Ghost Hunt with PIM July 26, 2008
My ghost hunt with PIM went great. Only Noah and Deidre showed up this time. The other members that were to come had something come up at the last minute. They showed up about 6:30 PM. They unpacked and Noah showed Deidre around the shop, as she's never been at my place before. I think this was her first real ghost hunt she had been on. After they did all the base readings, we set the radio's to static to make like a white noise while we went to Koffee Kup to get something to eat. I left poor Otis in the shop to wait for us.
After dinner, we all walked back to the shop with a yummy treat in hand for Otis. He was so happy to see we came back to get him. He stands in the front window watching for us to return the whole time. He was giving us all kisses, because he was so happy that we returned and didn't forget him. Phil then left with Otis and we got set up to start the ghost hunt.
Noah, Deidre and I all headed downstairs. We looked around to see where we wanted to start. We headed into the book room and looked around, then we went into the furniture room and just sat very still and listened. While sitting very still and quiet, we wanted to see if we could hear any noises. We sat for a long time like this, just listening. We heard nothing, which Noah thought was a bit strange. Usually when a person sits like this, you can hear little creaks of the building settling or something, we heard nothing at all. We then did a EVP session there. We heard a few strange noises, but nothing to much, It's funny how when we sat so still and quiet, we heard none of these noises and when we start talking we then hear them. Just something to think about.
After that we went into the way back rooms to what we call Simon's room. We did another EVP session in this room and then headed back to the back storage room, also known as the pizza room. We stood in there for a bit and did more evp work. I took a lot of pictures in all of these rooms. Nothing to much happened so we left the back rooms. Deidre was feeling a bit uneasy in the back rooms.
We then went into the book room, and the hallway between the book room and holiday rooms. We all sat in the hallway for awhile. Noah started saying he felt uneasy. He said he felt like something was by him. He asked us ladies to take pictures in his direction. We did that right away. I took many pictures and the only one that had anything in it was an orb. I took about 50 or more pictures that night and this is the only one that had a solid orb in it. Maybe about 3 other pictures out of all of these had what I think might of been dust orbs. This one was different though.
We then went upstairs for a cookie and popcorn break. We all talked for a bit. Then Noah and Deidre headed up to the top floor. They did a evp session up there. Noah said this is the first time he felt uneasy upstairs. He felt like something was by him and didn't want to look behind him. I don't know if they got any good pictures upstairs yet. They then came downstairs for another break.
We then headed back downstairs to the furniture room. While sitting there, Noah and Deidre heard what they thought was a cry or a cat cry. While Noah was taking movies, he heard a strange noise and then all of a sudden an orb went flying in his viewer of the camera. It sent around so strange. Almost like making a J, Noah said. At least we got it on tape. Noah has no idea what it was, but it was cool looking. He said it didn't float like dust does, it went really fast and then up and then down again.
We then came back upstairs for a break and decided to call it a night. I always sleep in the toy room, but Noah and Deidre were going to stay downstairs in the furniture room. Well by the time we were ready to bed down, everyone stayed on the main floor. I fell asleep fast so I didn't hear anything all night. Nothing seemed to make me upstairs during the night. All in all it was a great ghost hunt and I'm hoping they were able to gather some evidence. We did have the few person experience's, which were cool
Tags: Ghost Hunt Elsing's 2nd Hand Shop Spirits Ghosts Haunted
Ghost hunt with PIM
July 19, 2008
Sherry Strub (book writer of Ghost of Madison Wisconsin) was invited to the ghost hunt at our shop. Sherry showed up about 4:00 just as we were closing the shop. We invited her in to have a look around before we left. It was great meeting Sherry for the first time. She did a chapter in her book on my shop, so this ghost hunt was very special to us. Sherry will be writing about this ghost hunt in her upcoming book, “Ghost of Wisconsin” which will be coming out in the late fall.
After we all met each other, I had to leave to go get things ready for PIM to come in. Phil showed Sherry around the shop and then they both left. Sherry looked around town until everyone showed up around 6:00. The PIM investigators that came to the ghost hunt were: Noah, Steve, Candice, and Karen. It was Karen's first time in our building. Sherry, Phil, Otis and I were also at the shop. Otis was glad to meet everyone and loved all of them After everyone met each other, did a walk through of the building and got all the base line readings, we all headed to the Koffee Kup to get something to eat.
Back at the shop around 7:30 everyone started setting things up, Otis was very glad when we came back. He hates to stay in the shop alone. I can't say that I blame him, but it's to hot outside for him. After setting up, we all sat down and talked about Candice and Karen's reading of the shop. They are both sensitives. They came up with about the same things. They both saw a little girl, both saw a man downstairs, and an old lady was seen upstairs by Karen. I'm not sure if Candice saw her or not. We were told that the man (Simon) was not happy that Sherry was with us. That perked Sherry up, as this was her first ghost hunt to be on. Sherry offered to stay on the first floor as to not cause any problems for the ghost team. They all said, “NO”. We want you with us. It might stir things up.
Phil and Otis then went home for the night. We then all split into two teams. I was on a team with Steve, Karen. We all headed downstairs to check things out. We walked into the way back of the storage rooms. The room known as Simon's room. We tried to make contact with him. Nothing seemed to be happening. We then headed into the furniture room. We sat down and did an evp session. Karen also used a pendulum. I had never seen one of them work before, so that was very interesting. We asked questions and got answers. At one point the pendulum was swinging just wild. Karen had to ask it to please calm down. I really enjoyed watching all of this, We then went into the book room and did some more evp and pendulum work. After that, we all met on the main floor and took a break.
After the break, my team then headed upstairs and the other team went downstairs. I decided to sit this round out. It's so darn hot upstairs and I can not take the heat at all, so I went out on the steps and sat outside until that round was over.
The next round we all headed to the basement as a full team. We all headed into the back rooms of the basement.
We stood in different places and Candice said that the man ghost (Simon) was watching us. We all stood our posts to see if we could get anything to happen. Nothing happening, we gave up and headed to the furniture room. We all spread out and started an evp session. While doing this, Steve got a strange scent of roses. Candice also could smell the roses, but none of the rest of us could. Noah then found some bottles of perfume sitting behind Steve. One of the bottles did have the cover off. Must have been a customer checking it out and never put the the cover back on. We then had Steve smell the bottle and he said it was not the same thing he was smelling. They then had Steve go to the far end of the room and I took the open bottle with me and sat it behind Steve. Steve then sat there and tried to see if he could smell the roses again. Nothing. Now I would think if it was the perfume that Steve was smelling then he would smell it on the other side of the room also, since I put the bottle right behind him. I then took a bunch of pictures and I got one picture with a moving bright orb in it. This picture was taken at the same time Steve was smelling the rose smell. Candice then did what is called automatic writing. that was very interesting. Noah would ask questions and Candice would write the answers on a paper. I had never seen that done before it was all very interesting to me. I really enjoyed watching that. I can not remember all the questions and answers. It will be written up in my report though.
We then headed upstairs for another break. Sat around and talked for a bit. Sherry then left and I went to bed. I think everyone else did also. The whole group slept downstairs in the furniture room.
While laying in bed on the main floor, no one moving around, I was almost asleep, and I was startled by a sound. If I had dosed off, it sure woke me up fast. I can't really describe the noise I then heard. It was almost like a screech. It was a very strange noise. I just thought to myself, maybe I was dreaming and I didn't really hear it, then all of a sudden it happened again. The same noise. I have no idea what it might have been. That was the last of it. I then fell asleep and didn't wake until morning.
After getting up in the morning, Steve came upstairs. He said after they went to bed, they all heard a very loud noise downstairs. They also have no idea what it might have been. Steve said it sounded like something got dropped. I think they all heard it. I can't wait to get the report back and see if they found any evidence from that night.
Below please check out my picture and let me know what you think this could be. I would love to hear what everyone has to say about it. Thanks. Vicky
Tags: Ghost Hunt Elsing's 2nd Hand Shop Spirits Ghosts Haunted
Ghost hunt at Elsing's provides participants with fun, intrigue
No conclusive paranormal activity found
Written by Eric Nielsen
Stoughton Courier Hub
Ever hear a giggle emanating from your attic, but no one was there? Do strange, unearthly shapes and patterns fill your house in the dead of the night?
Such paranormal-phenomena are alleged to occur at the Elsing's Second Hand Shop, 421 E. Main St., where store owners Vicky and Phil Elsing sell curios and antiques. With “super-natural events” taking place in their shop, and customers interested in the private lives of the store's spirits, Vicky and Phil recently decided to hold a ghost hunt at the store, under the supervision of two “ghost hunters.”
Prior to the “hunt,” Vicky explained the shop, which has already been investigated by ghost hunters numerous times, would be visited by a group called Ghost Researchers in Madison (GRIM).
“I'm doing this (investigation) as a favor to some of my customers,” Vicky said, “who are curious about our ghost.”
The shop, which is adorned throughout with elephant paraphernalia, has a rich, macabre history.
Old newspaper clippings Vicky has collected note the building was constructed in 1891 as Stoughton's Grand Hotel. During the Roaring Twenties, it became something of a den of ill-repute, bootlegging alcohol and meat, and even serving as a brothel.
On Nov. 26, 1925, Stoughton Justice of the Peace Saxe Hoverson Sr. rented a room for the night and jumped to his death from one of the building's third-story windows, for reasons unknown.
Vicky said so far, paranormal investigators have found evidence of several spirits on the property. “Most of the (paranormal) activity is in our basement and furniture room,” she said. “We've had an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) recording done in our book room, where a little girl's voice was heard.”
On the wall of the shop near the store's glass counter and register, rests a portrait of a little girl, which has been at the store since it opened.
Vicky said the girl in the portrait may be the little girl heard on the EVP, and since they are uncertain where the portrait came from, they have decided to take it off the market in respect for the dead.
The Ghost Hunt
The resale shop has seen its fair share of investigators, many who have experienced the supernatural while conducting on-site research.
Two GRIM members visited the resale shop on a Saturday night in April and gave a demonstration to several curious customers about how to successfully conduct a paranormal investigation.
Lead investigator Terre Sims and researcher Carol (who chose to not provide her last name) led the group, starting with a discussion on the finer points of researching a location before attempting an investigation.
“Most of the hunt is boring, quiet observation,” Sims told the gathered customers, adding, however, there is a lot of pre-work that needs to be done before the on-site observation.
“When a client comes to us believing they have experienced paranormal activity, we have them fill out a form to (acquire) the facts about their place.” Carol Said.
She explained historical societies and libraries are the investigator's best friends, and the history of any building or location that may be haunted should be thoroughly investigated before the search begins.
“Has anything tragic happened in a building?” Carol said. “That's what you should be looking for.” She also said to look for the oldest property survey that can be found, as “Property lines, streets, and even counties change over time.”
The GRIM ladies explained equipment to bring to any hunt can be both simple and complex. Hats are important, to keep errant hair out of any pictures that may be taken, which could skew results. Compasses are used to see if the needle changes direction suddenly.
Flashlights are especially necessary, since the majority of a hunt is conducted in the dark. Cameras and voice recorders are used to document paranormal phenomena. “Take several pictures of the same shot.” Sims said, “So that you have something to reference.”
Referencing is important for ghost hunting: a single picture of an unidentified object could be anything: it may be a spirit, but it could also be a smudge on the camera or a speck of dust floating around. Multiple snapshots at the same angle can identify if anything has moved in the frame or not. “If at all possible, you want to find an explanation for what you are experiencing,” Sims said. “Debunking gives things that can't be debunked credibility.”
Several items used by experienced ghost hunters include electro-magnetic field readers and temperature guns. EMF readers are typically used to measure the amount of electro-magnetic fields near power outlets or machines, but for a hunt they are used to measure EM fields where they shouldn't be. The same is true for temperature guns. GRIM even has four infrared cameras, which are set up to monitor several angles in the dark.
One of the most important rules about ghost hunting is to bring extra batteries. For some unexplained reason, they seem to give out when used to search for ghosts, which this reporter found out while taking pictures of the portrait of the little girl. The camera's freshly recharged batteries gave out while taking pictures of the little lady.
Safety rules for a successful hunt includes: stay in a group, and never split up. “Also, if you're alone and an apparition walks by, you won't have any verification by yourself,” Sims said. “One of the most important things to remember, though, is that (ghost) can't hurt you.”
The search for the spirits haunting the Elsing's shop began in the basement furniture room, where the lights were turned out and everyone sat in a large circle. Sims and Carol asked questions of any spirits that may inhabit the room, and an EVP of the interview and possible responses was recorded.
There is something thrilling about sitting in a pitch-black room, asking the deceased questions with the hope some sort of answer will come. The experience was reminiscent of a séance, without the hoodoo.
The process was repeated in the basement's back storage room, which had the chill of a late-night morgue. After the EVP's, the group took a break and then was allowed to roam the shop, snapping pictures of anything unusual.
Is Ghost hunting for you?
Sims said the mindset for a hunt should be “As open as possibility of things that exist that we don't have any information about.”
“There is no certification (for paranormal investigation).” Carol said. “It is an unproven science, so (Physical) scientists balk at it.”
The two ladies explained although it is an expensive hobby, clients should never expect to pay someone to research a haunted property, “There is no such thing as a 'professional' ghost hunter.” Sims said. “No one is an expert at this.”
During the hunt, participants saw a shadowy object in the back room of the basement, and felt like they were being watched from the stairwell leading to the basement.
Very spooky, and quite possibly the other inhabitants of the store checking up on the hunt.
In a follow-up interview, Vicky said GRIM hadn't found any conclusive evidence of spiritual activity during the night's hunt, however.
It happens sometimes, when there are a lot of people in the store,” Vicky said, regarding the lack of an appearance by her store's spiritual residents.
For more information about GRIM and their ghost hunts and other events, call Sims at 608-345-6477.
Tags: Ghost Hunt Elsing's 2nd Hand Shop Spirits Ghosts Haunted
