Author: John C. Fowler

50/50 Section – What is it?

I’ve been asked many times what the 50/50 section is.  It’s a separate section in the Picture, Audio & Video sections of the website of things we honestly aren’t sure of whether it’s paranormal or not. They may include things such as lens flare, tricks of the eyes, etc.,  that we leave up to the person viewing or listening to determine what it is and whether it’s paranormal or not.

We felt a section as this was required as some of the evidence we collected didn’t seem to fit into the paranormal or debunked categories, and as such was so heavily debated internally that it finds its way to the 50/50 section.

Peace,
Cedric
[email protected]

Hype Vs. Haunt

What is Hype Vs. Haunt you may ask? After some internal debates we’ve decided to add 3 new tags/descriptions to our investigations; Hype, Haunt or Undetermined.

Hype: That the stories/legends associated with a certain place have been debunked and may be more marketing that is intentionally or unintentionally done by word of mouth, advertising, etc.

Haunt:  We’ve gotten enough evidence to conclude a place is “haunted”.   And by “haunted” we mean that we’ve gotten enough unusual video, audio, pictures to go back and investigate further into what is really there.

Undetermined:  Is somewhere in-between, when we do not have enough data collected to conclude if it’s either Haunt or Hype and there is conflicting evidence that is making clarification difficult.

This is a fluid designation, as it can change back and forth. This gives us the flexibility to hopefully truly and accurately label a place as it is.

Peace,
Cedric
[email protected]

What is Paranormal??

I thought I’d expand on the subject of what is Paranormal or more importantly my definition of it.  Simple definition of Paranormal is anything above the norm.  I think way too many people have attributed it in the last few years to just ghosts or spirits.  It can be anything from U.F.O’s, Ghosts, Psychic abilities to in general seeing something you have never seen before, and of course I think if anyone witnessed any of these that have never seen or perceived such things would agree that’s not normal!

I’ve tried in the last few years to broaden the horizons of Midnight Watchmen and how we represent the paranormal community as well as a “ghost hunting” groups that have popped up like weeds after a heavy rain.  We’ve started a long term Extra Sensory Perception (E.S.P.) Test, which we hope will yield some interesting results.  We’ve also expanded the number of members to not just help with investigations, but to bring a wealth of life experiences into the group and hopefully fuel a healthy debate on what we find. And finally & maybe most importantly our relationship with Late Night Horror Hotel with TV exposure we can expand out the message of saving some of the history that’s out there.  Many of the famous and amazingly historic haunted locations are in need of desperate help or may be lost forever….That’s a damn shame, and sadly is not paranormal…..

Peace,
Cedric
[email protected]

Paranormal 101 – Tools of the Trade

A lot of people ask: “What kind of equipment do you need to do an investigation?” The simple response is not much… There are all kinds of tools that can be used but here are the basics:

  • First aid kit – Safety always comes first.
  • Flashlight – Again safety comes first & how else are you going to see clearly in the dark if you do a lights out investigation or an outside night one? Tip: A Red lens doesn’t blind or overpower night vision on cameras.
  • Camera – To take photos or video of the area and catch (hopefully) a paranormal event.  I don’t think it matters personally whether its digital or film camera, while digital offers instant viewing of photos, it also because of the angle of the flash causes  “orbs/moisture/dust” to show up in pictures.
  • Audio Recorder – Helps to record the investigations events, notes, and E.V.P. sessions simply.
  • Batteries – Extra batteries for your flashlight, recorder and camera are extremely important! You wouldn’t want to miss a picture or a piece of audio because you ran out of batteries or get hurt with a non working flashlight!

Those are all you really need to do an investigation.  As for these next items they will require a little more working knowledge of what they’re designed for and how they fit into the world of paranormal investigation.

  • EMF Meter (Electro Magnetic Field Meter) – Detects the field from wiring, appliances, electrical stuff, etc.  How it applies to the paranormal:  Spirits or ghosts supposedly generate an EMF field when they appear or move something. Also useful in determining if improper wiring is causing high EMF Fields which can cause someone to have among other things paranoia, nausea, headaches, feelings of being watched, and hallucinations.
  • K2 Meter – Similar to an EMF Meter, but with lights.  It’s a safe range meter designed for telling someone what the “Safe” distance is from an EMF source.  How it applies to the paranormal:  In theory spirits can use the device to communicate. Or we can “track” them like with an EMF Meter.  One huge downfall of a K2 vs. an EMF Meter is that the K2 will pick up on RF frequencies, like from a cell phone or walkie talkie.
  • Thermometer – Used to detect cold spots that spirits allegedly produce as they try to manifest (show themselves), fairly straight forward design of most point and click digital ones.  Only downfalls is if one isn’t paying attention to where they are pointing at and register a cold spot that’s really a window or another normally colder part of the room/house.

That covers the basics and some of the advanced equipment that I’ve used on cases. Just remember like anything else anyone can use or buy these, but only those willing to explore and respect the limits of the equipment will get the best results.  Field testing always works, but until you understand what and how a piece of equipment reacts in any given environment, keep an open mind about the results or be doomed by them.

Have a paranormal 101 question?

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