‘Wow, it’s really dark in here,? whispers a barely audible voice.
Some might say the voice is just garbled static on a tape, others might not hear anthing at all, but the Ghost Hunters of Southern Michigan hear the voice of a spirit.
The four-person team of Robin and Russ Lemkie and Tom and Carrie Lundy has been together for several years. The group was started by Robin.
‘I started the group because I knew I had an ability that was different,? Robin said. ‘It’s not psychic, we call it ‘sensetive.??
The hunters visted the Independence Township Library on June 15 to share some of their experiences with curious visitors.
The show began with a series of photographs with unexplained shapes, images and fogginess. Different group members took turns telling the stories behind each photo. Tom assured everyone they had many more photos of orbs ? small circles of floating light ? but chose not to include them because most orbs can be explained naturally.
‘We don’t deal with a lot of orbs because we can explain them away fairly naturally ? dew, dust or other airborne material,? Tom said.
The images they shared, however, could not be explained away. Many of the objects are open to interpretation, but many resembled faces or human figures. The hunters said the images were taken at various locations throughout southern Michigan including farmhouses, jail cells, theaters and even battlesfields from the War of 1812.
‘That was a hard place to walk through because of all the people that died there and all the emotional distress there,? said Robin, refering to a trip to the battlefield.
The goal of the hunters, according to Robin, is to investigate reports of activity and help any lingering spirits they encounter to ‘move on.? She said they do so by relaying to the spirit that they can rest and move on in peace. Robin said they frequently receive feedback from property owners that the unexplained activity decreases or stops after the hunters visit.
Tom said they don’t accept payments for any visits and the hunt is a hobby, not a job.
‘Saturday night in a cemetary and I’m happy… as long as I’m still living,? Tom joked.
Sometimes their searches turn up nothing. Tom said even when they do encounter something, they do not always know what they are experiencing.
‘The problem with ghost hunting is the longer we do it, the more questions we have that need answers,? he said.
Tom said their experiences vary and admitted he and the other hunters get scared on occassion, but they are never worried about being harmed.
‘There is no physical harm that we have ever encountered,? he said. ‘I think people are afraid because it’s the unknown.?
Tom said people can seek out answers on their own. The hunters prefer to use common analog recording equipment and said anyone with an interest can give ghost hunting a try.
‘I think this is something anyone can do, we just do it,? he said. ‘It’s a very expensive and time-consuming hobby.?
For more information on the group visit their Web site at www.ghosm.com.