Work & Research
Disclaimer: The information set forth is how I personally investigate and navigate the world of the paranormal. My goal isn't necessarily to "hunt ghosts" but rather to further the field of research by introducing new, mystical, and sometimes seemingly more critical, methods and tools to produce better data while still objectively acknowledging the VERY spiritual and energetic roots of the paranormal
"With an inquisitive mind, and a need to understand how things function since childhood, I have always felt grounded, found solace when needed, and really connected (pun intended) with building and fixing things throughout my life. From childhood days where the best toy I could be presented with was an old IBM to take apart with my dad, to fixing things from plumbing to electrical work in high school while my late mother struggled with mental illness, to rebuilding the carburetor in my first motorcycle. I was always and am still, "the one" people call when they need something fixed, built, or "figured out".
Though my formative years never led me to pursuing an education or profession in engineering, building and developing has been a lifelong practice. Now in my late 30s, I've begun pursuing that degree in STEM at Youngstown State University, however in the meantime, I continue to indulge in the three things I'm most passionate about; building/creating (my magic), mysticism, and the paranormal" -L
Personal Practice
I've often discussed keeping personal spiritual beliefs and practices out of your investigation and when it's appropriate to bring them together. The former tends to include practices like; conjuring, ouija boards, cleansing, ceremonies, and active practices that could adversely affect the energy in a space. Techniques that I don't necessarily disagree with, but that I find to be subjective and open to operator error or based purely on trust over data include; pendulums, dowsing rods, estes method (if you're not miking your estes method, throw it out), psychic/mediums, and so on.
There's a fine line to what I personally find acceptable occult wise during an investigation. Things like wearing protective amulets, carrying crystals, cleansing your equipment and self before and after a haunt, seeking directional guidance from divination tools or mediums/psychics (but not relying on these things for facts or answers) are practices that I personally use. There is a very delicate balance (that, more often than not, gets out of hand in 99% of observed occurrences) we need to acknowledge and adhere to in the supernatural. It is in fact, supernatural. This idea that our electrical equipment (which is wildly primitive in terms of quantum physics) can detect something we have no measurable data to compare to, is... delusional. I wouldn't ask a psychic or medium to predict the weather next weekend as much as I wouldn't expect a proximity sensor, mel meter, k2, or radio to tell me if a ghost is present let alone what a "ghost" might actually be.
Until we have the measurable information pertaining to what "spirit energy" actually is, melding the mysticism with the mechanical/electrical, is an acceptable approach to exploration of something that technically doesn't even exist on paper. However, because it's such a delicate balance, it is seldom executed successfully.
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Studying the atmosphere over the haunting
There are enough explorers, in my opinion, capturing that next big piece of communication based "evidence" in the paranormal. Communication has always been the exciting goal amongst the "Paranormal Community". We all want to speak to the dead, know their stories, be known by them, be recognized, called out, etc. And while I've believe to have had my own personal experiences, communication doesn't actually interest me. There are a lot of reasons why that particular endeavor carries no weight in my work (incluoding the idea that "spirits" aren't actually deceased humans), but rather than breaking that down, I'd much rather dive into the why of the occurrences. What happens when we think we're experiences phenomena? Physically in the human body, atmospherically in the space, and energetically around the area. Why do we see shadows? Movement? Feel static electricity in the air, or can note temperature changes? Or are all these things imaginative coincidences when we believe we're "communicating" with something supernatural so we don't find objective experimentation..
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When we remove the idea of wanting to "communicate" we can focus on the environmental changes, or lack there of, in a space. After all, if the only data you want to show me is a word or phrase coming through on a radio, a beeping box, or flashing light, a stick figure on a screen, without any other control, environmental data, or further experimentation... I unfortunately can not impressed. ​​​
The world of the paranormal is always developing. When I use terms like "science based", "(para)Scientific Method", objectivity, physics, etc. its not to inflate a subject that I am very aware of being predominately subjective. You must believe, to a point, that there is something to discover when working with the paranormal. The biggest buzz phrase in this industry will always be "I'm a skeptic" and while having a healthy amount of skepticism is very important, consistently basing your investigations purely on doubt will affect your data in a big way.
I playfully call myself the "kill joy" of the investigation. I love debunking and trying to recreate findings, but I will always conduct my experiments with an open mind and gather the data purely as an impartial observer... I just develop equipment as a skeptical witch. (I know, oxymoron...)
