Haunted Missouri Paranormal Studies

Our group consists of adults, some couples, who have an interest in hauntings. We are professional people who do this not for profit work on our own and at our own expense in an effort to collect documental evidence of spirit activity.

Haunted Missouri is a "PRIVATE" organization.

 There is no charge for our help or advice --EVER.

We are now accepting applications for local members--NO MEMBERSHIP DUES or FEES!

Serious applicants only need apply.Must live within 100 miles of Farmington, Missouri(or be willing to travel here for meetings at your own expense)

 
Must be ABLE & willing to pay your own way on monthly overnight investigations including gas, food & lodging.

You must have your own transportation and be willing to car pool or take turns driving.

You should be willing to help plan and execute investigations!

We do not need anyone that wants to be told "where and when" so they can "show up"!

FREE training. No equipment necessary to start. Open minded skeptics & non hysterical believers welcome.

Thank you!

Our founding members are (left to right)Wendy also of TRIP/ICPIR, Tonya Clark and Belinda Clark-Ache (pictured below at the 2005 Willard Library Overnight hosted by the Willard Library Ghostchatters)

Our Beliefs

We believe in ghosts.

I believe because I have seen them throughout the years. It is always a
surprise and I sure can't control it but one can not long argue with the
proof right in front of your eyes and stay sane for long. I think that turning
to the belief that ghosts are real after you have experienced them for
yourself might actually save your sanity.

This got me to wondering. If I have the "ability" to see ghosts why don't I
see them every day? Why aren't they lining the sides of the roads where
they died, shopping in the grocery store aisles as if still alive, trying to get
the bar maids attention at the local honkey tonk?

Surely if you can walk into the living room and clearly see the figure of
your dead father standing by his chair you should be able to see Mom at
the stove and Sis at the table and hundreds of others milling about hap
hazardly? No. I don't think it works that way.

As I touched on in my "motivation" essay I believe that circumstances
have to line up just right for a haunting to be noticed. There must BE a
haunting, there must BE a "seer" and there must BE collaborating
evidence. So if there have been numerous times through the years that I
was that "seer" then why doesn't it happen more often? Why can't it be
controlled, studied, brought to pass? I am not a scientist and I do not
PRETEND to be an expert in this area, so there may be those studying just
these things now, for all I know.

So, perhaps there are circumstances that must "line UP" right for even the
"seer" to see? Perhaps they must be either rested or fatigued, charged
with extra energy from some source I do not know enough about to
comment on? Going one step further, maybe the weather, astrological
anomalies, personal histories of the deceased must all be in certain stages
in order for them to manifest. The energy must be JUST RIGHT, in other
words.

Thought about in those terms it would explain why there are not ghosts
looming, roaming, over running us. Maybe that is why people who live in
houses very near to those towering electrical rigs claim to have more
encounters with the supernatural? Or why teenagers with all of their
rampaging hormones and huge stores of energy are frequently the
poltergeist catalyst? Or why people like me can see their beloved dad as
they cross the room? All of the circumstances were just right, for that one
brief and shining moment and the veil was lifted briefly?

Ghost encounters would, naturally, then  be fewer and farther in between.
That might also explain why ONE HOUSE would have ghostly activity, then
sit idle, flair back up when new people come on the scene. Say for
instance that there is a place with a tortured history-- I know many that
apply. Magnolia Manor in Bolivar, Tennessee, for instance, which was a
genteel southern "plantation" occupied by the Union Army, hosted injured
soldiers and housed families for over 100 years. If that place with a
tortured history is located atop an underground river, water conducts
electricity there fore there would be an extra "charge" in the air, making it
more likely that an entity could make itself known. Being located under
those huge electrical towers might also make the atmosphere charged
enough to be hospitable for a manifestation.

So, if you have a place that is capable of hosting a spirit for whatever
reason and you have a person move in that can; at times, have the ability
to see these occurrences then the likelihood of what we call a supernatural
event happening have just been doubled. Add a child, teen, mentally
challenged adult or elderly person into the mix and you have factors that
would foster a haunted house.

Once you have the essential parts of a haunting in place and activity is
noted things usually proceed in a relatively methodical way.

The people notice unusual activity. It is at first ignored. Then it is passed
off as an odd but natural occurrence. As the activity increases there are
usually more witnesses. It has been my experience that until a second
witness is added to the phenomena the first witness will hardly ever
acknowledge paranormal activity, even to them selves. Once there is a
second person to share the disbelief then there is usually some laying in
wait for supernatural occurrences, trying to duplicate them when they
happen, searches for open windows, improperly sealed vents and that kind
of thing.

The witnesses are accepting that there is something out of the norm going
on. This stage can last a long time before the situation is recharged by
either a new witness becoming aware or some other increase in energy
levels amps up the volume. It is about this time that there may be some
books checked out of the library, or someone looking up ghost sites on the
web.

Very soon after this is when the witness will contact a friend, relative or
web master of a site they find helpful to tell their story too. This is part of
the acceptance. It is at some point after they are willing to share their tale
that they would be seeking authentication or validation from a group like
Haunted Missouri Paranormal Studies, or one of the other fine and worthy
teams who do something akin to what we do.

Once you have the place and the people in line and they have reached out
to someone for help or validation the final addition would be documentation.


This really does have to be the resident's responsibility in a place where
you have called in researchers to validate your experience. In the old days
that would be telling stories word of mouth on those stormy, long cold
nights when the lights are out and the vibe is spooky enough for it. These
days I encourage recipients of ghostly activity to write a journal or diary of
events, use audio recorders, cameras, videos to try to capture anomalies,
and to collect other people's experiences written or taped for their file.

These are things that someone invited into your home or business really
can't do for you. Oh, well, we can take pictures, videos and tape audio, but
we are only there for one visit, occasionally two and as the resident or
business person THEY are the ones who are in the position to best
document your activities. We suggest everyone who wonders if they are experiencing a haunting should keep a journal for at least a month. If they are unwilling to do so it shows that they may not have as much interest in it as they thought or that it is not a priority. Rather or not they are willing to do this would
actually depend on their motivation for calling in a paranormal research
team.

If they want to stop the activity they need a specific kind of help, we can offer it. If we do have a comfortable understanding of the events or if it is decided that there may be demonic activity we do haveaa man who is a studied demonologist standing by to consult with us.

The kind of person who would most benefit from our kind of team would be
the one who would like assistance in understanding the haunting. In
documenting the phenomena, history and provenance of the sight and in
learning to live with their spirits and deal with them on their own without
an outsider --not someone who is in desperate need for salvation from a
wrathful wraith. If you have a malicious haunting I can help you, or help you find other help, but who ever you chose; check their references. TALK to people they have helped or do not go with them. Their relatives and team members do not count. This field is unregulated and to some all you have to do is call yourself an expert and you are one. Be aware of who you are dealing with.

Am I more likely to find evidence of ghosts because I am a believer? Some
people think so, and I do not argue the point because I would need much
more information to do so. If you sent me; a believer, into a haunted
location with a TOTAL skeptic and we went about gathering data and
evidence in the same way would our findings be consistent? I don't know
that either. I know there are scientists out there studying this and I will be
there to read their findings. I do not think so. I have given too many investigations too many other poossibilkities rather than deem then haunted or scream demon when I hear a mouse fart to think that I do not have the objectivity to pursue the truth and not just stroke my own ego.

I know that my belief has been with me from childhood and the wear and
tear from the skeptical world has not sidelined them. I am anxious to learn
more.

Copy right 2005 Belinda Clark-Ache
All rights reserved.

10:19 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Our Business

Founded in January of 2005 Haunted Missouri Paranormal Studies has a long list of references we offer to individuals who are considering asking us for help or coming to "work" with us. These references consist of teams we have worked with, individual investigators that we have teamed up with for investigations in the past and clients we have done investigations for. CONTACT US for more information.

Frequently Ask Questions

WHAT is a HAUNTING?

If you are asking this question, you probably already know the answer. It's the crazy, spooky, unusual or just unexplained happenings that make you question your sanity. It is the sight, smell, feel of something or someone that you can not explain away logically.

Here are some of MY ANSWERS to a few Frequently ASK Questions:

What is a ghost?

Anybody who tells you they can say exactly what a ghost is had WAY TO MUCH FUN in college. The answer that most people believe is that a ghost is the earthbound spirit of a deceased person. The scientific community is researching this very question, and someday there may be a definitive answer, but for now, your guess is as good as mine.

Are there different kinds of "ghosts"?

There are several accepted answers to this question. There are poltergeists, a term used for an annoying spirit that you never see.Then there are two types of residual haunting, Anniversary and Event. A residual event plays over and over like a rerun and may happen at any time the circumstances are right while an anniversary event repeats on specific dates. These haunting replay a past event and are not interactive. You are an observer only. The third kind of haunting is interactive, the spirits see and reacts to you. This is also called a cognitive haunting. This is by far the rarest type of haunting.

How can I find out who is haunting me and why?

Truth? You probably never will know the answers to these questions. Unless you SEE the spirit and recognize it as "Aunt Suzy Q" then any other information you may get from psychics or communicating with the spirit through any means is purely subjective. Now, if you have a medium or anyone who gives you specific information that can be researched and documented then you are very lucky. Retain copies of all your documentation and contact a book publisher because this is very rare!

What is the point of documentation or research then?

Good question. The very act of documenting the paranormal activity around you is a way to deal with the supernatural phenomena in a healthy fashion. If you become aware enough of the happenings to journal them completely then you will have less time for running, screaming and freaking out. The very act of journaling is calming to the situation and makes it feel less "freakish". Once you have taken enough notes to realize a pattern, or cycle to your particular events you will be able to research (or have researched) the property and history. You may then either find information that satisfies your curiosity about the events or that constitutes proof of what you have been through. THIS IS WHAT MOST RESEARCHERS ARE GOING FOR!

What do ghosts want?

This is one of those answers that is strictly opinion. Maybe they want to be validated like the rest of us. Perhaps they have unfinished business and want your help, or perhaps they do not know that they are no longer among the living. They could merely not want to leave a place they were happy or safe, or they could be trapped here by guilt, loneliness, unrequited love, tragedy or some other strong emotion that has not died. Again, you may never know the answer to this question.

What am I supposed to do about the ghost?

Here you have many different opinions on this too. You have people who want to "send them to the light". Then you have those who want to try to communicate with them, to learn about the secrets of death or of the afterlife. You also have those who just want to co-exist with them peaceably. This depends on your level of comfort. If you want to pursue any of these options there are groups who will help you.

What is it Haunted Missouri Paranormal Studies wants to do about/with ghosts?

We want validation that the experiences we have had collectively and individually are not fictional. We want to document everything we can and research every possibility until we are able to find or contribute to the finding of some answers to the above questions. Personally I do not want to know the secrets of death, but the confirmation of life after death would not be unwelcome.

What about religion and ghosts?

NOT my field. My answer is that you should research your faith and your haunting and draw your own conclusions.

What about demons?

It is my belief that demons are real but I do not believe that most haunting are demon related. I think a very few rare instances may be, but these are extreme and escalate very quickly. It is my feeling that if you have a demonic possession there is NOT going to be any doubt about what your problem IS. Demons are destructive. They want to corrupt your soul. You do not co-exist with a demon for years. They will not just live and let live and things will be forced to a conclusion rather the demon wins or you get rid of it. Demons do not spend years terrorizing a person, There goal is to destroy the human in as quick and torturous a fashion as possible.

REWORDED BY PERMISSION OF NFPR & Matt Ferrell All rights reserved. Original copy rights are preserved.

Who ARE WE?

Belinda is co-founder and lead investigator. She is currently enjoying being retired from a career in retail and the hospitality/food services. She has been married to the same man for 30 years and has raised numerous children including three sons of her own. They have 11 beautiful grand children. There has never been a time in her life when she was not aware that the paranormal and the normal walk hand in hand. 

Tonya is a 28 year old wife and mother of 2 who works for the State Of Missouri. She likes to keep a very low internet presence due to her  work and we support her choice. She is a founding member of Haunted Missouri, lead investigator and has an uncanny ability to ascertain facts that are not readily available to most onlookers. She is a gifted natural psychic and as such she goes to investigations "blind" or without any knowledge of the situation so that we may test her responses and research for historical accuracy. Tonya was raised to believe that there was no after life and that ghosts were fairy tales, but after a tragic accident when she almost lost her life and her husband's nephew lost his she could no longer subscribe to that theory.

This is Wendy. She is a founding member of HMPS and now researches with TRIP/ICPIR in her home state of Tennessee. Wendy works with animals and is married with one teen aged son. She is a fantastic researcher and an asset to this team in every way, shape and form. Her belief in the supernatural is tempered by healthy skepticism that keeps her balanced and focused.

My name is Michelle/Mickey.  I've been involved with investigating the paranormal for 2 yrs now.  My interest was sparked when strange things started happening in my home, although I've always believed.
 
I'm not into the theatrics I've witnessed with other cases/groups, so I'm happy to be here with Belinda and her no nonsense approach to investigating.  It's a breath of fresh air!  :)
 
I come to the group looking for logic, and natural causes to any given circumstance.  I'm not quick to jump to the conclusion that the afterlife is the cause/blame for those bumps in the night. 

My name is Mike and I have been interested in the paranormal for most my life. Like others, I have had experiences that are hard to explain. But up until the months leading to my father's death, I didn't have the desire to INVESTIGATE the paranormal. I believe that when we pass away, we do go on. Only on a different plane, where others are there to greet us.

I love doing research and digging into the history of a haunted person, place or thing.

Hi my name is Cyndi, my friends call me Cyn. I was born and raised in South St. Louis. I've always had strange experiences as young as 3 years old. Starting with an imaginary friend named Lewis on up to the present with seeing ectoplasim and shadow people in my house to feeling the presence of that which is NOT seen. So needless to say I've had quite a few experiences. 

My true interest in the paranormal came about 4 years ago. I didn't know there were people who actually investigated these things, so I looked it up on the internet and there it was.

So I joined a group and have been active in one way or another for the last 4 years. Though I've been doing this for a while now I still have the " SHOW ME" attitude when it comes to investigting I want to see it and experience it to believe it.