Massachusetts Paranormal Institute

PURSUING THE PARANORMAL

THE "EYES" DON'T HAVE IT...THE "EARS" DO!

Fairly frequently during preliminary investigations I am asked by the homeowner whether or not it's possible that their dog or cat can see ghosts.  This usually comes up because of some odd behavior recently exhibited by the pet towards an area like an open doorway or a specific room, where no one is present. The dog may stare intently, and then turn its head in what looks to us like an effort on the dog's part to understand or comprehend something happening that we can't see.  With cats it's often the exact same behavior.  It may jump up on the back of a chair and stare with total concentration or arch its back and hiss into the adjoining room which is empty, or presumed to be so.  Armed with the evidence provided by science, I'd have to say it's not what they are seeing that bothers them, but what they are hearing.

Human hearing runs from about 20 cycles per second or 20 Hz (hertz), to around 20,000 Hz.  Our feline friend shares the lower range of 20 Hz with us and continue hear sounds all the way up to 64,000 Hz! Well past the 23,000 Hz for humans and dogs which, depending upon the breed, cap out around 45,000 Hz.  What's really interesting is that of all the land mammals mice can hear all the way up to 91,000 Hz and there's nobody else even close. So, potentially, the cause of many incidents of "pets seeing ghosts" may be those little vermin in the walls.

When I first learned of this I felt compelled to go back and check my files to see if any "pet" activity that I had noted in the file correlated with a specific time of year. Sure enough, I found three. All were from September, October and November when mice activity in the home could possibly have been at its highest.  Now, I was also reminded of a case several years ago where I witnessed the family dog (a mild mannered Jack Russell Terrier) jump up from a sound sleep and run to the cased opening between the kitchen and living room, stop and crouch with ears pinned back, baring its teeth with a very slow and guttural growl. It was around 11:30 PM and the house was totally dark. This was not the result of a mouse in the wall and the rest of us saw and heard nothing at all! It lasted about 45 seconds. The dog was normally very friendly.  Bad dream? Maybe...

Here are some interesting (and approximate) animal hearing ranges in Hertz:

            Ferret           16 - 44K                      Raccoon         100 - 40K

            Cow                23 - 35K                     Gerbil              100 - 60K

            Cat                  20 - 64K                     Rat                   200 - 76K

            Human          20 - 23K                     Hedgehog     250 - 45K

           Guinea Pig    54 - 50K                     Rabbit             360 - 42K

            Horse            55 - 33.5K                  Possum          500 - 64K      

            Dog                 67 - 45K                     Mouse            1000 - 91K

INVESTIGATION OF "THE HYANNIS PUBLIC LIBRARY"

The Hyannis Public Library is over 250 year old, dating back to 1750. The oldest portion is named the Ora Adams Hinckley Wing who is celebrated as the first full-time librarian. The Eagleston Wing was added in 1939, and the newest and modern looking  Twombley Wing in 1974.

On September 19, 2009, Paranormal Investigators and EVP Researchers from The Massachusetts Paranormal Institute, descended on the library to answer one question; "Is the Hyannis Public Library haunted?" Lead Investigators Elizabeth Lyons and Dave Sircom headed the two teams which also included EVP Researchers Michael & Christine Balch.

The question was answered in a most definitive way by the end of the investigation as a result of the work of Liz Lyons and Michael Balch.

If you would like to know first hand and actually attend the "REVEAL" of the investigation, come to the:

New England Tales of Twilight
Halloween Presentation  

Call the Hyannis Public Library at (508) 775-2280 for tickets!

And go to http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/ for more information.

Remember, if you or someone you know has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance, please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/     or      nespi.davesircom@gmail.com

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PURSUING THE PARANORMAL: "Samhain"

      My favorite time of year is finally here and it's not just becauase I have a strong involvement and fascination with the paranormal or that Halloween is around the corner.  It's more the smell of burning leaves, pumpkin spice coffee and football! The setting sun causes oddly different shadows to form on the walls inside my house and the cool crisp air is great for working outside, stacking wood. And I certainly enjoy attending as many Halloween events as possible.  

      Yes, Halloween is coming on fast and there is one very special event you just don't want to miss.  This is a fundraiser for the Hyannis Public Library and they asked The Massachusetts Paranormal Institute if we could design a Halloween program.  Well, did we ever!

"THE NEW ENGLAND VAMPIRE TRADITION!"  is back.

      We were extremely fortunate in being able to book Susan Jarek-Glidden, Ph.D.  Dr. Glidden is one the country's foremost experts in how Olde New England, including Cape Codders, dealt with their very real fear of vampires! You just can't make this stuff up.  She's studied this field for over thirty years and on October 30th, 2009, at the Hyannis Public Library she will share all these little secrets with us. As I said this is a fundraiser and the entire $5.00 ticket price goes to the library. You must call the Hyannis Library at (508) 775-2280 for tickers in advance.

      Interestingly enough, Halloween originated, it is believed, from the customs and traditions of the Celts in Ireland over 2000 years ago as party or, more accurately, a celebration of their New Year which began on November 1st. They called this celebration "Samhain".  The Celtic people celebrated their New Year on November 1st because they believed this was the end of the old cycle and the beginning of a new one.  When the trees came back to life, warm days with crops growing but now the "life-giving" harvest was completed. Easy to understand as the sky got darker, temperatures began dropping, foliage began to change colors and eventually shrivel and drop to the ground, not to mention that many would perish from the harsh conditions of the season, that they associated death with the winter.

      They also believed that on their New Years Eve, October 31st, the veil between the world of the living and the dead was at its weakest point and that spirits could easily pass back into the world of the living. Their custom called for priests or shamans to communicate directly with the departed spirits in an attempt to divine what was in store for them.

      While occupying the area, the Romans combined two of their traditional holidays, one honoring the deceased and the other honoring the goddess of fruit. It has been reported that the icon used for Pomona, the goddess of fruit, was an apple and, hence the tradition of bobbing for apples began.

        So by this point we're still pagans wearing animal skins as costumes and dancing around bonfires and bobbing for apples. Hundreds of years later the church, it is widely believed, wanted to institute its own holiday so Pope Boniface IV incorporated All Saints Day which was known as Alholowmesse and then became All-Hallowmas. In Ireland it became known as Hallow E'en. Most likely, the Irish migration to America brought with it the strongest, and currently dominant, of the European traditions of what would become one of this country's favorite holidays. Halloween.   

       The "Trick or Treating" seems to be a remnant of an English tradition where the less fortunate would go door-to-door in the more affluent areas and receive pastries in return for their prayers or blessings on departed family members.

      So that's the quick version of how we came to celebrate Halloween. 

      Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  or     nespi.davesircom@gmail.com

16 comments »

Pursuing the Paranormal: Good Ghost, bad ghost?!

GOOD GHOST, BAD GHOST?!

There's a lot going around the paranormal circuit these days about Demons and Demonology.  Demonology has been around a long time but is now making a resurgence. The new A&E show Paranormal State seems to find a Demonic entity on every episode.  Every time a curtain blows in the breeze "OH NO, IT'S A DEMON, BETTER GET LORRAINE WARREN!!  And because it is such a foul and ominous being, it's name cannot be spoken out loud or you risk the possibility of attack, or worse, possession.  Give me a break. Frankly, I can't even watch the show anymore and neither can any other credible, self respecting paranormal investigator I know of.  There's another fellow I just heard of who, for a price, will check out your new office or soon to be home for any signs of resident ghosts. He might be the real deal but anyone who charges people in need in the paranormal business loses credibility with me as a researcher or investigator and becomes merely entertainment. In any event, I am not saying these types of Demon beings do not exist, I am saying that if they do, they are very few and extremely far between. I am well aware that very harmful and dangerous attacks are not uncommon and can be launched by malevolent spirits or poltergeist but I just can't get passed the Demon thing.

At The New England Society of Paranormal Investigators  we have utilized an opening and closing prayer on every single investigation we have ever done. And will continue to employ this practice. I don't pretend to understand how this actually protects us from anything other than Catholic Demons but I always feel a little better after we do it anyway.  The point I'm trying to make is that I believe many of these so-called attacks are really your standard, garden variety spirits, and not necessarily angry Demonic entities, working very hard to get someone's attention.  Having logged thousands upon thousands of hours communicating with the unseen through Electronic Voice Phenomena I feel well qualified to render these opinions.  I have had EVPs come through onto my computer's hard drive of all types from the guttural, growling voice that threatens all kinds of horrible retribution to the "nice-as-pie" 35 year old mother of two who was a teacher and loves it where she is.  By the way, if you have an aversion to foul language, EVP work may not be for you!

Let me try to explain with an example. Annually, The New England Society of Paranormal Investigators receives numerous RFI's (Request for Investigations) and CFA's (Call for Assistance) from all over New England.  Recently, we responded to a CFA from upstate Maine. Usually, CFA's are lot more urgent in nature and require immediate analysis as how to proceed.  A preliminary interview must be done to gather certain facts which help determine in analysis as to how we should proceed. This is what separates NESPI as a professional and scientific research organization from those weekend ghost hunt clubs who go right in, set up their equipment and begin asking all the wrong questions.  First of all, many times an improper investigation in itself is perceived as an attack by the already angered and frustrated entity. This results in escalated activity putting the client in a much worsened position. The ghost hunt club goes home and the property owner is left holding the bag. These groups should only do outside investigations as they are not experienced and don't have the training to work on this level. Remember, before allowing anyone to enter your property for a paranormal investigation make certain to:

1. Check their references.
2. Ask what type of equipment they use.
3. Review their evidence from past investigations.
4. Think of them as an employee you are about to hire.

Okay, back to China, Maine. We received this CFA from a woman; who we will call Jan, who had several strange happenings in her current home of 17 years.  Being the mother of three boys she was no stranger to seeing a bath towel lying on the bathroom floor.  What she wasn't used to is having it hung back up on the towel rod by itself. This happened on more than one occasion while only she was alone in the house. Another time she felt she was being watched and looked up from her computer and peered down the second floor hall to see a dark shadow duck into another room. Again, while she was the only person in the house. She says things are escalating and she wants help now. We hear this kind of thing all the time but because Jan is a Nurse we gave her statement more credence. She is trained to observe and stay cool. She is educated and has been taught how to think and reason. She is very articulate. From our point of view at NESPI, this is a valid case and we needed to assemble a team.

The NESPI Team consisted of Lead Investigator Michael Astin, Lead Investigator and Tech Manager Mike Medeiros, Investigators Bill Martin and Andrew McIntyre. I need to back up here and explain that Andrew McIntire is also our liaison to the INsight group. This is an elite group of powerful sensitives and clairvoyants who work in concert, anonymously, to assist those who need their "special" type of help.  We have worked with them on many occasions and found them to be uncannily accurate. They have only recently stated that NESPI and Andrew will be their only source of outside contact. We at NESPI are extremely pleased to be so honored in this manner.

Prior to the team leaving for Maine, Andrew has consulted with and had already been informed by INsight exactly how the interior of the structure is laid out, the décor, what entities are present, why they are there and the color of the front door.  Andrew decides that a phone call to Jan is in order to at least verify or disprove some of the INsight information. He tells Jan based upon what he has learned that one of the spirits residing in the house is a little boy, maybe 10 years old, named Geofry, and spelled with one f.  He lives in an area under the stairway which Andrew physically describes and explains Geofry is upset because he is being ignored.  Jan is a little taken aback as she tells Andrew that she and her husband remodeled the house 17 years ago and enclosed the area under the stairs which is exactly as he described it. She also informs Andrew that her oldest son has just left for his first year at college.  Andrew then tells Jan there is a second spirit in the house that has been with her for many years much like a guardian angel type of arrangement. This is an older man and he said "he knows you saw him in the hall".  The really interesting thing here is that neither Andrew nor INsight had the story of Jan seeing the shadow in the hall!  We only gave them the address.

The team arrives at the house after a 5 hour drive and the front door is the exactly as described as is the rest of the layout of the house. 

Following a quick dinner of pizza and soda, the equipment is set up, the owners leave the premises and the investigation begins in chief.

Investigator Andrew McIntire begins revealing more information to the team of what has become known to him through INsight. He informs everyone that the second guardian angel type spirit is actually a deceased family member (husband's Grandfather).  The reason he has been so agitated of late is because he has a very important message he wants to get to Jan. Apparently, the message is that within the next few weeks Jan will have to make a decision that will have dramatic but unseen repercussions in the future. His intent is to make certain she knows of the importance of those repercussions.

At one point during the investigation, while engaged in EVP work, Investigator Mike Astin feels a blast of warm air on his neck along with a hissing sound. He feels that something is speaking to him but can't make it out. He is a little unnerved and needs to leave the room to get some air. Everyone follows as Mike looks a little pale and concern mounts about what happened to him. Andrew makes a quick check with his contact at INsight and is told that the grandfather is now a little agitated at a question asked by Investigator Astin and yelled "GET OUT" in his ear.

This is a case in point from earlier when I said many times things done by good ghosts with good intentions are blamed as attacks or malevolence by evil spirits.

Mike re-enters the same room and squares things away with the grandfather and the investigation continues. A short time later the owners come home and Jan begins doing some EVP work with the Team. She is also holding K2 meter which lights up. One flash for "yes". Two flashes for "no".  At this point the investigation turns to a personal level which cannot be reported here. Suffice it to say that the K2 meter proved itself indispensable and reacted immediately and frequently to Jan's questions.  Many questions were answered and many EVPs were caught.

Three weeks later the activity was still very low but present. When we asked Jan if she had been faced with a decision of the importance and magnitude described by the Grandfather, she replied, "yes", and that she now understood.  However, the decision was of such a personal level she chose not to share it with us.

It has now been several months and according to Jan the activity level is increasing once again.  NESPI is assembling a Team.  This time we are taking our new FLIR Thermal Image Camera.

I'll keep you posted!

Dave Sircom is currently the President of The Massachusetts Paranormal Institute, Inc. 

 Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  or     nespi.davesircom@gmail.com

24 comments »

Pursuing the Paranormal: "In His Garden"

NESPI GOES .... "In His Garden"

Not everyone reading this will remember Antone Charles Costa and many others are too young to have heard the murderous and morbid story. But those of you who do remember Tony Costa and the atrocities he committed probably just got a chill up your spine as any normal human being would.  Because those who do remember know this is not a ghost story, this is a horror story.  And a very grizzly one at that!

The New England Society of Paranormal Investigators  upon the suggestion of a friend of NESPI, decided to look into this ghoulish story and attempt through Electronic Voice Phenomena and the use of a K2 electromagnetic field meter to contact not only the victims but Tony Costa, himself. This is something a little different for us. We usually go into a situation where a problem already exists and attempt to debunk it, or assist and educate the owner on how to appease or eradicate the disturbance. In any case, we never go into an investigation with the intention of "stirring things up!"

Truro Cemetery Crypt

The investigation begins while visiting the alleged location where the dismemberments were committed or as it came to be known In His Garden: Anatomy of a Murder by the author Leo Damore. We came upon this remote cemetery in the Truro woods by way of a tip that this is where Tony Costa dismembered the already dead bodies and allegedly partially cannibalized them. But before we go any further a little background information is in order here to refresh those with older memories and younger ones alike! 

The following is re-printed with many thanks and permission by author Elisabeth Wetsch and can be found on her site here.  Born in 1945, Costa was an infant when his father died in World War II. Around the age of seven, Costa told his mother that "a man" was entering his room by night, and he identified a photo of his father as the silent prowler. In November 1961, at age sixteen, he invaded a Somerville, Massachusetts, apartment, bending over the bed of a teenage girl before she woke and her screams drove him off. Three days later, he returned and tried to drag her down the stairs of her apartment house, but neighbors intervened. Convicted of burglary and assault on January 4, 1962, he drew a one-year suspended sentence, with three years probation. Costa was married in April 1963, fathering three children before drugs complicated the relationship, producing bizarre and irresponsible behavior. In June 1966, he brought home two hippie girls -- Bonnie Williams and Diane Federoff -- with the announcement that he would be driving them to Pennsylvania, moving on alone from there to California. Later, Costa told police he drove the girls to Hayward, California, but they never got there. Costa surfaced at his home in Massachusetts, ten days later, and the girls are now believed to be his first known victims. In August 1967, hiking in the Truro woods, near Provincetown, Costa shot a female acquaintance with an arrow, afterward apologizing for the "accident." By early 1968 his marriage was in shambles, and he drove to California in the latter days of January, settling briefly in San Francisco's free-swinging Haight-Ashbury district. Girlfriend Barbara Spaulding left her child with relatives and vanished on the day that Costa left for Massachusetts. She was never seen again, and homicide detectives now believe that Costa murdered her, as well. Back home in Massachusetts, Costa burglarized a doctor's office on May 17, stealing various surgical instruments and drugs valued at $5,000. A week later, 18-year-old Sydney Monzon vanished from her home in Provincetown; her disappearance was reported to police on June 14. By August, Costa was divorced; his brand-new live-in lover, Susan Perry, lasted for a week before she disappeared, September 10. When questioned, Costa told his friends that she had "gone to Mexico." In mid-September, Costa was arrested for driving with a suspended driver's license. Later, on the twenty-fifth, he was picked up for failure to support his wife and children, held in custody until November 8. Upon release, he started spending time and sharing drugs with Christine Gallant, another habitué of the "hip" scene. On the weekend of November 23, Gallant was found dead in her New York apartment, drowned in the bathtub after a barbiturate overdose. On January 24, 1969, Patricia Walsh and Mary Anne Wysocki disappeared on a visit to Provincetown. Two weeks later, searchers found a woman's mutilated body at the Old Truro cemetery, identified as the last remains of Susan Perry. On March 4, the dismembered bodies of Walsh, Wysocki, and Sydney Monzon were found buried together, a mile and a half from the first grave site. Walsh and Wysocki had both been shot in the head, with hearts removed from all three victims; the remains bore human teeth marks, and the coroner discovered evidence of necrophilia. Investigators learned that Walsh and Wysocki had met Antone Costa in Provincetown. Found in possession of their car, Costa produced a suspicious bill of sale, claiming he purchased the vehicle before the women "left for Canada." He was arrested on suspicion of murder after detectives learned that the burial site was Costa's private "garden," used for stashing drugs and growing marijuana. In custody, the suspect changed his story several times, twice implicating innocent friends in the murders, repeatedly failing polygraph examinations. His first psychiatric exam, on March 31, resulted in the diagnosis of a "schizoid personality." Three months later, a second psychiatrist characterized Costa as "a modern-day 'Marquis de Sade' " and a "sexually dangerous man," capable of murder. The floodgates opened on July 12, 1969, when Costa finally confessed to the murder of Mary Wysocki. Costa's trial opened on May 6, 1970, ending with his conviction on four counts of murder. Sentenced to life imprisonment on May 29, he began stocking his cell with books on ritual magic and the occult, including a copy of Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible. Four years later, on May 12, 1974, Costa was found hanging in his prison cell, a leather belt around his neck. The death was held to be a suicide.

Sounds more like a CSI: Miami episode than anything that could ever possibly occur in Truro! But it did and we were there with microphones in hand and cameras rolling.

At the far end of the cemetery you find the small crypt that is the alleged location where some of Costa's most gruesome acts were committed. It was also our understanding that this crypt's original purpose had been to store bodies in the winter time when burial was impossible until such time as internment could take place.  I was the first inside the small 8' x 8' room which was more reminiscent of a cell with its stucco walls and low curved ceiling allowing for no standing headroom. Closing the small wooden door behind me, which left about a 6" wide opening, I became engulfed in the darkness and hoped that the spiders wouldn't descend on me all at once. One NESPI rule is that we work in teams of at least two people and my wife Ann, a seasoned cemetery investigator, was right on the other side of the door.

I relaxed and tried to get comfortable for a couple of minutes and began slowly asking questions into the SONY digital microphone. When performing Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) you are attempting to catch a voice of the unseen in response to your questions. If there is a response to your question it will be audible only upon playback. I should also note that, having not a psychic bone in my body, I didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or edgy which sometimes happens to us in the more eerie locations we visit. Emerging 20 minutes later, Ann and I proceeded down the center of cemetery towards the front entrance while NESPI Investigators Mike Astin & Phil Afonso crawled into the crypt to try their hand at EVP with their microphones as well as the K2 meter. The K2 meter is an electromagnetic field detector and picks up and displays the EM field strength with an array of small LED lights. The stronger the field the more LEDs light up. There are no power lines in the vicinity and our previous tests have shown the EM fields generated by the microphones, cameras, cell phones & walkie talkies that we use are too weak to register on the K2 meter.

 
K2 METER  and Investigators Mike Astin and Bill Martin on top of crypt

The K2 works in conjunction with the microphones for EVP work. You simply make mention when you ask a question that the entity present flash the K2 lights once for "no" and twice for "yes". Because you cannot hear a response until playback the K2 gives you a great indicator as to whether or not something is present and wants to communicate in real time. It also can help lead you to ask more accurate questions. For example a few of the questions asked by Mike Astin that received answers while in the crypt:

Mike:               "Is there anyone here with us now?"

Response:         2 flashes (YES)

Mike:               "Flash once if you are male and twice if you are female."

Response:         One Flash (MALE)

Mike:               "Are you under 20 years old?"

Response:         2 Flashes (YES)

Mike:               "Is there a guardian who watches over the cemetery?"

Response:         One Flash (NO)

While Mike & Phil were asking these questions Mike noticed something fly through the small 6" opening between the little wooden door and the door jamb.  Phil turned on his flashlight and found five bats flying in a circle just above their heads. One of the bats actually knocked the microphone out of mike's visor. Needless to say, they quickly exited the crypt. 

At another point during the investigation Investigator Bill Martin lost all battery power in his camera and microphone at the exact same time as a cold spot moved through the area and was not only experienced by most everyone present but was actually measured by Investigator Phil Afonso with a Raytek non-contact thermometer. It is commonly believed that this happens as the result of a spirit utilizing any local energy available to manifest itself.

NESPI's Phil Alfonso & Al Bagnardi with the Ratek  /    Camera Malfunction

We still have about 10% of the audio to review and much of that was taken from the crypt but with the exception of the K2 meter's "question answering" capabilities, a few light EVP whispers and loosing battery power, it was a quiet night. And you know what, that's just fine with me because even as a paranormal investigator, there are just some monsters better left alone!

Dave Sircom is currently the President of The Massachusetts Paranormal Institute, Inc. 

 Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

15 comments »

Pursuing the Paranormal

AN INVESTIGATION:  THE BARNSTABLE HOUSE

The New England Society of Paranormal Investigators was recently offered the opportunity to investigate one of the top two allegedly haunted houses on Cape Cod.  Built in Scituate in the early 1700s it boasts its share of tragic events.  The most famous story is of a sea Captain, his wife and young daughter Lucy.  This 3 story colonial house was moved  to its present site and located on top of  a well over a running stream in the basement.  While the Captain was away at sea on one of his voyages,  little Lucy somehow managed to drown in the well.  The mother, overcome with grief, retired to the third floor bedroom where she remained in seclusion until she perished from starvation.  Other reports include the "Captain" accompanying the small children of lodgers safely down the steep staircase and all the doors and windows mysteriously locking and unlocking simultaneously.

NESPI investigators entered the house, at 6:00PM on June 9^th, and were given a tour of the structure's interior to aid in determining the location of the command center which consists of several computers, a large screen, high definition monitor and a four channel digital video recorder as well as the placement of 3 stationary, wireless microphones and 4 hard-wire, infra-red cameras. Other equipment included a new SONY HDR-SR1 High Definition 1080i Camcorder, Ratek non-contact thermometers and an electromagnetic field detector.  

Accompanying NESPI was film producer and director, Kristin Alexander, who resides on the Cape and is currently shooting a documentary on the group and had her high tech camera and gear along as well. 

Equipment set-up was completed around 8:00 PM and, as is common practice, we all headed out to get a bite to eat and formulate a plan on how to best utilize our time, and gear to catch and document any paranormal activity we might encounter. It should be noted that while we had access to 95 percent of the building there was one room on the third floor which was padlocked shut. This is the room we believe where the Captain's wife went to end her life. We were able to slide a microphone into the room through an opening between the door and the door jamb.  Later on, this would prove to be a smart move.

Upon our return at 9:10 PM while firing up the cameras and microphones Investigator Al Bagnardi was searching the first floor hallway for the light switch controlling the front porch exterior light as it was throwing too much light into the semi-darkened hall. The first floor microphone picked up Al and Kristin discussing the fact that they couldn't locate any switches and our first EVP (electronic voice phenomena) of the evening was caught with a ticked-off woman stating "There are switches!" Of course none of us heard this voice at the time and it only became evident when playing back the recorder. In fact, it was captured on another recorder as well which is quite a rarity.  Besides the stationary microphones each team carries another as well. EVPs are the captured voices of disembodied spirits or entities which are only audible to the human ear on the playback of the recorder.

Once all the lights were extinguished we moved into the conference room as a group, lit a few candles and began using the "English" technique for getting spirits to communicate. This involves everybody relaxing and clearing their minds. Then, very politely, asking for certain spirits to speak and communicate with us. NESPI Investigator, and President, Mike Astin asked for the spirit of  Captain Grey to speak to us or give us a sign of his presence when a 15 pound whale weathervane, used to decorate the room, crashed to the floor. This was a little startling and disconcerting. A moment later NESPI Investigator and Deputy Sheriff Bill Martin was examining the overturned weathervane. He noted that the weathervane was solidly attached to a piece of pipe which, in turn, was screwed into a very heavy, possibly brass or cast iron, base.  Putting it right side up and jabbing at it with his finger, he could not get it to fall over. It just rocked a little, back and forth, and became upright. We concluded it took considerable foot pounds of pressure to knock over the weathervane and promptly thanked the Captain for his participation! Later, in speaking to people familiar with the weathervane said this has not happened in the past, however, a very well known and respected local attorney, who wishes to remain anonymous, related a story or watching a newspaper travel unaided from one end of the conference table to the other.  The weathervane incident was caught on camera and can be viewed here along with the EVP of the switches mentioned earlier.

It was now time to break up into 2 smaller groups. Obviously, we can cover more ground in less time and we have found that the smaller the group the more apt a spirit or entity is to make its presence known, but that's not always the case and by no means a rule. Armed with cameras and digital recorders, Al and I went upstairs to an office area on the second floor while Mike Medeiros, Bill Martin and Mike Astin started investigating the first floor rooms. Aside from taking EMF (electromagnetic field) and temperature readings, this is where we really push hard for EVPs. We are always suspicious of high EMF readings in older structures as there are usually wires running every which way behind the walls and many have the metal shield which tends to spike the EMF readings. Depending on the size of the location being investigated, each team will spend a minimum of 25 minutes to a maximum of 60 minutes in a given area. Simple questions are asked in hopes that a spirit will answer such as "Can you make your presence known?", "What is your name?", "How long have you been here?".  During an investigation where there is known to be a hostile or malevolent presence, questions are aimed at uncovering the reason for the spirits actions so an attempt can be made to appease it. Many times this can be successfully accomplished. However, if it is determined that the causing of the disturbance is pleasurable to the entity or spirit this causes a serious problem with no real long lasting remedy. House exorcisms and blessings or smudgings can offer temporary relief but in the large majority of cases do not last and the disturbance usually returns within four to six months with a vengeance.

There are many stories with regard to this particular house we are investigating of people being frightened, doors slamming, apparitions on the stairs, fax machines going off for no reason, newspapers sliding across tables, etc... But we found nothing of a menacing or threatening nature. The rest of the investigation proceeded in the same manner and proved this to be the case as no one had any ominous feelings or incidents.

In reviewing the footage on the digital video recorder, the camera located in the basement did record the movement of a rope as if jerked from the bottom. This happened almost every two hours to the minute. When we returned to present the evidence we had captured, we went into the basement and it was shown that rope actually hangs down into a small pool of water managed by a sump pump which kicks on about every two hours and causes the rope to move. As professional skeptics we need to take a very empirical approach and make every attempt to debunk all the collected evidence. The only piece of evidence captured by the cameras was the weathervane falling over in response to the request of making your presence known. However, we were far more successful in the EVP department.

Dave Sircom is currently the President of The Massachusetts Paranormal Institute, Inc. 

 Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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PURSUING THE PARANORMAL

  SPIRIT ORBS

                  These orbs appear in photographs as tiny bubbles of light and are most often caught in photos taken with digital cameras.  In fact, it seems the older the digital camera, the more orbs you will get in the picture.  Weekend ghost hunt clubs are popping up all over the internet these days displaying their "undeniable proof "and documentation of spirits and the afterlife in the form of orb photos.  With the possible exception of mist and ectoplasm, few other manifestations have caused such uproar and dissention in the field.

Most of the credible and reputable investigative organizations like the New England Society of Paranormal Investigators are split on whether or not orbs are in some way related to paranormal activity.  At NESPI we don't put a lot of stock into orbs but we do show the pictures because people keep asking us to and some do demonstrate rather unique behavior.  I don't recall one investigation we've ever done when orbs weren't in some of the pictures. Some orbs move down from the ceiling. Others up from the floor and still others change direction altogether by moving against the drafts and follow people from room to room. Some are very dense and bright while others are very translucent. During one recent NESPI investigation, hundreds of orbs were captured by one of our 4 stationery Lorex Infra-Red cameras following an investigator from one room to the next. Were they moving on their own volition or just drafting behind? But what are they? Dust? Insects? A camera malfunction? Let's look at this phenomenon a little bit deeper.  Because...

                 For the Believer no evidence is necessary, and

  for the Skeptic no evidence is enough."

                                                                                                                        -??

Now, I don't know who said that but I would like to. If anyone knows to whom I should attribute this quote please let me know! After all, the true investigator is a "skeptic with an open mind."

Interest in the occult and paranormal has literally exploded over the past ten years and almost at an exponential rate the last five. So, where were all the orb photos from before then? How come we don't have any holiday photos of Aunt Bertie with an orb over her head? Or maybe we do and just didn't think anything about it. There are those who would have you believe that because of our society's increased interest in everything supernatural that these "spirit balls" are proliferating in an attempt to communicate with us. There are others who feel they are most likely aliens.  Let's see what the more respectable authorities on the subject have to say.

According to Dave Juliano, Founder of The Shadowlands at www.theshadowlands.net/ :

"One of the leading theories concerning what orbs are and the one that I lean towards the most is that they are not the spirit at all.   The orb is the energy being transferred from a source (i.e. powerlines, heat energy, batteries, people, etc) to the spirit so they can manifest.   This may not even be a conscious thing the spirit is doing; just a natural way they get their energy.  This would explain why the orbs are round balls.  According to the laws of Physics energy being transferring like that would assume is natural shape of a sphere.   This theory can also be tied into the EMF readings we get during spirit activity."

Jim Eaton from www.GhostStudy.com states:

"Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth."

And artist Max Greiner, Jr., from http://www.maxgreinerart.com/  says:

"Many professional photographers and photo lab technicians are candidly admitting in private that they are unable to satisfactorily explain all the circular balls of light, which suddenly show up in photographs. This is because many of the Orbs showing up in photographs, from all kinds of cameras, don't match the commonly recognized image patterns of dust, pollen, moisture or light flares.

Orb images are suddenly appearing, often in great quantity, when they were not in the previous photographs seconds before, even though all the environmental and photographic conditions are exactly the same. To assume that common dust or moisture particles floating in the air in front of the camera lens are all able to suddenly turn and face the exact perfect angle, at the exact same moment, to create reflected Orb image is highly improbable and illogical."

Dr. Dave Oester, Founder of IGHS or The International Ghosts Hunters Society at:

www.ghostweb.com/:

"When we coined the term "orb" back in 1996 to explain the supernatural anomalies that we were capturing on film and digital format, we never thought that our coined term "orb" would become the label used to describe these spheres of light by the entire ghost hunting community.

We created the Orb Theory based on the findings of our field investigations and through our research. We discovered that an orb represented the soul of a departed person. The soul being the essence of who they were in life, complete with their intelligence, their emotions and their personality. The orb or sphere is common in our every day lives. The earth and moon are spheres. Our blood cells are sphere shaped."

So if they're not all dust, pollen, moisture or bugs how do we tell which ones are real or, at least, which ones might be real? At NESPI when we receive a submitted photo or even one we have taken on an investigation we look for mainly for three things;

            1. Is the orb moving or stationery?

            2. Is it partially obstructed by another image in the foreground?

 A moving orb usually leaves a trail of light behind it illuminating the path it had taken. This type of orb photo is called "The String of Pearls."       

          String of Pearls Orb Photo                                    

In this photo the path clearly changes from left to right then stops directly in front of the camera. This is extremely rare. You can read more about String of Pearls photos at:  AA-EVP: Electronic Voice Phenomena and Instrumental Trans Communication

If the orb does appear to be partially hidden behind an image in the forefront such as a tree it deserves a closer look because it must be generating it's own light and is not projecting back the flash of the camera. However, this is just as rare as the photo above. As mentioned earlier most orbs appear in photographs taken with digital cameras. This is most likely why there is no orb over Aunt Bertie's head in the holiday picture from 20 years ago.  If you actually plotted the rise of orb photographs with the sales of digital cameras you would see a definite correlation. That's not to say that some of these photos don't capture and display some form of paranormal activity.

I have attempted to give you a sampling of what's going on with regards to orbs. Even the reputable groups can't totally agree as to what constitutes a "real" orb. They all do agree on one thing: ALL IS NOT TO BE BELIEVED!

In any event, the best you can say at this juncture is the jury's still out.  There's no doubt the orb photos will continue to flood the internet and we at NESPI will continue to show our own and any submitted photos as well.  But I am a little bothered by the notion that when my time comes all I have to look forward to is becoming a tiny bubble of light.  I was hoping for whole lot more!

Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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Pursuing the Paranormal

Closer Than You Think!

A few years after my office initiation into electronic voice phenomena I found myself recording at least 2 times a day, every day and with some limited success. One night, in my office, I decided to ask if the spirits or entities that were answering me on a regular basis, were, in fact, present with me in the room or was I in contact with another location all together. So I asked "Where are you?" On playback, came the almost immediate response as a soft whisper "Closer, than you think!"

Early on my wife used to go with me to the cemeteries. Neither of us really knew what we were doing. It was all trial and error. Somehow, I found my way to Tom & Lisa Butler at the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (http://www.aaevp.com/), who not only inspired me but were always there to answer questions and offer advice. Anyway, my wife, Ann, and I headed out one evening to the Dennis Cemetery right on Route 6A. We'd been there the night before and as Ann's Grandmother is buried there, she was asking "Can anyone help me find my Grandmother's stone?" "Is anyone here?", "What is your name?" On playback you could clearly hear a child saying "Grandma." So, this night, on our return trip, Ann was asking "We're trying to reach the little girl who's helping me find my Grandmother's stone." "What is your name?"  Again, back to the house and on playback is a ticked off little voice that says "I'm not a little girl!" Okay, next night we go back and after an apology is offered, Ann asks "We'd like to hear from the little boy whose helping me find my Grandmother's stone. What is your name?"  On playback we hear a very polite but stern adult, male voice which states "The child is not at liberty to divulge his name." So now we know:

1. There exists some type of structured organization, which includes within itself, a guardian or overseer type of arrangement. Does this exist for the protection of the children or could it possibly extend to everyone?
2. This organization is obviously constructed of rules and one of them involves not giving out names. Again, just children?

By the way, two stones away from Ann's Grandmother's stone is the grave of a young boy named "Herbie". 

There's one more thing I'd like to mention that has bothered me for years. Doing EVP work at cemeteries you tend to get a lot of the same replies over and over; "Who are you?" "Go away", "I'm cold", etc... Now with all the really ancient graves on Cape Cod and many go back to the late 1600's, only once have I received "Who art thou?" Why wouldn't there be more of the old English. Every EVP, with the exception of this one, uses common vernacular. Could it be that we do move on after some time?  

These experiences, as well as dozens since, have led me to the conclusion that spirits, ghosts, entities, or whatever you choose to call them, are everywhere. I don't believe we are ever really alone. They are in our houses, in our places of work and probably even our cars! If you want to go ghost hunting, you won't have to travel very far. While an evening visit to the cemetery does add something to the whole experience, you can be just as successful in a school yard or your backyard. But I recommend the graveyard, especially for the beginner, and to help you along there is a terrific website on Cape Cod cemeteries and stones at http://www.capecodgravestones.com/. You'll find a listing of all the cemeteries as well as interesting facts like:

• Twenty Nine Thousand Names with Gravestone Inscription Details
• Less than twenty 17th century gravestones, about 3700 18th century gravestones and over 24000 19th century gravestones are included for the fifteen towns of Barnstable County. More gravestone records after 1860 up to 1900 are being added as an ongoing project.
• Note that only about 2600 of the previously recorded 3700 18th century gravestones existed as of 2000. About 1000 18th century gravestones were lost in the hundred years between 1900 and 2000.

If you are truly interested in giving it a try go to our website. You will also find that many paranormal investigators, including myself, say a little prayer for protection upon entering and departing the cemetery. Even if you're not very religious it can't hurt! 

 Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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PURSUING THE PARANORMAL

Dave Sircom

Cape Cod Ghost hunter

 INSTRUMENTAL TRANSCOMMUNICATION / ITC

 By now most everyone, even with just an inkling of curiosity regarding ghosts or the paranormal, has heard about EVP.  Electronic Voice Phenomenon is the capturing of the voices of the unseen on magnetic tape or digitally.  The Michael Keaton movie White Noise brought EVP to the limelight and gave many people their first look at it.  But what most people don't know is that EVP stems from a larger category of paranormal investigation called Instrumental TransCommunication or ITC.  Since EVP has become the known and accepted term, for capturing voice, ITC has become the term associated with the methods used to capture images of the paranormal or supernatural using a video camera and or computer.  These images are usually of deceased human beings or landscapes.                                                                         

This picture was taken in Las Vegas, Nevada and originally published in the October 1995 National Spiritualist Summit magazine. You can see a little boy taking his first steps. The picture was taken by the boy's mother who is also the sister of the lady whose upper portion of her face is visible on the turned off television screen.

A confirming point to this is that it is reasonable for the deceased sister to "show up" for the boy's first step. The face was not visible when the picture was taken.   Reprinted from AAEVP http://www.aaevp.com/

Please Note: We have recently had a complaint that this picture must be a fake because the camera is aimed more at the TV than at the boy--odd for such an important event in the Boy's life.  We, as a matter of fact, are more interested in the face on the TV than the boy and have cropped the original picture, which was indeed, centered on the boy.

Also, it is an interesting characteristic of phenomenal faces in all forms, that the bottom of the face is frequently obscured in some way.  It is important that you do not let your natural suspicions keep you from the opportunity to learn about these phenomena.

At the New England Society of Paranormal Investigators we have just begun experimenting heavily in the area of ITC.  We not only hold ITC workshops for NESPI researchers but have integrated the technique into our on-site investigations as well.  This also  raises an interesting point.  Many paranormal researchers, such as myself, are skeptics at heart but retain an open mind and were attracted to EVP work because it seemed like such an objective, empirical type of research. This appeared to be the type of research that anyone could do and obtain some result and then someone else could repeat the exact steps with the exact equipment and recreate the exact circumstances and obtain the same results.  Unfortunately,  it doesn't seem to be working out that way.  I have met many different people attempting the collection of EVPs.  Some are far more successful than others. The ones that are the most successful are those who have the ability to clear their minds and then strongly focus on contacting an unseen presence. In other words, the observer does affect the experiment merely by viewing it. I know those of you who understand quantum physics are saying "Happens all the time down here." But for those of us dealing with the Newtonian laws in the big world, I find this a bit troubling and don't really want to believe it.

In the world of ITC research one name jumps out and that is Klaus Schreiber. It all started on September 30, 1985 when he caught the first known paranormal image on video.

  Klaus Schreiber, the first to
 receive clear images from spirit.

He is responsible for the Schreiber Technique which is widely used in ITC research and the one we use at the New England Society of Paranormal Investigators. For more information on Klaus Schreiber go to http://www.worlditc.org/

The photo on the left is of Abbott Alois Wiesinger in Cistercian Monastery in Austria prior to his death in 1955.  The photo on the right was an image captured by Klaus Schreiber on March 14th, 1987.

                                                    THE SCHREIBER TECHNIQUE

                                                Procedure according to Klaus Schreiber

The UHF output of a video recorder (3) is in the usual way connected to a TV set (4) in such manner that a good picture is received when playing a tape carrying a recording (colour regulator at TV set on zero position). Then a video camera (1) is - via a special video amplifier (2) - connected to the video input of the recorder (3). The microphone incorporated in the camera is - via an audio amplifier in the video amplifier (2) - also lead to the video recorder. A separate microphone (7) with pre-amplifier (8) may be used as well (ill. 1).  Via the recorder, the camera now delivers a picture which the TV set represents. Now the camera is directed onto the screen and on a print (temporarily) fixed on the screen for sharp camera adjustment. Now the camera "sees" on the screen the picture recorded by it like a picture visible on two mirrors placed one opposite to the other. The room is not made dark. Regular, not too light, reflections on the screen's glass surface are mostly useful for the formation of an image. Initially one should see the screen on the screen, again and again, till arriving at a bright point.

  Karin Schreiber (left video ITC picture, right photo taken during her lifetime)

Klaus Schreiber describes his video recordings as follows:

Properly speaking, my video recordings have nothing to do with television as we known it. I use a simple re-recording set VP 100, which I connect only to my TV camera. This set is absolutely unable to record any TV broadcastings, because it is only connected with the camera by a re-recording cable. It has no receiver for television recordings, reason for which no broadcastings can drop in. With this set, connected with the TV camera and a television set connected only to the mains supply, I look through my camera - via the reflections - on the screen. A retroaction produces which, by the camera's zoom, leads to these images.

My interlocutors in the Beyond communicated these details to me. My reproducible magnetic-tape voice recordings furnish the proof for it. I myself would never have been able to find this way and to understand it. For laymen the whole appears confusing, but as soon as one has understood the correlations, it is nevertheless easy.

While ITC's future seems bright by way of attracting new researchers and is an exciting area of investigation it is has proven far more difficult to get any results as compared to Electronic Voice Phenomena which has a much higher success rate. For additional reading see:

www.aaevp.com 

www.worlditc.org

Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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Electronic Voice Phenomena: An Interesting Case / Maureen

Recently, a woman who we'll call Maureen, informed me that she was receiving unintelligible but disturbing messages on her home answering machine. Sometimes there would just be dead air with loud electrical cracking and popping sounds in the background.  Other times she could make out a male voice too weak to be understood as it was buried in the background noise.  She went on to tell me that her nephew had been killed two weeks earlier in an accident and she thought  it might be him trying to "come through" and contact her as they were very close.  She really stressed the fact that nothing even remotely resembling this had ever happenned to her in the past.  She had also contacted the phone company and there was no problem with the line. With a little research she had gotten my name from the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena and would I help her.

This is a fairly common occurrence with answering machines and far from the first one I've handled. It is a form of Electronic Voice Phenomenon or EVP which is the capturing of the voices of spirits or entities on tape or digitally. My problem is that I don't believe EVP should be used in the bereavement process. At least, not yet.  Until such time as a machine like Frank's Box  actually works, there's no way to have a meaningful relationship with a deceased love one. The best we can hope for are messages in the vein of "I'm okay", or "Don't worry about me." We can get a sense of peace and some closure. 

Maureen also told me the calls come at different times and on different days during the week. She was so unnerved that she would erase the call immediately as she hung up. I instructed her to sit by the phone and place her hand on it. When she felt relaxed pick it up and state into the phone, out loud three times, that she would only take the calls on Wednesdays at 7:00PM as the kids would be out with her husband and she would not be disturbed.  I had no idea whether this would work or not but it has been my experience that you can actually make an appointment. I also told her to get a digital recorder as her answering machine used magnetic tape. So, now it's Sunday afternoon and we have to wait until Wednesday. Maureen promises to call me as soon as she receives the next call.  Finally, 7:00PM Wednesday rolls around and no call, 8:00 PM and no call, 9:00 PM and no call. I'm ready to call it a day when my phone rings at 9:30PM. It's a very excited Maureen who reports she just got the call and recorded the entire 55 second message onto a digital recorder and was emailing it to me tonight. I think I was more excited than she was.

Now, the real work begins. It's always best to work with EVP when fully rested but I just couldn't wait. Either could Maureen.

I loaded the .wav file onto Cool Edit and saved the initial copy then played the raw copy. I've developed a pretty good ear over the years but I could not make out a single word that sounded intelligible to me. I'll save you the boring details about peeling the sound back like an onion, noise reduction, hiss reduction, notch filters, etc...

I worked on this file constantly. I tried a different arrangement of editing techniques, pass filters, modulation, Graphic Equalizers; you name it until on Friday afternoon I could clearly make out the very first word "Maureen...." The rest was just a deep male guttural growling sound with no recognizable speech patterns. I felt defeated. I emailed the "cleaned" file back to Maureen along with an apology for my failure but that I would be happy to try again when she received her next call.

I probably got about six steps out of my office when the phone rang. It's Maureen, and she's so excited she can barely talk. "It's my Father; it's my Father", "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you..." I calmed her down a little and asked how she could tell and she said her deceased father was a German immigrant and he knew a little English but was only comfortable speaking in German and it was definitely his voice. Apparently, Maureen and her sister weren't getting along due to some incident that happened between them quite a while ago and as such, were not speaking to each other as they could not get past their differences even with the death of her sister's son. The message from Dad was for Maureen to take the high road and make up with her sister and help her through this terrible time and that the sister truly needed Maureen. She did and some time later played the message from their father for her sister. They have remained close ever since.

Well, maybe there is a small place for EVP in bereavement after all!   

Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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The Ghost is in the Chimney!

The first thing that happens after the initial call comes into the Massachusetts Paranormal Institute is an interview takes place between the client and a MPI Case Manager. One of the most common occurrences reported as part of a paranormal disturbance to our Case Managers is the "closing or slamming door."  It doesn't seem to matter whether the structure is old or new. 

In the newer structure, and by newer I mean post 1970, there has been a overwhelming trend, fueled by high energy costs, to "seal up" houses making them as tight as possible to prevent heat and/or air conditioning from escaping and maximizing the energy dollar.  The flip side of this is the creation of Negative Air Pressure.  When you consider all the appliances in the home that vent air and oxygen to the outside; gas water heater, furnace, stoves (wood, gas & coal) vented range hoods, chimneys, etc... you get the idea, the realization comes that there are far more avenues for air and oxygen to exit the interior of the structure than to enter it. This causes negative air pressure. When the house has expended more air than has entered, it needs to "take a breath". Where and how does this happen? As a down draught in the chimney or puff back.  Negative Air Pressure has been the cause of many a slammed door and the origin of many a roving cold spot, but not all!
 
This phenomenon applies to investigations in older homes as well. Here on the Cape we have no shortage of vintage homes dating well back into the 1700's. The New England Society of Paranormal Investigators has investigated quite a few and most are not as "air tight" as the more modern homes. In fact, some are down right draughty.  Now, when the wind blows outside it can actually suck the air out of a draughty house causing doors to open or close and cold spots to fly through a room or up the stairs. Many of these older homes have original doors which tend to sit loosely in the door frame. These can rattle in the frame, if latched, causing the appearance of someone or something attempting to open the door. At night this can be very unnerving to the occupant especially if they are in bed! These kinds of draughts can help explain other symptoms of a haunted house as well.

A year ago we did an investigation in a small cottage which was a furnished winter rental in Centerville. The tenants, who we'll call Jim and Susan, reported the bedroom door rattling and a loud party could be heard just outside but upon investigation no one was there. What really bothered them, though, was that their 4 year old son, Steve, was continuously complaining that someone was waking him up during the night. He was not afraid and didn't see anything, but stated that someone was gently shaking him until he awoke. Whenever a child is involved the Massachusetts Paranormal Institute  responds immediately and we were in the house and set up that night. This building proved to be quite draughty and we were able to recreate the door rattling. However, we were not able to capture any sounds of a party that particular night. On a subsequent visit we, again, failed to capture the "party". But there was no doubt in my mind it was residual energy. We'll talk about residual energy in an upcoming blog. However, I was doing the EVP / Electronic Voice Phenomena work on the first night, and caught what sounded to me like a faint, almost imperceptible, older male voice slowly repeating the word "Bed...Bed... Bed."  I had a set of headphones on and looked over at Susan and asked if the word "bed" meant anything. I could tell by the look she immediately gave her husband that it meant something.

Apparently, when they had moved into the house they felt that Stevie's bed was too high up and he could fall onto the hardwood floor injuring himself so they purchased a small, lower, racing car style bed for him. This replaced the original bed which was dismantled and put in the storage shed. It didn't take Jim twenty minutes to move the race car bed into their room, put Stevie in it, and replace the original bed back in Stevie's room.  We stayed in touch with Jim and Susan throughout their remaining lease and they reported that Stevie slept just fine but the door still rattled and party continued!

This also points out the importance of documenting the weather conditions prior to any interior or exterior investigation.

Please remember, if you or someone you know, has a Cape Cod ghost story or is suffering as a result of a paranormal disturbance,  please contact me directly and discreetly at Dave@massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com or visit the website at http://www.massachusettsparanormalinstitute.com/  

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