On the lookout for things that go ‘bump’ in the night

By Mandy Walton

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 | 6:49 p.m.

A haunted house is something most would think of as existing at amusement parks like Disneyland or tourist attractions like Whaley House in San Diego. No one in any “normal” town would really have spirits haunting their home…or would they? While I am scared to death (pardon the pun) of horror films and spooky stories, I still watch documentaries on television about people who claim to have spirits interrupting their everyday lives. Usually some sort of investigator or psychic is called in to investigate and tries to communicate with the spirit. The homeowner is usually left with a confirmation of what they already believed: a spirit is present. However, there is another option that may leave you sleeping better at night, if you fear you’re not alone.

Henderson resident Heather Mahaffey aims at disproving the existence of spirits in homes and businesses. She founded the Perish Society, which stands for Paranormal Education Research Investigation Society of Haven.

“When we go into a house we are not there to prove it is haunted, it’s just the opposite: we are looking to disprove any type of paranormal activity,” says Mahaffey, who holds a masters degree in psychology and is working toward her doctorate. “Things that look paranormal most of the time are not.”

Mahaffey said she has been interested in the paranormal since she was a child and encountered spirits herself. However, she considers herself to be a logical and scientific person and wants to use scientific methods to disprove the existence of spirits.

Perish is a non-profit, scientific research group.

“We don’t charge,” says Mahaffey. “It would be unethical. There is no good paranormal group that is going to charge.”

Information gathering involves the use of photography (digital, Polaroid, and 35mm film), electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recording (analog & digital), and video recording (digital). Digital recordings are controlled by non-networked computer systems. They also use microwave radiation detectors and electromagnetic field detectors (EMF). Mediums and Ouija boards are not used because they do not measure scientific evidence.

“We are also there to help educate people about the paranormal,” says Mahaffey. “It’s not all scary and spooky like you see in the movies.”

According to Mahaffey, a lot has to happen for a spirit to be able to start haunting your home or business.

“Spirits have a hard time manifesting themselves. It takes a lot of energy, which is why camera batteries die many times during investigations,” she says.

Mahaffey, as well as her husband Ron, and friend Wendy hold a brief interview with a client, usually over the phone, and then set up a time to be in the house. Equipment is set up and the investigators go to work. It can take between three and six hours.

“It is easier to do it at night because the entity is not competing with the day light to manifest itself,” says Mahaffey.

After the investigation, the client can expect a conclusion within one week.

“I love the fact that we can help people, which is our main goal,” says Mahaffey.

If you think you have something worth investigating in your home, you can reach the Perish Society online at www.myspace.com/perishsociety or by email at [email protected].