Changes

Hey there everyone! Heather here, lead investigator and co-founder of RUSH Paranormal. Welcome to HUMP DAY! We are now on that magical part of the week when Friday is fast approaching.

With the holidays fast approaching and the seasons changing, the time has come for change within RUSH. Effective yesterday, our good friend and investigator Patrick Cowlan has decided to step away from the team for now. He resigned on good terms due to some personal things in his life that currently require his attention. That means our team is now a team of 5 once again. Patrick will always be welcome back on the team and we are all still friends.

In addition to Patrick leaving the team, the old format for our website has also left! Our website is currently undergoing extensive updating and is being formatted in a way that should greatly enhance visitor experience. We (mostly Mike) have been working very hard on editing footage and putting together some short video clips of some of our evidence which we have been posting to Facebook. Look for more of that in addition to updated photos in a better format.

Our biggest projects at this time are that we are working on putting together our first full length feature documentary and we arein negotiations on our first television series! We have been to multiple locations and captured tons of evidence. We are interviewing people from locations in the past and in the present at this time to include in our film. We are really excited about this, but I know what I am personally the most excited about is meeting tomorrow with a television network to work up some of the details for our very first television series!

Talk about a big change! We are evolving all the time and we look forward to having you follow us on this journey! Stay tuned for updates!

 

~Heather

Lead Investigator & Co-Founder

 

Website updates!

Boo! Scared ya, didn’t I?   🙂

 

Super late right now… Just finished some serious tweaking to the website in my late night effort to freshen up the look and content.  I still have some work to do, but hopefully navigation is easier, and I will be putting more footage up.  Look soon for an updated page to “request an investigation”.

 

Lastly, I don’t wanna get anyone’s hopes up, but word is you may be able to see RUSH Paranormal on your local public access cable station with our very own show!  There’s still a lot of moving parts, and plenty of logistics to study through, so wish us luck!!

 

Mike

Investigator/AV Tech/ and apparently web design (how many hats can I fit on this big ass head?!)

Angry with technology!

Greetings fans and phantom chasers!

This is a short blog today from your usually friendly audio visual investigator. As a veteran currently serving, let me say thank you who’ve gone before me to fight for our nation, and have paved the way to allow me to serve my country for the last 19 years.

 

 

That’s outa the way… On to business…. So angry today! I spent there better part of last night working on our upcoming DVD. I worked some footage from Poasttown and worked in some cool graphics. DVD will be out soon highlighting some of our best footage. However, in my quest to fix a computer hard drive issue, I deleted 4 really good videos from an investigation at an undisclosed location on a military base. I usually just copy there videos over from the camera. But I figured, ” I need to clear the camera anyway, I’ll just cut and paste them from the camera card to the desktop” . Well, i needed to do a complete system restore on the computer forgetting I didn’t leave the videos on the card. Gone!!

 

Some great footage permanent deleted… I am normally very careful on these things. I learned a long time ago to back up the videos, make a copy, and edit the copy.  This was just a short lapse in memory. I guess since I recently turned 38 last Saturday, my memory and focus are starting to go… Better make a post-it note next time and keep in on the monitor.  🙂

Mike

 

P.S., we are going back to the undisclosed location soon, so hopefully the spirit energy will be nice and cooperate again!

Willows Weep Meet and Greet

Well, let me first start by saying, sorry. I should have written about this the day after the event, but life got in the way… sorry!

On September 18, 2015  RUSH Paranormal was blessed to be a part of a wonderful meet and greet hosted by the wonderful Miss Amy Jo Auld in Cayuga, Indiana. You may know her as Ghost Box Chick. We know her as a great friend. This was our first event as a team of six and everyone on our team was excited about adding Mike to our team!

We have been to a few paranormal conventions, but never once have we felt this much love! There were teams from West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana present and not once did I witness anything but love being expressed between participants! We were blessed to be the first speakers and gave a discussion on a little history about each of us. We talked about some of the cases we have been on, discussed our team dynamic, and discussed the need for more unity within the paranormal community. Several people attended our presentation and the crowd was very engaged in asking questions during our question and answer session. Having Mike’s audio rack on display was great because it was able to show that we analyze audio a bit more than some teams. This isn’t to say that we are better than anyone, merely to to explain the significance of audio to our team. Each team has something that tends to be their strength, many it is video and video editing, for us audio and audio analysis is our strength.

During the event, the home at Willows Weep was open for us to investigate. The team took the opportunity to investigate… knowing that audio would be contaminated by outside noise but wanting to explore the home despite this. The home is quite peculiar. If you look at it from the sky it is an upside down cross in relation to the road it sits on. Every room has a window in each corner. This home has seen many tragedies and inside is a chair that still has blood stains from where a previous owner of the home committed suicide sitting in that very chair. Outside in the front there is a large willow tree. Stories indicate that anyone that touches the willow tree will experience tragedy. There are reports there are unmarked graves on the property and there are reports that there have been human remains uncovered under the floorboards in the home. I personally did not dig to find out if the stories were true, and I did not touch the tree. I will say that as we were leaving the event, I discovered that all but one of my headlights were out. Out of four bulbs… only my driver side daytime running light worked… coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. We got a hotel and stayed in Danville, Il because there was no way I was driving the 3 hours home with barely any lights, nor did I feel comfortable changing the lights in the dark in unfamiliar territory.

The home has a very strong odor of mildew as it has been vacant for quite some time. The floors are very uneven and creak when you walk across them. The bathroom is not usable for the public and the toilet is taped off to prevent anyone from using it. The woman that owns the home as well as the surrounding properties refuses to set foot in the home. She told us numerous stories about her being injured while in the home. I made it a point to speak to her at various times during the event, and each time she was happy and bubbly until someone brought up the house… instantly her demeanor changes and a look of fear changes her expression immediately.

For me personally, walking into the home caused me to cough to the point of gagging after only a short time. I felt a tightness in my chest that felt as though I was being sat on. This could be explained by the mildew and likely mold spores in the air combined with my weakened lungs, or it could be something about the home. I may never know for certain, though when I go to this location again, I will be wearing a respirator to protect my lungs as the effects lasted for more than a week.

I would love to go back and investigate the home when there is less noise and outside contamination. The investigation we conducted was more of a baseline sweep as none of the evidence we collected could be used due to contamination. We knew that going in, but wanted to see what we caught regardless of this fact.

While it was great to investigate the location at this free event, the best part was all of the networking that took place! We got to spend some quality time talking with other teams from across the Midwest and learning about their equipment, their techniques, and how they function as a team. We got to check out some equipment we had been thinking of purchasing and learned that it was not a good fit for us… saving us quite a bit! I enjoyed listening to the presentations of other teams and hearing about their adventures as well. We were able to talk to our friends at DPS (Darkness Paranormal Society) from West Virginia and begin the very early stages of planning a joint collaboration with them. This event was a true embodiment of the principle of Para-Unity and I for one am very proud Amy Jo allowed us to participate!

Despite driving through a heavy rain storm and terrible lingering pains in my chest, I had a great weekend and I think I speak for the team when I say that we are very much looking forward to the event next year! Amy Jo did an amazing job putting this event together, ESPECIALLY since she was doing it 100% by herself!

~Heather

Want to know more about our team? Check out our website for our up to date schedule, find links to past investigations, and more!

https://www.rushparanormal.com

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

RUSH Paranormal is a very unique team. Most paranormal teams meet up for investigations and may have a meeting or two leading up to the investigation to prepare for that specific trip. Our team is different. We are a family. We come from all over the country and we are all very different individuals and yet we are the most close knit group I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. How do we remain so close you ask? Let me try my best to explain.

Each week on Friday (formerly Thursday) we meet and sit around a dining room table where we have dinner together. We laugh and joke and talk about our week. We talk about what is going on in our lives and things that are coming up. We have a few drinks… wine for Heather, beer for the rest of the gang usually. Not necessarily getting intoxicated, just casually having a drink or two.

After dinner has been finished and the table has been cleared, we head to the basement and start our official meeting. We talk about the investigation we just completed, or the event we just attended. We talk about the presentation we are about to make as featured guest speakers. We talk about the private residential cases that have been referred to us and decide which ones we would like to look further into. Most recently our meetings had been focused around planning the private investigation of Poasttown Elementary School with the Wright State University Psychology Club. After this, or sometimes during this, we listen to the Paranormal Bat Radio show hosted by Amy Jo. We tune in because we love learning about new locations, different techniques, and getting to know other people in this field. We also may also use this time to review evidence. This is where we go through the pieces we feel are compelling and run them past the other team members. We do this without telling them what we think we have captured. When in doubt, we throw the evidence out. We work very hard to be sure the evidence we collect is high quality and reviewing it this way helps to keep us objective. Many times we think we have captured something great, only to find out someone else in the team can debunk it.

Once all the “official business” is accomplished we have fun doing random things that make us all laugh. On the week we had our last radio interview… we spent the time leading up to it singing karaoke to loosen up our voices and calm the nerves. Last week we were taking selfies with random Halloween costumes and wigs. You will often find Will and/or Mike playing guitar or drums and Heather singing and Patrick and Robert laughing about something funny they found on YouTube.

While this ritual may seem silly to a lot of people, it is part of why our group is so strong together. That’s right… us goofing off and having dinner together keeps our bond strong. It is the glue that holds our team together. When we go on an investigation, we can laugh and fondly remember things from these nights and it helps to super charge the energy in the room often leading to increased activity in our experience.

Working in the paranormal field is not easy from the start. As a new team, you are often looked at with skepticism. So many young groups are merely seeking fame and fortune after watching their favorite paranormal show repeatedly. Because so many of these teams have sprung up over the last seven or eight years, many veterans of this field look at all newcomers with the assumption they are one of those teams. It takes tough skin to form a good team! If the veterans of the field don’t run you off, many times it is your friends and family that do that. So many times people get told they are “doing the devil’s work” or that they are doing things that go against their friend or family member’s religion. Not wanting to disappoint, people quit.

Once you get past this, you now begin purchasing equipment that can get quite pricey. You can investigate with no equipment at all, and go merely by feelings and intuitions, or you can choose to use scientific instruments. We use both. There is no rule that says you have to have every new gadget on the market. So if you are still wanting to be a team, you will want to go on investigations. This isn’t free either. Most public, well known locations cost a minimum of $25 per person for a public investigation and up to $1,600 to rent the location privately for one evening. Like I said… this is not a cheap thrill. Now that you have your location booked, and some equipment, you need to book lodging if the trip isn’t close and you need to budget for fuel and food. We booked the Lizzie Borden House as a private investigation at a cost of $1,600 for one night. With fuel, food and lodging we are all expecting to need another $750 each for the trip… there are 6 of us. That means this trip will cost our team about $6,100. We are non-profit so we are paying this all 100% out of pocket!

Now that you have booked and paid for the trip and have your equipment you are getting locked inside a pitch black location that is rumored to be haunted often with spirits that are said to be unfriendly. You really have to trust the people you are in there with. Sometimes the floors are uneven, missing boards, or has steep staircases. Often there are rusty pieces of metal in the form of nails, and broken pipes that open us up to real danger. You need to literally trust the people in your team with your life. It is important to know if anyone in your team has medical conditions or allergies. If someone is injured and becomes unconscious at 3:00am 15 hours from home… their team needs to be able to fill in the medical staff with their friend’s medical information. Teams need to know one another’s family so that in an emergency, they know who to call.

If you aren’t willing to break bread with someone, or have a drink with them… do you really want to spend a fortune to go on a trip with them where you are entrusting them with your life? No? Neither do we! This is why our weekly meetings are so important. We aren’t always the most efficient in our meetings, because first and foremost we are friends. Sometimes friends goof off more than they get work done. But I assure you that if any of us were in needs, the other members of our team would be by their side as soon as they could. We have come to the point where we work like a well oiled machine when setting up for an investigation. We know each member’s strengths and weaknesses. We each set out to set up our own individual pieces of the equipment, or check batteries, plug devices in to be sure they are charged, or begin getting base line readings without anyone having to ask what they need to do. Its because we know one another so well and have investigated together so often.

That is part of what makes us different. We may not be related by blood, but I assure you, our team is very much a family. We have little fights like every family, but we also love and trust one another like family. I hear teams all the time say they are really close, or that they are family…but I’ve only seen a handful of teams that are truly as close as we are… and one of them is a team of 3 brothers.

If you are an aspiring new team, here are my top 10 bits of advice:

1.) Don’t expect to make ANY money doing this. It is a field that will cost you a fortune in reality.

2.) Get to know your team well. You are trusting them with your life, how well do you really know them?

3.) Don’t expect to get famous. That’s not what this is about… at all. If it is what your goal is… you really need to reevaluate your motive.

4.) Don’t just copy others. This field can only grow through innovation. Einstein said ” The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results!” Try new methods!

5.) Don’t be an asshole! Yes, I said it, and I mean it. This is a field that is rapidly growing. There are many different people with many different theories. Just because their theory doesn’t match your theory, doesn’t make them wrong or you right. Being an asshole or trying to act like a big shot will only get you discredited in this field. You will find yourself being asked NOT to attend events, and I assure you… word travels FAST in this community.

6.) Don’t post fraudulent evidence. This should be a given, yet sadly it is not. If your photo looks like it is snowing… don’t post it with a caption saying “Look at all the orbs!” Its dust, not orbs… 99.9% of all “orbs” are dust, bugs, or lens flares. Your camera strap will look like a swirling vortex when it is directly in front of the lens. If you smoke, or it is cold out… there is a good change that mist is your breath or some smoke. Posting garbage like that and claiming it to be paranormal makes you look like a fool and discredits the work of those in this field. As far as evidence goes… when in doubt, throw it out!

7.) NETWORK! This sounds funny but really you will meet a ton of people that do things different and it is a great way to learn of new locations and get referrals for residential cases. This is a great way to ask others about equipment and check it out before spending a ton of money on the gear. This is also part of how you gain credibility in the community. Sharing your info and evidence with other teams gets them talking to other teams about your evidence.

8.) BE RESPECTFUL!!!!! I cannot stress this enough. There are people that have been doing this longer than you have been alive. I can say that with 100% accuracy because interest in the after life has been around since people have been dying… so literally forever. That being said… if someone more experienced offers you advise… take it. Thank them. If their opinion differs from yours, thank them still and listen to what they have to say. It doesn’t mean you are wrong, it does however give you a different prospective. As I said before… word travels fast. Treat one person with disrespect and you will be stuck with that stigma for  a very long time.

9.) Don’t expect residential cases right away. Would you invite a bunch of strangers into your home to search for ghosts, and possibly negative entities if they had not build up any reputation or credibility at all? I wouldn’t! You can create more problems if you aren’t careful and people want to be sure you know what you are doing before you enter their home.

10.) Have fun. Don’t always be 100% serious. Obviously there are times you have to be serious, but not 100% of the time. This is a hobby for most people because like I said… you don’t make a profit, usually it costs you a fortune. Most people have hobbies that bring them joy, and if this doesn’t… it may not be the hobby for you.

If you are still reading this… thank you! We may be a young group, but in the 2 1/2 years we have been officially together we have learned a lot. Many of the things we are telling you NOT to do are things we did or things we witnessed. I hope that you are able to enjoy a being part of a team as much as we do, and if you are already on a team or thinking of starting one… I wish you the best of luck!!

~Heather

Copyright 2015 http://www.rushparanormal.com

Wright State University at Poasttown

This past weekend on October 10, 2015 our team was joined by special guests from the Wright State University Psychology club as well as two members of the faculty. The club came out to observe us investigate as well as take part in the investigation of Poasttown Elementary School in Middletown, Ohio. Poasttown is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in the Greater Dayton and Greater Cincinnati, Ohio area.

The evening started with some dinner and a presentation by our group introducing who we are and each of us explaining what each of our roles in the group consist of at this time. Once they got to know us a bit, we went over each piece of equipment and explained what it is and how we use it. We felt it important to explain this to our guests in an effort to help them understand what we were doing once the investigation got started.

After the presentation, we took the students through a walk-through of the building. During this walk-through, we did not give them any indication of where we have captured evidence previously, we simply gave them a tour of the building.

We next split into two groups and began our investigation. Robert, and Will took the second floor of Poasttown Elementary and Heather, Lora, and Mike took the first and second floors. Patrick remained in the break room, which he had set up as the video nerve center. Mike had ran audio throughout the basement and had several tools in the basement in the lunch line room which he had set up as an audio nerve center. Heather was using the Video Ovilus and we were recording on both the GoPro as well as our digital recorders. After a few short moments, we began attempting some flashlight communication. We were getting flashlight activity as well as intelligent responses on the Video Ovilus. What happened next, none of us could have expected. We had the flashlights on the table and asked the spirit that had identified itself as “Mandy” to touch the flashlight. The flashlight then rolled across the table. The floor in this room is concrete as this is the basement. There was no train going by to create vibration to move the flashlight, and there was no one touching the table to cause it to move either. While we were all amazed we still want to keep an open mind that this could have just been a coincidence so we moved the flashlights back to the previous location and asked again for the light to turn off and on at different intervals and in response to questions. We were getting intelligent responses once again so we decided at this point to ask for the light to be touched again. Once again, the light rolled across the table.

At this point in the night (11:00pm) the second group that had been investigating upstairs joined the team in the basement. Some of the students and both faculty members had to leave at this point, so the group was condensed into one. Mike placed a $5 bill on the table in the area that the flashlights had been rolling and told the spirit that in return for her moving the flashlight and communicating with us, he was going to give her the money. He asked her to take the money. In a room with no windows leading to the outside, and no ventilation system, with everyone standing still, the bill began to waver as if an invisible force was in fact trying to collect the $5 it was given.

These things alone would be enough evidence that this location has paranormal activity for most, but this is only half of what we encountered that night. We had REM Pods that were being manipulated on command. We were catching temperature changes in conjunction with changes in the EMF field that were captured on two different MEL Meters as well as a seperate laser thermometer. We captured shadow figures on film, as well as audio evidence in the form of unexplained knocks as well as EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomenon.

At the end of the night while everyone was thoroughly exhausted, we were so excited and energized by the activity of the night that I highly doubt anyone was able to fall asleep fast.

Our team has investigated this location more than any location and in the almost 30 times we have been to this location, we have never seen activity like this! We feel that it may be the result of residual energy left by a large Halloween party that was held the night before. But we also feel that the approaching roof replacement may be making the spirits restless as well. The shingles were delivered that afternoon while we were setting up, and the guys from our team were on the roof moving them to various locations on the roof to more evenly distribute the weight. Could this be the cause of all the activity? I suppose we will never really know for sure, though we are very happy with the results we were able to capture.

~Heather

Copyright 2015 http://www.rushparanormal.com