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TOWANDA --
"This is an EMF meter -- it picks up electromagnetic fields,"
Patrick Cartwright Jr. said. "It'll spike up when a ghost is in
the area."
Using the
device, Cartwright, 23, scans the floors and walls of the basement
in his Bridge Street building looking for patterns in these spikes
to determine the presence of paranormal activity. In this very
room, Cartwright explained, he witnessed the opening and shutting
of latched doors. In the sub-basement of this building, he found
bones.
"It takes a lot of energy for the spirits to manifest," he said,
explaining that the EMF meter detects these concentrations, which
is also why he feels for cold spots.
"A cold spot is usually a spirit," he said. Cartwright explained
that when spirits pull surrounding energy to manifest it causes
the temperature to drop.
And he would know -- he's a certified paranormal investigator.
He's also a member of The United Paranormal Investigators
Association, MAJDA Paranormal Research, the Michigan Ghost
Watchers and the National Ghost Watchers Society.
He believes in ghosts, UFOs, psychic phenomena and Bigfoot. But
what he believes in most is finding an explanation.
"The supernatural is the natural that's unexplained," he said.
After founding Southern Tier New York Paranormal Society this past
December, Cartwright strives to investigate the reports of
hauntings, Bigfoot, UFOs, psychic phenomena and other unexplained
mysteries in Bradford County and Tioga County, N.Y.
"A main goal of ours is to find the allegedly haunted locations
and to assist those who are experiencing problems with the
paranormal. The group members then investigate, document and
educate upon the situation, and through these methods we will
determine if the location is haunted," Cartwright said.
Using scientific methods such as EMF meters, sound equipment for
electronic recording, photographs and first-hand experiences,
Cartwright analyzes his findings to determine the causes of
unexplained phenomena.
"It's exciting. You get an adrenaline rush," he said. "It's just
interesting."
He also tries to communicate with spirits via electronic voice
phenomenon (EVP).
"I try to talk to them and explain to them that they're dead, that
they are not wanted and they can cross over," he said.
Cartwright explained that sometimes, after reviewing the audio
recordings of investigations, spirit responses to questions can be
heard.
But there are always skeptics, which he says is OK because science
is the biggest skeptic of them all, he said.
"The thing is, we're skeptical, too," Cartwright said. "We try to
disprove more than we try to prove."
He's just trying to find an explanation.
"We do not claim to be experts in the field of the paranormal, as
no experts exist when it comes to the supernatural, no matter what
anyone may claim or who may claim to be one. We are instead
working to present an image of competent researchers who are
collecting the most authentic evidence possible of any paranormal
activity," Cartwright said.
İDaily and
Sunday Review 2006
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