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Peoria Paranormal Featured Investigator
Peoria Paranormal especially wants to honor you - our featured investigator(s).
Currently, our featured investigators are Richard Lewis and Andy Miller:
Peoria Paranormal - What is your username on Peoria Paranormal?
Richard - RiverBottom Paranormal
Peoria Paranormal - Why do you ghost-hunt?
Richard - For me it's setting out to prove that we are not alone. Ever since my first paranormal experience, I've been searching for answers. Plus, I like the feeling of fear I get, it's a rush for me!
Andy - I ghost hunt because I want to see the truth for myself.
Peoria Paranormal - How long have you been ghost hunting?
Richard - I have been searching out ghosts independently for about 5 years, but just recently formed The River-Bottom Paranormal Society.
Andy - : Independently for a couple of years. Richard and I formed River-Bottom Paranormal Society about 10 months ago, so as an actual legitimate group, we are fairly new.
Peoria Paranormal - Tell us about when you saw your first ghost or had your first paranormal experience?
Richard - I had my first experience nine years ago. It was in an abandoned location that was once a slave house. In the basement we heard the sound of voices, footsteps, chains, and even a dog growling, but there was no dog! We also saw shadows dart by. There was nothing around this place for miles, and it was hidden in the woods. I was pretty much hooked after that!
Andy - An abandoned house in Perry IL. Stories were told that if you wrote your name on any of the walls, you wouldn not make it home alive! When I was in the house, I saw blue writing all over this one room, completely covering the walls, ceiling, and the floor. It was like something out of a horror movie! I went outside and was about to leave when I saw a bright orange flash in the window of the room I had just been in! I went back in to investigate and the blue writing in that room had all changed to red! I still have no explanation for it!
Peoria Paranormal - Tell us about your most frightening experience?
Simultaneously - Our first visit of an old historical home that was 100+ years old. It had been empty for 30 years and was so creepy that ever time you would walk anywhere near it, you would get the most extreme feeling of fear & anxiety imaginable! The first time we went there, this feeling was so intense, it scared the crap out of us! We were going to overcome that feeling and go in anyway, but when we approached the porch we both heard a loud scream, and left immediately! Two weeks later this house was abruptly demolished with no explanation as to why!
Peoria Paranormal - What investigative practice do you prefer? EVP, EMF, video, video with night-vision, audio recording, direct interaction with objects, or other?
Simultaneously - By far it has gotta be EVPs!
Richard - : Photographic evidence is cool too, but there are so many people with different opinions on what it could be. I like EVPs because it's harder to de-bunk catching crystal clear disembodied voices, and have made even skeptics wonder by playing EVPs for them!
Peoria Paranormal - Do you have a special technique that works best for you when utilizing your favorite investigative practice?
Richard - While doing EVP work, I tell the spirits that I do not mean any harm or disrespect. I feel it is very important to let them know that, and believe they are more apt to speaking with you if you show respect for them.
Andy - Patience. Ask questions and give them time to respond. If you do hear something, ask them to repeat what they have just done to validate it was them. Also carry on a normal conversation with whoever is with you, I believe spirits like to interact normally with people as they once did.
Peoria Paranormal - What is your most prolific proof you have acquired, which convinces you that there is an ethereal spirit-world?
Richard - The photo I took of a blue-green mist or ectoplasm in a graveyard. Most pictures that night came back as too dark, but this photo was very clear, almost as if the mist itself was electrified, it even lit up the grave markers in the background! Of course neither one of us saw it at the time the photo was taken! It is the first photo in our paranormal photo album.
Andy - Besides that photo, there is an EVP we captured during that same investigation of a little child's voice asking "Mommy?" after one of the questions I asked. The voice was heard in the EVP three times, each one after I ask a question! That was a great investigation!
Peoria Paranormal - What, if any, is the name of the paranormal investigative group that you belong to?
Simultaneously - The River-Bottom Paranormal Society.
Peoria Paranormal - If founder/co-founder of your paranormal group, how did the group become established?
Simultaneously - After we met and discovered that we both independently investigated, we wanted to join a group or paranormal society. Sadly though, two well known groups in our area (Troy Taylor's A.G.S. and The Ghost Research Society) charge outrageous prices to join their groups! The Ghost Research Society also does not allow someone with extensive tattoos to join their group. (Richard has plenty). We believe that paranormal groups should not be "commercially market based" or about making profit off of it's members, plus setting appearance guidelines in un- called for! We seek out paranormal evidence for the love of doing so, NOT in hopes of making money, so we decided to form our own independent group!
Peoria Paranormal - What is the current membership number in your group?
Simultaneously - We currently have 6 members.
Peoria Paranormal - Is your investigative group looking for new members?
Simultaneously - Yes, we are currently looking for a few more members.
Peoria Paranormal - What criteria is group looking for in new members?
Simultaneously - We are looking for responsible individuals that will take a scientific or logical approach to evidence first. They must possess a love for the supernatural or paranormal and be open minded but at the same time not jump to conclusions, or think they see something every two minutes.
Peoria Paranormal - How many people does your group typically take on an investigation?
Simultaneously - Anywhere from 3-4 people.
Peoria Paranormal - If it's a public place, or paid-visit location, list the places you've been able to investigate?
Simultaneously - Lincoln Theater, The Avon Theater, The former Blue Mill Restaurant and surrounding property, Greenwood Cemetery, Hell Hollow, Wabash Crossing in Decatur, Elkhart Cemetery, Old Union Cemetery, Peck Cemetery, Abandoned bottle factory along the Sangamon, site of a demolished 100 year old historical home, Ashmore Estates, Peoria State Hospital cemeteries, abandoned house in Perry IL, an old slave house, and a friend's house.
Peoria Paranormal - From those 'public' or paid-visit locations you have investigated, which do you believe to be the most haunted?
Simultaneously - Without a doubt, Greenwood Cemetery.
Peoria Paranormal - Have you performed in-home private investigations?
Simultaneously - Yes, we currently have one in progress and another lined out in the near future.
Peoria Paranormal - Does your group offer professional in-home investigations to homeowners who think their residence might be haunted?
Simultaneously - Yes, the one we have in progress is for one of our co-worker's mother.
Peoria Paranormal - Does your group offer homeowners references from past resident investigations as to your bond and professionalism?
Simultaneously - Yes.
Peoria Paranormal - If your group does find evidence of a residential haunting, what help or cleansing assistance do you offer the residents of the home?
Simultaneously - We will first reveal any evidence we may find and have a meeting with the homeowner. (Just like TAPS does) If the spirits are not harmful or malicious, we tell the residents that they do not need to fear them. However usually they still wish to get rid of them so for cleansing purposes we get them in contact with a local priest to do a house blessing.
Peoria Paranormal thanks you both, Richard and Andy, Founder and Co-founder of the Riverbottom Paranormal Society, for giving us your time for this short interview. We congratulate you and wish all the best success for your paranormal team!
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