Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

“By feeling disillusioned, you risk giving up in regard to a course of action at a time when it is about to reach a breakthrough. It’s crucial to stay with your objectives. An attractive option is coming your way.”

- Capricorn horoscope for July 23
(from the Toronto Star, by Phil Booth)

Startling revelations about PSICAN!
by Chris Laursen

A year ago, I found myself in a place I never expected to be: in awe of some local paranormal enthusiasts. Their names are Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier (yes, the very same ones who put this blog together) and they have become a significant… actually a huge influence on my day-to-day life.

In May of last year, I connected two deep passions in my life: the paranormal and history. Inspired by the work I had done with my friend Sarah Kapoor on a radio pilot for CBC Radio about paranormal topics (the pilot was rejected, but that turned my attention to my passion for academics) and a university course I was taking to complete my history degree on the witch hunts in early modern Europe, I had a revelation that has affected the very course of my life. I can study the paranormal in historical context! I am happily ending a fruitful full-time career working in the media to become an academic historian and eventually a university professor. And not just your traditional historian either, but one who researches how people have related to the unexplained, especially in the past two hundred years of psychical research.

Sue and Matthew created Paranormal Studies & Investigations Canada (PSICAN) in 2005 as an umbrella to cover various affiliate organizations across the country who adhered to the high standards they have set in psychical research, including Sue’s ParaResearchers of Ontario (founded 2000) and Matthew’s Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society (founded 1997). ParaResearchers of Québec and the British Columbia Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society are also affiliates. I am honoured to be part of it!

But I wasn’t so sure a year ago. The last thing I ever, ever wanted to do was join some sort of “paranormal group.” For years, I had gritted my teeth over television programs that spread misinformation about what paranormal research is, and even worse, the plethora of Internet-based wannabe ghost hunters out there who take after these shows, horror movies and other imaginative but non-factual schlock. I had looked over the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society website and, to tell you the truth, was rather sceptical about it (even though it had much more content than most websites). When Sue and Matthew were giving seminar tours of specific sites in the Toronto area last summer, I thought it very likely I would be witnessing ghost-hunting yahoos in action. And why would I think differently? That’s pretty much all you find on the Internet.

One evening, I took the ferry over to Toronto Island where Sue and Matthew were leading a seminar to the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. We all wandered over to an area where we could sit and listen to Matthew talk before proceeding to the lighthouse, and that turned out to be the highlight of the evening, even more interesting than exploring the haunted site itself. Matthew (being Matthew) laid down the law of paranormal investigation in a way I didn’t expect at all! He went through, point by point, the mandate of an organization which was deeply influenced by top notch research into the subject. He showed off all sorts of equipment typically used in haunting investigations, and proceeded to look at the strengths and weaknesses of them all, bluntly stating when there really was no evidence at all that certain pieces of equipment were even useful in such investigations. For about an hour, I was quite inspired by the dialogue between Matthew and Sue, stories of their investigations, and the historical and ghostly background of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. In the group, I met a lot of keen and interested people.

I walked away from that evening feeling like maybe there are local people who actually care about doing good research. So I signed up for the next walk, this one to the Old Mill on the Humber River, another source of many ghost reports. Matthew and Sue did much of the same in terms of speaking on PSICAN’s mandate, equipment and stories, and although Matthew did make a comment that he hoped he wasn’t boring those who’d heard his spiel before, it wasn’t boring at all. It fortified my view that these are smart people who care about the quality of research they are doing. I met other friendly PSICAN members that evening, and was encouraged to join the group by another long-time member. I read through the 100-plus page course book Matthew and Sue have refined over the years, and was impressed by the quality, thoroughness and standards they set forth in this document. Based on reading the document, I completed a written test, and was accepted into the PSICAN fold.

Over the past year, Sue, Matthew and the PSICAN gang have proven to me time and time again why the organization stands tall in international psychical research. Yes, standards compatible with long-standing, reputable international organizations! This is what has impressed me about them:

1. The best equipment for any investigation is reason, observation and attention to detail. Forget the EMF-toting, camera flash-happy tactics of amateurs who are desperate for a ghostly encounter. An open yet sceptical mind, a notepad and flashlight are far more essential than any technical gadgets. Experimenting with still cameras, video, audio and using scientific equipment (such as lab thermometers, not laser thermometers to measure temperature) is great, but has yet to prove anything. Human experience on the other hand has provided the most compelling evidence, and that is the key focus of PSICAN’s investigations.

Oh no, Matthew! Watch out for the orb attack! It’s usually easy to determine the cause of these circular shapes in digital pictures. Just hold the camera at chest level and look down at it as you take a picture and the flash fires. Often, you will see the particulate matter causing the “orb” image. In this case, pollen was having a free for all in the atmosphere at Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. (Photo: Chris Laursen)

2. There is no scientific basis that orbs are “paranormal.” Those circular blobs that you capture with your digital camera? What makes people think they’re spirits or ghosts? Yet, the majority of “ghost groups” out there have virtually concluded that they are. Now, visible points of light seen with the naked eye - that has been reported in many cases and are worth investigating. PSICAN supports exhaustive research that has shown that these blobs are in all likelihood particulate matter in the air. They’re not closed to any strong research that may suggest otherwise, but such research has yet to come along. Please read: http://www.torontoghosts.org/finalorb.htm

3. Experience is key. Matthew and Sue make every effort to spread the knowledge they have gained over the years and point people to good sources of information. They team up new investigators with those who are experienced. This makes for a very positive, mentor-based system of training.

4. Read, read, read. Hey, we all enjoy a bit of boob tube, film documentaries or scary movies. But these are predominantly to entertain and to give surface exposure to this intriguing topic. Depth can be found in articles and non-fiction books written by individuals with varying but compelling and intelligent views, among them Frederick Myers, Eleanor Sidgwick, Harry Price, Peter Underwood, Gary Schwartz, George Owen, Iris Owen, William Roll, Nandor Fodor, William James, the list goes on and on. No source of shared knowledge parallels the depth of the written word. How could any form of research be done without it? My professors have always told me that to gain knowledge, you “read, read, read” and there are some very well read people in PSICAN. It’s an inspiring place to find and discuss the best research.

5. An open, respectful forum for debate. PSICAN has a wonderful online message board where you can encounter many opinions and ideas. Among its members are people who are enjoy being challenged on their ideas, and I have many times been questioned on what I say. The huge difference is in the respect its members have for each other. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen discussions get pretty fiery - and Matthew and Sue are always quick to step in to remind of PSICAN’s mandate to respect other’s views when necessary.

6. High standards. I work very hard to achieve high standards in my own work, and I expect the same from those I work with. PSICAN is run by volunteers who all have lives, jobs and families, yet I experience the same high standards of work as I experience in university, working in the media and even volunteer work I’ve done in law enforcement. PSICAN puts its mandate into practice.

7. So you want to be a paranormal investigator? Well, you are unlikely to make a career of it, but it sure is a fascinating hobby. Like any job though, would you rather work for an established and respected organization, or try from scratch on your own? Let me tell you, there is a great value in being part of an established organization, especially one that provides training, resources and teamwork for those who wish to learn more about our mysterious world. You should be very critical and wary of what types of organizations you join. Sorry folks, but you cannot be a “certified” paranormal investigator unless you obtain a parapsychology degree from one of the few recognized institutions that offer it, of which there are none in Canada. But you can be who you are, offering your own strengths and personal interests to participate in team investigations. I’d recommend reading at least a few books by psychical researchers before joining any group. PSICAN’s course book is highly recommended and universal.

8. It’s about empathy. I volunteered for police victims services many years ago, and it was a huge influence on how I deal with people who have had traumatic experiences. For many people, inexplicable occurrences are quite unnerving. Witnesses come first at PSICAN, and confidentiality is held in high regard. It’s about documenting people’s experiences, seeing if a natural explanation can be found, and letting these people know that they are not alone in what they have experienced. This is highly rewarding and leads me to my next point.

9. Lasting friendships with like-minded people. Not only have I found friends in PSICAN, but in the people who call on PSICAN to help them understand the strange things they have experienced. A supportive circle forms over time.

10. It doesn’t just happen - it takes your own initiative. Woe is the person who waits for things to happen. You can’t just start a job and sit there waiting for something to happen. You have to actively participate. Yes, you have a wonderful supportive network in PSICAN, however you have to take your own interests and bring them to life. Over the past year, I have joined many very interesting investigations, counselled people, written this column for the Paranormal Blog, consulted with media, and so on. Matthew and Sue have offered my opportunities, but it is my own initiative that has made it happen. The more initiative you take, the more rewarding you will find this work!

There you have the joy that PSICAN has brought to my life over the past year. Thank you to Matthew, Sue and everyone I’ve met for the wonder you have added to my life!

Ponder this, gentle readers…

What is your personal interest in the paranormal?

Further reading:

For those who want to know about what the majority of “paranormal groups” out there do, go no further than…
Layeth the Smacketh Down - “We're all just one big happy community!”- THE HELL WE ARE! by Matthew Didier. Scroll down to the 7/22/07 entry in this blog.

PSICAN Course Book
http://www.torontoghosts.org/course/

PSICAN Message Board (registration required)
http://www.psican.org/messagecentre/

Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society (since 1997)
http://www.torontoghosts.org/

ParaResearchers of Ontario (since 2000)
http://www.pararesearchers.org/