THE HEREFORD PARANORMAL GROUP
&
HAUNTED HEREFORD PARANORMAL DATABASE
The websites dedicated to Hereford's Original established not for profit paranormal team and home to the Haunted Hereford Paranormal Database
Established in 2006 and led by members with decades of experience
Is My Property Suitable?
Quite often it is. The HPG permanent team members are used to investigating any type of building and any size. These have ranged small homes to huge castles. We have conducted vigils in some of the most unusual places. We can also organise for a more intimate team for the smaller properties.
But what really makes your property suitable is if there is claimed are suspected paranormal activity. We recommend that all properties make a list of the types of events that have occured and if possible keep a diary of such activity. If you can record the date and time of the activity this will help any team you approach.
If your property is open to the public then, of course to create a controlled environment , we do need to conduct an investigation when people are not around. For example, public houses and work places are investigated at closing time.
Should my children be present? We are very responsible about the paranormal subject being dealt with in a mature, sensitive and adult manner. However, if your property is "haunted", when there are children there, then it could be you feel that it appropriate for them to be around. This is something we are very happy to communicate with you about should you have any concerns. However, again due to the adult nature of the topic, we woud recommend that children stay with another family member or friend for the night.
How long do you anticipate needing the property for? Prior to an an investigation commencing most paranormal teams will plan the types and duration of the experiments to be conducted. These experiments will often be determined by any phenomena reported. Due to this most paranormal groups will be able to give you an estimated finish time. However, be prepared that should activity occur that presents amazing evidence, any planning and timing will need to be flexible.
If parking is limited, or other factors do need to be considered, please do advise the team you are considering.
What are you looking for from an investigation?
It is quite important for you to know your own motives for wanting a paranormal investigation.
It is totally normal for you to feel curious and want explanations if they can be found. But be prepared that the most successful investigations will promote an added curiosity and further questions. The team you are working with should feel just as curious as they look for possible explanations.
Many groups choose to use mediums and sensitives. Others do not. The HPG chooses to involve those who claim to communicate with the spirit world purley to offer one of a possible many explanations. The mediums the HPG use are trained and experienced at also offering things like Spirit rescue, cleansing etc. However, no guarrantee of a cleansing being successful is offered in advance of an investigation. Our own lead medium does promise to always, at least, leave the property in the condition it was prior to the HPG entering the building.
Quite often during an investigation, one of our sensitves will mention information and claim to pass on information of a personal nature. However, we encourage everyone who is looking for a personal reading to contact a medium direct, as the investigation itself, should be the priority for the night. Many teams, such as the HPG, believe it important to avoid the criticism of not having a person present who can claim to be trained in paranormal devices such as a Ouija Board and closure.
If you have any personal preferences about certain experiments not taking place, please do let the team you are considering know in advance.
With regards to the use of mediums, we do recommend that you feel comfortable in asking about the training undertaken and if the lead medium is affilitated with the SNU or SWA. We mention this only as members of the SNU and SWA expect guidelines to be followed. Be also prepared that a team will often question the medium in an intense manner should they make a claim or offer to provide information. Our scientific led investigators will not be comfortable with just being provided with a very popular first name (eg John), or indicating that an invisible energy to most is standing in a corner and nothing more. Neither will they be impressed if a claimed psychic is in a Convent and claims to detect the spirit of Nun and no other information provided. The mediums and sensitives we work with encourage everyone, including owners, to ask questions. On some occasions the location is kept secret from the medium and sensitives until the actual night itself. However, this is not guarranteed as the mediums feel the investigation should be about the location and not their claimed ability. Feel free to ask in advance if your location will be kept a secret. Some teams choose not to work with mediums
which, although may open them up to some controversy, is their choice. However, on the HPG investigations, their primary role is to find evidence of a paranormal nature as much as as any other member of the team.
Do you have to be involved on the night? This is entirely a matter of choice. However, we are always very happy to involve you and to allow you to participate in the experiments conducted. Many owners do participate and some do choose not to.
What if you are not a believer but other people have witnessed things? Thats absolutely fine. You will find that many teams exist who contain a mixture of non-believers and believers. The open minded teams are not going to try and convert you either way, but hopefully present to you evidence or explanations for what may be occuring. These explanations may have a spiritual or even a scientific/normal explanation. Find the right team for you that will do this.
Should you be scared? The uknown can often make a person nervous. Perhaps if a team is able to present theories and explanations this could help. Remember not all our theories and explanations have a parnormal basis.
All any reputable paranormal investigation team can ever offer you is time to play detective within a claimed haunted building with the use of their own senses, skills learnt, some recordable equipment and present possible explanations and theories to you.
If you have any doubts, most teams will be happy to meet or discuss them with you.
Which Team?
From doing any basic internet search you can see that there are now many teams that exist exploring the paranormal subject. The subject has grown and our own county has itself positively increased the number of teams from 1 to 4 in a matter of 3 years. The fact there is now choice does mean you can pick the best team for you.
But how do you choose the most suitable and right team for you? We are sometimes have to admit that the HPG, on rare occasions, may not be right the type of team you are looking for.
Do as much research as you can and get a feel for the team from their website and other material available including literature, facebook group etc.
As a guideline you may want to consider..........
What types of properties have they investigated before? How long have they been established and what is the experience of the leading team members? Have there been long breaks in investigations since they formed and can you see regular activity on their website? Does the team still have most of its original members? Is there an emphasis about the team, the subject, the community, or an individuals achievements? Are current testimonials available if requested? How much of a team's website is dedicated to media project achievements rather than the subject? Is aftercare offered if required? Does it appear that the team undertakes any internal or external training/development? Many of these answers may not be important to you, but you may want to understand the motive, aims, professionalism and intent of a team, or individual, prior to letting them into your home/workplace. Play detective and if you are not sure ask.
Many teams claim and use the term "open minded skeptic". Quite often you can judge the openess of their approach by seeing if closed or open claims are made. For example closed claims could be "this house was/was not very haunted", or "no paranormal activity occured" despite others claiming something considered unusual happened. Examples of open statements could include "further investigation is required", "it appeared that no paranormal activity occured" and " this event is not 100% explainable at this time"? This will help you determine whether you are looking for a scientific, spiritual or balanced approach to an investigation. Also do the team appear dismissive of any theories?
Has the team been recommended to you? Although not always possible, this is possibly the best testimony you could receive. Many of the HPG locations we have investigated have been included through recommendation of another venue. We are very responsible about the teams we would recommend and would only include teams we feel know well or have worked with.
Does the group come across enthusiastic? Remember, though enthusiasm is important, you may not want a team who are looking to be the next "Ghostbusters" and excited purely because their next investigation is an opportunity for a rollercoaster creepy experience.
Public Liability? There are more details regarding this if you click here. But many owners and managers need to be aware that their own insurance may not cover for activities conducted out of trading hours and in the dark. If in doubt please contact your insurance company to find out if you are covered. Any team should feel quite happy about showing you the certificate if requested. Disclaimers may not be worth the paper they are written on.
Can you trust the team? That is probably the million dollar question. We can only answer that question as the HPG. As a non-profit organisation there is absolutely nothing to gain from creating anything false before, during or after an investigation. There is no single member of the HPG looking for fame and fortune from the paranormal subject. We can tell you that many of the team have professional roles during the day. A number of the team members and leaders have also underaken enhanced CRB clearance and never recieved a complaint from the owners of a property they have investigated. Also large number of the HPG have been educated to a Degree level. The average age of the HPG team is 38.
The HPG would never criticise other teams who take a different approach to our own. But we believe by being balanced in our beliefs, keeping the priority on the subject and our community, being sensitive with regards to our approach to conclusions, and professional in our enthusiasm, has served us well over the years. Our sensitives and science led individuals will indicate that they are not there to convert anyone, but only to offer possible explanations.....but only if they can. Nobody will know the property and what it holds as well as an owner or someone who is regularly there.
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Do you recommend teams?
We take recommendations very seriously because you are after all trusting us with your property and what is seen to some as a sesitive subject.
We would only recommend a team who we have experiencing of working with or know very well. After all you wouldn't recommend a restaurant without visting or eating in it.
If you wish to enquire regarding this please email info@herefordparanormal.com
We may be able to point in you in the right direction for a team local to you even if we cannot personally recommend them. Or please do look at our links page as there are many teams on there.
However, we are happy and confident to recommend the local groups you see on this page. We are pleased that these groups lead and have members all with a similar work ethics as ourselves. We are sure this list will grow the more we continue to grow our relationships with other teams.
We are aware of a group of people who visited a haunted location last year without permission and used our name. Please note we would always contact you prior to an investigation and if you have no idea who these people are then there is a good chance neither do we. Please email us with any doubts.
Book An HPG Investigation
Considering the HPG for an investigation couldn't be simpler.
1) contact us by emailing info@herefordparanormal.com or complete our simple to use contact form by clicking here. Dont forget to include a telephone number with your enquiry.
2) We will then contact you and arrange a suitable time for a couple of invesitators to visit you and the location. It is here we conduct what we call a "prior report". This is just very simple questions about the experiences and to determine the size of the location for certain experiments. If all seems well and you are happy we will be able to discuss a month and date for the investigation at this meeting.
3) We will then contact you and confirm the date and that you are still happy to proceed.
4) As arranged we will then arrive on the night with a full team, equipment and together explore the premises for possible paranormal activity.
5) After the investigation and once you have had time to digest the events, one of the team will contact you to ensure you were happy with the investigation and answer any further questions you may have.
Throughout the process of this simple booking, you are able to ask questions regarding the investigation at any time. We hope, like the large amount of people whose homes and workplaces we have investigated, you too become a very good friend of the HPG.
