‘Making the paranormal more normal’

ST. CLAIR SHORES — A lot goes into a paranormal investigation, including capturing evidence and listening to recordings. For Jessica Krutell, founder and lead investigator of Mystic Mitten Paranormal, it’s all about “making the paranormal more normal.”

Before an investigation, Krutell chats with the residents or business owners to get background information about what’s going on there.

“Sometimes, there’s natural causes and explanations as to why they might be feeling or experiencing certain things, too,” Krutell said. “So we try to get all of that sorted out first before actually doing the investigation.”

As soon as she and the others get to the house, they turn on the recorder to capture “electronic voice phenomenon.” Krutell later explained in an email that EVPs are any voices that are captured with an electronic device.

“Electronic voice phenomenons, or EVPS, are something that do happen somewhat often, not like constantly. But the second that we get into a place, we want to have something recording at all times,” Krutell said.

A device Krutell also talked about is the KII meter that detects electromagnetic fields, which is an important part of the process. She said her brother’s aquarium was emitting high amounts of electromagnetic fields at one point.

“If you’re around that constantly, it can cause paranoia. It can cause you to feel uncomfortable and, in some extreme cases, can cause hallucinations,” Krutell said.

Once they arrive, the investigators get to tour locations and find any hot spots. The amount of activity experienced varies from house to house, Krutell said. Sometimes, activity starts as soon as they start the investigation; other times, nothing happens.

“I would like to think that the spirits just don’t know us, you know what I mean? They’re not familiar,” Krutell said. “It would be like somebody just walks into your house and starts asking you all sorts of questions. You don’t know who they are. You’re not going to want to talk to that person.”

She added she’s a firm believer in being approachable and friendly during investigations instead of yelling orders.

“I wouldn’t listen or respect that,” Krutell said about being aggressive. “But if I see people that are having fun and it’s a good conversation and people are enjoying themselves on that experience, and it’s comfortable and it’s an inviting environment, I would want to be a part of it.”

Michael Miller is a Mystic Mitten Paranormal investigator and technician. He is also Krutell’s husband.

Miller said you can’t say for certain whether a haunting is residual or intelligent. He said residual hauntings tend to have spirits who don’t respond when asked and the people who live and work in a space have repetitive experiences with the paranormal.

“Where you can go to a place and there’s reports of someone walking down a hallway,” Miller said. “You go down there (and ask), ‘Can you walk down this hallway for us?’ And it never happens. But then, they call us a week later and they go, ‘Yeah, it happened again and it’s the same exact thing every single time.’ That could be a sign of a residual haunting.”

Miller has been accompanying Krutell on investigations for approximately a year. He said he got into the paranormal by watching paranormal shows and because of Krutell.

“It was something I didn’t plan on but the more you’re around it, the more you think about it, the more you learn and experience and talk to people who have experiences,” Miller said. “It’s definitely an interesting thing to follow.”

Krutell offers her services for free and a lot of times the residents or business owners join her on an investigation. She said she thinks it works better that way because the spirits are more comfortable with the people Krutell helps. People can also feel more comfortable in their own space by participating in the investigation as well.

“My slogan is ‘making the paranormal more normal’ because I want people to feel comfortable with these spirits and kind of live side by side with them rather than just assuming that it’s something maleficent and evil, dark and scary. Because usually, like 9.99 times out of 10, it’s not scary,” Krutell said.

Krutell tries not to research any history about a location before going into an investigation. If they get any paranormal activity, they start to find the history tied to the location.

“I try to do the research after the fact just because I don’t want to go in anticipating to hear from ‘Sandra, Sally’ or whoever,” Krutell said.

Miller said he and Krutell have never had any experiences that made them feel they were in danger.

“Never been in danger,” Miller said. “Never felt like I was in danger.”

Krutell said a person doesn’t have to be of a certain religion to be a paranormal investigator. Sometimes, people involved in the paranormal field are religious and use various religious practices and tools to bless the house or pray over the area they are investigating.

Krutell said she doesn’t associate with any religion and doesn’t see anything wrong with it either way.

“I don’t think that you have to have, you know, some sort of belief in a higher power to understand that energy is still energy,” Krutell said. “There’s definitely science behind it all.”

She went on to explain that people have their physical forms, and they also have personalities, opinions and other things that are a part of the spirit and soul.

“Your spirit and your soul is the energy behind our body which is just a vessel,” Krutell said. “So when our bodies pass, our bodies just, you know, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Our bodies are just empty vessels at that point, but energy never dies. It just transfers.”

When it comes to TV shows, Krutell said for the investigators to get enough material to fill a full run time, it would take multiple nights of investigating.

“A lot of times, (on) the TV shows, they’re actually going to be wearing the same clothes and they’re going to be pretending like it’s the same day when it actually isn’t,” Krutell said.

She also said it depends on the show how dramatized it is for TV. Krutell has met some TV investigators in person and she said it’s easy to tell whether they’re an honest person or not just by talking with them.

“I would say there’s a good portion that’s dramatized,” Krutell said. “Sometimes, they just have to make it entertaining. Sometimes, they just have to capture the audience.”

The network running the TV show often has full say, Krutell said.

“The network has control and sometimes that leads to a lot of disruptions in paranormal TV because it goes against what that paranormal investigator feels is right,” Krutell said.

It’s important to go into an investigation with a good, clean headspace, Krutell said. She added that if you’re negative, it’s going to be easier for something to latch onto you.

“You attract more flies with honey if you’re sweeter and you’re kinder,” Krutell said. “And if you have, you know, a better head on your shoulders, I think you’re going to be safer going into those investigations.”

Miller said it’s important for those who are afraid of their residence or business being haunted to remember that whatever else is there is probably also afraid.

“Sometimes it’s just best to speak to it with an open mind and be welcoming and sometimes you might feel a change and a change in that environment,” Miller said.

For those wishing to venture into the paranormal field, Miller said to find a professional and get information and advice from them on how to start.

“Every single person in this field wants nothing more than to have other people have a better understanding of it and acceptance of it,” Miller said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. If you ask them for help into understanding how to go about doing things and how to get started, every paranormal investigator will always be 100% (supportive) in helping that person understand and get started.”

Miller said you don’t need anything special but a cellphone and a free voice recording app.

“You just need to have the willingness to go out and be open to what you’re feeling, hearing and seeing and to experience it and know that whatever you’re experiencing is true to whatever you feel,” Miller said. “Not to whatever anyone says you might have seen or heard or felt.”