The Demon Phenomena 

 There has been a lot of talk recently about the demon phenomena and since this is something I may encounter one day I figured I'd best get to studying it. These are a few things that I have found and I thought I might share them with you. I tried to take several opinions on this matter and combine them to make up one synopsis. Often a demon will begin just as ghost activity would. You may see movement out of the corner of your eye, have a feeling of uneasiness, or possibly hear noises that couldn't be coming from a natural source. A demon will usually follow a certain blueprint, and in nearly every documented case, the door to this demon was opened either intentionally, or unintentionally, through the use of Ouija boards, seances or some other type of conjuring. These demons are very rare and a very small percentage of people playing with the supernatural, actually suffer these types of consequences, however the danger is there, and real. At first this demon  will typically portray itself as cold spots, strange odors, as well as knocking in the walls, and other types of noises that we would associate with either a residual or an intelligent spirit. During the next stage, the entity may become more violent in nature; objects may levitate, or disappear altogether, damage may be done to the house or personal items, and there may actually be attacks on those living in the house. After a period of wearing down those in the home, the demon will eventually attempt to possess someone, and the possession does not have to be on a continual basis, and usually happens intermittently. Demon possession is dangerous and should dealt with as soon as possible by a professional exorcist. Most exorcists, especially priests of the Roman Catholic Church, have a strict guideline that must be followed before permission is granted for an exorcism. The possessed person must first have a thorough psychological, and physical examination in order to rule out physical or mental illness. Additionally, they must show knowledge of things they could not possibly have access to, and be speaking in languages they did not know previously. There are other rules involved, but these are the basics. Permission for an exorcism is only granted in a very small percentage of cases. 

To keep yourself safe from the danger of this demon, it is best to not attempt any type of communication with the dead unless you are very experienced in this type of phenomena. I know what you are thinking, I also have the same questions. Are the tools we are using such as a K-II meters, the numerous types of ghost boxes, etc....... Be actually opening doors for demons to come through. The only answer I have is "I Don't Know". There is always that possibility. The other questions I have is this. What does it take to become a demonologist? I am pretty sure that since this is a very serious concern for those involved, I would say that it should take many, I mean many years to study this demon phenomena. Is there a professor that accredits you and says you're a demonologist?  What I do know, well I think I know, is that all exorcist are demonologist, but not all demonologist are exorcist. Another question I have is who is it that actually should classify a demon entity. Should it be us, or someone that knows a little more than us? I do have a short little rant here. I get awfully disheartened when I see young groups set out on one of their investigations/hunts and hear a chair move or a door slam or get a picture of some type of mist outside that if you look at it long enough and hard enough you will eventually see some type of scary face in it, and then turn right around and say because of these things it is a demon. So as a Paranormal Investigator, I think it would be a very smart move on my part to not necessarily become a demonologist but to be really well informed about demons. I think it is our responsibility to know the differences and to know what to do, if or when one does show up. ~Tracy 

The Human Element

 Often times I feel that too many paranormal investigative groups focus on trying to prove a location is haunted without taking into account the human element. I believe that the conclusion aspect is often ignored. To me this is what is missing with so many groups. To achieve this takes time, effort, and knowledge. I feel that investigating cases that are self-generated, such as news of apparitions seen along the roadside, paranormal investigators have the comfort of being able to put the investigation first, as there are no clients to deal with. They may proceed with the investigation without having to consider the impact the investigation may have on their clients, so they can experiment with new equipment and techniques. But, most often the team will be called in to investigate when there is paranormal activity that is affecting people's lives. I think that sometimes investigators who embark on challenging cases are so wrapped up in the thrill of the hunt that they forget the human aspects of the job. If an investigative team is called in to discover the reasons behind paranormal activity, it is usually because truly troubling or frightening events have disrupted the lives of the clients. Although every client will be different, one constant seems to be that the situation will have reached a stage that is disturbing to the people in the environment. We, as serious investigators, must take on the responsibility of reassuring the client that the right decision was made to call the team in. We must act as professionally and calmly as possible during the execution of the interview all the way through to the reveal. Any evidence (if any) that we decide to reveal to the client should be done with tact and care. You have to remember that these cases involve real people and should not be treated just as a notch on your tool belt. -Tracy

The right equipment.

 As paranormal investigators, we use a wide variety of equipment. This equipment has been bought and paid for with monies that we have saved, while working at our everyday jobs. We always find and buy the best equipment that we can afford. It would be nice to have someone else pick up the tab for some of this stuff, then maybe we too could have the latest and greatest stuff. I understand that it does not take high dollar equipment to get great evidence. I believe you can achieve great results with absolutely no equipment by your side. You don't have to have all these electronic devices to speak to those who have passed. All you need is heart, and an open mind to hear them. These devices come into play when you need to prove your findings with others. There is a lot more to our equipment and what we use it for and believe me I know that. The thing that really gets my goat is when other folks from other teams think that if you don't use the exact equipment they use then your results are worthless. I was listening to a radio show, and one of the guest that was on stated basically that he used brand X voice recorder, brand Y video recorder, and brand Z video camera. He stated on the show that he pretty much could explain away any evidence that was caught on any voice recorder, DVR, or video camera unless it was the brand listed above. I thought to myself what nerve this guy has to say that the evidence that I have collected is no good because I don't use those brands. I looked up these items and saw 2 things, number one they were pretty high priced and number two these items looked a lot like the ones that certain people carry while doing their television shows. I was going to call into the show so he could explain to me why he thinks what he thinks, but figured my heart just would not be able to handle the sudden increase in blood pressure. All I know is this, we at ECPC do not have the most expensive equipment out there, we have had the same equipment for some time now and we have been able to collect some of the best indisputable (well practically undisputable cause we all know there will be one or two who you will never convince) evidence. I really have a hard time understanding people such as this. What makes them any better than me and my team or you and your team for that matter? How can he justify himself as being a paranormal investigator by making such statements. I just don't get it. Please somebody help me understand. Please do not ask me who this was or what show it was on. ~ Tracy

Thinking to much These last couple of days I have been feverously trying to stay away from the paranormal side of my life. It was coming to the point to where every moment was spent thinking about it.  I would start as soon as I would wake up in the morning and it wouldn't stop until I feel asleep thinking about it. I would contemplate  about it so much that it started to affect my job, it started to affect my ability to get a good night's rest. There is so many more questions than answers in the paranormal, and that is where my problem lays. I try and figure each one of them out. I sit and listen and watch our investigation evidence along with other evidence from other teams and try to come up with a sensible answer. Every time I do, I think of 20 other things that it could be. I start thinking about my own religious beliefs and how they play a part in it and then realize it is just a vicious circle. I know that our brains are built for thinking, but there comes a point when it gets to be too much, and now I needed to figure out how the best way for me to turn it off, so to speak  for a while, but still keep the desire and passion I have for the paranormal alive. So how was I going to do this? I really didn't know, because for me to figure it out was going to take some serious thinking on my part which was what I was trying to shut off. I spoke to Susan (My wife and best friend) about this and she gave me some great advice. I spoke with a couple of great friends of mine in the field, Gary, Julie, and John and they also gave me great advice. I was really glad to know that I was not the only one who has felt this necessity to turn it off. Julie stated to me something that I think is the best solution to my issue. She stated that she believed that no one is going to have the answers, because we are not meant to know all the answers, and the best we can do is to continue on. I need to try and start thinking that way, instead of always trying to figure every little detail out about a particular investigation or particular evidence. I know, as a paranormal investigator I am suppose to figure things out that is what I do, and I will continue to do that, but when the answer is not clear, I have to step back, and understand that maybe it is because I am not suppose to know the answer at that time, but will eventually attain the answer if I just continue on. I am good with that.  So, now that I have stepped back and pretty much have had nothing to do with the paranormal for the last few days and trying not to think about it has lead me to know this. I know that I can’t just stop thinking about it. My thoughts about it are here to stay.  My brain wants to think. So I will think, but I will do it differently. I will stop dwelling on all of the "what if's" and concentrate more on the what I know now. I believe, there will be a lot less burden in this way of thinking than there is about the "what if's". I will be much more productive doing what needs to be done now. I must continually remember that thoughts are just thoughts and the most important detail to remember when you start to think too much is that these are just thoughts and I will not give them more power than they deserve. I don’t have to be dominated by my thoughts. I want to thank Susan, Julie, Gary, and John for assisting me in getting over this hurdle, and people tell me there is no Paranormal Unity. Now that I know what I have to do I am ready for our next great adventure in being a paranormal investigator. ~ Tracy

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The most common question I get as a Paranormal Investigator is. How do I become one and what does it take to become one. Well, actually I get asked what it takes to be a ghost hunter. My answer to them is always "Are you really ready to become one?" Once, I ask them that question, I usually get this odd look from them as if to say, "uh yeah I am ready". This look is always the same. Ok, I say to them, you are ready, so now tell me what it is you think I do. The answer I can best depict is this: I think you do what I see the ghost hunters on TV do. Ha, I knew it was coming. I explain to them that if this is the way you portray a Paranormal Investigator then you are not ready.

 I got into this field of study because. I personally find it captivating. I like to think that we are not alone, on the planet, and/or in the universe. For me it is also a curiosity, what comes after death, what do people do then, and so forth. I love the paranormal, because it makes life fascinating. I think that we being alone in the universe with absolutely no beings that can help or harm us while calling for help themselves is, honestly, an extremely dreary idea. If your mind is not open to these possibilities then you are not ready.

 Now that you know a little bit more about me and what I do. Let me explain to you that there is another aspect of being a Paranormal Investigator that you must be ready for. It is not all glitz and glamour as you see on TV. We as investigators often find ourselves in situations that involve families that have small children. We find ourselves in places where many lives were unnecessarily cut short. We find ourselves in places where people are laid to rest both in conventional ways and not so conventional ways. It is these situations and places that can really take a toll on you emotionally. You get emotionally attached and you must have the stability to be able to help with this type of event. You must also be emotionally strong, and have a very strong will. You must have these attributes while being as humble, and caring, and respectful as you possibly can. Your emotions that you feel on a daily basis are real, you feel pain, anger, happiness and sadness, you feel excitement and sometimes you feel scared. It is these emotions that you will need to take control of. There are some not so nice things in the Paranormal realm, things that can deceive you into thinking they are someone they are not, things that can attach themselves to you, things that could do more harm not only to you, but to those you are trying to help if not handled properly. It is these things that can use your emotional state against you and others. Do you have enough strong will and emotional well being to ward off some of these things. If the answer is I don't know or no, then you are not ready.

 When I assist someone whether it be by way of an investigation, or by phone or email, I get the satisfaction of knowing that at least one more person can see beyond the normality and perhaps gain a sense of peace. The word integrity and honesty come to mind here. I think, what happens, is we start something with good intensions and as time goes by we let our values go by the way side. If that is ok with you then that is just fine, however you need to think about a couple of things. One, think about the person you told that you were going to help, and did you actually help them, or did you just leave them with more questions than answers. Two; did you really put forth your best effort to find the truth about what was going on?, or did you just put on a show. How does that look to the rest of the scientific community?, we already have a hard enough time convincing those in this community that what we do is real and what we sometimes gather as evidence is real. We don't need anyone giving them the ammo to shoot our studies down. If you cannot say the same thing then in my opinion you are not ready.

There was this one investigation that myself (Team Leader for Emerald Coast Paranormal Concepts) and the rest of the team conducted at the Russ house in Marianna, FL. The investigation was going just fine, I thought I was mentally and emotionally ready. During the night something happened. I do not know for sure what it was. All I know is that about half way through the investigation this urge came over me to go back into one of the large rooms upstairs. When I got there the urge diminished a little. As soon as I would walk back out of the room this feeling of having to go back into that room became intense again. I can only describe it as having lost something. It is that feeling you get when you have lost your car keys and for some reason the keys were in this room. I tried to shake it off but was unable to. This feeling stayed with me for three more days. I had a hard time concentrating at work, I could not focus on anything other than getting back to that room. I contacted a friend of mine for some advice on this. He suggested a couple of things for me to try and they seemed to work. By the third day I was back to normal. I am not saying that I was possessed or anything like that. I just think that because of the lack of any physical evidence at the time, I let my guard down and somehow something got in to make me feel this way. Perhaps whomever this was lost something in that room and wanted me to look for it. Ever since this event I do not let my guard down what so ever. This is just something that happened to me, was I ready for it to happen?, no I was not, but I did know what to do in case it did happen. Are you ready?

 There are those out there that don't understand what may be happening to them and it is up to us to assist them in understanding. So now that you have a better understanding of what I think a Paranormal Investigator is and does, I ask you again, are you really ready. The only one that knows for sure is you. Search deep down within your own heart and soul and ask yourself can I handle emotionally what I am getting prepared to do. Can I handle it physically, can you honestly say that you are in this for the right reasons. Can you look someone in the eye and honestly tell them that you are there to help them understand what they are possibly seeing, hearing, or feeling. Are you able to help, not only those still living, but those that have passed and need help crossing over. Most of all, are you ready emotionally, to open your mind and heart to hear those who need to be heard. If the answer is yes then God speed. Then it is time to hit the Internet and start purchasing your gear. ~Tracy

In the mind of us humans, there is an elusive yet almost compatible border between dreams and reality. It is said that blessed are those who dream in color and great sensory detail, and especially blessed are those who vividly remember everything, or almost everything, from their dreams. Others, however, may not be as fortunate. These people wake up clueless or confused, wanting to remember the night before but are helpless about it. Dreams are the doorways and trapdoors to our Unconscious. We don't just dream just so we can have a leisurely adventure time during our sleep. We dream because it is our Unconscious mind's turn to process everything we have experienced during our waking hours. ~Tracy

So many of us are busily marking tasks off our "To Do" list but how many of us are thoughtfully creating our "To Be" list? The only way to create and execute on a meaningful "To Be" list is to also have a "Stop Doing" list. Aristotle said it best: "Excellence is not an art. It is a habit." We can't be excellent, half of the time and be in a comfort zone the other half. We're either excellent or we're not I think that the path of starting a legacy is placing a notion into the future that impacts the future and how we live in the moment into the future. It all starts with this notion. Creating who you want to be and then expanding into how you want to be remembered. Upon that groundwork we are able to noticeably touch the lives of those around us and after us by carefully placing powerful thoughts into the future. When you die they'll indicate on your tomb the year of your birth and the year of your death separated by a dash (1960 — 2020). The dash is your life. What you did. How you lived. Whose life you touched. The legacy you left behind. The more purposefully engaged you are in helping others, the deeper and finer and more memorable is your dash.~ Tracy  

When someone expresses an opinion that differs from mine, I think there is good reason for me to stop and listen. After all, I can be wrong! I think back, to how many ideas, that I have had in the past five years that I have changed. It's impossible for me to improve without changing. My thoughts, opinions, and beliefs sometimes need to be broadened or improved by the ideas of others. I remain open-minded and I willingly embrace the ideas of others. The open-minded see the reality in diverse things. I need those diversities, for they offer me with more options and possibilities, making me stronger and wiser investigator and they offer me an opportunity to give the valued gifts of tolerance and acceptance to others. So, always try to be open-minded. When others speak, don't look for points to disagree with, but look for wisdom that you can add to your own. By surrendering our right to be right and turning over power to others we grant them the right to be themselves.  Perhaps we can't all be experts in the paranormal field, but we don't have to be. All we have to do is respect others and abandon our need to be right. As long as we do the right thing, things will work out right. Finally, be careful of what you think of others, for you can rise no higher than your lowest opinion of another. ~ Tracy

To the Non Believers I do believe that many things in the paranormal field exist. It really amazes me how laughable the subject can be when you bring it up in front of non-believers. I think some people laugh at this subject because they are not mindful enough to realize that there is more to nature than our own universal accepted laws or they may be fearful so they just laugh at it rather than acknowledge it. People ask me often do spirits still walk the earth,? I usually tell them that Spirits do not "walk the earth". They have better things to do than to hang around watching people doing mundane things like yourself. They will however come to join us when there is a reason for them to do so, like their wish to contact us or bring a message, or simply be heard. They will join us when we show them the compassion that they perhaps once felt and are in need of it again. I will also tell these non-believers that they should remember this conversation for one day they, themselves may need to pass along a message or you may be in need of a little compassion themselves and if it wasn't for us believers there would be no one there to hear your voice or give you the love you so desperately miss. ~ Tracy