The gathering, which is touted by Unexplained Research as “Wisconsin’s Largest Paranormal Conference,” drew over 70 people of all ages from Central Wisconsin on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 3.  It featured presentations by paranormal investigators and psychic mediums as well as an author and an independent film director.  In addition, 50 cents from each ticket sold and proceeds from the raffle were donated to Empty Bowls of Portage County, a community project to eliminate hunger, said conference organizer Jeannine Fisk. 

Chris Wiener, paranormal investigator of Chippewa Valley Paranormal Investigators, kicked off the conference with a multimedia presentation on ghost hunting.  Wiener outlined the steps of ghost hunting. 

1) The Phone Call from a person who’s had an encounter with the supernatural, otherwise known as the “This is gonna sound crazy” stage. 
2) The Interview, which includes 50 to 75 questions depending on the case. 
3) The Pre-Investigation Tour, also known as the “What have I gotten myself into?” stage. 
4) The Investigation. 
5) The Evidence Review,” which includes sifting through hours of audio and video. 
According to Weiner, “The worst part of the whole investigation process is telling people that their house isn’t haunted.”  In 70 - 80 percent of cases, said Weiner, the houses are not haunted, but people don’t want to hear it.  Weiner recounted being sworn at and having things thrown at him when he delivered the news.

 Understandably, Wiener warned audience members that ghost hunting “could be a potentially dangerous occupation,” but also a rewarding job by “helping people come to terms with their surroundings.” 

Ben Wydeven, director of the independent film "The Medium" and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point alum, also took the stage.             

“The Medium,” which was shot at Wausau’s Rogers Theater, will be airing on Wisconsin Public Television on Halloween.  Although this was Wydeven’s first paranormal film, he hopes to write a novel based on the film and then turn it into a feature film. 

When speaking about the paranormal, Wydeven explained that he just gets “that feeling” because “there’s something about ghosts that are attached to the real world because they’re people … in another state.” 

Shawn Blaschka, paranormal investigator of the Wausau Paranormal Research Society, enlightened the audience with some history of the Rogers Theater, now the Fillmore. 

The 100-year-old building has had varied uses throughout the years, including apartments, a funeral home and a house of prostitution.  According to Blaschka, the six different investigations that have taken place at the theater have produced many EVPs, or electromagnetic voice phenomenon.  Blaschka played the recording of one of the EVPs, a woman singing the words “Pray for you.”  Often, investigators do not hear the EVPs at the time of the recording but catch them later when reviewing the evidence. 

Terry Fisk,  is a paranormal investigator of Unexplained Research, LLC, is the co-author of five books including “The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations.”  Fisk plans to continue the series by completing a book for each of the 50 states and then moving on to Europe. 

According to Fisk, he has been interested in the paranormal since he was a little kid.  One incident, however, launched Fisk into his current career.  About 10 years ago, Fisk was photographed standing next to the grave of his great-great-great grandparents.  After developing the film, Fisk discovered “a bluish-white mist that seemed to be coming out of the headstone and surrounding me.”  Fisk took the photo to several camera experts but no one was able to offer a logical explanation. 

In his presentation, Fisk explained the believers in the supernatural range from hardcore believers to hardcore debunkers.  As a paranormal investigator, Fisk said in an interview, “I try to stay in the middle.  I refer to myself as an agnostic or a skeptic, and I try to keep an open mind and look at each case individually and weigh the evidence.” 

Several UWSP students attended the conference, including sophomore Megan Conn and three of her friends.  Conn said that she decided to come because she saw an advertisement for the conference in DeBot and it “looked very entertaining.”  Conn was surprised to learn how much paranormal activity is going on in Wisconsin.  She plans to check out Fisk’s book and hopes to visit Boy Scout Lane and Blood Cemetery. 

Thrill seekers like Conn should be warned, however, that often haunted locations are either privately owned or guarded by a caretaker or local law enforcement, and illegal entry may carry unwanted consequences. 

Terry Fisk’s wife, Jeannine, has witnessed many paranormal investigations over the years.  She offers this advice to potential ghost hunters: “Don’t quit your day job, but have as much fun with it as possible and expect a lot of waiting.”