Dive into the other-worldly with Fredericksburg Paranormal Research and Investigation.
The abandoned Fleetwood Church in Brandy Station.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Pilkington
As a newlywed living in a 250-year-old Spotsylvania County farmhouse, Tonya Watson awoke one night to find a figure standing at the foot of her bed. Other nights she heard whispering in the air around her, and a conversation in the next room—an empty room. “To be honest,” she says, “I was terrified.”
Years later, in 2011, she heard through a friend about a paranormal investigation group that was looking for volunteers, so, in a quest to learn more about her own experiences, she joined up.
Watson is one of 12 members of Fredericksburg Paranormal Research and Investigation (FPRI), founded in 2010 by John Sullivan, whose mission is to respond to reports of the unknown in Virginia and neighboring states, and to help property owners feel less fear at the thought of the supernatural.
Watson says that one of her most memorable investigations took place at the historic Graffiti House in Brandy Station, in Caroline County, which served as a Civil War hospital and jail and is now a museum. The interiors of the wall still have signatures from both Confederate and Union soldiers, including J.E.B. Stuart. “Nothing big necessarily happened, but you could just feel the history around you.”
The Fredericksburg Paranormal Research Team prepares for an investigation.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Pilkington
FPRI conducts about 25 investigations a year, all at no charge. They begin by interviewing the client to rule out any rational explanations for their supernatural experiences (one set of mysterious noises turned out to be the hum of overhead power lines). The team also tries to allay the client’s fears: “Sometimes just telling people they’re not crazy makes them feel better or less frightened,” says Watson.
The team sets up infrared cameras and takes temperature and electromagnetic field (EMF) readings to establish a baseline to measure any later changes. They may break into small groups and perform electronic voice phenomena (EVP) sessions, in which they ask questions aloud to any spirits present, and then record any resulting sounds for further analysis. In the past, FPRI has captured audible, but often-indecipherable responses in these sessions, plus nighttime photos of strange blurs, mists and even what appear to be apparitions. A full investigation usually lasts from 8 p.m. to about 1 or 2 a.m.
Still, Watson, a registered nurse, says, “I have yet to find that one experience to make me say, ‘There’s definitely something going on here,’ but I’m still looking for that.” And while she concedes that some observers may dismiss their investigations out of hand, “there is a lot out there that we in our limited knowledge as humans can’t explain.”
Twice a year, FPRI holds public investigations where all are welcome to attend, participate and ask questions. For more information go to Fred-PRI.com
