Across the Great Divide
Springtime Calls Ghost Hunters Back Outdoors
Ridgelawn Cemetery
Well we had a big winter thaw here in Michigan. Two feet of snow melted and the temp even hit the 50s. The blanket of winter draws back to reveal the grass, freshly green from its long slumber. The birds return and the scents of new life are in the air.
It was short-lived, though. As I finish this article, a winter storm- complete with snow, freezing rain, and sleet descends upon the area. But that brief taste of springtime brings with it thoughts of sunny days and fun in the great outdoors. If you’re a ghost hunter, thoughts this time of year turn to revisiting favorite cemeteries and once again traveling into the unknown and investigating buildings and places.
I love the poetic duality of cemeteries; from the serene landscapes to the ornate markers. From the sadness of a newly-dug site of a young person to the historic intrigue of a cracked and faded headstone of those long gone and forgotten to the pages of time.
I’ve stated time and again that if you’re one of those groups that think you’re serious and professional paranormal investigators, but all your troupe does is sneak into cemeteries in the dead of night to snap a few pictures and laugh and have a good time, then you’re not only fools, but trespassers. There’s a big reason why laws in recent years have been established closing off these otherwise public places during the night. This was made all too clear in a recent news segment here in the Detroit area.
Vandals caused extensive damage to Detroit’s historic Woodmere Cemetery this month. Rows of toppled headstones, smashed statues and headless angels replaced an otherwise tranquil setting. 110 headstones in all were pushed over, some destroyed beyond repair. This is the third time vandals attacked Woodmere in the last six years. Here’s a link to the video from the newscast: Vandals Strike Detroit’s Woodmere Cemetery
Vandal damage at Woodmere Cemetery
If you’re caught in a cemetery at night, no matter the reason, and you have no permission to be there, then you deserve to be charged with trespassing. ‘Nuff Said.
Now, I like to use cemeteries as a place to train new members, and even when I’m just out and about enjoying a nice day. I’ll come in with nothing more than a camera and recorder, or maybe even an EMF meter. I’ll try to get a few EVPs or pictures; most of the time I’ll use the weather to my advantage and snap off a library of gorgeous professional photographs. If a wandering spirit sees fit to make their presence known, all the better. I’ve caught enough material in cemeteries over the years to make the experience not only enjoyable on a personal level but worthwhile on a scientific level.
Some claim that paranormal activity in cemeteries is impossible. The reasons being that those interred there are long gone and any haunting will take place around the place of death, not where they were moved to up to a week or more after death; this being a long enough time for whatever spirit energy to cease being attached to the physical body.
Others disagree and claim that cemeteries are the most haunted spots around. Much of the photographic “evidence” is the subject of ridicule from serious paranormal researchers because they were often taken at night, quickly, and generally under humid conditions including mist, ground fog, and even the condensation of the photographer’s own breath. The time and steps needed to rule out these environmental x-factors are simply not taken into account. Just because you’re not sweating doesn’t mean there isn’t humidity in the air. When the temperature and dew points are within 10-15 points of each other formation of ground fog is highly likely.
A dirty, abandoned cemetery is going to stir up a tremendous amount of dust and dirt. Snap a flash and the resulting reflections will produce photographs that look like they were taken through a dirty car window. These are NOT the souls of the citizens of the cemetery. Nothing burns my biscuits more than being presented with picture after picture filled with these dust particles and the taker eagerly chimping away “but look at all the spirits!” Don’t waste my time or your own with orbs.
Aside from that little rant on orbs, cemeteries can be a great asset in many ways for researchers. You can, of course, travel freely in them during the daylight hours, but if you want to conduct nighttime investigations you can do so legally with just a few phone calls. Contact the church, organization, or municipality that presides over the daily care and maintenance of the cemetery and seek permission. As always, be sincere and honest in your approach. If you do get the go ahead, then contact the proper authorities, and inform the local law that you will be conducting a scientific experiment in the cemetery. Get permission from caretakers IN WRITING and provide proof of that permission, along with the date, time, and a list of those group members that will be participating. They may even be willing to direct traffic around the local roads during the experiment so as to help reduce contamination if at all possible. It never hurts to just ask. The worst case is they simply say no. Thank them for their time and try for daylight hours. The problem here is that the increased traffic and noise levels of daytime could taint any data you collect.
As with any investigation do your research. Check local records for a history of the cemetery. Most records will at the very least provide a list of who is buried here. Also look for any local events that could have caused this location to be active.
Use the daylight hours to get a map or plot from the caretaker or sketch out your own, especially if there’s a particular area that interests you. You’ll want to have all the landmarks and topography of the locations planned in advance for a smooth and speedy investigation.
If you or your team are thinking of doing grave rubbings check with the caretaker first. Some very old, weather –worn headstones may be so far faded that even the light rubbing of a charcoal stick can cause further erosion. And please, do NOT do what I saw in one local cemetery. Someone had taken permanent markers or paint and lazily colored in the engraved letters on several headstones in order to make the etchings stand out. Not only is this disrespectful but is legally considered vandalism.
If it’s damp, foggy, or raining, cancel and re-schedule for more favorable conditions. Any material obtained under such conditions would be inadmissible as scientific data. Besides, I sure wouldn’t want to be trekking around out in the rain and mud.
As always investigate in teams and designate a central command area and timetable. A great thing to due that will not only garner you great respect from other groups, but the gratitude and endearment of the cemetery owner is to bring a trash bags to not only clean up after yourselves, but clear the landscape of other trash and debris.
Sometimes cemetery caretakers aren’t interested in your data or the results, but in either case send them a professional thank you letter for allowing you to investigate. Check with them as to their wishes regarding any evidence you may have. If you obtain overwhelming evidence it and make it public, it may entice those aforementioned less-respectful types to invade the cemetery or invite vandals. No one wants another Woodmere incident on their hands.
So as the sunny days of spring return, keep these things tips in mind. Please, above all else respect yourselves, respect the sites, and respect the field. Happy Hunting and see you next month.
Romeo Cemetery