Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
Rome Investigators of the Paranormal Paranormal News Some of the latest and most interesting Paranormal News articles that we can find. So, It’s 2012… Will the world end? Who is right, Nostradamus, the Bible, or the Mayans? The Hulbert House A brief look into one of our favorite places to investigate. Like This Article The Pros and Cons of social media within the Paranormal Community. After Hours Behind the scenes, what happens when we’re not out investigating? Tech Corner Current R.I.P. Tech project as brought to you by Dr. David DeProspero. Paranormal Book Review Review of a book written on the topic of the Paranormal. Learning IR A bit of information about the IR lights we use. Deserving the Truth A look into the sky above, is there something else out there? Inquiring Minds Questions from our fans. Answers from our team. Upcoming Events A listing of events that are approaching that R.I.P. supports or is involved with.
While this is a little less paranormal and a bit more science, I feel the urge to explain. Unfortunately, while I cannot go into detail, I can say that the science involved here, and with what R.I.P. is working with may be more alike than some see. No we’re not building combat drones, just keep an eye on Dr. Dave’s future Tech Corner articles.
A study, from the Royal Society, Britain’s national academy of science, showed the possible benefits of neuroscience to military and law enforcement. This report involved the use of devices called brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) to connect soldiers' brains directly to military technology such as drones and weapons. The study, published on Tuesday, stated that the work built on previous research that has enabled people to control cursors and artificial limbs through BMIs that read their brain signals . "Since the human brain can process images, such as targets, much faster than the subject is consciously aware of, a neurally interfaced weapons system could provide significant advantages over other system control methods in terms of speed and accuracy," the report states. While many scientists oppose the concept of militarization of this technology, arguing the concept of liability, wondering where machine will end and soldier will begin; the benefits of the funding into this technology is equally as inspiring to the furthering of neuroscience. What’s your take?
READ MORE PO Box 667 Rome, New York 13442 www.RomeInvestigatorsoftheParanormal.com E: info@Romeinvestigatorsoftheparanormal.com P: 315-281-3446
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
So, It’s 2012… By: Mark Barry So, it’s 2012. You must have seen or heard that this is it, this is 2012, and this is the last year of your existence. This is the start of troubled times, the doomsday and the end of all things. The problem with all these claims is the fact that very few of them are founded in any truth, and even fewer are within that scope of truth that should have us worried. Now I’m not saying that it’s impossible, by the very nature of this business the impossible is faced on a daily basis, just that it is quite unlikely that we’ll see an end of times this year. I’ll address some of the more famous claims and assumptions you’ll see thrown about, and provide a bit more information to help us understand the context of the claims and if they are plausible.
The Bible Code Nostradamus The Mayan Calendar
So, let’s get started shall we?
the Bible Code that is based on an algorithm that is used to make predictions of future events; some even make claims that all of history and every major event to come is encoded somewhere within the book. This concept was born sometime in the mid 90’s making its first real appearance in 1994 in a published paper that made claims to evidence of the prediction of certain famous rabbis coded within the bible long before they ever existed. It wasn’t until 1997 that the code was formalized in publication, a book aptly named “The Bible Code” was released and as a result the code became a famous idea. Ever since its publication this code has been supposedly predicting every major world event, from assassinations to the end of the world. This code was further enforced by the prediction of Yitzhak Rabin’s, an Israeli Prime Minister, assassination in 1995. This is still used to ‘prove’ that the code is a working tool for prediction. There have been known holes in this code however, so don’t start to pack your bags for the final days. The code predicted that Philadelphia would be the victim of a terrorist bio-logical attack utilizing the Ebola virus in 2008. This never occurred, while of course the creators and vindicators of the code claim that this event was prevented by the prediction; this defense is used to explain nearly every failed prediction in history.
the predicting and seeking knowledge of future events was considered Soothsaying and divining… Sorry folks, but this one is Debunked.
The predictions of Nostradamus Michel de Nostradame, better known as Nostradamus, has published collections of prophecies that are now famous worldwide. His prophecies can be very specific or very vague, depending on the flexible interpretation of the quatrains. Nostradamus made many great predictions in his life, some have been realized and others have not. His works warn us of a dark future where comets hit earth, the sun's heat cooks fish in the water and gravity acts unnaturally. Nostradamus was a prophet that made his predictions about the future in a book with seven symbolic drawings and in a book called The Prophecies which contains hundreds of quatrains. He was known as an occultist and was supposedly possessed by a demon that used divinations to conjure the prophecies. It seems that in the hundreds of quatrains he wrote, they speak of dire warnings of what is to come. The degree to Nostradamus' validity entirely depends on how the text and images are interpreted.
It was after several more recent predictions didn’t occur that the author of the bible code stopped making precise predictions and resorted to a new theory, “I don't think the code makes predictions. I think it reveals probabilities". Now of course the “probabilities” quickly became more precise than the original predictions since we were allowed to believe that a margin for error was also being included. That margin of error is often explained This quatrain, predicting the World Trade as “God often reveals himself in the code, and Center disaster, makes little sense when first God has the ability to postpone or change the reading. events he is showing us.” "In the year 1999, in the seventh month,
The Bible Code States that the World Will End in 2012 While it is true that the Bible does say that the ‘the world will end with tribulations’ there is no exact word giving a date, merely suggestions of the tell-tale signs leading up to it. Maybe some insight has been provided though by the Bible Code, predicting that the earth will be “annihilated” by a comet in 2012, but before we start to worry about those astral objects we should probably look into this a bit.
Israeli mathematicians devised a concept called
from the sky will come the great King of Terror, So when it comes to the next, quickly approaching, event – the “probability” that the bringing back to life the great King of the Mongols. Before and after, Mars to reign by good fortune." earth will be annihilated in 2012 by a comet, or series of comets. However the contradiction within its own code allows for another code to However, if another of his quatrains is added say that the earth will not be hit by a comet in then some validity forms with the prediction. 2012.
Conclusion: Debunked It’s not quite time to start preparing for the end of times, at least not by the word of the Bible, or Bible Code. Their most recent predictions have been flawed, and inaccurate with a feeble defense to explain them away. The most accurate “predictions” have always applied to past events which then give them the ability to “make the pieces fit.” Here I was thinking that
"Earth-shaking fire from the center of the earth. will cause the towers around the New City to shake, Two great rocks for a long time will make war, And then Arethusa will color a new river red."
The problem here is that the terminology and reference made in the time the predictions were written will not translate to common meanings now. The towers around the New City would have been more likely sentry towers around the walls of a fortified city, which at the time would have made sense.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
It would read more effectively to assume that a seismic event, likely an earthquake, would shake loose the towers of a barrier wall. . The seismic event itself is “two great rocks making war”, while the river of red could represent casualties or further tie into the beginning where fire from the center of the earth would be a seismically triggered volcano. However one theory further dilutes the works by making only some years into anagrams, which explains the 1999 anagram in which you switch the 9’s for the 1’s then you get 9-11-1 which is the date of the 911 attack in United States. The "towers around the new city" could be interpreted as the twin towers in New York City and the reference to war could predict that this shake of the towers would cause the Iraqi war. The problem with this theory is again, it’s borrowing from the concept used by so many; when the event occurs it can be made to fit the prediction, or the prediction’s interpretation changed to fit the event. Sadly, this seems to be the case as we contort numbers for the sake of some illusory validity. Yet the lost book of Nostradamus shows the tree of life being smashed by a club and the book of life being completely empty. This would mean that if Nostradamus is accurate, then according to his book, life is going to end very soon. Conclusion: Debunked Alright, rest easy – no clubs in sight. We have faced many of these predictions in the past, same as they are predicted today; if we begin to seek validity in them now then we begin to discredit our own intelligence. While they are a fun conversational item, their truth is lacking so I wouldn’t begin to worry about our destruction yet.
The Mayan Calendar Proves the End of the World is 12/21/2012
Contradictory to what most people believe, be it directed by the media or internet, the Mayans never predicted, prophesized or said that the end of their calendar represented the end of the world. The Mayan Mesoamerican Calendar completes a “great cycle” of thirteen b’ak’tuns on December 21, 2012. This is the basis for most of the 2012 doomsday theories – most scenarios seamlessly blend with the Mayan Calendar and this makes them all the more believable. A lot of the concern revolves around the fact that the Mayan calendar is extremely accurate, even more accurate than the calendar system we use today, and if this calendar stops in 2012 then history itself will stop. However, this Mayan calendar does not stop in 2012; it renews and starts at its origin of 0.0.0.0.1 again.
occurring on December 21st 2012 originated in a book called “The Maya” published in 1966. In the book, the author wrote: “There is a suggestion . . . that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the final day of the thirteenth [baktun]. Thus … our present universe … [would] be annihilated on December 23, 2012, when the Great Cycle of the Long Count reaches completion” Yet, research on the Mayans by some of the world’s foremost specialist in the field shows no sign that their civilization attached apocalyptic significance to this date. On the contrary the end of their calendar was celebrated as mentioned above.
There are a lot of vocalized theories but the most inaccurate is the assumption that the Mayans themselves interpreted the end of their calendar as the final date of mankind.
Then there is the fact that the date of the calendar’s renewal coincides with a winter solstice when the sun will align with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in 26,000 years. Some say that the galactic alignment will cause Despite the publicity generated by the 2012 date, catastrophic changes to our earth and thus the Susan Milbrath, curator of Latin American Art and end of the calendar predicts the end of the world. Archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural As of now there is no scientific proof that the History, stated that "We have no record or galactic alignment will cause any type of damage knowledge that [the Maya] would think the world to earth. would come to an end [in 2012]" Even taking into account the movie named for this very event, Conclusion: Debunked 2012, the Mayans are are portrayed as people believing in the end date, and Mayan tribes in the So, taking everything into account, I have to say movie were even depicted conducting mass that again – no end of the world here. Actually suicides because of the belief. While in fact based on the Mayan’s belief I can only suggest Sandra Noble, executive director of the that this evening be spent celebrating, which we Foundation for the Advancement of with R.I.P. will be doing. Stay tuned for details on Mesoamerican Studies in Florida, said “for the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make that! it to the end of a whole cycle.” This wouldn’t make sense for such a life loving people, so it Overall Conclusion must be lacking some truth. Sandra Noble goes on to say that to render December 21, 2012, as a Overall I have to say that you’re not going to be doomsday event or moment of cosmic shifting is likely to know the exact date, or even a rough "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of estimate of the end of the world. So if the world is rd people to cash in." going to end any time soon, it could be June, 3 So if these Mayans, a life loving people, believed the end of time would come at the completion of their calendar would they not have taken greater steps to forewarn future generations? While the truth is, they believed just the opposite, after December 21, 2012, the world is ushered into the Age of Aquarius, according to the Mayan Calendar. Why would they plan for a time after the supposed doomsday? This same contradiction helps to enforce statements such as those by E. Wyllys Andrews V, director of the Tulane University Middle American Research Institute (MARI) "There will be another cycle, we know the Maya thought there was one before this, and that implies they were comfortable with the idea of another one after this." A lot of the confusion about the end of the world
2015 or next Tuesday. No matter the result the only thing we can really hope to take from all these theories, other than the realization that a lot of people are willing to believe anything, is that we can only live life to its fullest and treat every day like it is the last. (Please no daily riots)
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
The Hulbert House By: Peter Leonard, Historian
Over the next few months those of you who are local to our area will likely be hearing a lot about the Hulbert House in Boonville, NY. It has been confirmed by the site and local media sources that it will be appearing on an episode of SyFy’s Haunted Collector. I’m sure there will be a lot of speculation in the area as to how it got recognized and if in fact a local group was involved somehow. I can only release limited information but I would like to say that you should really wait and see who is involved with the episode before trusting any claims made by anyone. Now with that said, let’s cover some of the interesting aspects of the location. The Hulbert House was built around 1812 and I would say it was fully completed in its original style around 1819. It was built from limestone taken from the Black River Canal which lends to the theory that limestone accentuates paranormal activity. Ephraim Owens was the original owner when it was known as Jackson’s Tavern. It changed hands relatively few times over the years. It was sold to Richard Hulbert in 1839 and became the Hulbert Hotel. It was then acquired by George May in the 1870s, George Beck in 1883, then to Jerry Buckley in 1903, Angelo Garabino in 1943 and to the Daskiewich family in 1964 who still run it today. Many paranormal groups have gone through there over the years producing a wide range of alleged evidence from the wellknown Civil War soldier picture to that of a little girl in the basement. I literally spent about 2 weeks of constant effort researching the history of the Hulbert House. I was able to debunk many urban legends and stories while proving some of the others to be true. There were several deaths that I was able to document in the building, many of them being former owners.
It’s not to say those are the only deaths that occurred on the property, it is the only ones that could be found so far. Hours upon hours were spent pouring though old newspaper archives and microfiche. There were fires and other tragic events relating to this location that have only made the history more flavorful. Have you have ever heard of the Jamestown Flood in 1800s which was one of the worst disasters in American History? One of the first news clippings I dug up said “300 bodies found in the basement of the Hulbert House.” I quite literally jumped out of my chair in disbelief, after reading the article is when I learned it was not the location in Boonville familiar to us. Darn! We have done several serious investigations of the location with the blessing of the Daskiewich family. Some of the team, like me, have been around the block and have seen a good variety of activity. There were things that occurred that we are still trying to explain or debunk. Those events inspired us to create a new technology and research method that has not been seen in this field to date; you should be seeing it very shortly. The results it produced have baffled experts in their field in addition to our team. Have I wet you whistle now? We have some amazing audio, we have had poltergeist activity and I, among others, have personally seen shadow figures in three different parts of the building, once while we were at the command center. We had a KII sessions with such accuracy it left us stunned. Remember my pervious articles about the importance of research; well we utilized a list of known names to be associated with the location and we have direct responses to specific questioning of those people. One thing is for certain, it was not a dull time that is for sure. Okay, here is a taste - we had a 45 minute KII session which we have on video. We have taken steps to confirm that natural outside interference was not the cause of the fluctuations. We narrowed down that we were speaking to a man; his name was Peter, whom lived on that land between 1580 and 1620. That would have been impossibility for a nonNative American but we are researching to confirm. My research did come across the mentioning of stone mansion being built on an ancient tavern; we likely believe it to be a reference of the Hulbert House; more striking is that in the depths of the Hulbert House you can see evidence of a foundation and fireplace much older than 1812. Another piece to help corroborate what we found was the capture of an EVP during that KII session, on both the
audio recorder and the video cameras. The response was related to the tavern. From here though I think I’ll keep you in suspense to give you a reason to come to our next Present-igation at the Hulbert House and see it for yourselves. We are in the process of finalizing some events for the summer and fall so stayed tuned. We hope you join us for some good times in a location with a strong history.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012 2.
Collaboration
The THUMB
You have the ability to directly connect to other teams and enthusiasts, promoting the unity of the field and exchanging information and ideas. This is an amazing reason to use social media.
Social Networking The Good, The Bad and The Thumb By Mark Barry, Vice President As yet another month passes I bear witness to the pros and cons of using social media, Facebook specifically, while we promote our team and others promote theirs. There are many positive contributions social media has provided to the paranormal world; from further expanding the social acceptance to providing a community for teams, enthusiasts and those seeking help to commonly discuss the paranormal. However we have also seen drastic fumbles and terrible practices since social media has become an entirely new culture. Here are compiled the top five items, both pro’s and con’s, that should be considered when dealing with social media, and I’ll explain a little about each.
We’re all familiar by now with the ever-present Facebook “like” button. This button is visible on nearly every major website, seen in advertisements and even discussed as a viable method of tracking popularity. It is an amazing tool for anyone linking to Facebook 1. Education Sure this one may seem funny, but it is and the positive social media aspects they can also the most important. Be it through apply to their company or cause. YouTube videos, blogs, or newsletters With social media, like Facebook, unifying the like this, educating people on the world into a single expanding culture and paranormal and what we do is economy we witness many trends with the perfectly applied to social media. way it is utilized. We have a loose Terms of Service (TOS) agreement to rule by as the The BAD new constitutional law for this emerging digital world. While some actions of others on This is the negative impact of social media on Facebook would likely be considered criminal the paranormal world where people have or infringing on the rights of others, these laws forgotten the age old term “Professionalism.” are not quite as present in a world dictated by freedom of speech or opinion. While those are 5. Unfriendly Competition By nature all humans are competitive valuable aspects to maintain with the internet, in some sense or another. A common we have to think to uphold the idea of flaw of social media is the rearing of a professionalism and honorable business acumen. pseudo-dominant personality who believes they can claim the field as their own resulting in ‘wars’ between teams.
4.
The GOOD This is the positive impact of social media on the paranormal world.
5.
Exposure to the Public While this is a good thing for many teams, some will suffer when they begin to post their pictures, comments and interactions. This will bolster the good teams, and weed out the less than favorable.
2.
Interaction
3.
2.
This includes all interaction, with clients past or future, fans, friends, other teams, prospective members, everyone. You have the opportunity to reach and communicate with a larger community base.
3.
Promotion While social media has greatly increased our ability to keep in contact with friends of decades past, it also works as a gigantic advertisement machine. You can post new ideas, concepts, and even just your team to the world as an advertisement. Promote your team, inventions and/or events.
1.
We need to respect the others in our growing community and make the effort to stay true to our combined cause. We are here to help our “Like Farming” clients, advance the field and get our answers Some teams genuinely want to interact – in that order. We are not here to bicker, fight with you and will post on your wall with and harass others trying to do the same things that intent, however many will simply we are. Such is the double edged sword we all post some cookie cutter phrase and a carry, we work best we can but also have to link to their page. They believe that take measures to show respect for our fellow advertising on your page is investigators and teams; if this means acceptable, while in fact it shows their coexisting peacefully, not posting questionable lack of professionalism. ‘evidence’ as supposed proof, or simply Business with Clients learning the basics properly, so be it. While client interaction is a positive aspect of social media, any business Again, we should all be able to work together, conducted should be through more attain our status as a whole, no one team direct means, and never be publically should be seeking fame or prestige solely on visible. Confidentiality is important. the idea that “wow, we can make some Contradiction money.” Let’s work this out together, get our Having multiple administrators for your answers, and then prove what needs to be page can cause many problems; this proven. can be solved by internal communication but rarely ever is. Please remember that you’re acting as On that note, keep an eye on R.I.P. the next a whole while posting as the team few months as we’re making headway to entity. benefit the entire community. Starting by Pointless Posting getting some other minds shifted in our Posting large numbers of key word direction. You’ll see what I mean. filled comments or low quality and questionable photos will just serve to hurt everyone’s efforts. Only post important or educational information.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
Dress Code By: Raven Barry, Case Manager
Not every paranormal team out there has a dress code or designated clothing for investigations like our team has developed. Some find it to be more comfortable and practical to wear everyday clothing; however one should be aware that there are plenty of hazards and hindrances with our everyday clothing that apply to paranormal investigations. When left in the dark it is hard at first to broaden our other senses to compensate for our lack of vision. On a day to day basis we tend to rely on our eyes more than we think. Not only do we rely on our vision to navigate from place to place but it is also our vision that alerts us to danger from obstacles and many other dangers. To begin to understand how difficult it is for those of us in the paranormal field try to navigate through your home with your eyes closed. At first this should be relatively easy as your mind would have a layout of the room, but now ask someone to go into that room and move a few pieces of furniture around. This time it shouldn’t be so easy for you, your body will begin to use your other senses to compensate for your lack of vision. Your hands and feet will be used to feel your way through, your hearing for the surrounding noises; even your sense of smell will heighten. Our bodies are very self-sufficient as they can adapt with many things, but when we are investigating we don't want to hinder ourselves in any way. Some clothing or objects involved in our everyday attire can be more of a hazard when our vision is impaired. Something that our group took into consideration in our early years was how our clothing fit and the type of shoes we wore. As a guideline for clothing, other than wearing black as a personal preference of our team, is that it should be worn as it was designed. It is important that our clothing fits our body as intended, having pants or even a shirt too big can cause a possible hazard. Loose clothing can easily get caught on our surroundings, not to mention just fall off. Remember we are in the dark for investigations, the last thing you want is your favorite pair of pants being ripped because you got a pocket snagged on something you didn't notice, or worse cause damage to something in the location you are investigating.
Not only are our pants and shirts taken into account when trying to be safe but our outer clothing, like coats and hoodies, should also be secure. You may find yourself in a place that a coat is necessary, if this is the case you don't want to wear one that is going to be moving freely away from your body every time you move. Another hazard that we should take into consideration is our shoes. This rule does unfortunately cater more toward the female investigators, as they tend to naturally have a wider variety of shoes. However one rule that applies to both male and female is that on investigations it is never appropriate to wear any type of dress shoes. Not only do most have even a slight heel to them but the sole is normally a hard material that can cause any surface to become slick and dangerous to walk on. When making guidelines for shoes make them simple, a shoe should have a rubber sole for added traction as well as have enough support for not only your feet but your ankles as well. There are times when you find yourself trying to investigate and you never thought you would be so happy you wore a sensible pair of shoes. Shoes can also be a hindrance to an investigation as well, you may have the perfect boot or shoe for an investigation but all it takes to ruin it is one part of the sole to have any hardness to it. When testing out your shoes wear them on a hard flat surface or even a tiled floor at first. Walk around a bit; you should be listening for not only noises of a hard sole but also those loud squeaks some shoes make. Most hard soled shoes will always make a loud noise when walking however a squeaky soft soled shoe may sometimes be fixed if there is a little ware on them. Shoes are not the only noise makers we tend to wear without thinking, today our fashion has been extended to things like wallet chains, large fashion accessories like earrings and necklaces, charm bracelets, even ordinary items in our pocket such is loose change or our keys could cause noise. When surrounded by darkness our ears become our new "sight". So it tends to be very important that we eliminate any unnecessary noise we can before we take on an investigation. Our fashions can become another hindrance to us not only with our sense of hearing but also our sense of touch. When our vision becomes impaired, after hearing, our sense of touch is important. Every inch of our skin becomes a sensor to everything around it. Our skin has very few areas that are not covered in small tiny hairs. Those hairs work
much like the whiskers on our beloved pets. When something is barely touching our skin it can still lightly move one or two of the hairs on our bodies. This alerts us immediately and we react much like those pets with whiskers and move away from that unknown thing near us; so some of our everyday fashions can impair our ability when investigating. Some things like jewelry should be small, and if not you should take it off. Longer or bigger earrings like hoops, feathers or even just chandelier dangle types could sometimes brush against our necks or shoulders lightly and give us the feeling of something touching us. Longer necklaces could easily brush against an arm or hand and make you think something has touched you. There may be things that you may not feel comfortable taking off but you can always hide a necklace under a shirt or bracelet under a workout band if it has parts that may dangle. The last, but most important, thing to avoid is wearing your hair down. This goes for both male and female investigators with long enough hair to pull up. There's nothing worse than a false alarm of activity happening when it was probably your hair lightly moving over your skin or blowing only a few strands over your face giving you a cobweb or spider web feeling. Not all groups force a dress code so that their members match, but they should force some so that they may all stay safe on any investigation. By following some, if not all, of the guidelines our group has taken into consideration, or using our guidelines as a starting point to make your own, your team can improve its avoidance of safety hazards and the hindering aspects of our day to day apparel. Most importantly part of any investigation is to be safe, and as always stay spooky.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012 convenient source of power that we can use as "bait"?
DOCUMENTED PHENOMENA DURING TIMES OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Electromagnetic Field EMF variations or spikes with no identifiable source or cause. Temperature - Sudden drops or spikes in temperature with no identifiable source or cause. Light Anomalies Appearance of streaks or balls of light that simply appear and then disappear. Phantom Fragrances The aroma of a certain perfume, fragrance, or distinct smell with no identifiable source. Gas Readings - Sudden spikes in ambient gas levels, specifically carbon monoxide, with no identifiable source.
Peripheral Motion Seeing movement out of the corner of the eye, but no actual movement in the foveal field. Static/Electricity - The sense that the air has been suddenly charged, hair stands up, etc. Heavy Feeling - The sense that the air is heavy, making it hard to breathe, or feeling like walking through sand or water. Physical Movement - The actual movement of an item or object. Emotional Sensations - A person has a sudden overwhelming sense of a certain emotion with no provocation or justification.
TECH CORNER: Battery Drain, How do we know‌
This project lends itself well for control by our proprietary "intelligent" electronics platform, as it involves cyclical monitoring of a static voltage load from our "bait" cells. In order to make this device as simple as possible, we decided to go with four AA batteries, each having a rough charge of 1.2-1.9 volts each (depending on type, manufacturer, etc.). This voltage level is well within the analog input range of our device platform. I bundled the four AA batteries into a generic plastic battery enclosure, and wired each battery to its own electronic input. The device is rounded out by a 2x16 LCD display wired into our electronics platform to give a constant readout of power from each of the four batteries. Being a microcontroller-based device, a compatible program is created on the computer to run the device, and that program is transferred to the microcontroller.
Dr. David M. DeProspero, Tech Manager
Since our electronics platform runs off of its own 9V battery, these "bait" cells are shielded and isolated from the actual operation of the device, so they are not exposed to any type of significant internal draw. Each second the batteries are monitored for one processor cycle, and the results are calculated and displayed as a reading of volts on the LCD screen. The act of reading the voltage of the batteries consumes about three microvolts from the "bait" cells, and while this does technically constitute an internal draw on the bait cells, this miniscule draw is far from the effects that we see from "spontaneous drain" where batteries appear to There are numerous theories in existence surrounding completely discharge themselves, and then power drain in haunted locations. These theories all spontaneously replenish themselves. revolve around the fact that spirits are said to be pure energy, and manifest their presence through the use of Using this device, we are able to monitor four individual their own as well as ambient surrounding energy. This battery loads that are left out to be consumed. We can ambient surrounding energy can be batteries powering see the net drain across all batteries, as well as the our devices (causing premature battery depletion), a drain on each battery individually. Now, one would ask, location's electrical supply (causing flickering lights and what about the main 9V battery? What if that is drained random electrical anomalies), or even a person's own as well? That is a valid question and a valid point. The energy (causing the feeling of being physically drained, thing is we don't understand why or how these events loss of energy, and the feeling of sudden illness). happen. We are trying to learn all we can about the paranormal, and designing custom devices to facilitate Since this is such a random event, the question was that education is one of the best ways that we can asked by friends in the paranormal community, how conceive. The bottom line is that in the field, any source can we monitor and document this drain when it of energy is subject to being drained. When two devices occurs? That question set the wheels spinning, as this are next to each other, one device may be drained while is one of those problems that are ideal for the creation the other may not. We do not have the answers as to of a specialized device: It has some type of physically why this happens. We simply hope that given the choice observable effect and it can be quantitatively of a battery under load and batteries without a draw, the measured, and it is a repeatable experiment since the entity will find the "bait" cells more appetizing. This is an phenomenon happens often. To begin the innovation experimental device, and an experimental test. It may process, it helps to start with some questions which will work, it may not. It is through this process, including the lead us down a track to development. The first failures, which we learn and grow. Stay tuned for the question is what can we measure? Connected to that results of experimentation with our charge-monitoring question, how can we document it? And finally a platform, as well as some of our other devices in action! precursor to all of those questions, what is a This month we are going to explore an interesting and well documented claim that lends itself well to technological innovation/invention. The phenomenon that occurs is that during outbursts of paranormal activity at a location, without warning various electronic devices will shut down as if the batteries are totally drained (even with freshly charged batteries). Inexplicably, moments later, the devices will restart as if nothing had happened and battery levels appear consistent with their prior state.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
Paranormal Book Review
Reviewed By: Peter Leonard Astral Travel for Beginners, Transcend Time and Space with Out-ofBody Experiences by Richard Webster. Published 9/1/2002, 256 pages, $13.95 ISBN-13: 9781567187960
Rating:
(2½)
I was excited when I bought this book. Mind you over the years I have concentrated on the areas of haunting and demonology; so with our expansion I decided to dive into the other realms of the paranormal. This book intrigued me for another reason which you will read later. Coming in at a little over 250 pages it was an easy read, well written and flowed nicely page after page. It lives up to its title as a guide book for the beginner. Opens the reader up to the language associated with astral travel as well. Terms such as bilocation, doppelganger, astral body, and so on are defined and discussed. A great deal of time is spent on some of the methods of actual astral travel. What I found helpful was the step method of relaxation to bring oneself into a state of peace and calm; I tried this after a hard day at work with some success. The sample methods described seem to be consistent with what I have heard in the past. I was most interested in the section about non-voluntary astral travel, usually caused by vivid dreaming or when under extreme duress. Then of course out of body experiences and near death experiences are also discussed in detail. My prejudice here does dictate the rating I gave this book for the one thing it glanced over – negative experiences during astral travel. The reader is led to believe it is the most amazing journey one can take and the sales pitch is magnificent. It should be something they teach in school, and I don’t mean that sarcastically.
Some years back I worked with a gentleman who was very involved with astral travel. He would always talk about it and tried coaxing me to do it. He even taught me the single method that allegedly works every time, which was not in this book thankfully. I never tried it, mostly because I was chicken and partly because it didn’t really believe it. One night I awoke and the conditions were right according to his description so I did it. Surprisingly to me I was peacefully traveling through a reddish colored plasma and ended at the destination I told myself to go to, the Hall of Records. To make a long story short after a stern voice yelled at me for being there I was slammed back into my bedroom and a man with a knife was standing there. When I came to I was shaking and was sick for a couple of days.
Ghost Files: The Collected Cases from Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
Published 9/13/2011, 560 pages, $18.00 ISBN-13: 9781451633108
Rating:
(5)
This enormous 550 page paperback caught my attention at the book store and of course seeing who wrote it, I had to have it. As John Zaffis is the Godfather of the paranormal – Jay and Grant are the godsons. They are as famous as Ghostbusters as far as being a household name. If you have ever met Jay and Grant or had the joy of catching one of their presentations you can tell this was written in the same style of knowledge, wit and humor. The pictures just add enjoyment to the read.
Point of the story was I didn’t know what I was doing, apparently went someplace I should not have been and had a very negative experience. It was anything but the rosy experiences described in this book. Astral Travel is also something I will never try again either. That is how profound that one experience was. As with everything else in the paranormal I can’t make anyone believe what I am saying, but if you want to research for It flowed very well and despite its size it went yourself, this book will give you a solid starting down fast. Having been a dedicated follower I never really knew the story of their early point. years which was well chronicled in the book. All in all the book is very good at its purpose, It truly is amazing to see the territory TAPS instructing those interested on the methods has covered in the pursuit of the paranormal and benefits of astral travel, but unfortunately and, most of all, helping people. For the most lacks the warning and cautions that should be part the book is a written synopsis of all of the included. I would suggest that anyone who is cases that were detailed on the early interested in the idea of astral travel, read this episodes of Ghost Hunters. What made this a book, but remember that there can be negative valuable companion to those episodes is the effects as well. background information and events going on behind the scenes when the cameras were not rolling. Each story was then be followed by commentary. Having dabbled in investigating before they came on TV and being a victim of paranormal activity when I was younger, there is no doubt TAPS influenced the path I have taken over the last decade. Like many others they convinced the world that we are not nuts, and stuff does happen that lies beyond our range of explanation. They armed us with the knowledge we needed and could not easily find. They were the first to universally popularize the use of science and technology in place of psychics. Me personally - I am indebted to TAPS for the help and peace of mind they gave me (mentally) as with the others that are mentioned in the book. Thank you!
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
Infrared Light used by animals. Predators Hunting– Rattlesnakes and other pit vipers use infrared sensory organs to detect and hunt warm-blooded prey. These infrared "eyes" are cuplike structures that form crude images as infrared radiation hits a heat sensitive retina.
Visual Cues Some ferrets have exhibited the ability to see infrared light almost as clearly as normal visible light. These creatures have been tested with high accuracy in preforming tasks requiring them to recognize an IR LED.
Written By: Raven Barry
Infrared, also known as IR, is a wavelength of light. This is emitted naturally by the sun as well as many other man made devices. Though infrared is a natural source of light it is invisible to the human eye. This is because there are many different wavelengths of light, and we can only see a very small fraction of those wavelengths. Infrared waves exist in three categories, far infrared waves, middle infrared waves and near infrared waves. Far waves are associated with things like the sun, fire and even a radiator this is because far infrared waves give off the heat that we feel. Near infrared waves have little to no heat output but are used in things like remote controls to send signals to their receivers and with night vision sensitive cameras to record in the dark. Though there are plenty more uses for infrared we commonly use infrared in the paranormal field in our night vision units and even our thermal imaging units. Infrared bulbs are also used in everyday life, as stated before a television remote transmits its signals with them; they are also how we have those cozy heat lamps in bathrooms. Staying focused on the paranormal aspect we use infrared light-emitting diodes, also known as LEDs. They come in many different sizes to fit any project correctly, smaller ones for camera rings and larger LEDs for spot lights. Watch out though, your spot lights could wash out your cameras. Always remember to face the spotlight at an adjacent wall to wash the light out and illuminate the room this way. Just like light that is visible to human eyes infrared light has dangers that come with it as well. Light of any type can be dangerous when looking directly at it. Just as we are warned never to look at the sun directly or into lights for an extended period of time you shouldn't look into an infrared light either. Just because we are unable to see it doesn't mean that it cannot cause harm to our eyes. So remember when you are checking to see if your infrared lights are working look at them not into them.
Paranormal investigating has many different types of gadgets and plenty of techniques; sometimes we can simply overlook some of our smaller equipment like infrared LEDs. So next time you are packing up before an investigation make sure you check your infrared LEDs and make sure they have a happy red glow to them and be sure to shut them off to conserve the batteries.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
Deserving the Truth "I have been over the years very skeptical like many others. But in the last ten years or so, I have known the late Dr. Alan Hynek - who I highly admire. I know and currently work with Dr. Jacques Vallee. I've come to realize that the evidence is building up to make this a valid and researchable question. Further, because my personal motivation has always been to understand our universe better, and my own theoretical work has convinced me that life is everywhere in the universe that has been permitted to evolve, I consider this a very timely question... By becoming more involved with the serious research field, I've seen the evidence mount towards the truth of these matters. I rely upon the testimony of contacts that I have had - old timers - who were involved in official positions in government and intelligence and military over the last 50 years. We cannot say that today's government is really covering it up - I think that most of them don't know what is going on any more than the public..."
“UFO's Over Oneida Lake?� By: Vincent Pirillo, UFOlogist
On May 28, 1997 Ed Granoski reported seeing unusual and unidentifiable flying objects hovering over Oneida Lake. He reported seeing up to a dozen Orange colored objects flying in various formations for a time span of close to a half hour. These objects were said to cast light reflections on the lake itself. Close to a dozen other people made reports to officials that they saw the same phenomenon that night. Oneida Lake, located about 10 miles north of Syracuse, is rumored to have had UFO activity in the past as well as the present. The lake is also within a 20 minute drive of Rome, R.I.P.'s headquarters. It is the largest, totally in state, lake in New York State. Please note, Air Force facilities do exist in both nearby Rome as well as Syracuse. The official response to the sightings is that what was witnessed by the individuals were actually Military Parachute Flares. These flares are indeed sometimes of orange orientation and can burn up to an hour. It is a feasible explanation that can't be discounted; especially with a military presence in nearby areas as well as the presence of the U.S. Coast Guard at the lake itself.
Parachute Flares?
-Dr Ed. Mitchell Apollo 14 Astronaut
However, to counter the official statement, crop circles have been surveyed by geologist in an area near Oneida Lake. Barring the man-made crop circle hoaxes, when there is a legitimate crop circle there also seems to be a UFO(s) involved with the same story. One could surmise that the crop circle being analyzed by the geologist was formed from something similar to what was witnessed at Oneida Lake. Historically UFO's seem to been seen multiple times in the same area over different periods of time. UFO's are also often known to be associated with bodies of water. The Independent Crop Circle Researchers Association did confirm the report of a crop circle near Oneida Lake in 1994 as well. Sometimes two and two does equal four, are these coincidences or part of the same story? One more thing to note is UFOologist and author Preston Dennet has made claims that Native Americans (the name Oneida itself is Native American and Oneidas still live in the area of Oneida Lake) witnessed UFOs in the area dating back to times even preceding the frontier days. Back then there certainly weren't any military flares or human made aircraft. What Ed Granoski and his companions witnessed that night may very well have been flares; however what they witnessed could indeed have been something else. I'd ask for citizens who live near the lake to keep a keen eye to the sky, keep their cameras handy, and report anything unusual they see to MUFON, us at R.I.P. and/or the local authorities. Thank you!
Inquiring Questions from our fans
Minds Answers from our team
Vol. 2 Issue 2
February 2012 QUESTION: “I have seen spirits here and there growing up (I’m 36 now); about 6yrs ago I had encountered my last one, is there a reason why it has been so long?” – B.S. ANSWER: Well, especially as a child you’ll likely have experienced more activity, that you recognized, because at a younger age we still perceive these things with a sense of intrigue; long before we are conditioned to the ‘impossibility’ of ghosts or paranormal activities. There are also a few biological reasons involved, mostly revolving around the development of the brain, eyes and ears. As a child we are capable of seeing a skewed spectrum of light, slightly more than an adult because of the lack of exposure to harmful rays and radiation that later destroys that field of vision. We are also more capable of hearing and recognizing certain sounds until we eventually lose the ability to hear them. This could account for some of the changes, since theory shows that spirits interact in a frequency of both light and sound that we cannot naturally detect all the time with our own eyes and ears, it would make sense that as we age, and ‘burn out’ our microphones and cameras, we slowly become less likely and less capable of encountering or detecting this activity. You’d have likely noticed that change as you turned 26 or 27 when the eyes have already received a large amount of strain from outdoor activities, common use, and constant visual stimulation through television or video games; and the ears begin to lose frequency/pitch range – a perfect example is the “mosquito” ringtone kids are using in schools. As we age we lose our ability to naturally interact with that ‘realm’, or frequency range, these spirits are believed to interact in. Then again, it’s also good to remember that spirits were likely once people to, although now corporeally challenged, they still may have the personality they had while alive – and maybe they’ve simply decided to move on or stop bugging you. QUESTION: “I saw someone with a R.I.P sticker where can I get one?” – R.K. ANSWER: I think we may be able to help you out with that. They are custom created by our very own Dr. David. Let us see what we can work up and we’ll see if we can add a few into our prize pool and even make some available to everyone. They would likely cost roughly $5.00. If anyone is interested, please email us at INFO@romeinvestigatorsoftheparanormal.com with subject “STICKER” for more information. We will post a few design options to be made available.
QUESTION: “Are you trying to debunk first any bizarre phenomenon, or you just throw ‘the presumption of innocence’ to it?” – A.P. ANSWER: R.I.P. takes a very scientific approach to our investigative technique. One of the things we focus on is the debunking of stories and claims of the client. Now this is not to say that we don’t believe that they are experiencing the activity they describe, but we do know that many natural sources can result in similar effects. The vast majority of our equipment is technical equipment used in another professional field; be it contracting, electrical work, fire rescue or military applications. This allows us to utilize the equipment for its original purpose, in conjunction with our specific purposes, to help us determine if the environment may be causing the anomalous activities. To answer the question with our application of ‘presumption of innocence’, yes we do genuinely believe the client, because if we didn’t then how can we truly help them. Paranormal phenomena have many different impacts on a person’s life, not just moving your car keys or knocking on your wall at night, there is also a strong psychological effect that must be addressed. We focus on finding out why the ‘activity’ is occurring first, then if unexplainable we determine if it may be something paranormal. Either way, we usually figure out that there is a cause, be it natural, normal, or paranormal, and our clients also get the peace of mind knowing that they aren’t crazy, that these things actually happened. We in R.I.P. have a saying, “When coincidence becomes commonplace, it’s no coincidence any longer.”
QUESTION:” Have you noticed any increase in paranormal activity lately, toward 2012? – A.P. ANSWER: It is very early in the 2012 year, so making a call on increase of activity since 2012 is impossible as of yet. However, there has been a significant increase in activity over the last decade, and it is continuing to rise; but no, not because of some culminating event. This increase is attributed more to the increasing awareness and acceptance of the paranormal. Television shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Haunted Collector and others have all added to the understanding, awareness and acceptance of paranormal occurrences. They have taken something that was taboo, and discussed privately with clients without their neighbors knowing, to something that is bragged about to friends and broadcast openly on the news. Our cases continue to pile up since the inception of the team, and we see no end in sight. I will revisit this question later in the year to see if we can actually notice a difference as the presumed judgment day, doomsday, or day of renewal approaches. QUESTION: “When you do encounter an intelligent entity, do you ever try to find out what they want to the extent of possibly providing them some form of closure so they may move on; or do you feel that whatever it is that remains behind is just lingering energy that isn't capable of moving on?” – P.C.
ANSWER: With this question we actually begin to fringe on the age old religion vs paranormal issue. While our team is of varying faiths and beliefs, we focus on the collection of the data rather than assisting in any form or method to achieve closure, moving on, ascension, QUESTION: “What is your attitude towards UFOs? Do you think it could be paranormal and atoning, or attuning. This is not to say that it is impossible, but as of yet we cannot confirm that not alien?” – A.P. is what the entity may want. If in fact we do ANSWER: We take a neutral stance toward receive a request, from an intelligent entity, most of our work and this benefits us by seeking some form of closure – we will defer to preventing a biased conclusion when dealing our network of clergy, with the clients with any aspect of the paranormal. While the permission of course, and allow whoever is best idea of UFOs as aliens, demons, daemons, suited for the individual situation to provide the spectral influence, dimensional travelers, proper blessings, prayers, or rituals to complete elemental beings or any of the many other the task. It would be akin to an EMT in an possibilities out there is truly paranormal by ambulance performing an open heart surgery, definition, we don’t like to make the assumption we may be the first on scene and very skilled at of any one possibility being more likely. We do what we do, but very few are truly equipped to know that the sightings are frequent, and are resolve those particular issues. We are even being cataloged very thoroughly via the fortunate enough to be able to directly defer Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) With a these situations to someone who is equipped database to correlate all that collected data it for such things. will make finding a conclusion, no matter what it is, easier.
Event Information Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
These are any upcoming events that R.I.P. is holding, attending or that we support.
R.I.P. is still finalizing the spring and summer schedule, but we do a have a few upcoming presentations. If there is demand for a public event, or you wish to host one, please contact us.
Looking to hold a historic preservation, fund raising or public gathering event and think that a paranormal presentation or “presentigation” could fit your need? Feel free to contact R.I.P.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 West Winfield Library, 179 South St. , West Winfield, NY 13491
for information on what we can offer your event or
Have an interest in the paranormal? R.I.P. will be hosting a presentation at the West Winfield Library under our new presentation formatting.
venue. We can provide
MORE INFO
lecture services, instruction and demonstration and much more. Our policy and procedures are straight forward and sync nicely with most existing event or venue rules. Contact us via Email, phone
R.i.p. Website Revamp!!
R.i.p. t-shirt giveaway!!
Some major changes are coming in the taxonomy of the R.I.P. website. We’ll be adding some new sections and features as well as complete updates on some of our upcoming projects.
We always look for ways to give back to our community and especially our fans. We want to give a few T-Shirts away, but it's not quite that easy. We know you're all interested in the paranormal, and you've taken interest in us - but how many friends and family do you have that could also enjoy learning about the paranormal or just enjoying some R.I.P. fun. If we can achieve our 1000 1500 (or 2000) like goal by February, 29th 2012 we will be giving away a series of prizes to winners chosen randomly from our fan list. Already guaranteed 1 grand prize and 3 normal winners, the more we get the more winners.
or website ‘Case Request’
Remember you can find us online at:
Like us out on Facebook for a chance to win
form for more information.
www.romeinvestigatorsoftheparanormal.com
http://www.facebook.com/RomeInvestigatorsoftheParanormal
R.I.P. Events are perfect for fundraising in historic or ‘haunted’ locations and can supplement non-profit organizations with the growing interest of today’s youth. We like to re-forge people’s interest in history and further the interest in the paranormal field.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication, and the articles within, are those of the author’s, and not necessarily those of the Rome Investigators of the Paranormal or anyone affiliated with the Rome Investigators of the Paranormal. Any reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the individual or any associated or unassociated person(s), group(s) or employer(s). The opinions of the individuals expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the affiliate or associated person(s), group(s) or employer(s) and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes unless specifically mentioned.
Suggested by R.i.p. Vol. 2 Issue 2 February 2012
It is very important to
TAPS Paramagazine is published exclusively for the paranormal community with contributions from Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Steve Gonsalves, Aaron Sagers and more! Published by James Johnson, this magazine has become both incredibly popular and a fundamental part of the information flow for the paranormal community.
maintain an accessible and simple method for clients to
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request assistance.
R.I.P. maintains a simple online form that stores its submitted data in a database for review, as well as alerts our members of
Haunted Times Magazine is a perfect blend of the paranormal and the psychic world, covering the points of view of both sides. Chris Moon, the founder and publisher, has made amazing headway with this publication with it at the forefront of the digital wave of the paranormal world.
the request. Many prefer to file these requests online
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because of the nature of the topic, but we also keep our hotline open for those who wish to call and ask questions or request an investigation.
Having a strong and visible method of contact is crucial because when someone needs help, they want to ask in the most effective
TMS Audio Distribution is our one stop shop for anything and everything when it comes to audio equipment. Ever since we purchased our new TASCAM audio recorders from TMS we have had nothing but the best quality audio we’ve ever captured. EVPs and External sounds are so clear they are unmistakable.
way available.
Great Quality, Great Prices – TMS is a R.I.P. suggested shop. http://www.tmsaudiodistribution.com/ Contacting R.I.P. Non-Locally If you need assistance and R.I.P. is outside your local area, don’t be afraid to contact us to help you locate a local group that can help you.
If you’re planning something big and need some entertainment or solid talent – contact GP Entertainment! http://www.gpcollegeentertainment.com/
We thank you for your interest in our team and hope that you’ve enjoyed the newsletter as much as we enjoyed writing it. Please send any feedback to info@romeinvestigatorsoftheparanormal.com . PO Box 667 Rome, New York 13442 www.RomeInvestigatorsoftheParanormal.com E: info@Romeinvestigatorsoftheparanormal.com P: 315-281-3446
We’ll see you next issue.