- Title: USA: RITZ THEATRE IN NEW JERSEY DEEMED SPIRITUALLY ACTIVE BY GHOST HUNTERS
- Date: 20th July 2003
- Summary: EARLY 20TH CENTURY PHOTO OF RITZ
- Embargoed: 4th August 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: OAKLYN, NEW JERSEY, USA
- Country: USA
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAD5YW241Q5XVG26YVSD8DOU88J
- Story Text: The historic Ritz Theater has stood in Oaklyn, New Jersey for over 70 years, and has been deemed "spiritually active" by South Jersey Ghost Research (SJGR). It's the perfect place for would be Ghostbusters to learn the tricks of the trade.
Ghosthunters of all levels hang on SJGR Director David Juliano's every word as he instructs the group on the finer points of detecting and measuring paranormal activity.
SJGR is a non-profit organization devoted to the study of spirits. He and his colleagues met at the Ritz Theater to train their new recruits and get them used to working with ghost detecting equipment.
SJGR routinely investigates hauntings throughout the north-eastern United States and is doing a bustling business. The group receives about 100 calls monthly for assistance with the paranormal, of which they normally respond to about 15.
The business of running SJGR relies solely on the efforts of voluntary members, who endure three months of extensive training, including classroom training and midnight trips to the cemetery in order to make sure that trainees aren't going to get too spooked.
The final test of a trainee's mettle is a visit to a known haunted site like the Ritz Theater.
"We will take them into a place like we did tonight, an indoor building where we know there has been activity before and we let them run loose and let them learn how to use the equipment, learn how to interact, work as a team,"
said Juliano.
Since there is no charge to hire them, and no profit to be had, the researchers keep day jobs in addition to finding phenomena.
After an equipment overview, the lights are switched off and the ghost researchers are plunged into total darkness. With their high-tech gear in hand they set off down the halls and backstage alleyways of the old theatre, looking through changing rooms, prop rooms and even crawlspaces under the main stage for signs of supernatural beings.
While they work with an array of electromagnetic sensors, tape recorders, and motion detectors, the primary tool for SJGR was the basic digital camera.
The team divided up and surveyed the darkened theater by taking flash photos in every room. By using digital cameras, they were instantly able to see if their photos contained any signs of spirits. Many of the members snatched photos of what SJGR described as sphere-shaped translucent objects, which they call 'spirit orbs' which look suspiciously like lense glare.
Pointing to the digital image, Juliano explains the phenomenon.
"She's got a picture of what we would call spirit orbs. It's something that's common everywhere. You can find this, it's a ball of energy that's in the infrared spectrum of light, that's why were picking it up with infrared cameras and the digital cameras," said Juliano.
SJGR has found the Ritz to be a hotbed for these orbs. Members said that the extensive spiritual energy in the theater may be due to it's rich history, dating back to 1927.
"There's been so much involved with this theater from the past, the stories that have been here, the people that have come and gone, and there's actually people who had taken residence when it was a vaudeville house. So I think their spirits have lingered because of the actors. They like the attention and I think the spirits might feel the same way," said Wade Brodsky, a member of SJGR and a worker at the Ritz and part-time actor.
SJGR also gather audible evidence. The Ritz has been the source of several audio recordings that SJGR said contain communications from the spirits. One in which they said a voice says, "I used to work here," another "Oh, my God." Both recordings also contained background voices from members of the SJGR team.
These ghost seekers may not fear danger, but occasionally do get a little scared of the dark. All the more reason, said Juliano, for a rigorous training regime so his 'Ghostbusters' don't get the spooks.
"We'd rather weed out the people who are going to be frightened in the middle of the night, because if we go into someone's house and get scared, the people have to stay there, we get to go home. So if they see the professionals come out and get scared in their house, they're definitely going to be even more upset after we leave then before we got there," said Juliano.
Whether the spirits are speaking or not, ghost hunting was an awesome experience for newly recruited Kelly Gross. This ghost hunter by night and receptionist by day said it can be a wild ride, "Sometimes it can be a little unnerving but never to the point where I've ever felt threatened or upset in a certain situation. For the most part it's kind of like going on a roller-coaster."
Juliano and South Jersey Ghost Research hopes to expand their services to other parts of the U.S, though they're not rushing to quit their day jobs.
So move over Ghostbusters, SJGR is on call. Though, they might want to think about a catchier name. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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