May, 2018

https://ashleyknibb.com/category/psi-theories/

Is This A Ghost I See Before Me?

Feb, 2018

Identifying Intelligent Communication

The Classical Two…

Over my years of investigation I have read about and heard from others what I will now class as the classical two, when it comes to communication or indeed encounters during a haunting. There are other variations, but these are probably the two most utilised forms used when describing; a) communication with an entity; and b) a haunting of some kind.

The problem is the more I think about these pair the more I consider them not to be all that correct or perhaps not utilised in the correct manner.

I’m talking of course about Residual and Intelligent hauntings/communication.

Back in the day when I first started my journey into the paranormal, one thing that came up early on was the classification of hauntings or as it was explained to me, the types of hauntings. Now there are various versions out there defining the types, but the two that seem to remain a definitive constant throughout are the following:-

Residual Haunting – these are very much like a video recording that are triggered by some external stimulus unknown to the observer. Often related to the Stone Tape Theory.
Intelligent Haunting – these identify the entity as being aware of its surroundings and able to communicate with its observers.

However the problem is that although these particular terms have been around now for an extremely long time they are quite vague in how they should relate to that which someone may experience. Yet we all find ourselves utilising them to identify a paranormal experience or indeed define a haunting we may have investigated.

Of course that’s residual…

I have to admit and I am sure many of my fellow investigators out there will agree, there have been many an occasion whereas activity within an investigation has been quickly identified as being residual energy. Sometimes this claim would be swiftly followed by ‘that’s the Stone Tape Theory right there’.

Don’t get me wrong the Stone Tape Theory is great and does appear to help us to understand a lot of possible so called residual hauntings. However its only a theory, a very good one at that, but still unproven.

That said there has been scientific research into water which is pretty much in everything and everywhere; and that research has proven that water has memory in a way. I did read this research quite a while a go now, but its very interesting to say the least. Although it does seem to help the Stone Tape Theory, the research into water memory doesn’t look into the possibility of storing information to the level where you would witness a replay of an event.

There has also been research to counter the Stone Tape Theory suggesting that the energy required to imprint the information for a ‘video playback’ would need to be of ridiculously high amounts, from a physics point of view. However those of a more spiritual comprehension may suggest that emotional energy works differently from what we understand through materialistic science.

Years ago before I even ventured out to investigate overnight I read a book about one of the great UK paranormal investigators; although today many probably haven’t heard of him, Andrew Green. If memory serves me well (sometimes it doesn’t) I believe he once stumbled upon a case of a residual haunting, but what struck him as odd was the Haunting didn’t seem to be linked to a traumatic event as the research indicated. In fact the residual playback so to speak just appeared to be of normal activity in someone’s garden. In order to discover more about this he looked further into this and later discovered that the ‘ghosts’ on this occasion were the previous occupants of the house and the event was a normal day in the garden. However what made this particularly interesting was that the previous occupants were very much alive! Hence our comprehension of what a ghost maybe is thrown into question, especially if we are utilising the residual energy concept to identify it!

It has been conflicting research through the years, which has been compelling on both sides that has lead me to question the Stone Tape Theory or at least believe that we still have quite a bit of work to do on it. For example, most seem to comprehend the concept of residual energy being the answer as an actual thing repeating the same set of instructions over and over again there in front of their eyes, where they can see it. However these types of activity have been witnessed by one or more people at a time, but equally by one and not another in the same place. It’s been suggested that perhaps one person has the ability to see from their angle whilst another doesn’t or indeed has the ability to see a ghost whilst another doesn’t.

Confused? Well this is psi theory, so welcome to my head, lol!

For me, we have a few problems with seeing. Physical objects are seen by us all. So, I’m not sure that I am happy with seeing being selective. However, what if the manifestation isn’t in the physical environment, what if the manifestation occurs in our minds and overplayed the information we are receiving from the environment we are in. Then the possibilities of witnessing residual energy become more possible. However let’s drop the term residual energy and start calling it what it might be here, residual information.

Residual Information gives us a better explanation of why whilst you and I are stood in the same place, only one of us may see this recording. As individuals we consciously pick up on lots of things as we enter an environment from our standard senses, some of this information is discarded to our unconscious as not being required, whilst other parts are retained to be used for what we are currently doing. Perhaps we also obtain information beyond the standard senses, say telepathically too. Like a kind of telepathic google that obtains information from other sources like people or objects. Hence why one person may receive the information related to a past event and another may not. If we then experience that information in realtime as we observe what’s in front of us it may be overlaid the visual or audio information our senses are supplying, hence we see what is not there and hear what cannot be heard.

Like the Stone Tape Theory, its just a theory, an idea which needs further development and something I will work on in the background.

That’s intelligent for sure…

This brings me onto the intelligent hauntings or communications from spirit. Incidentally over the years these have also been utilised to define the difference between ghosts and spirits too. A ghost is residual whilst a spirit is intelligent.

Oddly I don’t necessarily disagree with this definition, but personally I think we need to see it better clarified and utilised correctly. All too often I see teams jump to an intelligent spirit with little or no real supporting evidence other than their own determination to contact a spirit. I will put my hand up too, I’ve probable done it over the years. You get caught up in that excitement of the ghost hunt and all of a sudden after hours of nothing you get a reaction on your EMF Meter. Has to be an intelligent spirit trying to chat, right?

The truth of the matter is that there’s a lot ‘Paranormal red tape’ with this one. If you spend some time trying to find a logical reason behind the fluctuations or taps, if it is a spirit they may actually get bored and give up trying to communicate. However if you fail to properly establish that there is good evidence to support your reasoning that the communication is intelligent, then you’re leaving yourself open to scrutiny. In actuality you could be having a conversation with a totally normal effect, which you’ve missed.

Over the years I have been investigating this has actually happened on a few occasions to me. On one occasion we were investigating Arundle Jail (I think) and at one particular point we received a response on a KII meter. I’m not a massive fan of the KII, but on this occasion I think the reaction was also noticed on another EMF device too. We asked questions and received answers, well we asked questions and the KII flashed. Here lies the problem, perception of communication.

The problem was that we started by asking the standard questions, waiting and then the device would flash. Hence there was a response, something to work with. We would ask another question, again a flash. So, we tried a couple of control questions to determine if this was intelligent. The results were inconclusive, as in we received a flash on the KII, but shouldn’t have. However this was discussed and determined that our communicator maybe confused by our attempt to change things. Then one of the team noticed something fundamental to this little communication piece. Our responses were actually occurring in a timed pattern. Although their occurrence wasn’t at exactly the same time intervals, they were so close that there was an obvious pattern. Initially we had missed this because we were asking a question, pausing and receiving a response. Now we looked at it more closely the pattern was obvious.

Although on this occasion our intelligent communicator had now seemed to have acquired a pattern, we still had to determine source in order to ensure that it was not spirit. During those days of investigation we would either turn mobile phones off or switch them to flight mode and leave them in our bags. This was the case at Arundle and in the end we tracked the source down to a BlackBerry (possibly mine) that was in flight mode. The phone should have been totally offline, but it seems that even in flight mode it would check cell connection every ninety odd seconds (I think). This cell check fluctuated the KII at just the right moment to coincide with our questions, creating the appearance of a response.

Effectively we had a conversation with a mobile phone and not an intelligent spirit.

The reason I use this example is because with the advent of various apps, I see individuals using their mobile phones during an investigation these days. To be fair, I even use mine now for various things. Hence we have to be knowledgeable of the effect this may have and not jump to conclusions.

Another common piece of ‘evidence’ utilised to support that an intelligent conversation is actively taking place or has taken place with an intelligent spirit is that of EVP. After all if you ask a specific question and then record an audible response that appears to fit the questioning then that has to be intelligent right? The unfortunate thing here is that this is likely to be less of the case than we realise.

I have a couple of issues with EVP’S; the first is that often they are pieces of information that can lead to determine their content. Which basically means we capture the EVP, get excited and then forget to allow others to evaluate what they believe it to be, instead we tell them what we think we hear and then in a form of audio pareidolia they hear exactly that. The second issue is that there is a possibility that we are manifesting the EVPs on the devices ourselves. If you check out The Psychic Projection Experiment, this explains how you can attempt this with a group, but like most things Paranormal its not 100% repeatable. However I have seen this in action at Fort Horsted with Sage Paranormal and Brian J Cano, and to be honest it really got me thinking into the validity of EVP’s as evidence of communication with spirits. An EVP could actually be our unconscious minds or even our conscious minds projecting information onto the device and not a spirit chatting with us. For example, when we ask a question out loud into the darkness during an investigation, we also unconsciously contemplate the probable responses. If the circumstances are right we may be simply projecting those responses in our unconscious onto the device we are recording the EVP on.

Zoom out, see a bigger picture…

Often as individuals and within social groups we can easily get caught up in the moment and this can lead us to make assumptions based on that involvement. If we are out searching for ghosts then we can often believe that a response in its form is that which we seek. However as investigators we must remain objective and gather the information at the time in order to draw conclusions later.

I am not saying we should never engage in what we believe to be spirit communication, as it could be exactly that for all I know. However if you’re investigating in a team, why not have a part of the team continue with the communication gathering information on that, whilst another part of the team look into other possible causes for this communication. Balance your approach and gather all the available data you can, this will allow you to make a better judgement later on.

It’s also imperative to include your own team and yourself in that assessment too, as your presence at the location has influenced change there in various forms, but equally the teams will feel different things because they are there too. If activity does occur, try taking statements individually from those present without others in ear shot, that way you can cross reference to determine what actually occurred. Often our memories don’t recall the exact events that occur and our perceptions can provide very different conclusions.

Over the years there have been very few examples of true intelligent communication within the paranormal field that could withstand the test of scrutiny. Examples such as the Cross Correspondence and The Scole Experiment are both fantastic, but still remain examples that are questioned. Regardless of the huge amount of supporting data for both. Which is why I am not a fan of the term ‘evidence’ being associated with many EVP’s, Photo’s and Video’s out there.

Remember above all we are all looking for that intelligent communication, the communication that will answer the hard question the Survival Hypothesis asks. In order to answer it we need more than belief, more than faith; we need lots and lots of data. Which is why I am interested in all of your investigations, your experiences and more. Which is why we need to document those investigations and experiences better and more so. We live in the Information Age, so lets put it to good use within the field and start to gather some fantastic data.

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Oct, 2017

We Are All Looking For Something..

Why do we search for ghosts after all?

For me the search for ghosts probably began when I was around the age of eleven, but that remained an interest that was mostly research for many years. I only really started heading out to possible haunted locations to investigate just over ten years ago.

Granted I had my head firmly in books, TV shows, various research and I most certainly was talking to various people about the paranormal. The subject fascinated me and anything related always seemed to catch my attention, so it would have been rude not to follow it up.

The reason I search for ghosts has always been something that I find difficult to answer. I guess I have always had an interest in science and perhaps a little in spirituality too. Certainly over the years psychology has crept in there too. One thing I do know is that it often boils down to one question; ‘does human consciousness survive bodily death?’

However, this question has often taken on many forms for others in my opinion. It presents itself as an individuals desire to comprehend if their loved ones are still with us to the concept of a physical location having attached entities, which equally may or may not be related to its history.

Regardless of how we look at it, there’s always a pronounced ‘paranormal cocktail’ of understanding that brings us to looking into the subject further.

Understanding what we don’t understand!

What I often have found remarkably interesting is the concept of understanding, one persons belief have equally become basis for fact in their mind. Something which I often find both interesting and at times highly annoying.

You see I know what I have discovered through research, experimentation, talking, investigation and more over the years; but I equally understand that I simply don’t know as yet and really don’t have all the answers. Those that know me and have read my blogs, know I have theory after theory, but they are simply theory. Hopefully one day one such theory will become proven.

A great couple of examples for the point I am trying to make here are as follows:-

The Stone Tape Theory

The Stone Tape Theory is one of those excellent paranormal theories, which has been around a lot longer than most in the field. However, the problem is that many seem to accept the theory as fact now. They will quote the theory in relation to a probable residual haunting as a means to prove this to be true.

For example, they will state that the encountered ghost isn’t intelligent as it doesn’t respond, but continues to follow the same path perhaps over and over again. The Stone Tape Theory is often thrown in for good measure to create a relationship between a probable event and thus also defining the ghost wandering the path as an individual.

The problem is that this is quite a lot built on assumption and theory. Don’t get me wrong its great and its a path worth investigating and researching, but lets not pin all our hopes on just these.

Electronic Voice Phenomena

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) are undoubtably a fascinating element of the paranormal and widely used to show the probable existence of activity and communication.

The problem I have is that we just don’t have enough information to support their source. Often these are recorded with the investigating team in the room or near by, which in itself creates some interesting perceptions of recordings. I have on numerous occasions observed a group as they have conducted an EVP session, thought they had captured something paranormal, but it was actually something as simple as a jacket or distant sound.

There is also another interesting factor to EVP’s, which I was lucky enough to witness as a success on one occasion. This was the Psychic Projection Experiment where an EVP was recorded in direct relation to a word that a group was trying to psychically project onto a digital voice recorder. This in my mind presented an interesting position; if we can psychically project a word onto a digital recorder consciously, then perhaps we could equally do it unconsciously when conducting the standard EVP sessions. The point being that maybe the voices we hear on EVP recordings are our own and not that of spirits at all.

The psychic projection experiment presents greater problems with that which we call ‘evidence’ too though. If we can project an audio recording onto a digital device, then perhaps our video and photographic ‘evidence’ is equally in jeopardy in the same way.

Electromagnetic Field

Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) is an interesting theory too, which thanks to many and TV could almost be seen as fact. Actually I have spoken to many in the field that believe (and the key word there is believe) that EMF is directly related to the presence of a ghost or spirit.

Interestingly there is equally the understanding that increased or high levels of EMF may cause paranoia or even hallucinations.

These could be considered almost opposite concepts when you think about, one neutralising the other perhaps. However again these are theory.

Its certainly not proven fact that the manifestation of ghosts and spirits are directly related to increased levels of EMF. There has been anecdotal evidence to support that during an experience, which may have been related to manifestation and EMF may have fluctuated, but we really require further data on the matter.

However there has been much research conducted in regards to the effects of EMF Radiation on the human body. So, its probable to understand that such effects from a heavy output of EMF could cause us ill health, which could equally result in us believing we were experiencing something paranormal.

There has also been some research conducted where EMF was focussed on the mind in order to better understand its effect or if it presented paranormal results, but the results were not conclusive.

Naming Spirits

I have often found that research can equally be a thing that seems to hinder some investigations too though. The research often covers the location history, names related with the location, paranormal activity too. As soon as certain paranormal experiences are obtained and namely spirit communication, many jump to applying the name from the research to the probable spirit they have been communicating with.

Now don’t get me wrong I have probably made this very mistake myself in the past too. Many of us have. During an EVP session or perhaps using a device that gives us immediate feedback like a KII, we make the jump to understand the name of whom we are talking to. If the research has been conducted then that can mean trying the name we have learnt.

The problem with this is that the slightest response can often lead us to believe we have the right name and then link it with the spirit. Then if we inform others that we may have communicated with the spirit of X, then the next group to investigate may see that and try that name straight away. All of a sudden the spirit haunting the location is named, even though our ‘evidence’ is circumstantial.

Thinking out of the box!

At this point you maybe wondering where I am going with this and if I am just having a general moan about the paranormal perhaps?

The truth of the matter is that in actual fact I’m not, all of the above helps us gather information on location based hauntings and more. However we do need to reach beyond accepting some of these as fact and start remembering that they are still theory. Granted the research is building, but we need to push farther than those that have come before us.

We need to think outside of the box, in fact we need to leave the box so far behind its out of sight.

Let’s suggest more than a ghost or spiritual theory to explain paranormal activity. Perhaps the reason is based on our own ability to interact telepathically with others or even the location itself. We may be obtaining the information from the minds of others locally and possibly at a distant too. Take time and space out of the equation!

We should also do the ‘leg work’ as my parents called it, thats proper research to you and me. Find the ‘alpha case’ as Greg Lawson calls it, I like that approach. Researching the history and most definitely the paranormal activity may present more interesting facts than you may have realised. Cross reference accounts from different groups to find similarities and oddities too.

Try something different!

Experiment in ways to counter what you believe and how you’ve already approached the investigation. Write down those odd questions to share with us all too!

Observe the location, your team, everything! Then see what happens when things are not observed! Okay that last one is a tough one to do lol!

At the end of the day, question everything and gather loads of data where you can. Even if you don’t like it or you feel it meaningless, there maybe someone like me that likes the data.

After all not everything in science can be seen with the naked eye, but we know its there and how it behaves because we spent the time to gather data on it and understand it through that data. We now need to start doing the same for the paranormal field, which is actually more simpler that you think! Especially with the internet so easily accessible from almost everywhere.

So, on your next investigation try something a little different and tell me how you get on?

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Sep, 2017

Sage Paracon 2017 – Warwick Castle Investigation

Some Thanks First

I want to first say a massive thank you to Jo Woolley for inviting me along with her to investigate Warwick Castle as a part of the kick off for this years Sage Paracon. Jo was lucky enough to win two tickets to the overnight investigation of Warwick Castle about a week before the event.

Due to my personal commitments I couldn’t make the entire weekend this year and in all honesty I was probably in a slight para-sulk because I was going to miss out. For me it wasn’t just the chance to stay at Warwick Castle all weekend, meet and talk to a number of big names in the paranormal field, but also that I wouldn’t have my annual catch up with some great friends that I have met over the years.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank MJ Dickson, as ever she has worked really hard to deliver a fantastic event. Overcoming many challenges along the way.

Enough of all that emotional hugging, let’s get knee-deep into this awesome investigation.

Gathering in the Undercroft

Our evening began with us all meeting up in the Undercroft Restaurant area of Warwick Castle, as this would be our base for the night. Most of the group were staying in the near by Knights Village, which is a beautiful spot in the woods along the river. A mixture of beautiful wood cabins and medieval glamping tents makes the Knights Village an excellent place to stay. Especially if you happen to find yourself investigating the historic Warwick Castle too.

As the gathering of paranormal investigators grew, we were joined by many of the guest speakers too. During the investigation the guest speakers were in various locations around the Castle and in groups we would move between these in order to experience the varying locations and different styles that they each had in regards to the paranormal.

This was also an excellent time to catch up with old friends, make new ones and this time round say hello to a couple of my actual family. My cousin, Medium Clare Hinks was a guest speaker at this years Sage Paracon UK 2017. It was amazing to catch up briefly with her and her husband Richard whilst we waited to begin our investigation.

After a short wait MJ placed the investigators in groups and started to send us off to our first location with our first guest speaker. As my cousin headed off to the Kenilworth Room with Robert Murch to play with Ouija Boards, I took my place in a group with Richard. After all this was Richards first ever overnight investigation and what a way to start.

The Stonemasons Den with Brian J Cano

The first area that my group headed to was an area of the Castle called the Kingmaker Area and our for this area we would be with Haunted Collectors Brian J Cano. Brian is a fantastic investigator, that I first met back in 2014 and I soon realised there was more to him than what you see on the TV. Actually a hell of a lot more. I really enjoy Brian’s approach to investigation too.

We kicked things off by walking around the area to find anything that may pick up our focus. Straight off, Paula and Wayne believed they saw a light anomaly float towards the stairs near the map of the UK. I have a feeling that they may have caught it on film, but I’m not sure.

After a little while the whole team gathered in the Stonemasons Den with Brian to work as a group together. Brian had us stand in a circle so that we could give a group EVP session a go. Now what I found fantastic here is that Brian took the time to explain the EVP concept for people new to investigations, like Richard. He also told us better ways to perform the session rather than a clinical approach, which just isn’t a natural conversation.

Brian began to record and we each asked a question in turn around the circle. As we did so we tagged any noises too, including the chiming church bells towards the end. Once completed Brian plugged in a handy speaker and we reviewed the audio for possible oddities.

First up was a slightly breathy voice, but this was a little bit of a stretch and if in doubt ‘chuck it out’ right.

However it wasn’t long before we realised that we had captured something odd. Just before Amelia asked her question, there was quite a clear ‘two’ that could be heard. After further review this did sound a little like a sequence of numbers too, possibly like ‘4 3 2..’.

We followed up our EVP session with a little bit of pendulum work. Now I am going to just put this out there, as I have a funny feeling that the launch of the new Apple iPhone may have influenced our possible communication with spirits. Brian decided to use his Apple earphones as a pendulum on this occasion, which was interesting. That said the session did yield some interesting responses. We established a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ before proceeding to ask a few simple questions.

Whatever was communicating through this setup seemed to associate itself with he numbers captured in the EVP. We then tried to establish the location of our communicator and oddly this was confirmed to be with John Zaffis. Brian then decided to try and send the word ‘stab’ back to John as he would most likely be using the Echovox.

As we came towards the end of our session with Brian we decided to give the Psychic Projection Experiment a try. Once again Brian explained this experiment in good detail for those new to it. We actually tried this twice. On the first pass, we focused on the recording device using the word ‘stab’ and on the second pass we used the word ‘believe’. Unfortunately on these occasions the words didn’t appear on the device. This is an excellent little experiment, which is so quick that I think we should be trying it more and documenting it too. At least the circumstances in order to understand why it may work and why it doesn’t.

After a fantastic start to our nights investigation, we headed back to the base room for some refreshments, before moving on.

The Music Room with John Zaffis

Next up we headed to the Music room with the ‘Godfather’ of the paranormal, John Zaffis. John has forty plus years experience in the paranormal field and has studied under his aunt and uncle; Ed and Lorraine Warren.

We setup in the Music room by sitting pretty much in a circle near the piano. John kicked things off with an Echovox (I think, I didn’t get a great look at the app) session, but what I found quite interesting was the way in which John communicated with this ITC app. I have seen many use various ITC apps in the field used, but often investigators will pose more clinical questions. However John pretty much spoke to the app as you would a normal person, responding to its answers and attempting to keep the flow of the conversation going.

A few times whilst using this the name ‘Ed’ could be heard too, which was very interesting. Especially as John would respond by asking him to let others come through.

However it wasn’t long before the focus of this session was gained. Richard picked up on the name ‘Robert’, which John confirmed as being picked up by a previous group too. As we asked questions, we seemed to establish that possibly Robert may have been gay, but had to hide this from everyone. It was possible that he was a member of the family that resided at Warwick Castle, but this was a little vague to be fair. We did establish perhaps that Robert was stood in the corner of the room behind Richard and I.

We done our best as a group with John’s assistance to continue communication with Robert and other spirits by using classic knocks for positive and negative response.

I time with John passed at speed and before we knew it we were heading back to the base room wondering where we would be heading next.

The Bear Tower with Greg Lawson

Our next location was the Bear Tower with Greg Lawson, which was going to be an odd one of course. Simply because the Bear Tower is one small room above a large pit. Plus I also knew we would be in for a treat as Greg’s approach is a little different.

After a brief discussion outside the tower, Greg lead us inside and advised us to read the three pieces of information on the walls. As I stood there I found myself wondering about more than paranormal aspects, but the historical back stories that related to them; just like Greg had mentioned.

Then Greg took the rest of the group outside for a few minutes and left three of us in there alone in the dark. Oddly Danny, Amelia and I seemed quite at home in there, so I decided to ask them both what they were feeling. Which was interesting. Some relating to the probable history of the location, but otherwise certainly not too scary.

When Greg returned with the rest of the group I communicated that I was finding myself questioning what we were presented with, the evidence so to speak wasn’t quite right. Greg continued to tell us of how he had spoken with Frank Cinelli about various things which had lead to his own re-evaluations of how he looked at the paranormal. Something which places us as probable important elements within the paranormal experience. An approach which I totally agree with, as without an observer we must question if the activity ever occurred in the first place. Its the old; if a tree fell in the woods without anyone around would it make a sound analogy.

This questioning of the facts lead us to grab a torch and peer into the pit below us to at least quantify that it was bigger enough to house bears. Which it was, but it was evident from all this that where we stood was more like a gallery area with the bears below. Still I wanted to understand more about this area in order to tie in any probable paranormal elements.

Closure of the Bear Tower vigil came around far too quickly for me as I was getting into research analysis mode. So, I would just like to stop here and thank Greg for reminding me of the importance of following the facts.

Debunking a Strange Light with Carl Hutchinson

When I returned to the base room I bumped into Carl Hutchinson, who asked me to take a look at a couple of pictures he had taken in the courtyard of the castle. In these pictures there was a odd looking little light and in the Live Photos the light danced around like it was alive.

Carl instantly knew that it was something to do with the Apple iPhone (seriously this post isn’t sponsored by Apple) that was causing the oddity, but wondered if I had ever seen something like it.

Weirdly I actually had looked into recently as I had been sent a picture by someone that featured this very strange light. It’s a blue colour around the middle of the picture below.

Also seen in this picture too.

After receiving these I too like Carl thought they were a technical issue and soon concluded it to be so. This was proven though when Francesca Chiorando (Access All Areas) posted a beautiful picture on Facebook of the sun breaking through into the dark wood. Sure enough in the picture was that little blue light again.

However this wasn’t quite enough for Carl and I we had to go through the recreate process to ensure that this was a phone fault and that we weren’t seeing some kind of weird supernatural animal. So, I headed back out into the Castle courtyard to see if I could create a little blue light of my own.

Turns out that whilst you take a photo in low light scenarios like this and when the phone is slightly angled the small little light appears. It also seems that once the little light falls into the focus box this becomes more prominent. Tech issue for sure, debunked!

It’s fantastic to catch up and chat about stuff like this with Carl again.

The Chapel with Jeff Belanger

My groups next location was to be the Chapel with Ghost Adventures and prolific paranormal author Jeff Belanger. We began by discussing a little of this areas history and sharing some of Jeff’s candy corn. I’m still not sure whether accepting candy from Jeff was a good idea, especially given that it was a little addictive and full of sugar. Still thank you Jeff for the candy. Yes I am aware we call them sweets in the UK, but when in Rome.

The actual front of the Chapel wasn’t accessible, but Jeff explained how the motion sensors had triggered the alarms earlier even though there was no one there. As we all discussed this we theorised the possibility that the IR lights from the teams cameras may have set off the motion detectors. Shame we couldn’t test the theory.

Oddly or not so oddly the Chapel was relatively calming for me, well up until Wayne started using a FLIR device. As he scanned the device around the room identifying the various temperatures he discovered something a little odd. There appeared to be a warm patch on the floor registering around 22 degrees. What was particularly interesting is that this warm patch on the floor just wouldn’t dissipate. We tried comparisons by having one of the group sit near by to the patch. After they moved their heat signature soon dissipated. There also didn’t appear to be any light shining into the room that could cause it. It was certainly odd and we struggled to define an explanation.

Now unfortunately we don’t know if this appeared whilst we were there or if it was always there. So, understanding more about it is difficult. Still very interesting though.

Over the weekend this played on my mind a little and one possibility could be that this particular patch of flooring was more shiny than the rest. Thus the FLIR was bouncing back creating a false reading. I seem to recall reading about such a thing previously where during an investigation a false reading was picked up from a mirror, which in the dark wasn’t identified as such.

We all headed back to the base ready for our final location of the night.

The Kenilworth Room with Robert Murch, Nikki Folsom and Clare Hinks

The Kenilworth Room is best known and mentioned several times by me on this very website. Especially due to its connections Aleister Crowley and that very strange photo that MJ took in the room too. Its a part of Warwick Castle that has never really let us down activity wise and holds a certain fascination for me.

As ever our journey to the room was lead by one of the guest speakers, Robert Murch. We walked up stairs, along a corridor, into one of the bedrooms, past a few manikins and then along a long small passageway above the banquet hall to the room. As I stepped into the dark wood panelled room I noticed that my cousin Medium Clare Hinks was playing with a Ouija Board.

Robert quickly filled us in on some what had already occurred and then a little about the board. Then he invited some of us to join him and Clare on the board. I jumped at the chance of course.

As we played on the board listening to Roberts instructions, some information came through. A little perhaps related to Crowley, a little perhaps related to the resurrection ritual which is reported to have taken place there and other information related to those in the room.

Many of us including Robert, MJ, Clare, others in the room, on the board and I asked questions and the board appeared to respond. Obviously there are a whole lot of probable reasons why Ouija Boards work, but in situations like this I often find it best to go with it and simply see what happens. I often see divination tools such as this as a kind of link to the unconscious.

After a short while many of the large group that had gathered in the room decided to head down to the dungeons. However on this occasion I decided to remain and work with my cousin on the board a little more. We were also joined by Nikki Folsom and on occasion Robert too.

There was some interesting information coming through board associated possibly to the location. However all of a sudden communication just a appeared to stop! We tried a few things, but still the connection remained absent. Then weirdly we began to receive a little information. I think it was fair to say that at this point both Clare and I may have recognised our spirit communicator. This was confirmed shortly when the board spelt out ‘H W Knibb’. This was our grandfather and in all fairness not the first time he’s turned up during an investigation.

Obviously there’s a distinct possibility that as we were both on the board our unconscious minds directed the planchet towards someone that has passed and connects us both. In all honesty, however it worked it was a really nice way to finish the night. If it was truly his spirit letting us know he is about, then that in itself is good to know.

In a flash it was over…

As many investigations for me, Warwick Castle flew by, but for all the right reasons. The location is undoubtedly haunted in some way, a location like it that houses so much history and still today has an abundance of visitors, really has to have something paranormal about it.

It was great to visit a few different locations from my last investigation of the castle, but also fantastic to return my very favourite room; the Kenilworth Room. As ever Mj’s setup of the investigation giving us access to the various guest speakers during the night, was spot on and enjoyed by all that attended.

This year saw pretty much completely different approaches from all the guest speakers too in the various locations. There was EVP, Psychic Projection, Pendulum Work, ITC, classical knock communication, analysing what you do and don’t know, adding yourself into the equation, looking at the history, debunking, looking at all possibilities and communicating through the Ouija Board.

To be quite frank there are not many investigation events out there that give you this many paranormal celebrities, techniques, approaches and all in a fantastic location such as Warwick Castle.

As far as paranormal events go, in my opinion this was a ten out of ten.

A Little Thanks

I would just like to say a massive thank you to MJ Dickson for putting the whole thing together, great job. I would also like to thank all the guest speakers that helped make this night a fantastic experience all the way through. So, in no particular order Brian J Cano, John Zaffis, Greg Lawson, Jeff Belanger, Robert Murch, Nikki Folsom and Clare Hinks; thank you all and great job guys.

Lastly, thank you to everyone that attended, what a great bunch of people you are. I believe MJ calls you all the Sage Tribe.

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Sep, 2017

Sage Paracon UK 2017

Paranormal Convention Season

If you’re a regular visitor to my website then you’ve most likely read a few of my posts regarding Paraforce UK 2017 taking place at the end of September. However just before that convention in Essex another one kicks off in Warwickshire that you may be interested in.

I’m talking about Sage Paracon UK 2017, which this year is at the amazing Warwick Castle. The particularly old and haunted Warwick castle may I add.

It truly is the UK convention season for paranormal events.

As I write this looking over the Sage Paracon UK 2017 website I have noticed something very important that I feel I should mention early on. There are literally only 9 tickets left for this event, so if you’re interested grab yours NOW!

Paracon at Warwick Castle

Sage Paracon UK isn’t a stranger to Warwick Castle, in fact last year the convention had a VIP Investigation of the castle over the weekend. As a guest speaker that year I was lucky enough to investigate and even lead a team of VIP’s around the castle. Suffice to say the history and size of the place present one of the most investigation locations I have had the pleasure of visiting.

However this location hasn’t just been chosen for its far-stretching links into medieval history, but the paranormal links that its maintained over the years. There have been various sightings of paranormal activity reported around the castle, but one that still strikes me today is the odd photo captured by event organiser MJ Dickson when she was gathering some information for last years investigation.

This was taken in the room dubbed the ‘Aleister Crowley’ room. As you can see it was during the day and there is a figure at the window. The problem is, MJ was alone in the room at the time and there were no manikin’s in the room at the time either. In fact MJ didn’t even realised she had captured this until she was going through the pictures much later on, isn’t that always the way.

When I investigated this wood panelled room I too found it very fascinating and can’t help wondering what Sage Paracon have prepared for their guests in this room at this years Sage Paracon UK.

This Years Guest Speakers

MJ has gathered some top-notch guest speakers this year to help deliver a fantastic event (I’m gutted I can’t make it), from well-known TV personalities to a particular up and coming Medium I know!

I’m not going to delve too deeply into each of the guest speakers as MJ has done a fantastic job in adding good details about them to her website Sage Paracon UK 2017, so please take the time to check it out.

Here’s the line-up:-

John Zaffis

Dubbed the ‘Godfather of the Paranormal’ John has well over forty years experience in the field and has most recently graced our screens with the excellent TV show Haunted Collector. John studied the paranormal with the extremely famous and respects Ed and Lorraine Warren, after all when your aunt and uncle are the Warren’s it’s hardly an opportunity you should pass up.

Jeff Belanger

Jeff is an author, researcher and investigator of all things paranormal. He’s knowledge of the subject is extensive and he delivers this in he’s talks in a fantastically engaging manner. He is probably best known for his research on the hit paranormal TV show Ghost Adventures.

Robert Murch

Robert is an expert on Ouija and Talking Boards. He has collected the boards since 1980’s I believe and has since become one of the worlds leading experts on the boards. Robert collects the many variations of the boards and has studied their history and development over the years. He founded the Talking Board Historical Society and continues to seek out the boards mysterious origins.

Brian J Cano

Brian is also a member of the TV show Haunted Collector, but prior to this he was more of an explorer that looked at the paranormal from a skeptic and later scientific view-point. Then looking into the possibilities presented by new technologies he expanded his knowledge, developing the cable-access show SCARED! then later joining Haunted Collector. More recently Brian has been literally touring the world visiting various paranormal events and presenting his ideas and experience to others.

Rev. Dr. David Parry

David is a published author, poet, Fellow of Royal Society of Arts and much more. I’ve personally known David now since back in 2014 when we first began to discuss various aspects of the paranormal. Suffice to say he has helped me in a few cases to look at things from a different angle. Still from 2014 his phrase ‘its not paranormal, its normal’ rings true. A fascinating and knowledgable man who may just provide you with a different perspective on things.

Greg Lawson

The ‘Paranormal Detective’, Greg is an author and dedicated to discovery. His latest book ‘Detecting Paranormal – Discussion on Becoming a Paranormal Detective’ is comprehensive guide to refining those skills required for paranormal investigation. His career in Law Enforcement has provided excellent experience for research and investigation of paranormal anomalies.

Nikki Folsom

Nikki is a writer and investigator of the paranormal, with a fascination that began early on in life. Following the release of her first book ‘The Haunted Harlequin’ she now plans to research many more haunted locations around the globe and write about those too.

MJ Dickson

MJ is the founder of Sage Paracon and works tirelessly to deliver the event. Having investigated with MJ myself its always refreshing to find an investigator that has her foot truly in both camps, science and psychic. Her own psychic abilities often shine through; from picking up on specific pieces of information to what I call ‘I’m going to go this way’ intuition, but MJ still refines her investigations by seeking supportive data to go with the experience.

Russell Edwards

Russell Edwards shared with those at Sage Paracon UK 2016 a particularly interesting story. A story that he lived and began with an interest in that fascinating case of Jack the Ripper. Following years of investigation, an auction that changed everything and some clever science, Russell tells of how he managed to name Jack the Ripper. I have to admit I was captivated when I heard his story, his book is a must.

Clare Hinks

Clare has had the ability to communicate with spirit from a young age and more recently, as her three children are growing up, she has began to work more in that ability. As a Psychic Medium Clare now does one to one readings, group work and even the odd investigation too. In fact Clare has been on a few of my investigations in the past (after all she is my cousin) and she has certainly picked up some interesting details. I have heard some good things regarding the readings she gives and I believe that her abilities are only just emerging.

All The Ingredients

A fantastically historic and haunted location for the weekend and an amazing line up of paranormal A-Listers, all the ingredients for a thoroughly enjoyable paranormal weekend.

That’s not entirely it though, if you’re not close to Warwick; then don’t worry as there is plenty of accommodation near by and MJ may even still have space at the Knights Village on site.

There are also plenty of good deals for the weekend to keep you busy, MJ as ever has done a thorough job on organising this.

Grab your Sage Paracon UK 2017 Tickets here…

Thank You Sage Paranormal

I would just like to say thank you to MJ and Sage Paranormal for letting me write about this event. The UK has a number of annual academic conferences on the paranormal (psychical research) which are fantastic; ASSAP and the SPR run some really good ones. However there are many out there that are interested in the paranormal, but don’t want something so academic. To be fair its great to have something we can enjoy, but equally learn at too. Conventions fill this gap, the likes of Sage Paracon and Paraforce have given us that too. Again though, both Sage Paracon and Paraforce are very different, both being worth a visit.

Thank you to MJ for putting together Sage Paracon UK, last year was a fantastic event and I am sure this year will top that too.

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The Psychic Projection Experiment

A Little Background

I was lucky enough to attend Sage Paranormal’s D-Day Tour recently and meet Haunted Collectors Brian J. Cano for the second time.

Www.ashleyknibb.com — Haunted Collectors Brian J Cano

It was during the investigation at the amazing Fort Horsted that Brian J Cano kicked things off with a particularly interesting experiment. The one in question was what Brian called the ‘Psychic Projection Experiment’ and we were lucky enough to experience what may have been a successful attempt.

I’ll get onto the process shortly, but first off I wanted to explain my personal interest in this particular little experiment. As soon as Brian mentioned it and the method I found my full attention drawn to this interesting concept. After all often during paranormal investigations we focus on attempting to gain possible evidence of the local activity. However this was fundamentally based on the group focussing on a singular word and projecting that onto the digital voice recorder in front of Brian. Simply speaking it added another dimension to my own theories around telepathy. However on this occasion we would be transferring information telepathically onto a device as audio that could be played back.

On this occasion the group were prompted by Brian J Cano to focus on the word ‘Gollum’ as this was in direct relation to a subject a few of the group had been recently discussing. Brian advised us to focus that word onto his digital voice recorder over the course of sixty seconds. During that time we would remain quiet.

Once the time was up we listened back and sure enough at around fifty seconds the word could be heard.

Pondering the Concept

This for me then raises an interesting question and perhaps one that Brian was attempting to highlight too; if we can project a particular word onto a device in a method which is very similar to the way we capture EVPs, then could this be an explanation of all EVPs? The discussion on this is obviously greater than that though, as it deals with the concept of what our unconscious could be doing whilst we are trying to capture those EVPs. However it also raises a more interesting concept of how our minds may affect something physical in this way? Is it generating an audible sound or manipulating a device? In the particular instance mentioned above the recording and sound seemed localised to Brian J Cano’s digital voice recorder, which is equally interesting.

So, what I thought I would do is add the basic method here on my website, so others could try it and then perhaps we could attempt to gather some results around how often in works and in which circumstances it works too.

The Method

Set your digital voice recorder up so it’s on a solid stable surface. A table for example.
Select a key word to use that resonates with as many of the group as possible. This could actually be the key to the success of the experiment. A word that means something or is prominent to the group is good. If there is some kind of emotional tie to it that may equally help.
Start the recording and advise the group to focus on the chosen word, psychically projecting that word onto the digital voice recorder. Tell the group to direct the thought towards the recorder.
Record for sixty seconds only. During this time the group should remain quiet, but unlike normal EVP sessions noises shouldn’t be tagged. The focus should remain on the word and psychically projecting it.
At the completion of sixty seconds silent recording of psychic projection, the recorder is stopped and everyone can relax.
Listen to the sixty seconds of recording to see if the key word was captured.
Email me the brief details of your attempt.

Managing the Results

There’s no restriction on how often this experiment can be attempted. However what would be good would be to capture its success moving forward. This could be done by means of a simple email to me at info@ashleyknibb.com with the subject ‘Psychic Projection Experiment’ detailing the following :-

Date & Time
Location
Number of participants
The Word
Was the word random or one with some specific meaning ?
When during the recording the word was heard, 50 seconds for example.?

I would also like to hear if it was unsuccessful as that can help understand the success rate too.

If this goes well then every now and then I’ll post some information on my findings.

Also, if you have any ideas to improve the experiment, please let me know and I may give them a go.

I hope this really takes off as it’s an experiment which can be done literally anywhere at any time.

Thank you all for your help on this one, gathering data is key to gaining more understanding of the paranormal and furthering our knowledge.

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Fort Widley with Brian J Cano and Sage Paranormal – The D-Day Tour

Www.sageparanormal.co.uk — Sage Paranormal’s D-Day Tour with Brian J Cano

The D-Day Tour with Brian J Cano

This exclusive tour of three amazing haunted locations was put together by Sage Paranormal who worked extremely hard to book these locations and also manage to get Brian J Cano from across the pond into the UK. I think what’s also really important to note here is that given the locations, the presence of Brian J Cano and that there were limited numbers; for the price this was excellent value. Often with events such as these the numbers can be upwards of thirty guests attending and this in my opinion can simply ruin a good ghost hunt. Too many numbers equals too much location contamination and not enough of the hosts and special guests to go around.

Virtual hat tip to MJ Dickson and the Sage Paranormal team for putting together such a good package for a reasonable price.

Also, big thank you to Brian J Cano for coming over to the UK and making this such a unique event.

As you can see from the Sage Paranormal advert, the tour hit three amazing locations from the 3rd March to 8th March. Starting with Fort Horsted in Kent, then one of my favourites The Explosions Museum in Gosport and finishing up at Fort Widley in Portsmouth. Now that I have been to all three locations I can happily state that they are each well worth a visit, from a historical point of view and not just because they are all pretty cool. The Explosions Museum has also been a location I’ve returned to and never come away disappointed. The other two were equally interesting and I would certainly return at some point.

Fort Widley Tour

Once we had all arrived and settled in we began with a tour of the areas of the Fort that we would be investigating. However what was apparent early on was that once again Sage Paranormal had done an excellent job in not flooding the event with guests and this would in turn help change the event into more of a team investigation. Often this can change the entire night, especially for those that have some experience investigating. On this occasion everyone apart from me had attended the previous two D-Day Tour investigations and had become an excellent team.
We left the large meeting room that we used for our HQ on this occasion and descended the near by staircase to the lower lever and entrance to the tunnels we would be investigating. MJ guided us along the first tunnel all the way into where the spiral staircase ascended towards the parade ground. At this point we all familiarised ourselves with how sound travelled around this part of the location. Suffice to say it wasn’t exactly how you may think and perhaps could easily be mistaken for paranormal activity on occasion. From there we headed down the North tunnel to explore and familiarise ourselves with the location. The tunnel opened out into a vast area at the end, with two levels. We looked around and quickly identified where the area was exposed to the elements. It was certainly going to be a chilly investigation that was for sure.

It was certainly an interesting area and we were looking forward to investigating it, so we headed back up towards the centre spiral staircase.

On this occasion we couldn’t venture down the east tunnel as this was blocked off for use by the local emergency services. As time was ticking away from us we left the tour of the west tunnel too and returned to the HQ too.

It was time to regroup over a hot drink and grab a radiator to warm us up a little. Brian J Cano took the opportunity to jump onto Facebook Live and introduce us all to the world. I’ll let you search Facebook for that particular video. Not only does it introduce our team brilliantly, but it also showcases a very special impression that shouldn’t be missed. There’s also an important announcement from MJ and Brian regarding the Sage Paracon 2017, which sounds epic.

EVP in the North Caponier

Our first vigil took the whole team down to the far North Caponier to investigate and conduct a full team EVP session. Its odd, but when you make the walk down to this location you really begin to realise the truth size of the area under investigation. I also couldn’t help think if the walk through the tunnels could also be an attributing factor to some of the paranormal activity experienced at the location. Whether this was psychological due to the environment and its history; or perhaps the underground element in the dark which caused a little sensory deprivation could increase our ability to connect with whatever was there. Either way it certainly added to the experience as a whole.

Once we arrived in the North Caponier we setup on the second floor and most of the team sat on a few available chairs there in a circle. It was clear to see how far the group had come by this point too as they operated like a well oiled machine, many of them with their Digital Voice Recorders and MEL Meters ready to go before the last of us settled.

For this particular session we would once again attempt to work as group and each ask a question, which I believe was prompted by Brian J Cano by means of a quick shine of the torch.

However this again highlighted how far the team had come in such a short space of time. Rather than the mixed bag and random untagged noises, the group tagged both noises they made and ones that could be heard externally too. Impressive work guys.

As ever MJ listened live, but I noticed a couple of others were also trying this out too. Once we had been around the circle we listened back to the recording using a speaker. We identified a few minor oddities, but nothing that was particularly crystal clear or significant. Although it did seem to show some responses to our questions at times. During this MJ swapped her seat with another of the team and was filming the area a little.

This was also when we seemed to experience a little battery drain on a few devices, which occurred at the same time that some of the group saw a few light anomalies. Light anomalies and battery drain was also confirmed as something that had occurred previously when MJ’s team had investigated Fort Widley.

With batteries draining, the cold creeping in and time running away from us we headed back to our HQ to warm up and take a break.

Duel Blind Spirit Box Experiment

Following our break Brian and MJ came up with the idea to run an experiment based on the use of the Spirit Box. For this experiment they would require two volunteers, so Victoria and I of course volunteered.

Basically for the experiment two of us would listen to the same spirit box device using headphones. Whilst we did this it would be hard to hear the questions being asked. Actually with the white noise in between music and voice, it was near on impossible to hear the questions being asked.

Once the question was asked, indicated by a torch-light being shone on the table in front of us, each of us would note down what we heard from the Spirit Box. When the torch was shone on the table again, we would draw a line under what we had written in order to separate the questions.

We settled in and started the experiment. Noting down anything that made sense from the Spirit Box. Although there was a lot of white noise and music rather than actual words to begin with. Meanwhile MJ and Brian asked ten questions.

Once the ten questions had been asked, it was pens down and earphones off, nothing like an exam honestly.

We then compared the answers we had to the questions that were asked looking for specific matches and not things that could fit. Unsurprisingly none of our ten answers really matched the questions asked. Interestingly few of our answers matched either, with possibly an average of one word per question.

This really poses the question, do we often attempt to fit what we might be hearing from devices like the Spirit Box to the questions that we are asking?

Duel Blind Spirit Box Experiment with One in the Tunnel

Not content with our first experiment as a one-off, we decided to retry it. After all in order to properly experiment you need to repeat it over a few trials to understand things properly. Obviously during an investigation at a location that’s often not that easy, as time is against you and you’re there to experience the location more so.

However, on this occasion we decided to run the experiment again with both me and Victoria in the HQ. However this time around we placed the Spirit Box into a Faraday Bag and also sent Jo down the tunnel with the rest of the team to attempt it from there with a different Spirit Box.

Although these additional elements in effect change the entire experiment, it gives us a different perspective to work with. After all this is an experiment which we could run from home rather than on location in reality. Still its good to get the old grey cells working.

Once setup with our walkie talkies relaying question changes to Jo in the tunnel, we began again with Brian asking the ten questions. Again shining the torch in front of Victoria and I each time the question changed.

Interestingly on this occasion I heard what sounded like physical taps on the earphones. It’s fair to say once again none of the answers from Victoria and I matched the questions, but Jo had at least one which came very close. Also, less of the words that Victoria and I heard matched up this time around. Oddly what I heard and noted down although there were gaps of white noise and music between them seemed to create sentences. Ok, not perfect English sentences, but pretty close.

For example; ‘After drug way happy’, ‘Tell him 34 paint’, ‘its a boy’, ‘Tim leave’.

Now these didn’t match the questions, but were amusing to read out loud to the group, including my personal favourite (thanks Spirit Box); ‘Airport naked bounce’.

Its interesting too how we often look for patterns and familiarity in everything too. I even found myself trying to fit those answers with the questions, previous and after the one they related to.

West Tunnel ITC Apps

Our next vigil took us down the West tunnel, where on route some of the group found a swastika with the initials AH and a possible date protected by some perspex. We decided that this may be a good place to attempt a little communication. This time Brian J Cano used the iPad ITC Apps.

As previously at Fort Horsted we came up with a password, which I think was ‘tunnel’, but MJ had also written some words down in HQ before we headed out.

To begin with the Apps iOvilus and EchoVox gave us quite a few random words and sounds, some of which could be associated to the location and the communication we were attempting. However they were reluctant to deliver the password. That changed about ten or so minutes in, when a few of us (including me) heard the word ‘tunnel’. Was this a random occurrence or was spirit communicating through these apps? In all honesty, for me I still need to play around with these apps a little more and perhaps understand more how they work. That said if you can obtain some kind of communication in relation to other recorded changes, that would be quite interesting.

The Apps certainly delivered some interesting and varied communication which could be related to the tunnel or indeed the use of the tunnel or location.

Singapore Theory Experiment

As our time at Fort Widley was drawing to a close, we decided to finish on a high and attempt a Singapore Experiment around the spiral staircase area of the tunnels. This would be a location where many would have passed through on their way to various parts of the Fort. Little did I know that I was about to tap into the inner Sargent Major in me.

In order to attempt this version of the experiment we recorded the sound of an air raid siren and would utilise this to hopefully ‘stir up’ activity a little. As the siren played out through the tunnels I would circle the staircase shouting orders as if I was ordering the soldiers to take up their positions. Whilst I done this the rest of the team would setup around the entrances to the various tunnels using devices to capture audio and detect changes in the EM field.

Oddly as I took on the role of a military man shouting orders I have to admit it did feel a little weird to say the least. Once completed we regrouped to see if anything had been captured.

Unfortunately there hadn’t been anything seen on the devices monitoring EM fields or movement, but MJ managed to capture a short EVP following my reference to ‘Smithy’ as walked around the spiral staircase. I’m not going to say what we believe was captured as I have added the clip below for you to listen to. It’s a little enhanced, as this particular recording was recorded when MJ played what she captured on her device. Basically I have brought the volume levels up, but not cleaned it up. Please feel free to comment on what you believe you hear and if you hear nothing say so as that’s equally valid.
Once we had run through the clip a couple of times and I was suitably embarrassed by my poor impression of an officer, we decided to head back to the HQ as our time at Fort Widley had come to an end.

Round Up

Fort Widley was another fantastic location which I would love to return to for another investigation in the future. Sage Paranormal and Brian J Cano delivered an excellent investigation experience which on this occasion allowed for a little outside the normal approaches. It’s good to see a more involved event rather than a kind of ghost tour. Great work guys, I look forward to the next time I can join you on an investigation.

It was clear from talking to others in the team that the D-Day Tour hadn’t just been three events over less than a week, they had been a learning experience thanks to MJ’s and Brian’s approach. From Fort Horsted to Fort Widley the group had grown and learnt a lot, each becoming excellent investigators.

Fort Widley had delivered some interesting EVP results, a possible apparition sighting by one of the team and some odd experiences. I am sure that Sage Paranormal still has a lot of audio and video to review, so perhaps some additional pieces may come from that.

Once again though through some of the techniques used at Fort Widely it has become apparent that there is a significant emotional tie to activity. Regardless of whether the information presents itself telepathically or not it seems that an emotional link is required to make that connection more stable, so to speak. This is a fascinating concept that also could help us understand why a clinical scientific approach doesn’t always work. Especially as emotions are a very personally unique thing.

For more information on future events with Sage Paranormal or Brian J Cano, please check out their websites:-

Sage Paranormal – www.sageparanormal.co.uk

Brian J Cano – www.neverstopsearching.com

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Fort Horsted with Brian J Cano and Sage Paranormal – The D-Day Tour

The D-Day Tour with Brian J Cano

Virtual hat tip to MJ Dickson and the Sage Paranormal team for putting together such a good package for a reasonable price.

Also, big thank you to Brian J Cano for coming over to the UK and making this such a unique event.

Fort Horsted Tour

I actually missed the first part of the night at Fort Horsted as I was stuck on the old M25 motorway, the joys of travelling. During this time I believe the guys at the Fort and Sage Paranormal kicked off with the standard Health and Safety talks, which is always good to know. It’s always good to protect yourself at these old locations and I am not talking about demons (Elizabeth), there’s plenty of hazards to be wary of. Suffice to say good job for covering this off.

Next up was a brief tour of the Fort, I say brief that’s a slight understatement given the size of the place.

The tour took us out of the HQ room for the night, which is room 52 on the map. We headed up the ramp towards S3 and Zone 3 to look at room 10 along the far tunnel. Without a light on these rooms were pretty much pitch black. We then headed back towards the HQ then along the main tunnel towards Zone 4 of the Fort where we explored a few of the rooms along that tunnel. In particular being room 14 on the map I think. Then we headed back down the same tunnel towards Zone 5 and room 36 at the far end. As the rest of the group headed back to HQ, six of us made the climb down and up the stairs to room 35. Within this room were some interesting pieces of graffiti, some of which date back to the war. I think it’s also important to note that there were obviously some quite talented artists back then too.

Following this the small group, feeling a little like we had been to the gym for a full on work out (yes that many stairs) headed back to our HQ and the rest of the group.

Full Team EVP Session in the HQ

Once we had recovered from the tour and warmed up a little thanks to (Grandma) the hot water machine, we sat around the table to attempt an EVP session. What I found interesting was that Brian first took us through a kind of back story, explaining the common approach to EVP’s and how as investigators we often become a little too clinical in our approach. We ask questions, leave pauses and hope for responses. However we often forget to approach from the human perspective, which in this instance was the lesson for the group. So, throw out what you, poor yourself a drink and have a relaxed chat with the probable spirits. Well sort of anyways. Oddly I do see the value in this approach too, as I have noticed that emotional connection can often increase activity.

As the group was relatively large the simplest approach to this EVP session would be to go around the table and ask one question each, leave a brief pause before the next. However rather than the clinical and morbid questions usually heard we would try to connect a little more on a one to one level.

It took a little while to get around the group, but as we did so we did become aware of a few odd noises we couldn’t place to begin with. Then as we got further around the table those at MJ’s and Elizabeth’s end of the table believed they saw movement outside the rooms door. Brian and Elizabeth setup REMPod on a chair which would be in Elizabeth’s line of sight. Once this was setup Brian continued with the questions.

Once this had been completed Brian used a loud-speaker to run through the EVP session and listen for any anomalies. Interestingly there were a few that we noted, but nothing that I would class as a crystal clear (Class A) EVP, but certainly interesting enough to mention. These ranged from some obvious sounds that seemed to fit when questions were asked to some possible responses that some of the group recognised as words.

Psychic Projection EVP Experiment

Next up Brian decided to give a psychic projection EVP experiment a go in our HQ room before we headed out into the rest of the Fort.

So, the basics for this experiment was to utilise the collective psychic ability of the group to project a key word onto a digital voice recorder, in this case Brian J Cano’s which was on the table in front of him. In order to do this we first picked a key word. Now as Brian, MJ, Liz and Elizabeth had been chatting about the Lord of the Rings for the last few days a good choice seemed to be the word ‘Gollum’. Just for the record, check out Liz’s impression of Gollum.

With the word picked, Brian set the time limit for sixty seconds and reminded us on this occasion we were not going to tag anything just focus on projecting the word ‘Gollum’ onto Brian’s digital voice recorder.

As we began the sixty seconds, MJ listened live on her device and we all sat in silence for sixty seconds. This seems like a great time to mention relativity, mainly as the sixty seconds seemed like a lifetime. It was an interesting sixty seconds that’s for sure. Also towards the end of it I noticed MJ smile as listened live to her device, which gave me a great feeling about this experiment.

Brian reviewed the sixty seconds of the experiment straight away using the speaker. As we listened, some of the group believed they heard the key word around the half way mark. There were a couple of noises, but unfortunately I couldn’t hear the word ‘Gollum’. However as we hit the fifty-second something mark pretty much the whole group agreed that the word could be heard.

This poses a very interesting question; when we conduct EVP experiments, are we actually picking up spiritual communication or could we be projecting information onto the device ourselves?

Whilst we pondered this philosophical (#paralosophical) question over a cuppa thanks to Grandma we also prepared for the first vigil.

A Little ITC App Time with Brian

My first vigil was with Brian J Cano in room 36 (map above) where we decided to give some of the ITC App’s on his iPad a go. In fairness Smart phone or tablet Apps aren’t really something that I have really looked in to, but not entirely ruled out. I have a bit of a personal conflict with the Apps because I work in IT. App’s are programmed and run using clever algorithms in order to provide results, so from my perspective I don’t know enough about them to fully understand them. That said it was interesting to see a couple in use.

On this occasion we started of by using an App called iOvilus, which was pretty much an app version of the popular ghost hunting gadget. Although it used an ’80’s robot voice’, I was sure that Johnny Number 5 was in the room with us, it was an interesting app.

Brian advised that he often likes to use a password to see if the probable spirits can communicate it through the app, as this could in a way provide better evidence of intelligent communication. In this particular case I believe we used the word ‘apple’ and I don’t think it was said. Although there were a few interesting things that came through.

We moved onto the EchoVox app next still using the same password and looking for further communication. This was slightly different from the iOvilus as it takes a sample and mixes it up a little before giving out sounds that make words rather than whole words.

I’m not going to go into detail about these Apps her as to be honest I don’t feel I truly know enough about them just yet and prefer to do a little research before giving you a better outline. A post for another time perhaps.

Suffice to say as our vigil came to a close I had certainly had an interesting and informative time looking at another aspect of tech that we could use. Certainly something I would like to look into in order to understand more about.

So, a little colder we decided to head back to our HQ room and grab a drink.

Live Listening to EVP with MJ

For our next vigil we headed it to room 14 with MJ to see what we might pick up, both on the gadgets and psychically. After the steep climb to the cold room we began to attempt communication. It wasn’t long before what I believe to be two distinct characters were picked up by the group.

The first was a military man, a little stocky perhaps and possibly a seargent. At least a similar rank. With this was also picked up a pain in the kidneys type area. In relation to this MJ captured a few little pieces of audio too, nothing crystal clear, but interesting. A possible story around the character was forming.

The second was a woman who was in great distress and possibly linked to an attack of some kind. There was an understanding that she may have fled through the Fort. Again the rough outline of a story regarding the character was there.

What was equally interesting was that those that could receive this information psychically seemed to be empathic to it too, feeling it as well as knowing it. This included feeling particularly rough whilst stood in a certain spot. Something which appeared to cross all groups with differing individuals.

An interesting vigil from a psychical point of view I think.

Pitch Black in Room 10 with Liz

For our final vigil we headed off towards Room 10, pausing at the top of the ramp to perform a brief vigil there too whilst exposed to the elements.

However it was during this time that we returned to the story of the woman picked up previously, it seemed odd and yet fitting. Liz and the others believed that she had fled through that way down the ramp.

Although the stories were similar I knew that we had recorded a brief piece of information on how this young lady looked at our previous location, so I tasked Liz with describing her. Admittedly Liz was honest to the point explaining she was moving fast so description was difficult. However as she ‘gave it a go’ one of the groups voice recorder began to play in their pocket, what was particularly odd was that this was the very description of the woman given in the previous room. It literally started at that point as Liz was about to try, that wasn’t the beginning of the recording either.

After this slightly strange sequence of events we decided to move onto Room 10 and try a little investigating there.

Once in room 10 with all our torches off it was literally pitch black. We attempted a little EVP took a few measurements of EMF and Temp, but nothing out of the ordinary really occurred. Although at one point I did think my wrist had been touched, but this could have equally been my coat. It was just too light and inconclusive to work with.

A little more colder and certainly tired, we headed back to the HQ room.

Round Up

All in all the Fort Horsted investigation with Brian J Cano and Sage Paranormal was a fantastic night enjoyed by all that attended. We had some interesting little pieces of activity throughout the Fort and I think we all learnt a little too. Brian and the Sage team ran a really good investigation, which was well structured, busy and also fun. At the end of the day if your going to freeze in a Fort you may as well have fun doing it.

This was a fantastic opener to the D-Day Tour and well received by those attending.

Good job guys..

I would just like to say thank you all; Brian, MJ, Liz, Elizabeth and everyone that attended as it was a great team too. Most of which would move onto Gosport with the tour and investigate the Explosions Museum, but unfortunately I couldn’t make that one. I hear they hit it hard and had a great time though.

Don’t forget to visit Brian J Cano’s website – http://www.neverstopsearching.com

And also Sage Paranormal’s website – http://www.sageparanormal.co.uk

Tag Archives: Brian J Cano

May, 2018

Feb, 2018

The Classical Two…

Of course that’s residual…

That’s intelligent for sure…

Zoom out, see a bigger picture…

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Oct, 2017

Why do we search for ghosts after all?

Understanding what we don’t understand!

The Stone Tape Theory

Electronic Voice Phenomena

Electromagnetic Field

Naming Spirits

Thinking out of the box!

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Sep, 2017

Some Thanks First

Gathering in the Undercroft

The Stonemasons Den with Brian J Cano

The Music Room with John Zaffis

The Bear Tower with Greg Lawson

Debunking a Strange Light with Carl Hutchinson

The Chapel with Jeff Belanger

The Kenilworth Room with Robert Murch, Nikki Folsom and Clare Hinks

In a flash it was over…

A Little Thanks

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Sep, 2017

Paranormal Convention Season

Paracon at Warwick Castle

This Years Guest Speakers

Here’s the line-up:-

John Zaffis

Jeff Belanger

Robert Murch

Brian J Cano

Rev. Dr. David Parry

Greg Lawson

Nikki Folsom

MJ Dickson

Russell Edwards

Clare Hinks

All The Ingredients

Thank You Sage Paranormal

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A Little Background

Pondering the Concept

The Method

Managing the Results

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The D-Day Tour with Brian J Cano

Fort Widley Tour

EVP in the North Caponier

Duel Blind Spirit Box Experiment

Duel Blind Spirit Box Experiment with One in the Tunnel

West Tunnel ITC Apps

Singapore Theory Experiment

Round Up

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The D-Day Tour with Brian J Cano

Fort Horsted Tour

Full Team EVP Session in the HQ

Psychic Projection EVP Experiment

A Little ITC App Time with Brian

Live Listening to EVP with MJ

Pitch Black in Room 10 with Liz

Round Up

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