House Rules: Civility and the Blog

by Tony Harrington

ci·vil·i·ty

/səˈvilitē/

• Formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech.
• Polite remarks used in formal conversation.

(source: Dictionary.com)

A recent comment-battle has unfortunately spurred the writing of this article. Contrary to the opinion of one very angry reader, this entry like all others, has not been copied and pasted from other sources; it has been written specifically and exclusively for this blog.

With that said, I find myself in the precarious position of defending what I do here. After some introspective processing I came to the conclusion that what I say here matters. Granted, a blog about the paranormal is not everyone’s cup of tea, it serves no purpose to a majority of people surfing the web.

But to approximately 200 people per day it serves as a place where they can stop by and perhaps read an entry or two regarding things they may have personally experienced.

Unfortunately, I may have inadvertently done a disservice to some by not being completely transparent with regard to how the blog is operated. With that said, I will do my best to explain the history of this blog and what goes into the upkeep and operation.

1) The blog is not intended as the official website of The Spirit Seekers. That site is located at www.thespiritseekers.org. That site is maintained and operated by our founders Angela and Alan Lowe. The blog was born as a sort of online newsletter.

Back in the day, SSI maintained a paper newsletter that they used to educate the public about paranormal activity and events within the area. They had book reviews, psychic advice, and other features. After a while, the newsletter became obsolete as maintaining one became too time-consuming as well as milling content became a laborious task.

When I joined the group several years ago I wanted to re-launch the newsletter but shortly after the first and second issue I realized that no one outside of the group would see it because we had no way to distribute the newsletter.

We contemplated an e-newsletter that we could mail out to a mailing list, but that was costly and time-consuming and we still had to put the thing together in some type of newsletter format.

The idea of running a blog was born, and the focus would be on all things paranormal, not particularly SSI exclusive. Yes, we would focus on our investigations, but the blog would be free-flowing and allow for op/ed pieces, product reviews, local happenings, focus on groups around the world, and it would be linked to our twitter account so that the twitterverse would be alerted when a new entry was posted.

2) The ideas and opinions expressed in the entries do not necessarily reflect those of Angie or Alan Lowe or the Spirit Seekers for that matter. Angie and Alan have been gracious enough to allow me to work autonomously and for the most part infuse the blog with my own personal flair and flourish. This I do in abundance, yet in those moments where I post my own opinions that do not conform to the views of the organization, I am clear to point this out within the differing article.

3) I write every article myself. There have been a few instances where we have had a guest writer who has had a book or merchandise to promote. Because I am a writer I fully respect talented individuals who want to spend their time providing me with original content for the blog. It saves me from having to research subjects upon which to write. Those instances are few and far between. With that being said, I have to unfortunately defend the content that I have brought to the blog. That’s right; I have been accused of copying and pasting content. This is insulting and a deliberate personal attack by certain misinformed parties. Nothing on the blog that I have written has been copied and pasted. There have been times where I quoted someone else and in those instances I have clearly defined the sources from which the quoted material stems.

4) I do not make money from maintaining this blog. The time I put into it is voluntary and is indicative of my love for the field. There is a surprising lack of advertisements on the blog because I actually pay to maintain it. WordPress.com, the site at which I host the blog will occasionally put their own advertising on the blog to offset costs associated with running WordPress.com, but I do not see a cent of that money. I could have ad-support removed if I paid WordPress additional monies on top of what I already pay, but I feel I spend enough with them by paying for media space and more.

I have allowed companies and other authors with books to sell to contribute articles and graciously rewarded them with a link to their site to send interested readers their way. Conversely, I have had sites offer me the same thing in return. I personally have declined because any content I write is going on my blog. I mean, if I am going to go through the effort of researching and composing a piece, then I am going to reap the benefits of having done so.

Again, in the instances outlined above, never have I made cent.

5) I censor responses. There, I said it. But to be honest, almost every moderated blog and forum does. The censorship is not to detract from the implied intent of the person replying to a post, it is to protect the integrity of the blog.  As I said before, I maintain all facets of the blog. I spend a lot of time writing articles and other content for it and I will not allow it to come under attack, nor do I allow anyone associated with the blog, the organization, or other people replying to a post to become the victim of an ad hominem attack.

Ad hominem attacks occur when someone with a conflicting viewpoint attacks someone personally instead of attacking the idea with which they disagree.

Person A: I think guns should be outlawed.

Person B: You are an F-ing idiot. (Ad hominem)

People should be able to respond to posts here or, contribute content without coming under attack. Again, it is fine to disagree with someone but if you attack them your comment will be deleted.

Additionally, I will censor a comment that does not pertain to the article. This is considered SPAM. Typically, if someone tries to link to my article and post external links to sites that have nothing to do with the paranormal, then their posted comment will never see the light of day.

Not every response is censored. But as owner/administrator I feel it is my prerogative to do so when required.

4) I will not address any issues regarding the organization on the blog. If you feel you were wronged in any way, then reach out to Alan or Angie Lowe. Trying to contact them through the blog is futile as they typically are not active on the site.

With that said though, I want to address a few things about the SpiritSeekers as an organization

In the past there were dues that we (members) paid each year to cover the cost of running the organization. Primarily the cost of the mobile unit which has since expired. Since we are not supporting a mobile unit any longer, membership dues have been suspended. Also, the dues helped ferret out those who were looking to join the group for the wrong reasons.

We never withheld details about the dues. The fact that there were annual dues was clearly outlined on the website and here on the blog. The organization founders were more than willing to provide a breakdown of how the dues were spent.

SSI does not sell equipment online. We have in the past linked to online retailers specializing in ghost hunting merchandise and the organization did receive a small percentage of the proceeds. This helped offset the cost of maintaining the website, paying for supplies and other assorted items; however, we never manufactured or maintained any inventory personally.

SSI does not, has never, and never will charge anyone for an investigation. End of discussion.

SSI members have written books, done publicity appearances, spoken on the radio, appeared on television and spoken at conferences. We do this to keep the name in the public eye, otherwise, like any organization, we will fold. It is not uncommon, all organizations do it, and there is nothing unlawful or unethical about it. There is a reason that SSI is so highly regarded in the field, it is because we adhere to a code of ethics.

And speaking of the code of ethics, we all follow it, we all sign it, and we all agree with it. Evidence collected during an investigation becomes property of SSI founders and can be used in books, tv shows, and other media. We accepted the code of conduct when we joined knowing that this is the case. It is fairly disclosed and if you do not agree with this aspect of the organization then you have the option of not joining.

Lastly:

You, the readers of this blog, are awesome. I have had the opportunity to have engaging dialogue with people from all over the world. The opportunity to meet such colorful and passionate people would not have existed had I not started this. It is because you stop by every day and read what I have written that I keep doing it.

What I have included in this lengthy post is by no means all-encompassing. It is the best way though that I can plant the seeds of civility and reach a mass audience at once. Use your best judgment, treat each other with respect and compassion, and know that we are all here for one reason or another.

Whatever your reason, whatever your journey; be good to one another. We are all we have.

HOW SOON IS FAST ENOUGH?

by Tony Harrington

Most paranormal investigators maintain day jobs. We do not get paid for our services provided to people wanting their claims of paranormal activity investigated so we live in the work-a-day world by day and schedule investigations on the weekends.

Weekends work best for most, including the client who also, most likely, works during the week. So it is standard operating procedure that our world of paranormal investigations exists mainly on the weekends. But sometimes, things can not wait.

There may be times when a home/business owner feels threatened by something they are experiencing, or children are involved in a haunting, or a family is simply at their wit’s end and need immediate intervention or flee from their home. It is in circumstances like this that a weekend model will not work.

Our team recognizes that situations can quickly escalate out of control and for a distressed client, waiting for the weekend is simply not an option. In response to these rare demands/needs, The SPIRIT Seekers has started the process of implementing a new Rapid Response Team. The RRT will consist of several dedicated individuals who can respond to these emergency situations quickly. This includes:

Returning emergency phone calls within an hour

Setting up an interview as soon as possible

Impromptu site visits

Escalated evidence review

Expedited Intervention (cleansing, Psychic readings, etc.)

Etc…

The individual responding to inquiries will make the determination on a case-by-case basis as to if the case warrants a “Rapid Response”. The RRT adheres to the same high standards and code of ethics as our regular teams. Members of the RRT are leaders in the organization and possess extensive knowledge of the paranormal, types of haunting, varied religious backgrounds, some have psychic/medium abilities, and all are experienced paranormal investigators with over 20 years of combined experience.

We look forward to providing this new service to anyone who may need it. If you feel that you are encountering a paranormal event and you can not wait until the weekend and are in need of immediate response, please specify when contacting us that you wish to be considered for “Rapid Response”.

Tech Review: Paranormal State EMF Detector iPhone App

by Cindy Riley Parker

In this day and age, thanks to the popularity of paranormal programming such as “Ghost Hunters” and “Paranormal State”, mainstream America has become obsessed with the spirit world around us.

In keeping the finger on the pulse of the paranormal bubble most shows offer multimedia tie-ins ranging from magazines, books, DVD collections and more merchandise than you can shake a dowsing rod at. Included in the marketplace are the ever-increasing in popularity “iPhone Apps” which are cheap to make, cheap to buy and easy to use. It is into this market place that apps like the popular (and previously reviewed) Ghost Radar and the new “Paranormal State” branded EMF detector app for iPhone fall.

The main question on everyone’s mind is “Does it work?”

Well, the answer is not quite as simple as yes or no. Mostly because the meter does fluctuate and blip and beep accordingly and acts in a manner similar to EMF detectors found on the market today and implemented by many paranormal groups around the globe. So in that sense, it does seem to function the way an EMF meter should.

There is one caveat to this claim though…the actions of the meter are completely random and don’t seem to recognize EMF generating appliances.

I loaded up the meter on my phone and held it in one hand as I moved it over the surface of my computer tower which typically sends the needle on a traditional EMF through the roof. Here on the “Paranormal State” app, the needle barely registered any recognizable movement. As I moved it way from the computer and toward the monitor it went crazy, blipping and bleeping and the needle shot up to the 55 mark indicating a high level of EMF.  I then tested the monitor on a traditional detector and while there was a jump to about 22 it was nowhere near as high as the “Paranormal State” EMF meter indicated.

More interestingly, when I retested the same monitor with the app, seconds after testing it the first time, the needle didn’t budge.

It also didn’t move when I held it near an electrical outlet that is known to have a leak, but the physical meter jumped like a Mexican bean.

The app meter jumped sporadically and inconsistently.  Spots that spiked one moment were eerily quiet the next indicating that the meter is nothing more than a random noise generator designed for amusement rather than scientific evidence.

The validity of the app is brought into question with the ability to “Scare your friends” by switching to a manual mode where you can cause the meter to jump and beep simply by sliding your finger across a green bar on the screen.

More importantly, if the developers are so sure of their software and product, why is the app not in use by the very investigators who endorse the app by allowing their name to be associated with it? “Paranormal State” EMF Detector is a cute gimmick at best and a frustrating exercise in paranormal investigation evidence collection at worst. The app is free so it is unfair to say that it is a rip-off, but it is not worth the loss of hard drive space it takes up on your phone.

If you are a serious paranormal investigator, spend the 50-150 bucks required to equip yourself with real tools of the trade and stay away from gimmicks that are meant to amuse.

Investigator Report: Case No. 01212011 (Wye Mountain)

The SPIRIT Seekers Investigation Report

Investigator: Tony Harrington

Case Number: 01212011

Date of Investigation: January 21, 2011

Time of Investigation: 7:30 p.m.

Investigation Location: Private Residence Wye Mountain/Bigelow, Arkansas

Investigation Team: Tony Harrington & Alan Lowe

__________________________________________

EVIDENCE OVERVIEW

Total Digital Photos Collected: 21

Total Positive Digital Photos: 0

Total EVP Collected: 18m:25s

Total Positive EVP: 2

Total Video Collected: 0m:0s

Total Positive Video: N/A

Personal Experiences: 1. I felt someone touch my left side at approximately 8:01 p.m. The homeowners both said this is something they experience regularly.  This could have been a muscle spasm or clothes shifting which caused the sensation of being touched.

_______________________________________

Homeowner Claims:

The homeowner contacted SSI to report claims of paranormal activity. Among the claims, they have seen full body apparitions of children, they have reported hearing disembodied voices and sounds such as scratching and footsteps. They have felt something touch them and keys and other personal items have been moved/hidden from their original place and have shown up in odd places in the house such as in closets an under pillows in other rooms.

Additionally, the female homeowner reports that she feels that a spirit of a young man whom she is connected to by way of a tragic event continues to hang around the house. He was an Air Force officer who had died on the mountain in a tragic motorcycle accident. The female homeowner has since become close with the family of the deceased. She states that she feels that he is around.

_______________________________________

Synopsis of Evening:

Upon arrival at the house we sat down with the homeowners and listened to their claims of paranormal activity so that we could get a good feel of what they were experiencing.  The homeowners did not seem scared of their situation, they just wanted to verify that what they were experiencing was actually happening.

The team psychic did a walk-through of the house and came up with only a few things.

1) The number 8 was very prevalent. It could be a date, age or time. The homeowner acknowledged that it made a lot of sense in more ways than one. She understood the connection therefore validating the message.

2) The psychic saw a country-style church with a steeple and a cemetery attached. It was very clear that the cemetery belonged to the church and was not a public burial site. The homeowner acknowledged that I was describing the church and cemetery where the Air Force soldier was buried. This was out-of-state and not local. The homeowner had actually been there.

We then walked around and collect EMF readings in the home, all were very low to none, the home seemed well grounded. Only the circuit breaker gave off high readings. After we collected the EMF readings we set about taking photographs of the home. Aside from a few orbs in sporadic pictures, we did not find any evidence of paranormal activity.  Since some people in the SPIRIT Seekers group view orbs as paranormal evidence, I have included the photos here for your review. Click each picture to enlarge for a better view.

Depending upon your personal views orbs may or may not be deemed evidence of the paranormal. In this photo there are two orbs present. Paranormal or not? Click this picture to enlarge.

The orb in this photo is on the right side of the photo floating just above the basket on the floor. Since this is in front of a fireplace the orb could very well be ash or dust from the functional fireplace. Click picture to enlarge for more detail.

After we concluded the photo session we gathered in the kitchen and conducted an EVP session.  We asked questions to determine who, from a spiritual standpoint, was present in the house. We asked about cause of death, specific dates, inquired of the name and age of the spirits if they existed in the home.

While conducting the session we would periodically hear scratching noises coming from the doorway leading into the master bedroom which was off to our side.

Click Here to listen to the entire 18m:25s EVP session

After we conducted the EVP session we decided to focus on the prospect that there may be the ghosts of children in the home according to reports from the homeowners. Catering to children and their sense of play we placed a tennis ball on the ground and asked any children present to move the tennis ball.  There was no movement of the tennis ball during the experiment.

After we attempted to make contact with the children we broadened our scope and attempted to make contact with anyone present utilizing the unproven application “Ghost Radar” and we got some surprising hits that seemed very relevant to the homeowners.

Information about Ghost Radar: Ghost Radar is a cell phone application that allegedly works using quantum flux readings that can be manipulated into words by any spirits that may be present. Included in the application is a radar that shows the approximate location of ghostly presence. In this session we had two radars going at once and the radars displayed two different readings despite sitting side by side. For more information on Ghost Radar please visit the official website of the application.

WORDS SPOKEN DURING GHOST RADAR SESSION:

Total Words Spoken During Session: 21

Words That Seemed Appropriate: 4 This is difficult to say, there were two shocking words (Plane and Jet) that were very appropriate considering the homeowner’s life changing encounter with a dying Air Force soldier one day on the mountain. Other words (Shop and Vegetable) seemed significant to the homeowners in that they were just discussing that day making a vegetable garden in the spring and building a workshop where the man of the house could work on projects.

Other than those 4 words, the rest of the hits seemed random at best but sometimes with a lot of work, other words could have tenuous meaning. Still on the fence about the application as an effective tool for paranormal investigations.

After the Ghost Radar session we sat around and discussed the experiences in general and whether they homeowners want the house cleansed or what their ultimate goal is. The did not seem to want anything done other than to come up with some evidence supporting their claims and experiences.  Which leads to…

Is This Location Haunted: We base our decision on claiming a place haunted or not on a rating scale which covers many areas. This is just a preliminary report pending the final report from co-founder Alan Lowe.  Based on MY PERSONAL experiences as well as the evidence that I have gathered I feel comfortable in saying that there seems to be some paranormal activity going on. Whether it is tied to the land or is based on the spirit of a deceased Air Force soldier hanging around the last person to see him prior to his passing from this world, the house definitely has something in it, albeit subtle.

Further investigation into this location would be needed to determine that the place is definitely haunted.

The final report is pending and will be posted when it becomes available.

HISTORICAL HAUNTS: FORT MORGAN, AL

 

An aerial view of historic Fort Morgan

Fort Morgan sits at 30°13′41″N 88°1′23″W at the mouth of Mobile Bay, AL.

Prior to Fort Morgan, the land at the above coordinates belonged to a smaller redoubt fort made of earth and wood. That particular fort was known as Fort Bowyer taking its name from the colonel John Bowyer who completed construction of the fort in 1813.  About a year after completion of the fort, Americans abandoned the structures but found their way back to garrison it in 1816 under Major William Lawrence.

The fort’s curved front faced the shipping channel into Mobile Bay while on the landward side there was a bastion flanked by two smaller bastions. Fort Bowyer was designed to keep British soldiers from invading the port through the Gulf Coast during the war of 1812. The British made 2 attacks on the fort, their first unsuccessful and their second was successful though celebration was short-lived. Upon seizing the fort, the British received word of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent which signified the end of the war. The British troops turned around and headed home just two short days after raising their flag over Fort Bowyer.

The British lost 32 lives in the land and naval attacks on Fort Bowyer while the United States lost only four lives.

After the seizure of the fort during the War of 1812 the U.S. decided that strengthening their seacoast defenses was of vital importance. In 1818 The U.S. contracted Benjamin Hopkins to start construction of Fort Morgan on Mobile Point working from drafting plans by Napoleon’s former military engineer Simon Bernard. However, little was accomplished on  the fort when Benjamin Hopkins succumbed to yellow fever. The government then brought in Samuel Hawkins to complete the design but he died before he completed any work at all.

The task of completing the fort was ultimately handed over to the Corps of Engineers who, using slave labor, completed the fort in 1834 and handed it over to the 2nd US Artillery Division. The unit remained at the fort for less than 2 years before being called away to assist in the Second Seminole Indian War.

During the Civil War the Fort fell to Union soldiers during the battle of Mobile Bay that raged from August 2nd – August 23 of 1864. The battles resulted in the loss of approximately 1,822 lives with the Union suffering 322 losses and the Confederacy suffering a staggering 1,500. The exact number of lives lost at each fort is undetermined as a majority of loss most likely took place in the bay between the forts.

Though Fort Morgan fell in the battle, the city was never captured.

 

The entrance to Fort Morgan

Between 1845 and 1900, Fort Morgan was fortified with 5 concrete batteries with the latest in fire-power, electric, and top-tier communications. Fort Morgan was hit by several natural disasters in the form of hurricanes between 1906 and 1916 which caused major damage to the structure and officers quarters along the coast and though the fort remained operational it was the beginning of the end of an illustrious fort that had served the military proudly.

The fort served as a training ground for artillerymen when war was declared on Germany in 1917. Seven short years later, the U.S. Army abandoned the fort and it quickly fell into disrepair. Life returned to the fort for a short 5 years starting in 1942 around the start of World War II and it received several weapons fortifications before it was abandoned once more and handed over to the State of Alabama in 1946.

Fort Morgan was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 but little was done to preserve the fort and in 2007 the Civil War Preservation Trust named the fort “One of the Nations 10 Most Endangered battle Sites”.

The historic fort is now a popular tourist destination for those visiting the gulf shores. Over the years there have been reports of tourists encountering otherworldly activity within the dark recesses of the former stronghold of Mobile Bay.

One female tourist recalls seeing shadow figures looming about a dark corridor. She thought they were part of her tour group and as she descended further into the near pitch-black room she discovered that her tour group was not there and she was alone. Still, she could see the distinct shapes of people moving about the dark room.

Other reports from visitors claim to feel a heavy sensation within the fort. An oppressive sensation of dread and fear and anger, and it seems to proceed the appearance of an apparition dressed in “old-time” clothing.  Could this figure be the lost soul of one of the battles at Fort Morgan or does he hang around from his service at the former Fort Bowyer?

Other visitors have reported seeing strange mists, glowing lights and hearing odd sounds from disembodied voices and whispers to scratching and moaning. One startling report from a visitor to the fort claims that he was physically thrown tot he ground by something unseen.

The Fort’s staff is quick to denounce any rumors of a haunting and insist the claims are just the over-active imagination of people visiting a place that has seen war and war related deaths. They claim that the place is rife with shadows because of the lack of lighting in the Fort and of course there is going to be ambient noise as the structure is not in the best condition.

The Spirit Seekers’ founder Alan Lowe believes that something is not at rest at the old fort. A previous tour of the fort yielded an experience that he can not quite explain away so easily. Convinced that what he saw was paranormal he contacted the proprietors of the fort and sought permission to bring in a team of investigators. He was granted permission and an investigation is just three short days away at the time of writing this article. In time we will know the answer as to whether or not Fort Morgan is haunted.

Please check back often for details on this SPIRIT Seekers landmark investigation into Fort Morgan and follow along with the investigators as they tweet live from the investigation.