Choosing the Right Paranormal Team

Okay, so you've heard the strange noises, felt the uncommon cold spots around the house and maybe, just maybe, even saw what looked like a person only to watch it disappear into thin air. In other words, you think you've got a ghost in your house.

Now what? Click HERE to read the rest on the Toledo Paranormal & Hauntings Examiner page.


Thank you!

The Watseka Wonder: Today

I have finished my Watseka Wonder trilogy of articles, with the concluding chapter now published. Here is a sample:

The story of the Watseka Wonder, even now after over 144 years since the death of Mary Roff, continues to captivate the imaginations of those who hear it. But this article today is not about the history, per se, but about in what ways the Wonder lives on...


READ THE REST HERE


Thanks everyone!

The Watseka Wonder

The Watseka Wonder, the true story of Mary Roff and Lurancy Vennum, is the first documented case of possession in American history. I have written about it in two parts, with a third chapter to come, on my Examiner.com page as the Toledo Paranormal & Hauntings Examiner.

Check it out below:

Watseka Wonder Part One

Watseka Wonder Part Two

Stay tuned for the conclusion to the story on Friday morning.


Thank you friends!

Theories About Ghosts

What is a ghost? What are they made from? How do they effect our environment? How do they communicate? These questions, and many more, are written about in my latest article for the Examiner. Check out some of these hypotheses and give your take on them, or even supply some of your own.

Check out the article by CLICKING HERE


Thank you friends,

Jason

Should We Fear the Paranormal?

Ghosts. Poltergeists. Demons. Why do people fear them? Should we?

Will a ghost possess my body? Should I fear demons? Is it possible that a poltergeist is trying to kill my family? All of these questions and so many more are a direct result of people watching televised ghost hunting programs and Hollywood film portrayals of paranormal investigations. And the unfortunate reality is that it is doing much more harm than good.

Read the rest at my Paranormal/Hauntings Examiner page HERE

Thank you!

Investigation Tonight!

Phase 3 Paranormal will be heading to Cygnet, OH to investigate a private residence tonight. The claims include: a full body apparition of a man dressed like a sailor, physical attacks that occur while the people are sleeping, and doors that open and close by themselves. Rest assured we will try to get to the bottom of just what exactly is going on through the personal interview, investigation, and evidence review.

We always go into an investigation skeptical. This does not mean we do not believe in our client. If we believed this to be a hoax, we would not book the case. We have no doubt they believe something is going on in their home. But it is up to us to find out the truth.

For instance, only one person sees the apparition. Does this mean this individual is "sensitive" to spiritual activity? Is this apparition drawn to this individual for some reason? Is it possible the individual who witnesses the apparition is mistaken? Even hallucinating? Of course. All this and more are possibilities.

What about the attacks that occur while sleeping? Is it really an attack by an unseen presence, or is it more likely a dream or something more normal that can happen while a person sleeps? For instance, did a cat run across their bed, the person woke up, and believes what they felt across their chest was an attack by an evil entity bound on doing them harm? These are things we have to weigh on any given investigation.

Undoubtedly, we will have to use our best investigative efforts tonight to determine the facts tonight and come to some sort of conclusion that can best aid this family.

Have any opinions on this, or any of our previous cases? Articles? Feel free to leave comments and let us know your thoughts!

Respect the Dead

New Paranormal/Hauntings Examiner article online now. With the deaths of a television icon and the King of Pop both taking place recently, how long will it take paranormal profiteers to try and cash in? Here's a sample:

With the recent passing of both television icon Farrah Fawcett and self-proclaimed "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, the time is now to stay on guard for paranormal publicity hounds who will soon be coming out of the woodwork in order to try and make a few dollars off these deaths.


READ THE REST HERE:

Thank you everyone!


PS: Wanna follow us on Twitter? Check us out at this link.

The Geophone - As Seen on "Ghost Hunters"

I've got a new article posted up on Examiner.com It's about a piece of equipment I seen before on Sci Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters" program. Here's a sample:

As important as any discussion about haunted locations and commentary on the state of the paranormal community would be an article focused on equipment and its use in the field. Today we will examine a tool that has been featured on the Sci Fi Channel's hit program "Ghost Hunters" and try to decide whether or not it is really of any particular use in our continuing research. Today's piece of equipment is known as the Geophone.

READ THE REST HERE

Thank you, friends!

Local Haunts: Collingwood Arts Center

Today, I Examine the curious case of the Collingwood Arts Center; a location with a long history of ghosts and haunts. Here's a sample of the article:

Aside from news and views about the paranormal field at-large, this Examiner page is also intended to educate enthusiasts about the reputed haunted hotspots in Toledo and its surround areas. So let's sit back, relax, and explore together a place that is called by some the "Mecca of Toledo ghost investigators;" the Collingwood Arts Center...

READ THE REST BY CLICKING HERE


Thank you, friends!

The Othersiders

Hey everyone!

I've posted a new article as the Paranormal/Hauntings Examiner and this one is about "The Othersiders," a paranormal ghost investigation show, done by children, that premiered last night on the Cartoon Network. I'm not pleased by it at all. Here's a sample:

Just in case you've grown tired of the tried and true televised format of adults investigating haunted locations across the country, fear not - now children are in on the act!

READ THE REST HERE...

Thank you friends,

Jason

Thank you!

Hello friends,

This is Jason Korbus, co-founder of Phase 3 Paranormal. I wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who has visited my Examiner.com page, read my articles, and/or left a comment. The response to my work has been tremendous and I appreciate you all very much.

If you'd like to bookmark my page, or visit it for the first time, I've created a simple and short URL for you. It is:


http://surf.to/paranormalexaminer

Thank you again. Keep reading!

Jason

Science vs. the Paranormal

Hello everyone!

I've just posted a new Examiner article. It's called "Science vs. the Paranormal" and it could be considered controversial in some circles. In fact, it may even piss a few people off. Here's a sample:

Bunk. Pseudo science. Garbage research. These are just a few of the many colorful names and phrases that get tossed at people in the field of paranormal studies. The offenders are plentiful in the scientific community, and it has unfortunately been ongoing for years...

Please read the rest of my article and leave me feedback at the following link:


http://www.examiner.com/x-13444-Toledo-Paranormal--Hauntings-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Science-vs-the-Paranormal


Thank you so much,

Jason

Professionalism in the Paranormal Field

I've just posted a new Examiner article. Here is a sample:

With the somewhat recent boon of paranormal-themed entertainment on television, paranormal investigation groups have been springing up all across the United Sates. Taking their cue from the Sci Fi Channel’s own “Ghost Hunters,” men and women from many different backgrounds have been joining together in an effort to be the next team operating in their respective area. But with so many groups popping up, and a limited amount of ground in which to cover, competition for investigations can be surprisingly high. The thing is, it doesn't have to be that way. READ THE REST HERE...

Thank you everyone. I appreciate your feedback.

June 13th 2009 Investigation

As stated in our last blog, we returned to the site of one of our most exciting investigations over the weekend. We arrived at approximately 10pm and remained until very late into the night/early morning.

We focused the majority of our investigation in the attic as that is where a majority of claims originated. This is also the same area of the home where our investigator, Matt, was touched by some unseen force.

While a great deal of the investigation Saturday night was spent without much activity taking place, that abruptly changed at around 1:30am when something amazing was witnessed.

Bobby Nelson, the co-founder of Phase 3 Paranormal along with myself, witnessed a full body apparition. Now, for the record, I will state that Bobby was the only one to witness it at this time, and this incident was also not captured on video. In other words, it was simply a personal experience that cannot be validated with hard evidence.

However, with that being said, I do have to say that I believe Bobby 100%. Here is what happened:

At the command center table we had set up in the attic, one of our investigators, Steve R. stood up from his chair, though not intentionally drawing attention to himself. Bobby did happen to glance up at him from where he was sitting directly across the table. At this time, Bobby reports seeing a human figure lean out from behind Steve. Bobby reacted almost immediately to say he seen something. He stated that once he did this, the figure returned back behind Steve and simply vanished.

I asked him for a description of the figure. He could only make out that it was caucasian. He could not tell if it was male or female, or make out any facial features. I also asked if he could tell if the figure had hair or what style it was in, but he could not.

It was a phenomenal investigation. Though we are of course disappointed that only one investigator saw this figure and that it was not captured on video, it also has fired us up even more to return once again. Thankfully, our client has been very pleased with our level of professionalism and dedication and has extended us an open invitation to return time and time again. While we have other investigations to perform and more clients to help out, we look very much forward to returning as soon as possible.

If you want to hear a personal account about this investigation, we did discuss it on Strange Frequencies Radio. Feel free to visit the site and listen to the latest broadcast, episode number 029 with Pamela K Kinney and Vince Wilson, within the coming days once it has been posted for download. Or, you are of course welcome to visit Strange Frequencies Radio Online right now and check out any of our previous downloads which are available now.

Thanks for reading everyone! Stay tuned!

The Return of Phase 3!!

Tonight Phase 3 Paranormal returns to the site of one of our most exciting investigations ever!

Though I can't give you the name of the house, or address, or any other confidential information like that, I CAN tell you that last time we investigated, our investigator Matt was touched on the back of his neck by something icy cold. Moments afterward, Bobby and Gary both talked about feeling as if the atmosphere of the room changed from one of calm, to one that sent a rush of adrenaline and panic through their bodies. Though we don't constitute personal experiences as evidence, we did note it because Bobby, in particular, had never experienced anything like that in his 7 years of paranormal investigation.

At this residence, we also captured a couple of EVPs of what sounded like a young child, most likely female. Could this have been who touched Matt on his neck while he sat in the rocking chair?

We can't stay for sure. But we are definitely extremely excited to be returning tonight. We can't wait to see what this very historic home has in store for us this time! But you can bet that, whatever happens, we'll be discussing it LIVE on Sunday at 3pm EST on Strange Frequencies Radio.

Stay tuned!

So You Want to be a Ghost Hunter?

Phase 3 Paranormal co-Founder Jason Korbus has posted an article at Examiner.com

Because paranormal investigation is such a fad right now, those with established teams invariably get asked one of the same several questions over and over again. The one most commonly asked is whether or not they have ever had a ghostly encounter, and the second is how that person can get involved in ghost hunting. It is the latter question we will focus on today...


Read the rest of this article online by clicking HERE

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

Anderson, S.C. Apparition

Have you heard the recent story of the "apparition" in Anderson, South Carolina's Municipal Business Center being caught on film? Here's a snippet from the news story:

ANDERSON, S.C. --
Employees at the Anderson Municipal Business Center said they're seeing ghosts. They said the sightings started last month, with the latest sighting happening Thursday morning.

Security guard Rob Colbert said he was working late when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye.

"So I stopped talking and I went back, and checked it, and when I saw it I said, 'Huh,'" Colbert said.

He said he saw movement on the surveillance camera in the credit union office when no one was there.

"Just like a little ghostly figure, walking around," Colbert described.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

I've taken a look at the video. Not the entire unedited version, of course, just what they have been showing on television. If you haven't seen what they are talking about for yourself yet, take a look at this piece from the local news: CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

Before I watched it, the first two things that popped into my head were that the likeliest causes were of a bug on the lens (which is often the case), or a weird reflection of light (also popular). Upon watching, it seems to be the latter is the most likely suspect.

The apparition, as it is called, appears to be two dimensional, without the appearance of depth at all. According to witness testimony, this "figure" is seen "only in the credit union office." Thirdly, there is opportunity for various types of reflections to occur, as you can see from still images. The employees may state in the news story that "they tried closing the blinds, thinking it might have been a reflection from outside," but we can clearly see light reflected on the wall and, because the room is not dark, an obvious light source is in the room at the time.

Because of these reasons, and more, this is likely a light reflection and nothing more. Further investigation, as well as strict control of the environment where this video was captured, would almost surely put this case to rest.

But please, I am open to new ideas. So if you have an opinion you would like to share, please feel free to comment. All are welcome!

Many Lent a Hand at Fort Mifflin Last Weekend

As I walked the grounds of Fort Mifflin last Saturday, May 16th, for the Fort Mifflin Rescue Event, I was struck first and foremost by the beauty of the grounds and the feeling of history one gets from experiencing it all firsthand. The second thing I felt was an overwhelming sense of pride at the sheer number of people who put their time and effort in to creating the event and making it a success; so successful, in fact, that just that weekend alone over $6400 was brought in and donated in full to Fort Mifflin.

And yet, as I read the newspaper coverage of the event, I am very disappointed to not see the efforts of these fine people recognized. People line Anthony "Tony" Selletti and his wife Barb who are integral to the Fort's charitable organization efforts. Mr. Selletti himself is the author of "Fort Mifflin: A Paranormal History."

People like Shannon Sylvia, a former cast member of the Sci Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters International, who lent her time and celebrity to last weekend's event; Nancy Ratliff and Jane, who run www.myspace.com/savefortmifflin - a tremendous site dedicated to the efforts of Fort Mifflin's upkeep and restoration were there. Dave Juliano of South Jersey Ghost Research was there in support of his famed Shadowlands Ghost Hunter Store, selling merchandise whose proceeds went to the Fort. Paul Michael Kane lent his photographic and graphic design expertise, and was there signing copies of his book and interacting with the visitors that day. More paranormal research and investigation teams like Montgomery County Paranormal, and S.P.I.R.T of PA were in attendance lending a hand, too.

And this is not even to mention the dozens upon dozens of other people, teams, and paying visitors Fort Mifflin had that day. Everyone who showed up helped to make this event a tremendous success.

But their work is not done. Robyn McKinney and Mark Davis of PARA (www.para-help.com) will be putting on another event on September 5th with, again, all proceeds going directly to keeping Fort Mifflin open to the public where it can be enjoyed for years to come.

What I saw just last Saturday alone was a collection of men and women who love history that put their egos aside for a good cause.

The bottom line is this: So many people deserve a little recognition for their selfless efforts last weekend. To ignore them is to ignore their time, efforts, and money which went into making this event a success. And if they're ignored now, what will happen in the future? Sometimes, even volunteers need a little nudge of encouragement.

Join me now in giving these people a round of much deserved applause.

Help First, Evidence Later

What is the first and most important thing all paranormal investigators should do? What is the one thing which no successful investigation can do without?

If you answered anything other than "Helping the client," or something close to that, you are wrong.

Sadly, I feel like a lot of investigators and investigative teams out there go into an investigation looking for either great evidence or an interesting experience above all else. Their client takes a back seat. Perhaps it is not an intentional slight, but it is damaging in the long run. Not just for the team itself, but for the client themselves.

Experienced investigators know that the paranormal does not perform on cue. So going into an investigation expecting great evidence is akin to setting yourself up for disappointment. Secondly, if what an investigator is looking for is an experience, pardon me, but you are in the wrong field. If you want an experience, go to Cedar Point. Go to a strip club. Paranormal investigators; the ones who take it seriously anyway, are in it to help people.

Phase 3 Paranormal investigated a location recently where the client was very shaken by their experiences. Everything from shadowy apparitions, being touched by unseen hands, and seeing solid objects be levitated before their eyes had been reported. No doubt, they were scared. They felt the presence in their home was malicious, harmful. Really, they felt it was evil.

Phase 3 Paranormal is a damn good group. I'm proud to say we are experienced and do solid case work. As of this writing, our evidence review has not shown us anything out of the ordinary present that night. Does that mean the home does not have activity? Are the clients simply crazy? Absolutely not.

So what if we cannot confirm a paranormal presence? What then? Well, first of all, just because we couldn't capture any evidence the night we were there does not mean the place is free of activity. As we explained earlier, the paranormal doesn't perform on cue. And while repeat investigations may be in order for this client, our first and most important job with these people is to help ease their minds. After we leave, they are the ones that have to live in the home with the memories of their experiences in the back of their minds.

While I cannot say now based on Phase 3 Paranormal's findings that we can confirm or deny a paranormal presence, I do have the confidence to say something else: the presence, if indeed there, is not malicious. It is not evil. No one has been injured. This is important to note.

I explain it like this: Let's say there is a ghost in the home. What is a ghost? Let us assume it is the spirit of a once living human being, as most believe. This spirit is trying to communicate. If it is levitating objects and physically touching people, it is likely intelligent. So, how can it intelligently communicate? A ghost does not have vocal cords. It cannot simply sit down and have an intelligent conversation with us. It doesn't have a body, so picking up a pencil and simply writing a note is probably out of the question as well. So, what then, can it do to communicate? It will do anything it can to make itself known. It will touch you if it is able for a brief moment. It will move an object. It wants attention. It wants you to know that it is there.

This can, of course, cause fear in the living. We are not used to seeing objects move or levitate without rational means. We are not accustomed to being touched or grabbed by an unseen hand. Heading to the kitchen to grab a snack during a commercial break of your favorite show and feeling an icy cold touch on your neck can be scary. Seeing your can of soda seemingly knock itself off the counter could be off-putting. It simply isn't an everyday event, so of course it can be alarming.

But what happens to fear when knowledge is brought in to the equation? It disappears. The unknown aspect of the situation flies out the window and that is when acceptance can begin. So, that is where we come in. Even if we cannot confirm the paranormal presence that has been reported doesn't mean it is not there. And if it is there, it is our number one priority to assist the client by eliminating the fear and helping them to accept what is happening by comparing it in a way they can understand and appreciate.

Help first. Evidence later. That is a phrase all paranormal investigators should live by.

Thanks for reading.

Ghost Box/RadioShack Hack

First, let's begin with a bit of a history lesson on something I have been doing some research on. There seems to be a new legend soaring throughout the paranormal community right now that Thomas Edison planned on creating some type of device that could provide two-way communication with the dead. Please be aware that there are not facts to prove that Edison was indeed in the process of creating any such device. In fact, many people who study Thomas Edison and his work will say that this is nothing but a myth. However, while I am a firm believer in paranormal phenomenon and things like EVP, we must stick to facts here. And the fact is that there is no evidence Thomas Edison was ever in the process of creating a device like a ghost box.
Most of us are familiar with EVP. But for some who may not know, EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. This is a technique most ghost hunters use during their investigation. When conducting an EVP session an investigator will walk around a presumed haunted location with an audio recorder asking questions such as "Is there anyone here?" or "Can you please tell me your name?" Now, the investigator will not hear any audible responses at the time, but upon playback of the recording may indeed hear a voice answering his or her questions. Being that that one could not hear the voice at the time of the recording, it is difficult to establish a form on 2 way communication. This is where the ghost box comes into play.

The ghost box, or RadioShack Hack as it is sometimes known as, sounds like the answer to everyone who wants to establish communication with the other side. The way this ghost box works is it tunes the AM/FM channels on a radio back and forth without stopping. Frank Sumption (creator of a similar device called Franks Box) calls this the sweeping method. The schematics are simply obtained by doing a Google search for "How to build a ghost box." So just out of curiosity I decided to build one. The specific ghost box I built is called the RadioShack Hack. What it is precisely is a hand held AM/FM radio (CAT. NO. 12-469)

which can be purchased for about $25. What you do is remove the screws in the back and gently pull the backing off, thus exposing the two connected circuit boards. Next, unscrew the screw that connected these two circuit boards and gently pry them apart. Now that you have the circuit boards split apart, on the bottom of the top circuit board you will see a strip with 13 pins in it. You need to find the pin which reads "Mute" (which I believe is the 5th pin in) and either clip it with wire cutters or bend it down. What this does is eliminate the pause when changing through the channels. This gives you the sweep effect wherein you never stop between channels. Now, carefully reassemble the radio, insert your batteries, and there you have it.

Now for the big question: Does it work? The answer is yes, but only in the sense that it does sweep through the radio channels. I have used this device plenty of times with absolutely no success of any communication with the other side. What I believe is going on is that when the ghost box sweeps, it scans channels very rapidly, but you still catch single words here and there. I have to admit there were times when I would ask a question and I would hear what seemed to be a response. But honestly folks, there is so much voice interference that it leaves more than enough room for doubt. And if there is any doubt, any respectable paranormal investigator should never consider it evidence.

What is happening here is that people want so desperately to make contact that their judgment is being clouded and they are matrixing words. For example, suppose there is a car advertisement which says, "Welcome to Sam's Car Lot, where you can get the best quality cars for the cheapest prices. Heck, if you can find a dealer cheaper than us, we'll watch it. YES folks, I said "match it.'" And as the radio is scanning you ask "Is there anyone here?" and you pick up the "yes" from the commercial, that is not contact, no matter how bad someone wants it to be. As paranormal investigators we need to look for the most logical answers and when no logical answer can be found, then we may have to look towards the paranormal side of things. With the ghost box scanning that broadcasters are speaking on, there are simply too many things to factor in before claiming they are the voices of the dead. If anyone thinks they have had success with this device and has any audio samples, please send them to me at Toledo_Paranormal@hotmail.com.

The Winter Freeze is Breaking

Most serious paranormal investigators know and have come to generally accept that the winter months of every year are a slow time. A lack of experiences and, perhaps, the weather itself combine to see to it that cases and investigation requests are at a standstill.

Not for Phase 3 Paranormal.

Not this year, anyway.

While we have had our share of cancellations this winter (2 in November alone), January 1st seemed to not only signal in the new year of 2009, but also a rebirth in investigation requests for our group.

Wednesday night I found myself at a New Year's get together where the topic of the paranormal came up more than once since I was there with my friend and fellow investigator, Amanda. We talked about our group's paranormal-themed radio show, "Strange Frequencies," as well as the type of investigations and research we perform when we are called in to a location.

But aside from that, another party-goer named Dan spoke a bit about the basement of a friend of his that is reportedly haunted. Though he unfortunately didn't have much information, and admitted to being something of a renowned scaredy-cat, it was an item of interest and something that may transpire into a future investigation for us.

But it was yesterday, New Years Day itself, that brought out the most surprises. The first thing I saw upon checking my personal email was a message from Phase 3 Paranormal team member Katie about an interest from a co-worker of hers in an investigation of her mother's home. It seems that the paranoid feeling of being watched has been reported throughout the house, and the youngest daughter has recently begun to see a "monster" in the basement (it's always the basement, isn't it?). The other children in the home are becoming more and more frightened. While the feelings may be nothing more than a reaction to high electromagnetic fields, and the "monster" nothing more than a child's typical fear of the basement coupled with an active imagination, it is our duty to investigate should the family contact us. We will stay open minded to the possibilities, but also do our best to serve them appropriately. Helping others is what we are about.

The other investigation request came later on in the same day when a co-worker of our team member and web developer Gary reported activity in her childhood home where her mother still resides. Though there have been many deaths in the home, and the activity is reportedly a somewhat regular occurrence (apparitions, disembodied footsteps, and phantom smells, etc.) the current resident is not scared at all. In fact, having a very healthy acceptance of the paranormal, she has asked our team to come in simply to experience it for ourselves as a way to gather information and data. Well, I know I speak for the whole group when I say that I am down with that!

I hope that New Years Day, and the events of the past couple days, really, are a sign of things to come. It looks as if 2009 is going to be a very interesting year for Phase 3 Paranormal!

Keep your eyes tuned to Ghosts and Haunts for all the details, and much, much more!

Stay Tuned!

Hello, and welcome to Ghosts and Haunts, the official blog of Phase 3 Paranormal. In this blog, group co-founders Bobby Nelson and myself, Jason Korbus, will be sharing inside information on our investigations, evidence, as well as giving our opinions on the paranormal field in general. It should be a lot of fun!