The Core of Paranormal Research

by Nicole Strickland

As a young child, I possessed a budding interest and curiosity of the unknown.  I inherited my maternal grandmother’s intuitive abilities, which is most likely why I experienced profound encounters with the ethereal realm during my primary years and beyond.  My passion for studying paranormal phenomena and connecting with the afterlife keeps growing year after year.  It was the momentous experience with my maternal grandmother’s (Helen LoPinto) spirit form during my undergraduate college years that officially catapulted me into active research and investigation of paranormal phenomena.  My last 20 years in the field have taught me so much about life in the physical realm and what exists for us once we transition beyond the ethers.  It has given me the opportunity to fully realize the eternal connection / bond between the mortal world, spirit realms and galaxies beyond.  My path has led me on an incredible journey of exploration and discovery and it's something that I don’t take lightly.  I cherish it.  I keep it safe and secure in my heart and soul. 

I care deeply about the energies and locations I come across in my work.  They have given me a crash course in what awaits us once we reach those pearly gates. Let me tell you that it’s something beautiful; it’s an eternal paradise where our souls mature and further blossom.  Every ghost, spirit or entity I have come across always gets my full respect and reverence.  Working in the paranormal research arena is not just about capturing compelling evidence of afterlife existence, whether it be in the form of electronic voice phenomena, spirit photography, apparition sightings, etc.  I have realized that the core purpose of supernatural study is to foster connections with those who walked the land before us who are now on the other side of the veil.  It’s a way to keep historical events alive in the present along with the legacies of those who walked the land before us.  Life is about human connection and personal growth and this theme applies to mortality’s undying relationship with the spirit realm and various energies in far-away galaxies.  

This is one reason why I strongly dislike the term, “ghost hunting.”  Although it is a generic term to describe a supernatural investigator, it denotes a superficial, exploitative, thrill-seeking mentality.  Sadly, on an every-day basis, individuals are disrespecting ethereal energies with this type of mindset.  Ghosts, spirits and other energies are not here for our amusement; they are not here to be gawked at like circus animals; they are not here to be used by the living for its personal gain.  I am one fish in the pond, but I hope I am making a difference by advocating for the integrity and legacies of ethereal residents.  They deserve our respect and veneration regardless of the path they chose when they were alive in the physical. 

History and supernatural phenomena go hand-in-hand.  They are best friends with a dear kinship.  It’s up to us mortals to keep history’s eternal flame brightly lit through ongoing research, storytelling and advocation.  There’s a lineage of connection between our past, present and future and paranormal research is one way of securing the bonds of time.