Using psychometry readings in your investigations

Being able to discover facts or information about a building, an old photo, a toy, or any other inanimate object would be a great asset when undertaking paranormal investigations, don't you think?

Knowing any facts about the history of a location or information about an object, can often validate evidence collected from paranormal investigations, including apparitions or voices. Spiritual theorists believe psychometry may provide the means to find the facts or answers to these questions.

Psychometry is the most common term given to the alleged ability, or the extrasensory perception of, being able to discover information or facts about an event, person or inanimate object, simply by making physical contact with the associated objects. The theory is, people are made up entirely of energy and this energy leaves an energetic or psychic imprint on the objects touched. For humans still living, we refer to this as their aura, and for those that have passed, these psychic imprints may manifest, present as residual hauntings, or simply stay imprinted in the inanimate object. The knowledge embedded in the energetic or psychic imprint is then transferred to the person holding or touching the object. People who can perform this skill are often referred to as 'empaths'.

Have you ever picked up an item, touched a person or object and experienced a Deja Vu moment, an overwhelming emotion, seen an image or even had a thought which seemed random and not related to your current line of thought? If so, you may be in fact experiencing this extrasensory perception ability of psychometry.

So how do you know if you have this skill? Can you learn it?

Well, the answer is yes, with practice.

There are some identifying features or situations that will help distinguish whether you may be inclined to perform psychometry, or at least identify that, with practice, you may be able to develop the skill of psychometric reading.

The most common ways to identify if there is a predisposition to reading an object's energy or a possession of psychometric ability are:

• you avoid touching old metal objects, especially items like chains, gates, shields and swords as metal objects tend to hold more energy and hence, you feel 'different' when you pick up older metal objects
• antique stores make you feel uneasy or give off a weird vibe or feeling. You may find yourself getting fidgety, uncomfortable and you do not want to touch any of the items or furniture that is on display
• you find it difficult to own used furniture and feel uncomfortable around it or sitting in it
• you feel uncomfortable in a room or space with too many objects, or a space that is cluttered, especially if the room is full of older vintage or antique style items
• you feel the urge to sage cluttered spaces or rooms in older homes
• you can not wear or buy used or second-hand clothing and hated the 'hand-me-downs'
• you do not like looking at old pictures or you feel overwhelmed and emotional when you look at them
• you can not wear pre-owned jewellery or feel the urge to cleanse any used jewellery that you have or wear  
• second hand or opportunity shops make you feel overwhelmed and uneasy and you do not usually buy items of a second-hand nature
• you feel the need to wash your hands after you have touched or picked up a second hand item 

Don't feel disillusioned if you are comfortable with some or all of the above, you can still develop the ability of psychometry through determined practice. With the right amount of concentration, empathy and focus, you can learn how to, and improve your ability in performing a psychometric reading.

So, to improve the skill in psychometry, I strongly suggest working through a regular routine. It may take months before validated and accurate readings occur, but once skills are honed, this will be a valuable asset to use when investigating. Even the most experienced readers have inaccuracies, but what is imortant, is to keep trying and improving the number of accurate readings to that of 

• Set up an EVP recorder, or have someone scribe responses
• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. You want to ensure that no energy is left on your hands that may interfere with your reading. 
• Rub your hands together to create friction, warm them up and create static energy (this can be tested by placing your palms parallel, about a centimetre apart and sensing whether you feel a sensation, like a denseness or energy between your palms)
• Centre yourself by taking deep breaths and relax
• Close your eyes and focus on your senses. What can you hear, see, smell and taste?
• Move the focus down to your hands and the energy within your hands. 
• Pick up the item you are wishing to read.
• Imagine the object is an extension of your hand. Shift your awareness to the object and the object only. 
• Open yourself up and allow emotions, memories, images and thoughts to enter your mind
• Ask yourself questions in your mind or out loud
• who was/is the owner of the object?
• show me the emotions, memories and experiences the owner had while using/wearing this object.
• is the owner still alive or have they passed?
• Say out loud any impressions and thoughts that come to your mind. Say anything you see, hear, feel, smell or taste.

If you are reading a piece of jewellery or photo, the owner may be able to validate your responses for accuracy. With time, emotions, memories, thoughts and impressions will become stronger and more detailed. 

Best items to start working on psychometric ability are:

• Jewellery (preferably someone you are not close to, so that you can test your reading without bias)
• Metal objects like swords, platters, shields, chains, family heirlooms
• Photos
• Diaries, books
• Homes, especially the walls in old buildings
• Furniture, armchairs, desks
• Toys, dolls, blankets - toys can contain information about emotional and mental states, especially if the child has a favourite toy that they kept with them all the time

Remember, psychometry is meant to be fun and with practice, can be an effective, interesting and no cost tool in your paranormal investigating repertoire of methodologies. 

Using a plasma dome for paranormal investigating

Paranormal Theory suggests that spirits need energy in order to manifest or communicate with the living. In many investigations, attempts to raise energy levels result in investigators, myself included, opening themselves up by giving permission for spirits to use their personal energy. Now this may be convenient at the time, but it is not ideal, as by opening yourself up and giving permission for spirits to take from you, you may find yourself with an outcome that you would rather not wish for.

To avoid any unwanted attachments, it is possible to raise energy levels using a scientific approach. The first is by using an EMF pump, but another way, is to use a plasma dome or ball.

So, could a child's novelty toy be used to investigate the paranormal? Well, the answer is yes ..... definitely.

The plasma dome is a clear glass sphere that is filled with a mixture of various noble gases, but mainly neon, and with a high-voltage electrode at the centre of the sphere. When the voltage is applied (power plugged in or from batteries), a plasma is formed within the sphere. The plasma filaments extend from the electrode to the outer glass sphere, which is an insulator, giving the appearance of beams of coloured light. When this occurs, a radio frequency is emitted which may interfere with other devices, resulting in readings, or in the paranormal world, false positives.

I would suggest doing a few simple experiments to understand the capacity and strength of your plasma ball before you start using it for investigations.

Working out the dome's radius of effect

• Place your plasma dome in the middle of a table or room. Turn you plasma ball on. 
• Place a K2 meter next to the plasma dome, you should be receiving orange to red hits on your K2, depending on the strength of the ball. 
• Slowly slide the K2 away from the plasma dome until you have a solid green hit. Measure this distance (this is your radius of effect)
• Trial your radius of effect by moving the K2 meter around the circumference of an imaginary circle (where the dome is the centre of the circle), to ensure you are accurate with your radius of effect. 
• Randomly move your K2 meter in and out of the circle to validate the level of emission. In other words, move it closer to the dome until you get orange and red hits and then back away from the dome until the meter is green. Once you have validated the radius of effect, use this as a reference when investigating and do not place any other devices within that radius, as you need to ensure that the radio frequency emitted does not interfere with any of your other devices. 

Also, a good understanding of how conduction works is vital in getting the best out of your plasma dome. If you place your right hand on the plasma dome and then your left hand on the K2 meter, you should be able to conduct the electricity through your body, which will be shown by a reading on the K2 meter. This is important to note, just in case you touch the dome and then move close to or pick up your K2 meter.

How to use the dome in an investigation

There are a number of ways to use a plasma dome in an investigation. The one that I find most valuable is to use the dome in conjunction with an Electronic Voice Phenomena Recorder (EVP). By placing the EVP near the dome, entities may use the dome's energy and the emitted radio frequencies to manipulate the frequency to communicate with us. The EVP can register a wider pitch range, from 7 Hz to 50,000 Hz, whereas average human hearing will only register sounds from approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This range obviously changes based on age, exposure and ear damage. What this means is, the EVP may pick up sounds and voices that the human ear can not. 

A second method is asking any spirit entities to come and touch the plasma dome. As when a human touches the dome's outer shell, the coloured beam would form an arc from the centre electrode to the point of contact. In theory, this should work if a spirit entity touches the dome or pulls energy from it. 

If an arc is visible and you have your dome situated within the validated radius of effect, then you can begin to eliminate or debunk possible causes of the arc. In this circumstance, the arc may be related to paranormal phenomenon and as an investigator you would begin to request that any entities touch the dome on the left, and then on the right or on one side for a yes, and another for a no. If the dome responds positively, then you may have a possible spirit communicating with you. 

Whenever you are investigating with a new piece of equipment, ensure you practice with the device before you take it out with you. Learn how it works, how it responds and how it interacts with you and any other devices or equipment you may use. 

Use the dome in conjunction with an EVP, K2s (or any EMF meter), an ovilus and a video camera for best results. 

From my experience the dome works best when young spirits are present or in one where voices or growls are often heard. 

Good luck with this fun, cheap addition to your investigation kit. 

To Ouija or not to Ouija - Ouija Board Session at the Old Kilmore Gaol, Kilmore, Victoria

I find it very interesting when you investigate the same location a number of times, especially when you are exploring it with someone new or even someone who has never investigated that particular location before. You try hard not to let recent experiences influence your current investigation and not to overshare activity in a particular area, but then again, those past experiences and insights are what helps to build the story that you are piecing together and often it is the past activity that you rely on to validate responses or to identify with whom you are communicating.

If I know that I will be investigating the same location a number of times, I will often employ old school techniques like scrying, trigger items, pendulum work or Ouija, mixed with the more contemporary approaches to investigations, like the use of electronic devices or recording equipment. This way, I can ensure I do not become bored with the investigation and are using multiple sources to build an evidence base to validate any activity experienced.

Now, everyone has a different opinion on Ouija Boards and many of these opinions are based on very little evidence or experience and are formed based on the myths told by the overly exaggerated story-tellers. When I ask people why the think Ouijas are demonic or bad .... nearly all of the responses are simply ....NOOOO they are not good. I follow up asking if they have actually ever undertaken a Ouija Board session and the answer is unanimously .... NO, never .... and I never want to!

So where have these opinions formed..... they have formed on the basis of stories passed down through others. Through social media, through parents, through exaggerated stories of friends who know friends who once did a Ouija, through the whispers and innuendo, the gossip and the hear say.

But......

A Ouija Board is no different to any other form of spirit communication, whether it be a pendulum, a K2 meter, an ovilus, a set of dowsing rods, or even when you say to a spirit....I give you permission to use my energy ..... all of these methods give permission to the spirit world to come forth and make themselves known, to communicate to the living who reside in the physical world. So do these people who have such strong demonic opinions of Ouija Boards have the same views regarding holding a K2 meter, or using a pendulum, or even holding their hands out and inviting a spirit to touch them.

No! Why?

Because many people have not been educated on what they are about.

I personally do not have an issue with using the board. I researched them, learnt how to use them properly, how to open and close a board session and how to stay in control. Being in control is the key, being strong, assertive and respectful.

So, let me walk you through this amazing Ouija session at the Old Kilmore Gaol.

It was well after one in the morning and a lady, who was rather sensitive to the spirit world and her young adult son wanted to engage in a Ouija session. So I, along with another lead investigator took the two guests to the cell area. We set up the Ouija and opened a session.

Not long into the session, a spirit contact was made. The spirit continued to respond to this lady, stating that it was here to talk with her. The spirit spelt out her name, her age along with that of the lady, all of which resonated accurately with this guest. Now, I had never met this guest before that night, so unless she was saying things were accurate, when in fact they were not, or had lied about her name and that of her children, then I would say this was a pretty authentic experience.

The main storyline of the session was that a relative had passed and there were financial concerns over inheritance and divorce. The session gave guidance to this guest and clarity on actions. It was clear and concise.

But.....at one point the spirit whom we believe had come with the guest dropped out and you could feel a very strong presence enter the cell.

Quickly the Board shifted energy and the spirit made it clear it wanted to speak with the young male adult who was engaging in the Ouija session. We asked the spirit if he knew this young man. No .... was his response. We then asked the spirit why he wanted to speak with him? His response was of a sexual nature.

Knowing this was a gaol for men and homosexual behaviours were not uncommon, we quickly asserted to the spirit that this was not the intention of the session and that the young man was not interested nor consenting to any of that behaviour and he was to immediately leave the location.

The planchette moved to goodbye.

The Board stayed silent for a few minutes until the energy lifted again and it felt like the female was back to communicate with our guest.

The session continued for a few more minutes until the guest was satisfied she has gained all she needed to know.

We closed the Board down and left respectfully and peacefully.

It was so interesting to feel how one spirit just vanished, while a strong, dominant spirit took over the Board. It is so important to be assertive and in control and confront what is presenting itself to you when you are undertaking a Ouija session. And if in the off chance that you feel you are not, then close the Board down immediately.