Category: Paranormal Q&A

Who Are You?

Most people know me as Katrina Weidman from A&E’s Paranormal State, but honestly, I’m just a regular girl who *happens to like* running around in the dark looking for ghosts.

Explain your Methodology?

This is a great question! That being said it is incredibly hard to answer! Everything in the paranormal is based on theory so I can’t say for every A there will be a B. It makes researching and investigating incredibly frustrating at times. What I always try to keep in my mind when working in this field are four things: 1) never assume anything 2) discoveries are made everyday; the Giant Panda was always believed to be somewhat of a mythical creature until the 1860s, why can’t Big Foot exist? 3) work with people you trust, after all you’re relying on their eye witness accounts 4) You have to find a balance between being a believer and a skeptic.

Favorite Haunts?

On Paranormal State we didn’t have many opportunities to go to big locations that are open to the public so it’s sometimes hard for me to list places that other’s in the field should visit. With that being said my favorite haunts are all private residences. The episode entitled “Pet Cemetery” was a favorite because so much of the activity matched up with information we were able to confirm from neighbors and previous owners. It was also a favorite because we went into that case thinking it was a “mom and pop” haunting, we were wrong. This is really the case that made me realize I should never assume anything when working in the paranormal. My other favorite was the episode entitled “The Glove”. This case is incredibly complicated and the experiences range from full body apparitions to levitating furniture. This is also the first time I saw an apparition that I can’t find a reasonable explanation for. That was an incredible moment for me. I will never ever forget that moment.

Personal Experiences?

I don’t even know where to begin with this. I think I’ve experienced just about everything at this point. Voices, psychic moments, apparitions, unexplained scratches, shadows. If you work in this field you have to be prepared to experience anything and everything.

Why did you get into the Paranormal?

Long story short I grew up in haunted houses. Having those experiences growing up left me with a bunch of questions. It was never taboo to talk about it in my family, as we all had our own experiences and fascination with this field, but they were just stories and experiences, there were never any answers. I wanted answers.

Whats next?

I have a few projects I’m working on, but next one is a two hour special for Chiller that airs at 8PM EST on March 11. It’s called “Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies”. I absolutely love the concept for this project, exploring the real life stories that inspired horror/supernatural movies. I am a huge horror, and obviously supernatural, movie fan and any time a movie says “based on true events” I will research the real story for weeks! This was a perfect fit for me.

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

I think they can. The great thing about paranormal shows is it’s made the field less taboo and has really exposed a large number of people to the fact that something is going on that science can’t explain. The harmful part of paranormal shows is it gives people a false reality about what really goes on during an investigation and the risks you run working in this field. I’ve met countless people that say they have started their own paranormal group based off of the methods they’ve learned from “Paranormal State”. That terrifies me because it’s a 22 minute show. So much of our work is left on the cutting room floor plus you don’t see the work we do before or after we film one of our cases. The other harmful outcome I’ve seen is that the shows romanticize the field. Yes the field can be fun and you can find a lot of enjoyment working in it, however, you’re dealing with things that no one really knows how to control, furthermore no one really knows what we’re dealing with. I’ve had things follow me home, I’ve met people where this work has destroyed periods of their life. It might sound dramatic, but you can get physically hurt on a case and it can be mentally draining. If you’re looking to get into the field you really have to think about the negative consequences, it’s not always as happy and fun as TV makes it look.

Name some Random Facts about you?

My favorite shows are the ones that are in reruns, I hate waiting for “next week’s episode” I’m too impatient.
I love reading true crime.
I love horror and supernatural type movies/TV shows/books.
My favorite movie is The Wedding Singer.
I played the violin for eight years.
I love the water, but can only swim using doggy paddle.
I have to live near a major city and a coastline, if not I feel claustrophobic.
I’m a huge fan of pranks!
My obsessive side: I have to organize just about everything in alphabetical order, books, movies, magazines, etc. It helps keep me organized.

Are you a skeptic or a believer?

Both, although I prefer the word objective rather than skeptical. I am open minded to everything in this field, whether it be big foot, psychic abilities, demons, etc. I think it’s ignorant to think we have it all figured out and there aren’t any more discoveries to be made. However, I remain objective of personal experiences, whether they be my own or another person’s experience. When I’m talking with a client I’d say 98% of the time I believe they believe they experienced something, however eyewitness accounts are not always accurate and a lot of experiences can be naturally explained. To advance the field, as investigators and researchers, we have to be able to rule out the possibility of natural causes and tricks being played on our senses due to environment or by something internal, it’s part of the job.

Katrina can be found on:
Twitter: twitter.com/katrinaweidman
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Katrina-Weidman-Official/121732354512013

Who are you?

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.

Who are you?

My name is Adam Kimmell (of Resident Undead).

Explain your Methodology?

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.

 

Check out their Website:

http://www.ruparanormal.com

Watch their episodes on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/adamkimmell

Who are you?

Erick Bee, host of The Hive and Emergency Encounters on the Para-X Radio Network. Independent paranormal investigator from the Boston, Mass area. (The Hive is Sunday 6-8pm ET and Emergency Encounters is Monday 10-11pm ET.  Tune in at www.para-x.com)!

Explain your Methodology?

My methodology is “tough,objective and scientific with a little dash of the spiritual and a healthy dose of skepticism”.  I like to use all of the accepted scientific methodology and ideas in my investigating while trying to prove a few theories and ideas of my own.

Favorite Haunts?

I guess so far my favorite would have to be Fort Mifflin.  There I had one of the most profound paranormal moments of my career.  It was something that I’ve never really experienced before, cannot truly put in to sufficient words and really would love to experience again to prove to myself that it was a true experience.

Personal Experiences?

I’ve had three really amazing experiences.  The first one was on the U.S.S. Salem in Quincy Harbor, Mass – I was hearing disembodied voices, footsteps, and the sound of a metal cart being dragged across the mess hall floor when I was in the bunk room below the empty mess hall.  There were only a handful of people on the ship at the time, and we were all in that bunk room hearing these sounds echo through the halls of the ship.  Second one was my experience at Fort Mifflin – I was in the Powder Magazine in complete darkness and as my eyes adjusted I started seeing the swirling luminescent mists and shadows swirling all around me. I cannot fully explain exactly what I was seeing but it was something I have never truly seen before and the image has stuck with me.  I’d like to go back and see if I can recreate that same experience. The third one was an EVP recording.  We were investigating a private residence in central New Hampshire.  Another investigator and I were doing an EVP session – we asked the typical questions “what’s your name?” and “how old are you?”.  We didn’t get a name but the age question had a distinct and unmistakable response of a young child saying “six”.

Why did you get into the Paranormal?

I grew up around Salem, Mass.  I’ve always been around witches and witchcraft.  My dad has always been a prophetic dreamer his entire life.  So growing up, we were really open about the paranormal and talking about the paranormal.  I did not experience my first “ghost” until my late teens.  The house we were living in appeared to be haunted.  I started really investigating in 1995 when a local college was hosting a lecture on the paranormal and folklore and historical experiences.  One of the speakers was giving a lecture on his experiences as a “ghost hunter” and it hooked me.  It was very old school back then – analog recorders with magnetic tape and VHS cameras – very different from all the equipment we use now.  But it was that lecture that really got me interested and sparked the fire for the paranormal.

Whats next?

I don’t really have anything specific coming “next” but I know that whatever it is will be exciting.  I’ve always believed that the journey is the most fun of what comes “next”.  But I also think eventually I’d love to take the Hive mobile, doing shows live from haunted locations all around the country.  I’d love to get involved in more events and fundraising for historic sites and haunted locations.  Eventually, I would love to write about book about investigating as viewed from more of a skeptic’s view of the field.

Favorite Haunts?

If I had to pick out a single place, I’d like to go…I would love to go to a haunted castle in England or Ireland.  The span of history and life and suffering those places must have seen is breathtaking.  Just being able to step back into history like that and try and connect with someone from a wholly different time would be amazing. Plus the stones themselves, which have held for all these years … you can only imagine the energy they must hold.  I think it would be quite the experience.

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

Absolutely.  I am not a big fan of paranormal TV shows, although the people on those shows, I have no ill will towards.  Those shows are meant to be entertainment – not any kind of documentary about ghost hunting.  Its all overly edited.  Its a Hollywood version of “ghost hunting”.  The worst thing about paranormal tv is that they use psuedo-scientific theories and half-tested ideas and put those across as fact.  They then stand on their “celebrity” as the evidence to make their “theory” plausible.  When I investigate at public events, I waste a lot of time explaining to the general public why I don’t necessarily do the same things as the shows you see on tv and why those shows are wholly entertainment and should be viewed as just another partially-scripted show.
Name some Random Facts about you?

I am an amateur photographer and love taking shots of light houses.  I like watches.  I love hardcore music (Listen to the Hive and you will get a taste  during my bumpers).  I met an amazing girl through my radio career that I am crazy about.

Are you a skeptic or a believer?

I am a healthy skeptic.  I am a believer in the sense that I have had enough experiences to know that there is something beyond death and something else in this world – “ghosts” exist.  However, I am extremely skeptical of the majority of evidence that people put forward as so-called “evidence” of the paranormal.  Most of it is natural phenomena misrepresented and defined as “paranormal” when there is a more earthly explanation.  So I set my bar very high in terms of what evidence I filter out of my investigations.  I believe that what is then left over is really the best of the best for supporting the idea of “life after death”