Published: June 20, 2008 11:06 pm      

Normal or paranormal?

Ghost hunters explore the supernatural

Sharing a “ghost-hunting” expedition with a friend turned out to be a religious experience, said Tim Hackworth of the Richmond-based H&H Paranormal Investigators.

“A buddy of mine is an atheist,” he said. “He went with us one time and he changed his ways. He got really religious really quick. He was screaming ‘Oh God, Oh God, something’s after me.’ He said that something black came through a tombstone and started chasing him. He beat me and Matt back to the car and had locked the doors.”

It was the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters” show that peaked the interests of Hackworth and Matt Hoskins, both of Berea.

For about six months, they have been using their weekends to explore a life that some say begins at death, but does not end in the grave.

The Sci-Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters,” featuring TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), is what sparked the interest in Hackworth and Hoskins.

Paranormal is defined as: “Not scientifically explainable,” according www.merriam-webster.com.

Hackworth, an employee at Fort Boonesborough State Park, and Hoskins, an employee of the Eastern Kentucky University grounds crew, have traded many Saturday nights out on the town for nights out in a cemetery.

Some people believe the two are “nuts,” Hoskins said.

A law enforcement officer spotted the two one night, Hackworth said.

“(The officer) asked us if we were drinking, smoking or doing anything else that would cause us to see ghosts,” he said. “He also wanted to know what we were doing out at 3 in the morning.”

They explained to the officer they were working paranormal investigators, and the officer did not cite them, Hackworth said.

A Waco cemetery was among the first locations to be observed, Hoskins said. Another location was a Union City cemetery with tombstones dated back to the 1800s.

Some pictures taken at cemeteries feature faint faces and other formation, he said.

“We took a digital camera with brand new batteries (to a ‘ghost hunt’),” Hackworth said. “Sometimes, the ghosts will draw energy from the batteries. As soon as we got back in the car to change the batteries, the camera came on just fine. It had a full charge.”

Another cemetery experience ended abruptly, Hackworth said.

“We took a digital camera and a camcorder, and sure enough, we got ran out of it,” Hackworth said, referring to a ghost sighting rather than police or cemetery keepers.

A common sight on television ghost-hunting shows is what is referred to as an “orb,” or a glowing sphere that appears to be floating in the air.

“We mostly find those in cemeteries,” Hackworth said. “We’ve stood outside of Richmond Cemetery (on Big Hill Avenue) at the fence, snapped a few pictures and got quite a few (orbs) in the pictures.”

Common equipment for their ghost-hunting expeditions include a digital camera, camcorder and an electronic magnetic field meter that measures heat.

The two soon will be enrolling in a class taught in Lexington to receive their official paranormal investigator certifications.

Hoskins has not always been a believer in ghosts, and still said, “It’s hard to say.” And Hackworth also is more of a “believe-it-when-I-see-it” kind of guy.

“I kind of do and kind of don’t,” he said. “Some of the pictures I’ve seen make me more of a believer.”

H&H Paranormal Investigators work free of charge, but do accept donations. Hackworth can be contacted at 661-6160 and Hoskins at 779-3599.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.