An investigation methodology involves two elements...(1) the overall approach
and philosophy of the investigators and (2) the specific steps taken during the investigation.
OVERALL APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE INVESTIGATORS
There were slight differences in the approaches that Mike Cross, Chris Stevens,
Dave Bryant, Shawn Geabhart, and I individually brought to the investigation at the Strawberry Hill Museum. But
one thing remained very consistent...
We were constantly searching for a natural explanation for anything that happened that appeared to be out-of-the-ordinary.
For something to be considered paranormal, all natural explanations must be examined and excluded as possibilities.
There were some great examples of this methodology during the Strawberry Hill Museum investigation.
- There are three natural explanations for orb photographs that have nothing to
do with the paranormal. Dust orbs, light refractions in the lens from a reflection, and digital cameras taking
pictures in low-light conditions. We will never present orb photographs without a full explanation of their natural
causes.
- During EVP work, we do not move about. A shoe scuffing on the floor, clothing
rubbing together, equipment brushing up against furniture, a stomach growling...all of these things can cause sounds
that can be misinterpreted as Electronic Voice Phenomenon. If we present an EVP, you can be confident that we have
done everything we can to eliminate natural causes for it.
- Several of our investigators on this investigation felt cold spots at one time
or another in the Museum. Without the proper equipment to determine if these cold spots are due to drafts in a
building over 100 years old...we will not attempt to attribute a paranormal cause to these cold spots.
So while we all differed a little in our approach or motivations, our standards
and scientific approach were consistent throughout the investigation.
As we gathered evidence, every piece of evidence or reported activity had to be put into context and evaluated
in relation to the rest of the evidence or reported activity. This is something we will do on all our investigations.
For instance, when we found something that looked like a unexplained mist in a photograph, we exhausted every possibility
in identifying exactly what we had captured on film. We examined the photo at a pixel by pixel level, checked the
negative for flaws in the film, and reviewed all of our other photos and video tape taken in that room in an attempt
to find a natural explanation. Check out the Unexplained Mist section of our investigation report for all the details.
SPECIFIC STEPS TAKEN DURING THE INVESTIGATION
We knew that the Strawberry Hill Museum was a very large building and that we
would only have four hours on our first visit there. So our approach to the investigation had to be very focused
and organized. This is the plan we created and how we followed it during the investigation:
- In the weeks prior to the investigation we took the information we had about
the Strawberry Hill Museum and the reported activity there, and planned our approach to the investigation. Due
to some reported auditory phenomenon, we invested in some additional recording devices. We used a hidden portion
of our website's message board to put together a list of all the equipment we were bringing.
- The night of the investigation, we met a little early at a location close by,
so that we could all arrive at the Strawberry Hill Museum on time and together. We introduced ourselves to our
wonderful host, Francie. With Francie's input, we established a base location for our equipment in a room that
was least likely exhibit paranormal activity.
- We explained our permission paperwork to Francie, and after it was signed, we
kept a copy and provided a copy for the Strawberry Hill Museum to keep. Then we interviewed Francie a little bit
about her personal experiences in the location.
- Our host gave us a walk-through tour of every room of Strawberry Hill Museum,
telling us the history of the building and stories of reported paranormal encounters. It was during this time that
we completed our first rough maps of the location and took notes on all the information being shared with us. We
video-taped portions of this tour, took some photographs, and took some base temperature and EMF (electromagnetic
field) readings as well.
- We returned to our base location, and broke out all of our stationary equipment.
We set up 5 stationary audio recorders, 2 statonary video cameras, and 4 trigger objects. The trigger objects we
chose were toys, due to the fact the building served as a home to over 3000 children during its 69 years of operation.
We taped paper securely to the floor in 4 different locations, placed the toys on top of the paper, and then traced
around the toys with a pen to mark their starting positions.
- With the stationary devices and triggers in place, we all returned to our base
location within the building. We decided to stay in the base location for around 40 minutes. During that time,
we compared notes on our maps of the location...and planned for the rest of our time there.
- When the 40 minutes had passed, we split into two different groups to check on
our stationary devices and triggers. We spent around 20 minutes in each of a series of locations on which we had
agreed to focus our efforts. During our 20 minutes in each focus location we did EVP work, took photographs, and
shot video.
- With our time almost up, we gathered up all of our equipment, took some final
photographs, and packed up to leave. We thanked our host, Francie, for allowing us access to the location...and
gave her some idea of when our analysis of the evidence would be complete.
Considering the size of the location and the limited amount of time we had on
our first visit to the location, we got an enormous amount of work done. Approaching the investigation as a focused
group, coordinating the equipment we brought with us, and following an organized set of steps allowed us to make
the best use of our time.
-Mark Stinson
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