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GHOSTHUNTMG TERMS:Orbs - Globes of light, most often seen in still photography, believed to represent spirits. EMF - Electro-magnetic field, possibly created by presence of a spirit. EVP - Electronic voice phenomena: Words or phrases communicated by ghosts through the manipulation of the static in an audio recording.Ghostbox or Frank’s bon: A radio that is modified to scan stations continuously. Spirits are supposed Id be able to anticipate the next scan and accentuate part of what is said on the air to communicate a message.Ectoplasm: An unidentified substance associated with the formation of ghosts. -'¥Clockwise from top: Ghosthunter Tony Lewis demonstrates an electromagnetic field detector Tuesday in Brunswick; Lewis with David Hopkins during a recent investigation (note the orb in the photo between them); Lewis displays some of the digital audio recorders he uses to try to capture paranormal sounds during investigations with Maine Ghosthunters; Ghosthunlers Kathy McKechnie and lewis talk about their experiences Tuesday in Brunswick.Story by Kristen Schulze Muszynski Photos by John Swinconeck“If people hase something ward going on that they want to have explained or looked at, we’re willing to do that We’re here to help people.”Brian Coton,Seocoast 'Paranormal' Research Group memberSouf searchingJ0aranormaf investigators fooR for proof of existence 6eyon§ the grcroeUnexplained events, noises and feelings can lead one to believe their house or business is haunted, hut it can be a challenge getting proof. That’s where the ghosthunters come in - groups that do 'their 'best to prove or 'disprove the existence of the supernatural, fulfilling their curiosity n the process. Armed with voice recorders, digital cameras and other gear, these searchers, often accompanied by mediums or psychics, try to contact something that no one can see. Their investigations may or may not involve some sort of encounter, but the real detective work begins when they get home and begin to review the hours of data.Today’s ghosthunters aren’t giddy teens looking for a spooky experience - they’re adults who try to be as scientific as possible, hoping to come away with irrefutable proof of .ghosts* existence' - and maybe set a homeowner’s 'mind at 'ease' in the process.“We want to be taken seriously by our peers,” said Kathy McKechnie of Bowdoinham, one of the founders of the statewide group Maine Ghosthunters.Along with her husband, Tony Lewis, and spiritualist brother-in-law David Hopkins, McKcctinie started Maine Ghosthunters nearly a y ear ago. She’s been interested in ghosts since her childhood and has studied extensively on the topic. Starting the group, which has an active online forum, was the natural next step, she said.It’s the research and experience that qualifies select members of the group to do investigations, they said, as well as their objectivity when reviewing evidence.“Nobody’s an expert,” said McKechnie. “If they were, we wouldn’t still be searching for proof.”At haunted places, spirits make themselves evident in a short period of time, said McKechnie. That doesn’t always mean a lot of action during the hunt, but often evidence is visible in the recordings and photographs,“A lot of' times 'the investigations tend to be really boring,” said Brian Caton of Lebanon, an investigator with the Seacoast Paranormal Research Group in New Hampshire.Tedious review of the data can reveal electronic voice phenomena -words or phrases that may not have been heard at the time. The EVPs are often nearly indistinguishable, buried in a bed of static, and are often open to interpretation. Photos and video may reveal ectoplasm, mist or shadow figures that were missed during the hunt.In one investigation, Lewis said he was detecting strong electro-magnetic field readings in one spot at the corner of a 'bed - the same place that Hopkins, a psychic, said he could feel a presence. They didn't see anything, but when McKechnie developed a photograph of the two taking a reading at the scene, an orb was visible between them. (See photo below.)McKechnie said she was excited to find the orb in the photo, but Lewissaid “orbs can be frustrating” because they can be dismissed as dust or moisture on the lens, out of focus and reflecting the light of the flash.Paranormal investigator Andy Kitt, a founder of the Seacoast .group, is one who discounts orbs. Like the Maine Ghosthunters, he also rejects any subjective evidence, such as feelings or a medium's perceptions. The spiritualists mostly help with camera placement, citing areas that they feel will have activity, said Caton.“It’s neat when you go in and you just know 'something’s there, said 'Kitt,.but “we look for people whose first instinct is ‘Okay, what really caused this?”’The mediums and the evidence often work to confirm each other, however.“I don’t want to sound crazy when I say I’m feeling something, said Hopkins, “and to have (the evidence) validate it, I can say, ‘Hey, I’m not crazy.'”For Kitt, the best evidence he’s encountered was two glowing lights in a mirror at the Central Wave bar in Dover, N.H.“It was physically impossible tor that light to be there, said Kitt Despite three return visits and laser experiments to reproduce the light, the group’s 12 investigators couldn’t explain the phenomenon, he said.To maintain their credibility, debunking is a major part of theSee GhostsPage C3
Newspaper Details
Journal Tribune
Biddeford, Maine, US
Sat, Oct 25, 2008
Page 25
Full Page
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USA 09 Jan 2024
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