Whether you are a true believer in the paranormal or a hardline skeptic, no one can deny that some things are a mystery. Maybe you have an old house and hear voices at night. Maybe your keys aren’t where you left them the night before. (If you are like me, you are just getting forgetful.)
Whatever is going on that you simply cannot explain is what one local man and his group aim to explore. Historian, librarian, and paranormal investigator Lou Bernard of Lock Haven searches for the truth.
Tell us a little about yourself and where you grew up.
Lou: I grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Slatington, over in the Lehigh Valley. I went to college at Lehigh County Community College and majored in Education, minored in psychology.
How did you get into ghosts and the paranormal?
Lou: I’ve always had an interest in unexplained paranormal adventures. As a kid, I loved exploring this stuff, often in school. I was told to quit telling ghost stories and concentrate on stuff like math, which would be more useful for making a living. Now, I pretty much have a career in exploring and writing about ghosts and mysteries, and I’d like to invite all of the people who told me that to come along on one of my haunted tours at five dollars a person.
In my thirties, I was approached by a woman forming a new ghost-hunting team, the Lock Haven Paranormal Seekers. She asked if I’d like to join, based on my knowledge of local history. A year or so later, she left, someone else took over, and I became second in command of the group. Around 2018, when the leader retired, I took over, and now I run the whole thing.
Tell us about your group.
Lou: LHPS currently consists of five members, which is about right for a team. (It’s easily possible to have too few or too many.) We investigate where we’re invited to go. We never trespass and don’t go where we aren’t welcome. We put our names out there, and people who believe their homes to be haunted contact us to request investigations. We attempt to remain scientific. None of our information comes from anyone claiming to be psychic or hears voices nobody else hears. We’re looking for provable and measurable results.
We don’t charge. We’ll do the investigation for free. We accept donations if offered, and we’re grateful if someone wants to make us dinner while we’re there, but we don’t charge. I’m rather suspicious of anyone who does — charging money does not lend itself to scientific objectivity. Imagine if someone charges you five hundred dollars for an investigation, do you think they’re going to admit it if they didn’t find anything? Or will they make something up? By not charging, we’re trying to ensure honesty in our results.
What goes on during an investigation? Walk us through the process.
Lou: Before we even arrive, we talk to the client. A phone interview first, and then some paperwork to be signed. I’ll research the property by going to the courthouse for a title search and find out who has lived and died there. Then, we’ll select a time to go investigate.
We have infrared cameras and recorders, which we’ll set up to run on automatic. We’ll get photos and audio recordings and test electricity, temperature, and other factors. Usually, we’ll be there for two or three hours, sometimes more, depending on the activity and the size of the place. We’ll check every hot spot — if the client is reporting activity in a specific room or area, we’ll make sure to check out that place.
What happens when the investigation is concluded?
Lou: We supply the client with a copy of any information we find, and we keep a copy of everything on file for ourselves. Sometimes, I use the information to write an article, but that’s at the discretion of the client. If the homeowner doesn’t want us talking about it, we’ll keep it confidential. We have everyone sign a paper choosing how confidential they’d like to keep the investigation. Some people love it, and we can talk about it all we want. But there are a few I can’t discuss because the client chooses to keep it private.
How can my readers learn more about your group?
Lou: We have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LHParanormal. Interested people can contact us through Facebook or through our e-mail at lhpsteam@gmail.com. If they feel their property is haunted, they can explain what’s going on and tell us what has happened to them. We ask that they please provide an address. You wouldn’t think we’d need to say that, but we do get people who seem to think we can help them without knowing where to investigate. We’ll review any requests at our monthly meetings and contact the client to proceed.
