As part of a joint paranormal investigation, I attended a group event at Smith’s Castle in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The town is as lovely as it is outré. I immediately noticed a sense of weight, the cloak of history in the air as I approached the city line. It had the usual smatterings of small stores, family restaurants, take-out joints, and auto repair shops dotting the main road, each spaced just enough to not be able to comfortably walk from one to the other. There’s an undercurrent of oddness; picture a “Twilight Zone” setting tumbled into by a cavalier young couple from another dimension after too many bourbons and a night of implied debauchery. I felt a quavering around me, a crackle or tremor, for lack of better terms. I do realize that visiting a new location can stir a certain amount of tension, but I’ve been doing this long enough to distinguish between normal unfamiliarity and elevated energy. It feels more like being surrounded than as if it’s coming from within my own bones. There was definite dark history here; the kinds that new worlds are build upon.
Having arrived early, I had time to wander the open grounds. The structure itself does not bespeak a castle, but was considered opulent at the time it was built in 1678 – the second edifice on the property after the first was destroyed by fire during King Philip’s war. Even as a rebuild, it is one of the oldest buildings in Rhode Island.
As a rule, I don’t explore details about the building and events until I’ve had a chance to “read the room” so to speak, so I avoided the various plaques strategically placed throughout the property. The natural beauty is evident with lush, unusual trees and a well-kept, though rustic herb garden lends to the history. It’s easy to imagine the inhabitants working the soil, planting seeds and tending to the multiple herbs growing in several, roughly 4’ x 7’ patches arranged near the home. It’s a nice touch to be brought into the everyday labors of time long past, it grounds the historical
sensibilities of the necessary and mundane.
There was one plaque that was hard to miss – it stated that 40 or so bodies were laid to rest at this particular corner of the property. There was little proof of this beyond the existence of the plaque itself and I felt no particular stirrings in the area. Although I later learned that those supposedly interred there were not on the right side of history and that the actual whereabouts of their remains was lost to secrecy.
When the first of the investigators arrived, they worked diligently to set up vast amounts of equipment. I didn’t realize when I signed on that it was a group event. As part of the fundraising efforts for the castle, they sell tickets to the curious believers to attend the “ghost hunt.” There are pretty strict rules about wandering through the house and, of course, everyone is to remain respectful and was reminded that this is not a reality show – so it more or less works on that level.
Before the equipment was fired up and the doors officially open, the leader asked those mediums present – there were two besides me – to come into the house and each of us were assigned a room in which to sit quietly and listen. For me, it was a positive experience. Some rooms spoke louder than others, their imprints varied with intensity, and some spirits are more passionate about being heard than others. Overall, there wasn’t too much going on, although the history spoke loud and clear. After we swapped rooms a few times we sat down with the leader as he recorded our feelings about the house. According to his knowledge base, we were fairly accurate about the historical vibrations. For me, it had played out in my head like watching a movie.
While the overall experience was fascinating, as a medium, it was difficult to discern one energy from another. It was a particularly warm evening and floor fans ran in nearly every room, with the exception of the attic, so electricity flowed through more devices than those whose purpose was to detect spirits. Adding to that erratic energy was the presence of so many paying visitors, complete with cell phone cameras ablaze, each hoping to capture the image of a wandering spirit. Spirits, by nature, are fleeting. Cameras, by nature, are unreliable. It takes a tremendous amount of focused energy to push through the havoc and return to a previous plane, so I couldn’t imagine there would be any clear contact here. In a controlled study, every effort should be made to minimize the conversation, the movement, and the nervousness/hopefulness of the curious.
What came through most strongly in the house was an overall feeling of chaos; constant movement, arguing or conflict. There was an underlying sense of fear as if souls were hiding in desperation, then a sense of injustice to an extreme. Again, it was difficult to filter through the living activity, with more than 17 people in attendance, it was like trying to hear a single conversation at a frat party.
I sensed the walls desire to be a home again, filled with furnishings, yearning to be useful instead of mostly empty; a skeleton of a previous regal existence. At one time, it was a hub of commerce, the heart of the area, and the absence of that sense of power creates a troubled space. Other than sensing these random ripples, it was a challenge to detect anything of spiritual depth within the structure.
Anyone involved with the paranormal understands the concept of vibrations. All life, everything we perceive, is made up of varying vibrations and how we, as individuals, recognize them with our known senses on this plane and other senses in tune with alternate planes. We are constantly surrounded by shifting vibrations that shimmer and bend. The thing about vibrations is change is vital, like a shark moving forward in the water. Stagnation is deadly.
I bring all this up because this particular investigation felt futile on so many levels. While some spurts of energy broke through, there was just too much else going on to discern what was part of this world and what was from the one beyond. I understand the need for historical buildings to devise ways to create an income just to maintain the structure, but I don’t think selling tickets to a legitimate paranormal investigation is the answer. Perhaps I’m a purist, but as a rule, more people means more life energy within a space, and the more confusing the vibrations will be. It’s like trying to put together a puzzle with all the pieces facing down. An alternative suggestion would be to sell tickets to a demonstration of investigative equipment and an explanation of the process without expecting manifestations, then being happily surprised should someone choose to come through to greet the audience.
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