|
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 Stewart Blackwell, Jamie
King, Matt Browning, Laura Fischer, Darin Lee, and Mark Stinson individually brought to the return investigation
at Vaile Mansion. 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.
- During our vigils, Stew, Matt, and Jamie were on the 3rd floor of the house and
could hear a quiet male voice that seemed to be whispering to them. Rather than conclude this was something paranormal,
Stew called on the radio to Mark, Laura, and Darin who were doing a vigil on the 2nd floor. Through a series of
tests, it was determined that the male voice they were hearing was Mark's voice traveling up from downstairs. Later
during this same vigil, Matt heard what he believed to be a female voice whispering to him. Using the same method
we determined the investigators on the 2nd floor were not the source of the apparent female voice.
- Despite Vaile Mansion being on a full-city block of land, there are residential
streets to the north, south, east, and west. These streets were a source of traffic noise and lights that occasionally
flashed through the window blinds. We had to keep this in mind throughout the investigation. During our audio recordings
we commented on tape every time we heard traffic noise. And the car lights flashing through the house had to be
kept in mind during the analysis of our photographs and video recordings.
- During a vigil on the 2nd floor in the Master Bedroom, both Mark and Darin felt
their attention drawn to a certain corner of the room. Both independently reported having a "sense of presence"
focused on that corner...and both reported seeing "movement" in the corner. When it was time for the
other set of investigators to spend time in the Master Bedroom, they were not told of the experiences that Darin
and Mark had in the room. They were simply told to report on any phenomenon or sensation they might experience...and
to report the location of the phenomenon. After this 2nd vigil, Jamie reported having similar feelings about that
same corner of the room...and Stew and Matt reported having similar feelings about the doorway next to this corner.
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.
SPECIFIC STEPS TAKEN DURING THE INVESTIGATION
Vaile Mansion is a large building, with a rich history of the sort that seems
to go hand-in-hand with paranormal activity. We knew that the mansion had not been properly investigated in some
time, and wanted to make sure that we did the place justice. This is the plan we created and how we followed it
during the investigation:
- A month prior to the investigation, a pre-visit was made to Vaile Mansion to
learn about the history and layout of the building.
- We met as a group at a nearby restaurant to go over our plans and to ensure that
we all arrived at Vaile Mansion on-time and as a group.
- When we arrived at the location, we introduced everyone to Sandy Dougherty, our
host. She then took us on a short tour of the museum, so that the investigators not present at the first Strawberry
Hill investigation would be familiar with the building.
- We determined where to position the stationary cameras and stationary recording
devices...and working as a team we had those set up fairly quickly..
- By this time we had decided on the rooms of the location where we wanted to focus
our attention. We split into two groups, and began ghost vigils in those locations. We took photos, recorded hand-held
video, took meter readings, and recorded audio for the possible collection of Electronic Voice Phenomenon.
- Occasionally we switched ghost vigil locations, so that we could cover several
areas...and have each focus area covered by both the teams at some point.
- With our time almost up, we gathered up all of our equipment, took some final
photographs, and packed up to leave. We thanked them for allowing us access to the location...and gave them some
idea of when our analysis of the evidence would be complete.
This was Jamie, Darin, and Matt's first investigation, but they fit right into
the team. As a group we were able to deploy our cameras and equipment, conduct our investigation, and successfully
complete all of our research goals in a smooth and organized manner. This was a very rewarding investigation...and
we look forward to returning to Vaile Mansion someday.
-Mark Stinson
|