Paranormal Integrity

Paranormal Integrity

The truth vs. hype. As paranormal investigators, I feel we should not be in competition with each other. I see it more and more everyday. I feel we should be one big group working together to find who or what is out there. We have a common goal and passion that we should join together to research. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will mock and ridicule us or try to make us out to be fools. And even worse, there are some in our own community. It is such a shame that we can not do what we love freely. There are places that overcharge groups to come in just to make a quick buck. I have no problem paying to investigate, when the money goes back into the building. Most of the places we go to are extremely old and falling apart. These wonderful people need this money to keep them up to code and to help restore the historical importance of these places. There are others out there who unfortunately fake evidence to drive more people to their buildings. This is a shame. Most places we frequent do not need additional "evidence", they have plenty of their own to make us happy. We must remember we are not a TV show. We don't spend several days in one place to get that 35-40 minutes of show time. It takes that long sometimes to get evidence. Sometimes you don't get anything, and that is completely fine with me. I always say "ghosts" are people too. They have feelings and sometimes they just want to be left alone.

 

Para drama. As of late there has been a ton of "para drama" out there. WHY?? Why are we fighting each other? Why are people who aren't directly involved being drug under the bus, attacked, and threatened? As I said before, this is a field many of us feel passionately about. So, how about showing some integrity? I have a friend who was hurt emotionally because of this. People in her family received personal threats. What is wrong with people? Can't we all just get along?

 

Back to the truth/hype. I understand we are in a field where there are believers and non-believers. Each side has very strong feeling on the subject. My husband and I are on different sides of the spectrum and have gotten into arguments over it. :-) There are several aspects of this field as well. We all aren't "ghost hunters". There are people who search for aliens, Bigfoot, fairies, trolls, unicorns, etc. There are people who range from having no "feelings" when things are going on to full blown medium/psychics. I have recently investigated with a true medium as well as someone whom I feel was "faking it". If you don't have it, you don't have it. It is not needed to be a paranormal investigator. Are people trying to get attention? What is the reason? I'm getting worked up over this. I want to type so much, but my personal integrity won't let me be mean to someone just for the sake of doing it. There is no point in fabricating things in a field where we can not prove without a doubt what is "real". I know it is real and you may know it is real, but take my husband for instance, he does not. He has a explanation for everything I show him. If we start faking evidence, then that puts more ammo for the other guy. They can say "Piece A was people doing it, so what is to make me believe Piece B is real?" We are here to find the truth, not just make stuff up for our own good. What does it prove if it isn't real? I will close this with a saying a member of the paranormal community likes to say, "The truth will set you free."

Book Review 2 Paranormal Phenomena

The next book on the list to do is Paranormal Phenomena Opposing Viewpoints. It does not hava an author listed. That's strange. It was published in 1997. "The difficulty lies in deciding which opinion to agree with and which "experts" seem the most credible." "Opposing Viewpoints books address this problem directly by presenting stimulating debates that can be used to ebhance and teach these skills." (9)
The introduction starts off talking about opposing viewpoints and how we all have them.
Chapter 1 is titled Is Belief in Paranormal Phenomena Unscientific? It gives a few examples of each viewpoint. Explains what happend on that perticular situtation, and what the person felt and thought was happening.
Chapter 2 is all about UFO's. The again give the opposing viewpoints on wether they are real or not. "They argue that because most UFO's can be explained as having natural causes, scientists should remain skeptical about the existence of alien spacecraft." (65) They even have 2 point of views if the Government is covering up UFO's.
Chapter 3 is about ESP. (Extrasensory perception) "While some scientist assert that ESP has definitely been proven to exist, others object that there is still no incontrovertible evidence to support such a claim." (119) Like the other chapters it gives both sides of the story.
Chapter 4 Does life after death exist? "What are we to imply from today's millions who have admittedly had a near-death experience in comparison with the less well documented thousands who had themin earlier centruies?" (161) There are stories of people who have had NDE (near death experiences) and share their stories and how they believe, then there are of course other people who have a logical explination for what these people have experienced.
At the end of the book they give key points for each chapter for further discussion. Then they have a list of organizations that deal with all of the issues mentioned in the book.
WOW, this was the dryest boring book I have ever read. I can see how it would be good for a person writing a college paper or something, but not just a normal everyday read. It does have a lot of information in it but it just seems to drag on.

We Are Their Heaven Review

I figured I would start doing book overviews/reviews. The paranormal book that I am starting with is "We Are Their Heaven" By Allison DuBois. This book was published in 2006. It is written by a medium. She was the inspiration of the TV show Medium. I have always been kinda sceptical of mediums and psychics. I just couldnt fathom how they could see and talk to the dead. After reading this book, I am a true believer. I have even contacted a local medium to do a reading for me. If she is ok with it, I will do a post about it later.
The foreward is written by the authors husband, Joe DuBois. He says, "Allison's mediumship abliity is a natural talent, a gift, some would say." (xi)(page numbers in perenthesis) He goes on talking about his wife and paying her compliments.
In the Introduction she explains what the purpose of the book is.  She explains how she believes in Heaven, but thinks that our passed loved ones' heaven is with us. Watching over and guiding us. We would be their favorite things and place to be. She says, "Parents who die still want to be there for their kids on the days they're needed most. Children who die want to see their parents, siblings, and friends laugh again and , most important, "feel" their presence and continuing love. So, yes, they have a beautiful sanctuary where everything is as it should be, but never forget that we are their heaven." (xix)
Chapter 1 is all about the loss of a child. She shares stories of a few parents who have sought out her help as well as her side of the reading as well. It is really eye opening. The things that she told these parents helped them tremendously. One of her clients said it best, "those you've lost are not gone, and you will never be alone." (45)
Chapter 2 is all about spouses. She has a few stories of people who have lost their husband or wife. She has learned a valuable lesson from these instances. "I try to remember the lessons I've learned through those who've died and those who live and miss them. When Joe rides my nerves, I take a very deep breath and I thank God for the times I've had with him and for my extraordinary daughters" (56-57) I believe this is a good lesson for us all. How many times a day do you get annoyed with someone you love? We need to remember to be thankful that they are still here with us to annoy us or get on our nerves.
Chapter 3 is all about the TV show Medium. The show is baised on the author. She says not all of the plot lines are completely true, but most are baised on her experiences. Her daughters in real life and on the show are pretty spot on. As well as her husband. She goes over some of the episodes that are based on true stories of her life. "One of the most important facets of Medium is how it shows a family learning to deal with what comes their way and how they become closer and stronger for it." (104)
Chapter 4 starts like this. "All people with intuitive gifts must learn how to comprehend signs" (121) It is all about how she deals with the gift she has and how to recognize signs all around you. Even if you aren't a medium, you can be open to seeing things around you. She talks about overwelming feelings, premonitions, and many signs that point to one thing. I have experienced some of these. I had overwelming feeling that my brother in law and a friend should not drive the night they both wrecked their vehicles on two different times. I have had dreams that play out exactly the next day. Being a paranormal investigator, I have had the feeling that someone is watching me, or following me. Just depends on how open you are to these signs.
Chapter 5 "This chapter is dedicated to all the children who miss their mom or dad" (135) It is about the loss of a parent. My husband just lost his dad to a tragic accident last week and this chapter hit home to me. This is one thing that I hope I will get answers to when I meet with the medium soon. She talks about how after her dad passed she could not see him or talk to him. She was agervated the one she wanted to see the most, she couldnt. She was on the phone with a medium friend several months later and her father passed as well and she was having the same issue. Each of their fathers went to the other medium. It was just what she needed to help move on. She now, after years later, can see and talk to her dad. He helps her when she has a perticularly hard or trying day. She again shared stories of other people she has helped.
Chapter is titled "The Hard Questions" She tells her views, opinions, and experiences with murder and suicide. She talks about how she meet with a Catholic Priest who is also a medium. Asking him about being a medium and things the Bible says. "He explained to me that there is interpertation in reading the Bible and he finds that his beliefs line up most of the time with what is written in the Bible" (196)
Chapter 8 is the final chapter in the book. It is just summing up her views and thoughts. "Although I feel very stongly about what I believe, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I share my experiences and hope they strike a chord with the people who feel that this example might be right for them. For those who haven't had my experiences, I try to be understanding. For those who condemn what I do, I try to be tolerant, knowing that I feel sorry for them in many ways." (206) "There will always be people who share my beliefs and other who will criticize both who I am and what I do. Guess what? It's okay. It's all a part of life." (209)

Wow, what a book. I loved this book. I wasn't a huge believer in mediums before but after talking to a friend who is a close friend with a medium and hearing their stories and reading this book, I can now say I am a believer. I hope everyone picks up this book and reads it yourself. It is not a long book, quick easy read. You can tell how much she cares about others and helping people deal with the loss of their loved ones.
Have any good paranormal books you think I should check out? Post it in the comments or send us an email at riverbendparanormal@yahoo.com

Here is link to buy her book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0743291123/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

And a link to the author's website
http://www.allisondubois.com

James J. Eldred House

James J. Eldred House

The James J. Eldred House is beautiful stone building in Eldred, IL. It has an interesting story and history. I only hope with all the recent and upcoming exposure show that great things are to come to this house. Lets take a little look into the history of the James J. Eldred House.

History
The Eldred Family had several kings in the eighth and ninth centuries. All the way to 1600’s. The Eldred family made a name for themselves in England. There was even a monument to the memory of John Eldred erected by his son Revett which includes a bust with a mural tablet.
It is not known why the Eldreds moved to North America, but their sacrifice helped shape the heritage and history of the East coast, Greene county Illinois, and beyond. In 1861 this iconic house was finished being built. It was an amazing 23 room house. Shortly after, tragedy hit his family. All three Eldred daughters died at home: Alma at age 4 in 1861, Alice at 17 in 1870, and Eva at 17 in 1876 all from tuberculosis. In 1883 a 38 year-old cousin named Albon E. Wilson purchased the house due to debts the Eldred family had occurred after the tragedy of their children’s deaths. It was then sold to Robert H. Levis of Godfrey, IL in 1936.
After three years of negotiations, a non profit organization, The Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association (IVCHA), was granted custodianship of the house in June, 1995. IVCHA hoped to restore the house and use it for a visitor’s center for the area. By the time Bluffdale Farms (Levis family) donated the property, the building was in disrepair but the structure itself was sound.
To read more in detail about the Eldred family please visit their website. This short history was summarized from their history page.
I was also told that a traveling saleman stopped to see the Eldreds and was not feeling well. The Eldreds allowed him to spend the night at the home and was found dead the next morning. He is thought to be be buried in the back of the lot of the home. 

Shows that have featured the house
On April 14th, 2012 the Alton, IL paranormal show "Voices From Beyond" featured the Eldred House. You can see the show HERE. In the show you will be able to hear Kelly Davis talk about the history of the house and her experiences. Also get a little look around the house.

On June 2nd, 2012 My Ghost Story on the BIO channel did a show featuring the Eldred House. You can watch it here. HERE. It is episode 35. You will get to see a few pieces of evidence caught in the house.

It has also been featured on Illinois stories tv show with Mark McDonald. Website, and in a 2010 edition of Haunted Times magazine. Website.

Upcoming Events/Information
Check back the last week of June for an Exciting announcement about a special event that will be going on at the Eldred House!! I will have all the details for you. You are in for a special treat!!
They are going "Mainstreets" this year for Greene County Day's Sept 8th -10th. Part of this will be an at the James J Eldred House. This will be your chance to walk through the house and surrounding properties. You can click HERE for more informaton. Of course the IVCHA (Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association) is always taking donations to help the renovation of the house as well as volunteers and new members. You may contact them at their website or on their facebook page. Any and all donations of your time or monetary kinds are greatly appreciated and put to good use.

Paranormal The house has claims from being touched, footsteps, knAocking, rocks being thrown, apparitions, audible voices, and also claims of hearing Native American drumming, and apparitions. Certinly a treat to the paranormal community.

Our team investigated here last week and we were not disappointed. Below is a video of our investigation. 

Our evidence will be posted on our website very soon. Please check back for more evidence. For the moment you can see this thermal video Robbin Terry caught while we were there. We are not claiming it to be paranormal just incredibly interesting. What do you think??                                             

If you are a paranormal team and want a chance to investigate the Eldred House you can schedule an appointment on their website. If you are not in a team but would still like a chace to investigate this home you can visit BumpInTheNight and join them on one of their overnights.

Impressions on the House
I have been to Eldred House numerous times, both on private and public investigations. There have been many personal experiences in the home and on the grounds. I do believe the place is very active for haunted investigations and would suggest people check it out. On a recent trip to Eldred I was able to capture a couple of interesting shots on thermal camera. Many people experience rocks being thrown at them, touched or pushed, doors open and close, and much more.
~Robbin Terry

The house is always warm and inviting. I truly think the spirts there are happy there not being ignored any longer and Are eager to interact
~Loren Hamilton

I think it's an very cool old house and after being there twice I think there is paranormal activity there. There were rocks being thrown. In an upstairs bedroom Bobbi asked something to throw a rock at me. Right after that, a rock actually landed in the middle of all of us, close to me. Bobbi said she saw the rock come off of the ground and fly in my direction. In the kitchen, rocks were also being thrown, I'm not sure from where but they would land in the center of the room near a bucket. I also experianced cold spots, more like a low swirling breeze in an upstairs bedroom. I also thought I saw shadows near the edge of the yard when I was sitting outside.
~Eric Bequette


If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us and we can get you in contact with the correct person or you can contact them directly. I also wanted to post this picture I found on flickr. The sign says "This Place Matters" We often forget that the founding houses and buildings do matter in our future. They are often found decrepit and worn. It is the great giving people who take interest in them and fix them up that are keeping some history in our future.

Links
Website http://www.eldredhouse.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheEldredHouse
Voices From Beyond Show http://www.riverbender.com/video/details.cfm?id=1315
My Ghost Story Show http://www.biography.com/tv/my-ghost-story/videos 
"Mainstreets" Information http://www.eldredhouse.com/index_files/GreeneCountyMainstreet.htm

Bump in the Night http://www.bumpinthenight.net/

Paranormal TV

Paranormal TV shows                       Segment 23

There has been an explosion of shows on TV dealing with the paranormal. There are good things associated with their popularity. It's making paranormal investigations more acceptable. Those of us who are paranormal investigators are not seen as kooks anymore. But in the same breathe when are they considered a bad influence on our profession as a whole?
In the begging of several shows, they seemed like a real group that went out and investigated because that is what they enjoy. After time went on and “Hollywood” came into play everything seems so fake. Not everything is paranormal. If you have to be told 3 times what the EVP said, throw it out. Not a good EVP. And don’t even get me started on orbs!! YOU ARE WALKING AROUND IN A OLD DIRTY BUILDING! You are going to kick up dust!! There are some better than others, but they are still interesting none the less.
We recently got to bring in “everyday” people for an investigation with us. Because of the TV shows we all watch, they were expecting to see something or hear something from the moment they walked in the door. It just doesn’t happen like that. Paranormal Investigations are normally pretty dull. We sit on dirty floors talking to ourselves, hoping for a response. On the shows take an 8-10 hour investigation and condince it into a 35-40 minute show. It is always interesting that way. Espically when you have 10 min of history 5 minutes of setting up, then another 5-10 minutes of evidence review. So that leaves you with 15-20 minutes of their 8-10 hour investigation.
There are some pretty good movies made, but we always have to remember they have Hollywood effects on them. Not the way we see them in the real world.
When watching anything on TV you always have to remind yourselves “it is just tv.”

Ghost follow you home? or from home to home?

Can Ghosts follow you home from an investigation or from home to home?                Segment 22

If you are like most of the members in our team, we believe that a ghost is the same as you and me. They still have feelings and beliefs. As a general rule, people do not go around following others. Or “breaking” into strangers houses. (of course some do, but that is a different story for another day!) Most spirits seem to be drawn to or attached to a building or area. They will remain there regardless of who is living there. Some of the occupants will know there is a spirit present and others, who are less sensitive, will not. The location could have been the spirits home, a favorite place or the scene of it's death.
There are a few exceptions to this, deceased relatives may return to visit the living and they are not bound by location. Even an earthbound relative who has remained here for reasons that link it to a living relative may follow that person. Spirits of close friends also fall into this category.
People who are sensitive to spirits may have encounters in different location. Often these people assume that the first place they lived was haunted and the spirits have followed them to a new home. What may be happening is that the person is sensitive to spirits and they are now seeing new spirits in this new location. Many people are unaware that they are sensitive and just assume that these places are haunted. Spirits are everywhere, and they are drawn to people who are sensitive to them.
Spirits can also be attached to objects. It could be a favorite chair, family heirloom, anything that person valued greatly in life. Antique dealers often come across items that people claim are haunted. If the spirit in your home is attached to an object and you take that object with you when you move, the spirit comes along too.
I have had experiences where one place in particular we investigate, every time we go there, I always seem to have a huge burst in activity around my house for the next day or two. I normally do not have anything in my home. We have also had other members have things happen after leaving this same place. So, the question is, it is something with this particular investigation spot that just amps it up when we get home, or does something attach itselves to us and come home with us? Then, where does it go when it leaves? Does it leave? I just don’t understand. What do you think?

Shadow People

Shadow People    Informational Segment 21

Shadow people are shadowy, silhouettes of human forms seen mostly at night, and are the most common form of ghost apparition people see. Shadow people seem to typically flee in the presence of people in physical bodies, especially if they realize they have been seen, and are reportedly viewed primarily out of the corner of one’s eye. Shadow people are not bound by walls or physical obstacles, as they may choose to move through them, while strangely, other shadow people seem to believe they have to go around physical objects.

What are they really? I don’t thin anyone knows. Some spectics think it is just your imagination,

Other than the naked eye, you can be lucky to catch shadow people with video and still cameras. In my experience, it is very rare to catch something on film (digital, whatever you use). You always have to watch that you aren’t inadverteley causing the shadow person with your flashes or IR lights. It can be easily done.
I found this website while doing some research. They have tons of stories from real people telling their shadow experiences. Neat to read.

Here is an example of 2 shadow people being caught in a picture. Our group did not take this picture. I found it on the internet for an example.

 Remember, you have to use your best judgement to know if they are real or faked. Unfortunately there are some unsavory people out there that think it is funny to fake anything paranormal.  What is your opinion?our eyes seeing things in a fraction of a second that aren't really there - illusions... real shadows caused by passing auto headlights, or some similar explanation. And without a doubt, these explanations probably can account for some if not many experiences. The human eye and mind are easily fooled. But that isn’t always the case. Ghosts? Could be, but when you see a appariton of a ghost they are normally white mists or you can see clothing or distince facical features. Shadow beings are much darker and more shadow-like. In general, although the shadow people often do have a human outline or shape, because they are dark, the details of their appearance is lacking. Some have also claimed to see red eyes in shadow people. Another option would be to call them demonic. It would explain the darkness and possible red eyes. They are often reported in darker, scarier areas of the haunted places. I guess we will never know the truth.http://www.shadowpeople.org/ http://s2.hubimg.com/u/3279389_f520.jpg

Ovilus

Ovilus: What is it? Does it work?                                 Segment 20

The Ovilus is an instrument that was designed to interpret different energies that it assimilates into words. It will begin to speak using environmental energy to repeat words from the 512 word dictionary. So if you are using the Ovilus at an investigation and notice that it uses some words over and over that is because it is picking up the same energy that is being translated into that word. It doesn’t mean that it is using the word randomly. Then as you ask questions listen to the response. Filter out the common words that it is using over and over and listen for more specific words that may relate to your investigation.

The Ovilus is one of many paranormal field experimental devices created by Bill Chappell, a retired electronics engineer and the founder of the digitaldowsing.com website. He states the device works by measuring changes in the “environmental” energy fields around it. It modulates the energy changes into audible speech using a synthesizer chip, an extensive English word dictionary, and a function that phonetically sounds out words. Mr. Chappell calls this process ECM or “Environmental Communications Mode” and states his devices do not employ any arbitrary techniques to produce results such as random generation, sweep functioning, or programmed algorithms.

The Ovilus is a small, lightweight device that is portable enough to be taken anywhere during an investigation. It is powered by a 9-volt battery and has two audio-out jacks so headphones, external speakers, or audio recorders can be used simultaneously with the device. The Ovilus also features a bright array of LED lights to graphically display various readings, a feature useful for low light use.
The device has seven modes of operation. It includes a dictionary mode containing 512 stored words, phonetic mode (sounds out words by syllable), a combination mode (both dictionary words and phonetics) and a “yes” or “no” mode. It also features an electromagnetic field (EMF) mode that verbally outputs EMF levels in milligauss, a level mode that only graphically displays EMF levels, and a dowsing mode that simulates virtual dowsing rods.

Due to the random nature of the replies, many paranormal research groups have stopped using the Ovilus because too much is left to chance. It is posited that you could pull random words out of a hat and get the same response as what comes out of the Ovilus. In our groups experience it just says to many random things. How do you know when it is a real responce or some electrical current flowing through a near wall?? Don't feel it is reliable enough.