Post by spriskeptic on Jan 13, 2009 16:41:27 GMT -5
From www.thetelegraph.com
Catching the spirits
Ghost hunter leads Alton tours
January 6, 2009 - 5:09 PM
By FRED POLLARD
The Telegraph
Gary Hawkins of Alton says a whole new world opened up for him when he went on his first paranormal investigation in 1994 and discovered he had the ability to "catch" a spirit or ghost, keeping it immobilized around him until he lets it go.
"Spirits are energy, and somehow I am able to use my sixth sense, specifically in the area of touch, to adjust my electrical energy in such a way that it acts like a magnet," Hawkins says on his Web site, proghosthunter.com.
Hawkins has been a tour guide for Antoinette's Haunter History Tours for nearly 15 years and has taken thousands of people on historical journeys to buildings in the Alton area reputed to be haunted. He also leads a team of investigators dubbed "Team Ghost Catcher," including David McCracken, John Donnelly and Larry Wilson.
"I have always had an interest in (paranormal activity), but the catalyst that sent me on the road I am on now was my first experience on an investigation with Antoinette's tours," Hawkins said.
Since that first encounter, study of the paranormal has become a big part of Hawkins' life. He has been featured on television and radio several times, including the Steve and DC radio show and "Show Me St. Louis" on KSDK. While continuing to act as a guide for the tours, he also conducts classes and lectures on paranormal investigations.
In addition to his natural abilities, Hawkins uses ghost-hunting devices, including night vision goggles, dowsing rods, digital cameras, closed-circuit television cameras, laser-guided digital thermometers, and electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, which utter a series of beeps when there is a disturbance in a location's energy level.
"Out of all my equipment, I think I get the most results from the EMF," he said. "I have also recorded some interesting stuff on closed-circuit television, though."
In 2003, he wrote a book, "Ghosts: Investigating the Other Side of Life," which is available through his Web site.
2009 is proving to be an exciting year for Hawkins, as plans for a television series that has been in the works for years are getting under way.
For Hawkins, the ability to educate people on the paranormal and maybe passing along some of his passion on the subject is an exciting prospect.
"The possibility of proving on a national level that ghosts really do exist intrigued me," he said.
The ability to "catch" a spirit is something that has become Hawkins' "trademark" among local believers in the paranormal, and he says he has never met anyone else to his knowledge who has this ability.
"I can sense them," he said. "The senses get stronger when they are within reach and I found I am just able to control them at that point.
"I think (the ability) was always there. It was just dormant until I realized I had it."
fred_pollard@thetelegraph.com
Find the full story along with pix at: www.thetelegraph.com/articles/hawkins_22030___article.html/paranormal_ability.html
Catching the spirits
Ghost hunter leads Alton tours
January 6, 2009 - 5:09 PM
By FRED POLLARD
The Telegraph
Gary Hawkins of Alton says a whole new world opened up for him when he went on his first paranormal investigation in 1994 and discovered he had the ability to "catch" a spirit or ghost, keeping it immobilized around him until he lets it go.
"Spirits are energy, and somehow I am able to use my sixth sense, specifically in the area of touch, to adjust my electrical energy in such a way that it acts like a magnet," Hawkins says on his Web site, proghosthunter.com.
Hawkins has been a tour guide for Antoinette's Haunter History Tours for nearly 15 years and has taken thousands of people on historical journeys to buildings in the Alton area reputed to be haunted. He also leads a team of investigators dubbed "Team Ghost Catcher," including David McCracken, John Donnelly and Larry Wilson.
"I have always had an interest in (paranormal activity), but the catalyst that sent me on the road I am on now was my first experience on an investigation with Antoinette's tours," Hawkins said.
Since that first encounter, study of the paranormal has become a big part of Hawkins' life. He has been featured on television and radio several times, including the Steve and DC radio show and "Show Me St. Louis" on KSDK. While continuing to act as a guide for the tours, he also conducts classes and lectures on paranormal investigations.
In addition to his natural abilities, Hawkins uses ghost-hunting devices, including night vision goggles, dowsing rods, digital cameras, closed-circuit television cameras, laser-guided digital thermometers, and electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, which utter a series of beeps when there is a disturbance in a location's energy level.
"Out of all my equipment, I think I get the most results from the EMF," he said. "I have also recorded some interesting stuff on closed-circuit television, though."
In 2003, he wrote a book, "Ghosts: Investigating the Other Side of Life," which is available through his Web site.
2009 is proving to be an exciting year for Hawkins, as plans for a television series that has been in the works for years are getting under way.
For Hawkins, the ability to educate people on the paranormal and maybe passing along some of his passion on the subject is an exciting prospect.
"The possibility of proving on a national level that ghosts really do exist intrigued me," he said.
The ability to "catch" a spirit is something that has become Hawkins' "trademark" among local believers in the paranormal, and he says he has never met anyone else to his knowledge who has this ability.
"I can sense them," he said. "The senses get stronger when they are within reach and I found I am just able to control them at that point.
"I think (the ability) was always there. It was just dormant until I realized I had it."
fred_pollard@thetelegraph.com
Find the full story along with pix at: www.thetelegraph.com/articles/hawkins_22030___article.html/paranormal_ability.html