Ian Murphy
Today we meet an Irish national now living in Manchester, New Hampshire, Mr Ian Murphy, the founder of 4 (count them 4!) paranormal teams across the world.
They are as follows: The Paranormal Research Associations of Boston, New Hampshire, Colorado and Ireland.
Allen: Ian, how did you become interested in paranormal related subjects?
Ian: “I became interested after a friend believed she had a ghost in her house and knew I was a scientific person. We had an experience of an object moving across the room as we turned the lights out. That piqued my interest in 1997 and I started researching. In 2004 I founded the Paranormal Research Association of Ireland and have subsequently started divisions in Boston, New Hampshire and Colorado."
Allen: "Have you had anything paranormal occur in your life?"
Ian: "95% of our cases are of natural origin. However, I have had some unexplained things happen to me. One of the earliest was in 2004 when I was down in a dungeon in a castle and I got a strange feeling in my face. A medium across from me told me that she could see my face change. Now we don’t work with mediums, and this could just have been her reading my micro signals and embellishing, but still strange.”
Allen: “Why did you become an investigator and how has it changed your life?”
Ian: “ I have always been interested in the paranormal, and decided to become more serious in it.
Managing 4 teams and about 40 people internationally, it takes over a part of your life. But helping people and educating people is very rewarding (albeit not financially rewarding) experience.”
Allen: “If you could give me two places in the world you have investigated, that really intrigued you, or you just plain loved, what would they be?”
Ian: “ Charleville Castle, Ireland. It’s a fantastic location with fantastic people and always have a good time. It has a friendly
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| USS Salem |
USS Salem – Always a fun place to investigate. However, recently they doubled their rates making them no longer viable to run public investigations on.”
I asked Ian if he could share an interesting story or two about the many investigations he has been on over the years with the various teams that he runs across the world. Ian stated that ALL his investigations have been interesting for one reason or another some from a psychology, environmental or personal viewpoint.
Allen: “Ian, what are some of your more memorable moments?
Ian: “Colonial House – We saw a shadow flitting across one of our cameras in a locked off room. When we went in to investigate there was a bat, and subsequent hilarious footage of me chasing the bat around the room.”
“USS Salem – We have a great piece of audio caught on one of our voice recorders, and it’s available to download on our website!”
“Charleville Castle – Numerous events happened there. Our most interesting in my experience was part of our testing for new candidates. We had a small room in the castle where we would put new members in alone and tell them there were stories of voices, physical attack and apparitions. None of the stories were real, but we liked to see how susceptible to suggestion they were. We had a lot of events from the new candidates which were familiar to the stories we gave them.”
Allen: “Has anything unexplainable or paranormal ever happened on an investigation that you wish to share with our readers?”
Ian: “ Most of the events that happen have had a non-paranormal cause. All things that have happened are usually uncorroborated and still under review.”
One of my favourite questions to ask, purely because of the variety of answer I get is:
“What is your favourite piece of equipment, and why?”
Ian: “ We have about $10000 worth of gear within the association, however, I feel that critical thinking is our best piece of equipment, and our most valuable resource is our members.”
Now that is an answer I have not had before, and it is encouraging to know that there are teams out there with this approach to their investigations and team work. It is also worthwhile noting that Ian's groups run “paranormal classes, conferences, public investigations and talks” all vital to the interaction and education of the general public to the world of ghosts and other paranormal phenomena, and something all teams should consider developing into their groups general guidelines and activities.
Ian has appeared on many TV shows, on radio and in newspaper articles. Some would include:
Ghost Hunters International
(Season one, episode ten “Castle of the Damned” )
FM104,
CBS Radio,
many national newspapers, RTE 1, RTE 2, 98FM and many more over 10 years!
www.praofb.org
Video Bio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRbL8zugVN8
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© 2014 Allen Tiller
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au
All content on “Eidolon Paranormal & The Haunts of Adelaide” sites, blog and corresponding media pages (eg Facebook, twitter etc) is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any means or process without the written permission of the author. © 2012, 2013, 2014
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