"A Spiritual Open House Tour"

By Tracy Seelye

July 6, 2011 | Whitman-Hanson Express | Massachusetts

A small group of area paranormal enthusiasts — which numbers Whitman and Hanson residents among its members — have been researching the energy in, and past uses of, historic sites and private homes for six years. This month, for the first time, the general public will be invited on a paranormal investigation of an undisclosed vacant industrial building in the area. They try to seek out only positive energy, so poltergeist seekers may want to look elsewhere.

A limited number of people will be accepted — no more than 15 — and there is a $25 charge for inclusion at the previously investigated site, according to Lorrie Parker of the Massachusetts Area Paranormal Society (M.A.P.S.).

Those attending the investigation are welcome to bring any equipment they have for the late-night excursion.

“There are plenty of people who come in here who are skeptics, and that’s OK,” said Parker in her East Bridgewater antique store, Mrs. Swift’s and Moore. “I would be a skeptic, too, if I hadn’t had any experiences or signs. But everybody on our team have had experiences so that all of us question … there’s got to be something more.”

People who doubt may be trying too hard to see signs, which are often subtle, according to Parker. One such doubter visiting her shop witnessed the sudden movement of a basket, she said.

“Not an earth-shattering experience,” Parker said. “It was just some kind of energy here — needless to say, that person is a believer now.”

Past Projects

Among past investigations in the area has been the former Bump Funeral Home in Whitman, now an apartment building. Another was a house her son bought on High Street in Hanson, abutting Plymouth County Hospital site — a former tuberculosis sanatorium. Her son’s house was a former town-owned doctor’s home rented to hospital staff.

“Different things happened in that house when he moved in,” Parker said.

After putting their baby to bed in a crib in the master bedroom and closing the door, her son and daughter in-law went down to the living room to watch TV. Later, they found not only the bedroom door open, but the closet doors were also open as were all the bureau drawers in the room.

An investigation of the house suggested the presence of her daughter in-law’s uncle Walter watching over the family.

“Like a lot of people, they didn’t care if they are sharing space with an energy, but they are curious as to who it might be,” she said.

Local psychic medium Dawn Carr, who often accompanies M.A.P.S. on investigations, came along for the visits to both locations.

“We book her for the night but don’t tell her the address until an hour before,” Parker said. “We were down in the basement [of the Whitman site] and she said there’s a person here, I feel like he’s kind of a lost soul who doesn’t know that he’s passed. He’s a little old man and he has problems.”

Carr had said the man kept walking back and forth and mumbling. According to Parker, later review of the electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recorder revealed a man’s voice saying “back and forth, back and forth ...”

“It was wonderful,” Parker said. “It was one of the clearest that we’ve ever gotten. Sometimes you think you hear something, but if there’s too many people in the investigation or it’s a noisy place it’s contaminating your evidence.”

That is one reason the number of people on the Friday, July 29 investigation will be limited. The location is not being disclosed in advance to prevent vandalism or pranksters trying to skew the investigation.

The M.A.P.S. group of seven usually limits its own members to teams of three or four on any given investigation. On the July 29 event, three groups will be involved, each with two leaders and four or five guests in each group for a maximum of 15 members of the public.

“We have so many enquiries,” Parker said. “That’s why we decided to have a public investigation because you can’t take a lot of people into someone’s house.”

For tickets or more information, visit Lorrie Parker at Mrs. Swift’s & Moore Antiques and Gifts, 12 West Union St. East Bridgewater or call 508-xxx-xxxx or 781-xxx-xxxx.