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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 Dave Bryant, Shawn Geabhart,
Stewart Blackwell, Edward Kann, and I individually brought to the investigation at the Belton Cemetery. 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 Belton Cemetery investigation.
- The neighborhood around the cemetery offered a wide-range of background noises...from
dogs barking to children screaming and playing. It was acknowledged by all of us present that this was going to
make definitive and legitimate EVP work difficult if not impossible at the cemetery.
- The longer we were outdoors in the cold temperatures, the more the icy wind made
its way into the layers of our clothing. After spending time in the cold weather you begin to experience "chills."
We depended on our digital thermometer/pyrometer for determining whether we were encountering "cold spots"...rather
than our faulty and compromised senses.
- The cemetery is surrounded with house lights, street lights, business lights,
the lights of the city in the distance, and the headlights of passing cars. So varied and numerous are the lights
in the vicinity of the cemetery, that it would be almost impossible to declare a light-oriented photo-anomaly as
paranormal evidence. Light is everywhere at the Belton Cemetery.
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 experienced an unexplained and isolated temperature drop in the oldest section of the cemetery,
we immediately began taking photographs and EMF readings. Later we evaluated the evidence we gathered, identified
what could be a natural cause for the temperature drop, and came to the proper conclusion that this event is not
conclusive evidence of paranormal activity. See the Temperature Drop section of this investigation report for
more details.
SPECIFIC STEPS TAKEN DURING THE INVESTIGATION
This investigation was different from our usual investigations, in that we were
invited to participate by another paranormal investigaton group...and did not identify this investigaton location
on our own. The only historical information we had at the time of this investigation was that Dale Carnegie was
buried somewhere in the cemetery and that the other paranormal group had reportedly captured some interesting EVP's
and taken some unusual photographs in the older sections of the cemetery. Other than that...we went into this
investigation without the background and research we normally have at our disposal.
Our primary goals were to get to know the members of the other paranormal group,
practice some of our investigation techniques in an outdoor environment, and get used to working alongside a couple
of our newest investigators. Gathering evidence of paranormal activity was also on our mind, but it was not our
primary concern.
- Prior to arriving at the Belton Cemetery, we acquired an arial map of the cemetery
from the Google Earth intranet site. We decided to try out a new way of recording the location of all of our photographs.
See the Mapped Photos section of this investigation report for an example of how this turned out.
- The night of the investigation, we met a little early at a location close by,
so that we could meet the members of the other paranormal group away from the cemetery and catch a quick bite to
eat.
- Once we were at the cemetery we got all of our gear out, split it up as evenly
as possible, loaded up our pockets with what we'd need, and then split into groups prior to entering the cemetery.
We decided to stay within our own group of Ghost Vigil investigators, and not intermingle with the other paranormal
group during the investigation. We were there to try out new gear and practice some of our techniques...so we
thought staying together as our own group would be a good idea.
- We walked through the cemetery, measuring the air temperature, taking EMF readings,
video-taping and taking photographs, and doing EVP work. We decided to experiment with our EVP method...and left
the recorders on as we walked around the cemetery talking with each other. We normally do EVP recordings under
strict conditions (i.e. everyone standing still, only one person asking questions, etc). But we wanted to do some
EVP work under the loose conditions we've seen other paranormal investigation groups use. See the Unusual EVP's
section of this investigation report for more details on how that experiment turned out.
- Due to the cold weather, the investigation did not last as long as it could have.
When things were wrapped up, the gear put away, and everyone was ready to go...we agreed to meet at a local restaurant
and talk a bit about the investigation. After some coffee, we thanked the members of the other paranormal investigation
group and headed home.
Considering our real goals for this investigation, it was clearly a success for
us. We saw first-hand how well the TIF 7000 digital thermometer/pyrometer works. The "photo map" method
we tried out worked really well...and helped us to know the location and reason why all of the various photos were
taken. The Ghost Vigil investigators got some much needed outdoor investigation experience. And we got to know
the members of the other paranormal group...and have some fun.
-Mark Stinson
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