December 20, 2002
A time of fun and festivities, the holiday season brings together friends and family in a passing of Yule time sentiments. However, some visitors are not on any guest list. Unseen and silent, these specters drop by unexpectedly, often with astounding results.
In mid-December, we were invited to a home in Tampa to investigate some of these paranormal personas. The single-family dwelling nestled off of El Prado Avenue did not match with the description of a haunted house. Cozy and warm, it is home to an artistic couple; the wife maintains a studio at the residence in counterbalance her husband’s in-home office.
The psi-sensitives, however, immediately felt a strong energy presence radiating from the domicile. Activity started generating and drew the group to the couple’s bedroom, where personalities gathered near the area of the closet. This area quickly earned the nickname “Grand Central Station,” an appellation that we learned later was also used by the homeowners.
An older man who died in his 60’s, Frank A., made himself known through a sensation of heaviness in the chest and the aroma of vapor rub. He identified himself as being Swedish, and asked for the whereabouts of his family. The homeowners later inquired about the man, providing a description obtained from the investigation. The wife’s family hailed from Sweden, and she discovered that her mother had a half-brother who matched several details from the description.
A woman also manifest. To the male sensitive, she appeared nude, with porcelain skin and black hair. She took a dislike to the women present, particularly the senior investigator on the site. She provided details about her life, including a rocky marriage, nursing career, and a possible suicide.
The most interesting aspect of this particular entity is that the wife also had contact with her. When walking into the art studio, a large sketch drawing and a matching painting were laid out. Both featured a beautiful woman with long black hair, which was identified as the woman ghost. Could it be that the wife subconsciously channeled the woman into her works?
The husband also had a relative in his office. Upon walking into the room, a striking picture of a priest immediately grabbed the attention of several. Activity there centered about the photographic image, which, in the past, had emitted loud crashing sounds and was found positioned in impossible areas, unmoved by a human hand.
A spirit, apparently that of the clergyman, attempted to pass on a message to the husband, who, we learned later, was his nephew. When one person tried to take pictures in the area where the ghost was sensed, her camera failed. When she asked the entity to be in her pictures, the answer remained negative. Her camera did not work again until the presence faded from the room.
Entities from prior and future investigations also made an appearance. Jennifer, the spirit from 22nd Ave. North, emerged in the bedroom. The ghost of a young woman who committed suicide, her energy resides with her aunt and uncle in St. Petersburg, who are also friends of the homeowners. The spirit of another teammate’s father, who was scheduled for an investigation the following month, also manifest in the living room.
Remarkably, there was little EMF (electromagnetic energy) or temperature fluctuations, both associated with spectral manifestation, during the entire investigation. However, photographs revealed an astounding number of orbs, with a few mists. Other images were blacked out entirely.
The homeowners both report a history of paranormal encounters. It is possible that the two, together, generate a unique energy that attracts entities? With a strong tie to art, they may also hold the ghosts’ interests.