"Pere Cheney: Plague In The Pines" is now streaming on PARAFlixx: https://paraflixx.vhx.tv/pere-cheney-plague-in-the-pines-paraflixx-paranormal-plus

On this episode of Paranormal Lens: we discuss the superstition, lore, and perceived risks surrounding whistling in the woods at night. Could merely whistling alert something supernatural to your presence? The conversation also veers (or as Brie calls it, "devolves") to discuss Bigfoot calls and their effectiveness. This episode has a little bit of everything, including references to our recent projects "Pere Cheney: Plague In The Pines" and "Seven: The Mystery of Jacques"!

GEMINI SUMMARY: This episode discusses the superstition and perceived risks of whistling in the woods at night (0:00). The hosts share their varying opinions on whether whistling can attract supernatural entities (1:33), referencing folklore from different cultures (1:57) and the idea of whistling as a universal invitation (4:40).

Key points from the discussion include:

Personal Experiences with Whistling (1:41): One host accidentally whistles frequently, while another avoids it in the woods.

The "Invitation" Theory (4:25): The idea that whistling acts as a call or invitation to unknown entities, akin to a universal language (4:55).

The Pere Cheney Cemetery Incident (9:06): A detailed account of an experience during filming where both groups spontaneously started whistling at the same time in a haunted location, followed by coyotes howling (11:30).

Bigfoot and Dogman Whistling (14:12): The conversation "devolves" into a discussion about Bigfoot and Dogman calls that incorporate whistling, raising questions about the existence and nature of these cryptids (14:26).

Fear and Activity (29:45): The theory that being scared while whistling can influence paranormal activity due to the energy generated by fear.

Individual Discretion (30:31): The hosts conclude that ultimately, the decision to whistle in the woods at night is up to the individual and their comfort level with potential risks.

"Pere Cheney: Plague In The Pines" is NOW STREAMING on Paraflixx: https://paraflixx.vhx.tv/pere-cheney-plague-in-the-pines-paraflixx-paranormal-plus

The legend of Pere Cheney has long been one of Michigan’s most talked-about ghost stories. With the help of the local historical society, this documentary offers a fresh and entirely new perspective on Pere Cheney’s haunted history.

By separating fact from folklore, putting real names to long-muddied legends, and uncovering a historical discovery that changes everything, the film reexamines what we truly know about this infamous piece of Michigan folklore.

GEMINI SUMMARY: This special episode discusses our latest documentary "Pere Cheney: Plague In The Pines," (0:43) which explores the history and paranormal phenomena of Pere Cheney, a well-known Michigan ghost town. (1:28)

The discussion covers:

Pere Cheney's History: The town was once a bustling village (2:30) with 1,500 residents that served as a county seat. (2:34) It declined after two diphtheria outbreaks (2:49) and was eventually burned down by people who believed it was cursed, leaving only 18 residents. (3:51)

The Cemetery: All that remains of the town is its cemetery (4:36) and some building foundations. (4:45) The cemetery's headstones were heavily vandalized, (5:26) leaving only five or six readable names. (5:32) The historical society revealed that the cemetery was originally four times larger than what is visible today, with many graves extending into the woods, including a lost mass grave. (28:56)

Paranormal Experiences & Technical Issues: The hosts share numerous paranormal encounters that did not make it into the film, such as a child apparition (7:34) and a "monster" sighting on the railroad tracks. (29:25) They also experienced recurring technical difficulties (8:50) while filming and editing, including corrupted footage (9:31) and internet outages (11:42) that they attribute to the location's haunted nature.

The "Witch" Folklore: The documentary aims to separate fact from folklore, specifically addressing the legend of a witch who allegedly cursed the town. (3:25) The film intentionally minimizes the "witch" narrative (23:08) because it is not historically verifiable. (23:26) The hosts mention a "witch's tree" (23:47) or stump where the witch was supposedly hanged, but historical accounts vary, and they encountered odd weather phenomena when investigating it. (25:55)

Filming Challenges and Goals: The film is feature-length (0:53) and was made in collaboration with A Non Sasquatch Production, What Goes Bump In The Night, and the Crawford County Historical Society. (1:22) Many paranormal occurrences and pieces of evidence were excluded from the final cut (14:38) to prioritize the historical narrative and create a cohesive story. (18:29) The documentary aims to shed light on Pere Cheney's overlooked history (20:25) and a significant historical discovery, which is revealed in the film. (38:32)

In this free-wheeling "old-school" episode of Paranormal Lens: We bring the FUN back to ghost hunting! What are the benefits of bringing joy, laughter, comradely, and fantasy to the haunted spaces we investigate? Brienna also educates us on the nuances and misunderstood history of Dungeons & Dragons; and we come up with a pretty interesting Stranger Things theory that surprisingly explains the lackluster ending (and excuses the Duffer Brothers in the process).

GEMINI SUMMARY: This episode of Paranormal Lens highlights the benefits of bringing fun and games to ghost hunting (0:00). The hosts discuss how playing games like Dungeons & Dragons (6:07) or "haunted" Jenga (25:38) can positively impact paranormal investigations.

Key discussion points include:

The "Man Eyes" ordeal (0:00-1:52): The hosts open with a humorous anecdote about Ben's inability to find a specific comment, leading to a playful discussion about "man eyes" and stereotypes (2:00-3:04).

Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons (4:49-6:51): The conversation shifts to the show Stranger Things and its connection to Dungeons & Dragons, including a theory about the show's ending (19:12).

D&D and the Satanic Panic (7:57-14:20): The hosts delve into the historical misunderstanding of Dungeons & Dragons, particularly how it was linked to the "satanic panic" of the 1980s.

Bringing fun to ghost hunting (22:53-26:30): Inspired by a comment, the hosts explore the idea that joy and fantasy might help spirits wandering haunted spaces. They share their experience with "haunted" Jenga (25:38) and how excitement during the game seemed to feed paranormal activity.

The importance of fun (27:47-28:26): The episode concludes with a call to bring more fun and games into paranormal investigations and everyday life, emphasizing that not everything needs to be serious.

In honor of Groundhog Day, we discuss strange "glitches" in the memory matrix: the Mandela Effect, deja vu, and the Backrooms. Come break your brains with us, as we analyze some of our favorite memory mind-f*cks!

GEMINI SUMMARY: This episode of Paranormal Lens discusses strange "glitches" in the memory matrix, such as the Mandela Effect and deja vu, relating them to the movie Groundhog Day (0:00-1:30).

Key discussion points include:

Deja Vu Experiences (1:55): The hosts share their experiences with deja vu. Brie and Angela both mention feeling like they've been in certain places before, even if they haven't (2:35-3:33).

The Backrooms Phenomenon (5:21): They discuss the concept of the "Backrooms" and if they've experienced similar disorienting feelings of being lost in a mundane, never-ending space. Brie shares a childhood experience in her church that felt like a "backroom" moment (5:50-6:30).

Mandela Effect Examples (9:42): The hosts delve into various examples of the Mandela Effect:

South America's Map Location (10:52): Angela recalls South America being directly south of North America, differing from its current southeast position on maps (12:21). The discussion highlights how map projections can cause such distortions (12:30-13:20).

Monopoly Man's Monocle (19:30): Ben and Brie recall the Monopoly Man having a monocle, but he does not in reality (19:34).

"Possession Tape" vs. "Possession Tapes" (20:51): Ben points out that their own film title, "Possession Tape," is often misremembered with an "S" at the end (21:07).

Fruit of the Loom Logo (23:41): They discuss the popular belief that the Fruit of the Loom logo used to feature a cornucopia, which the company denies (24:45).

Berenstain/Stein Bears and Looney Tunes (26:46): The common confusion over the spelling of "Berenstain Bears" (E vs. A) and "Looney Tunes" (U vs. OO) are brought up (27:10).

Theories on Mandela Effect (30:04): They offer theories for the Mandela Effect, ranging from changes in marketing and improved imaging technology to childhood memories being inaccurate, or even the idea of shifting universes/timelines (30:09-33:05). The Nelson Mandela example, where many recall him dying in prison before he actually did, is presented as the most puzzling (31:10-32:00).

On this episode of Paranormal Lens: You’re probably using your phone to listen to this podcast... but could that same device be used to hunt ghosts? We break down the most popular “ghost hunting” apps and tools, examine which (if any) have legitimate investigative value, and debate our differing perspectives on whether smartphone tech belongs in a credible paranormal investigation at all.

GEMINI SUMMARY: This episode discusses the use of smartphone applications for ghost hunting (0:22). The hosts share their experiences and opinions on popular "ghost hunting" apps like Ghost Tube, Ghost Hunting Tools, and Ghost Radar. They explore whether these apps have legitimate investigative value (1:08) and if they should be relied upon by credible paranormal investigators (1:12).

Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:

App Functionality and Disclaimers (0:51-6:31): Many ghost hunting apps are word generators that use a database of words to seemingly communicate with spirits (0:51). The hosts highlight the humorous and sometimes serious disclaimers provided by apps like Ghost Tube, which advises users not to make important life decisions based on the app's output (5:30-5:48).

Ghost Tube's Transparency (6:42-10:20): The hosts express surprising respect for Ghost Tube due to its transparency (6:52) regarding how it operates. The app's website explains that its tools are influenced by environmental sensors (8:32-8:40) (like the magnetometer, accelerometer, and gyroscope) and can be triggered by nearby magnetic fields, metals, electronics, and sudden movements (9:22-9:30).

Tips for Investigators (9:34-10:14): Ghost Tube encourages skepticism and offers tips for serious investigators, including pairing evidence with multiple tools and techniques (9:45-9:50) and understanding how the tools work.

Critique of Other Apps (11:54-12:12): The hosts criticize apps like Ghost Hunting Tools and Ghost Radar for making exaggerated claims about finding ghosts without explaining how they detect activity (11:54-12:12).

The Problem with "Too Many Things" (17:35-18:09): A main criticism of apps like Ghost Tube is that they use too many factors to detect responses (17:44), making it difficult to discern if a response is genuinely paranormal or simply triggered by environmental factors like quick movements or nearby appliances.

Reliability of Phone Apps (19:13-22:40): Angela generally believes that most phone-based ghost hunting tools are "total BS" (19:18) and that any matches are likely coincidental. However, Ben argues that Ghost Tube's transparency makes it more credible than some expensive tools like the Ovulus (22:21-22:39).

Recommendations for Use (30:40-32:00): The hosts agree that while ghost hunting apps can be fun for entertainment purposes (31:02), they are not ideal for beginner ghost hunters (31:07-31:20) who are serious about finding evidence, as they may misinterpret every response as genuine paranormal activity.

Best Use of a Phone in Ghost Hunting (36:14-36:28): The hosts conclude that the most effective way to use a phone for ghost hunting is to simply use the voice memo feature for EVPs (36:26-36:28), as it's not an app specifically designed for ghost detection and can potentially catch genuine voices.

On this episode of Paranormal Lens, we touch base on rituals: when, if ever, should they be utilized on our ghost hunts? The conversation uses our recent film "Seven: The Mystery of Jacques" as well as last year's film "Dweller" (winner of Best TV/New Media Feature at the MidWest WeirdFest) to help articulate our points. We discuss what makes "Seven: The Mystery of Jacques" different than some of the past rituals we've been a part of, as well as reveal what "Dweller" got wrong.

"Seven: The Mystery of Jacques" is now streaming on PARAFlixx: https://paraflixx.vhx.tv/seven-the-mystery-of-jacques

GEMINI SUMMARY: This episode of Paranormal Lens dives into the nuanced topic of rituals in paranormal investigations (0:00). The hosts, Ben, Angela, and Brienna, explore when and if rituals should be used during ghost hunts, differentiating their approach from others in the field.

Key discussion points include:

The Rarity of Rituals (3:01): The team generally agrees that rituals are rarely needed in typical investigations, estimating that 99.9% of interactions are with human hauntings.

Defining "Ritual" (8:45): The hosts discuss the broad definition of a ritual as a ceremony with specific actions and prescribed meanings, noting that even ghost hunting tools like a spirit box could be considered a form of ritual.

Human vs. Inhuman Entities (3:37): They debate whether most hauntings are human or if a significant portion could be non-human entities like demons. While Angela suggests a 50/50 split, Ben and Brie lean towards a heavy proportion being human.

The Dweller Film and Summoning (10:31): Ben shares insights from their film Dweller, explaining how the ritual depicted became problematic when it shifted from a metaphorical understanding of an entity to an actual summoning. He emphasizes that he does not condone summoning or conjuring entities.

The Seven: The Mystery of Jacques Ritual (24:51): The team discusses their new film, Seven: The Mystery of Jacques, and the ritual performed. They clarify that this ritual was for "elevated communication" with an entity already present within a haunted object (Jacques), rather than summoning something new. This distinction is crucial for Ben.

Preparation and Intention (32:09): All hosts stress the importance of thorough planning, clear intention, and understanding every aspect of a ritual, rather than performing spontaneous ones.

Brie's Perspective and Limits (42:10): Brie, having a religious background, shares her stricter limits, including not using Ouija boards and being wary of actions that "open doors to something we don't fully understand."

The episode concludes with the consensus that not every investigation requires a ritual, and such situations are rare, often presenting themselves when appropriate rather than being sought out.

Do paranormal re-enactments cross an ethical line, or are they a necessary storytelling tool? On this episode of Paranormal Lens, we explore how ghost hunting TV shows and documentaries recreate eyewitness encounters, and whether staging these b-roll shots could risk misleading audience. We also analyze these re-enactments from the spirits' perspective: could dramatizing their death trigger more activity to occur?

This episode also contains a shocking revelation: not only is Brienna a blonde, but SHE'S ALSO AN OPERA SINGER. How did we not know this???

In this episode of Paranormal Lens: hosts Ben, Brienna, and Angela discuss the infamous 18.9 Hz “ghost frequency,” a form of infrasound believed to trigger feelings of unease and dread. Is the fear we feel in haunted locations truly paranormal, or could our bodies be reacting to sound we can’t consciously hear?

Ben also reveals the one time he intentionally used the ghost frequency in a film, sparking a discussion about the ethics of inducing fear through sound design. The conversation also dives into rumors that some well-known haunted sites may intentionally pump infrasound to enhance activity and mislead ghost hunters. Also: what is the connection between Bigfoot and infrasound?

GEMINI Summary: This episode of "Paranormal Lens" discusses the "ghost frequency," also known as infrasound, specifically the 18.9 Hz frequency (2:00).

What is Infrasound? Infrasound is a low-frequency sound that humans cannot consciously hear, but our bodies can react to it (3:16). Researchers have suggested that this frequency, when present, can cause feelings of unease, paranoia, and jitteriness, which people might attribute to paranormal activity (3:52).

Infrasound and Paranormal Activity: The hosts reference a 2003 NBC News article titled "Infrasound linked to spooky events," which discusses a study by UK researchers on the connection between infrasound and odd sensations experienced at allegedly haunted sites (3:05).

Infrasound in Media: The hosts discuss how horror movies often use infrasound in scary scenes to induce a feeling of fear in the audience before visual or auditory cues (4:32). Ben, one of the hosts, reveals he intentionally used the ghost frequency in their short film, "The Possession Tape," to enhance the unsettling atmosphere (11:41).

Ethical Concerns of Using Infrasound: The hosts debate the ethics of using infrasound to induce fear. They conclude that it is not unethical in entertainment, such as films, where the audience expects to be spooked (14:42).

Infrasound in Nature and Other Connections: Bigfoot: Infrasound is believed to be one of Bigfoot's vocalizations, similar to how lions use infrasound in their roars (7:55). Some Bigfoot hunting techniques involve using amplifiers to detect infrasound (8:41).

Natural Events: Infrasound can be produced by natural events like volcanoes, earthquakes, and storms, as well as by animals and industrial machinery (19:49).

Bad Driving: The hosts humorously note a random quote in the 2003 article that links infrasound to bad driving, suggesting it might be caused by sounds from cars or radios (5:43).

Future Applications: The hosts discuss the potential for using infrasound in future paranormal investigations, particularly if they go Bigfoot hunting again (24:03). They also mention an upcoming project that might incorporate it (22:55).