Ghostbusters in Ohio

In an attempt to find proof of the after life, people all over the world have become obsessed with the paranormal. Several organizations have formed over the last decade in an attempt to investigate the unknown. One such organization is the Central Ohio Paranormal Society (COPS) which formed in June of 2004, which is a proud member of TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society). This group is made up of twelve people who believe they have experienced paranormal activity in their lives, including a couple who were formerly clients of COPS.

COPS has been heard on several central Ohio radio stations as well as being featured in The Dispatch and other local news papers. It's important to note that the visibility of COPS is heightened during October, seeing as how Halloween is a very ghostly holiday and paranormal activity is supposed to be running rampant. In an attempt to give their organization some validity, on the homepage COPS states that they are "orb free" and that they "strongly object to the use of Ouija boards for spirit communication."

If you are interested in some "proof"the COPS website offers photographs, video and audio clips. COPS doesn't come out and say they have evidence of something unearthly, the simply say what they believe it to be. And while nothing stands out as hard evidence, they do use lots of impressive equipment during their investigations. COPS uses 6 different cameras for still photography, 7 cameras equipped with Nightshot for video, 15 recorders and microphones, 4 thermometers, an EMF meter, a motion detector, a laptop, desktop, 5 different types of audio software and Photoshop.

COPS comes to an investigation more than prepared to find something, or at least be able to say that there is probably nothing there. Of the 22 residential cases performed so far, COPS has determined that in 10 of those cases there was "no evidence found." This is one paranormal organization that isn't afraid to tell people that they've performed an investigation with all of their fancy equipment and still found nothing. That in itself makes COPS more believable than some of those other groups that hate to walk away empty handed. Is it more likely that a few people heard something, thought they saw something and embellished it in their imaginations, or should we believe that every square inch of the planet is haunted?

Whether you are an avid believer in the paranormal or simply intrigued by the idea, there is plenty of reading material out there to keep you occupied for a long time. A simple Google search of paranormal or ghosts and your city will give you all the information you need for your next realistic ghost story. If you feel that you experience something at one of these sights, or even in your own home, you can request that COPS performs an investigation. As for me, I'll be saving the Ouija board for a few laughs on Halloween.