| Eyebrows raise and questions start to fly when | | | | middle of the night, that's not necessary. Ghosts |
| people find out that I am a member of the | | | | don't wear watches and can appear in daylight just |
| Pennsylvania Paranormal Association (PAPA). I don't | | | | as easily as at night. We've had some interesting |
| normally walk around with my PAPA shirt on, or talk | | | | things happen to us mid-afternoon, and early |
| about the paranormal or ghostly adventures, but if | | | | mornings, so whatever time works best for you, we |
| the subject comes up, I don't shy away from talking | | | | can accommodate. |
| about my 'other life.' | | | | We prefer having the building to ourselves, so no |
| I thought I would take the opportunity to talk a little | | | | external noises can be mistaken for paranormal |
| bit on the reality of 'paranormal' investigation, since | | | | activity. This also includes your pets. We love pets, |
| that's where most of the questions come in. If | | | | many of us have cats, dogs, etc, but they don't |
| you've seen any of the numerous shows that are | | | | generally do well with a group of strangers wandering |
| currently the rage on tv, you know the highlights of | | | | the property. Speaking of groups, we also are |
| what goes on. Someone contacts the investigation | | | | sensitive to your needs, so smaller properties will |
| team, the team goes in and sets up cameras and | | | | have smaller investigation teams, but we have plenty |
| recorders and then the results get reported back to | | | | of members (and sister-organizations) that if you |
| the owners or tenants of a property. This fast paced | | | | have a huge estate or mansion, we can cover it |
| action is unlike the reality of an investigation. | | | | thoroughly. |
| We've had people ask to 'tag along' while we do our | | | | The question that always comes up is money. We |
| thing, and generally after a half hour or an hour, they | | | | are not 'in it' for the money. To be honest with all |
| are done. The investigation itself is a long, mostly | | | | the equipment and the large group of team members |
| boring process, often revealing nothing at all. In fact, | | | | and support staff, we'd have to charge a small |
| we generally will do a one to two hour preliminary | | | | fortune, if we were all about the Benjamins. We |
| investigation prior to a full blown 'hunt.' Occasionally | | | | investigate for free; we are in the business to help |
| we will find something during the preliminary | | | | people, that's all. If you'd care to contribute to our |
| investigation that will indicate that a full investigation is | | | | equipment fund, we'd be happy to put that money |
| warranted. Other times not. | | | | to good use, but it's not a requirement, in fact, it |
| If we don't find anything on the preliminary, we will | | | | never even gets brought up from our end. |
| tell people to use digital recorders or personal video | | | | "The Reveal" |
| cameras and get back to us with anything interesting | | | | Once an investigation has been completed we return |
| they find. Those pieces of information will bring us | | | | within a week with a reveal of what we have found. |
| back for the whole enchilada. Paranormal activity is | | | | Two team members will meet with you and talk |
| not clockwork or on-demand. Things can happen | | | | about and show what we have found. We will also |
| when we are around, or not. Just because something | | | | give you a dvd of the evidence. Now, not all reveals |
| has happened in the past, doesn't mean we will catch | | | | are created equal. Most times we don't find anything |
| it when we come in and do our thing. | | | | earth shattering. That's just a part of the game. In |
| How should you prepare for us? In order for our | | | | that case, we'll visit and let you know our thoughts |
| hunt to have the most chance of success, we ask | | | | and opinions and perhaps talk about another visit. We |
| that you keep a diary of anything unusual. This may | | | | try to put fears and questions to rest. |
| give us a target time to visit. Do things happen | | | | "About Us" |
| mostly between 2 and 4 in the morning? Are they | | | | Our team is comprised of a diverse group of people |
| mostly in one area of the property? Hot times and | | | | with different backgrounds. We are a mix of white |
| hot spots give us something to work with. We like to | | | | and blue collar workers, believers, skeptics, college |
| do the preliminary 'blind' but if you have a special | | | | grads and techies, ranging in age from early twenties |
| time, we want to know about it. | | | | to late...um, well, I won't go there, but there is a |
| If we come in blind (not knowing the history or your | | | | pretty good age range. We also have connections in |
| opinion) we can be more objective and then if we | | | | various religious communities, so if you need a |
| find something, and it matches your experience, that | | | | smudging or a blessing we can also bring in someone |
| is an indication that there really is something going on. | | | | to accommodate your wishes. We aren't into the |
| We also want all electricity shut down at the breaker | | | | occult, Ouija boards or séances; we are a |
| boxes if that is possible. If the panels are shut down, | | | | scientifically based group looking for hard evidence of |
| then any energy we find is not man-made. Although | | | | the paranormal. |
| you see the television shows will lights out in the | | | | |