Although this book is written in first person, there are three authors: Dan Baldwin, Dwight Hull, and Rhonda Hull. Dan has used his pendulum dowsing skills to help locate missing persons and to solve crimes for more than a decade and a half, but he was new to paranormal investigations of haunted places. Dwight and Rhonda have decades of experience researching and communicating with the spirit world.
The three shared a fascination with and a respect for history. The events related in this book allowed them to combine psychic skills with the curiosity to discover what really happened in the old days. After all, what better way to discover the past than to discuss it with the people who were there?
The team was guided by three overriding goals: to conduct historical research, to connect with the spirit world, and to assist spirits when needed and when possible. That last goal was key. They did not pursue this calling merely to build a collection of EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) like someone would collect stamps, coins, or comic books. To borrow a phrase, “when the spirit is willing” and when it was possible to help that spirit, they attempted to provide whatever service possible. Sometimes the system worked and sometimes it didn’t. No one is perfect 100 percent of the time. Sometimes their service brought about a profound sadness and sometimes it brought about astounding and incredibly rewarding results. Both ends of that spectrum are written up in this book.
Dan Baldwin and Rhonda and Dwight Hull.
Dwight and Rhonda Hull:
Investigating History Through
the Voices of Those Who Lived It
Dwight and Rhonda Hull earned an enviable record in paranormal research, but did not like the term “ghost hunters” to describe the efforts recorded in this book. They never “hunted” ghosts, because spirits are around us all the time. They exist beyond a shadow of a doubt. And even if the spirits are not in a mood to communicate, they’re still present. The Hull approach was to interact with spirits. The goal was to meet them, understand them, learn from them, and if necessary and possible, to help them.
What better source of historical research can there be than the people who lived the history being investigated? We believed paranormal research a valid approach to historical research. Apparently that is so. Research into books, records, and museums sometimes provides validation for the results of paranormal research. For example, after a long trek through mesquite brush to the ruins of the Clanton Ranch, the Hulls recorded an interesting EVP. A male voice said “a really bad ‘brush sting.’” Later, they looked up the unfamiliar term and learned that it meant getting scratched up by desert scrub.
Rhonda said, “It’s an interesting concept when you listen back to your EVPs and you hear terms you’re not familiar with. You have to look them up just to understand a term from 150 years ago that hasn’t been used in 150 years, and to us that’s absolute real gold for what we do.”
Contrary to popular belief, paranormal investigators don’t have to wait until dark to make contact. Spirits are out at all hours of the day. “In 32 years of investigation I’ve gotten more results and more interaction during the day than I ever got at night. The witching hour is a bit of a myth,” Dwight said.
So-called hauntings fall into two categories: intelligent and residual. Intelligent haunts are those in which the researchers and the subjects of their research interact. These encounters can be friendly, matter-of fact, or emotionally charged. Intelligent haunts were more prevalent in the research for this book.
Residual haunts play out like a sound recording on a loop. The spirits are unaware of the investigators and are reliving the past as it was. “Very rarely do we come across a residual haunting and when we do it’s usually in the form of music or background noise,” Dwight said. “Most often, I’d say 80 percent of the time, we’re dealing with intelligent, interactive spirits.”
Intelligent beings deserve intelligent treatment. Rhonda said, “They’re just people without a body. You should treat them just like a living person.”
Fear of ghosts and haunted places is unnecessary, as Dwight said. “I probably need to make this point very clear—people on a lot of these new ghost hunter shows claim they’ve gotten scratched and say, ‘Oh, it’s demonic. It hurt me. It’s attacking me.’ If that’s all a ghost can do to you, my cat is more dangerous than any ghost out there. That’s not an attack. There’s never ever been a documented case of a person being seriously harmed by a ghost. Never. So, there is no logical reason for anyone to be afraid of them. Absolutely no reason at all.”
During paranormal research, investigators are frequently startled. It can be surprising to hear a voice from seemingly nowhere, a popping or knocking sound from where nothing is moving, footsteps upstairs when no one is upstairs, and to experience other similar sights and sounds. That doesn’t meant those experiences should be frightening. Too many people equate being startled with fear. They fear what they can’t see. So, if they hear a noise and they can’t see the cause they get scared. It’s their own emotions playing on them. It’s a sound. That’s all it is. Dan said, “If the noise was created by a spirit, great! Don’t panic. Stop. Breathe. And try to figure out the meaning—the message—in that sound.”
That approach proved valuable during one of their investigations when a couple of mysterious knocks led to a “get out” type warning. See the chapter titled “Knocked Out.”
There are places they entered with caution because they knew the energy was different and possibly hostile. Being careful is not being afraid. Their approach was just like the way they’d approach a living, breathing person. “I’ve never been any place I considered to be scary,” Dwight said. “I’ve been in places I knew were hostile. I’ve been in places that were sad. But never where I felt intimidated or scared—but cautious would be a better word.”
Just as we do and just as they did during their life on this plane, ghosts come and go. They travel if they want to—most of them. Encounters with trapped spirits are rare and sometimes, as the reader will soon discover, they can be heartbreaking.
Dwight and Rhonda have discovered that ghosts have the ability to travel pretty much any place they want to go. Some ghosts travel from place to place, from past to present, and even from this side of “the curtain” to the other side and back.
Rhonda said, “It’s like a frequent flyer thing I guess. When you get over there. I’ve dealt with spirits at one location—through EVPs I know their voices—and I’ll go to a different location and that spirit either followed me or is already at that location. It’s the same voice, so that’s an indication to me that they can move and go wherever they want.”
The Hulls have even invited spirits to visit their home to just hang out. “They’re just people without a body and they’re welcome. We have our rules,” Rhonda said. “There’s no banging anything after we go to bed. Don’t mess with the electronics while we’re sleeping. That sort of thing.”
Spirits can manifest themselves through all five senses. For example, during an investigation Dwight experienced the unmistakable taste of blueberry pie. The sensation came on quickly and unexpectedly. The host of the investigation later revealed that his deceased mom used to make him blueberry pie. Spirits seem to know what sense will trigger a response in the investigator, home owner, or person being contacted. Perfume and cigarette smoke are common smells used by or at least associated with spirit activity.
Everyone knows that houses can be haunted. Not everyone realizes that objects can also be haunted. Inanimate objects can hold the energy of a person who has passed. The grandfather clock in the Hull residence is an example. After they purchased the clock and brought it home the spirit of an old man showed up. The clock was broken, so they had someone come out and fix it. Once the repairs were completed and the clock was working the ghost disappeared from the scene and hasn’t returned. They believe the spirit just wanted his clock fixed. Once that was done, there was no reason for him to hang around.
Paranormal research is a legitimate tool for learning history, but it is a technique that continually opens new and amazing areas of investigation. Dwight said. “When I began this work some 32 years ago I had a couple of questions. Today I’m up to about question number 502.”
Dwight and Rhonda advise beginning and novice paranormal researchers to keep things simple. They discourage someone automatically buying the high-tech $500 cameras, the night-vision cameras, and this or that kind of a pod. A basic, good quality hand-held voice recorder and a camera are all anyone really needs. They also recommend getting advice from credible people with a good track record in the field—people who have written books on the field who have been doing it long enough to have real experience in a variety of paranormal situations.
Dan’s advice is similar. There are many pendulum guidebooks available, including his The Practical Pendulum. Get one and study it. Buy a pendulum that looks right or feels right and practice for at least six months. Learn the movements, how to interpret them, and how to understand the subtleties that will be uniquely yours.
Rhonda said, “Do your research. And don’t go into somebody’s home and right off tell them they have demons because they may have some psychological issues. You don’t make that assessment and then scare the crap out of someone. Get the evidence first. If you think there’s something going on have them call in a priest. Don’t make claims you can’t back up.”
The Hulls never provoked spirits. That’s always been a cardinal rule. Spirits should be treated with courtesy and respect.
“I always treat spirits with respect,” Dwight said, “even those who don’t treat me with respect. You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. It’s just like if you walked into a party and started yelling, ‘Talk to me! I demand that you speak with me right now.’ People are going to look at you like you’re stupid. And you are. But, if you go in and say, ‘Excuse me, I appreciate you having me here. Can we maybe sit and talk a little bit?’ That’s what’s going to get you the results. It’s the same with spirits. You go in and you treat them with respect and you’ll build a relationship and won’t be a ghost hunter chasing someone through a house. You’ll be someone invited to have a conversation. You have to give them respect.”
As with dealing with the living, hostility is inevitable. If someone is angry and hostile on this side of the curtain, chances are very good he or she is angry and hostile on the other side. It’s a difficult thing because hostility takes different forms, and people perceive hostility differently. Opening up cabinets at night isn’t necessarily a hostile act. It could just be a way of getting attention. Such activity could still frighten a homeowner, especially someone with little or no experience in or knowledge of the paranormal world. Instead of reacting with fear or anger, Dwight and Rhonda recommend acting pretty much as you would with a living person. Just ask the spirits to stop. “And I know it sounds like a very simple solution to what may appear to be an overwhelming problem, but it really does work,” Rhonda said.
If an investigator meets hostility with respect more often it’s going to take care of that supposed hostility. A lot of times supposed hostile ghosts are only trying to get attention. They’ve tried other things, but no one paid attention. The initial attempts to respond or make contact went unnoticed, so the spirits keep ramping up their game until someone pays attention.
A Psychic on Training Wheels
Although Dan has studied, learned, and taught pendulum dowsing and has used the technique to locate missing persons for more than a decade and a half, he often feels like a newcomer to the field and describes himself as a “psychic on training wheels.”
He is quick to point out that a pendulum is nothing more than a weight on a string. The weight can be anything—a rock, metal, wood. It doesn’t matter. The string can be actual string, a necklace chain, fishing line, or whatever. It is merely a means to an end. The important thing to remember is that the pendulum is just a tool. It’s a hammer, a pen or pencil, a computer, and that’s all. The rock on a string doesn’t really do anything except act as an indicator of psychic activity. It is a way to work with the dowser’s subconscious mind. When someone swings a pendulum that busy-body called the conscious mind becomes occupied with the movement, which frees the subconscious up to do its work. There’s no magic in a weight on a string. The magic, if that’s what you want to call it, happens when that tool enhances the connection between the dowser, his subconscious mind, and a higher power.
The dowser allows the weight to swing in a circle. A right swing usually means “yes” and a swing to the left generally means “no.” A pendulum can only provide yes/no type answers. The dowser can’t ask multiple choice questions because there can’t be a yes/no answer. “Is the missing person to my north or to my south?” must be rephrased. “Is the missing person to the south?” “Is the missing person to the north?” A back-and-forth swing in any direction means the operator should ask the question in a different way.
Beginning dowsers should understand that the strength of a pendulum does not indicate a degree of right or wrong. A strong swing isn’t more correct than a weak swing or vice versa. The difference is often just a reflection of the energy available at the moment.
It’s a slow process, but an accurate one.
The biggest challenge for the dowser is to achieve and maintain a clear and objective mind so that the conscious mind doesn’t shift into busy-body mode and take over. “It’s like the old saying: Be careful what you want because you might get it,” he said. “For example, if I’m looking for a missing child, I want that child to be alive. If I let that emotion allow the conscious mind to shove out the subconscious mind, I’ll get the answer I want. ‘Yes, she’s alive and well.’ The actual situation may be just the opposite of what I want. Worse than that, my efforts to find that missing person will be hampered or ruined by my allowing my emotions in.”
Dan’s process involves the following steps: (1) Pray in. (2) Meditate. (3) Set up psychic protection. (4) Set the intention for the session. (5) Ask: Can I do this? May I do this? Should I do this? (6) Conduct the session. (7) Monitor accuracy throughout the session. (8) End the session. This process is explained in detail in The Practical Pendulum.
Dowsing isn’t limited by time and space. For example, dowsers can locate missing persons or objects hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of miles from their work stations. Dan never hesitates to state that nothing is 100 percent accurate. Dowsers are subject to the same conditions that affect everyone else. A dowser with a bad case of the flu is going to have a bad day swinging that rock on a string. A fight with a spouse, alcohol or drug use, a lack of concentration, superstitions, fatigue, outside distractions, or any number of factors can affect accuracy.
He said, “When dowsing, relax. Keep an open mind. Don’t let emotions take charge. And remember that you’re doing good and important work. Keep swinging.”
A Combination of the Three
Dan and Rhonda met while working missing persons cases. The three got together and became close friends when they started exploring Arizona’s ghost towns, ghost mines, and other ancient and historical sites. At some point the light bulb flashed on and one of them said, “Do you think we could combine intuitive skills with pendulum dowsing to conduct paranormal research?” The idea was so obvious that they decided to conduct an experiment to see. The results of that initial experiment are detailed in chapter 1.
Obviously, the concept worked, but it was and still is a matter of trial and error, profound sadness and incredible joy, and continuing efforts to fine tune the process. The combination of three distinct skills brings a new dynamic to paranormal research. The intuitive approach works. The pendulum dowsing approach works. But each has its limits. Combining skills overcomes many if not all of those limitations.
The intuitive approach is often not in real time. Even though certain of contact, the researcher must return to the home or lab to get confirmation—usually in the form of an EVP. Sometimes the response would be heartbreaking. Dwight said, “Before we could feel them, yes, we could get all that, maybe we could get an EVP after we got home. We’d hear a cry for help and it was, ‘Oh, God, we have to go back.’ But working with a dowser we’re getting more real-time answers. With the right questions we’re able to narrow the box down so that we can help the spirits right there and then instead of having to go back. The dynamic of having a dowser with us is to me a very welcome thing.”
Rhonda said, “It’s a missing piece. It’s a great new feature to what we do. I think that now we have the whole package.”
The team employed intuitive skills, dowsing, and the appropriate technical equipment to do a much more intensive and thorough investigation at the site. All the bases were covered. Only three people were involved, which tended to make the spirits less intimidated and more willing to communicate. Working as a team, they were able to short-circuit the normal process. One of the real benefits was the ability to ask follow-up questions immediately on site. The EVPs when captured were always valuable, but the investigators were no longer hampered by a need to discover, enhance, and understand those EVPs before continuing.
The validation of the psychic information was immediate. The first and the final chapters of this book prove just how important immediate validation can be.
These transcripts are presented here in the same conversational tone that occurred in real-time. The intention is to give you a sense of being there. A paragraph break is indicative of a pause, which most often happened in order to give the spirit time to respond.
The great lesson of this book is that people are people. Regardless of which side of the curtain they’re on, people continue. Their emotions continue. And for many, there is a continuing need for understanding and help. That’s really what this book is all about.
To listen to the EVPs go to:
www.beelieveparanormal.com/our-book.html