I live in the Midwestern United States, so spring is finally arriving with warmer temperatures. This has brought to mind some ghost experiments I ran a few years ago in late spring, early summer. I had visited a now-defunct mental hospital in Massillon, Ohio. It was formerly known as Massillon State Hospital. Today, much of the grounds are abandoned with only a building or two being used. The old facilities have “No Trespassing” signs posted on them, so I will not enter them. I won’t have to.
Legends of ghosts surrounding the facility and its property are well known in the Canton-Massillon area. Nurses who have worked in the buildings all seem to have ghost stories to share. I’ve had my own experiences there, as well. The most memorable was seeing some form of luminous, ghost light that appeared, then vanished, six feet in front of me. We tried to debunk it at the time but our attempts were to no avail. It was indeed paranormal. If this were not enough proof of haunting for me, I also ended up recording numerous ghost voices (EVP) during the same trip.
At night the grounds, which are currently dotted with abandoned buildings, teems with life. It is possible to feel a tangible spirit presence just by walking on the property. Memories of this haunted place have brought to mind a new experiment I wish to work with there. Recently, I have been investigating possible haunted locations using a full-spectrum camera. I have found a way to hack a few different cameras so they can see in the dark when using infrared lighting. Without using a flashlight, and with the camera’s flash unit disabled, the camera becomes my eyes. I can see in the dark like a cat! To boot, the camera also allows me to view the visible spectrum and part of the near-infrared range. I am able to see more than the normal range of vision when using this method of photography.
The warmer weather is beckoning me to get out at night, walk the grounds, and spy the area of Massillon State with my new altered cameras. My intent is to hopefully capture an image or video of a disembodied spirit, a ghost. I know they are there. They have communicated with me in the past, but can they become visible to my camera’s eye? Time will tell.
With each week comes warmer weather. Likewise, each week is making more eager to ghost investigate Massillon State Hospital. Ah, you have to love the smell of spring and what it may bring.
