Investigators to explore other world
Psychic readings, supernatural tales and a paranormal investigation Saturday will let the public meet the investigators and experience other worldly activity.
The Illinois Metaphysical & Paranormal Society will be having the Central Illinois Paranormal Meet N Greet and Psychic Fair from Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Demars Center in Peterson Park in Mattoon.
It will also have an after hours investigation at what is now the Coles County Health Department, 825 18th Street.
There will be two three-hour sessions, one starting at 6 p.m. and the other at 9:30 p.m.
Becky Guymon, one of the teams founders, said they have invited paranormal teams and investigators to come speak about their experiences, as well as authors and others in the field.
Guymon said they have eight local teams coming to the fair and tarot card readers, aura readers and a crystal stone reader.
She said the authors will include those who write about the history of different locations that are believed to be haunted.
“Michael Kleen, who went to EIU, has written several books about Coles County and other places,” Guymon said.
The other speakers will be Juli Velazquez and Steven White.
Guymon said the different topics will be local legends, research before and investigation, kids with paranormal experiences and shadow figures.
She said there will be a snack bar that will raise money for a local woman who has medical issues and is unable work.
Members of The Illinois Metaphysical & Paranormal Society and the Mattoon Investigators of Paranormal Activity will also be leading groups of people through the health department, where there have been reports of paranormal activity.
“It will be at the health department here is Charleston, which use to be a hospital,” Guymon said. “The hospital closed down in the ’70s when Sarah Bush opened.”
She said they will be taking groups of about 15 through the building, show them how to use the equipment and let them do their own investigation.
She said they have done an investigation there before.
“Three of us on my team actually worked in that building before we started the paranormal team and have had some experiences in there, several people have reported having experience in there,” Guymon said.
IMPS is a organizations that help the public understand the paranormal activity in their homes or business.
She said some of the common things that happen there are noises, knocking, doors opening and shutting by themselves and lights going off on their own.
Guymon said they have had psychics tell them there are two spirits in the building.
“We call him John, we don’t really know why, we just call him John,” Guymon said.
The sessions cost $25 a person and all the proceeds go to Camp New Hope.
Guymon said this fair and investigation help increase awareness about the paranormal world.
“We want to let people know there are people out there who do this,” Guymon said.
Guymon said they like giving the public an opportunity to do this type of thing.
“It’s an opportunity to do something that they don’t normally get to do,” Guymon said.
Guymon said they want to give the public a chance to learn about them.
“A lot of times there a misconception on paranormal teams and the type of people on paranormal teams,” Guymon said. “This gives the public a chance to meet us and realize we’re just normal, average everyday people who just have a not normal, average, everyday hobby.”
Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.