PROOFoween 2008

Here are a few pics from the First Annual PROOFoween 2008. We went out and shot a short film based on what everyone was wearing. It's EXTREMELY stupid and silly, but was something fun and different to do. After that, we came back to the apartment and had homemade chili (by yours truly), and watched some horror films (Silent Hill, Poltergeist, Mirrors). It was a pretty fun evening.

Methods and Procedures

This blog is written simply to discuss our general operating procedure and methods during an investigation...

First and foremost, we have the client's best interests in mind. We do not want to do anything that will endanger a client or intensify the situation. With that said, we DO NOT condone the use of Ouija Boards, Seances, etc. Many people feel these create "portals" to the other side, that any entity can use to enter your home or business. We look at it this way: You may decide to use a Ouija Board on a whim to talk to your Great Aunt Sally who passed away when you were three, but, in actuality, you may be talking to a malevolent entity who wants nothing more than to destroy your life. Why even mess with it in the first place? It isn't worth it. If you have used one of these devices, please DO NOT throw it away, burn it, etc., as you're destroying the doorway the entity came through, essentially making it ten times harder to deal with it.

With all this said, we approach investigations skeptically and scientifically, in order to better serve you and deliver solid proof. There's a difference between paranormal activity and a haunting, and we'll do our best to determine what is going on. We employ a method of debunking similar to what you might see on Ghost Hunters or Ghost Hunters International. If we can't come up with any proof after an investigation, it doesn't mean we'll pass you off and forget about you. We understand that investigating the world of the paranormal isn't an exact science, and sometimes activity just doesn't happen. We're more than willing to keep up a dialogue with you and investigate multiple times if necessary. Our cases remain ongoing as long as needed.

During an investigation we use different type of gear to detect paranormal activity and record evidence to then present to you. Currently, we're using a MiniDV Camcorder, two 8mm Digital Camcorders, 2 types of digital voice recorders, an Electromagnetic Field Detector, and a digital thermometer. All our current investigators have been trained to use this equipment and do so with a non-intrusive manner. Our investigators have also been trained to be polite and mannerly on investigations, provoking only with permission from the client. We generally go over all the evidence within several days so we can get back to you in a timely manner.

If you have any further questions, you can email us at: proof.hq@gmail.com

Case #04 : Private Residence in Glasgow, MO

For Your Consideration...

The picture above is from a private residence in the tiny town of Glasgow, MO. The owner has reported problems with a mischievous and sometimes malicious spirit who will press down upon her chest, wake her up around 12:34am most nights and who will make her feel generally uncomfortable. Sweeps of the house didn't really reveal any high-intensity EMFs, so there's no possibility of a "fear-cage" type problem. The owner is an extremely nice, level-headed person, so we know she isn't making anything up. Funny thing about this house is, though it used to be a mortuary, the creepiest place is the master bedroom. Unfortunately, we didn't capture anything on film, audio, or in digital images.

We did, however, have several personal experiences.

While we were talking in the living room, I heard the distinctive click of a door handle being turned. I walked through a short adjoining hallway and into the master bedroom to find a closet door ajar. The door was closed a few minutes before when we walked out of the room. I'll be the first to say, "C'mon! That can EASILY be explained away!" The trouble is, it couldn't, and here's why. The closet door is fairly heavy, and the owner hadn't opened it for two or three days. At this point, you could still reason that since it's an old house, it was just moving, settling, etc. However, this closet door, due to the heat of the summer, had expanded out into the frame, sticking it firmly in place. We tried a variety of things to quickly and easily open the door, and, every time, found we had to pull extremely hard with both hands to get it unstuck. I should also mention that we were talking about the spirit before this happened and whether or not it was real.

The next two experiences happened together. As we were moving through the kitchen into the dining room, David and I could have sworn we heard a group of voices speaking back and forth. The TV wasn't on, and neither were any other devices other than the cameras and my PDA. Immediately after hearing these faint voices, we smelled light wisps of cigarette smoke. The owner doesn't smoke at all, and neither do any of us. Obivously, we'd never do it on an investigation anyway. We do know that several of the previous owners were smokers.

I know that these experiences aren't monumental or earth-shattering, but they're the best we've had thus far. We attempted to debunk everything we could, and still had things left unexplainable. The whole time we were in this residence I felt like we were being watched. It was very uneasy at times. As I said, unfortunately, we didn't capture any evidence, but we'll continue to check in with this client and revisit this home in the hopes we will, and learn who or what might be haunting this home.

Case #03 : Train Trestles in Mexico, MO

For Your Consideration...

An old set of wooden/iron train trestles in Mexico, MO. This bridge is similar to 9 Mile, in that it is rumored slaves were hung from it. PROOF has been several times to check this spot out, but the bridge has yielded nothing in the way of confirmation of a haunting. It's located down a gravel road, which makes dust contamination in pictures a pain, and, as it's out in the country, there's a lot of extraneous noise (bugs, cars, etc), making EVP work next to impossible.

The last time we were here, it was just Shaun and myself, along with Jeff Smith, a native of Mexico, a fellow fraternity brother and a supporter of PROOF. We attempted to do some debunking by parking my car directly beneath the bridge and sprinkling baby powder on top. We turned the engine and headlights off, hoping to see footprints appear in the powder, but nothing happened, other than a car driving past us wondering what we were up to. We were only able to wait about five-ten minutes before it started sprinkling, which made distinguishing footprints from rain splatters really tough.

Personally, I feel the "activity" at this bridge is simply another legend, based upon urban myth. We've found no corroborating history or information to suggest slaves were ever hung from this bridge. Much like 9 Mile, it's a popular hangout spot and is covered with all manner of graffiti. I will say this in defense of the legend, it's a very creepy locale.

Case #02 : 9 Mile Bridge

For Your Consideration...

A lot of towns across the United States have stories about a "haunted bridge," most involving hangings. 9 Mile Bridge, located outside Auxvasse, MO, located down a very long and winding gravel road, has just such a story.

Supposedly, during the time of the Civil War, many slave women and children were hung from this bridge. Legend says that now the bridge, as well as the church and cemetery up the hill from it are haunted by the spirits of these women and children. Other people have claimed to have gone out to the bridge, dangle their bare feet over the edge and have sensations of someone or something tickling them. It is also rumored that if you lean over the edge you'll see sets of eyes staring back up at you. These eyes are also said to be viewable within the many trees that line either side of the creek. The final myth says if you stop your car in the center of the bridge, turn off the engine and sit a spell, you'll be enveloped in a fog. After it clears you'll be able to see hand prints all over your car, which won't start until you push it off the bridge. Other versions say you'll have to leave your car and come back to get it in the morning.

The PROOFteam has been out to 9 Mile several times, and every time the only thing we've experienced is severe amounts of dust in all our photos. No one has had a personal experience of any kind. The only thing that feels creepy about the location is the fact it's out in the middle of nowhere. We've looked for the eyes, tried leaning over the edge, dangled our feet, but nothing has happened. The only thing we haven't tried is stopping a vehicle on the bridge, as we didn't want to strand ourselves out there (it'd be a long walk, with no cell service).

In our opinion, this place is chock full of urban myth. The "eyes" people see could be any number of things reflecting light, or perhaps bugs or animals. The "tickling" sensation could be the wind blowing tiny particles of dirt, dust, sand, etc off the bridge and onto the bottom of someone's foot. Even our research thus far hasn't yielded any results to prove anyone was ever hung there. Both the church grounds and the cemetery feel peaceful and at rest.

Until our research yields something conclusive, we can't call this bridge haunted. Unfortunately, the bridge itself is a popular hangout for teenagers and the target of a lot of graffiti. For directions, email us at proof.hq@gmail.com. Please note that both the church and cemetery are private property and tresspassers will be prosecuted.

PROOFteam Pictures

Here's a collection of pictures from past investigations showing the PROOFteam in action. The pictures were taken in a variety of locations, including 9 Mile Bridge, A Bar in Fulton, MO, Train Trestles in Mexico, MO, Dulany Theatre, Jones Hall Dormitory and a Private Residence in Glasgow, MO.

CASE #01 : Dulany Theatre

For Your Consideration...

This picture comes from Dulany Theatre. The place is pretty old, and naturally generates a lot of dust, which made many appearances in our photos over the course of the investigation. This one, however, is different. Dust is generally solid in the center with a sort of opaque, grayish look and transparent rings around the perimeter. It happens when light refracts through particles in the air. The most prominent orb in this photo, however, seems to be lit from within and has a bit of a trail behind it, suggesting that it's moving rapidly. This also leads me to believe it isn't dust.

I'm not one to count on orbs as signs of paranormal activity, unless coroborating evidence can be found. This night, I was lucky enough to capture an anomaly on an EVP right before taking this picture. The recording didn't contain any weird noises or voices. What happened is this - I asked, "If there is someone here, do you know that you're dead?" Upon playback, we found the word 'dead' to be completely omitted from the recording. I cross-referenced video taken within the room whilst we were there, and I clearly said dead, and it didn't clip out on the tape. I should also add that 'dead' was the last word of that question, and, after allowing time for someone to answer, the next question came in just fine. This was the only time this occurence happened that night. Kinda freaky, no?

To play devil's advocate, I know that sometimes particles in the air can become supercharged and give the appearance of a true 'paranormal' orb, and to be fair, that room is only several feet away from the campus radio tower, which puts off a pretty high EMF (electromagnetic field). These things could account for both the orb and the clipped recording. The energy output from the tower could have sent a mini surge into my recording device, causing DC Offset and the clipped word, however, as I stated before, this was the only time it happened, and we did several more recordings as the night went on with absolutely no problems. I also find it interesting that it decided to clip out the word 'dead' and nothing else (we also checked for any possible source of light contamination and reflection).

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Perhaps there's nothing there at all. At the least, the PROOFteam will continue to check this place out and gather more evidence to either support or debunk the stories of supposed activity. Look for some of those stories, coming soon!