Summary of the PRI Investigation of a Museum

Location: London, ON
Date: October 5, 2007

The name of the location involved in this investigation has been changed in order to protect the privacy of the business and its staff. As such, the location will simply be referred to as "the museum". Likewise, the name of an eyewitness has been changed to protect her privacy. This investigation was conducted with permission from the museum. Local police were notified that people would be working late within the museum.

On October 5, 2007, the Paranormal Research Initiative (PRI) conducted its first paranormal investigation at a small museum located in London, Ontario. A custodial worker ("Jane") had informed PRI of numerous accounts of paranormal activity taking place at the museum. Jane reported that she has felt as though she was being watched while working late in the back laboratory area. This feeling of being watched has been accompanied by auditory phenomena in for form of what sounds like "footsteps in water". Additionally, Jane told us about several second-hand experiences, including apparent full-bodied apparations in the main gallery and just outside the windows of the laboratory.

The investigation consisted of taking photographs, audio recordings, EMF and temperature readings of throughout the museum and adjacent archaeological site. During the investigation of the main gallery, on two occasions loud noises were heard that sounded like heavy footsteps. Interestingly, both of these auditory phenomena occurred when we "called out" for any entities present to make themselves known. The noise was captured on one of the digital audio recordings taken in the gallery. Upon the second occurrence of this noise, the roof of the (semi-subterranean) museum building was inspected. No people or animals that could have caused the sounds were seen. However, given the ease of accessibility to the roof, we cannot rule out the possibility that the sounds were caused by a human or animal (the second set of "footsteps" may have been produced by the human or animal departing from the roof, which would explain why they were not spotted upon inspection).

Photographs yielded numerous light anomalies ("orbs") throughout the museum gallery and the archaeological site. However, PRI maintains a very sceptical opinion of such anomalies. A wide range of reflective objects and natural particles such as moisture, pollen, dust and lint can produce light anomalies by reflecting light from a camera's flash (or from any other light source). Therefore, we feel that "orbs" and similar anomalies cannot be treated as evidence of paranormal activity.

Unfortunately, no other phenomena were experienced or recorded during the museum investigation. As a result, PRI cannot conclude that paranormal activity has taken place at the museum.

Photograph taken within the museum, containing an "orb" produced by dust

Evidence

Audio Clip:

Sound of banging or "footsteps" captured in the main gallery during PRI's museum investigation.

 

 

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