Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

Last weekend, I had the unique opportunity to take part in a professional ghost hunt in one of the many historic houses in the Kern Valley, conducted by the Ethical Paranormal Investigations of California (EPIC). Although we won’t know for a month if any ghosts were recorded during the session, which lasted from 8:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., there were definitely glimmers of the supernatural.

EPIC is a serious group of paranormal investigators, and do not take their volunteer jobs with the group lightly. The work they do is a passion for them, and one they feel carries a responsibility for the utmost integrity. “I’m a debunker,” said Norton. “I look for any other reason for the occurrences besides ghosts, so that when we do find them, we can be assured that our findings are true.”

Photograph taken from the exact spot where I felt the ringing in my ear, where they sensed the long stringy-haired man.

The team of six volunteer EPIC ghost hunters arrived pre-informed about the history of the house, and everyone gathered to learn about the equipment the team would be using that evening. Instruments ranged from a digital camera to a point-and-shoot thermometer to record the ambient temperature in each room in all four directions, and wherever a possible supernatural happening occurred.

The team also had two different types of electromagnetic field gauges (EMFs); one measured the EMFs on a broader scale, and the other more concise. The team explained the gauges can be used for a question-and-and answer session with a ghost; they request the ghost make the light blink any numbers of times for “yes” and “no.”

The team also placed, in strategic locations throughout the house, voice recorders. They carried one with them, as well. The flashlights used by the team members are all crank-operated. Because paranormal activity tends to drain batteries – they said in the past they had been caught with a useless flashlight in a dark and spooky home, and didn’t wish to repeat the experience.

EPIC founder Todd Norton was quick to add that the meters could pick up non-supernatural readings, such as those produced by microwave ovens and other electronic equipment.

The cause of noises heard during the hunt are investigated. Is there any possible cause other than ghostly activity? Norton has had to tell people that their homes are completely ghost-free, but he believes most homes have at least a little spiritual activity whether the living residents are aware of it or not.

The actual hunt for ghosts took one and one-half hours, with three teams of seven (four guests, three EPIC members) walking through the darkened historic house and spending time in each room. Participants are asked to let the team know if they have any strange sensual experiences such as scents or sounds, so that they can record and investigate.

On my trip through the house, I had a sudden ringing in my right ear as we passed by a place in a long hallway where the door never closes. One of the EPIC members said they sensed a man with stringy long hair there. The owner of the house said her daughter had felt strange things in that spot in the past, and had said that there was “something hairy” there.

In the parlor, one of the EPIC members said she felt a slight tugging on her necklace, which happened often on the hunts as she wore a pentagram, about which ghosts were often curious. She told the ghost that the symbol would not hurt them, and the tugging stopped.

In each room, a guest volunteer took pictures while another took temperature readings and monitored the EMF meter. One of the EPIC members held a voice recorder and asked questions, especially when anyone in the group sensed something. She explained before the hunt began that many times, the voice recorders will pick up answers and other noises that cannot be heard during the hunt itself. In one of the upstairs bedrooms, everyone in the group felt a sudden breeze blow into the room, and after investigation, found that there was no natural reason for the draft. Two people then felt like someone was gripping their hand, and the temperature of the hands being held were 10 degrees cooler than those without the sensation.

After all three teams had toured the house, we reconvened to discuss our experiences, and the EPIC team brought out their laptop to demonstrate some of the sounds that had been recorded in previous sessions; most haunting was a man who whispered STOP to a dog that was scratching the door to be let out. The team explained that they have collected hours of data to sort through, including the pictures and several sound recorders, and would return in a month’s time to give the home owner the results of the ghost hunt. I, for one, can’t wait to learn what they find!

For more information, or to schedule your very own ghost hunt, contact EPIC at (661) 477-9348 or email tnorton10@yahoo.com.