For Steve Wood it often starts with a phone call.
?’I hope you don’t think I’m crazy,? the caller will say,? said Wood. ? ‘But there’s something going on in my house and I just can’t explain what it is.??
For the past five years Steve and his business partner, Mike Marton, have worked to explain the unexplained.
At 7 p.m., Oct. 19, Michigan Spirit Quest will be at the Brandon Township Library, 304 South St., Ortonville to discuss their investigation work with the paranormal. The discussion will include some digital recordings that came from an actual paranormal investigation.
‘It started with a curiosity at first,? said Wood. ‘Then we purchased some digital recorders and started some research and we do not charge people for the investigation. We do not go to people’s homes right away, rather we work on a procedure. But before we decide the activity is paranormal we look for man-made causes or some natural cause first. We go into a lot of research prior to going to the site. We have to dump all reasonable possibilities to deem the activity unexplained or paranormal.?
Hollywood has everyone thinking ghost, Wood added.
‘Mike and I look at why the place is not haunted? a lot of groups think everything is a ghost,? he said. ‘Once we do an investigation we then find out why it’s not normal. At that point it could be a haunting’we try to capture any evidence if it’s not documented in our eyes, it’s just a story or just folk lore, fable or just untruths.?.
Wood said they have investigated schools, homes, bed and breakfasts, barns, a variety of locations.
‘When we are in an investigation it’s just Mike and I’we just want to be sure no one else is in the area that could change the results. It’s all about integrity,? he said. ‘Sometimes we ask the spirit a question and look for an answer. Often it’s just a whisper, sometimes it’s so quiet that we don’t discover the response until we review the recordings later.?
Wood shared some exchanges with spirits.
‘For example, I asked, ‘How many spirits are in this house?? ‘Nine,? it replied. There has never been any violent responses or activity,? he said. ‘The worst thing that happened was I was told to shut up’it was a woman’s voice, too. I’ve also been asked, ‘What’s your name?? but that’s very rare. I’ve asked, ‘How old were you when you died?? Then the spirit would sometimes say an age back. I was told to ‘get out,? but that’s about the harshest response I’ve ever had.?
‘Ninety-eight percent of the time we don’t know what they are saying,? he said. ‘We’ve heard music being played, a series of drumming or some rhythm. I’ve heard my name said, but it’s rare to get the name of the spirit. We have never caught a mist, or shadow nor did anything ever levitate. That’s a lot of Hollywood. We almost never go out at night on an investigation. Time of day is not a factor. You just don’t have to be somewhere at two in the morning to find a spirit, it does not run on a shift or schedule; rather, a place is haunted 24 hours per day.?
Paranormal investigations have been going on for a long time, he said.
‘We discovered that cemeteries are often not haunted,? he said. ‘It comes down to emotion? spirits have the ability to come and go to different places, so why go to a cemetery? Friends and family come and may have visited a grave, but that does not mean the spirit will hang out there. There’s really no hard rules to follow’what makes sense to you or I may not be the same for a spirit.?
‘There’s never a bad experience for us with a spirit either, we respond with respect and don’t antagonize,? he said. ‘We’ve had no experiences with the demonic either, contrary to Hollywood. It just makes sense to be polite and you’ll be treated the same way.?
Michigan Spirit Quest can be contacted 810-252-0140 or steve@mispiritquest.com