‘Ghost hunter’ relates local experiences

When it comes to paranormal activity, people usually fall into one of two three categories – believers, skeptics, and scoffers – however that doesn’t deter Alan Ervin and company of the Illini Paranormal Investigators.

Ervin is in his 15^th year of such activity and was tutored by former investigator Chris Mason, of Vandalia.

Ervin has conducted many investigations in the Fayette County area, with the Vandalia downtown and surrounding areas being what he describes as being perhaps the most active with paranormal activity.

“I have a standing challenge that I can take anyone up to the Old State Cemetery and if they don’t hear Electro-magnetic voice activity, I will pay them $100,” Ervin says.

He also says there are many buildings in town, which are particularly haunted, including one restaurant.

“We were invited to investigate one particular restaurant, where spirits are seated, waiting to be served during the nighttime hours,” he said. He also reports other buildings, with adults’ and childrens’ spirits in and around Fayette County.

“Many don’t realize they are dead, and those that do are very resentful of the living,” Ervin said. “Many continue to do everyday things, believing that they have on different clothes, eat meals and so forth.”

But just why do spirits stick around in certain places?

Ervin explains he believes there are a variety of reasons.

“Many are afraid of their final judgment before God,” he says. “They don’t want to go into the light and prefer staying in the earthly realm. Another reason is that they do not realize they are dead, and return to the places that hold the most meaning, the most fun for them in life. Some, who do not have a specific place to go, will hang around their burial place, where they were killed, or another location.”

Ervin’s mentor, Chris Mason, stopped his investigation after reportedly the spirit of a young boy passed through him, leaving a “part” of his spirit within Mason. According to Ervin, Mason says he began to suffer from depression and other similar afflictions, and had to be “cleansed” to be rid of the little boy’s influence. He also says that Mason was experiencing some paranormal activity at his home, with files being thrown on the floor, and other similar activity.

As a result, Ervin says that Mason got out of paranormal investigating.

Ervin also says that cemeteries can house the most foul-mouthed spirits, citing one in particular where he has many friends buried. However some are just needing help, according to Ervin.

While visiting one local cemetery, he says that one lady asked to see her son, whom Ervin could not convince to come to speak with her. Another gave precise directions to the location where someone was buried.  Yet another spoke to him in German.

However not all are friendly, Ervin says. “Many hurl insults and religious and racial slurs,” as part of their resentfulness towards the living.

But do these spirits talk to Ervin directly?

Very rarely, according to the investigator. Using high-tech equipment, such as a SLS 3-D mapping camera, a video recorder, Laser projector, electro-magnetic field detectors and generators,  digital audio recorders, and a “spirit box.”

“Basically spirits need to build their energies in order to communicate, and they speak more rapidly than what we do,” he said. “The recorders generate white noise, which spirits use to vocalize their messages. We take the recordings and run them through programs which slows them down, allowing us to hear the messages.”

Has he actually captured undeniable evidence of a spirit, or ghost, in picture or video?

Not yet. “Capturing a full body apparition is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Ervin says. However he has caught orbs, mist, and other activity. He also has an instrument which detects the energy of spirits and translates them into stick figure images on a screen, so that investigators can “see” them. He also has what can simply be described as an electronic thermometer which measures temperatures in an environment. When there is paranormal activity, spirits must drain their surroundings of energy, which results in a decrease in temperature in very specific areas, Ervin says.

Combining all of these tools and their results during an investigation is what produces the IPI’s findings he says.