What’s New with OKPRI?
Last month I reported that I had some disappointing news concerning the Stone Lion Inn. Well guess what, I was wrong! The Stone Lion Inn has asked OKPRI if we would be interested in hosting an all night investigation. Sounds really cool huh? I don’t have all the details because nothing has been set in stone yet, however, once I get the 411 on it, you all will be the first ones to know. From what I have heard so far, this event will include room and board so for those of you all who might be interested in attending this investigation but live out of town, don’t worry, we’ll put ‘ya up for the night! That’s right; this event will include a free room for the night’s stay! Word is that this event will most likely take place in July! Again, I don’t have all the details yet but stay with me and I’ll let ‘ya know!
Now for a more serious issue! Naming this NEWSLETTER!!!!!!!! Maybe some of you didn’t see what I wrote last month…LOL…but we’re trying to rename the newsletter and have you seen all the cool prizes that we are giving away? If not, check out the pics below! In other words, we would like some help on this please! I know that some of you all would like to see your name in “lights” (LOL) and until that happens; this is the next best thing! So come on loyal readers, put your thinking caps on and get creative and help us name this thing!
All entries must be submitted no later than June 15th as the winner will be announced in our July’s Newsletter and all those who submit their creative names for our news letter should include a small paragraph about how they came up with the idea for the new name and their thoughts and opinions on our newsletter, along with a small profile photo of themselves. The winner’s written entry will also be included in our July Newsletter and this lucky winner will also be given a prize of their choice, which includes one of the following items:
****We are also adding another prize of choice! If the winner does not choose any of the prizes below, they can choose to accompany OKPRI on an investigation!***
An ELF Meter: What this meter lacks in resolution it makes up with ease of use and very low cost. Meter measures ELF/VLF magnetic fields in the frequency range of 20 - 10,000 Hz, with a minimum sensitivity of .25 mG. Laboratory tested and documented for accuracy.
Three
LED lights signal field strength:
0 - 2.5 mG ("safe")
2.5 - 7 mG ("caution")
8 or more mG ("danger")
Single axis sensor, on/off toggle switch. One fresh 9V battery required. Useful for preliminary surveys of home, car, or office. Very popular for paranormal work too!
Or, they can choose from any one of the following OKPRI items below!
An OKPRI T-Shirt An OKPRI Mouse Pad An OKPRI Journal
Reader’s Realm
Now on to the Reader’s Realm, where we get to add your questions and hopefully get you all the answers that you were looking for. Even if you’re not the one who asked the question, perhaps this section of the newsletter can be of some help to you!
A very good question was asked to us not to long ago in an e-mail. Below is the following e-mail question with our response:
Hello,
I visited your Home Page and I would like to ask a basic question regarding your team members:
Are any of you guys ever frightened on an investigation? What things cause this to happen if you do? What do you do to calm yourself in this situation?
Please
and Thank You
Zach
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Zach and thanks for trusting us with your questions!!
There are times on an investigation that can cause varying levels on anxiety, depending on the team member. Even though we deal with the dark and creepy corners of the night, we are no different than anyone else in our basic human reactions. Anxiety doesn’t have to be caused by something paranormal, it can be as simple as the feeling of being alone in an unfamiliar place. Ways to combat these situations are simple things like safety in numbers. We never have anyone go to a location or a spot at a location alone. Also, you just have to train yourself to take a deep breath and clear your mind if panic sets in. If nothing else works, there is nothing wrong with removing yourself from the situation until your nerves recover!
Again thank you for trusting us with your questions and we hope that our advice has been helpful!
Upcoming OKPRI Events
The Month of June also looks like a busy one for us! So far this month we are trying to fulfill a few residential investigation requests that have come in over the last couple of months. I can tell you that our group conducts a lot of investigations at historical sites, along with buildings of interests, but we are always willing to help out our fellow Oklahoman’s who feel they have a haunting taking place within their home. Some paranormal investigators do not like to investigate residentials, but we don’t mind, but remember our one case, “The House of Darkness?” You just never know what might be there waiting in the dark for you!
I mentioned in our April’s addition that we have been investigating a historical hotel in Southern Oklahoma. This multi-story hotel has been around for almost a hundred years, since the beginning of Oklahoma’s statehood and wow…what a great little historical location this has been for us! This is the place that I told you guys about where the town’s historical society is also trying to preserve its heritage as they are in the process of restoring it into a museum.
Now I can’t yet fully tell you ALL the details of this investigation (yes, I’m getting antsy,) because Christy is working on updating our website again as we speak and this investigation will be on our website very soon! What I can show you however, is the shadow photo that I mentioned last month. We would like to hear your thoughts on it, or join us on our message board and jump in on our discussions about the evidence that we collect from each investigation. Just a heads up for all you guys, we normally post some of our data evidence from investigations on our message board first so by keeping in touch with us there, you will see what we get before we post it on our website!
Okay, as promised, here is the shadow photo that I was telling you all about! I will post the original photo first and then a negative duplicate of it so you all can perhaps see the image a bit better. I can tell you that our group has fully analyzed this photo and we still do not have an explanation for it. If you look towards the bottom, you can see part of this shadow figure turn 3D and you can see right through it. We have the comparison before and after photo that was taken and there is NOTHING like this in either photo! Quite weird but amazing if you ask me! Yep, I’m not afraid to admit it; I myself can’t figure it out so perhaps you all can share your thoughts and insights on it with us! Here ya go!
Now as promised, a few details about a location that we just visited here this month! That’s right, I’m talking about a historical Fort that we investigated which really gave you a glimpse of the past and some of our state’s history. This Fort was created right about the time of the civil war era and trust me, I had a first hand look at this place and it was like taking a step back in time! This location still had buildings intact and then some that were not so intact. You could feel it from the moment you stepped into this place. I can’t tell you how many times I felt like I was walking in the footsteps of the soldiers who once lived and worked there! You could almost hear the horse and wagons and the marching of the soldiers as they paraded around the old Fort.
So you might be asking how our first investigation went? Well, I can’t tell you all the details yet, but I can tell you that our trip was not a disappointing one at all! We actually got some really great EVP and amazing photos from this place! Perhaps I can talk Christy into letting me share a couple with you in next month’s edition! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!
Paranormal Articles, News & Weird Facts
I found this next article to be a very interesting one and one that I have personally experienced a few times myself. I was excited whenever Christy gave this article to me for the newsletter as I feel like it is very informative and has a lot of good points that can possibly help someone else that has experienced the same thing. I can honestly say that my own personal experience with this subject below is what first sparked my interest in the paranormal. Do I know for sure now if my experience was indeed connected somehow to the paranormal realm? Well no, I can’t really say for sure now since I have read this article, however at the time when it happened to me, I was fully convinced that it was paranormally related. I’ll just let you read this article and make up your own mind!
What is a Ghost & Do They Really Exist?
Written by Christy Selfridge
The night is late and Amanda is tired. She quickly goes through her house and turns off the lights one by one as she makes her way down the hall to her bedroom. As she switches off the last lamp in the living room, darkness floods into the room. She takes a couple of steps away from the lamp when it suddenly comes on again by itself. She can feel goose bumps crawling up on the back of her neck and eyes piercing right through her as she reaches for the small Bible in her pocket. She decides to ignore the light as if it was still off as she makes her way to her bedroom. She finds that her pace gets a little faster with each step. When she reaches her room she quickly turns on her light and then slams her door shut. She runs for her bed and puts her back up against her headboard and pulls the covers up around her body. She doesn’t quite know what’s going on, but whatever it is, she knows she doesn’t like it.
For just a few quick seconds, she entertains the thought that it could be a ghost but then tries to put it out of her mind. She doesn’t believe in ghosts, or at least she never used to until she moved into the old house. She thought back to the first time that she saw it as she drove by and saw the “for sale” sign in the yard. The old Victorian style home was small but delicate and something that she had always dreamed of. She had even spent quite a bit of her savings into restoring the old home, adding the improvements that she thought would bring a nice touch, but now she was not so sure she had made the right choice by buying the old house.
She lived in the home alone and started noticing strange things taking place about a week after she had moved in. Her lights would flicker or come off and on by themselves; she would hear disembodied voices, see shadows, and feel someone watching her, or have an occasional touch on her face or shoulder. She didn’t know what to do about it as ghosts didn’t exist or did they? Was she going crazy?
She sat there for a few moments in silence, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that she had. She needed some rest that was all. She had been working too hard lately and just needed to slow down a bit. She placed her Bible back on her nightstand and switched off her bedside lamp. She stared out into the darkness of the room hoping that nothing would find her. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she fell fast asleep.
She awoke a couple of hours later to someone tapping on her bedroom door. She said straight up in bed and in silence, watched as her bedroom door slowly opened on its own and a strange man walked through the door and up to the foot of her bed. He stood there and just stared at her, not saying a word. She was so frightened that she opened her mouth to scream but nothing would come out. She grabbed her pillow and covered her face, too afraid to look again at the ghostly figure. Too afraid because she knew if she did, she’d find him standing right beside her. She mustered up her courage and peaked out from her pillow expecting to find the man but instead found no sign of him! If that night had convinced her anything at all, it convinced her that ghosts are real and do exist!
Have you ever had an experience like Amanda? Perhaps you believe in ghosts or perhaps you don’t. Most people in general struggle with the thought that life ends after they die. A lot of people want to believe that after we die, our existence does not stop, but continues on. Most people believe the soul is a never ending life force or energy, so if this is true, and the soul does truly exist, where exactly does it go once it leaves the physical body? Does this disembodied soul really turn into a ghost? If so, where do they go? Do they really exist on another plane of existence? If so, why are they here and what do they want? You might wrestle with these questions, but don’t worry, you’re not alone! To find answers to these questions has been a common goal among paranormal investigators for a very long time. We hope that through our investigations and research that we can find clues that will help answer these questions. Ultimately in the end, ghosts and the afterlife indeed raise many curiosities, including the age old question of, “Is there truly life after death” which continues to baffle mankind for centuries and still to this day, remains a mystery.
Modern Christianity teaches that there is a Heaven and a Hell and those who do not uphold good morals and accept God/Jesus as their savior, have a fiery hell that awaits them when they die. Others believe that the present life we are living on Earth is hell, while others believe we are all destined to a resting place of peace & happiness no matter what. Then again, other people simply believe that when our physical body dies, life simply stops and so does our existence. Many different religions lead each individual to believe different or similar theories about the “other side” and what really happens to us when we leave our physical bodies. While there is not a lot of proof that the other side exists, we are given clues and bits of information from time to time which can help each of us decide what “theory” or “belief” system we really choose to accept.
Many people throughout the world have reported seeing apparitions, more commonly known as “ghosts” or hearing disembodied voices or claim to see things move on their own, etc. Is all of this proof that ghosts exist? To those of us who have experienced any of the strange phenomenons, chances are, it’s strengthened our belief system to agree that ghosts do exist. To the hard core skeptics or to modern day scientists however, there will never be enough proof to say that ghosts exist!
Medical scientists have
conducted studies on the physical body and the possible existence of a soul.
During these studies; they have discovered interesting facts that have lead up
to a theory on death and the soul’s existence. Their studies have involved
different people right about the time of their death. These scientists would
weigh their subject’s right before they died and then weight them again just
seconds after death. While this may sound a bit morbid, it has enabled scientist
to find a slight difference in weight right after the body dies. Could this
possibly be from the absence of the soul away from the physical body? This was a
theory they presented as a result of their studies.
Although most paranormal
researchers do not necessarily have a degree which defines us as a scientist, we
are all still interested none the less in the studies of the soul and the
existence of life after death. Throughout the years, many paranormal researchers
have taken a step forward to test theories about the existence of ghosts and
have developed intriguing methods of study, coming up with some interesting
evidence that helps back our theories that ghosts are real.
Most paranormal researchers & investigators know that modern science doesn’t accept our evidence as proof that ghosts exist. In fact, the closest form of recognizing any evidence that ghosts exist is through EVP, electronic voice phenomenon or “voices of the dead”. It is through this phenomenon of recorded voices that scientists have acknowledge a possibility that a supernatural realm is possible, but the recordings presented are not enough “evidence” to say for sure. For those of us who research the paranormal and record our own “evidence,” we can say that we definitely believe that there is another existence for us after we die, a place where our soul goes after it leaves the physical body, an existence known simply as a “ghost.”
So what really is a ghost? by New Webster’s Dictionary it is:
Ghost:
The soul of man, a disembodied spirit; apparition, shadow
Ghostly: Relating to the soul; spiritual; not carnal or secular;
pertaining to apparitions.
From our studies,
and contrary to some people’s beliefs, ghosts were once human and in physical
form living their lives like all of us, until their passing into death. When the
physical body dies, the soul continues on and if these people don’t cross over,
they remain Earthbound and become what we commonly refer to as ghosts.
Ghosts in general
are just like regular people, each having different personalities, etc. The only
difference is that they have no physical body. They usually keep the same
personality traits in their thoughts, needs, wants, etc. The reasons they stay
Earthbound can vary with each individual ghost. In our time or researching &
investigating the paranormal, we have learned that ghosts do not always choose
to go around harming & scaring people as Hollywood depicts in the movies that
they produce. Hollywood has produced this type of stereotype for ghosts for so
many years, that it has edged a precognitive notion deep into our subconscious
minds causing many people to prejudge the supernatural world without first
having all the facts involved.
Member Spotlight
By Donna Hilton – OKPRI Investigator
This is a new column that we would like to try out this month where we will use this area to include our member’s thoughts and personal experiences and things that they would like to include in with our monthly newsletter.
This month we are featuring Donna, who is one of our members and a great investigator:
“I remember this day well, we had visited a small town in western Oklahoma, and the locals were, let’s just say, colorful. I remember how we kept trying to correct them on the pronunciation of one of our key terms that we use while on an investigation. The word was apparition. These two lovely people that we had to keep correcting could not get this down no matter how much Christy or I tried. Every time, it came out “apparatus”, and you couldn’t help but smile as you heard them just keep going on with this mispronunciation!
I think the coolest thing I remember about being there was the trip to an old cemetery. We were looking at the old markers and having a conversation about the days events… I remember watching my husband out ahead of us and teasing about certain things he was doing… trying to be serious but at the same time clowning around.
After we concluded our investigation of the cemetery we ran back the audio that we had recorded and clear as a bell over myself and Christy’s conversation you could hear someone ask “Who are they?” When you are the only people there this can be freaky for your first time collecting EVP.
This to me will stand out as one of the best times I have ever had as far as cemeteries and small towns go… Just thought I would share that with you!”
Paranormal Craze
We are starting this new column to use as a place where our members can share their thoughts, ideas and own stories and personal experiences with you. J.T. is one of OKPRI’s newest members, and will be sharing his learning adventures in a monthly column.
What It’s Like Working in the Paranormal Field
By J.T. Daquin (AKA: The Troll)
Greetings to all of you in paranormal land, this is J.T. one of the newest members of OKPRI. I was told I would have the opportunity to contribute an article in the monthly newsletter and I got really excited! What I would like to do each month is just talk a little about what it’s like working in the paranormal field and tell you about some experiences I’ve had, and also get some feedback from you, the readers, about your experiences. I would like this to be an interesting and fun column for all.
Just to give you a little background about me, I was born and raised right outside New Orleans, Louisiana. I relocated here in February due to Hurricane Katrina. This is my first time working in the paranormal field although I have been extremely interested in it as long as I can remember. I would be remiss if I didn’t take a second to thank all my family at OKPRI for giving me such a warm welcome since I’ve been here. I have been on several investigations so far and one is just as exciting as the other. I look forward to future explorations into the paranormal and to be given the opportunity to learn something new each time.
O.K., now that you know about me, I would like to discuss some things I picked up on during my first investigation. The first thing I realized is, in order to do this kind of work, you can’t be afraid of the dark!!! I didn’t realize that when you see investigations on T.V., it’s shot through Night Shot on camera. It always looks so well lit up on T.V. To make matters worse, the location we were doing was a museum, so there were mannequins everywhere, so every time you take a picture and the flash goes off, there was a face staring right at you!!! (Kinda Freaky!!!).
Once I adjusted my eyes to the dark and got used to the mannequins, then it really started sinking in, I was actually searching for ghosts!!! I always said I would love to do it, but I never thought in my wildest dreams it would happen. Then I had to ask myself “Am I cut out for this?” And the other question that crossed my mind was “If I actually see or hear something, what will I do then?” I never really asked myself these things until I was in the thick of it. (I know, my timing is questionable at best). Then, I started to get a little uneasy. I could feel the sweat pouring off my forehead; I asked myself “What did I get myself into?” So, I took a couple of deep breaths, gathered myself, and started to feel a little better. Then, it happened. One of my teammates said “Did you hear that?” and the first words out of my mouth were “HOLY ****”. It was all real, ghosts and spirits and hauntings, what will I do? Now, I’m really starting to freak, sweat is pouring off me like Niagara Falls. Just when I was at the brink, he said something to me I will never forget, he announced to me and our other teammates “Strength in numbers guys”. As soon as he said that it was like a huge burden was lifted off of me. At that very moment, I knew things were going to be alright. I realized I wasn’t alone and I felt a calm come over me that I hadn’t felt since I got there.
The biggest lesson I learned that night was that as long as you have people around you that you can depend on, there is nothing you can’t handle. What started off as sure panic and despair turned into a very surprising bonding experience. I knew from that point on that they had my back and I was going to be damn sure that I had theirs. Questions of “What am I going to do?” and “What did I get myself into?” turned into “Is it already time to leave?” and “When can we go on our next investigation?” No matter what I experience from here on, I know I will be prepared because of one phrase uttered to me that night, which I would like to personally thank him for “STRENGTH IN NUMBERS”.
I hope you enjoyed our first segment together, I’m looking forward to next month so we can continue to discuss all things paranormal. This is J.T. the Troll wishing all of you happy hauntings.
If you would like to reply to this column, you can e-mail J.T. at jdaquin@sbcglobal.net.
The Founder’s Forum
This is a section of the newsletter that we are going to dedicate to our founder, Christy Selfridge, to bring you all the information that she might feel is vital.
_________________________________________________________
May was an excellent month for OKPRI and those who support us! On the 17th of this month, our team was featured on Sci-Fi’s Ghosthunters. This wonderful opportunity helped to get our group out in the public domain, and we have had many contacts from viewers as a result. Our website had over 5,000 hits in the few days following the original airing! We thoroughly enjoyed the many e-mails we received from those of you that wanted to congratulate us and tell us your own experiences. During the airing, we also had a live chat on our message board with OKPRI members and the public, to answer questions that anyone had about the episode.
On the 25th, we had our second “A Haunted Evening at the Stone Lion Inn” in Guthrie. This event is always extremely fun and fascinating as members of the public get a chance to tour the old Inn and hear the many paranormal occurrences that have been documented. This Inn is the location that was featured on Ghosthunters. We have also been approached by the people of the Stone Lion Inn about doing an all-night event/investigation there with members of the public. It is not definite, but would absolutely be a blast for anyone wishing to be involved.
We have lots of good investigations coming up, including both residential locations and public locations. We also have concluded several investigations that were very valuable sources of evidence and data for us, and are anxious to share these with you as we conclude the analysis of these locations. In closing, we would once again, as always, like to thank everyone for their continued dedication and support!
Sincerely,
Christy Selfridge
Founder/Director, OKPRI
Jim’s Final Words
Hey all that wraps up another one of these editions and I hope that this will keep you all coming back for more in the months to come and remember what I always say… Until next month keep your eyes and ears open, never know what might be there in the dark!
Jim Hilton,
Case Manager, OKPRI