Paranormal Investigators Return to Greendale

The Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee are heading back to Greendale on Halloween, to talk about local haunts, how they investigate—and to share some of the evidence they have collected on their investigations.

The group has 5 1/2 years of investigations behind them now, investigating claims of hauntings an other paranormal  phenomena in public buildings like The Riverside Theater in Milwaukee and private homes February 2007. PIM founder Noah Leigh has been interested in the paranormal since childhood, and felt there was a need for someone with a scientific background to enter the field of hunting for ghosts.

"I use my training in science in the field," he said. Leigh is employed as a scientist, and holds a bachelor's degree in biology and master's degrees in epidemiology and cell biology. 

When they investigate a site, Leigh said, they first listen to the claims of the client, and then do their own research to find out what may have happened historically on the site, to try backing up the client's experiences. 

Then, he said, "We debunk as much as possible."

One home they went to, the residents said things plugged into a certain outlet kept falling out. So they tested it, to see if normally-occurring vibrations could have the same effect. They determined the outlet was loose and didn't effectively grab plugs, so simply walking around the house could make plugs come out.

"We first look, is there a normal explanation, and then set up to investigation what we couldn't debunk," Leigh said.

The people who call PIM generally fall into three categories, he said. Some believe there is something going on, and just want to find out more about it. Others want someone else to corroborate their experience or to find out if there is a normal explanation. The third group—the ones who take top priority for PIM—are people who are scared by what they or their children have experienced.

"They don't know what's causing it and call us in to find out what's going on," he said. 

There are a few places they go back to repeatedly to collect evidence. One is a farm in Illinois, where they have collected audio evidence that appears to be someone unseen commenting on things happening at the time. They have other clips collected at the Riverside Theater.

PIM never charges clients for its investigations, and all clients get a free report. Many of the group's paranormal investigation reports are posted on its website. 

The PIM event is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Halloween night, in the lower level meeting room of the Greendale Public Library. Due to space limitations, numbers will be handed out upstairs starting at 6 p.m., so get there early if you want to attend. 

Have you ever had a paranormal experience?