1.) If I contact SPR for help, what should I expect?
You will first be contacted by our case manager who will get some basic information from you - type of phenomenon experienced, length of experiences, severity, etc. Following this discussion your case will be assigned a priority number. We tend to take cases involving children or when the client is experiencing extreme fear or physical harm above cases of curiosity or less severe phenomenon. Once we see we have an opening for your case the case manager will set up a time for the team to come to your home or place of business. We like to do a preliminary discussion before the investigation to allow you to get to know us and for us to get a feel for the place we will be investigating. On the night of the investigation we will arrive with the team, set up, and begin the investigation. We are careful about the selection of the team members for each case. The number of team members will depend upon the size of the place being investigated and the client's needs. On cases of confidentiality we only bring our small core team. We will investigate your place using a variety of methods, documenting personal experiences and using equipment appropriate to your home. We will not disturb any of your personal items unless we need to move something to set up our equipment. In that case we will ask your permission before moving anything. Following the investigation we will review the evidence and present you with a full case report within 2 weeks (sooner in extreme cases) and discuss with you any necessary follow up action. As part of our investigations we look for any natural causes to the phenomenon you have experienced, such as plumbing issues or bad wiring in the house, and will make recommendations on anything we find. If further investigations are required we will set those up at our follow-up meeting. We are committed to working with you until you are satisfied and comfortable with your situation.
2.)
What is a cleansing?
SPR regularly performs cleansings on homes where clients feel something dark may reside. This can include symptoms such as seeing shadow figures, feeling a “heaviness” in an area of the house, feeling “off”, feelings of nervousness or being watched, reports of a stale or stagnant feeling to the area, and feelings of anger or hate in certain areas of the house. While some of these may be explained by natural phenomenon such as EMF sensitivity, paranormal phenomenon can cause similar situations. Either way, SPR will cleanse the home’s energy to help make clear what’s actually happening. A cleansing is nothing magical or paranormal. It is not about incantations or anything strange. It is also not about spiritual warfare. A cleansing is simply clearing the natural energy in a home. This is similar, but not identical, to concepts such as feng shui. The idea is to remove any stale, dirty, or negative energy in a home and replace that energy with fresh, positive energy. Often this will resolve the issue. If not, the cleansing makes it much easier if SPR has to deal with a negative entity.
3.) How does SPR cleanse a home?
When SPR performs a cleansing we begin with various types of incense, long a symbol of prayers and used for creating a more positive atmosphere. Bells are rung as the sonic vibrations will change up the atmosphere. Windows are opened, furniture is moved around, and white candles are placed throughout the home (often with pleasant scents) to promote a feeling of peace. Often we will suggest the client take a bath using sea salt to promote more natural energy flow through their own body and “clean” any residual effects of the negative energy.
4.) What if a dark entity/demon is present?
If SPR feels the problem goes deeper than the natural energy in a home and that a dark entity might be present, once the cleansing is done SPR will move to a blessing. During the blessing the pastor will anoint all the entrances to the home with oil, use holy water in every room, and pray prayers of blessing and protection over each room of the house. While the pastor is blessing the home, the rest of the team will pray, often times with the clients. Generally the blessing is done moving systematically from one end of the home to the other so as to “herd” anything negative into a small location. Once the blessing is completed the team will address the entity directly, command it to show itself, and command it to leave.
5.) What is the success rate on cleansings?
100%. In 75% of the cases only one visit is required. In extremely difficult cases 2-3 visits may be required, but never more. Once the home is completely cleansed, blessed, and cleared of anything negative clients have reported almost immediate improved health, less stress, feeling comfortable in their home, fear subsiding, and no further paranormal feelings or activity. We follow up with clients quarterly for the first year following the cleansing and have yet to find further activity.
No! The line between mental illness and demon possession is extremely thin, and is indistinguishable for someone not highly trained. The risk of causing further damage to a mentally unstable person by performing an exorcism ritual is far too great. However, SPR will pray for a person who feels they are oppressed. The pastor will anoint them with oil and pray for their healing, talk with them, and help them get the assistance they need to overcome whatever is troubling them.
7.) What’s the difference between an investigation and a cleansing?
On an investigation SPR will bring a larger team, equipment to document the findings, and will even occasionally allow guests to come along. Due to the spiritual, and sometimes physical, danger involved in dealing with a cleansing when a dark entity may be present, only the most highly trained SPR members are allowed. High concentration is required when performing a cleansing and absolute trust must exist between the team members, so we are very selective in who attends these cases. When dealing with a dark entity it is a time for battle, not research.
8.)
Has anyone been physically harmed on an
investigation?
Yes, which is why we are so selective. We have had team members slapped, pushed, and scratched to the point of leaving visible marks. On one case early on in SPR’s career an entity was encountered that we weren’t ready for. A strange “goo” (similar to the “ectoplasm” seen in the Ghostbusters movie) was sprayed into the eyes of one investigator. He developed a serious eye infection that took a couple of weeks to clear up. Another investigator on the same case came down, overnight, with a severe case of pneumonia. When you’re not protected, or don’t know how to protect yourself, you can most certainly be harmed on a “dark” case.
9.) Does SPR charge for its services?
No! And we never will. We believe God called us to this field of research and we are in it to advance the science and help people in need. We will never charge any client to come in for an investigation. Due to high travel costs and the need to maintain/upgrade/purchase new equipment we accept donations when offered, but we do not ask for donations and anything given goes straight back into SPR. No team member is compensated for their work.
10.) What should I do if I feel I may have paranormal activity in my home?
Document every instance that you feel is paranormal. Write down the type of activity, frequency, location, who experienced it, and note any patterns you may witness, such as the activity always occurs in the hallway or always happens at a certain time of day. Keep in mind that the vast majority of what is thought of as paranormal can be explained by natural causes – the house settling, AC coming on, sound carrying through the house, poor wiring, etc. If you are unable to debunk the activity, or if you feel uncomfortable / scared in any way, call SPR immediately. If children are involved, do not wait to investigate yourself. Call SPR and let us get you an answer quickly.
11.) What is the difference between residual and intelligent haunts?
A residual haunting is, in our opinion, a not-yet-understood natural phenomenon rather than something supernatural. This term applies to a situation when no "spirit" is present. The noises heard and apparitions seen are like recordings playing over and over again. Our theory, and that of many other researchers, is that someone how the energy from an event is imprinted on a certain area. Under certain conditions this energy replays the event like a movie. How this imprint occurs and what conditions cause it to replay are still not understood. Because no spirit is present what you are seeing/hearing is not aware of you and cannot interact with you in any way. It will do the same thing whether anyone is there or not.
An intelligent haunting implies that a spirit is present which is aware of you and can, if it chooses, interact with you.
12.) I've heard a lot about orbs appearing in pictures. What are those?
A true orb is a ball of energy. It is not a spirit and just because an orb is seen it does not mean that a spirit is present. Some researchers make a big deal out of different colored orbs appearing in pictures and assign meanings to those colors. We respectfully disagree. It is our belief that 99% of all orbs in pictures are dust, moisture, or bugs reflecting the flash from the camera. We do not believe orbs are an indication of the paranormal and disregard them in any photo. Even a true orb does not tell us whether or not a spirit is present. It is simply a collection of energy.
13.) How do I contact SPR?
You may contact
us at southernparanormalresearchers@yahoo.com
or by calling 334-695-7748. If you have any questions feel free to email us, or check out our weekly radio
show Thursdays from 8-10 pm where you can call in / IM with questions.