Upcoming investigation at the Anguish Asylum Haunted House

Hello friends!

We realize that it has been a while since we last posted on our blog, but we have been up to some very exciting things and we can't wait to share it with you all. If you follow our Facebook page, you know that we are going to be investigating the Anguish Asylum Haunted House on October 10th! We have been speaking with the owner of this Provo attraction, Randy, and it has been an honor to work with him.

The Anguish Asylum is located in the parking structure under the Provo Town Centre Mall on 1200 Town Centre Blvd. While the mall can be a scary place to some, it is more the location that is our interest for this investigation. During the winter of 1918-1919, the Spanish Flu epidemic swept across the entire world, taking over 500 million people with it. In Provo alone, there were over 200 documented deaths from this deadly virus. **Please note: This number does not include the immigrant workers that were in the community that were not documented.** The illness would take out whole families within days. There was a $50 fine for 30 days in jail for anyone who traveled into or out of Provo, for fear that the illness would spread. It was also the first documented spreading of the H1N1 virus that spread in 2009.

By the end of the epidemic, 1500 Utahns had died from the the flu. Utah was ranked 3rd in the nation for most deaths. More Utahns were killed by the flu than by battle in World War I.

The hospitals and mortuaries were overflowing with the bodies of the flu victims. The city decided to set up a make-shift hospital and morgue...on the very spot where our haunted house now stands. We have found many stories about the location that are very important to the history of Utah, and also to lead us to believe there may be more than just actors scaring the patrons of the Asylum.

We will be posting more stories about the location as we get closer to our investigation. Check out our Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalIlluminationSociety and learn how you can win a chance to come with us!

74 more days!

It's hard to believe we have neglected this blog for so long. Thank you for everyone that has followed us on Twitter and Facebook. We are hoping to get more investigations lined up soon. Check out our Facebook page for our Asylum 49 investigation we did a few months ago. We will be posting more as we get closer to the most wonderful day of the year...October 31st!!!

Empress Theater EVP’s…

We are excited to start reporting on our investigation from our investigation at the Empress Theater. I want to start by once again thanking those people who were so kind as to grant us access to the theater, and allow us to investigate. We had a good time, and felt blessed to be given this opportunity!

This first EVP was taken in the basement of the theater. We hit a very‘Cold Spot’ and decided to start an evp session. One of our investigators named Holly was in the room with us and she was sensing something was with us in the room…..you will hear one of our investigators asking questions to see if there are any entities in the room. He is asking them to use our energy to speak to us, and as he is telling the entity to draw from us you will hear the entity say “Holly”….. We looped the feed so you can hear it at the end.

This next EVP takes place later in the evening…..WE are near one of the costume closets also located in the basement. This is an area where there have been reports of activity, things moving, things being taken etc. We all heard a loud noise coming from the closet as something was thrown at us. You will hear the object hit the ground behind us, and then one of our investigators asking….”What was that?”

This final EVP was taken at almost the end of the evening…we were wrapping things up and you hear one of our investigators saying  he hasn’t sensed much, but would it be funny it we ended up with four or five EVP’s……You then hear an eerie laugh coming from behind him.

As with all our EVP’s please take them for what they are worth, and let us know what you think! Also stay tuned because we are not done evaluating our data…

Empress Theater…..

We are very excited to have been granted access to the Empress Theater in Historic Magna, Utah. This is an investigation that we have wanted to do for some time now!

A little background onThe Empress Theatre; This majestic theater opened in 1916 originally as a Burlesque show for the local miners at Kennecott. In 1917 it began showing silent movies. The theater remained open as a movie theater through at least 1930.

The theater sat vacant for nearly 50 years until the late 70’s when it was purchased and an extensive renovation began. The theater then passed through multiple owners and it was nearly 30 years later before it finally re-opened in 2006.

This theater is full of history, intrigue, and multiple ghost sightings, and we hope to uncover some of her mysteries!

Ogden Exchange II…

We have been posting about the Ogden Exchange investigation for a few weeks now, and after going over all the evidence we would like to present this EVP for you…

Here is some background; our little team of investigators was doing an EVP session in the main lobby of the Exchange building. Part way through the session, we could see something moving down the end of one of the long hallways. 3 of us saw the figure (or outline) of a woman coming in and out of one of the rooms, and stepping into the hall. After watching it for a few minutes we went down to the end of the hall and proceeded to ask questions.

You will first here one of our female investigators asking if the entity wants the men in the room to leave…..you will then hear another of our investigators say “There it is” (we were doing the mag light test, were you turn off a mag light and set it on the floor. You then ask questions for the entity and ask it to turn the light on for yes or off for no).  When our female investigator asked if the entity wanted the men to leave…..the light turned on. That was why our other investigator Sais,” There it is”. You then hear one last question, “Do you want the men to leave? If you want the men to leave turn it off again and the men will leave.”

If you listen closely you will hear something / someone starting talk behind the final question….and then you will hear a very distinct female voice say, “Yes Sir” …. We looped the audio, so that you can hear it a few times in a row.

WE feel that this was a direct response to the question being asked.

Shadow Figures / Shadow People…..

Shadow figures, and shadow people are one of those “controversial” subjects; (However, let’s face it…if you decide to become a paranormal investigator EVERYTHING about this field is controversial)… But shadow people and shadow figures are at the top of the list.

I don’t usually turn to television programs for examples, BUT this scene from The Ghost Adventures, has got to be one of the very best examples I have seen caught on film. Some may say its all a hoax, and I cannot say whether this particular example is real or not..(However I believe it is). I can say that I have indeed seen such shadow figures for myself, and so I know they are out there.

Please take just a minute to watch this, and let us know what you think!!

Passive Infrared Motion Sensors Anyone?

Motion sensors are used in ghost investigations to monitor activity and to alter the investigating crew of potential activity. The model we use (and will be testing out on our next investigation) uses a basic sensor to detect both heat and motion (within a 3’ radius of the device). If there is either a sudden increase of heat or if there is movement around the device it will light up for 30 seconds.

Other investigators have used them in rooms that didn’t seem to have any activity, however after reviewing their data they discovered there was in fact activity. Both the sensors were activated, and they reordered EVP’s that went along with the triggered sensor.

We will let you know how it goes, and give you our feedback!

Is Paranormal Investigating a Passing Fad?....

For those of you who think that investigating the paranormal (or ghost hunting) as it has been dubbed is a new thing introduced through the modern “reality T.V.” phenomenon, take a look at this:

The first recorded ghost investigation was in 100 AD by Pliny the Younger, a lawyer, author and magistrate in ancient Rome. He wrote about the investigation of a haunted house in ancient Athens. Even before that, in biblical times the followers of Jesus though Jesus himself was a ghost walking on water. That reference has to say something about the ancient belief in ghosts.

In 168, one of the first full time ghost investigators was Joseph Glanville. He was a chaplain of King Charles II, and he investigated paranormal activity all across the British Isles. His most famous case was the Drummer of Tedowrth, and he even published his results in Saducismus Triumphant.

The first recorded organization (formed for the purpose of investigating haunted locations) was the Ghost Club, founded in London in 1862. In the mid 1880’s the American Psychological Association suggested applying scientific method to paranormal investigating and the idea gained strong support fro England. As a result the Society for Psychical Research was formed in order to study the existence of ghosts or spirits. This group is STILL in existence today!!

So when people say that paranormal research is bogus, and a passing fad that will die with reality T.V.…. you know it’s been around a lot longer than anyone of us!!

Thomas Edison….Father of the modern EVP!

Thomas Edison was one of the most respected scientists in modern history, and he believed that it would one day be possible to build a machine that would help humans communicate with the dead! In a 1920 essay, Edison wrote: "Now what I propose to do is furnish psychic investigators with an apparatus which will give a scientific aspect to their work."

Eddison is also quoted as saying: "If our personality survives, then it is strictly logical or scientific to assume it retains memory, intellect, other faculties and knowledge we acquire on Earth.
Therefore...if we can evolve an instrument so delicate as to be affected by our personality as it survives in the next life, such an instrument, when made available, ought to record something."
~Thomas Alva Edison~

Early EVP’s have been recorded since the introduction of sound recording in the early 1900’s At first these unexplained voices were dismissed as anomalies, but as early as 1936 scientists began looking at EVP’s as possible “Voices from the Universe”

In 1982, Sarah Estep developed a rating system for EVPs: Class C are the faintest recordings, sometimes indecipherable; Class B voices are louder, clearer, and make more sense; and Class A voices are clear, can be heard without headphones and can even be duplicated onto other tapes. This system gives a new researcher a way to describe the EVPs he or she discovers to others in terms they will understand.

Ghost, Mist, Smoke, or Light???

Believe me when I tell you the list of non-believers is immense compared to those that do believe in the paranormal. This is why we do our best to prove as well as disprove everything that we can.

That being said I wish to present another photo taken from our Ogden Exchange Investigation last month. The interesting thing about this photo is that one of our investigators saw something moving in the corner of the room. None of the rest of us saw anything so a few of our members started taking pictures. In a group of probably 6-10 photos taken one after the other this photo was the only one that had anything show up on it.

To us it appears to be a paranormal mist; which is believed to be swirling energy that resembles fog, illuminated by light. It is something that can be seen by the human eye (but typically it is captured by camera because the phenomenon happens so fast).

As with all our evidence, we present it to you and want you to make your own conclusions!!

Ogden Exchange Building…

Last month we were privileged to do an investigation in the Ogden Exchange building. This building is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in Utah. This building was erected in 1930 and used as a livestock exchange until 1959 when Weber County purchased it and converted it into the Weber County Mental Health Institute.

There have been murders, suicides, and one reported death due to a heart attack.

We did get some very compelling EVP’s…(coming soon)….But we wanted to present this picture. The first picture is the original. At the time it was taken one of our investigators stated that they could see something in the hall.

At first glance this is what the photo looked like. Our tech manager then started lightening up the photo to see if we could get anything from the shadow.

So here is the same photo lightened up a bit……Look closely on the left (you can click on the photo to see it in a larger frame). Upon seeing an outline our tech manager zoomed in on the now lighted photo and this is what we got.

As always, we are not claiming that this is necessarily paranormal…however we did have an investigator see something in the hall, and there does appear to be the outline of a person coming out of the doorway.

It was a really good investigation, and we will be posting more about it soon!

Welcome To The New Team…

We want to welcome all of our Salt City Ghost Seekers friends! This will be their new home. We have combined forces to create a bigger and better team of like minded individuals.

Don’t we worry we will still be investigating and posting our findings as usual; we will still be answering questions and doing our best to help “illuminate” the paranormal.

Please stay tuned for some really important updates and an exciting new chapter for all of us here.

*Support Your Local Haunted Attractions*….

We have highlighted a number of really cool haunted attractions this month, spanning the nation to bring you highlights from some of the biggest and best haunted attraction around.  Now that the big day is here…Halloween… we urge you to go out and support your local Haunted Attractions.

We will be heading out to the brand new “FearFactory SLC” this evening….Despite a late start and rocky opening we are SUPER impressed with what they have been able to pull off…

Located at 666 W. 900 S. in SLC, Utah…we will see you tonight! (Please join us)!!

The Number One Haunted Corn Maze for 2011…..

Don’t think we forgot about you Haunted Corn Maze!! According to Hauntworld.com the spot for number one haunted corn maze goes to the ‘Spookywoods Corn Maze” in High Point NC. It boasts the most massive maze in the United States with a number of cool attractions including;

House of Darkness

Enter the dark house of fun and fear.  Can you find your way out of our twisted imagination?

 

Prison Break

Jump aboard the tram and keep an eye out for the convicts. The woods are full of fugitives on the loose, they have taken control over the rail road and are plotting to derail the train.  Can your group stop these low life’s before they blow up the town?

 

Fright Lights

Hold on to your date, or any hot person near by.  It’s time to enter into Fright Lights. Find your way through our amazing laser light show where what looks like a tree might just be a slobbering monster!

 

Spookywoods

Enter into the unknown world of Spookywoods. This fall we have created some of the most creative sets in our history.  Something new and very twisted awaits our loyal fan base. This attraction is not for the faint of heart, prepare yourself for the most shocking set we have ever created as you enter into the hornets nest. Caution, how long can you hold your breath?

 

Military Zombie Shoot-out

Kersey Valley is the first haunted attraction in the USA to use this state of the art laser tag interactive technology.  Grab your laser gun and make your way through the barracks, mess hall, fuel depot, medical tent and the ammo storage area as you shoot zombies with your laser gun!  There is also mission to take out a guard on top of the tower. The crawling zombies are the easiest to kill since they don’t shoot back, but watch out for the Sargent and Boss Zombies as they do shoot back. This year FEAR FIGHTS BACK!

Best Haunted Attraction Website for 2011….

Ok boys and girls, this was a VERY difficult one indeed…. There are so many really good haunted attraction websites out there, some are scary, some are funny, some are a total assault on the senses and some just tell a really good story! Sooooo we have come up with a two first place winners, (because it was just too hard to pick an absolute favorite). These two sites combine the best of all worlds, they are creepy, they are well put together, and they are entertaining all at the same time. Check them out, explore the links, and have fun!!

Dead Acres…(In Pataskala, Ohio)

“We set out to stand out: Dead Acres is a full sensory assault. Taking you by the throat and dragging you down the rabbit hole and into the realm of heart pounding in your face horror show….”

House of Shock…(New Orleans, Louisiana)

“THE BEST PART ABOUT THE HOUSE OF SHOCK OUTDOOR HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL IS THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE!*

So if The House of Shock was too intense for you before... Now you can come out to enjoy the festival and watch all of your friends, family and total strangers get the $#!T scared out of them! There is no better entertainment than that!....”

Best Haunted Attraction Promo for 2011…..

We have been reviewing the 2011 haunted attraction promo's from all over the nation. Some have been really well done, and believe me when I tell you some of them just plain stink…

What people in the haunting business (who make a name for themselves and are successful) have realized is that you have to market your product successfully. You may have the very best haunted attraction in the nation, but if you don’t market it well, and you do a poor job presenting yourself to the public, no one will come to see you.

It was a tough decision but we felt this years best Haunted Attraction Promo was The Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted House in Ulster Park, New York..!!



The Exorcism of Annelise Michel…

~Anneliese Michel
(September 21, 1952 – July 1, 1976)~

(WARNING: This audio File is VERY DISTURBING in nature)…. It is actual audio footage from the REAL exorcism and should only be listened to by consenting persons.

Quite easily the most controversial exorcism of all times …. This is the real life story that the movies “Requiem” 2006 and “The Exorcist of Emily Rose” 2005 are loosely based on.

Anneliese was born in Bavaria Germany to a strict Catholic family. At age 16 she began having convulsions and was diagnosed with epilepsy. She soon began having hallucinations, and suffered from depression, and also began hearing voices in her head.

She was admitted to a psychiatric treatment hospital but her depression and overall condition did not improve. She was given various anti psychotic medications (and many specialists believed that this would help her condition).

Anneliese and her family became convinced that she was suffering from demonic possession and during a ten month period from 1975-1976 some 76 exorcism sessions took place. Once the exorcisms began (and at her own request) the doctors and medication were no longer used.

On July 1^st 1976 Anneliese died in her sleep. The autopsy report stated cause of death as malnutrition and dehydration….she only weighed 68 lbs. at the time of death.

Two years later the priest and her parents were pronounced guilty in a court of law of manslaughter resulting from negligence.

Doppelganger Apparitions, A Controversial and Hot Topic….

The word Doppelganger comes from German Folklore (Double Walker) is what the word literally means, and it refers to a paranormal double of a living person.

Here is where it gets a bit muddy….Some sources say it is an evil apparition that takes on your form (and the only entities that can do that are usually demonic in nature). Other sources say it is strictly an omen of death, if you see your Doppelganger it is the ‘grim reaper’ looking back at you, and will die shortly.

I have heard of instances however where people see themselves in past form (they see themselves in a residual haunting) meaning something that happens over and over with or without anyone noticing. And that is ALWAYS attached to a horrific event in the past. This however is not a TRUE Doppelganger, because you are not seeing yourself here and now.

The only way they have enough energy to move across the room, or turn on the faucet is if the are a very in-tune sprit, or if they are demonic in nature. A really strong ghost can move things (small things) turn on lights, etc. Only a demonic spirit can move heavy objects and hurt someone.

This is supposedly done by the manipulation of energy around the spirit. They take the energy (and negative energy is very strong) and use it to manipulate things around us.

Photographing the Paranormal…..

One of our favorite “HOT” topics is catching the paranormal in photographs. I am sure many of you have taken a picture (more so in the past when you actually used FILM) and when it was developed you found odd light sources, and distorted faces. The question is; are these REALLY paranormal apparitions, or are they just defects in the film? Are they sprits, or are they just distortions of light?

The most common paranormal occurrences caught on film are;

• Orbs
• Vortexes
• Ectoplasm
• Shadow Ghosts

We have captured numerous orbs on our investigations, and I will agree some are dust, BUT I will also argue some are very debatable! Take this photo for example, taken on a calm evening with no wind… The light orb is in motion, and it appears to moving upward. Is it a bug, is it dust? Some would argue that it is…. I feel differently about this one. This orb was caught on film at the same time we cough the Edward Parr EVP.

A Haunting in Pennsylvania….Help us Decipher These EVP’s….

A really good friend of the SCGS came to us earlier this year with concern that her home may be haunted. We went back and forth on a number of possibilities and when we finally came to the conclusion that SOMETHING was going on, she decided to have her home investigated. Because she is on the other side of the country she had a local group perform the investigation.... (We would have loved to do it ourselves).

After the investigation she sent the evidence back to us so we could analyze it. We spent hours reviewing the EVP’s and felt like we came up with some good ideas of what was being said.

We would really like for YOU to listen to these EVP’s and tell us what you think is being said. We will post our response later on this month, but this is your chance to be a ghost hunter and help us processes this data.

You may need to turn the volume up to hear these.....