Paranormal Study and Investigation - Ireland

Greatest Haunts Series 2

2009-12-10T18:57:00.001Z

NI's Greatest Haunts is back! Yes, for all those who watched the 1st series and anyone who didn't catch it, series 2 has just been confirmed today! With filming commencing in January, we will air in April 2010. For obvious reasons there's a certain amount we have to keep quiet for now, well we wouldn't want to spoil .it for you now would we? We will however, keep you posted where we can. For all the latest info, check out the Greatest Haunts group page here

New Name & Website

2009-11-30T03:07:00.005Z

No, you're not at the wrong place, we have changed the name of group and built a snazzy new website where you will see even more research and have the opportunity to interact with us a lot more. The new website can be found at http://www.psi-ireland.com

Following a change in direction for the group, it was felt that a name was needed which would reflect the team’s new interests and identity.

After much discussion, the name PSI (Paranormal Study and Investigation) was decided upon.

As the team have been busy with these changes and in preparation for a 2nd series of NIGH, website updates have fallen by the wayside, however you can look forward to all thes best bits of the old site along with all the new research and ideas the team have been working on.

Why not drop us a message and let us know what you think, or if there is something you would like to see added.

IPA - Public Announcement

2009-06-25T00:45:00.000+01:00

It has come to the attention of the IPA that there are individuals in the province who claim to have qualifications, credentials, diplomas or certificates in Parapsychology. It is believed that these individuals may be using these claims to gain access to private residences, public buildings or places of employment. The IPA would like to make an appeal and put out a warning to the public in order to advise individuals to be vigilant as to whom you allow access to your home, family or business.

These diplomas/certificates are not recognised qualifications in parapsychology and in most cases are purchased via the internet with no formal training involved. In a small number of cases, individuals may take a series of short lessons over the internet or from home to gain these endorsements. We would like to stress that these ‘qualifications’, which are not recognised Parapsychology qualifications, can be obtained very easily by virtually anyone with a credit card and an internet connection. We would appeal to the public not to allow individuals into your homes who claim to have these qualifications as they are being used as a short cut for people lacking experience in paranormal investigation in order to gain access into your home or place of business.

In order to become a "professional, academic parapsychologist" it is necessary to have both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Psychology. It is not possible to get a degree in Parapsychology. Many parapsychologists obtain their first degree, a Bachelor of Science or B.Sc. in Psychology often followed by a Masters of Science or M.Sc. in Psychology, which is then followed by a Doctorate in Psychology or a Ph.D before moving to specialise in Parapsychology. Diplomas, Certificates or any other credentials purchased on the internet or achieved upon the completion of short courses or home study ventures are not academic credentials to substantiate the claim of being qualified in parapsychology and any individual claiming to have these credentials should not be allowed admittance into your homes or premises.

IPA - Update

2009-06-24T14:19:00.001+01:00

Following recent discussions within the committee, a list of IPA guidelines has been drafted within the following four areas:

Team Unity
Research
Discipline
Recruitment

Current IPA members include NIPS, UFO Society of Ireland and NIPRA, with the IPA committee currently made up of the following:

Darren Ansell (NIPS),

Warren Coates (NIPRA)

Betty Myler (UFO SI)

The group is currently in talks with members of C.A.P.R.A. on joining the IPA having met this promising group in recent weeks.

We aim to have a dedicated site for the IPA up and running within the next few months.

In May 2007 NIPS founded the Irish Paranormal Alliance (IPA), a body with the primary aim of enabling groups with a genuine interest in the paranormal to share knowledge and research, and also to help provide some discipline & guidance in the field of paranormal study in Ireland. Whilst the group have been heavily involved with new research and most recently with the filming of NI's Greatest Haunts, there has been a shift of focus from the IPA. However, the group have now reopened the opportunity to apply for membership of the alliance. The Alliance will hold a twice yearly conference in the North and South of Ireland.

As membership is by application, if you would like to put your group forward, please contact Darren in the first instance.

NIPS meet with local Eye Expert

2009-06-18T16:27:00.001+01:00

Darren & Tony met with an eye surgeon in one of Belfast's main hospitals today. The purpose of the visit was to understand more about human vision and its effects on our perception of the world around us. This also ties in with some of the experiments and research we have recently been looking at in the area of light spectrums and also how various visual defects and diseases can make some individuals feels that they are having visions etc.

The visit was extremely interesting and of huge benefit to the groups research. Following the teams recent decision on a change of direction, we have already lined up a number of meetings with other local experts in order to gain a full understanding of the human body & the five senses. This will enable the team to design experiments and investigation methods to further our understanding of claims of alledgedly paranormal activity.

NIPS meet Hidden Dublin

2009-06-14T22:17:00.005+01:00

The NIPS team met with the guys from Hidden Dublin Walking Tours today following an invite from Aidan of Hidden Dublin. The team joined the 'Haunted Dublin' Tour around some of the city's alledgedly most haunted locations. We were then able to provide feedback on the tour, based on our experience of paranormal investigation & research.

This is the start of an ongoing relationship with Hidden Dublin and it is our intention to invite the guys on an investigation in the North in the near future.

A change of direction for NIPS....

2009-06-08T03:35:00.003+01:00

After much discussion, we have taken the recent decision to step back from private home investigations as we feel we can be of limited assistance in resolving these cases. Occasionally with pyschological issues contributing, we feel a moral and professional responsibility to ensure these cases are dealt with by the correct people. We will be spending much more time on research, experimentation and investigating claims of paranormal ability.

If you feel you have any kind of ability we would be delighted to speak to you. A few examples of areas we are particularly interested in are Psychokinesis, Psychometry, Telepathy, Bilocation, Clairvoyance, Extra Sensory Perception, Precognition, Pyrokinesis, Astral Projection, Out of body experience (OBE), Healing, Levitation, Dowsing etc. etc.
Please feel free to contact us

Equally however, if you are experiencing unsettling events at home and have exhausted all other possibilities, we would invite you to contact the team for advice.

Proving The Existence of Parallel Universes?

2009-04-30T22:40:00.004+01:00

Take a look at the following article on the BBC H2G2 site, which discusses some fascinating new research in the area of energy, sub-atomic particles and the idea of parallel universes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2966880

Great example of Pareidolia

2009-04-11T19:59:00.005+01:00

This photo taken from paranormal.about.com is probably the single best example of Pareidolia in existence today. The image taken in the early 1900s immediately draws the viewers eye to the image of a bearded mans face, resembling that of Jesus. It is only upon studying the photo in more detail, we realise that in fact we have merely been fooled into seeing the oversized face, as a result of the brains ability to pick out faces from other images, such as clouds, foliage, etc.

This is a process known as Pareidolia. The fact that we initially see a giant face in the photo, even though it doesn’t fit the rest of the image, is probably not a coincidence. We have more neurons dedicated to promptly identifying faces than the ones that recognise Victorian kids sitting on their dad’s lap. That’s why pareidolia happens so often with faces. You don’t usually see Victorian kids in the clouds.

Mediumship - The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008

2009-03-21T14:15:00.010Z

Britain's 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act was repealed and replaced by the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which came into force on May 26, last year.

Under the old legislation, the prosecution had to prove that a medium or spiritual healer had intended to be fraudulent in order to secure a conviction. However, under the new European consumer protection directive, it is the psychic's responsibility to prove they did not mislead or coerce credulous consumers.

The legislation affects all businesses which conduct any form of sales and marketing. For example, unfair practices which involve fraudulent activity, aggressive or threatening behaviour or danger to the physical safety of consumers, should be capable of being tackled using criminal powers.

"The problem is that it's turning spiritualism, the religion, into a consumer product, which it is not," said Carole McEntee-Taylor, the founder of the Spiritual Workers' Association.

She went on: "The Fraudulent Mediums Act protected the medium because it meant the person receiving the information was taking personal responsibility."

However, the unbelievers at the British Humanist Association are welcoming the change.

"We hope that the new regulations will make real changes to the current situation, where psychic practitioners are permitted to make completely unsubstantiated claims and to take payment for their services, without fear of legal action," said its chief executive, Hanne Stinson.

Susie Collings, of the College of Psychic Studies, hoped the new rules will discourage "less than ethical" mediums and make it easier for the public to understand what to expect from a reading.

However, she predicted: "There is always the possibility that mediums will be targeted by people intent on making money by suing what they see as easy targets and that is a big concern for the individual."

Fortune tellers, mediums, tarot readers and astrologers are among those who now face new rules on the way they do business. The new Consumer Protection Regulations which came into effect at the end of May 2008 have shaken up an area of the law untouched for 40 years and will mean a fairer deal for customers as loopholes are closed and 31 types of sales practices are banned.

Those offering to read palms and tea leaves plus faith healers, mediums and anyone offering other 'mystic' services will have to advise customers that their services are for 'entertainment purposes only' and are 'not scientifically proven'.

For the past half-century, 'genuine' mediums have been protected by the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act (which, spookily, replaced the 1735 Witchcraft Act.). In relevant cases, the onus will now be on mediums to prove they did not mislead, coerce or take advantage of any 'vulnerable' consumers.

Details of The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 can be found here or here

Excerpts taken from Telegraph.co.uk and Consumer Champion articles)

NIPS welcome new member Cormac Donnelly

2009-03-15T15:34:00.003Z

NIPS are delighted to announce that we have a new investigator in training, with skills and experience the team have been seeking for some time. He has the necessary skills and accumen in the field of psychology, which the group requires in order to offer a completely balanced and professional approach to investigation and research. Cormac will also be helping us to devise some new experiments and tests, particularily in the area of mediumship and the study of ESP.

NI's Greatest Haunts Series

2009-03-01T17:08:00.005Z

Well, the final episode of 'Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts' first series went out on Weds 25th February. The show has been a fantastic success and NIPS would like to thank all those who watched the show and for the kind comments which have been flooding in by email and on the blog. Watch this section for more Greatest Haunts news in the near future...

NIPS meet with Queens Humanist Society

2009-02-25T21:22:00.005Z

NIPS met with members of the Queens Humanist Society today. Associated with Queens University in Belfast, it is a small group of students endeavouring to establish a friendly and interesting social scene for others who don't feel they particularly subscribe to any religion or creed. The meeting was an opportunity for an informal chat/debate on subjects such as paranormal investigation and the origin of life, both groups to find out more about each other and for NIPS to hear some alternative viewpoints. All in all the meeting was a success, with the intention for both groups to meet again in the near future.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 6 - Galgorm Castle

2009-02-19T11:27:00.000Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm on Wednesday 25th February for the sixth and final episode of the Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts series, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Galgorm Castle.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 5 now on BBC iPlayer

2009-02-19T10:03:00.000Z

If you missed it, you can now see Episode 5 of NI's Greatest Haunts on BBC iPlayer here

NIPS now on Facebook

2009-02-17T10:54:00.011Z

NIPS have just created a group page on Facebook. If you'd like to keep up to date with what we are doing and interact with the team, visit our Facebook page here

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 5 - Bellaghy Bawn

2009-02-13T14:34:00.001Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm on Wednesday 18th February for the fifth and penultimate episode of Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Bellaghy Bawn.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 4 now on BBC iPlayer

2009-02-12T09:32:00.001Z

If you missed it, you can now see Episode 4 of NI's Greatest Haunts on BBC iPlayer here

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 4 - Limavady Workhouse

2009-02-06T13:20:00.003Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm on Wednesday 11th February for the fourth episode of Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Limavady Workhouse.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 3 now on BBC iPlayer

2009-02-05T09:38:00.000Z

If you missed it, you can now see Episode 3 of NI's Greatest Haunts on BBC iPlayer here

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 3 - Armagh Gaol

2009-01-31T22:46:00.003Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm on Wednesday 4th February for the third episode of Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Armagh Gaol in Armagh City.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 2 now on BBC iPlayer

2009-01-29T14:26:00.003Z

If you missed it, you can now see Episode 2 of NI's Greatest Haunts on BBC iPlayer here

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 2 - Direct Wine Shipments

2009-01-28T10:14:00.002Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm tonight for the second episode of Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Direct Wine Shipments in Belfast.

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 1 now on BBC iPlayer

2009-01-22T10:03:00.001Z

If you missed it, you can now see Episode 1 of NI's Greatest Haunts on BBC iPlayer here

NI's Greatest Haunts Episode 1 - Woburn House

2009-01-21T14:43:00.005Z

Don't forget to tune in to BBC1 NI at 10.45pm tonight for the first episode of Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts, where Andy, Marion and the NIPS team will be investigating Woburn House in Millisle, Co. Down.

NIPS Team Locations

2009-01-16T21:22:00.002Z

See interactive map below for details of NIPS Locations

View Larger Map

Greatest Haunts Trailer

2009-01-13T22:46:00.003Z

You can now see the trailer for Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts at the BBC website here

Derren Brown on Cold Reading/Barnum Effect

2009-01-05T02:14:00.018Z

Derren Brown being interviewed some time ago by Richard Dawkins. An interesting insight into such things as cold reading and the Barnum effect.

This is the first part of the interview. For parts 2 - 6, see below.

Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts

2008-12-09T14:01:00.004Z

After much deliberating, we can reveal that the new title of the BBC series has been confirmed as 'Northern Ireland's Greatest Haunts.' Filming on the series was completed late November with the first episode now confirmed for Wednesday 21st January at 10.45pm on BBC1 NI. You can now see some photos of the team filming in the gallery. More to be added shortly...

New Equipment

2008-07-16T00:59:00.002+01:00

8 Camera CCTV System

The team have just purchased a BTR-3104/25 OCD 8 channel CCTV system. This includes a Prestigio 17'' TFT monitor, and IR cameras to enable us to film every area within the location we are investigating. This will be monitored along with other stats at the group's base station, ensuring we capture any events, paranormal or other as they happen. The system also has a built in DVD burner, which will save time in that it will allow us to make an instant copy of any footage we feel needs to be focussed on and more in depth analysis can then be carried out at another location. The system can be set up to record on all cameras continuously for 3 or 4 days.

Condenser Microphone System

Another essential piece of kit NIPS has recently purchased is a set of highly sensitive condenser microphones with mixing desk. This will complement the CCTV system, allowing us to enjoy full audio/visual monitoring capabilities throughout the location being investigated. The live feeds are input to a PC running Adobe Audition, enabling our Audio/Visual team to closely monitor each area. Any EVP samples can then be analysed from the produced recordings.

NIPS in BBC TV Series - Latest

2008-07-15T00:24:00.006+01:00

Haunted Ireland

We are delighted to announce that NIPS have been selected to take part in a new six part TV series for BBC Northern Ireland. The series is called 'Haunted Ireland' and will be presented by well known paranormal investigator Andy Matthews and will feature guest clairvoyant medium Marion Goodfellow.

Haunted Ireland is not another Most Haunted. This series promises to deliver new scientific research and experimentation never before seen on TV to gather evidence for and against the existence of spirits. The series is honest, true to life and very fly-on-the-wall in its approach. The series is in the late stages of pre-production with filming to commence late summer. It will be shown on BBC1 in January 2009. The team have been preparing for the series for some time now, and thus we have been unable to commit as much time to Public Investigations, although a number of private home investigations are still ongoing.

Electronic Technician required

2008-04-23T02:00:00.001+01:00

NIPS are currently researching new methods of investigation and we are now recruiting for a new member with skills in building electronic equipment. If this describes you and you have an interest in the paranormal and would be interested in joining the team please contact Darren.

NIPS TV

2008-03-30T06:21:00.017+01:00

NIPS Pioneers Groundbreaking Broadcast Technology

After months of beta testing for the Mogulus company in New York before their software was released to the public, Mark has assisted Max Haot and Mogulus in the development of this breakthrough in technology which means that NIPS are the very first Paranormal Group in the UK and Ireland to have a live internet television station capable of not only broadcasting content from paranormal groups across the globe but with the assistance of state of the art outside broadcast equipment that the team have aquired, we can now transmit and produce live investigations with television broadcast quality output enabling us to perform live multicamera switching and produce actual live television shows of investigations or charity events in the future.

Originally developed for a single webcam which would not produce the best quality for the work that we do, being that much of it is done in low light environments, we have developed our version of the Mogulus software to work in conjunction with actual television broadcast equipment in order to bring the public the best quality possible. The fact that we can do it live means that you can watch it as it happens. NIPS are very happy to help pioneer this amazing new technology and we hope that paranormal groups across the world will soon catch on and follow our lead, bringing the public the most up to date information and findings in the exciting world of the paranormal.

The development of NIPS TV is ongoing and it can currently be found in the What we do section of the site. This will enable us to stream back to back videos relating to the group and the paranormal in general. If you would like to see your group featured here, contact Mark or Tony.

New Member Videos

2008-03-25T03:44:00.003Z

You can now see a short video clip about each NIPS member on the contacts page of the site. Just click on each member's photo to play the clip.

Crawfordsburn Apparition

2008-02-02T16:09:00.000Z

We have recently been approached by Christina Garvin of Belfast with a video of a family day out allegedly showing a full apparition. The footage taken in Crawfordsburn Country Park back in 2002 shows what would first appear to be the outline of a human form moving from right to left across the screen. We will be submitting to a number of experts around the world in a bid to come up with a logical explanation and we will let you know when we are closer to a conclusion on this. The footage can be seen here in the gallery. We would gladly welcome your opinion and any theories on what may have caused the image to appear.

Current Research

2008-01-03T08:33:00.000Z

So often we see many groups who claim to research the paranormal, and in many cases this mainly consists of only visiting allegedly haunted locations armed with basic equipment for which many don’t fully understand its proper uses. Many groups get caught up in aimlessly competing against others, whilst posting usually irrelevant images and regurgitating unreliable information from other sources. We in NIPS do not get involved in such practice and treat our work with great importance, striving to find the truth in all claims of the paranormal drawing conclusion through our own tireless research and experimentation.

All experiments carried out over the next year will be with great attention to detail and no stone will be left unturned on our quest for the truth. If anyone else who treats their research as seriously as ourselves can offer some help or would like to work with NIPS on some experiments please feel free to contact us and we will be glad to talk to you. Let’s push the bar and put an end to the trend of cutting & pasting on websites or simply having faith in what others say without first researching scientifically for ourselves.

Some of the research we will be paying particular attention to will be Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC), Infrasound and it effects, Mediumship, EVP, Orbs, Spirit communication and also the part our own subconscious mind can play in fooling us. We would like to stress that we are not here to debunk all cases of the paranormal but to bring credibility to our research thus being certain before we make claims of the explanation being a paranormal one. Many of the team believe that we continue on in life after the physical death as some have had unexplained experiences over the years. However, we are also of the belief that many natural occurrences can often explain claims of seemingly paranormal activity.

K2 Meter has arrived..!

2007-12-28T09:18:00.000Z

We have acquired a new piece of kit from the USA called the KII Meter. The difference between a K2 meter and a standard EMF detector is that the EMF detector uses a needle to indicate the presence of energy (when the needle swings between 2.0 and 7.0, it is indicative of a nearby energy source) whereas the K2 meter uses a series of LED lights (green-yellow-orange-red) to provide a reading. We plan to use the K2 on location and in a number of planned experiments.

Mediumship Research

2007-12-11T22:53:00.000Z

NIPS are now working with Sharon Neill, a well known local medium, who carries out work across the UK. We will be working with her on many levels, including testing and experimentation in the phenomenon of Mediumship itself. More details on this will be added soon...

Public Investigations in 2008

2007-11-29T04:13:00.000Z

NIPS will be hosting a series of Public Investigations in various 'haunted' locations across Ireland throughout 2008. There will be a fixed cost per head for partaking in one of these events which will go towards helping the group to fund new equipment and research.

If you would like to take part in any of these events, please register your interest by contacting Darren with your details. Further information on the above will be released early next year.

Richhill Castle Investigation - HIV Support Centre fundraising event..

2007-11-28T01:46:00.000Z

On behalf of The HIV Support Centre, NIPS will be hosting a presentation and demonstration of our work on Saturday 23 February from 7:30pm - midnight.

The event will be taking place at Richhill Castle, in Armagh. The Castle is one of Ulster's most famous haunted castles. After the presentation we will then head on a paranormal investigation around the Castle, followed by a light supper. If you’d like to join us we ask you to raise a minimum of £50.00. Initially, to book a place, contact Darren Ansell on 07834719079 or Maria Kinney on 02890249268 (there is a £10.00 deposit upon booking to secure your place).

Spaces are limited to 20 people, and although we can’t guarantee you will see a ghost, we can guarantee that everyone will have a fantastic time and a great experience that’s definitely not to be missed!
Richhill Castle is believed to have its origins around 1665, when built by Major Edward Richardson. The building is understood to be one of the first unfortified Castles ever to be built in Ireland. The castle built on a hill by Richardson was shortened to Richhill and thus giving its name to the town.

The HIV Support Centre is a voluntary organisation which, as well as operating an HIV Helpline also provides a range of support services to people living with HIV in Northern Ireland.

For further information please see their website: http://www.thehivsupportcentre.org.uk/

Haunted locations for TV/Radio productions..

2007-11-21T01:28:00.000Z

Due to future NIPS Television and Radio shows, the team are currently seeking out the most haunted properties to investigate. Whether it's a private house, pub, hotel or an old, disused building etc. NIPS are ultimately looking to find Northern Ireland's most haunted property. If you either own or know of such a place and would like to see it featured on an upcoming broadcast, please contact Darren or post a comment here on the blog with details.

If you think your property may be haunted, feel free to contact the team and we will be pleased to help you. All our private investigations are carried out in strict confidence if required, and with no charge.

New NIPS Blog...

2007-11-03T02:32:00.000Z

Hi there.. Welcome to the new NIPS blog. This is where we will update you on current developments in equipment, locations, investigations and research. It is also somewhere for you to provide feedback and ask questions. We will be posting soon, so watch this space...

Tony.