Angela Bennett, team leader for the Screaming Eagle Paranormal Society, and Tom Hobbs, SEPS equipment manager, scan for fluctuations in the electromagnetic field near the graves of German World War II POWs at Fort Campbell. Comprised of current and f...
While yet a boy I sought for ghosts, and sped
Through many a listening chamber, cave and ruin,
And starlight wood, with fearful steps pursuing
Hopes of high talk with the departed dead.
-- Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty"
The mystery of what lies beyond our current realm of existence is one that has been studied, questioned and speculated upon since the dawn of mankind. This constant quest to peek beyond the astral veil -- conducted by skeptics and scholars alike -- has lent substance to various cultural staples, from belief structures to literature and areas between.
As tales told around primitive campfires have evolved into scary movies and television shows, so too has the desire to make sense of the great unknown from a tangible and rational standpoint. In an age when reality television holds sway in American culture, this concept is prevalent in shows like "Ghost Adventures" and "Most Haunted."
It is due in part to programs such as these that paranormal investigation is gaining popularity -- as well as credence -- as a field of research. While many people are familiar with this type of investigative programming, few residents of Fort Campbell or the local community may realize there is a dedicated team of paranormal researchers hard at work in our own backyard.
Headed by Staff Sgt. Christopher Justice, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, and Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Lyttle, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the Screaming Eagle Paranormal Society has devoted itself to, according to its website, aiding the community "in the general understanding of the paranormal world."
"What we do is investigate places that have paranormal claims," said Justice.
Whether the claims come from the team's own research of historical hotspots or the requests of concerned citizens who feel they may have encountered paranormal phenomena in their homes or businesses, the Screaming Eagle Paranormal Society approaches each investigation with the same outlook.
"It's more along the lines of an intent to debunk rather than to prove," explained Justice. "This is not to be disrespectful. It's only when we explore every bump and creak and cannot find a rational explanation that it actually becomes possible evidence."
In cases of requested investigations, the process begins with a submission to the team website, www.screaming-eagle-paranormal-society.com/.
"We have a questionnaire that we send out to anybody who contacts us," said Angela Bennett, SEPS team leader, "then we decide if it's something we want to investigate."
"We really have yet to not take a case, to be honest," said Justice. "The questionnaire just gives us a mental picture of what we're going into. After that, we set up a preliminary meeting."
During a preliminary meeting, a SEPS team leader will make a note of each unexplained phenomena seen, heard or felt by the client. When an investigation date is set, a team is organized - with members receiving no specifics on the paranormal claims.
"No one else on the team knows about the [paranormal] claims," said Tom Hobbs, a former Soldier and SEPS investigator/equipment manager. "This is to eliminate power of suggestion."
"Everybody goes in blind," said Justice. "We don't want to contaminate or pre-program what they think they're going to see."
As an investigation gets underway, SEPS team members set up devices throughout the purportedly affected area to capture audio or video phenomena, while other devices scan the space in search of fluctuations in the electromagnetic field. All of these steps are conducted with the intent of leaving no stone unturned - to provide rational explanations to phenomena when they can be found (structural occurrences causing strange noises, for example), and further exploration when they cannot.
"The truth of it is, we're slow to call anything that we get solid evidence," said Justice. "Trickery of light, trickery of mind, all of those different factors can be there. Things that cannot be proven are categorized as unexplained."
While many investigations end with debunked phenomena, the SEPS team has collected its fair share of evidence that seemingly defies the arena of explanation. Over a course of investigations at the Magnolia Tea Room in Hazel, Ky., the investigators obtained audio of a child's voice. Pieces of evidence that are deemed to be of high significance are made available on the SEPS website, where visitors are invited to view, listen and judge for themselves.
Members of the Screaming Eagle Paranormal Society are often asked why they do what they do. For most, the drive to investigate for evidence of paranormal activity stems from personal experiences leading to a desire to glean more understanding of a world that defies convention and remains stubbornly hidden from the bulk of humanity.
"I like to explore, and I'm a critical thinker," said Justice. "These experiences ... once you have them, you want to find answers. We're not out to be the next Ghost Hunters. All we're out for is to find proof - to confirm or deny."
"I'm not saying I'm more sensitive to it by any means," said Bennett. "I'm just out there questioning it. I'm out there to see if I can prove or disprove what might be there."
As for putting their name out there, the society only seeks to gain more opportunities to investigate - be it from a person contacting them to investigate a claim or to simply notify them of an historically significant location that might be worthy of exploration.
"One of the questions we're always asked is 'How much does it cost?'" said Hobbs. "Nothing. We don't charge for this. Every bit of this comes out of our own pockets because this is our, for lack of a better term, hobby. The only reason we look for any publicity is so people will contact us and basically give us something to do."
The Screaming Eagle Paranormal Society invites people to visit their website or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/S.E.P.S.Team. Members will also be taking part in Oak Grove's fifth-annual Trick or Treat Maze, this Saturday from 5 until 9 p.m. at Valor Hall - where they will have a booth set up to display their investigative equipment and talk shop of all things that go bump in the night.
"We've been doing this stuff for years," said Hobbs. "The more I do it, the more I love it."
Related Links:
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