Antietam Paranormal Society

I love reading everything I can find on Psychic Mediums and developing abilities. While I haven't blogged about that part of my paranormal journey I will say it straight, I have been developing my abilities for over 12 years. That, readers, is another blog for another day. I picked this book up at Wonder Book and Video like I do with many of my intellectually stimulating finds. It's kismet every time I meet a book friend there. This day was no different, I just found it and immediately clutched it in my hands ready to dive in. Psychic Intelligence: Tune In and Discover the Power of Your Intuition was written by Terry and Linda Jamison. The Twin Psychics have a unique vantage because, well, they are twins. Twins that both have very similar abilities. Their story isn't just about that unique quality, they really went through a lot of shadow to find their light. It always interests me to hear about the catalysts for when a spiritual awakening begins and the development of our ...

One of the most important parts of any paranormal investigation is revisiting an area for the purpose of attempting to debunk paranormal claims. During the initial stages of our investigations we do interviews with the client and others who have experienced paranormal phenomena in the location. These interviews will involve a predetermined list of questions we always use, then we build on them as we get more information. In most cases we get more detailed information regarding what is occurring in the location and we use this information to try to debunk the experiences. While some may say that by attempting to debunk the claims, we may seem like we don't believe the client, but that is the furthest from the truth. When you are a investigator or researcher, you are attempting to find the truth to any situation and in most cases the simplest explanation is the right one. If we can debunk the claim, it means that we can assuage the fears of the client for that experience and it may c...

You're going to find that I will post blogs on things I have shared on other social media sites or blogs I have done previously. I do this because it used to be where I put all my interests, and I am transitioning over to this blog. I currently write a lot of these blogs and posts specifically for my team Antietam Paranormal Society, but if you met with our team you'd know we all feel this way. Through the years I found that instead of getting angry on social media, it was better to educate and share constructive ways to move forward as a paranormal investigator or researcher. Every once in a while you just have to let it out. I will call this series (because I am sure I will have a few on this blog over time) I personally have investigated the paranormal for over 14 years; I have been a lead investigator and a Case Manager in that time. I have done many different types of investigations from homes, to businesses, to historical locations, to outdoor locations. In the past we we...

Paranormal investigation and research for me straddles a line of logic and intuition. I firmly believe that my call to investigate the paranormal was in preparation for the spiritual journey that I was destined to face. My spiritual journey has enlightened me on the more metaphysical part of the paranormal and in turn has opened a doorway of understanding that I would have never had before. While I would love to share all of it, I am only addressing the spiritual protection that you may need to do paranormal investigation or if you are dealing with the paranormal. GET RIGHT WITH YOUR BODY AND MIND I cannot express enough that if your physical, emotional, and mental energy are not up to snuff; you need to stay ho me. The a ura is an energy field that radiates out from our bodies and each layer of the aura represents different parts of us. If our energy is out there and can be read by other energetic beings; they may be attracted to us or they may be repelled by us. Think of the things y...

Cell phones, the zombie apocalypse of our time. You can't leave home without it and it's the Swiss Army Knife of technology. We have it at all times and honestly there is no changing that, but when it comes to the investigation? Leave it at your "base command" if at all possible. Recently I posted the unpopular opinion on Facebook that cell phones don't belong on paranormal investigations and the responses show that the perspective of phones aren't considered fully. (Boy was it a doozy of a response!) Here are some things to consider: *If you are in a small location where you are not walking far from your "base" and you have investigators watching during your session, leave it at "base command". Depending on where your base is you may want to turn it on Airplane mode in case it interferes with cameras or other equipment. If you do not put it in Airplane mode, silence it and do not leave it on vibrate. Remember that the vibration has a sound...

One of the most asked questions we get is "What do you do?". While this question can be answered in many ways, we know that many people just want to know what we do on our investigations. I wrote up a description years ago that I shared on Facebook and this blog includes a lot of that information. Each paragraph represents a step, stage, or just a little tid bit of information about how Antietam Paranormal Society approaches investigations. While ghosts and spirits know no time, A.P.S. investigates during the evening and night hours. Our decision to do our investigations in this time is due to our members availability and the decreased contamination during the night hours. When we first arrive at a location we like to take the team on a walk through so that they have a good lay of the land so to speak. We are able to point out camera/ voice recorder locations and familiarize them with any hot spots or safety hazards. Once this is complete our members break off into teams: equ...

Photography in paranormal investigation and ghost hunting can be a tricky endeavor. It may seem like it's a cut and dry piece of evidence of the paranormal when you get an anomaly, especially if you didn't note it when you took the picture, but many of these photographs have explanations that are not readily available to the layman.  I plan to give a more detailed blog for learning more about how cameras work but this blog is fashioned after the meme that has gone viral several times (see left). When you learn photography or you learn how to use a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) in manual mode, there are many different settings that can alter the quality or even alter the frame for more creative images. The main component to these settings is the Exposure Triangle. Each of these three controls on the triangle work together to make sure the photograph has enough light for proper exposure. When one is changed for a specific reason, another must be adjusted. The Shutter Speed is...

The paranormal field is a broad spectrum of categories of supernatural phenomena. While our particular team focuses on hauntings, ghosts, and other entities; there are also cryptids, aliens, and UFOs. This blog is specifically geared toward things that may be present in a haunting or are manifestations of spirits. I would be remiss if I didn't state up front that many things on this list can be debunked and should always be investigated to determine if the percipient misinterpreted those natural events. TEMPERATURE CHANGES Some paranormal investigators and percipients (people who experience the phenomena) describe the presence of a spirit as a rapid decrease in temperature, where a warm room suddenly becomes ice cold. These cold spots, drafts, breezes, or temperature changes should be documented with a good ambient thermometer that measures the air, not surfaces. Drafts or breezes can be checked with a draft detector or a thermometer before and during the investigation to determine...

The main concept of unity in the paranormal field is to work together for the common goal of paranormal research or to come together to further the body of knowledge of the paranormal. Some things you may expect to see when individuals are practicing paranormal unity are collaborating on investigations, discussing paranormal theories, sharing evidence, discussing current or created paranormal equipment, sharing resources, mentorship, and more. I have often thought that there really didn't need to be a term to do these things when we have common goals, but that's where I feel the term can cross a line.  Paranormal Unity or Paranormal Just-Get-Along? That is the question. Years ago, I think it was 2011, two individuals that by definition I practiced paranormal unity with; got angry with me. We had a discussion about this up and coming term "paranormal unity", because it gave me the warm fuzzy feeling of being part of a community of dedicated researchers. What I didn...

When starting your paranormal team you may already have a few individuals that help out with investigations, but at some point you may want to add more members. When adding new members or investigators take your time and make sure they are a good fit. Not everyone has your best interests at heart and sometimes instead of building the team, they will create chaos and drama. This can end in heartbreaking and destructive situations that either destroy your team or your reputation.  MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION There are many applications out there that you can get inspiration from to start a paper or on a free form site. think about the criteria you have for your team. What do you want your members to have to make your team efficient? APS has created a criteria through the years that forced us to create an application that is relatively detailed, it's like a job application. But consider this, you are responsible for the team, you have to make sure that everyone on the team is willing to ma...

If you are experiencing potential paranormal phenomena, start a journal. When you experience something you cannot explain write down the date, the time it occurred, how long it lasted, the area it occurred, detailed information on the experience, items that may have been involved, percipient(s) (individuals that experienced the phenomena and those who were in the location/home at the time), and any feelings that were present at the time. Taking the time to make notes such as these when the experience is fresh will allow you to go back at a later time and reevaluate the experience. Sometimes when you experience something you can't immediately explain, it causes fear and stress which can cloud your critical thinking. We have had many clients and individuals in the past that have been able to explain the occurrence with a natural event they had not considered at the time. Additionally if no immediate answer to what could have caused the the phenomena is discovered, it can help build a...