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By Leslie Richardson (staff writer lrichardson@republicanherald.com)
Published: September 12, 2009

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – A group of paranormal researchers is wrapping up an investigation at a house in Cressona, and the group’s members are hoping to continue searching for evidence of ghosts at area sites.

“Each of us have had some type of encounter which led us to do research and develop our skills over time so that we believe we can help someone get to the bottom of what is causing the experience,” said Lena Kimmel, co-founder of the Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team, based in Schuylkill Haven.

The group has been together about a year and is looking to investigate any paranormal activity someone may be experiencing. The group came across such activity at the Cressona home.

“There is definitely something here,” Kimmel said. “We saw a full-body apparition in the window. We heard the voice of a 60-to-70-year-old man and my daughter, who is a medium, picked up a young girl over there in the corner who was looking for her mother.”

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16 Signs your house may be haunted

 

You hear heavy footsteps in the upstairs hallway when you know no one is up there. Doors slam unaccountably. Commonly used items disappear and reappear without cause. The kitchen light turns on by itself. There’s the unmistakable scent of a strange perfume in the air. These may be indications that your house is haunted. True haunting are rare occurrences, and it may be difficult to determine whether or not any strange phenomena you are experiencing in your home might be due to a haunting. For one thing, no one really knows what a “real” haunting is – what causes it or why it starts. There are many theories, of course, which we have discussed in this space in the article “Ghosts: What Are They?” But if you think your house may really be haunted, what can you do about it?

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Demonology 101 Part III

In Parts I and II we touched on a few explanations offered for the existence of those spirit entities categorized as demons, as well as outlined the characteristics they manifest, and some basic methods of dealing with the inconvenience of their presence. I would like to continue with further speculation on their origins and nature, in an effort to establish a working theorem regarding this area of study.

What factors initially spawned them, we cannot for certain say, and it follows our rigid concept of lineal time, with absolute beginning and endings, does not wholly govern the less substantial realm of spirit. Perhaps a demon could be described as an energy displacement, a sort of poltergeist in which a consciousness has evolved. It exists (yet doesn’t in a purely physical sense), it knows there are other entities like unto itself, and it senses the living beings (us) moving in a dimensional plane apart from their own. But why, then, should they resent us? Well, maybe not all are resentful, and we just notice the ones that are.

It is conceivable that a demon, never having been embodied, might envy the humanity, which it can never experience: the physical sensations, the interaction, the companionship, the hopes and aspirations.

Opportunities for a demon to enter our world and wreak its havoc – that is, in overt, obvious ways – must be limited. Evidence would seem to support the notion that it must first be invited in, though even a subtle invitation can suffice. Once the demon has an “in,” it will feed upon the energies expelled by negative emotions such as anxiety, fear and anger, especially those directed at it.

The state of mind conducive to expelling a demonic presence is a resolute dedication to purpose and a sense of unity on the part of those who confront this nightmarish force.

Elsewhere in the Demonology section of our site, Heather presents an informative exposition of demonic lore.

 

Demonology 101

A “Demon” was originally a Greek term which meant a wise, guardian spirit. In present day spiritualism and parapsychology, the word connotes an entity which appears to have a malicious and resentful nature, and is possibly of a non-human origin: differentiated from a spirit which proceeded from a once-living person.

What characteristics do these entities evince?

1- They seem interested in, and often resentful (perhaps envious?) of living human beings.

2- Although they have been known to inflict minor injuries on people, such as scratches, welts and even what appear to be bite marks, primarily they assault the human mind through oppressive anxiety and fear.

3- They sometimes make their presence known through our senses, such as inexplicable foul odors and low guttural growling (examples of which have been recorded during TAPS investigations as well as investigations by other paranormal research groups).

Demons may exist as a “quasi life-form,” intelligent though not reasoning as do human beings, and existing outside the boundaries of our experience of linear time.

An exorcism or spiritual cleansing may provide a remedy, either temporary or hopefully permanent, against demonic infestation by making the environment hostile for the entity or entities.

Here’s a topic for speculation: Obviously, not much is known for certain regarding these entities called demons other than their presence is quite inconvenient. Consider, could a human spirit become demonic, or be assimilated by the demonic entities? Are they always of non-human origin?

What do you think?

I get many questions regarding apparitions or figures that appear black or dark in color. A majority of the people I speak to have already assumed that, because of the color, the apparition is evil or demonic in nature. This is simply not the truth in the majority of cases. A human spirit may also appear as a dark shadowy form in many cases. The “evil” that most of these people feel at the time they see the black figures is the natural fear being misinterpreted as an evil presence. Many people are frightened by the normal symptoms of a haunting like footsteps, doors opening, voices, etc. They assume they are being hounded by demons from hell. One of the main purposes of this page is to help people understand better what is happening and defuse some of the fear involved in these encounters.

Now, there are evil spirits, but most of you will never encounter them. Even in my own experiences, there was only one apparition that I definitely felt was evil. I drew that conclusion because I could compare the feelings I got from that one spirit to the others I had encountered for 18 years prior to seeing that one. The other black imps as I call them made me feel very uneasy but I cannot say that they were, without a doubt, demons. I am still leaning toward that being the case but I have to keep an open mind and assume that anything is possible. It is also possible that you may be get bad vibes from a human spirit that, for some reason, is not friendly toward you. Perhaps you changed something in their house like the wallpaper in their favorite room or something else to make them feel like you are messing with things that belonged to them in life. Other than typical symptoms of a haunting, there is little else the mean spirited human ghost can do to you except make you feel like it doesn’t like you. In conclusion, seeing a black shadowy spirit does not mean that you are definitely facing an evil spirit. You need to investigate further to determine what the presence is, and a majority of the time you’ll realize it is a human spirit and not demonic. From my experience, you will know by the actions of the spirit and the feelings you get from it, whether or not it’s evil. Just keep in mind the odds are against it being evil.

 

Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team

http://pennsylvaniaparanormal.ning.com

http://www.myspace.com/pennpra

pennpra@gmail.com

Active Membership Application
We Are Currently Accepting Active Membership Applications For Our Paranormal Investigation Team. {Applications Are Being Accepted For The Pennsylvania Area Only At This Time From 20 Miles To 50 Miles Maximum From Our Location Which Is In Schuylkill County Pennsylvania}. This Application Will Be For The Following Volunteer Positions Within Pennsylvania Paranormal Research
Team:
1.) OPEN – Two Experienced Paranormal Investigator Positions
2.) OPEN – One Experienced Paranormal Equipment Tech. Manager Position
3.) OPEN – One Experienced Psychic Medium Position
4.) OPEN – Two Paranormal Investigator Trainee Positions
5.) Office/Secretarial Help

If you are experienced in the Paranormal Research field or you want to utilize our trainee positions that are available at this time please use the survey below, if you fit these 6 requirements and would like to apply for membership please e-mail the staff at pennpra@gmail.com

If you answered yes to these questions you are already pre-qualified for our membership application and possible position with The Pennsylvania Paranormal Research team.

1) I understand that at no time, will I expect or ask to be compensated for my time spent, travel costs, equipment use, etc.

2) I understand that at no time, will I ever ask, harass, rudely suggest or expect payment from a client for any investigation.

3) I understand that Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team is not liable in any way for damages caused by applicant. Nor is the organization liable for any harm or injury that may come to the applicant before, during or after an investigation. There is no compensation offered for this volunteer position.

4) I understand, that 100% honesty and integrity within the team and everyone else while representing the team, is an absolute, non‐negotiable requirement to be a part of Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team. I understand that if I’m found to break this requirement at any time I will be immediately removed from the team.

5) I understand that while involved with or representing the team I’m expected to be mature and respectful to everyone.

6) I acknowledge that Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team and their team members respect and understand that our families and jobs come first. We understand that spouses may not appreciate the long hours and sometimes the funds that one can spend on a hobby such as this when you are serious and dedicated. Even though we do understand some situations, we have a list of guidelines that are required to be a part of the team. If you are not able to follow or accept these guidelines we ask that you re-think your dedication, curiosity or interests in the paranormal and the possible declination of your application.

Basic Equipment For The Modern Ghost Hunter

 

There is an ever increasing amount of equipment on the market that is now being used on investigations. Unlike the early ghost hunters of the early part 20th century we live in an age of technology and we are fortunate enough to be able to use digital recorders and night vision cameras etc but bear in mind that these are not ghost detectors by any means. Their purpose is to simply record data of the natural environment at the location of a reputed haunting. A record of the temperature, electromagnetic fields etc all helps to build a picture of what is taking place in the environment around a haunting.

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Electromagnetism

Let’s talk about this subject called (EM) Electromagnetism. Electromagnetism is a large, encompassing theory, so it’s no wonder that many people do not understand it because we cannot see it, feel it or even taste it. A basic book on it will almost immediately dive into the world of boring mathematics, such as Maxwell’s equations!

Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are invisible lines of force that surround any electrical device. Power lines, electrical wiring, and electrical equipment all produce EMF. There are many other sources of EMF as well. The focus of this discussion is on the basic understanding of EMF–that is, EMF associated with the generation, transmission, and use of electric power.

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