sealing the area in front of the camera lens,
ensuring that everything shot on video is past the focal point of the
lens. Because when dust is closer than the focal point of the camera's
lens, it appears out of focus to the camera so when it passes the beam
from the infrared light source, it reflects off the dust and it
appears to illuminate. This gives the appearance of "moving orbs" on
video, even though it really is just floating dust.
The D.E.V.A. attaches simply to the camera lens by an o-ring type
fitting that is easily tightened around the lens. This eliminates the
built in IR light of the camera so an additional IR illuminator is
required. The D.E.V.A. itself is light weight although it does make
the camera slightly difficult to handle and maneuver. I found that the
easiest manner to use it was simply to rest the camera on my shoulder
and hold on to the D.E.V.A. itself to shoot video. This does not allow
you to view the footage as you shoot it, which in most cases is fine
since the best method for review is always to sit and watch it on a
television screen instead of an LCD monitor on the camera. There has
been a dramatic reduction in the amount of false orbs that are
captured on video. I would highly recommend anyone shooting video to
use the D.E.V.A. to eliminate all possibilities of natural occurring
orbs.
BASIC INVESTIGATIVE EQUIPMENT BY DEREK BARTLETT, CAPIPRS
The most important tool in any investigation is the ghost hunter
himself. If anyone plans to become a successful ghost hunter or
paranormal investigator he or she should first fine tune his or her
own skills and knowledge before ever attempting to conduct an
investigation.
The investigator must possess an open mind. It is essential that a
fine balance between cynicism and a pre-supposition of the outcome is
used and that investigations are conducted with open-minded
skepticism. It really just means that an investigator should approach
with the idea that anything is possible. This includes the possibility
or likelihood that the location being investigated is not haunted. A
investigator should be ready for anything - this even includes an
outright hoax.
Electronic devices as seen below are excellent to use and work
with and are simply items to FURTHER document phenomena. These devices
are best used in conjunction with eyewitness accounts as well as other
investigative techniques. Each one of these pieces of equipment should
not be used alone to establish a genuine haunting.
CAMERA: The camera has become one of the most important tools used by
the ghost hunter to collect evidence of ghosts and strange phenomena.
You can photograph the area of investigation, and the area of where
alleged activity happened. For the best in photography setup, click
on photography and find out the most effective ways to use cameras to
capture activity on film.
FLASHLIGHT: Hopefully, there is no need to "shed light" on the
necessity of this particular piece of equipment!
COMPASS: It is recommended that investigators carry a compass into
the investigation site, leaving it flat and open in the palm of the
hand. The needle of the compass will move each time you move direction
and according to reports, it will begin to spin when it encounters a
ghost or some sort of anomalous energy field. It is quite a consistent
occurrence with much higher-tech devices. A spinning compass needle
would certainly show that something unusual is going on.
TAPE RECORDER: There is no question that the tape recorder is an
essential piece of equipment in a paranormal investigation. It can be
used effectively to keep notes for the researcher and also as way to
record interviews with witnesses. There have been instances when
paranormal phenomena have been captured on audiotape, including voices
and bizarre sounds. Many think the strange audio anomalies captured on
tape are communications from spirits. But are they really voices from
"the other side"? Most importantly, can we prove it if they are?
SHOES: The style of shoes you wear will determine what comes out on
audiotape. If two or more investigators are walking throughout a
building and are recording on different levels or sections, audiotape
may pick up the footsteps of the other investigator. A soft base shoe
is adequate to provide silent walking throughout a building.
NOTEBOOK & SKETCH PAD: These items will be used to take down notes
and draw maps of the location. Each investigator should carry one of
these to record any anomalies throughout the investigation. Once the
investigation is over the notes should be analyzed and compared to
each other in order to determine if there are any areas of activity
each investigator documented.
FIRST AID KIT: This would be used only in case of emergency and is
self explanatory.
MEASURING TAPE: This would be used to check distances and
verification of witness accounts.
BASIC EVP BY CHRISTOPHER BAILEY, GRIMSTONE
Since the dawn of man, people have been trying to communicate with
their lost loved ones, deceased friends, and important figures that
have crossed-over. Shamans, mediums, and channelers have always been
used historically in attempts to communicate with the dead. However
with the birth of electricity, people have sought newer methods
through science to talk with these discarnate spirits. Thus within the
last one hundred years, EVP, otherwise known as electronic voice
phenomenon, was born.
EVP is the receiving of a voice on audiotape from which there is no
known source (Guiley 2000). This has been considered highly
controversial subject in the paranormal field. Believers in the
paranormal often associate the voices heard on these recordings to
ghosts, spirits, or extra terrestrials. Skeptics claim they come from
radio or television transmissions or imagined from white noise. Many
EVP samples available were recorded by simple cassette recorders
without being able to verify a strict methodology to avoid outside
interference. With the constant possibility of audio contamination,
EVP on its own can hardly be considered concrete evidence of a
haunting. However, it continues to thrive with those conducting
research and grow as better technology becomes available.
One of the first known attempts at EVP was that of Thomas Edison. He
believed that an electrical device could be made to communicate with
the dead. He stated in the October 1920 issue of Scientific American
that he was working on such a device. However, nothing was ever
completed.
Electronic voice phenomenon did not officially become discovered until
the late 1950's when the Swedish opera singer, Friedrich Jürgenson,
was recording bird songs in his garden. During the playback of his
recording, a Norwegian voice interrupted his garden sounds by talking
about nocturnal bird songs. Then, it discontinued and the garden
sounds returned. Since he was out recording bird songs, he found it to
be too coincidental that this strange voice was also talking on the
subject. He could not accept this as a possible radio transmission and
thus began taking more and more recordings. Some voices on playback
even gave him instructions on how to record more voices (Shadowlands,
2004).
The second main contributor to this field of research was Dr.
Konstantin Raudive who cataloged over 100,000 EVP messages he
recorded. Many of these messages were polyglots, sentences composed of
multiple languages. Raudive was often criticized for misinterpreting
the voices (Poysden 2004). Many skeptics felt it was absurd that a
spirit would comment on such mundane things as the color of Raudive's
sweater. Others criticized the translations. Why would spirits who
were fluent in multiple languages unable to speak in simple, proper,
grammar? Regardless, he continued his work until death and was
accredited for his book, Unhoerbares Wird Hoerbar (The Inaudible
Becomes Audible).
Modern EVP can be performed with only a couple basic items, primarily
a cassette recorder and an external mike. The external mike should
have enough cord so that the turning of the cassette wheels is not
recorded. Since the cassettes will be carefully reviewed and clear
sound transfer is desirable, high quality tapes with a broad frequency
range is recommended. Place the mike in a quiet location that is void
of external noises such as traffic or running appliances.
World ITC, one of the leading research organizations in EVP,
recommends using a mild white noise during recording of EVP
(About.com, 2004). This may be a white noise generator or a radio
tuned between stations. Skeptics however feel this simply introduces a
better possibility that the listener experiences audio simulacra.
Audio simulacrum is the brain's ability to take unrecognizable noise
and process it as more familiar sound, such as a voice. Thus while ITC
states it increases the amount of received discarnate voices, many
researchers avoid it.
When starting the tape, clearly state the location and date. This
helps you to identify the tapes later, especially during archiving.
You may also wish to give a welcome to all spirits present at the
time. Some researchers will then leave the tape to quietly record by
itself. However, many researchers prefer a question and answer
approach. They will all a series of direct questions such as "are
there any spirits present?" and "what are your names?" out loud,
leaving several seconds in between for a spirit to give its reply.
Interpretation of the results is more difficult. Generally, it
involves reviewing all of the recording, often multiple times in order
to determine if any unusual voices are present that were not heard
during the original taping. With computer assistance from such
programs as Adobe Audition, faint sounds can be boosted and static
removed.
The question lies as to why these voices are not heard at the time of
taping. Skeptics are quick to point out that it is most likely
simulacra or people whispering off camera. However, Utah Ghost
Hunter's Society and South Texas Ghost Hunters Alliance have a
different opinion. They find most of their EVPs in the 0 - 300 Hz.
range. The human voice only has a range of 300 to 3000 Hz. Thus, they
cannot be made by someone living. In addition, a healthy human ear can
only hear from 20 to 20000 Hz. Low frequency voices could normally go
unnoticed or not heard at all.
The problem with searching for EVP at low frequency ranges, such as
infrasound, is that humans do not normally listen intently in this
region or they cannot hear this region at all. Thus, sounds associated
with natural or mechanical items can be confused with EVP. Then again,
maybe the voices are there of the deceased and we just need to listen
harder.
Guiley, Rosemary E. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. New York:
Checkmark Books, 2000. 120-121.
Ghostly Sounds (EVP). Shadowlands. 22 June 2004
<http://www.theshadowlands.net/ghostwav.htm>.
Poysden, Mark. This is EVP: A Look Behind the 'Ghost Orchid' CD. The
Anomalist. 22
June 2004 <http://www.anomalist.com/features/evp.html>.
How To Hear and See a Ghost . 7 May 2004. About.com. 23 June 2004
<http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa102901a.htm>.