EDMOND — Edmond emerged more than 100 years ago, from the Land Run of 1889, time enough for all manner of spooky stories to be told and retold.

It’s an average American town by day, but if you look and listen you’ll learn that things go on here that can’t be explained by science, such as stories — some true, some maybe not — about a haunted middle school or a deserted, haunted circus site.

In 2005, a paranormal team conducted an investigation at Mitchell Hall on the University of Central Oklahoma campus.

Past reports of strange activity — “people” walking across the stage when no one was there, noises emanating from hidden sources  — brought the Paranormal Research of Organized Studies (PROS) Investigations team to the theater, UCO’s performing arts venue since 1926.

One of the team members was installing a sound and lighting system a decade earlier during the Christmas holiday when he heard noises downstairs like furniture being moved. He investigated and found all the doors chained shut.

In another experience, he heard people on the stage but once again no one was found.

The events were random but occurred often enough to make someone wonder what was happening.

During a sweep of the theater, the team reported several unexplained events. Most of the anomalies seemed to be in the balcony. After the team heard some noise, photos revealed some orbs.

After the second team made their way through the building, the investigators conducted a “sit down” on the stage. They heard several sounds in the area that every team member heard. Several electronic voice phenomena — a male voice whispering and laughing — were captured.

The word “paranormal” means beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.

Ron Cross, founder of PROS Investigations, one of the researchers at the Mitchell Hall investigation, had some unexplained experiences, saw some things on television and later became a certified parapsychologist.

Cross said when it comes to investigations and examining evidence — video footage, audio recordings, etc. — he’s cautious, and approaches the work from a scientific perspective.

“I’m definitely a skeptic. I’ve been to Missouri too many times,” he said of the Show Me State. “You’re going to have to show me.”

Cross said while many people are hesitant to report unexplained experiences to organizations like his, in recent years “a lot” of people have decided to become paranormal investigators. PROS Investigations occasionally receives calls from Edmond.

The field, Cross said, is becoming more mainstream. Giving members of the general public opportunities to be part of an investigation may be one reason why.

You can join PROS Investigations for a live paranormal investigation. The team takes folks through an old warehouse in Guthrie that dates back to the late 1800s. Members and guests have experienced activity in the building for more than three years.

The next public investigation is Saturday night beginning at 8 p.m. Each begins with a seminar covering the equipment the team uses and the theories and techniques it applies in paranormal research. Many of the team members are certified parapsychologists.

For more information, including cost, call 517-8046 or e-mail prosghosthunters@yahoo.com.



PARA-COM RADIO

Larry Moore is the lead investigator for the Northeast Oklahoma Research Society, which conducts resident, commercial and recreational paranormal investigations.

Moore said television shows and movies increase interest in the field, and have contributed to more people feeling more comfortable. Recently, his organization has received a lot of residential cases, more so from urban areas than rural areas, he said.

The organization has conducted investigations as far away as Yukon, and Moore has heard about Mitchell Hall. He has investigated theaters in Ponca City and Pawhuska. The location and history of a building are important pieces of information, which can be found in public records from court clerks, city halls and libraries, Moore said.

Like Cross, Moore is a skeptic when it comes to evidence, and he is well aware that he doesn’t have all the answers to all the questions about the paranormal, which is why he does what he does.

“I’ve seen things and I’ve experienced things I can’t explain,” Moore said.

Like Cross, Moore takes paranormal research seriously, and says he does it to help people find answers and peace of mind in their own homes. All investigations by the Northeast Oklahoma Research Society are conducted by background-checked investigators, a common practice in the field.

Moore’s organization hosts a paranormal community radio show that streams at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday night on the Internet at www.norsonline.com.



GHOSTBUSTER WANTED

Christy Selfridge is the founder of OKPRI, which declares the paranormal is the normal just not yet understood.

Selfridge said the organization’s members are dedicated to the cause of paranormal research and investigation, remaining skeptical yet open-minded when it comes to paranormal phenomenon.

The organization offers paranormal services including residential investigations, businesss investigations, research services, evidence review and public events.

During a residential investigation, the team will come to a property and conduct tests to see if what the owner is experiencing is the result of natural causes. This may include the use of night vision cameras, EMF meters and photo and audio devices. Any evidence collected is shared.

OKPRI is conducting a confidential  investigation at an Edmond home, Selfridge said. The team conducts “a lot” of residential investigations, she said. There is no charge for the services.

Selfridge said currently there are 10 members on the team, and there is one position open for someone to help with investigations and research. For details about the opportunity, call 922-2198.

The team investigates about 300 cases a year, and it seems as if there are more each year, Selfridge said. Maybe it’s because more people are open to the paranormal or people are more educated about the issue or they are not afraid to seek help, she said.

It could also be part of a spiritual awakening connected to world events, Selfridge said. It may not be “the biggest interdimensional cross rip since the Tunguska blast of 1909” of “Ghost Busters” fame — or is it?



marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108