My name is Brooke Haramija and I have been the Case Manager for SCARED! since February, 2009.
Explain your Methodology?
Once you determine a new place to investigate, it is best to find out as much history as you can about the location before you get there. This may give you a better understanding of why certain activity may be occurring there. I prefer to personally do a walk through of a location by myself after the official “tour” before the investigation begins to see if I pick up on any vibes without any external influences or distraction. After that, I use a blend of using my five senses and basic pieces of equipment to determine if there is paranormal activity there. I don’t like to use “fancy” pieces of equipment with lots of lights or buttons because I feel like if you are paying too much attention to calibrating or tweaking your gadgets it may take away from your concentration of what could be going on right around you.
Favorite Haunts?
I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for The Grand Midway Hotel in Windber, PA. A unique place so unlike all the others; it is a place that is off the typical beaten path. No other team had officially investigated there before we did, and we found it to be surprisingly rich both in history and paranormal activity. We go back and visit the owners as often as we can; it almost feels like a second home to me. They always make us feel very welcome.
Personal Experiences?
I had some personal experiences after my grandfather passed away back in 2001. Bathroom lights blinking in patterns after we mentioned his name, weird phone calls that showed odd numbers on the Caller ID and when you picked up the phone, it sounded like wind, to more recent experiences in my apartment of TV’s and laptops turning on and off, cold spots and the feeling of a female presence near my bed.
Why did you get into the Paranormal?
My background is in Meteorology, and I’ve long understood how powerful the energy in the environment can be. Having a scientific mind, I like to try and “prove” things through fact. Since it has been proven that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, that means it must stick around somewhere. I believe that spirits can use the energy that has been left behind to communicate with us in several different ways, including the manipulation of several electronic devices. It wasn’t too much of a stretch, then, to apply the methods of what I had learned over the years to what I do now in the paranormal field.
Whats next?
I would love to travel internationally one day and get the chance to investigate an old castle in Ireland or a place such as Poveglia Island in Italy. I’d love to experience different types of paranormal activity in lots of different places.
Do you think that paranormal shows gives groups a bad reputation?
For the most part, yes. The paranormal shows you see on TV are generally put there simply to provide entertainment to their viewing audience. The paranormal investigations we go on are designed to either help people in need or help us learn things about a field we don’t fully understand. The multiple shows that have popped up on TV have, in my opinion, added a lot of “hype” and exaggeration to an otherwise serious and professional discipline.
Name some Random Facts about you?
In addition to the work I do for SCARED!, I work full time at an oil company. I am also a writer, actress, official collector of vintage Fisher Price toys and a flea market aficionado.
Are you a skeptic or a believer?
I’ve never had a paranormal experience that “floored” me. Yet. I have, however, had enough smaller experiences to make me believe that there is definitely something paranormal going on. Too many things to consider them, simply, “coincidence”. So, I do consider myself a believer; but I am still very skeptical when it comes to accepting possible evidence as fact. I don’t nearly believe everything I see or hear, especially if it is not something I have not captured myself.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/BFmedqkWEsg] Orbs….We don’t think another word draws up as much debate in the paranormal world as this one. It is the most common type of evidence people use as claims of paranormal activity and is often used by groups to “prove a haunting”. They are believed by new groups, experienced groups and people who are capturing them, aka, non-ghost hunters, to be spirits caught on video or in pictures. Another popular belief is that an orb, is a ball of energy, a spirit’s energy form that is free floating. We have also heard of orbs being spirits or spirit guides, demons, astral creatures and of course just energy, like ball lightning, since energy is neither created nor destroyed. In reality, there is no proof or scientific back up for any of this, well except energy is neither created nor destroyed part.
We have now talked about the most common beliefs are so let us proceed into the truth. What orbs “REALLY” are. Orbs have been scientifically debunked as a modern creation with no prior examples to the availability of CCD lens (digital camera) technology (have you seen orbs in pictures predating digital cameras? Think about that for a minute, then read on…) and it’s inferior ability to focus (this is especially true of cell phone cameras which cannot in any way compare to professional grade or even consumer grade cameras readily available), they are the predominant form of paranormal images on the Internet.
Do digital or film Cameras Capture orbs the most often? Orbs are most commonly gained using digital cameras with built-in flash though not always. While many photographers with archives of photos report having occasionally seen “orbs” in their photos gained with film cameras, no solid evidence has been presented that this is not a modern light artifact error arising in the use of CCD lenses both in standard off the shelf cameras, cell phone cameras and the recent rise in reports of orb photos may be directly related to the common availability of digital cameras. It should be also noted that size of the camera is another consideration in the recent infestation of orb photos. As both film and digital cameras have steadily shrunk in size, reports of “orbs” increased as well. As cameras became smaller, the distance between the lens and the built-in flash also shrank, decreasing the angle of reflection back into the lens causing less focus on small light artifacts and thus an orb appears. A flash does not need to be present any light source that reflects or refracts from dust, moisture, etc in the air (it’s there moving with the air currents) and that enters the cameras lens (which it does otherwise you wouldn’t have a picture in the first place) can cause an orb artifact to appear.
Causes of Orbs: Solid orbs – Dust, pollen, insects, etc. Liquid orbs – Water, e.g. rain. Foreign material on the camera lens like a finger print. Foreign material within the camera lens Foreign material within the camera body, like again dust/moisture. There are also orbs showing up without any “environmental” explanation i.e. no visible dust, rain, moisture, snowing, or light reflections, etc. It should be noted that these particles or moisture are small, and are present in our environment at all times undetectable to the naked eye, but always moving.
They simply follow the air currents. 99.9% of orbs that move in “intelligent” ways are insects, such as small gnats. ” Ok. so what about the I see a face int hem people? They are simply seeing a natural activity called “matrixing”, which is the human mind’s tendency to find familiar images in complex shapes, patterns or colors.
“Now on the end on this I’ll tack on that I don’t believe orbs are anything more then dust, moisture, energy, etc, definitely not spirits. But I have seen a ball of light with my own eyes that was not a reflection. SO what does that mean? IDK, but that’s why we do what we do… we explore the unknown for answers. So their you have it ORBS – the fact, the myth, the debate rages on.” – Cedric
From a cyber shot manual, effectively telling you that orbs are normal dust, pollen, etc…
I have created a page (www.paranormaldictionary.com) with a single goal, to break down walls in the paranormal community, to share experiences, places, and the people/history of paranormal.
All information on this site should be fact based, not advertising, I’m not saying advertising is evil, but it doesn’t belong here.
www.paranormaldictionary.com is something special, its the only free and open place on the web, a library for the paranormal.
Here you can meet groups and interact in ways you never knew possible. See who else investigated the same place, maybe share notes build a better more unified foundation.
When his site was founded it could easily have been made with with advertising banners all over the place, like some of the others that have popped up since our launch, but I decided to do something different.
I’ve worked hard since becoming part of the paranormal community to work with anyone and everyone in it. Share the knowledge I’ve learned, as well as listen to those who been doing it longer then me.
I know no one gets rich in the paranormal field, less then 1% in reality, it costs a lot to run a group or do investigations, but if everyone reading this donated $20, we would only have to fundraise for one day a year. I know not everyone can or will donate. And that is ok with me.
Please consider making a donation you can help to protect and sustain this idea.
My methodology for approaching the paranormal changes on a case to case basis. Before I began my research in the paranormal, I researched the backgrounds of several well known individuals in the field. I noticed that alot of them had “guidelines” and “rules” to investigating the paranormal. That never made sense to me since we’re investigating the “unknown”. How could one ever put rules on something we don’t understand? My guidelines are simple, I keep an open mind and I adapt to the situation presented.
Favorite haunts?
The Axe Murder House (Villisca, Iowa), Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield, OH), Madison Seminary (Madison, OH), Rolling Hills Asylum (Bethany, NY), Prospect Place (Trinway, OH), The Calvin Center (Youngstown, OH), Sedamsville Rectory & Abandoned Church (Sedamsville, OH), Old South Pittsburg Hospital (South Pittsburg, TN), and of course… Bobby Mackey’s Music World (Wilder, KY).
Personal Experiences?
I have had countless experiences which have left me baffled and confused, and most to this day I still have no explanation. Although, out of all the locations I have spent the night in, the most powerful personal experience was in Villisca Iowa. For those who know very little to nothing about this place, 2 adults and 6 children were murdered in their sleep by a monster wielding an axe. The murderer had found a way into the house while the family was out one morning at church. It is believed he waited all day in the attic until nightfall to where he would then sneak out, and butcher the family in their sleep.
Fast forward to 12 hours into our investigation. We had just finished up, and we were packing up the equiptment. It was probably around 5:30am and I was left alone in the house for a little while Jim and Dan were packing up things in the barn outside. I was in the living room right next to the piano shutting down my laptop when I could hear what sounded like footsteps walking around in a circle above me. The room directly above me was the children’s room where 4 of them were found murdered. I stopped what I was doing and looked upwards to a vent shaft above me. I couldn’t see anything looking down through it, but what I heard next still gives me chills down my spine. I looked up and said “Hey, you had all night to get our attention, but we’re going to head home, we got a long trip”, and right after that I heard the voice of a small female child say “I see you”. Almost in a playful voice like it was a game of hiding go seek. I froze in my spot with chills going down my body. That moment will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Another notable experience was when I was investigating Bobby Mackey’s Music World. We had decided to use me as bait infront of the well by cruxifying me right infront of it. It is rumored and popularly believed that satanic rituals took place infront of the well. So we figured what better bait than having me strapped to a cross unable to run away. Daniel was tied to a metal pole down there so he couldn’t run either. After a few minutes of taunting the demons, I could literally feel the cross shaking. I relaxed my body thinking it was maybe me shaking it somehow, but as I stood there completely relaxed, the cross kept vibrating. This wasn’t light vibrating either, it was considerably noticable. After taking it in for a few moments, I asked the question “Are you the one shaking this cross right now?” Everything went silent for a moment as daniel and I listened for a response. Only seconds after asking the question, it sounded like something was crawling up the well behind me. The crawling sound stopped and I heard one of the most demonic voices I ever heard right behind me say “yeah”. And this wasn’t a typical “yeah”, this was drawn out and filled with hate. Our full episode of Bobby Mackey’s Music World will be released mid to late November of this year, 2011.
Why did you get into the paranormal?
I think most people get into it because they had an experience and want further answers. I had always believed in the paranormal from a young age. Not because of experience but because I really enjoyed ghost stories. As a child, these stories frightened me and intrigued me at the same time. It was like having a blind faith, something inside me just believed it was real without an experience. It wasn’t until 2006 that I really started getting into the “ghost craze”. I would watch various shows on TV and even stuff on the internet. Although, I didn’t get into it because I thought it was “cool”, I literally got into it because I thought the people on tv were faking it. If you think about it, everything we catch from EVP’s to shadows can be faked. I reached a point where I said to myself “The only way to prove this is happening for real is if I go out and do it”. Sometimes the only way to become a full believer is to put yourself into an exterme situation… almost like you’re asking for it.
Ironically, like I said, as a child these ghost stories scare the heck out of me, and now years later here I am in an abandoned cemetery at 3am calling out the dead. That was my first experience that got me into the paranormal. I decided to go to an abandon cemetery near my house at the time, armed only with a digital voice recorder and camera and see for myself first hand if this was really happening. Well I got what I asked for and I was able to catch a spirit voice or electronic voice phenomena on my digital voice recorder that said “help”. Shortly after that, I recorded what I believe is a partial body apparition only feet in front of me out there. After that experience, it was no longer my blind faith in the paranormal that made me believe, it was actually seeing and hearing it first hand. Ever since that I set out to explore some of the countries super haunts.
What’s next?
After my first experience, it wasn’t long before I put together a team known as “Resident Undead”. The team consists of Jim Leopardo who I met at Hill View Manor in New Castle, PA. Daniel Hooven, my long time friend and fraternity brother at Slippery Rock University, would join in next. He had found an interest in what I was doing after he read my status on facebook that I was going to go to Villisca Iowa to hunt the devil. He was intrigued by my new found mission to document paranormal activity and asked to come along. His decision to join Jim and I would give birth to our team. We consider our episode in Villisca to be our “season premiere” to our Season 1. In our Season 1: “From Cemeteries to Asylums”, it covers 7 major locations and has alot of extra bonus material covering other locations we did before “Resident Undead”. I always find it very important to film and document these locations. To me, what’s the point of doing this if you don’t have the proof. It seems like everyone has a good “ghost story”, but unless you have proof, I’m really not interested.
My mission is to get more people aware of the paranormal. By mixing entertainment and science, I hope to pull more viewers from the mainstream into our paranormal community. For Season 2 which starts in Feburary of 2012, we’re going to hit it even harder and cover eight even more extreme super haunts from the Trans-Alleghany Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV to The Sallie House in Atchison, KS.
Since I do my own production from scratch, our team is not limited by the views and perspectives of a tv network. We are able to give you uncensored and raw paranormal activity. That probably is what is most unique about what we do, our ideas are from the drawing board to your screen… unaltered.
7. My first dream location would be “Auschwitz”, the German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp. I do not agree with one single thing the Germans did during World War II, although I think we can all agree why I would have selected this location.
My second dream location would be “Golgotha” where Jesus was cruxified. This location is probably found on a hillside just outside of current day Jerusalem.
8. Do you think that paranormal shows gives groups like you a bad reputation?
– With our experience on a certain major television network, we saw first hand how “production” can change the image of your group. Alot of what we said on Paranormal Challenge was taken out of “context” and used for “entertainment value”. I do not hold it against them for altering our image the way they saw fit because in the end I understand it’s about the ratings. We all know ghosts are real, and our objective is to reach out and get as many people involved as possible. Just getting someone’s attention through “entertainment value” to watch the show means that someone else now knows what we’re doing. Only our personal youtube channel gives us justice for what we are, and you can find all of our episodes at http://www.youtube.com/adamkimmell . I usually tell people to judge us after watching those episodes.
Name some random facts about you?
– Random Fact 1: I enjoy drinking a cold sprite when I wake up.
– Random Fact 2: If I’m saving up money, I have to do it in 100 dollar increments.
– Random Fact 3: I have had several conversations with my deceased grandpa via EVP.
– Random Fact 4: Whenever I play roullette at a Casino, I will always put money down first on black.
– Random Fact 5: My cats name is “Olive” and my dogs name is “Huey”.
Are you a skeptic or believer?
I think with everything stated above, it’s pretty obvious… the dead never left.
Who are you?
I have created a page (