To those who happen upon the notion of ghost hunting through modern pop-culture sources such as reality television series and seasonal human-interest news stories, there emerge a handful of constants, a list of prerequisites for conducting a so-called paranormal investigation: First, one needs a location with a rich and sordid history, preferably someplace where a death has occurred and the more gruesome that death, the better! Second, one requires a laundry-list of expensive and specialized gadgets with which to blanket the location, replete with flashing lights and buzzers. Third, the group must have matching tee-shirts, for how else are the ghosts going to know you’re professionals to be reckoned with? And last, but not least, you MUST go at night!

Of course, none of these things are actually true.

Now, we at the Northeast Spectral Science Society have never been shy about pointing out folly where we see it. I could wax poetic for pages on end regarding all the myriad misconceptions we have to overcome as legitimate researchers, but I’ll spare you the bulk of the rant and concentrate on only one.

I’ve noticed that, of the points above, the one with the most lasting momentum is surely the final one: the impression that you must investigate at night. We’ve met a lot of investigators during our travels, and even some of those who otherwise have their heads on straight tend to insist on conducting the bulk of their research at night. Why? Because that’s just the way it’s done.

Again, why? What reason is there to look for ghosts only during the hours between, say 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM? Are there credible, fact-based reasons? Dead Time and the Witching Hour, you say? In what time zone? Do we have to calculate for daylight savings?

A much more constructive calculation for your research purposes would be this one: on a case by case basis, when is the activity reported to occur? If every evening upon finishing her nightly cup of herbal tea the homeowner hears footsteps in her upstairs hall, then you’d best conduct your investigation right after Letterman. But if she heard them immediately following her second cup of coffee in the morning, it would certainly be better to investigate then. If you’re in pursuit of the legend of the mysterious light goldenrod yellow lady at your local churchyard and she supposedly makes her rounds at 7 PM, why would you set up your vigil at 3 AM? If waitstaff at the haunted inn see phantom diners from just after brunch straight through cocktail hour, that is when you should go, not four hours after the cheesecake is gobbled and the brandy is gone.

There are, of course, specific advantages to performing one’s research during the evening hours which can not be ignored. For the case of a commercial investigation, for instance, nights may be the only time an investigator has full access to the location; an investigation during normal business hours would be an inconvenience to those conducting said business and would be nearly impossible for the thorough researcher to control all of their variables. Other public places may pose similar daytime challenges, and in these cases, for the reasons stated above, we would recommend nighttime access.

But all of these reasons are matters of practicality, not preconceived notions regarding some magical hour of the day or night in which paranormal occurrences are said to be prevalent. There is, as yet, no indication that any such time exists, and no evidence of a universal “thinning of the veil”, so to speak, based on a linear time schedule. In fact, the majority of the data we’ve collected seems to point to a variety of other factors as either amplifiers or harbingers of anomalous activities, such as weather, planetary and moon cycles, and the human influences present. Time, on a general scale, seems to have very little to do with it.

Where ghosts and spirits are concerned, darkness has always been a part of the show, from the low lights masking a séance leader’s parlor tricks, to midnight ghost walks through ancient cities, to the startled reactions of modern ghost hunters in the green glow of IR lights. Darkness is used to create drama in popular television shows and presentations. It adds to the theatrical sense of impending danger, and sparks anticipation in the viewer that something unexpected could happen at any second. However, we, as legitimate paranormal researchers, are not here for the drama, but instead for the truth…whatever time it may occur.

The following report chronicles our investigation of an abandoned prison camp in Rutland, Massachusetts over three days.

HISTORY:

From 1903 to 1933, the rural west side of the town of Rutland, Massachusetts was the home to around 100 prisoners suffering from tuberculosis. These prisoners were transferred to the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital from their cells in neighboring prisons to participate in a revolutionary rehabilitation experiment. Taking cues from the first public tuberculosis sanatorium in the nation, nearby Rutland State Sanatorium, prisoners were prescribed a regimen of hard work, healthy diet and fresh air in the hopes that their health would improve through the duration of their sentences.

With superintendent William Turner at the helm, the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital strove to be a self-sufficient operation. Prisoners were involved in the construction of the hospital and other buildings on the property, and were assigned the duties of raising livestock and tending crops both for their own use and for sale. Prisoners staffed the 100-bed hospital building; even some of the doctors were inmates.

By all accounts the prisoners were treated fairly and thrived under Superintendent Turner’s care. Many had arrived near death, but regained their strength and health through his unique approach.

In 1934, the State of Massachusetts reclaimed the land as part of the Quabbin Reservoir project, and shut down the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital for good.

An excellent gallery of historical images from the prison camp can be found here.

CLAIMS of ACTIVITY:

The 980-acre tract of land which once comprised the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital is now a part of the Rutland State Forest. Many vestiges of the former Prison Camp remain, including the foundation of the main hospital, a four-cell solitary confinement building, the foundation of the warden’s home, a vegetable storage cellar, an underground drainage tunnel, a small cemetery and several other partial foundations and structural remnants.

The forest is open to the public, and is used as a general purpose recreation area for hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and, during the Fall season, bird hunters. There is also evidence that the area is used as a party spot, including graffiti, beer bottles, discarded paper, the remains of campfires and a few spent paint balls.

Of the many visitors each season, some report strange happenings, from feelings of heaviness to outright dread, voices and physical contact.  One legend states that a full body apparition has been seen in the vicinity of the foundation of the warden’s home; this apparition is believed to be the warden’s wife.

OUR INVESTIGATION:

We first began our research at the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital in October of 2008.

Day 1:

On that beautiful Fall morning, Chris, Rob, Sue and I ventured out along the maze of dirt roads and gated paths off of MA-122 armed with only a GPS and some vague directions obtained from the dustiest corners of the internet.  Somewhere along Prison Camp Road there would be a prison, and we had been assured we would know it when we saw it!

After a backtrack or two, we did indeed find it.  The solitary confinement building – a rainbow-graffitied white stucco edifice commonly called the “stone house” – appeared on our left, a short way after the intersection of Prison Camp and Intervale Roads.  We parked behind it, grabbed our gear, and set off to scout the grounds of the camp.

Our first trip did not yield much in the way of experiences or evidence, but it did leave a powerful impression on us that this was a location to be explored much further.  Upon returning home, we retired to our respective corners and commenced on some more thorough historical research.

Day 2:

With new research, maps and a full battery of equipment in hand, we returned the following weekend with a complete crew, adding Aaron and former NESSS investigator Jean to the previous weekend’s lineup.   We explored the solitary confinement building first, starting with baseline EMF readings, then performed a communication session within the cells.  Aside from Sue’s strange feeling of claustrophobia within one of the cells, we experienced nothing out of the ordinary there.  None of our instruments recorded any anomalies or deviations from baseline.

Next we ventured up to the vegetable storage cellar, a concrete building half buried in the side of a hill.   We investigated this building as we had the solitary confinement cells, with no anomalies to report.  Up the hill from the vegetable cellar, we found another stone foundation, believed to be the remains of the chicken coop.  Other than a lost battle with the thistly undergrowth, we experienced nothing worth reporting there either.

Walking back by the solitary confinement building and further down the path, we came upon a concrete platform and several more foundations, once part of the cattle and dairy operation.  Our investigation of this area returned nothing of interest.

Directly behind the solitary confinement building, we found the remains of a drainage system in the form of a 30 or so foot tunnel directly under the ground.  Intrepid explorers to a man, we ventured below.  We found plenty of graffiti and moss-covered walls, stagnant water and rough footing, but alas, nothing out of the ordinary.

We then decided to head up to the main hospital, an immense horseshoe-shaped cellar hole about a quarter mile up Prison Camp road on the right.  We investigated several spots around and inside the foundation, taking EMF readings and photos.  We concentrated on communication sessions here, since this was the prisoners’ primary residence while imprisoned at the camp .  Unfortunately, neither our photos nor our recordings revealed anything anomalous.   We noted no deviations from baseline on any other instruments.

A short way back down from the hospital, we found the foundation of Superintendent Turner’s home.  It was around this foundation that witnesses had claimed to have seen an apparition of Turner’s wife.  We performed our usual communication session and took photos in and around the foundation using several different cameras.  Later examination of the photos revealed nothing of interest.

Exhausted, we left the camp for the day and returned home.  It had been a long day and we were satisfied that we had thoroughly investigated everything we had set about to see.

Day 3:

Perhaps a lesser group would be deterred by the lack of concrete evidence on our initial trip and give up on such an unyielding location entirely.  But we at the Northeast Spectral Science Society have a policy to reserve judgment on ANY location until we’ve investigated and researched it thoroughly.  As a group, we felt that we were not done with Rutland, and we hoped that it was not yet done with us.  We found the camp to be fascinating and thought that perhaps a change of tactics would bring about a change in luck, and vowed to return under different conditions.

Since the middle of a New England state forest is no place to be during the worst of the Winter months, we put off our return trip to the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital until April of this year.  Given the vast area we knew we would be working with, we decided to bring in other investigators to help with our search.  NESSS investigators Chris, Sue, Rob, Aaron and I were accompanied that evening by 9 members of the Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup.  We met beside the solitary confinement building, split into two groups and set off in opposite directions, into the crisp night.

Both teams investigated the major locations in turn, hitting the main hospital, the solitary confinement building and the vegetable cellar.  We concentrated on communication sessions and EVP work, since the cold, damp air was unforgiving of flash photography.  Though many members of both groups had personal experiences, especially inside and around the solitary confinement building, we came away from the investigation without a whole lot of concrete evidence.

None of the NESSS investigators present obtained any interesting anomalies on our recordings, however one of our guest investigators did come away with one potential EVP.  We hope to be able to examine this recording fully in the future, and with her permission, share it with our readers here at a later date.

Some of our guest investigators noted photos of possible interest, but our team has since been able to rule these out as naturally-occurring anomalies, brought upon by the combination of camera flash, breath exhaled into a cold night and a high moisture content in the air.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:

Several of our guest investigators found that they could not or would not go inside one particular cell of the solitary confinement building – the very same cell where Sue had experienced claustrophobia during our first visit.  Though we are not in any position to completely rule out the possibility that a negative entity or force has taken up residence in this cell, an alternate theory regarding our natural, psychological reactions to such a place emerges upon further contemplation.

The particular cell in question is the very cell that has somehow escaped the ravages of time un-breached – the only one of four that has not been outfitted with a ragged skylight by the dual destructive forces of erosion and neglect.  This final cell is the one most strongly able to imbue the investigator with a feeling of confinement and the sense of what it must have been like to be sentenced to time in the cold silence of the stone house.

CONCLUSIONS:

We can not, at this time, definitively state that the Rutland Prison Camp Hospital is haunted.  However, we are not yet ready to rule it out either.  We were unable to find any natural causes for any of the reported activity, and were unable to replicate it during any of our visits.  The wealth of personal experiences during our third visit, though inconclusive, have encouraged us to begin planning a fourth visit.  Though we would normally try to replicate the conditions under which these things were experienced as closely as possible, it is unlikely we will be able to go during the evening hours again due to the current unavailability of evening permits.

By a strange mix of circumstances, we were unable to visit the cemetery on the grounds during any of our visits to the camp.  This also remains one area we’d like to investigate in the future.

Though the forest is open to the public during daylight hours, we very strongly discourage any other potential investigators from trying to enter after dark without proper permission.

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“We’re here to prove the existence of ghosts.”

I swear, if I hear or read the above statement again, or any of its nauseating permutations, I’m going to scream!

A show of hands: who here remembers anything from their high school science classes? I’m talking about real lab classes with real experimentation.  Anyone?

I don’t exactly see a sea of hands out there. Given the state of the paranormal field today, that doesn’t surprise me too much. So, for those of you sitting on your hands and hoping not to get called on, allow me to present a refresher course on the scientific method, truncated down to a single paragraph:

The scientific method consists of gathering observable and empirical data, then proposing a hypothesis for the review of one’s peers.  All experiments must be conducted objectively, and must be well-documented, shared, and repeatable.  A hypothesis must pass multiple tests (by multiple researchers) before it can be considered a theory.  It must be even more thoroughly vetted before it may be considered scientific law.

Well, then.

We, as researchers of the various types of anomalous phenomena we like to refer to as “Paranormal”, are bound to a conscientious adherence to objectivity. We have to separate ourselves and our emotions from the experiment.  We must maintain a strong scientific detachment. This objectivity precludes us from making statements to the effect that we are here to prove something based on what we want to be true.

I understand what it’s like to stand on a precipice, below which lies a new scientific paradigm.  I understand the desire to justify our endless hours spent in the pursuit of answers.   I understand the drive to find the perfect piece of evidence that will bring what we do to the attention of the masses and pull the merry band of fools and daydreamers we call colleagues out from the fringes of science and society and into the mainstream.  These are my dreams too.

I wholeheartedly encourage investigation, experimentation and gathering endless amounts of data with gusto.  But if we are to do this, we must do it right.  We will never prove anything, so long as we have something to prove.

“No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.”

-Albert Einstein

Hi, my name is Katie, and I’m a taphophile.

Although outwardly I appear perfectly normal (but for what some would call too many tattoos) you will frequently find me in a cemetery. I enjoy researching, writing about and photographing cemeteries, for both the ever-present invitation to walk through history, and the peaceful quality native to beautiful old New England burying grounds.

As such, I take what may be an unpopular stance among so-called “serious” paranormal researchers who tend to look down upon those who hang around in cemeteries looking for ghosts. Though I have never encouraged hanging around a cemetery after dark without permission or otherwise trespassing against posted guidelines, I certainly think a budding ghost hunter could choose many worse locations to investigate.

When discussing why certain places are haunted, the most prevalent theories state that the deceased will haunt a location based on the strength of their emotional tie to it. In light of this, I don’t believe that cemeteries are usually haunted by the spirits of the dead buried there.  The dead have no real emotional or habitual ties to the cemetery, and wouldn’t naturally choose or be drawn to haunt it – excepting, of course, the ghosts of my fellow taphophiles and perhaps the caretaker!

However, I have obtained some interesting “anomalies” while investigating cemeteries, both during research conducted by the Northeast Spectral Science Society, and while wandering out on my frequent daytime photography trips.

But if cemeteries are not haunted, as so many studious paranormal investigators are so quick to claim, how can this be? Well, barring any as yet undetermined natural causes falling outside our extensive battery of debunking methods, we have to assume that something paranormal is indeed present.

Though the interred don’t really care, there is without doubt a strong emotional imprint left by the LIVING who visit these cemeteries. This can potentially lead to what may be a residual haunting, or a memory stuck in rotation like a CD player on repeat. These memories play whether our gadgets and gizmos are there to record them or not.

Additionally, the burial customs and rituals of so many cultures tend to perpetuate the heavily symbolic nature of the process of death.  Our subconscious minds tend to revere the cemetery as a highly charged and mystical locale, whether we are consciously superstitious or not.  I believe this charge can act like a beacon to entities who feed on fear or sadness, leading them to stick around.

Taphophile or not, we shouldn’t ignore the possibility of cemetery haunts or leave graveyards out of our research schedule. Though many of the ghost stories and legends may be based on flights of fancy, there’s a chance one or two of them just might be true!

The Abandoned Tunnel is a spot that members of the Northeast Spectral Society have grown to love. We’ve investigated this location many times, and do have plans to go back in the near future. We have also been using it to test both new equipment configurations and new investigative partners for a while now.  The tunnel combines all the qualities of an ideal location with many of the challenges of an outdoor space, making it a great proving ground for new techniques.  The following report describes the experiences of the Northeast Spectral Science Society over several nights between August and November of 2008.

HISTORY:

This abandoned and neglected tunnel stretches nearly a quarter mile under a once-booming factory town in New England. Having seen its last train in the late 1950s, and stripped of its track in the 1970s, the tunnel now stands empty.

Or does it?

CLAIMS of ACTIVITY:

Reports of eerie feelings and strange phenomena abound, including the sensation of being watched or followed and the perception of cold spots. The sounds of an oncoming train have been heard, as well as other strange noises. Humanoid shadows have been described. The illusion of walking without progress has been reported, as has the feeling that it takes longer to reach the end of the tunnel than it should.

OUR INVESTIGATION:

Since members of the Northeast Spectral Science Society investigated the tunnel over the course of several nights, and in several different configurations, we will be breaking our report down by days for simplicity’s sake.

Day 1: August 16, 2008
Investigators: NESSS members Sue, Rob, Chris and I.

Though Chris and I had explored the tunnel once before, this would be a first experience for Sue and Rob. Since this was sort of a spur of the moment excursion, we went with minimal equipment. We had a DSLR camera, two point-and-shoots, two voice recorders and a K-II. We set up outside, then began our journey into the depths of the tunnel.

We set about debunking some of the activity we had heard about, starting with the sound of the train. We found if you stand in a certain spot around the middle of the tunnel and wait for a car to go by on the road directly overhead, the vibrations sound like the rumbling of a train approaching.

We were able to explain many of the auditory phenomena, as well. The tunnel is one large echo chamber. Between the pigeons roosting, the occasional bat, and the constant dripping of water which leeches through the granite and onto various debris on the tunnel floor, it was very seldom silent.

Since we were able to debunk so many of the reports, and we had very little K-II activity and no personal experiences, we were ready to call the tunnel completely inactive. That is, until we went home and listened to our recordings.

We decided to leave both recorders running for the entire time we were there, just over two hours. Though we stopped for frequent communication sessions, it seemed as though whatever was there that evening was interested in chatting throughout. Our extensive collection of EVPs is below.

Something seems to whisper “what the?” about 1 second in. Sue did hear something at the time this was recorded.
2008-08-16-tunnel-01

Something is talking in the background, though we can’t quite make out what it’s saying.
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A child’s voice, unintelligible.
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A little girl saying “come quick” about 2 seconds in.
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A child or infant laughing.
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A male whispering “don’t go”?
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A voice in the background.
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A female humming.
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A male moan?
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The same moan, different recorder.
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One of us asks why the wall is crumbling, and before Chris can answer, something else does.
2008-08-16-tunnel-10

Day 2: August 30, 2008
Investigators: NESSS members Sue, Rob, Chris, Jean and I

All in all, day two seemed a bit quieter than day one. We brought NESSS member Jean along for his first tunnel investigation. We also brought with us a different strategy and some extra equipment. In addition to the voice recorders, cameras and K-II we used on day one, we also used a video camera with headphones for live-listening, and the Lutron EMF-822A EMF meter fitted with a light so we could read it in the darkness.

The following recordings, though not technically EVPs because we heard them at the time they were recorded, are still worth a listen. They illustrate some of the activity we did experience that evening including banging and rumblings.

In this recording, you can hear a rock skipping across the ground before striking a metal piece of debris, as if it had been thrown deliberately.
2008-08-30-tunnel-01

Again, something much larger than a water drop strikes a metal object.
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A rumbling or a groan. You can hear Sue’s reaction to this, also.
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Day 3: October 25, 2008
Investigators: The full NESSS team – Sue, Rob, Chris, Jean, Aaron and I

Day three posed many challenges. Due to the team’s hectic schedules, we had to take the opportunity to investigate the tunnel where we could get it, even though it was pouring outside and nearly midnight when we arrived. After wrapping our equipment tightly in plastic bags, we trekked up to the tunnel. We had promised NESSS member Aaron we would take him up there for his first experience, and we wouldn’t be deterred by a little rain!

Throughout the evening, we were plagued by thick banks of fog rolling through the tunnel. All our photos are suspect because of these conditions. However, we did come away with one EVP, below.

Sue asks if anyone present is bothered by the lights, and something seems to talk over her. We think it sounds like “that’s OK”.
2008-10-25-tunnel-01

It should be noted that both Chris and Sue saw what they describe as a white mass moving along the roof of the tunnel toward where we stood. Both Rob and I snapped photos, but caught nothing. At this point, we don’t have any theories or conclusions regarding this experience.

Day 4: November 7, 2008
Investigators: NESSS members Chris and I, along with Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup members Sandy, Tanya, Ralph, Gary, Chris and Chris.

Since the NESSS team enjoyed our investigations of the tunnel, we decided to take a few members of the Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup with us. We had a total of eight, and went about exploring the whole tunnel, then set up for communication sessions in a couple of spots the NESSS team had found to be interesting during previous trips. Though we had a large group, we decided to stay together throughout our investigation. The tunnel is quite long, but has a tendency to echo, and we didn’t want to pollute our EVPs.

That night, everything seemed quiet. We got a small period of K-II activity at one point, but no other EMF fluctuations at any other time, on any device. None of the investigators present that evening had any anomalies in their photos, and our audio recordings came up empty. Nobody reported any personal experiences.

Day 5: November 8, 2008
Investigators: NESSS members Sue, Rob, Chris and I

Day five was supposed to be another investigation with members of the Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it ended up being just four members of NESSS – the same four present on day one. As dull as day four had been, we didn’t have high hopes upon entering the tunnel one last time. But we were to be pleasantly surprised.

We walked the length of the tunnel and back before setting up in key spots for communication sessions. We had quite a bit of K-II fluctuation, and a few spikes on the MEL-8704 EMF meter during the night. The MEL-8704 also has an ambient temperature probe, and we noted a couple of small temperature fluctuations as well.

Though each member of the group experienced auditory phenomena, only one such instance translated onto our recorders. I ask if whatever made the K-II blink can do it again, and it sounds like something whispers “no”. (Interestingly, though, the K-II did blink again. Playful? Sarcastic? The jury is still out.)
2008-11-08-tunnel-01

During our communication sessions, the group utilized two Sony Night-Shot camcorders on tripods positioned to take in the entire scene, a bit of a different approach than during our previous four investigations. The results of our video recording have been summarized in the two clips below.

The Tunnel Part I – The Four from NESSS on Vimeo.

The Tunnel Part II – The Eight from NESSS on Vimeo.

I’ve also included a few of the photos from the migrating mist featured in Part II for your examination below. These photos illustrate the movement of the mist around our group in conjunction to the cold spots several investigators felt. Please note that none of us saw this mist while it was happening. Although we are hesitant to call it paranormal, we did feel it should be included for your consideration. All were taken with Rob’s camera, a Sony DSC P200 point-and-shoot. The flash fired in all photos. The EXIF data for all photos was the same: ISO 400, 7.9mm, f/2.8, 1/30 second. Click to open full size.

1:33:26 AM – We begin to exit, no mist present.

1:41:40 AM – Chris begins to feel cold.

1:42:59 AM – Mist visible around Chris.

1:43:52 AM – Mist still visible.

1:44:35 AM – Mist has dissipated.

1:46:36 AM – We commence walking toward the exit.

1:48:49 – Sue notes that the Ankh cell-phone strap in her back pocket was tugged. A mist is visible.

1:48:55 – Mist still visible.

1:49:01 – Mist still visible.

1:49:08 – But for a few moisture “orbs” the mist has dissipated.

CONCLUSION:

Though we can’t definitively say the abandoned tunnel is haunted, we will say that this case deserves much more study. We’ve noted anomalies nearly every time we’ve visited. Though we cannot say that they are unequivocally paranormal in origin, we have removed many of the normal, natural causes from the equation and these anomalies still remain.

The Northeast Spectral Science Society has plans to resume our research within the abandoned tunnel in the spring. We hope that this case may lead us to the answers we all seek.

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(Ed. -  At this time, we are not going to publicly reveal the exact location of the tunnel due to concerns over vandalism and safety. However, paranormal researchers and groups are invited to email us privately to discuss this investigation report and the feasibility of conducting their own.)

One Sunny afternoon in September, NESSS members Sue, Rob, Chris and I stopped by the Center Cemetery in Palmer, Massachusetts, often called the “hidden” cemetery due to it’s relative invisibility from the road. Chris and I had been there several times before to photograph the unique stones in the old section; we had heard the rumors of activity, but never personally experienced anything unusual there. We decided to bring Sue and Rob with us to see what we could find.

HISTORY:

The town of Palmer, Massachusetts was incorporated in 1775, and some of the earliest burials in the town’s history were in the Center Cemetery. The oldest graves present date back to the 1700s, and range all the way up to the 1990s.

CLAIMS of ACTIVITY:

Reports of paranormal occurrences in the Palmer Center Cemetery can be found all over the internet. The obligatory couple of sentences can be found at The Shadowlands, and Spirit Signs. More in-depth reports can be found at Texas Haunts and SERT.

Growing up one town over, I had heard stories of a man with a lantern who wandered the cemetery after dark, and I had friends who had experienced things there. I had always chalked these stories up to the suggestibility of teenagers, and the type of legends passed on in small towns all over the world.

OUR INVESTIGATION:

The four of us began by walking through, beginning in the older section and working our way up to the newer end. We took pictures and observed, noting time, temperature and baseline EMF readings.

We split up into two groups. Rob and I continued to photograph our surroundings while Sue and Chris set up for a communications session in the older section. They used two different digital voice recorders and the K-II meter during this session, and asked questions of the usual type. They prompted anyone present to make themselves known, either verbally or by lighting the K-II.

Rob and I joined Sue and Chris for a second session in the center of the cemetery, under a tree. We again used both recorders and the K-II and asked the usual questions.

Nothing out of the ordinary was recorded on either recorder or captured in any of the pictures. We did not note any significant EMF fluctuations.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:

Except for the fact that I’ve lost not one but two lens caps in this particular cemetery, and find it to be a challenge to photograph properly every time I visit, neither I nor the rest of our small group experienced anything out of the ordinary. We noted that the cemetery on that particular day felt peaceful and quiet, with no trace of the apparitions experienced by others in years past.

CONCLUSION:

We did not come away from our two hours at Palmer Center Cemetery with any indication that it is haunted, perhaps because we visited during the day, or perhaps because whatever was once there has since moved on. Because the cemetery is posted against trespassing after dark, we were not able to visit at night, and don’t recommend any of our readers do so either since the cemetery is closely watched by neighbors. However if the opportunity should arise for us to obtain permission to investigate after dark, we would jump at the chance. And we would certainly update our investigation report accordingly.

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EMF meters have become, in recent years, part of the ghost hunter’s standard arsenal. Theories abound with regards to why EMF readings can be valuable to the paranormal researcher. But which type of meter is best?

An electromagnetic field (EMF) is a physical field which emanates from a source of electrical charge. While the concept of EMF conjures thoughts of high-voltage wires, home electronics or heavy machinery, electromagnetic fields can present themselves in many different situations. All living things with a central nervous system – including you and your goldfish – emit EMF. Such fields are usually too weak to measure by any but the most sensitive meters, such as the Trifield Natural EM. The earth itself gives off a constant field, which registers variably depending on multiple factors such as the composition of the soil and the surrounding environment.

Electromagnetic fields are theorized to be the fuel that an ethereal being may use to manifest. During a manifestation, the EMF detectors may spike in conjunction with the presence or touch of a being who has drawn upon the natural or pre-existing current and focused it.

While not always evidence of a “presence”, a pattern of spikes in conjunction with other evidence is an anomaly, and most definitely worth noting.

Though minimal exposure to EMF is not considered dangerous, frequent or prolonged exposure to moderate or high levels can be. Specific threshold numbers vary from source to source, but the constant presence of a high electromagnetic field is generally thought to cause feelings of paranoia and headaches and to exacerbate existing health problems. A natural or man-made source of high EMF may explain such feelings in those who think they feel and see ghosts or otherwise experience what they perceive to be hostility. I have investigated a few cases in which the claims of paranormal or “spooky” activity could be directly correlated to high ambient EMF, either from old or out-of-code wiring or proximity to high voltage lines.

For those who choose to measure electromagnetic fields in conjunction with their paranormal research, there are many options. I have been using a couple of different EMF meters for a while now: the K-II and the Lutron EMF-822A. Both are handy, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Lutron EMF-822A has a digital readout which displays the strength of the EMF field numerically in either Gauss or Tesla. This makes it ideal to numerically quantify the strength of the EMF field for a given location, and to more accurately describe the base-to-spike differential. Also, the Lutron is great for testing ambient fields in locations with less than ideal wiring, as you can accurately judge just how far from the source a field may extend. The only drawback is that the display is not back lit; we have fashioned a light for ours out of some duct tape and a LED and battery setup borrowed from a jogger’s light, which works reasonably well.

The K-II is great for an interactive session, and we have often used it in conjunction with our EVP (electronic voice phenomena) sessions. It is wonderful for lights-out investigations because it has a series of bright LED lights which come on in ascending order with the strength of the field. Theoretically, ethereal beings can be “trained” to use it as a communication device if the investigator asks the being to draw from the natural energies around it and focus them toward the meter to make the lights blink. I have successfully had the lights blink in response to questions in the past, and we could find no normal cause for this fluctuation. Was this contact? We can’t say for sure. Was it worth further research? Certainly.

So, in conclusion, I have had excellent results using both types of meters during the course of an investigation. Since they’re small, I see no reason not to keep both ready and available in my investigation kit bag.

Which kind do you use?

(Update, 11-23-08: NESSS investigator Rob was able to bring a malfunctioning camera card back from the brink and retrieve many of his photos from this location. One of these photos shows an interesting anomaly, so we have decided to update this entry to include it.)

The Northeast Spectral Science Society recently sponsored an investigation for the Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup at the Eunice Williams Covered Bridge in Greenfield, Massachusetts. On the evening of October 11th, 2008, NESSS members Jean, Sue, Rob, Chris and I, arrived at the bridge, along with 17 members of the meetup group.

HISTORY

Though the bridge itself is a 1970s replica of a covered bridge dating back to about 1870, the history of the land is much older. In February of 1704, the village of Deerfield, Massachusetts was attacked by a group of Native Americans and French soldiers, killing 56 residents. 109 of the remaining inhabitants of Deerfield were taken captive and led on a long march to Canada.

Eunice Williams, wife of the reverend John Williams, had given birth not long before the attack on Deerfield. She could not keep the pace her ruthless captors had set, and collapsed while crossing the Green River. She was immediately killed by one of her captors, and her body was left behind. The remaining captives were marched to Canada, where some would remain for as long as two years before they were set free.

John Williams and two of his three captive children returned home to Deerfield; his daughter Eunice chose to remain with the tribe and marry a Native American man, all but forsaking her English heritage. Reverend Williams never forgot the spot where his wife was brutally taken from him, and ordered a stone placed there to honor her.

CLAIMS of ACTIVITY

Legend holds that Eunice is not at rest and still wanders the spot where she was slain. She has been reportedly seen both by the dam and on the bridge which bears her name. NESSS member Chris had a personal experience by the bridge as a child fishing with his father. There is also an old local story that states that if a motorist stops on the bridge, honks once and turns of their lights, she will appear, however these days the bridge is closed to all but pedestrian traffic.

OUR INVESTIGATION

Since we had such a large team for the evening, we split into three groups to tackle in turns the three major areas we wanted to investigate: the dam, down-river and the bridge itself. Sue and Rob led one group, consisting of mostly experienced investigators. Chris took another group, made up mainly of inexperienced investigators and a few teenagers. Jean and I led the third group, made up of members with various levels of experience. We split the equipment evenly amongst the groups and set out into the cool, clear night.

The three groups proceeded to investigate each area in much the same way. We began in each location by walking through, familiarizing ourselves with the surroundings and taking a few pictures. We then proceeded to sit for an EVP session, with various members of the group asking questions of the usual type. We concentrated on each area for an hour, then met back up with the other groups and set out for our next location.

No unusual EMF spikes were reported. Our temperature readings remained within normal parameters for an investigation at the river. The camcorders produced nothing of interest. The EVP sessions, made all the more challenging by our proximity to running water, turned up nothing ethereal. Many members of the group did report photo anomalies, but I was able to explain most of these as natural phenomena, such as slow-shutter camera shake and matrixing patterns of low-lit leaves and grass.

Update, 11-23-08: Rob’s salvaged photo is below.  I have also included a copy of this photo which has been lightened using Adobe Lightroom.  Click either picture to open full size.  The original photo was taken with a Sony point-and-shoot with a focal length of 7.9mm, a shutter speed of 1/40th of a second, an ISO of 200, and an aperture of f/2.8.  If you have any thoughts on this photo, please feel free to post a comment below or email us directly.  We feel that this photo may be the result of warm breath hitting cold air in front of the flash, but we’re open to any interpretation you may have.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

Chris and another member of his group that night both saw lights in the woods that they could not identify. He says: “We saw lights in close proximity to each other, spherical in shape, light in color, across the river from us while we were at the dam. They weren’t flashlights, because none of the groups were over there at any point throughout the night. To access that area, one would have to climb down a very steep, wooded embankment, and would have made some noise in the process. Plus, my fellow group leaders had a pretty tight rein on their investigators, and are positive that nobody went down there.”

Additionally, a member of the meetup group investigating with Sue and Rob reported feeling a force pulling her in the direction of the water.

We were unable to corroborate either of these experiences with any tangible evidence, or debunk them by any normal means.

CONCLUSION

The Northeast Spectral Science Society is not prepared, at this time, to call the Eunice Williams Bridge and surrounding areas haunted. We do, however, feel that the variety of personal experiences reported by investigators that evening warrant another trip to this location for further research.

NESSS will be going back very soon, and we will be inviting the Western Massachusetts Paranormal Meetup to investigate with us again in the spring. Should anything of an ethereal nature materialize, we will certainly adjust our report to reflect our new findings.

On a cool, clear day in early October, NESSS members Chris, Sue, Jean, Rob and I visited the infamous Gilson Road Cemetery in Nashua, New Hampshire.  The following is an account of our findings.

HISTORY:

So much has been written and said about Gilson Road cemetery that it’s hard to separate truth from legend.  Amongst the many tales we’ve heard, the cemetery has been said to rest upon the site of a bloody Native American battle, or to have been the spot upon which an insane medicine man died.  We couldn’t find much to back up these particular stories, as the earliest records for this cemetery seem to have gone missing, if in fact they were ever kept.

What we do know is that most of the graves that are currently in possession of headstones range from the late 1700s to about the mid 1800s, with a handful of later anachronistic burials.  Some graves seem to be marked by uncarved field stones and many remain unmarked, either by design or due to damage or vandalism.

Though the area has become quite developed in recent years, this would have been an extremely remote place to put a cemetery in its day.  It appears that this cemetery was less a community or church installation, and more a private plot shared by the Gilson and Robbinson families.

CLAIMS of ACTIVITY:

The claims of activity in Gilson Road Cemetery are many; during our research, we heard the phrase “most haunted cemetery in New Hampshire” used more than once.  A simple Google search turns up dozens of experiences had by a variety of people, from casual passers-by to experienced investigation teams.  Anomalies have been caught on film and digital cameras, both day and night.  EVPs and video anomalies have been reported, as well as a wealth of personal experiences.

Well-known paranormal web-site Hollow Hill has numerous accounts and photos posted, as they have been investigating this particular cemetery many years.

OUR INVESTIGATION:

The five of us arrived at Gilson Road approximately ten minutes to noon on a Sunday.  We decided to conduct our initial investigation during daylight hours because much of the activity we had researched occurred during the day, and we didn’t want to run afoul of the law by trespassing after dark.

We began with an initial walk-through to survey the location and format our plan of attack.  The cemetery is surrounded by a low stone wall, and bordered on three sides by woods.  The cemetery is set above the level of the road for most of its length.

Though Gilson Road is a small cemetery, we set up three of our Sony camcorders on tripods to cover every angle.

While Rob and Jean fine-tuned the camera equipment and established a baseline EMF reading with the Lutron EMF-822A, Sue and Chris started an EVP session by the Walter Gilson stone, the one with the hole in it.   I set about photographing the whole cemetery with my Olympus E-510 DSLR.

Sue and Chris concluded their EVP session and snapped a few photos with their point-and-shoot cameras.  The three of us began a second EVP session by the back right corner of the cemetery while Jean and Rob concentrated on the back left corner.

Our investigation of Gilson Road Cemetery on that particular day posed many challenges.  In addition to the noise created by the passing of traffic, there was a soccer game at the elementary school just around the block, and someone was mowing a lawn in the housing development across the road.  We didn’t really have a decent period of silence in the two hours we were at Gilson Road and our EVPs came up empty.

Our analysis of the photo and video evidence turned up nothing, and we had no significant EMF readings above baseline.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:

Our team had no notable feelings or experiences to report.  As a whole, the cemetery felt peaceful and quiet, even in the face of our prior research into all the reported activity.  Though the outside world is creeping closer toward Gilson Road cemetery every day, it seems content to live on as a piece of history, untouched.

CONCLUSION:

The Northeast Spectral Science Society can not call Gilson Road Cemetery haunted at this time, nor can we say we were able to debunk any of the claims of other teams.  In consideration of the reputation this cemetery has and the evidence other investigators have captured there, we are not ready to give up on Gilson Road just yet.  We have plans to re-investigate this location in the near future, and will certainly post our findings here.

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What is paranormal responsibility?

Paranormal Responsibility is understanding your equipment. You must not only know how it works, but why, and by extension, why it is useful for the paranormal researcher to use such a gadget. Don’t parrot back the theoretical assumptions of other investigators, come to your own conclusions and do something to elevate this burgeoning science.

Paranormal Responsibility is understanding your camera. Educate yourself on the basics of photography, gain a working knowledge of your camera’s settings, and stop posting false positives as evidence. Experiment with photographic anomalies and learn what conditions create orbs and mists and trails and what you can adjust to avoid them. Implement a bracketing system to capture the same location and angle with multiple camera settings.

Paranormal Responsibility is voluntary peer review. Get your evidence in front of a wider audience and listen to what they have to say. There will always be skeptics who deny everything and there will always be dramatic-types who see everything in nothing, but the majority of researchers fall somewhere in the middle. Be open to the idea that someone may catch something you have missed, or pose a possible natural explanation to the one piece of evidence you hold most dear.

Paranormal Responsibility is paranormal propriety. If you are in a position to represent the paranormal field to the general public, do not act like an ass. This field is already maligned in the mainstream by those who would call us crazy or evil or some combination of both, so it is your responsibility as our willing or unwitting spokesperson not to prove them right.

Paranormal Responsibility is asking permission to enter any abandoned location, private property, or cemetery after dark, and respecting any property that you have been given the opportunity to investigate. Nothing reflects more negatively on the paranormal field as a whole than a news story about yet another group getting in trouble in the name of specious research.

Paranormal Responsibility is knowing your audience. If you are in a position to interact with those who are younger or in possession of less experience than you, do not steer them wrong or put them in harm’s way. Do not inadvertently encourage immaturity by bragging of your exploits in forbidden realms. If it’s dangerous, don’t post details!

Paranormal Responsibility is paranormal integrity. Do not perpetuate a lie, for fun or profit, whether consciously or unconsciously. Don’t participate in the charade, and don’t join the mob. If truth is your aim, prove it!

What does Paranormal Responsibility mean to you?