Recommended Reading List

by Mike Chapman

The following is actually more than a "Recommended Reading List." It is what I would list if asked the question, "Which books would you have in an essential library for doing what you do?" I actually had a tough time limiting this "library" to twenty five books. My library has hundreds of books in it. In fact, I will soon post a blog on "Paranormal Classics" that should be in any serious investigator's library (one who wants to master this field) - such as Breakthrough, by Konstantine Raudive and The Ghost of 29 Megacycles, by John G. Fuller. Yes, I could have added more to my list, and each section could be greatly expanded, but I wanted to keep the list as concise as possible so that an average person could afford to work away at purchasing it over time, and not at a huge, almost unattainable cost. The demonology section was particularly tough for me to limit. I left out many very important books and works that I think are extremely helpful. These are the indispensables, in my opinion.

I greatly value the twenty-five books listed below (some more than others obviously). They are not listed in order of value or importance, but rather in sections based upon categories of study. In fact, as far as importance is concerned, the last three would be at the head of the list. Of course, one must remember that who I am and what I do in this field is to be a Christian paranormal investigator who specializes in negative or demonic hauntings. That obviously shapes what I look to as "essential" resources. If you want merely a listing of good paranormal books, I'd recommend the first two sections, and I would also insist that you add the fifth section to it because to explore the paranormal without an understanding of basic universal truths, you are going to be hopelessly mistaken and even fooled by what you think is taking place. Also, please note that I do not agree with everything that is said in every one of these books (examples would include Guiley and Belanger's encylopedia and dictionary, respectively; or Jrakman's "Art of Ghost Hunting"). However, each has varying degrees of contributions to make to one's knowledge. One must understand that a work can have awesome research and data included within it that is true and helpful, even though it is written within a context of a worldview that is mistaken. Perhaps later, when I have more time, I can make a paragraph's worth of comments on each work to cite exactly why I value that particular book so highly (and the part[s] that I object to). For now, maybe you can gain some insight into the "library" itself. These are the books I keep within arm's length and constantly refer to over and over again, and that have shaped my understanding of life and reality:whether it be natural, beyond the natural, or supernatural. Enjoy!

Recommended Essential Library for a Christian Paranormal Researcher and Demonologist

SECTION I: Paranormal Basics (6)

The Ghost Hunters Guidebook, by Troy Taylor [Sixth Edition]

The Art of Ghost Hunting: 2^nd Edition, by Jaeson K. Jrakman

How to be a Ghost Hunter, by Richard Southall

Life After Life, by Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D.

On Life After Death [Revised Version], by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Hello From Heaven! by Bill Guggenheim & Judy Guggenheim

SECTION II: Science & Technology (4)

Paranormal Technology: Understanding the Science of Ghost Hunting, by David M. Roundtree

EVP Lab 1.0, by John Gruber, Ph.D.

Introduction to Psychology (Twelfth Edition] by Dennis Coon and John O. Mitterer

An Introduction to Parapsychology, by Harvey J. Irwin and Caroline A. Watt [Fifth Edition]

SECTION III: Demonology Basics (5)

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren, by Gerald Daniel Brittle

The Angels in Catholic Teaching and Tradition, by Fr. Pascale Parente

Resisting the Devil: A Catholic Perspective on Deliverance, by Neal Lozano

Deliverance from Evil Spirits, by Francis MacNutt

Deliver Us From Evil: A Manual of Exorcism, by Phillip Gagnon

SECTION IV: Demonology Philosophy, Theology & Methodology: Causes & Remedies (4)

The Twilight Labyrinth: Why Does Spiritual Darkness Linger Where it Does? By George Otis Jr.

The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Revised and Updated) by Dr. Ed Murphy

God at War, by Gregory Boyd

Satan and the Problem of Evil, by Gregory Boyd

SECTION V: Resources & Authority (6)

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

The Dictionary of Demons, by Michelle Belanger

Roman Ritual: Volume II – Christian Burial, Exorcism, Reserved Blessings, Etc [Latin & English]

The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament (Second Catholic Edition RSV)

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition (Libreria Editrice Vaticana – Publisher)

Important Paper
The following is not a book, but is an extremely important paper done by a missiologist. I would be remiss if I did not mention this resource to you as being extremely helpful:

The Flaw of the Excluded Middle, by Paul Hiebert

Link to pdf version: http://www.michaelsheiser.com/UFOReligions/FlawofExcludedMiddle.pdf

Protection Prayers in Latin

For those of you interested in learning some of the more popular Latin prayers used in prayers of protection or in demonology cases, several are listed below. Prayers in Latin are actually thought to be a bit more powerful than in any of the more common languages, because of the history of their extensive and effective use in the Roman Catholic Church. Evil spirits and demons are driven off and exorcised more readily with these prayers in the original language because they can't stand to hear them once more. The most important thing is not saying the prayers in Latin, but saying prayers period. So, don't worry if you don't have time to learn prayers in Latin, the larger point is to please make sure you pray and protect yourself on investigations and even going over and analyzing/reviewing evidence.

For a related more recent article, see: Learning Prayers in Latin
http://www.natchezghosts.blogspot.com/2013/05/learning-prayers-in-latin.html

Signum Crucis (The Sign of the Cross)

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

LITANIAE SANCTORUM (Litany of the Saints)
Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, audi nos.
Christe, exaudi nos.
Pater de coelis Deus, …………………….. miserere nobis (Means: have mercy on us).
Fili Redemptor mundi Deus,
Spiritus sancte Deus,
Sancta Trinitas unus Deus,
Sancta Maria, ……………………………. ora pro nobis (Repeat after each: Pray for us.").
Sancta Dei Genetrix,
Sancta Virgo virginum,
Sancte Michael,
Sancte Gabriel,
Sancte Raphaël,
Omnes sancti Angeli, et Archangeli,
Omnes sancti beatorum Spirituum ordines,
Sancte Ioannes Baptista,
Sancte Ioseph,
Omnes sancti Patriarchae, et Prophetae,
Sancte Petre,
Sancte Paule,
Sancte Andrea,
Sancte Iacobe,
Sancte Ioannes,
Sancte Thoma,
Sancte Iacobe,
Sancte Philippe,
Sancte Bartholomaee,
Sancte Matthaee,
Sancte Simon,
Sancte Thaddaee,
Sancte Mathia,
Sancte Barnaba,
Sancte Luca,
Sancte Marce,
Omnes sancti Apostoli, et Evangelistae, …. orate pro nobis.
Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini,
Omnes sancti Innocentes,
Sancte Stephane, …………………………. ora pro nobis.
Sancte Laurenti,
Sancte Vincenti,
Sancti Fabiane et Sebastiane, …………….. orate pro nobis.
Sancti Ioannes et Paule,
Sancti Cosma et Damiane,
Sancti Gervasi et Protasi,
Omnes sancti Martyres,
Sancte Silvester, …………………………. ora pro nobis.
Sancte Gregori,
Sancte Ambrosi,
Sancte Augustine,
Sancte Hieronyme,
Sancte Martine,
Sancte Nicolae,
Omnes sancti Pontifices et Confessores, … orate pro nobis.
Omnes sancti Doctores,
Sancte Antoni, ……………………………. ora pro nobis.
Sancte Benedicte,
Sancte Bernarde,
Sancte Dominice,
Sancte Francisce,
Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitae, …….. orate pro nobis.
Omnes sancti Monachi, et Eremitae,
Sancta Maria Magdalena, ………………... ora pro nobis (Repeat after each:"Pray for us").
Sancta Agatha,
Sancta Lucia,
Sancta Agnes,
Sancta Caecilia,
Sancta Catharina,
Sancta Anastasia,
Omnes sanctae Virgines et Viduae, ……… orate pro nobis.
Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei,
intercedite pro nobis.

Propitius esto,parce nobis,
Domine.Propitius esto,exaudi nos,
Domine.Ab omni malo, …………………………… libera nos, Domine (repeat after each - means "free us O Lord").
Ab omni peccato,
Ab ira tua,
A subitanea et improvisa morte,
Ab insidiis diaboli,
Ab ira, et odio, et omni mala voluntate,
A spiritu fornicationis,
A fulgure et tempestate,
A flagello terraemotus,
A peste, fame, et bello,
A morte perpetua,
Per mysterium sanctae incarnationis tuae,
Per adventum tuum,
Per nativitatem tuam,
Per baptismum et sanctum ieiunium tuum,
Per crucem et passionem tuam,
Per mortem et sepulturam tuam,
Per sanctam resurrectionem tuam,
Per admirabilem ascensionem tuam,
Per adventum Spiritus sancti Paracliti,
In die iudicii,
Peccatores,te rogamus, audi nos.
Ut nobis parcas,te rogamus, audi nos.
Ut nobis indulgeas,
te rogamus, audi nos.

Ut ad veram poenitentiam nos perducere
   digneris, ………………………………… te rogamus, audi nos (Repeat after each; means "we beseech you to hear us").
Ut Ecclesiam tuam sanctam regere, et
   conservare digneris,
Ut Domnum apostolicum, et omnes
   ecclesiasticos ordines in sancta religione
   conservare digneris,
Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare
   digneris,
Ut Regibus et Principibus christianis pacem
   et veram concordiam donare digneris,
Ut cuncto populo christiano pacem et
   unitatem largiri digneris,
Ut nosmetipsos in tuo sancto servitio
   confortare, et conservare digneris,
Ut mentes nostras ad coelestia desideria
   erigas,
Ut omnibus benefactoribus nostris sempiterna
   bona retribuas,
Ut animas nostras, fratrum, propinquorum,
   et benefactorum nostrorum ab aeterna
   damnatione eripias,
Ut fructus terrae dare et conservare
   digneris,
Ut omnibus fidelibus defunctis requiem
   aeternam donare digneris,
Ut nos exaudire digneris,
Fili Dei,
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,parce nobis, Domine.  (Spare us, Lord)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,exaudi nos, Domine.  (Have mercy on us, Lord)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis. (Have mercy on us)

Christe, audi nos.Christe, exaudi nos.Christe, audi nos.
Kyrie, eleison.Christe, eleison.Kyrie, eleison.
Pater noster... [continue in silence up to:]
V. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
R. Sed libera nos a malo.
 

Ave Maria

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Doxologia Minor

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele
Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.


Pater Noster
PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.


Gloria Patri
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorem. Amen.


Reginia Coeli
V. Regina coeli, laetare, Alleluia:
R. Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia.
V. Resrrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia.
R. Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia,
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia.
Oremus. Deus qui per ressurectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetficare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.


Hail, Holy Queen:
SALVE REGINA, Mater misericordiae. Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te Suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria. 
V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.


ANGELUS (Latin)V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. * Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Ecce ancilla Domini,
R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. * Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Et Verbum caro factum est,
R. Et habitavit in nobis.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.* Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix,
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Oremus. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.


Sanctus, Santus
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Gary Galka of DAS Distributing, Maker of the MEL Meter

Photo at Left:
NAPS Team Leader Mike Chapman and Gary Galka of DAS Distributing, maker of the MEL Meter, named after his daughter Melissa who died in a tragic auto accident in 2006.

It was an immense pleasure and honor to finally meet Gary Galka. Gary, Kim Frith and me (Mike Chapman) were able to meet up at a Ruby Tuesday's restaurant in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago. Gary makes the MEL Meter, the RT-EVP, the static pod and the P-SB7 spirit box as seen and used by paranormal investigators around the world. Gary is a warm, personable guy who deeply cares about such values as family, charity, and giving. He and his own family now help others who have lost loved-ones through the grieving process. I have spoken elsewhere about Gary's daughter Melissa, how she was lost in a tragic car accident, and how after death communications with Melissa changed Gary's life and those of his wife and other two daughters. Quite honestly, it makes me a bit uncomfortable to write about something so tragic and personal as the loss of a daughter, having a seventeen year-old of my own. I mention this however, because Gary is such an inspiration in how he has taken that unimaginable tragedy and has not run from it, or tried to escape it. Instead, he grieves, and he loves, and he acts. In short, he lives on, in just the kind of way that I'm sure Melissa is very proud of. In an age absent of heroes and inspirational men, Gary's example is certainly worth writing about.

An engineer by profession, after Mel's death Gary turned his attention to providing high quality equipment and instruments that will make a significant difference in the paranormal investigation field. It has become his passion, and it is infectious! It was a blast to hear Gary speak about instruments and equipment he has specially made for such TV stars as Zak Bagans and other plans he has for the future, which I won't mention because I'm not sure Gary wants that out just yet. It has me excited, for sure!

Most of our conversation though, centered around such human issues such as integrity, character, and building trust. Unfortunately, those aren't topics most of us spend enough time talking about. Though Kim and I had just met Gary, we spent a relaxing and very enjoyable two and a half hours speaking with a man who has amazing talent and intellect, and also works very hard to be the best he can be. I was also very struck by his deep love for his wife and children, and he spoke about the lessons learned in his life. I came away very inspired by Gary to do several things: work harder at what I do, pay attention to the small things, love the people deeply who I'm blessed to be with, let them know I love them, help the people I can help, and to be generous with my time and resources.

Thanks Gary, for taking the time to spend with us, and for sharing your life.

Connecticut Trip Inspiring!

by NAPS Team Leader Mike Chapman

Case Manager Kim Frith and I are back from an amazing weekend trip to Connecticut where we were blessed to meet Gary Galka, Tony Spera and Lorraine Warren. I'll have much more to say in the coming days about this trip, and how it has deeply inspired us to see firsthand their deep commitment and love of this field.

Photo at left:
The infamous Annabelle Doll in the Warren's occult museum. This museum impressed me more than I thought it would. It is the "real deal" and made up of countless objects from cases Ed and Lorraine handled in their long career. I took this photo with a standard digital camera.

All three of them deeply impressed us with their genuineness and friendliness as people who are down to earth and very real, humble people. I have posted here a few photos off of my camera, of Tony and Lorraine. Kim's camera has the photos with Gary, and we will get those up soon. Both of us return to work tonight 6pm to 6am, and we have a case to go to Wednesday night..."the work" (as Lorraine calls it) goes on! Enjoy the photos and more will follow soon.

Photo at Left:
Kim at the entrance to the Warren's occult museum.

Photo at Left:
Me with Lorraine. We discovered a mutual devotion to Padre Pio, and discussed this at length. What an awesome pleasure to meet her and speak to her about "the work!" She is a very strong believer and inspiration about how it is crucial to bring strong Christian faith to this field, especially demonic cases.








Photo at Left:
Mike and Tony enjoying a lighter moment.

Photo at Left:
Kim with Lorraine

Old Adams County Jail Investigation on 14th

Monday, November 14, members of the Natchez Area Paranormal Society will be investigating the Old County Jail in a full investigation. We regularly investigate the Old Jail and have had many experiences of significant paranormal activity there. On this occasion, we will have four or five special guests observing and taking part in our investigation.

As for equipment, we will be using over eight static cameras and various additional dynamic cams including two camcorders, deep infrared, full spectrum and Flir i7 thermal imaging cameras. Two DVRs will be employed, as well as many various atmospheric instruments including EMF detectors.

This investigation will also be used to train our investigators as part of our ongoing team training efforts.

Three New Investigators Join the Team!

by NAPS Team Leader Mike Chapman

Congratulations to Michelle McAllister, Betty Blanton and Jamie Walker who recently completed the application process and joined the Natchez Area Paranormal Society as Paranormal Investigators-In-Training. These ladies bring a talented array of skills, energy and ability to the Team, and we are extremely excited about them joining us. Welcome to the Team!

With the addition of these three investigators, we now have 13 paranormal investigators as part of our team. As Team Leader, I am very pleased that God has answered our prayers and has led us to the people that are part of our organization. The people we have in place now are dedicated and motivated, and are mature professionals who show up and do the work necessary. As I stated in our Team Meeting Friday night, I am extremely proud of the members and investigators we now have on our Team. The quality people that you all are, are indeed just the kind of people I want to be associated with! The people we have on the team are proving how amazingly dedicated they are to helping people, and show by their actions that they have a lot of love to give others who need our assistance.

For a list of Team Members, click here.

All of you have many other things to do, but share so unselfishly of your time, money, and gifts to make this an excellent team and set a standard for other teams to emulate. I am also very proud of your investigative talents, your hard work, your community service, the conclusions you reach, and the follow-up work you do with our clients.

Keep up the amazing work!

Websites Making Global Impact: 82 Countries

Our online presence continues to see remarkable readership and response from visitors all over the world!  October 9, 2011, marked the one year anniversary of N.A.P.S. launching our multiple website strategy.  We went public with our main website on October 10, 2010. 

That site, located at URL http://www.natchezparanormal.com 
serves as our "anchor" site and exists to meet the needs and answer the questions of potential clients who feel they may need an investigation done in their home or place of business.  Since that time, we have launched 3 more of our other total of 6 eventual/planned sites, so we still have two more remaining to build and launch.  Hopefully, we will be able to launch our Paranormal Education site and a more expanded and detailed Case Files & Evidence site sometime this year.

In a little over 12 months time, combined visits to all our sites have now gone well over the 20,000 hit count with visitors from 82 countries worldwide, and all 50  of the United States.  Thank you to all of you who visit our sites!

Our Current Sites:
Main Website: (for Clients & Basic Team Info) www.natchezparanormal.com
Blog Site: (Team News & Goings-On) www.natchezghosts.blogspot.com  This Site!
Historical Archives Site: (History) www.napshistory.blogspot.com
Demonology Site: (SOR Unit Home Site) www.napsdemonology.blogspot.com

82 Countries We've Received Visitors From:
Albania
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria

Canada
China
Columbia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
England

Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Guam
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia

Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Korea
Kuwait
Lebanon

Lithuania
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand

Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania

Russia
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan

Sweden
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Trinidad & Tobago
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United States
Ukraine
Vietnam

Wales
Zambia


Update:
Marianas Islands Republic in Pacific
Cyprus in Mediterranean


All 50 U.S. States!
We have received visitors from all 50 States! Thanks everyone for visiting our site!

Visitors from Well-Known Global Cities:
Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Kobe, Taipei, Hanoi, Ho Chi Mihn City, Mumbai, Calcutta, Kochi, Palermo, Milan, Paris, Kaiserslautern, Moscow, Glascow, Dublin, Limerick, Birmingham, Derbyshire, London, Reading, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Lima, Saint Michael, Hamilton, Ottowa, Victoria, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Washington, D.C.; Kathmandu; Cape Town; Madrid, Cairo; Reykjavik; Dubai; Athens; Tehran; Istanbul; Lima; Rio de Janero; Tel Aviv; Jerusalem; Limerick; Rangoon; Bangkok; Natchez and many more! 

Top Paranormal Sites: Top 10 and Top 100
On the website topparanormalsites, N.A.P.S., for many weeks, has consistently ranked in the top 100 of ALL genres of paranormal sites worldwide, including Ghost, UFO and Cryptozoology sites (usually in the 70 to 80 range). In addition, we consistently rank around from 5th to 8th of all Paranormal Investigators' sites - so a TOP 10 ranking in our category!

Thank you to all of you who drop in and visit, especially our regular readers!  Please let us know how we can serve you better, and what you would like to hear more about!

NAPS Team Dates - Short & Long-Term

All NAPS Members and Investigators are urged to mark the following dates in their calendars, as we scheduled the following at our Meeting Friday night:










2011:
Nov 6     Clean-up at Meadvilla cemetery

Nov 14   Old County Jail Investigation with 5 special guests

Nov 18 to
Nov 20   Mike Chapman and Kim Frith to Connecticut to meet Lorraine Warren,
                 Tony Spera & lunch with Gary Galka (maker of the MEL meter and other equipment)

Dec   2   December NAPS Team Meeting & Christmas Party

Dec 16   Mathiston, MS Investigation



2012:
June 22-23  Team Trip to AGS Haunted America Conference in Illinois

NAPS is an Official Affiliate Team of the AGS so we strongly urge EVERY member to attend this Conference!!! Start saving now! Tickets go on sale mid-January 2012. We will be driving in multiple vehicles and sharing expenses for fuel, etc.

Skype Working Well!

For the first time in a NAPS meeting, we used Skype to link to a team member who lives in another city, and the process was a rousing success. Friday night's meeting (11/4/2011) in the Civil Defense headquarters conference room was attended not just by those physically in the building!

Lauren, our investigator in Jackson, Mississippi, also attended via Skype. As with all our first time "adventures," we are looking for ways to improve the mechanics of it, but having our distant investigator "at the meeting" on video and audio was awesome! This is an effective means for our investigators who are separated from us to feel much more a part and not be as isolated as they have been in the past. It keeps them up to date on latest news, includes them in on team decisions, input on setting dates for investigations and team meetings, and all the while they can see and be seen on the screen. It's fun to use technology that works to connect us in ways we never had before! I would definitely suggest teams use Skype as a means to conduct their meetings when they have people scattered and can't easily attend meetings, especially with gas prices as high as they are. One thing however that does need to be mentioned...it certainly helps to have a very good Internet connection speed on both ends.

Team Meeting Friday 11/4 at 6:30pm

A reminder that we will be having our November NAPS Team Meeting Friday night 11/4 beginning at 6:30pm at the Civil Defense Offices on State Street.

This is located in the basement of the Sheriff's Office building on State Street, accessed in the rear of the building down the steps. The public is invited to attend, and guests are welcome. Investigators, please bring a notebook and pen to take notes. We will be going up to the Old Jail afterwards to do an outing, so bring any equipment you want to use with you.

See you there!

Dowsing Rods: I've Gone Low-Tech!

by Kim Frith, a NAPS Team Dowser

In the field of paranormal research, there are many wonderful pieces of equipment that enable us to see and hear activity while on an investigation or during an outing. (We NAPS members are notorious for impromptu trips and outings.) We are still learning subtle details on the capabilities and technical aspects of some of the high tech equipment that we have had for a long time. Michael Delorenze, our Lead Technical Mr. Fix-It, is constantly explaining features of such high-tech equipment that we have yet to take full advantage of in the field.

As we employ the latest cutting edge equipment and techniques in our quest to help those facing paranormal activity or participate in spirit rescue, I am compelled toward both ends of the spectrum: from complexity on one end, to simplicity on the other.  Truly, when the full spectrum of available technology is given consideration, evidence cross-substantiation then occurs, making for a stronger case and a more definitive resolution or finding.

For me, the simplistic or low tech piece of equipment I prefer is a set of homemade dowsing rods. I am speaking of polarity dowsing, and not "divination" dowsing. I will forgo the history and past uses of dowsing rods, to focus on the journey I have taken to understand, learn, and become efficient with their use in the realm of paranormal investigation.

It all began with Don Estes, one of our NAPS consultants, dowsing for human remains during an investigation last winter. It took all of thirty seconds for me to be interested in the concept of polarity and understanding what information the rods were communicating.  After NAPS concluded with that case, I contacted Don to see if he would be open and interested in teaching another NAPS investigator and me how to dowse.

A couple of weeks later, we were in the historical Natchez City Cemetery, freezing our tails off but otherwise elated to have our first dowsing lesson. Don said that we must find our “sweet spot” and to practice, practice, practice! In the cemetery that day, we were dowsing marked and unmarked graves, learning to distinguish the gender of those buried beneath us and measuring the length of the bodies. Did I mention that we were told to practice, practice, and practice? As our lesson progressed, Don said that both of us had a natural ability to dowse. By the end of our session, we both had found our “sweet spot” and were able to repeat our tests with accuracy. We left the cemetery with homework. You guessed it! We were instructed to practice, practice and practice.

Over the next several months, I dowsed every chance I got. In my yard where pets are buried, overgrown cemeteries, public parks, friend’s houses and investigation sites provided diverse environments for me to sharpen my skills and learn the difference between buried remains, water lines and power lines.  Dowsing rods operate on polarity, meaning opposite properties such as positive and negative. This is why it is important to find your “sweet spot”. For me, that is a place of neutrality. When I can hold my rods and they remain neutral, then I am ready to dowse. As the rods move out of the neutral position, there is a shift in polarity which requires energy. In grave dowsing, this energy comes from the polarity of the remains beneath me.

Photo at Left:

FLIRi7 photo of Kim's mentor Don Estes dowsing for remains on a case in Franklin County, Mississippi. Don was successful in locating the remains of a female, 5'7" tall, on the exact spot where a landowner said she saw the apparition of an Indian telling her, "My mother is buried here."

Now, let’s shift gears to paranormal investigations. I wanted to expand the use of dowsing rods to include my role in NAPS. Since the rods work on polarity and a shift in energy, wouldn’t it stand to reason that they would be reactive amid paranormal activity? I had to find out!

During the next few outing with NAPS members, I began to take my dowsing rods and experiment with them. As I would walk around grounds of abandoned old homes, historical site and grown up cemeteries, the rods would awaken me to numerous things present but unseen to the naked eye. Discoveries were made including unmarked graves, underground water tables and unconventional uses in ghost hunting.

It is a universal belief in the paranormal community that a spirit may draw from the atmospheric energy, batteries, and even people to manifest and communicate with living humans. As this energy is being drawn, manipulated and concentrated for use, investigators measure this activity or ask the spirit to operate a piece of equipment such as light up LEDs, speak into a recorder, turn something on or off, etc. As a fan of low tech equipment, I simply ask for this energy to be used to move the rods.

What an amazing display of energy and intelligence when an investigator asks a question and you can see the rods respond. It’s important to note here that only yes or no questions work with dowsing rods as they only move inward toward one another or outward away from each other. Changing the wording of questions or indicating the desire for the direction of yes/no responses to suddenly be reversed, helps to authenticate the communication.

Another vital piece of information to note is that you, as an investigator, must absolutely trust your dowser. Whereas water, electricity and graves can be confirmed by more than one dowser on more than one occasion, intelligent spirits may prefer to communicate with one dowser over another or may altogether stop communicating during an investigation.  Knowing that your dowser is going to be honest above all is paramount to the integrity of the investigation and the team.

I admit that dowsing isn’t an exact science. There has been much debate about dowsing and the useful techniques involved. Don Estes was right. It takes lots of practice to become proficient with your dowsing rods. If a person doesn’t spend the necessary time building the skill set for accurate and efficient dowsing, I would say they are a dowsing hobbyist and recommend you find a committed dowser to assist you in your investigation.

There has been some scientific evidence that NAPS members have gathered during dowsing rod use on investigations and outings. During a recent outing, the rods started to pulsate and “dance”, as I call it. I felt this energy and the movement of the rods and mentioned it to my team. Kimberly Delorenze immediately turned around and snapped a photo using our full spectrum camera. Upon review, a ball of energy can be seen between the two rods that I was using. Also, there are temperature differentiations seen with the FLIR when the rods are used in question and answer sessions.

Photo at Left: A close view of the photo reveals an energy orb right between the ends of the two rods. This photo was taken because the investigators suddenly sensed a presence.

As dowsing rods become more of a standard piece of equipment for NAPS, others on my team have picked up my rods and asked for instruction. As their faces light up in amazement and they say to me, “I’m not moving these rods,” I tell them that I know and watch as they discover just as I have. Then it is understood just how exhausting it is to hold them perfectly still so that your work as a dowser is pure.

I enjoy demonstrating the techniques of dowsing and watching the faces of those astonished by the movement of the rods. Michael, our Lead Technical Mr. Fix-It, is committed to educating the public concerning all investigation equipment, high and low tech, and is always ready to volunteer in demonstrations. I think he enjoys it as much as I when people learn about who we are, what we do, how we do it and the equipment we use.

As the uses of dowsing rods expand in NAPS, other investigators have come on board to learning and broadening their awareness of dowsing usefulness. It does make me happy to hear our team members now explain the use of dowsing in normal and paranormal aspects. 

If you would like more information or to schedule a free demonstration for your group, please feel free to contact me. [For Kim's contact information go to our Main Website -link below- and click on the Contacts page].

http://www.natchezparanormal.com/


Editor's Note: Other forms of low-tech equipment NAPS uses are trigger objects, era cues, spirit test items, Christian symbols and sacramentals. We maintain a large inventory of such objects and cues in a variety of categories (such as Civil War era, music, and Native American), and have been successful during investigations having a few of them manipulated by unseen spirits.

Happy All Saints Day!!!

A cartoon to brighten your evening!

The Need for Breaks From This Field

by Mike Chapman

A friend of mine phoned me yesterday and we had an interesting conversation. It centered around the idea of the need to take occasional breaks from paranormal investigating and in his and my case, demonology. Occasionally, those of us who are extremely busy with cases and handling clients who are disturbed by activity (and sometimes that activity is due to demonic, evil spirits) get so caught up in the flow of the case that we become what pilots often call "target focused." Combat pilots have become so fixated on their targets that they have sometimes flown right into the target rather than releasing their bombs and moving away to safety after the release. They don't release the bomb and take evasive action. It has happened enough in the past that aviators have a term for it: target fixation. Those of us in this field, especially leaders, can get like that sometimes, over-focused and over-fixated on "the work" (as it is often called)...on cases, the team, the people, the needs, the wants, etc. Make no mistake, there is always someone asking for help, another family who is having problems, another phone call or trip that you need to make. Then too, is the fact that we have other priorities in our lives that we may be neglecting, such as our own spouses, our children, friends, Church, or our work - which provides our income and support for our families.

So what do you do? It isn't easy to make a client wait or tell someone I can't help you right now, but sometimes it has to be done. My friend who phoned me is close to exhaustion, and I have been there too. It is an exhaustion on several levels: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, relational, and volitional. The tank - or cup - is empty. I remember when I was a missionary in Russia, in Moscow, just after the fall of communism. When I traveled through the subway tunnels, the poor and destitute would stand in long lines with their hands out begging for money. One had to walk this gauntlet every day just to get on and off the subway trains. It was tough, but there was simply no way to put money in every hand. It wasn't as if I had an abundance of money myself. This was 1993 and 1994, and my salary was a whopping three hundred dollars a month. The sad truth is, you can't meet the need by yourself.

This is why it is critical to understand the principal of giving out of the overflow.

We human beings are receptacles of God's grace and mercy as He works in our lives. He fills up our lives, our cups if you will, with His presence and His grace. That presence and grace, and its attendant mercies, is what gives us the "stuff" with which to give to others. We pass that on much like a conduit or mirror, by and through which God is reflected and poured out to and onto others. The important thing to understand is that we are not static, fixed individuals but live dynamically in an ever-changing world with ever-changing circumstances. We are always changing in our conditions and states of existence. Our emotional flow, mood, attitude, strength, physical well being, relationship health with people in our families, our workmates, our extended family, our friends, our spiritual state...is always shifting and changing. I could go on and on about how we are in a constant state of flux in both our inner and outer being. So it is with God's grace and presence within us. As we receive, we are to give out of that flow. The analogy would be that as God fills up our cup (our life) we are most effective when we minister and give to others out of the overflow.

When we give and give at a rate that is faster than what we take in or allow God to give to us, we empty out. Soon we are simply giving out of ourselves and frustration, burnout and depression can set in. That is when we must realize we have gone too far, and we must pause the giving and get back to receiving. Notice I didn't say stop the giving, just pause it. We must take the time necessary (and sometimes that can be quite a while) to fill the cup up to where it is overflowing and we can start giving again. Christ Himself often went away to the wilderness to get away from the crowds and the people and yes, to get away from meeting the needs. Why? Because He needed to be refilled by the Father. Any careful reading of the Gospels will reveal that He did this often and regularly. If Christ was God, then how much more do we need such a practice in our own lives? As team members and teammates, we need to give permission and encouragement to one another as this arises, as we "withdraw for a season" to take breaks away from the team and away from giving. Many good things happen when we do that...we get refilled, and others have the opportunity to step up - including the clients themselves. My good and very giving friend said on the phone to me yesterday that he was going to "take a break" from all of his investigating and demonology efforts for a bit.

With the above in mind, I think his is a very wise choice.
  

Horror Film Festival A Success and a Blast!

Photo at Left: Team Leaders from three of Mississippi's Paranormal Investigation Teams at the Horror Film Fest in Jackson on Saturday, left to right: Mike Chapman of NAPS of Natchez; Shelly Beard of MSSPI of Batesville, and David Childers of Truth Seekers Paranormal of Vicksburg.

What a blast! It was good to see familiar faces and some new ones at the Mississippi International Film Festival - Horror Genre, on Saturday. NAPS members Mike Chapman, Kim Frith, and Mike and Kimberly DeLorenze manned the booth for the NAPS Team. Lauren S helped out also during the afternoon and evening. These members spent the day interacting with the public, showing them EVP, photo and video evidence from cases, explaining and answering questions about the paranormal, and how our team helps people and families in need.

To Select Team Members:
I (Mike) want to thank Team Members Kim Frith, Kimberly & Michael DeLorenze and Lauren S for their hard work and dedication to make this show and our booth such a tremendous success. People, even those on our own Team, have no idea of all the hours and hours of extremely hard work, time, sweat and money that ya'll put into making our presentation and booth so professional, informative, and visually appealing. All that hard work pays off in offering the public a really well done presentation. Your efforts also help the paranormal field at large, because in presenting our field to the public in such a creative and professional way, they take us much more seriously. Even those associated with the paranormal who saw us yesterday often commented, "Ya'll are truly the real deal!!!" One of our primary goals as a Team is to change the way Mississippians and Louisianians think about the paranormal and those of us who investigate it. Due to your extremely hard work, sacrifice and dedication, you are changing minds and paradigms inside of people about how they think of us and the field. Yes, it is also difficult and hard work to haul all that equipment and gear around, pack it, load it, carry it in and out, pack it back up and unload it again, but it is worth it! (We are also getting that process down too!) Thank you! 

Photo at Left: NAPS Team Leader Mike Chapman demonstrates the MEL REM ATDD Meter to other paranormal investigators.


Challenge to NAPS Team:
To our other team members: I challenge each of you to take part in these shows, because it will deepen your understanding of the field, and how you fit into it. When you work all day at explaining and talking to real people about what we do, it changes you and expand your horizons. It's hard to explain that feeling, but it will happen! You need to take part in this at some point - not every show, but some of them. It will make you feel really good at what you do with NAPS and help you see that paranormal investigating is not just investigations and outings, but is about identity as a person and educating the general public. So, please get involved in the future - take the time out of your schedule to take part in these occasionally. We don't do these shows that often, and I'm not asking you to do every one of them, just take part every once in awhile on one. I certainly realize you have other interests and families. I guarantee you, you will come away truly blessed, so it's for your own growth and benefit that I ask you to get involved. Trust me on this.

A Bit About Our Presentation Booth:
From left to Right, our booth displayed the following: We had a large 42" high-definition TV showing a looping Power-Point presentation about NAPS. Lauren S was responsible for this presentation, and she did an amazing job - thanks Lauren! It had sections on Who we are and What we do, our Methodology; our Team; the recent investigation at Magnolia Hall; our Equipment; and samples of our Evidence. We plan to continue to improve this slide show by adding additional evidence, especially short video clips! We also plan to expand our Power Point library of presentations designed for various audiences and purposes. This, our first one, was designed for shows like this one.

Photo at Left: Kim Frith prays at the left-hand portion of our booth during the Saturday show in Jackson, Mississippi.

We next had one of our High-Def infrared cameras on a tripod with a TV monitor pointed at passers-by, so they could see themselves and see what they look like on infrared camera. This was a big hit, and offered an interactive treat with those who came by our booth. It drew lots of laughs and smiles. They could see themselves in the familiar look of what they see on Paranormal TV shows, of the eerie way a person looks in infrared. [One thing we decided we would do in the future is to record this, as some of the interaction and responses were priceless - things we could show clips of in the future to draw laughs and help people have a good time!] In front of these TV's was a sign-up sheet for our monthly newsletter The Guardian, and a cover of the newsletter itself in an attractive plastic stand-up display. We had over 16 people sign-up for this by using this sign-up form. Kim Frith manned this portion of the booth for most of the day.

Next in line was a large spread of some of our equipment that we use on investigations, including EMF detectors and meters, photographic cameras and camcorders, ITC and EVP recorders; atmospheric instruments and static pods, samples of trigger objects, and our communications equipment. Items like the FLIR i7 camera made a big hit during the show as people got to look at each other through the thermal imaging system. Mike Chapman manned this section of the booth. People were very impressed with our equipment and were amazed at what all goes into an investigation.

Photo at Left:
NAPS Lead Tech Michael DeLorenze plays EVP evidence for a couple of ladies at our booth.

Next was our EVP and audio evidence portal, which was a dedicated laptop showing Wavepad audio software. Michael DeLorenze would play select EVP that we had collected for people to listen to. He had a splitter with two sets of headphones on it so two people could listen at the same time. It was a big hit, and peoples' eyes would grow large as they listened to spirit voices. Then, on another dedicated laptop, Kimberly DeLorenze had video and photo evidence that people could see of us in action with anomalies such as true orbs and ghost photos. This also was a big hit.

Finally, there was a very impressive large display board on an easel with much of our printed evidence photos and information from select investigations. This display was put together by Kim Frith and caught a lot of attention. The booth overall was professionally presented with black floor-length table cloths, signage, colorful images, TV and computer screens, and friendly, helpful and informative people manning each section. We also had a portion of one table with items for sale, such as bumper stickers, shirts, and hats. This is something we came away with yesterday as wanting to put more effort into in the future, to raise more money for the team, as we are a non-profit organization that needs donations and sales in order to operate. Yesterday we brought in $42. Not great, but a start in the right direction, as every dollar counts.

A lot of detailed thought and planning went into our booth, and even more work to execute it. We come away from shows like this (and the Fright Fest last February) with a written list of new ideas and improvements to incorporate into our booth going forward. We compiled a list yesterday of how we can get even better, but I must say it was very impressive and I was very proud of NAPS! We also were approached about participating in three upcoming venues in the future. Good work guys!!!