Farnam Manor Investigation: I

We (Ohio Paranormal Investigation Network) conducted our first formal investigation of Farnam Manor in Richfield, Ohio on March 6, 2010. Our hopes were high as we had collected some great EVPs while just touring the building a couple of weeks prior. We had collected numerous personal stories from the owners, Tim and Kathy, and were excited to investigate this inviting old building in detail. Our focus was also to collect investigation evidence for our presentation at the Farnam Manor Spirit Tour, which was a fundraiser for the Farnam Foundation to help raise some money and awareness for this historical building.

The investigation began slowly as we had to wait for the owners to get us into the building as they had thought we would be there on a different day. We ended up conducting our team meeting in our Equipment Manager's truck while waiting. A few of us were a bit hungry and we decided to send out one of our investigators for food. Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers, Barnum and Bailey Circus, and many hundreds of concerts used to take place less than five miles from this location there are few places to eat, especially fast food nearby. The Cleveland Coliseum was once located on route 303 and Interstate 271 in between the cities of Cleveland and Akron just down the street from where we sat. It was torn down in 1999 and is now just a field returned back to nature.

Once we got into the location we began to haul in all of our pelican and other cases, spools of video wire, extension cords, body bag (yes, we have a bag large enough for a body), and all of our other needed equipment for documentation purposes. We decided to set up shop in the center area of the building, which was the main dining room area. Not too much had been documented there, other than a seance that was conducted there about two years prior. After getting much of our cameras set up and wires run we realized this location was bad because of the sound that was created in this room was heard all over the house (which is very wide open inside to begin with).

We spent a lot of time making sure everything was ready before we began our actual investigation and really didn't start until 9 P.M. We conducted five separate EVP based vigils with the various investigators as well as the owners, who we wanted to have involved since they are already "part of the environment". Bob, our equipment manager, was armed with his laptop which had EVP maker installed and running. We had four separate digital recorders placed near a few of our infra red cameras. I carried a digital recorder to monitor the events as they happened and I used two others to conduct various attempts at capturing EVP in various parts of the house. We had a command center person who watched our 6 IR shots continuously while taking notes on internal and external noises and walkie talkie traffic.

We were very optimistic that we would walk away with something that we would be able to show to the crowd that would be gathering at the Manor later that month. After spending several days reviewing my three digital recorders I found nothing. We also found nothing on our video surveillance, as well as all of the other digital recorders we had set up throughout the location. We were a bit surprised, but understood that we more than likely brought out too much technology at once. In future investigations we promised to break out the equipment piece by piece. We will also put our command center off to the side of the Manor near the entry way which will keep the tech out of the majority of the home and may help allow the spirts to be seen.

At our private investigation/fund raiser on March 27 we used seven IR cameras, yet fewer digital recorders (due to the extra investigators that attended the event creating noise). We were suprised to see a curtain moving upstiars. One of our investigators was outside on her phone and saw the drapes move apart. She quickly came inside and discovered no one had been upstairs at the time. We had noted movement from another set of curtains in that room, which we quickly discovered was from the heat vents. The one in question is also close to vents, but we observed the drapes as the heat went full blast and they didn't move a whisker. We have this on video and will be reviewing it as time allows. We also caputed some potential EVPs during our group vigils, but the contamination possibility was high.

We are also going to conduct some mini vigils during the day with two investigators. Our sensitive/pyschic Erica has already spent time alone this week collecting audio and we will soon up the ante with more recorders as well as video to capture the whole EVP collection experience.

Below is the video presentation we put together for showing at the Farnam Manor Spirit Tour showcasing our first investigation of the Manor:

O.P.I.N. Punderson Manor Investigation

Ohio Paranormal Investigation Network, of which I am the Director of, investigated Punderson Manor in Newbury, Ohio on January 23, 2010. Our investigation was very fun, actually relaxing, and we learned a few things along the way. I produced a short documentary which discusses the history of the location as well as what we did during our investigation.



If you have any questions, comments, observations about what we did and how we did it, please let me know. We didn't observe the activity that the Manor has purported in the past, but even after some disappoining results we feel that there is still something lingering at the Manor.

The Science of Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Investigation Part III: Physics 101

My original intent for part III for this series on science in the ghost field was to focus on the scientific process and how the tools we use play their part. In part I, I discussed the basics of the scientific process and how that affects the field we work in. Part II centered on the advancement of tools and technology in our field and how this is a double-edged sword.

I decided to derail the subject once again due to a friendly debate I have been having with a colleague over the usage of the First Law of Thermodynamics. You’ve seen this quote a hundred times if you’ve visited paranormal websites or message boards:

“Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only shifted from one type to another.”

To many this is the proof they need to show others that ghosts indeed exist. Science states that since energy cannot be destroyed when we die the energy has to go somewhere and that somewhere is more than likely as a ghost!!! Yikes. I’ve grown tired of seeing this thought process and the mantra that is passed from group to group without any critical thought as to its real implications. If we follow this thought process a car should continue to run forever without ever needing fuel. Sound silly?

Let’s take a closer look at this First Law of Thermodynamics, which is also known as the “conservation of energy”. The “types” of energy that are referred to within the description of the conservation of energy are more or less potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy could be described as gravitational potential as a car climbs a hill. As it climbs the hill it is actually storing energy (gasoline and engine aside), as it reaches the top and begins to descend the stored up energy is now used. It cannot use more energy than what was stored and will use up all of the potential energy even if it begins to climb another hill (of course, it begins to store more potential). The kinetic energy comes into play as the energy that was stored is now converted into useful energy that propels the car down the other side of the hill without the need of the engine to help.

(Pictured at left is William Thomson, A.K.A. Lord Kelvin, who was responsible for most of the intricate work of the laws of thermodynamics)

There are obviously other types of energy (heat, friction, sound, vibration, light, etc.) that this energy is transferred to, but this energy is lost to the environment. Lost? How can it be lost, it can’t be created nor destroyed, right? Exactly, the energy is transferred to something that cannot flow back into kinetic or potential energy, the energy is used but not created or destroyed. Again, with the example of the car, some of the energy is lost due to the friction of the wind and the tires. This energy is being used, but not to push the car forward, instead it is taking away the kinetic energy provided by the engine. So, what the heck does all of this have to do with ghosts? Let’s move on to part two for the answer (and we won’t even get into how this governs heat, which is why it is called thermodynamics). Yes, there are two parts to the Law of Thermodynamics.

The first law states that energy is conserved; the second law would then state that energy always goes from more useful to less useful forms. A car uses gasoline to power the engine. The power created by the engine is not entirely used to push or pull the car forward. There is wind resistance, tire wear and resistance, gravity, dirty oil, and dozens of other things that take away from the engine from being completely efficient. The fuel that is used cannot be used completely, some of the fuel turns to carbon dioxide(and other gasses) and is released into the environment, the burning of the fuel causes heat which is lost energy or energy that is converted into a less useful form.

Within the second law there are also three statements, the first being; “Heat energy always flows spontaneously from hot to cold”. Let’s start talking about ghosts now. If we follow the laws of thermodynamics we should get a spike in heat prior to having a measureable cold spot. It goes against physics to have a spontaneous cold spot appear without there first being heat present (or a measurable form of energy, and no, the EMF detector is not picking up a ghost in transition much to the dismay of many of you reading this). For many ghost groups the third statement of the second law applies, “The amount of disorder in any isolated system cannot decrease with time”. Yeah, I’ve got jokes.

Let’s go back to the second law. Energy goes from useful forms to less useful forms. When the body dies our heart stops. The heart supplies blood and oxygen to our vital areas of our body and also takes away the toxic carbon dioxide out of the blood stream. The heart also gives us our electronic signature as blood creates friction through our body which is composed mostly of water and salt. When our body dies it begins to decompose almost immediately. There are millions of bacteria that live on our skin, in our hair and other places that are part of a symbiotic process that begins to go in their favor when the body dies. To spare you the gross details our bodies are basically reduced to dead tissue and cells. Any electrical signal we have goes out immediately when the heart no longer functions. The brain creates electrical impulses as well, but is completely dependent upon blood for its survival. There is nothing measureable that escapes the body when it becomes nonfunctioning. Yes, for some of you who have done your homework there were experiments done on dying patients where there was an observed decrease in weight as the person died. These experiments were done in less than ideal conditions and the results were not as conclusive as they are stated.

These laws are basic and are deceptively simple in their statements. No laws of science describe ghosts and this is why ghosts are considered paranormal. In order for ghosts to be explained many different laws will need to be amended or rewritten (from thermodynamics to Maxwell’s equations). Even if or when we are able to unlock some of these answers we’ll still have to deal with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (google it for some more mind-opening adventure).

So what’s being done about all of this? There is the occasional shift in thought in our field to various theories within physics (enlightened armchair theorem) that help to explain what might be with ghosts, but does not offer any practical method or explanation about any aspect. When I first came into the field the Chaos Theory was in full bloom, many people know this as the “butterfly effect”, a butterfly flaps it wings in Central Park and this action eventually makes it rain in China. This theory gave birth to the idea that it was just a matter of time until the mysteries of ghosts were unraveled, yet, here we stand at the same point we were then. New theories have presented themselves over the years; a popular one now is the string theory (or really called super symmetric string theory – although there is more than one version). Many are jumping on board with this since there is the inclusion of interdimensional properties (which is also included in other theories). The string theory is nothing more than a mathematical formula designed to answer large scale problems with the four forces of nature on an atomic scale, there is no evidence whatsoever that any of it is accurate which is why it is just a theory. Granted, a couple of other guys named Newton and Einstein had their own theories years ago as well and those turned into laws of nature.

Paranormal investigators should keep a close eye on the advancement of particle physics. The Large Hadron Collider on the border of France and Switzerland has made the headlines in the last few months and will more than likely see more headlines in the near future. It’s been said that the power of this underground collider is so great that it might cause microscopic black holes that could “swallow” the Earth or even create antimatter that would devastate the entire universe (theoretically possible, but highly unlikely). This tool will be used to uncover more secrets about our atomic world, but will also help us understand the possibility of other dimensions and other potential aspects that can bring us closer to real answers about what we see as paranormal. The other half of our concentration should be on the medical world. The brain, or better yet, the mind, is part of the equation when dealing with ghosts. Ghosts are about interaction and it’s more than likely a symbiotic relationship between us that allows for them to be a part of our perception.

Are We Ruining Ghost Hunting Sites?

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who is part of a fairly well known location that is a hub for paranormal investigators and ghost hunters during a speaking engagement at a library in Grafton, Ohio this October. We were discussing plans on my group possibly coming out to the location to investigate particular aspects of the environment (humidity and other factors) during the colder months of the year when the conversation shifted toward something that I had often thought of; are ghost hunting and paranormal investigation groups ruining the famous places they like to investigate? No, not by running around in the dark screaming or by vandalizing, but by just being there.

We can all agree (hopefully) that hauntings are basically an "imprint" of emotion on a location caused by a sudden death or extreme circumstances during life in that particular location. With the high adrenalin flowing during an investigation, as well as the act of trying desparately to communicate, are ghost hunters imprinting over top of the tragic events? Is the activity going on at these locations potentially adding to the evidence gathered later on by other investigators?

I've been fortunate to listen to actor/archaeologist/cultural anthropologist John Sabol speak earlier this year at the Ohio Paranormal Convention in Dayton, Ohio. John refers to himself as a "ghost excavator" as he says he attempts to "peel back the layers" of a haunting. He feels passionately that ghost hunters are indeed scarring these locations by their attempts at discovery by leaving their impressions on the environment and potentially covering up what is really there. John uses a system that allows himself to become part of the haunting environment itself so that he can connect to a ghost or a haunting experience. This is an interesting system that he states is way more effective than the way that ghost hunters and paranormal investigators investigate a location. Although a good paranormal investigation group should be recreating the scene which is part of what John does. To get a little more detail on his process, please see my review of the 2009 Ohio Paranormal Convention.

Personally, at first I thought John was a bit too intense and was pushing his way of doing things on other people. In all honesty it really hit me a few days after listening to him speak that I realized he was right and that I should adapt a little more of what he does to what we do.

When ghost hunters or paranormal investigators attempt to interact with a ghost or record haunting phenomena they tend to do it on their terms. In other words, they are using todays technology to attempt to interact with ghosts or hauntings that have been around a long time. While the technology we have at our disposal is the best yet, is it the right thing to use to connect to a 148 year old confederate soldier?

While the tech is useful for documentaion I think we need to rethink the overall approach by really trying to interact on the level of the haunting, or the ghost, on their terms more than ours. If we can get them to relate to us or have them think we are someone they know or reenact something familiar we would probably get a better reaction than by asking it to "talk to the red light on the recorder" or other methods of 21st Century communications.

Granted, this should not be left to investigating Civil War sites, but could also be applied to abandoned hospitals or prisons as well as the house down the street that has a ghost or is haunted. Is it possible that the constant influx of thrill seekers at historical sites will ruin it for future investigators? Who knows for sure, but it seems logical that continous emotional imprints can not be conducive for obtaining good evidence of haunting phenomena at historical locations.

So, what methods are getting the best results? Have particular locations noticed a change in the type of evidence gathered? I have not been able to find an answer as of yet, but hopefully as the amateur paranormal investigation movement evolves people will move away from behind the safety and security of their tools and realize the potential of communication on the interaction level beyond what is normally used.

As far as ruining sites for future investigators I feel it is a legitimate concern. The high intensity of emotions that accompany an investigation that are repeated over and over are bad enough. If you then realize that there is potential for some investigators to affect the environment by their beliefs and possibly leaving psychokinetic "residue" attached to the environment for future investigators to read with their instruments. As many stumble around in the dark in search of their proof there are many of us also who are in search of answers surrounding the effect of our culture on the paranormal itself.