Concho Valley Paranormal Searches Out the Unknown

San Angeloan Dylan Lane said as a child, like most children, he was afraid of "scary movies" and the "unknown." However, as an adult, he started watching the television show "Ghost Adventures," which had intrigued him and a few friends' curiosities.

He said, "One night, we were all down in my media room watching the show's season finale, and were so inspired, we decided to start something of our own."  

In 2010 "TPIS" (Texas Paranormal Investigation Services) was established. The group temporarily disbanded in 2012, and upon re-launch, they decided to rename it Concho Valley Paranormal (C.V.P).  

"We consider it a hobby, but are hoping one day to expand it into a lucrative business," said Lane.

The four members of C.V.P include: Dylan Lane-Founder/ lead investigator, Josh Isbell-Co-Founder/ Investigator/ Camera man, Anthony Daughenbaugh- Co-Founder/ Investigator/ Camera Operator/ Equipment Tech/ Designer, and Tyler Tennell- Investigator.

Lane explained that the definition of "paranormal"  can mean anything from ghosts, spirits, aliens, or even "Bigfoot" and Loch Ness," but the group is mainly focused on "ghost hunting."  

He said, "We started out with nothing but a regular camcorder, an old camera, and tape recorder." 

Having privately funded all of their equipment over the years, the group has accumulated several thousands of dollars worth of "high tech" equipment. Some of their more advanced equipment includes a "thermal imaging camera," which can record and display a variety of temperature changes with the phenomena.  

"Blue and purple images show for cold and red and orange mean warm or hot, and images can be seen on walls, or in other isolated areas as well," Lane explained.

 

He said, "Spirits can amplify spiritual differentials, meaning if you have the ambient temperature showing their thermal temperature, on the Mel Meter, they (the spirits) can manipulate it. With a sudden drop or increase in temperature, and there is no a/c or heater on, they (the spirits) can drop the temperature 15 degrees or more, depending on how strong they are." 

On many occasions, these investigators have felt the "goose bumps" signifying there is a lot of static electricity and a possible "presence" in the area. 

Lane said, "If you feel a heavy presence, and drained, that usually means the presence of a negative entity, but if you get the sensation on your arms or neck with a vast temperature change, that is something positive that is open to communicate."  

Spirit voices or "EVPs" (electronic voice phenomena) use the static of the "white noise" through their digital recorders to communicate through.  

Lane said, "Sometimes, if their energy is strong enough to where we can actually hear it and sometimes their message is very residual." He added that the group will attempt to speak with the spirits asking questions, such as "what was life like here?" (at the investigation site), and the spirit will respond with what they actually lived in their moment.

He added, "Oftentimes, they repeat themselves and the intelligent ones will speak as if they know what is going on around them at the present time." Also, with the bad entities, they (CVP) have been told to "get out," and they've been cursed at.  

CVP has been to Fort Concho to "investigate" on several occasions. Lane spoke of the 13-year-old girl "Edith." He said, "She haunts the grounds of OQ1 (Officers Quarters)."

No one has actually heard her say anything, as far as he knows, but others have seen her. They said she will look up and smile and then she vanishes.

Lane added, "There have also been several sightings documented of spirits of soldiers. Anthony said he has seen silhouettes of Buffalo Soldiers standing by a tree near the commanders headquarters." 

Lane said, he believes some spirits linger for so long as if they have a message to get out to the world before they can move on.  As for the "evil spirits," he believes they want to stay and harass the living. 

"We are not in the business to help spirits cross over or perform exorcisms, as that is more so left to the religious professionals," Lane said. He stated that CVP is more involved in the "scientific aspect" where they try to "communicate." 

"You can use all the equipment in the world, but your mind has to be willing to receive and be completely open to the experience," Lane said. "With negative spirits (sometimes referred to as demons), if so inspired, they have the capability of actually leaving marks on the investigator."  Lane said he has walked away with physical scratches on his arms and back.

IOP means infestation, oppression and possession, and Lane wanted to be completely clear that "what we do has nothing to do with satanism."  

"I find abandoned buildings especially intriguing because I'm a history buff," said Lane. When they are at a location, it's similar to going back in time.

"Ghost hunting does have positive as well as negative effects on one because there are good as well as bad spirits out there," Lane stated. "When we have come across the bad, we try not to provoke them." 

On one trip in particular, to the at the Yorktown Memorial Hospital in January of last year, Lane said, "The owner was giving us a walk through, and within 15 minutes, Tyler said he heard a little girl laughing. Throughout the night, everywhere we went, we could hear her laughing and fortunately caught it on our digital recorder."  

Upon further research, Lane said, "We're not sure if it was the spirit of the little girl, or a nurse who was shot and killed there years prior."

After obtaining data, the investigative editor, Anthony, will make videos to share with others on YouTube and other social media sites for people who have an interest in the paranormal. Although there are other teams who are competitive, Lane believes in "para-unity" and sharing their finds. Every bit of information the group has encountered is made public knowledge for the many who are "curious."  

"We want people to understand that there are, in fact, other things out there and they are not imagining things," Lane said.

If someone were suspicious their house was inhabited, the group welcomes their requests for help in verification. They don't charge for anything unless it is out of city limits, and then travel fees (gas, food, and lodging) would apply. 

As of right now, the group is content with their membership but wouldn't turn away anyone who genuinely shared their interest in the paranormal. If the general lay person is interested in attending an investigation, they are screened and forms releasing liability would need to be signed prior to any participation. Lane estimated there are around 200 "Paranormal Societies" in Texas alone and countless others worldwide. He has worked with two: "Ghost Tracks" out of Midland/Odessa, and "Texas State Paranormal Investigations" (TSPI) out of Ft Stockton, four or five times.  

He said he is "very interested in getting in contact with the right people to be able to investigate the Cactus Hotel and Texas Theater in San Angelo, as he has heard many stories that there is a lot of "activity" in both buildings.  

Most recently, they have been to the "Black Swan Inn" in San Antonio, Texas with assistance from a team they work with out of Ft Stockton, and "York Town Hospital," where they rented out the building for a fee. Their next investigations will be at "Ft. Concho" in May, "Buffalo Billiards" on 6th street (Austin) in July, and then on to Halletsville at the Lavaca County Jail in September.  

For more information on Concho Valley Paranormal Society (serious inquiries only), feel free to contact Dylan at [email protected], http://cvparanormal.weebly.com/, and check them out on Facebook at "Concho Valley Paranormal (C.V.P)."