Author: John C. Fowler

Who are you?

Rebecca Lynch, founder/lead of Southeastern Paranormal Investigation and Research Team of Pennsylvania (SPIRT of PA)

Explain your Methodology?

Our group operates under the methodology that all options and opinions should be explored in the effort to get the best results for our clients. This includes the scientific aspects of our field like EMF and physical recording, the psychic aspects like “feelings” and “impressions” and the “non-paranormal” aspects of a case like construction and psychology. It is our belief that only in combining all of these aspects that you will come to the best conclusion for your client.

Favorite Haunts?

Every person on our team will have a different answer to this question… I think personally mine would have to be any place where we get evidence which matches provable fact – a name, an event, etc. I also love historic sites, just because my inner history nerd loves being in places where so much happened and there is so much history!

Personal Experiences?

Again, every person will have different answers… personally, my favorites have always been the most personally impact-full – when I got a black eye in the casemates of Fort Mifflin, when I got pushed down the stairs at a private residence in Monroeville, and when we recorded an EVP calling my name.

Why was the group was formed?

Group was formed over 10 years ago as a student organization at the University of Pittsburgh as a way to explore many of the experiences of our students. It has been maintained as a group of like-minded people who are looking for answers to the paranormal and who are looking to help our clients find piece of mind in their homes.

What’s Next?

We’ve got a lot lined up. We are working an amazing event to benefit Fort Mifflin on October 8 and then an event in November to benefit the Red Mill Museum. In between we have several great cases lined up. We’re always looking for new investigators to help us out on these cases as well. This summer I began co-hosting The Shadows radio on Para-X and that is taking up a lot of my time!! Come check us out on Wed nights at 7pm (www.theshadowsradio.com)!

Strongest Evidence with link to it?

Some of our favorite pieces of audio evidence are found here: http://www.spirtofpa.com/evidence/. Our favorite piece of video evidence involves a rock being thrown at investigators – unfortunately due to the privacy clause of private residences, we’re unable to post it online.

What’s your most asked Question by people?

“Are ghosts real?” or “Have you met a ghost?” – and our answer is always the same… not really. We have evidence of something but until we get a ghost

Do you think that paranormal shows gives groups like you a bad reputation?

That’s a dangerous question… I think the shows have great entertainment value and for people who don’t know much about the paranormal they are a great entry point for learning the very basics. They’ve helped spark an interest in the paranormal in the public that I haven’t seen in a while. And for that, they are a good thing. But on the flip side, they also cause drama in the field and there is always the hollywood part of it – the clients then expect us to be like the Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures or whatever and they’re disappointed when our evidence is not as startling or our investigations aren’t as thrilling. There are so many “non-television” worthy aspects of this field they get breezed over on those shows and they are extremely important. For that, they are not the best thing for serious investigators. But they are fun to watch sometimes – and the places they get into are awesome.

Tell us a strange but true fact bout you?

back in 2008, the Spirit of Philadelphia cruise ship put up a billboard in Philly but got their web address wrong. We had so many hits at www.spiritofpa.com (rather than of philadelphia) that our web server crashed!!

Why did you get into paranormal?

I had a very early interest in the paranormal. I was an avid reader as a child and most of the books I loved were ghost stories. There was one ghost book in my Catholic School library and I took it out so often in grade school that the librarian actually gave it to me as a gift! Then as I got older I began looking deeper into paranormal investigation. Around 15, I jumped my first fence into a graveyard and into the old train tunnels back home. Its become a passion since then to find proof of what we’re dealing with.

Dream Case/Investigation?

This list is a mile long…I’d love to hit a lot of the famous sites on the West Coast and abroad…I want to travel!!

Name some Random Facts about you?

I have my “Obi Wan Kenobi” theory and will not truly be convinced in ghosts until that is proven! What I ask on every investigation is for a spirit who is communicating to give us an EVP saying “Obi Wan Kenobi” so I know they can hear me, they are responding to me, and its all not just coincidence. (I mean, come on, what ghost would accidentally quote Star Wars!?)

Are you a skeptic or a believer?

I am a mix of both. I want to believe in ghosts and I think there is *something* else out there. But I am also very skeptic of a lot of claims of the paranormal and I haven’t really been convinced by a lot of evidence that I’ve seen or heard (or even collected).