February 16, 2003
Tampa, Florida
Brandy Stark
Though few may realize it, ghosts are not necessarily bound to one place and may have the ability to change homes at will. These entities, often called “drop ins,” have various reasons for staying in the physical plane.
One such case occurred locally in a beautiful three-bedroom home in Brandon. Three roommates, a married couple and a single man, occupy space with one unseen individual. The SPIRITS were called in to verify the existence of this unseen roommate.
It did not start out well. The investigation was nearly cancelled due to one of Florida’s notorious rain storms. Though the cloud front weakened enough for safe travel, it did not cease all together. This did offer the SPIRITS a unique opportunity for study, as some paranormalists believe that aberrant weather aids ghosts in manifesting.
In addition, Ricky, the roommate who contacted the SPIRITS for an on-site visit, was concerned because little had happened in the past month to indicate a presence.
The final variable was a change in procedure enlisted by the team. Several new steps were added, including a pre-investigation portion used to determine standard areas of EMF produced in the house, make sure that extraneous appliances are shut off by the homeowner, and to register standard room temperatures.
A secondary “silent walk through,” designed to dispel ideas of “suggestion,” follows. The entire team walks through the area writing down any impressions, emotions, or ideas received. No information is communicated between teammates. Afterwards, the group reconvenes in a centralized location to select areas in which the investigation will focus.
Fortunately, all factors appeared to work in the team’s favor. The areas of high activity were the master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms located on the other side of the house. The living room in between the three also held extraneous energy.
In the master bedroom, the two sensitives immediately picked up on a male presence. The name “John” or “Don” was cited. He did not come with the house but arrived after the three living occupants settled in. He was a friendly entity and seemed pleased that the SPIRITS were there.
He followed the team to the guest room where he communicated the most information. Though he enjoyed the house and those who lived within, there was one person that he did not like. This individual was a former roommate who moved out of the house several months prior to the investigation. He did not get along well with the three current roommates and his visits often caused tensions within the household. Often, it was after this person visited the house that the ghost manifested himself out of annoyance by pacing in the living room. He also interfered with electronic devices, his favorite being the large screen television set.
In the guest room, one video camera captured a moving orb-like image. Small, round, and feathery, it drifted from one end of the camera’s screen to the other. It was not seen by the naked eye. In the living room, multiple pictures taken around the entertainment set also revealed orbs.
During the homeowner interview, the SPIRITS learned several things. Ricky confirmed that activity often happened in living room. Blinds would sway of their own accord and, as he watched, the television set turned itself on and off rapidly, a feat he could not replicate. He had called out an electrician to check on the house wiring. Nothing abnormal was found.
He also confirmed the information about the former fourth roommate who had, indeed, continued to stop by the home for some time after moving out.
As an interesting side note, during the interview one SPIRITS member took several snapshots of the room. The images caught a bright white orb hovering in between three members of the team. Prior pictures taken in the same area captured no anomalous images. It may well have been the “fourth roommate” eavesdropping a bit to hear exactly how the others felt about him.
Investigation Notes
Weather Conditions: Moderate to heavy rain outside.
Lunar Cycle: Full moon.
ELF meter: No
Trifield Meter: Yes
Samsung digital: Yes
2-35 mm with 400 speed film (b&w and color): Yes
Radio shack IR Thermometer: Yes
Polaroid 600: Yes
Others Present: Ricky, home owner. Fish. Other two roommates out of town for the evening.
Pre-Investigation: I worked with homeowners and so did not participate in the pre-investigation this time. The team noted high EMF coming from the air handler and also discovered where the power box was held (back of the outside wall in bedroom 2).
I did participate in the silent walk through.
I felt an unusual draw in the Master bedroom (1) to an old miror. The atmosphere in the room was also still and calm. The living room also felt still and quiet. Most other locations I felt little interest in.
The livingroom, near the tv, also issued several comments. The group also decided that bedrooms 2 and 3 needed to be investigated.
Investigation:
Location: Master bedroom 1
EMF: NO
Temperature fluctuations: None
Photographic anomalies: Orbs appeared on digital cameras. Amy and I both picked up orbs. I got an orb near the mirror I sensed something near.
Other occurrences: Troy felt very warm in many of the rooms in the house.
The new batteries in my digital camera went dead after I took a few pictures. I went out to get new batteries. When I came back in, Denise said she had sensed a male entity standing near the mirror who had reached out towards me. At that moment my batteries went dead, and I went out of the room to get more batteries.
We attempted an EVP at 6:08 which lasted until 6:11. Amy used her digital Olympus; no results known as of yet.
Location: Livingroom
EMF: NO
Location: Bedroom 3
EMF: YES
Range of Reading/Spike: Witnessed by Amy, fraction of second
The message from the entity was that we couldn’t help, it was too late.
The entity talked about trouble in the house, some sort of fighting in the house. It was there to protect the person in that room. It did not like the fighting. It did not like one person who came to the house; that really upset the entity.
He did not die in the house, but seems to have arrived of his own violation. He likes it there and is happy.
He was sorry for causing disturbances at night. He also liked Troy’s energies as Troy was very laid back. He thought the team was nice…but that was about all he had to communicate.
(Remember, the team had no prior information coming to the house. All info revealed was during the interview session later that night).
There was some mild activity in bedroom 2, and Susan sensed that it was lost. There was a sweet smell coming into the room. That was all of the anomolies in the room.
The remainder of the house, including the kitchen and the garage, seemed very quiet.
Interview
Other Indications of haunting:
Unusual dreams? Ricky doesn’t sleep too well in this house. Doesn’t sleep through the night; wakes up every 15 or 20 minutes; even prescribed sleeping medications don’t help.
Lucid dreams? No
Old Hag Syndrome? No
Paralysis Dreams? No
Expression of SLIder phenomena? Yes.
History of breaking watches. Computer parts “go like mad”. Hard drives, CD Roms.things break constantly for homeowner. Computers act up at home and at work.
Premonitions? No; In family women appear to have psy ability.grandmother had a vision of his breaking his arm as a child and called his mother. A moment before, he had fallen and broken his arm.
Family photographs have had deceased relatives manifest. At least one image has held an image of his deceased grandfather, holding his favorite drink in his hand.
Other: As requested, homeowner kept a journal of paranormal events. These events include:
12/2/02: Lights in living room go on and off. While watching a movie, Ricky said he thought the movie was bad. He “asked” if the entity agreed to flick the lights once, if not to flick lights twice. The lights flickered twice.
9:18 Felt a draft on right leg only
9:23 Draft gone
9:26 Draft returned until 9:30
12/3/02 (After these events that same night) When Ricky said “good night” the lights turned on and off three times.
12/3/02, 11:13 pm: Lights turned off then on. The living room seemed cold, but other rooms seemed warm. Matt came home light turned off for 30 seconds then came on.
12/4/02: The lights turned on and off 4 times.
12/10/02: Lights in the living room started flickering on and off. All other lights ok.
12/14/02, 9:40 pm: Ricky home alone. With windows closed and a/c off, blind slatt (located in the living room) began to swing. Lasted until 9:46 p.m.
10:02 pm: All candles in house lit, and holding a steady glow. Candle in living room, in an area of activity, began flickering.
12/20/02, 10:35 pm: Lights turned on and off three times. Lights then turned off for 35 or 40 seconds, and the blind slats began to swing for about a minute and a half, then stopped. Again, the a/c was not on, nor were windows open.
12/21/02, 12 a.m.: Light turned off and stayed off for 30 seconds.
Candle by tv showing unusual behavior; only one not steadily glowing, but constantly flickering.
1/6/03, 10:23 p.m.: Lights turned off and on twice.
10:30 pm. Lights turned on and off three times.
1/14/03. Things had settled for a while. However, a former roommate came by for a visit. The lights shut off.
1/15/03, 9:40 or 9:50: Ricky went out to his car. He noticed that the alarm was on, the windows up, and the keys were out of the ignition, but that the car’s radio appeared lite, as if it was on. No sound came from the radio, but it should not have come on. He turned off alarm, got into car and started up the engin, turned off radio, turned off car. Could not get the radio to come on again with the car turned off and key out of ignition.
1/23/03: All room mates sitting in living room. They saw something like smoke which was floating down. It looked almost like soot. However, it dissolved almost instantly, or if they tried to touch it. They did not have a camera and could not obtain a sample.
Nothing happened for several weeks afterwards.
Tonight, 2/16/03, during the investigation, Ricky felt a tickle on his arm/back while he was near the blue chair. This happened three separate times.
Prior history:
In this home, the large screen TV would turn itself on and off, as if someone were playing with the on/off button. Could not easily replicate that for us. When he pushed the button, it took several seconds of pressure to get the TV to turn on or off.
An electrician has checked the wiring in the house and can find nothing was found that was wrong.
In a prior home, Ricky lived with his former fiance. They often experienced the radio turning itself on at “full blast” at 1 am.
In addition, candles would light themselves while they were gone, or they’d return to find the candles smoking as if they had been lit and blown out just before the arrived. The home was 5 or 6 miles away from Ricky’s current residence.
If animals are in the vicinity, have they been observed acting strangely? NO
Biological Information:
Drinking? No
Medical conditions? No
Does the potential entity manifest as:
Shadow figure? Not really, though a house visitor reported seeing someone walk into the kitchen behind the couch. She saw the image reflected on the tv screen.
Peripheral vision manifestations? Yes, on occassion, movements were observed from the corner of the eye.
Full manifestation? No
Cold drafts? Yes, primarily in the living room. See notes above.
Cold spots? Not one particular area.
PK:
Apportation of objects? See notes above for 1/23/03.
Visual confirmation of objects moving? No
Abnormal behavior of lights or doors? Yes. See notes above.
Other: Has heard footsteps and stirring in the attic.
Investigator’s Observations & Conclusions: Ricky’s middle name is “Thomas”…and his former fiance is Stephanie.
I found this investigation very interesting. First of all, it was one of the few we’ve done with stormy weather in Florida. There were threats of thunderstorms, though none manifested.
The team also had a rough week prior to getting there, and the number of individuals coming was questionable. However, the team, which included new members, did very well together.
I found it very interesting that the information the team picked up was accurate, according to the homeowner. Going in, Ricky had warned us that he didn’t think there was much activity, and even asked if we wanted to call it off. However, not only did the team pinpoint areas of activity, Ricky was able to verify what happened.
I believe that there may be a mild haunting in the home. Everyone present, including Ricky, seemed to sense that the entity was very upset with one person dropping in. This one person was the former roommate. The former roommate was in bedroom 2, and Ricky stayed in bedroom 3. The homeowner has consistently held bedroom 1. The bedroom where Ricky once stayed is now a guest room. The entity seems to still be attempting to protect Ricky in his old room.
I found it interesting that the large screen tv, which probably produces a radical amount of EMF when on, attracts the entity as well. There is enough EMF in the house to possibly augment the entity, particularly with the location of the power box, air handler, and TV. The pool outside the living room might also help.
Overall, I was pleased with the investigation, and the team’s results which seemed to accurately reflect information the homeowner revealed during the interview phase. Many details I did not even have access to or knowledge of until the actual interview.