Who you might want to call: Two real-life “Ghostbusters”
October 29, 2008
By Gary Smothers
Staff Writer
You’d call a plumber if you
had a leaky sink, but who would
you call if you had a haunting?
Sure, the old “Ghostbusters,”
song by Ray Parker says a ghostbuster
should be called. He may
be right. Central Illinois just so
happens to have its fair share of
“ghosthunters,” or paranormal
investigators as they prefer to be
called.
Steve Giddings, owner of the
Springfield Ghosthunters and
former member of the Springfield
Ghosthunter Society, is one
such investigator. Roudie Flowers,
a.k.a. Wraith, is the Administrator
of the Ghosts Paranormal
Research Team & Ghostlight
Productions. If one were to contact
them, the unique tools of
their investigatory craft include:
a digital camera; a digital video
camera; EMF (Electromagnetic
Field) readers; temperature
gauges; and audio
recorders.
So does our area have a particular problem with ghosts to warrant such unique expertise? Should we fear ghosts? According to Giddings, “Our area is very active with ghost activity… I would say the downtown area [Springfield]… Lincoln still haunts his old workplace, his tomb.”
As for fearing ghosts, Flowers indicates that one doesn’t need to. “Spirits are the same people in death as they are in life, not really evil and not always good. If they seem to target an individual, it is generally because the individual has done something to upset the spirit.”
Giddings describes the spirit
world of consisting of two distinct
realms. In the high realm,
the ghosts know what happened
to them. In the lower realm, usually
consisting of violent or sudden
deaths, the ghosts aren’t quite
sure of their fate. One contacting
Steve Giddings’ team could expect
an initial attempt at debunking
the haunting—explaining
it away to natural causes such
as wind, old plumbing, or other
means. If the
occurrence is
determined
an actual
haunting the
Springfield
Ghosthunters
will take photographic
and
digital readings
of the areas of most activity,
leave and examine their documentation
for further evidence.
Giddings adds that EVP readings (Electronic Voice Phenomena) have proven the most reliable and consistent forms of documentation.
Flowers cautions anyone from attempting to cure their own ghost problems or conducting a personal investigation, “Go with an experienced person. There is a lot to learn,” he said.
As far as getting the ghost to
leave, both men agree, that is primarily
up to the family they host.
Through urging and explanation,
the ghosts can come to terms
with their fates and, as Giddings
terms it, “go into the light.”
For ghost photos and audio,
or to contact an area ghost investigator:
steve@springfieldghosthunters.org OR www.ghostsparanormalresearchteam.com
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