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Member
Photo of the Month
by Sharon Guzanich
(read more below)
Question of the Month Q:
Why do people act strange during a full moon?Answer
This
photo is from May of 2008 when 10 members of the IPRF along with Scott Crownover and Patty A. Wilson “invaded” the Doubleday Inn on Oak Ridge in
Gettysburg, PA.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope everyone has had a good holiday and
will have a happy and prosperous New Year. It’s kinda hard to believe that New
Year’s Day has already come and gone, and, hopefully, with the first decade of
the millennium in our rear view mirror the next 10 years will better to all of
us. With most of the United states firmly in the grip of Old Man Winter many of
us are experiencing bone-chilling cold and more than our share of snow so,
obviously enough, there are not too many outdoor investigations taking place
right now. It is because of these specific weather conditions that I must remind
everyone that when weather conditions deteriorate as they recently have there is
a fine line between bravery and stupidity that should not be crossed. Aside from
potentially capturing false anomalies in inclement weather conditions there is
also the risk of developing illness and the ever present hazard of surfaces
coated with snow and ice that could present the investigators with the potential
of getting seriously injured. No matter how tempting a potential investigation
site may be it is not worth risking the safety and well being of yourself or
those on your team for the evidence that may potentially be obtained by
attempting an investigation in hazardous weather conditions. Sure, we all want
to try to get the next piece of the paranormal puzzle but that little bit of
evidence you may get is not worth your health or your life – I don’t want to
have to investigate a case with your name attached.
Recently I have been researching and writing a lot of regional ghost stories for
the Pints and Frights tours (yep, that’s a shameless plug for the banner at the
top of the page) – and for another book, eventually, but there has also been a
great deal of other subjects I have been working on for your future benefit –
most prominently a series titled Investigation Basics that will cover some of
the most basic but important aspects of paranormal investigation such as
communication, safety, equipment and so forth. If there is a subject you would
like to see covered in this series, if you have a suggestion for a subject of
interest and I will look into it. On the subject of articles, our featured topic
this month is Ethics and Entities an article that provides a look into basic
paranormal investigation etiquette and also covers topics that NEED to be
addressed by every investigator who is active in the field. I’m sure that there
is some “finger pointing” in the article that will upset some people, but the
truth of the matter is that responsibility, although necessary, is not always
easy to accept and that I am one of the few paranormal investigation ethics
advocates who has the voracity to say such things.
Additionally, 2010 should prove to be an engaging year for the IPRF membership
as we will extend our continuing education lecture series at each of our monthly
meetings, we are planning our annual IPRF picnic, the 5th annual Gettysburg
Invasion, there will be monthly investigations at both new sites and follow up
investigations at sites we have previously visited and there are numerous other
activities and events planned so keep an eye on either your inbox or the
calendar on this webpage for activity updates. …and speaking of engaging: a note
to all of our members and visitors to the webpage – I would like to thank you
for your support, comments (good or bad) and questions over the last five years.
I hope that the next five years will be as interactive, and, with that I am
asking that if you have any questions, article suggestions, photos, etc. that
you would like to submit for subject research, picture of the month or for
evidence analysis please hit us up and let us know what’s on your mind – it’s
the only way we can address the topics that YOU are interested in.
As a segway from evidence submissions to what has been recently sent in, I offer
this month’s photo sent in by Sharon Guzanich. Yes, its an orb, and as all of
you who follow this webpage know I am not a big supporter of orb photos as
evidence, however, I believe that this photo showcases the important facets of
potentially “true” paranormal energy orbs – mainly that the subject in the photo
(1) is round, (2) is three dimensional and (3) is self luminescent – anything
else, by definition is NOT an orb (even if it has a “face” in it – see the
article Are Faces In Orbs Proof of the Paranormal? for more information on this
subject) In keeping with the theme of the IPRF’s research, as I’m sure you have
noted if you are a member or regular visitor to this site, that we strive for
the highest quality of scientific research and investigation procedure that can
be disseminated to the public as soon as possible. Even if a theory or idea is
incorrect it still has merit in that we can learn something from it, even if it
is how not to do something or how something does not work. Additionally, in
reference to information, evidence and discoveries the IPRF – unlike some
organizations – does not believe that holding information as a proprietary
“organizational hostage” benefits anyone, thus we release all information and
evidence as soon as it has been verified so that everyone who is interested in
parapsychology may benefit from it. Also, although I am an instructor at CCBC
(Community College of Beaver County) and BC3 (Butler County Community College)
instructing courses in parapsychology at both institutions, the IPRF is an
independent research organization supported solely by membership dues. As such
the IPRF is self sufficient and does not solicit donations, hold fundraising
events or charge website membership fees – all IPRF services are free of charge.
Finally, there a few people I would like to thank for their hard work and
invaluable assistance this past year: first on the list is Julie Grove, our
webmaster, who has worked tirelessly and with much patience on both this website
and the Steel City Bus Tours website. Also, for their contributions of time,
effort and finance on several IPRF events I would like to thank Brian and Kate
Barcus, Sharon Guzanich, Eric Diamond and Brian and Terrie Seech. Additionally,
I would like to mention our friends who have shared their invaluable skills and
experiences with us: Scott Crownover, Patty Wilson, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Rick
Fisher, Mark Nesbitt, Chris Moon, Mark Mihalko and all of the staff at Haunted
Times Magazine. I would like to take a moment to thank you, our website visitor,
for supporting the IPRF and taking an interest in the work that we do. Last, but
certainly not least, I would like to thank our members – without you there would
not be an IPRF. Please forgive me if I have forgotten anyone – it was not
intentional – I’ll have to make it up to you in the near future ; - )
Thanks for stopping by the webpage and checking things out. I hope that you
found something of interest and that you learned a bit of something while you
were here. I wish you and your family all the best for a happy and prosperous
New Year. Take care & stop back soon.
Do you have any paranormal pictures or EVPs
that you would like to have analyzed by Brian Schill?
By submitting pictures or EVPs you agree
to allow this information to be posted on the analysis page.
Stalking Darkness is the most complete
exposition on paranormal research to date. Currently being used as an
instruction manual for paranormal investigation courses in two Pennsylvania
colleges this manual covers all facets of interest in the paranormal: getting
started, necessary equipment, research techniques, investigation procedures,
photography, EVP, true and false anomaly identification and even the mechanics
of how paranormal manifestations take place - a task that no other author to
date has adequately tackled! With more than a decade of paranormal investigation
research experience Brian Schill has created a scientific yet easy to understand
book that is packed with over 120 photos and illustrations. Offering something
for paranormal enthusiasts of all levels this book is a must have for anyone
interested in paranormal investigation!
Mission Statement
The International Parapsychology Research Foundation is a diverse organization
of individuals who, through the application of various disciplines of science
and academia, strive to deduce logical and relevant conclusions to questions in
the field of parapsychology that have not been adequately answered by
conventional scientific means. Through our partnership with several local
colleges and by way of scientific procedure and protocol the research that the
IPRF conducts must maintain the highest standard of credibility and integrity so
that the organization may disseminate accurate knowledge of discovery to the
public.
Stalking Darkness is the most complete
exposition on paranormal research to date. Currently being used as an
instruction manual for paranormal investigation courses in two Pennsylvania
colleges this manual covers all facets of interest in the paranormal: getting
started, necessary equipment, research techniques, investigation procedures,
photography, EVP, true and false anomaly identification and even the mechanics
of how paranormal manifestations take place - a task that no other author to
date has adequately tackled! With more than a decade of paranormal investigation
research experience Brian Schill has created a scientific yet easy to understand
book that is packed with over 120 photos and illustrations. Offering something
for paranormal enthusiasts of all levels this book is a must have for anyone
interested in paranormal investigation!
