You’re about to hear the story of one of the creepiest nights of my career as a paranormal investigator, which also happened to be the time we captured the friendliest EVP ever!

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Welcome to the PEEP Podcast! I’m your host Nicolle Morock, and you are awesome for being here! The two big ideas behind the PEEP Podcast are to show that the paranormal is more normal than most people think and to connect the science to the psi, including ESP, psychokinesis, and intuition!

On this episode, I’m sharing a chapter from my autobiographical book “Please, don’t call me psychic: Stories from my paranormal life,” which is available on Amazon and other retailers, but first I have a few reminders for you.

For the past 14 years, I’ve been participating in the Haunted Carolina program with the Wake County Public Libraries, and this year is no different. I’m honored to be invited back every year. As of this recording on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, I’m in the midst of six in-person presentations, called “House of Horrors: Choose Your Own Adventure.” Last night was my first presentation, and I received great feedback. I’m looking forward to five more between now and October 23^rd. During the presentation, I start with the basic tools and guidelines for paranormal investigations before moving into a choose-your-own adventure story. The audience gets to decide what comes next by show of hands. Then we’ll wrap it up with Q&A and maybe a few EVP.

My final presentation of the spooky season will be in collaboration with the Ghost Guild via Zoom. That presentation is called, “Can Objects Be Cursed or Haunted?” Here’s the official program description:

Join us for a thrilling dive into the mysterious world of cursed and haunted objects! We'll unravel the spooky stories, fascinating theories, and even some scientific perspectives behind these eerie phenomena.

We'll kick things off by defining what makes an object cursed or haunted, then travel through history to uncover their cultural significance. You'll hear about some infamous cases that have sent shivers down spines and the legends that surround these enigmatic items. Plus, we'll explore how haunted objects have made their mark in folklore and pop culture.

Ever wonder why people believe in cursed and haunted objects? We'll delve into the psychology behind these beliefs, touching on cognitive biases, the power of suggestion, and even mass hysteria. Discover the psychological and neurological reasons why some people swear they've experienced hauntings.

But we're not stopping there! We'll also look at the scientific side of things, considering environmental factors and emphasizing the need for critical thinking and skepticism. You'll hear about investigations by paranormal researchers and how many myths have been debunked.

This presentation will be a captivating blend of spooky fun and scientific inquiry, encouraging you to keep an open mind while staying grounded in reality. Don't miss out on this exciting exploration of the supernatural!

October is always busy for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Come see me if you’re local to the Triangle area of North Carolina or join the virtual presentation on the 24^th! I’ll put the links for the remaining programs in the show notes.

And now back to the reason you’re listening to this episode:

In 2019, I published, “Please, don’t call me psychic: Stories from my paranormal life.” It’s a book about my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned over a decade of paranormal investigations. Tonight, you’ll be hearing Chapter 11 from that book. It’s about our investigation of Kendale Cinema in Sanford, North Carolina – one of the creepiest experiences I’ve ever had as an investigator. Let’s dive in!

Location: Sanford, North Carolina

Location type: public, but no longer in operation

Claims of activity: unexplained fire images in photos, creepy feelings, cold spots, disembodied voices

Lessons learned: Even seasoned investigators get a little too creeped out sometimes.

EVP available online: yes

There was an old movie theater in Sanford with a storied past. Back in 2011, it was being used for other types of entertainment. One side served as a venue for country music concerts and the other for live wrestling matches. The gentlemen running the theater called us in because they and their employees had experienced some crazy things in the off-hours of the establishment.

They told us that they had previously called in some Haitian Voodoo priestesses to expel what they thought might be a demonic presence from the place. They said they witnessed the ceremony, and described some pretty incredible details. Apparently, the priestesses didn’t succeed – or succeeded but the entities came back – so, the guys called NSPIR and asked if we were interested in investigating.

Of course, we said yes.

They showed us a printed photograph of what looked like the stage curtain on fire that they couldn’t explain. There had not been a fire when the photo was taken. They told us of creepy feelings, voices being heard when no one was around, and how some of the employees refused to be alone in the building. The place definitely piqued our interest, so we spent an evening there.

My strongest memories of that night are of being very creeped out, which really isn’t normal for me. I may get startled on occasion, but rarely do I feel any sort of fear on an investigation. I had taken their stories with a skeptical grain of salt, so I don’t think I was primed to feel that way. Still, even I will admit it’s a slight possibility.

At one point, George, another NSPIR member, Farrah, and I were standing in a line in a narrow walkway behind the stage. I was at the right end of the line and George was between Farrah and me. The area was very dark, which again normally doesn’t bother me, and it seemed like it just kept getting darker. I felt a presence to my right as if someone was approaching me. It felt as though they were slowly getting closer. I shined my flashlight in that direction and there was no one there. I turned the flashlight back off, and the feeling persisted. I just kept looking to my right, expecting to see somebody there.

After a few minutes of fighting an extremely uneasy feeling, I caved. I moved – probably quicker than I care to admit – to stand between George and Farrah because I desperately needed a buffer. I knew George wouldn’t feel the sensation I felt since he has always called himself “as sensitive as a brick.” While standing between them helped a little, I could not wait for our EVP session back there to be over.

When we finished there, we walked out to the seating area of the same side of the theater to do our final EVP session of the night. The three of us sat near each other, but we had some seats between us. I was sitting furthest back toward the exit. It wasn’t long before I felt something was messing with me again.

It started with the sensation of someone playing with my hair. I have naturally curly hair, and admittedly, when the humidity is just right, I can feel it curling. What I felt that night was not the same thing. I felt like someone was literally playing with one of my curls. Then I felt the temperature shift.

Often cold or warm spots are associated with hauntings, but we are careful not to jump to any conclusions. We try to rule out drafts, air conditioning, etc., first. With those ruled out, we use a probe thermometer to measure the spot. If the difference in temperature is just a fraction of a degree, we dismiss it because it’s not statistically significant. That night, we put the thermometer close to me, and the difference between my cold spot and the surrounding area was a few degrees! I wasn’t imagining it. Once again, I was creeped out. I felt like something was following me that night and wanted my attention, and it didn’t feel friendly.

In reviewing my audio recordings the following week, I found a few weak, potential EVP, but nothing overly exciting. The video had a few odd happenings, but no full-bodied apparitions following us around. So, I was thrilled and surprised when one of my fellow investigators had a clear, loud EVP on his digital recorder. Finding EVP is always thrilling. The surprise is that it happened at the very beginning of our investigation at the start of our first EVP session in the manager’s office, which seemed pretty inactive at the time.

During every EVP session early in an investigation, we start by going around the room stating our names. That way, when we are listening back to the audio recordings later, we can recognize the voices of the people who were there. In this case, we went around the room, and then Derek, one of our members said, “EVP session number one.” Immediately after his statement, you hear a male voice, almost cartoon-like say, “Walter P.”! It is one of the loudest, clearest, and funniest EVP I’ve ever heard. I still grin when I listen to it. The voice was friendly, and based on the description of the person who fit that name, I do not think Walter was the one following us around at the end of the night.

We may never know who was.

Thank you for listening!  

If you are interested in sharing your own paranormal experiences, or if you have an idea for an episode topic, please reach out through the contact form at peeppodcast.com. That's P-E-E-P Podcast.com. Remember that stands for People Experiencing Everyday Paranormal.

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