A while back a reader asked a good question about what happens to ghosts when a haunted building either burns down or is torn down? There really is no good answer to this question and I guess ‘it depends’ is as good as any answer. Not to be flippant and dismissive, there are so many possibilities and theories that it is a complex subject.

Personally, I believe that if a building is reported to have activity burns down or is demolished, the haunting may not stop there. If the energy of the ghost is attached to the property; then the ghost’s energy will not leave the location. If the ghost’s energy is attached to any part of the building or contents within; then it is possible that the energy can be transferred to another location if in fact any of the surviving materials are reused.

A case in point, there are many examples of people buying objects out of estate sales, garage sales, antique shops who report strange happenings that are paranormal in nature. Many paranormal researchers have concluded that the energy of the spirit is attached to the item. Once the item is removed from the home or business, there is no further paranormal activity.

On the other hand, as paranormal investigators, we have heard stories from people about seeing apparitions that seem to either float above the floor or the apparition seems to be in the floor or the apparition is seen to dissolve into a wall. When we begin to conduct our research we might find evidence that the original home site was either torn down or burned down and replaced with a new home. If the floor plan of the replacement home has changed, this could account for the apparition appearing to be floating above the floor or in it, or even walking through a wall. This could very well be an example of a residual haunting since the apparition has no comprehension of the change in surroundings. For all intents and purposes, the apparition is following its original course.

This obviously leaves a lot of questions, but that is the bane of this profession, once you think you might have figured out what is going on, it throws you another curve ball. That is why there are so many ‘what ifs’, and ‘it depends’ in the field of paranormal investigations.

Mark Shadley
BHPI investigator
If you are experiencing any paranormal activity and are in need of help contact us at either help@bhparanormal.com or though our website www.bhparanormal.com

Debunking the Paranormal, Perfecting the Supernatural Investigation.

When investigating the paranormal or supernatural, proper debunking is just as important as using the right equipment. The most important part of any paranormal investigation is the ability to debunk a location. This means that one must be willing to explore alternative explanations in order to properly address a potential haunting. The true measure of a paranormal investigator is their commitment to the truth.
Observation of visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli should be carefully examined from all possible angles.

Examples:
Lights
A common cause of mysterious lights that appear in a certain place can be explained as reflections, or the lights from a passing car. 

Tactile
Tactile refers to the sensation of feeling touched by something that isn’t there. Tactile sensations most often occur when some or all of the body’s senses are deprived, i.e., total darkness, complete silence, etc.  Cobwebs, dust bunnies, bugs are a common cause.

Music/Sounds
Animals, insects, wind are a common cause of sounds.  Moans, groans, creaks of a house. Plumbing drips and leaks.  Many of these are only heard during nighttime due to being drowned out by daytime activity.

In short, observation skills are very important in the field of paranormal investigating. Try not to jump to conclusions. Keep an open mind, and have open eyes and ears.
As Sherlock Holmes once said, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Mark Rowland
Lead Investigator
Black Hills Paranormal Investigations
If you are experiencing any paranormal activity and are in need of help contact us at either help@bhparanormal.com or though our website www.bhparanormal.com

Matrixing

Matrixing is a term used in the paranormal field to describe the human mind’s natural tendency to find familiar images and phrases in complex shapes, colors, and sound. It’s what happens when you see cloud shapes, the Man in the Moon, and sometime hear voices in white noise. A good number of photos that have been presented as proof of a haunting or paranormal activity, have actually been just matrixing. This phenomenon is something we use everyday. Especially as newborn children. It is what we use to distinguish our parents face from others. Also to learn shapes of commonly used objects. Pattern recognition of this sort is also a survival tool, giving the earliest humans a way to spot predators in hiding. The skill is so fundamental that, when presented with a random set of patterns the human brain attempts to make sense of what it sees.

Examples of Matrixing

The infamous picture of the face on Mars. This seems to show the shape of a human face on the surface of Mars only to be shown the image was the product of natural features and shadow.
The appearance of well known figures in surprising places. The images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Elvis have appeared in locations as diverse as stained concrete, windows and Cheetos.
Probably the most immediately familiar form of matrixing, anyone who has looked into the sky and thought “that cloud looks just like…” has experienced a form of harmless matrixing.
And, of course the Rorschach ink blot tests. These depend on a sort of directed matrixing, with the person taking the test allowing their subconsciousness to make the ink shape suggest something, or form patterns.

Matrixing can be heightened by unfamiliar surroundings, poor lighting, and events being witnessed via peripheral vision. Of course, when hunting ghosts these are the situations an investigator encounters; it is equally true of witnesses, who are disadvantaged by being unaware of matrixing in the first place. Not every ghostly image or encounter can be explained with reference to matrixing, but knowing the phenomena exists can be a useful tool in the arsenal of debunking techniques.

Have a photo or recording of something you believe to be paranormal, send it to help@bhparanormal.com and let our team of investigators take a look or listen.

Susan Parsons
Investigator
Black Hills Paranormal Investigations
If you are experiencing any paranormal activity and are in need of help contact us at either help@bhparanormal.com or though our website www.bhparanormal.com