Paranormal Society comes
to Cranberry Library
http://www.yourcranberry.com/news/article/paranormal-society-comes-cranberry-library
by
Anne Collins
Staff Writer
Trib Total Media / Cranberry
October 23, 2009
The
Pittsburgh Paranormal Society will bring equipment
as well as actual pictures, sounds and stories of
the paranormal in Western Pennsylvania to the
Cranberry Public Library on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from
6:30-8:30 p.m. This is geared toward those in grades
7-12 but all are welcome. Younger children, however,
might find this a little troubling.
With more than 20 years experience in the ghost business,
Shawn Kelly founded the Pittsburgh Paranormal
Society in 2006 "to give himself something to do on
a Saturday night."
A Giant Eagle
meat-cutter by day,
Kelly and his associates
have ferreted out
spirits in innumerable
homes, cemeteries and
libraries, all for free.
The society isn't in the
business of making money
by scientifically
ascertaining or
debunking the
paranormal. What it does
is teach and confirm for
those who believe that
spirits are around .
The recent surge in paranormal TV shows like A&E's "Paranormal
State" or TLC's "Dead
Tenants" has not
resulted in more calls
to the society. Western
Pennsylvania houses are
full of spirits,
according to Kelly. The
society was busy before
these shows and is just
as busy now, although
Halloween does present a
bit of an upsurge in
calls.
Most calls come from homeowners who already believe a spirit of
some sort inhabits their
home. What they want
from the society is some
tangible proof that they
can demonstrate to
family and friends. For
that, Kelly brings along
a host of technological
aids, including cameras
and listening devices.
Usually, when a homeowner reports furniture that is suddenly moved
or a feeling of being
touched or pushed, the
society tries to capture
the spirit's orb,
basically a ball of
energy that appears as
an unusually bright
light on film.
Sometimes, since spirits emit sounds, according to Kelly, the group
brings sensitive
listening devices to
catch those as well.
This kind of proof will
not necessarily convince
someone who doesn't
believe. But for those
who know they have a
ghost in the house,
concrete evidence, he
says, provides peace of
mind.
"What the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society does is explain the
unknown. "That's all the
paranormal field is,
making the unknown
known." For paranormal
specialists, they accept
there is another reality
that exists on our plane
of being.
Has he ever been frightened? Kelly laughs, "No, not ever. There's
nothing to be frightened
of. Those who are afraid
are just frightened of
the unknown and I know
what spirits are; so no,
I am not ever afraid."
As part of its public commitment, the society also aids in
headstone restoration
when called to
cemeteries. "It breaks
my heart when I see that
headstones have been
destroyed," says Kelly.
"This is someone's
lasting resting place.
It makes me feel better
to put a gravestone back
for someone. In a way,
I've cleaned up their
home."
*******
Look for Moundsville Prison Commercial on WPXI
WE are in it!! Check it out!!!!
Click
Here
to view it!
*******
Oct.30th, 2008 The Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote an
article about the Paranormal teams in Pittsburgh. They interviewed
one person who claims that he was the co-founder of PPS. He WASN'T.
HE was just a tech guy, that's all just a tech guy. Their group has
also taken some of our photos and are using them on their site and
they have removed our copy write and put their copy write on our
photos. If the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wont make the corrections I
am making it now. The nerve to claim things when they are not true.
It just goes to show how far people will go just to be noticed.
Every paranormal group should heed this. You have your group, take
care of your group. Let other groups do what they want to do. Maybe
someday when all ego's are put aside and we can all work together,
but the way things are going now it will be a very long time.
Sincerely
Shawn Kelly
THE FOUNDER OF PITTSBURGH PARANORMAL
SOCIETYP.S. A question
from Sue...Why would another paranormal group "take"/"use"/"steal"
photos from another group, remove 'your' copy write mark, put their
copy write mark on them and use them as their photos? WHY? It IS
illegal, unethical and it IS wrong.
Paranormal
investigation teams probe spooky reports
Thursday, October 30,
2008
By Kathy Samudovsky, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Watch
the "Ghost" Caught on Surveillance Tape
(at Cleveland, Oh Gas
Station)
Click Here
**************************
Check out
Pittsburgh CITY PAPER
March 13th! We're in it!
MARCH 13, 2008
BY
CHRIS YOUNG City
Paper, Pittsburgh, PA
Shawn Kelly is the 45-year-old
founder of the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society, a ghost-hunting
group he began in 2006. Much like the popular A&E television
show Paranormal State, Kelly's group of a dozen
scientific and spiritual investigators visit haunted houses,
hotels and graveyards in Southwestern Pennsylvania, "help[ing]
spirits cross to the other side." Kelly, who works as a Giant
Eagle meat-cutter by day, says he's been examining spirits in
various ways, including multiple stints as a psychic, for more
than 20 years. His team, which does not charge for its services,
has investigated more than 100 cases, he says, gathering
evidence that spirits -- both good and evil -- exist.
What is the fascination with the
paranormal?
The attraction is not knowing what's out
there. You know it's out there, you know spirits exist, but once you get
a picture, or once you get evidence on an EVP [Electronic Voice
Phenomena, an audio recording of paranormal voices or sounds], ... it
just gives you a rush that is just so unbelievable.
Critics say you go into your
investigations with the intent of proving your beliefs about the
paranormal. Why should people believe you?
Say we went to your house, and you said
your house was haunted. You would call me, and I would come out and
interview you. At that time, I walk your house and see if there is
something there or not. But you live in that house, you see shadows, you
see things falling apart, furniture being rearranged. You live with it,
so I believe what you see. Now, my scientific people don't give a shit
what you think. They want to see it on film. They want to see a
full-fledged spirit. Sometimes we get something, sometimes we don't.
Why are we sometimes haunted by
spirits?
When you get killed, your spirit stays
where it is because it's confused. ...You get shot, you're dead: "Oh my
God, where am I?" The only safe place they know is right there where
they got shot, so they stay there. When you die, your spirit hangs
around to make sure your loved ones are OK, and that everything is
peaceful. It's called "unfinished business." ... Say a child-molester
got killed, and he was evil when he was alive. His body is dead, but his
spirit is still there, and he still wreaks havoc on people.
Have you ever encountered a demonic
spirit?
Oh my God, yes! The worst demonic spirit
that I had was in Leechburg. One of my group members was getting
harassed, and she felt very uneasy. This guy was pure evil. I saw [my
group member], and I said, "What's wrong?" She was being pushed,
pinched, shoved. They get into your brain.
If you show fear, they live off of that.
She was freaking out. I said, "He's here, isn't he?" She said, "Can you
please get rid of him?" And I did.
How do you get rid of spirits?
I use God. People would put me in Western
Psych if I told you how I did it.
What do you hear most from skeptics?
"I need to see it on film." I let them do
their spiel. Then I tell them, "I will respect what you believe in just
as long as you respect what I believe in." That shuts them up.
On Paranormal State, the
investigators sometimes find that clients are mentally ill ...
Oh yeah, tons of people.
If that's the case, do you abort the
mission?
I'm not a doctor, I'm not a psychologist.
But I can tell when you call me on the phone if there is something wrong
with you or not. If I know that these people aren't right, I try to be
as nice as I can and tell them, "No, we're not going to come. You need
help."
What do you feel when dealing with
spirits during an investigation?
A lot of anger. A lot of sadness. ... I
can feel what they're feeling, and it's a lot of anger that they're
still here.
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
By Donna Domin
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Everyone has a ghost story.
As soon as one person starts
describing a strange occurrence in his or her home, others
eagerly detail their own weird experiences. Try it at the water
cooler, and soon, ghost tales will take over the conversation.
For those looking for verification
that they are not the only ones hearing or seeing things, the
Pittsburgh Paranormal Society serves as a ghost buster of sorts,
with a team of investigators who will check out unusual
"activity" in homes and businesses. The Society's John
says his group does not "get rid of anything" or try to convince
others of paranormal activity or
change the minds of skeptics. "We
just document the activity if anything is there," he says.
The Society visits Allegheny
Township.
After seven years of "hauntings,"
the McElwains of Allegheny Township hoped the Pittsburgh
Paranormal Society would be able to offer some explanations for
the strange noises, ghostly apparitions and unexplainable
activity that their family and visitors have experienced.
It was a perfect night for a
paranormal investigation. Gusts of wind sent autumn leaves
spiraling into the drizzling rain. Halloween was just a few days
away.
Strange occurrences began almost
immediately after the family moved into their house in 2000.
Cynthia and Perry McElwain Sr. said their son Thomas, who was 7
at the time, was the first one to experience the paranormal.
Crying and hysterically afraid, Tommy told his parents of a
strange man he
had seen on the back porch. The
frightened child described the man in detail -- he was tall and
wore a torn and ragged flannel shirt and blue jeans. Wounded, he
was bleeding and had bandages wrapped around his forehead. Tommy
is the only one who ever has seen this figure, and he saw it 20
to 30 times. For this reason, the young man now refuses to set
foot on the back porch when he is by himself. "It really creeped
me out," he says.
One night, Cindy and Perry were
awakened by the sound of breaking glass. Cindy thought their cat
had knocked over canning jars sitting on a back-porch shelf. The
next morning, when the couple awoke, they found shards and
slivers of glass on the floor all around their bed. Two glass
bowls that had been holding candles on the bedroom nightstand
had been broken into smithereens.
On another occasion, they were
awakened by the sound of metal pipes banging, like the sound of
a radiator when the heat first goes on. The noise lasted only
about a minute. Only problem is, the McElwains have no metal
pipes in their house.
On the day of the investigation,
Cindy and a friend were visiting in the living room while the
radio played. Noises began coming out of the computer room in
the back of the house. When Cindy entered, she saw clothes being
flung from the closet and assorted papers and other objects
being tossed out of the storage space. Somehow she "knew" it was
the music that was causing this reaction. "I went into the
living room and changed the station and told my friend that
apparently 'he' didn't like the music I had on." The protest in
the computer room stopped.
When members of the Pittsburgh
Paranormal Society arrived that evening, case manager Andrea
Pinigis made a beeline for the computer room. When she walked
in, she saw a man dressed all in black, wearing a white cap or
hat sitting on the chair in front of the computer. When she
turned to look at Perry McElwain Jr., who was with her, the
"man" disappeared. Perry witnessed the apparition.
The McElwain home was a hotbed of
activity on the night of the investigation.
Pittsburgh Paranormal Society
founder and spiritual investigator Shawn Kelly discovered two
"spirits" or "beings" a short distance from the house, on the
site where an old barn had once stood.
Kelly identified one as "a nasty old
dude who's not happy we're here" and the other as a black slave
named James. When Cindy reported this information to her mother,
Cindy was told that an underground railroad runs through their
property, which the McElwains had not known. Cindy and her
husband had agreed not to tell the paranormal group everything
they knew or had experienced as a way to test the veracity and
credibility of the society's members.
The society passed the test with
flying colors ... and orbs. Orbs are unexplainable circles of
color many believe are spirit or energy based. Society members
photographed orbs of various sizes and colors all around the
McElwain house and property when it was not raining.
The most amazing photo might be one
of the McElwain house, taken from the back of the property. In
the picture are figures of people visible in two upstairs
windows. The McElwain house, however, is only a one-story home.
Sophisticated equipment is
required
Kelly says each investigation takes
at least four to five hours. Equipment used is the property of
society members, all of whom are unpaid volunteers.
Investigators use hand-held video cameras, digital cameras and
software, which makes it possible to view video-camera
surveillance; IR illuminators, which are infrared cameras that
allow one to photograph in complete
darkness, digital voice recorders,
wireless microphones and K-2 EMF detectors, which record
electromagnetic fields. These paranormal investigators are
serious about what they do, says Kelly, who points out that the
equipment costs more than $10,000. The group would like to
purchase a thermo heater, which detects body heat and cold, and
records the presence of masses, but one costs $24,000.
Case manager Pinigis says reviewing
each case is the toughest part of the job, as it takes days to
go over evidence that has been recorded. It's not unusual, he
says, to have from 16 to 30 night-vision cameras running from
six to eight hours, looking to record any possible activity.
At the McElwain house, investigators
detected activity in the basement, as well. The recorded sound
of laughter and children playing were attributed to "two kids"
who, through investigators, identified themselves as Sarah and
James.
Cindy has seen walking across her
living room a girl of about 6 or 7 with blond hair and pigtails,
who is wearing a long, blue dress with a white apron. "They're
not scary; they're just here," says Cindy, who says that all
these apparitions and voices don't bother her. "I just want to
know why they're here."
There is a reason for paranormal
activity
Kelly, who has been involved with
the paranormal for more than 20 years, has his theories. He
believes that when the body is dead, the spirit can be alive.
"They can go to the light, but some stay here," he says. "They
remain because they have unfinished business, or still-grieving
family members hold them here. But, they want to leave. As a
result, they show themselves for one of these reasons."
Investigators "talk" to the entities
by asking a series of questions aimed at determining identity
and other facts. Responses are recorded on K-2 EMF detectors,
dousing rods and other equipment.
The Society encourages homeowners to
participate in the investigative process. Kelly says, "We
respect what you believe in and ask you to respect what we
believe in."
When the group investigated
Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville recently, they recorded plenty
of paranormal activity. Their investigation of the Pittsburgh
Aviary on the North Side, on the other hand, resulted in logical
explanations for everything reported at that site.
Whether results are positive or
negative for paranormal activity, people are pleased to have
their claims validated, Kelly says. "We give people ease of
mind."
About the Pittsburgh Paranormal
Society
The Pittsburgh Paranormal Society
comprises unpaid volunteers who are experienced in paranormal
investigation and research. According to founder and spiritual investigator Shawn
Kelly, the group conducts about 50 paranormal investigations each year.
These investigations are free, but requests are pre-screened to
determine whether they are sincere and legitimate, says PPS.
Investigators first look for logical
explanations to determine the cause of the activity. "We try to
debunk the phony and the false," Pinigis says.
Widespread interest in the
paranormal is reflected in the number of television shows
dealing with the topic, shows like "Ghost Hunters," "America's
Most Haunted" and the "Lisa Williams Show, Life Among the Dead."
These shows also have familiarized the public with paranormal
investigations.
Pinigis and Kelly say paranormal
investigative groups continue to form, as more people are
willing to discuss and explore paranormal activity.
Kelly calls fellow society members
"passionate, dedicated and committed." "I am really proud of
this group. They put in a great deal of time and effort into all
aspects of their investigations. They have proven their
credibility."
The all-volunteer group, formed in
2006, has a team of 13 technicians and spiritual interpreters
who visit sites all over Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
They use up-to-date electronic and digital equipment, which
they've paid for.
South Hills Record
Click Here to read the newspaper article.
Hometown Hauntings:
"Ghost Hunters Check Out Spooky South Hills Spots"
Thursday October 25, 2007
Halloween is when most
people's fascinations with the paranormal spike, but for members
of the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society, it's a way of life.
Husband and wife John and
Andrea have always been firm believers
in the supernatural. Their involvement in the Pittsburgh
Paranormal Society has led them to conduct paranormal
investigations with the society of about 13 people.
Andrea and John are case
managers and investigators and have worked on more than 20 cases
since starting with the society in May, doing investigations
every weekend.
"I have experienced
things since I was little and anywhere I've worked or lived,
I've always experienced some sort of activity," Andrea said.
"I wanted to prove
there is something out there amongst us. I've always
wanted to get to the bottom of it to see why they're
with us and if I can capture something, and we've been
very successful."
In July, their
work with the society took them to South Park's Hundred
Acres Manor, a working haunted house more famous for its
living spooks than supernatural ones.
"It's interesting
because most of the stuff you hear and see is over the
summer, during the time the pool would have been open,"
said Ethan Turon, prop designer at Hundred Acres Manor.
"When we're open for the haunted house, there's not too
much going on. It's just a generally creepy place."
Andrea said,
according to an urban legend, in the '40s, a segregated
pool used to be on the site of Hundred Acres Manor, with
a dance hall nearby. She said there were a couple of
drownings in the pool and police constantly visited the
site due to violence.
Though there is little written
about the site, Turon said the pool remained segregated
until the '60s and was permanently shut down in the
'70s.
"Things may have
happened there, you never know with an urban legend,"
Andrea said.
The majority
of supernatural activity reports came from the Manor's
pump room. Turon said employees always reported seeing
things move around and heard noises.
During one
incident, Turon said an employee saw a man running
through the house. When the employee caught up with him,
the employee noticed his ankles were sunken into the
floorboards before he disappeared.
Turon said the staff and
volunteers suspected former pool workers haunted the
manor. One worker, who worked in the pump house, seemed
to be a regular.
"He's an older
gentleman that comes into work every day and does his
lunch break sitting on the edge of the pool," Turon
said. "Usually people see someone at the end of the
maze, where the pool used to sit."
Many of the actors
at the Manor told the society they felt they were being
watched when in the room, especially the females. The
sensations got so intense employees refused to go into
the room.
"I've heard noises
and, for sure, it's not just animals," said Turon. "The
sounds are doors opening and shutting when nobody is
around and there are sounds like people talking."
On the night of
investigations, members set up digital and video cameras
and other monitoring equipment at the hot spots. A main
station is set up, while smaller teams wander the site.
During these walks, Andrea said
investigators take pictures and try to record incidents
of electronic voice phenomenon, referred to as EVPs in
the ghost hunting industry.
Andrea conducted
an investigation of the pump room using dowsing rods,
which are traditionally used to find water to dig wells.
But the two sticks also pick up fields of energy, which
Andrea used to detect supernatural activities.
Right away, Andrea sensed
activity, with the rods crossing, signifying a presence
in the room. She used the rods and a series of yes-or-no
questions to communicate with the supposed spook.
"It seems as
though a man that worked in the pump room and didn't
like women communicated with me," Andrea said. "Most of
the activity happened when women were there."
Even with the
supposed supernatural contact in the pump room, there
wasn't enough evidence to prove the attraction was
haunted.
"We had some personal
experiences, but only found mist," Andrea said. "The
problem is that a lot of people smoke, but we were told
that nobody was smoking in that area."
Although she is
not a firm believer in mist, Andrea said many consider
mist as an entity's attempt at physically forming. Mist
could be attributed to anything from temperature changes
to gases coming out of the ground.
Even the dowsing rods weren't
convincing enough for the society to proclaim the pump
room haunted.
"The problem is
that you have so much there is a lot of this
non-functioning equipment that could have manipulated
the rods," said Andrea. "There are also a lot of sounds
and critters, like mice, that could lead to sounds. I'm
on the fence."
Andrea said the investigation
was a success, and there is a possibility it is haunted.
"The room itself is creepy and,
if there is anything in there, it wasn't there that
night," said Andrea. "Ghosts don't come out on cue."
When the site investigation is
done, members of the society review all of the footage,
seeking any supernatural incidences. Reviews take about
a week and are presented at a reveal.
"Normally, when we
investigate places, 60 percent of the time (paranormal
activity) calms down," said Andrea. "Sometimes it just
stays the same, but we've never had anybody complain
it's gotten worse."
Although they may not have had
any findings at the Manor's pump room, they have had
significant findings at other places.
The most
interesting investigation came at Mount Pleasant's R&R
Station Hotel and Restaurant, where the group snapped
some of their most compelling evidence photos.
"We happened to
catch four full body apparitions and a partial body
apparition," John said. "We actually caught all four in
the same mirror, same hallway, with three different
photographers."
Another
investigation took the society to a home in Monongahela,
where a young girl said there was something in her
closet. The investigation gave the society pictures of a
shadowy figure with horns.
"It had a
human-like form, but it wasn't a human," said John.
"With the other apparitions we caught, you can
distinctly tell their features, such as male or female
and specific period clothing. It appeared to be
something we would consider demonic."
One of the
investigators brushed into it, which felt like cobwebs,
said John. People may not know how to handle a
paranormal situation, said John.
"We try to not
just prove what they see, but come up with legitimate
normal reasons these things occur," said John. "Even
though we're open-minded about it, we've got to be
skeptical at the same time."
"A lot of people
don't want to look at the possibility and if it's not in
front of you, it doesn't exist. We need to see the
evidence ourselves before we say something is haunted.
That's what we do."
Tribune Review
Ghost hunters scour
R&R Station in Mt. Pleasant
By Marilyn Forbes
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Sherry Wingrove, owner of the R&R Station
Restaurant and Hotel, has believed for many years that her Mt.
Pleasant establishment is haunted.
Specters apparently have been spotted in
rooms and hallways, and loud thunks and whispering voices have been
reported throughout the 17-room building. "I can't tell you how many
stories we have heard over the years," Wingrove said. "People have
seen things, heard things and felt things."
The R&R has been the site of many
séances and readings, with numerous investigators roaming its halls
and reaching out to the spirits. But a new group with a new approach
contacted Wingrove to test out the ghost theory.
"We heard of this place when one member of our
group came here for dinner and saw a copy of the tape, 'Haunted R&R
Station,'" Shawn Kelly said. "So we contacted Sherry about bringing our
group here."
Kelly is the president of the Pittsburgh
Paranormal Society, a research and investigative group that follows and
documents ghost stories, sightings and supernatural sensations.
A ghost hunter who has been at his trade for
20 years, Kelly formed the all-volunteer group in 2006 and has a team of
13 technicians and spiritual interpreters who visit sites all over
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
Spending two days at the hotel revealed
evidence, according to the paranormal society members.
"We find something about 75 percent of the
time," Andrea Pinigis said. "More times than not we catch something on
film or on video or on the voice recorder."
The group sets out to find the truth,
whether it be to prove or disprove a reported entity.
"They spent a lot of time working on this,"
Wingrove said. "And we were excited over what they found."
Members of the group used recorders to
register voices and electromagnetic fields using numerous digital camera
and camcorders.
"We asked her (Wingrove) to show us
different areas where people have reported something," said Donnie
Wagner, one of the volunteers. "And we listened to the claims of
activity. We then went to each hot spot and each room and set up. We
divided into groups of two and started recording."
Part of the procedure was the recording of
activity, where one member would ask the spirits basic questions and
wait for a period of five seconds, with hopes of hearing an answer when
the tape is replayed. After gathering data, the group returned to
Pittsburgh.
"It takes us about one week to process each
site," volunteer John Pinigis said. "We listen to the voice recorder
very carefully. Sometimes I may not hear something that someone else
does or they may hear something that I missed."
After processing the data from the R&R, the
paranormal society requested a second visit during which more
photographs were taken.
"We captured images from the top floor and
you have to see them to believe them," Wagner said. "Come and listen to
the stories of the personal experiences that we experienced."
Wagner said the group does not visit sites
for fun. "We take what we do very seriously," he said. "We're not just a
bunch of kids running around with cameras."
Wingrove and the volunteers will present
what they found at 6 p.m. Saturday at the restaurant. "I'm really
excited that they have provided different evidence on my paranormal
activity, " Wingrove said.
The event will include the presentation by
the paranormal society, a buffet dinner and a tour of the hotel. For
information call 724-547-7545. Regular ghost tours of the hotel are held
7-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the remainder of October.
Doc Poltergeist Site/Owner
Asylumcam.com The Original Haunted Cam.
I was very excited
to hear that PPS was on site for the Asylum's visit! I would like to
personally thank them for working with our team.
My only regret was I could not have been there to meet them myself.
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