Investigations

API is looking for local places to investigate right now ... with in an hour of Hannibal. If you have a location for us to investigate or are just curious about your own property ... message us here. While we are here to help others with their experiences and issues ... we are also here to research your property for you and give you a history of your location. 

API is interested in investigating cemeteries, old businesses, abandoned buildings, stores, warehouses,  barns, outbuildings, battle fields, abandoned houses, even if the buildings are gone a location and the grounds can still be investigated.  Of course we are also interested in currently used and inhabited buildings, businesses, homes and locations as well.  We also investigate caves.  If you don't see it listed ... contact us anyway!  We are not limited ... the possibilities abound!  API has even investigated old cars ... and yes ... we found evidence ... both evps and pictures!  Tractors!  Steam engines!  You name it! 

For those who are experiencing issues and need an investigation, a cleansing and help ... API will travel with in two hours of Hannibal.     API can be called to do just investigations ... or an investigation and cleansing.  API can also be called to do historical research only. 

API hopes that you've had a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and will have a Happy New Year. Great things are coming!

The Item

     Welcome to Paranormal Monday my friends!

     We were thinking about what to write about … and we sat down with notes to work from to write an article.  It’s going to be a series that will continue over the time span of about six to ten weeks.  And then guess what?  The fingers went to the typing keys and decided that they had another topic to talk about.  So … we will let them speak.

     Doug and I have had many experiences … both on our own as individuals … and as a couple.  There are definitely times that are more active than others.  We believe that the moon is a great influence because of the energy it puts out.  The more moon that is visible … the more the energy flows.  On full moons … well … the expression “it must be a full moon tonight” is known for a reason!

     We know we have done a lot of talking about ourselves on here and want to assure you that there will be other upcoming topics.  Lol   We just feel that this is a time of you getting to know us and it is important that we share some things.

     When you think of “paranormal” there may be several things that come to mind.  You might think of ghosts as the spirits of people who have lived here and died.  That is a common way to think.  In the big picture of things though, there are many other ways that things can apply to the word paranormal.  That is what our series is going to be discussing.  We will be introducing and discussing one thing at a time. 

     However … as I said earlier … my fingers just didn’t seem to want to go there.  What are my fingers thinking about?  They are thinking about some of the experiences they have had with “things” … items … that were causing problems.  Yes … this is another possibility you might encounter when dealing with the paranormal.

     We were having a lot of activity in my library room.  Things were getting moved around.  Noises that we couldn’t figure out where they were coming from.  Things falling.  Knocks.  We weren’t afraid … just curious as to what was going on.  Every day we would step into the room and just look to see if we found anything amiss.

     One day I just went on in and shut the door behind me.  My intent was to figure out what was causing this.  Now this was before we became investigators and had any equipment.  It was just a room … and us.  I just stood there … feeling uncomfortable and unsure … but refusing to leave.  Not saying anything out loud … just being there ... thinking and feeling the energy.  For some reason there was a particular item in the room that my eyes kept drawing to.  It was just sitting there … on a shelf … looking totally innocent.  I continued to try to react by not reacting … just soaking up the ambiance of the room … and breathing.  I did finally ask out loud as I looked at it, “Is that you doing that?” … and then I exited the room.  I told Doug what I thought was the cause and that we would keep an eye on it. 

     For the next few days, anytime that we heard a noise in there … day or night … we would go into the room … and just stand … and every time my eyes were drawn to the same item.  I would even point at it … just to let it know that I was getting this figured out.

     Now, please don’t think that this is going to work every single time … it isn’t always this easy … but in this instance it was all that was necessary.  I went into the room, asked it nicely to stop doing what it was doing because it was making my dogs bark all of the time and scaring people.  It isn’t nice to scare people.  Then I got the box that it came in, wrapped it up in some tissue paper, put it into the box, placed it in the cabinet on a shelf and closed the door.  The activity stopped.

     We still own this item and it is still on the shelf wrapped in tissue paper and in the box that it came in.  We have had no further problems.  Although … if we get it out of the box and leave it set out for a few days … yes … you already know … there will begin to be activity.  As long as we store it wrapped and in the box … all is well.

     That is what my fingers were thinking about and it is tempting to go pay it a visit and get it out of the box.   But not right now.  Sigh.  I have work to get done and places to go.  This coffee is delicious and I think I am ready for another cup. 

     Notice that I didn’t tell you what the item was.  Mean, huh?  And Ray … if you are reading this … it isn’t what you think it is!  (hee hee … I may write about that later)

     I would be interested in hearing your stories.  You can contact me by email.  The address is on the card up above.  If you do, please put the word “paranormal” as the topic.

Blessings to all!

Doug and Ava

 

All articles and photos contained within this blog are property of API: Aegis Paranormal Investigations or used with permission and may not be reproduced or used without our permission.

Gratitude

Hello!  I hope that this post finds everyone well and in good spirits!  I was just sitting here thinking about things.  This is going to be a post about gratitude.  I hope that all of you have things that you are grateful for.

I am so grateful for the opportunity we have to do what we love to do.  I am grateful for the fact that we have clients.  I am grateful for the fact that we have been able to help our clients and answer their questions.  I am sooooooo grateful for my husband who shares my interests and loves me and accepts me for who I am.

                There are going to be days when this is what I post about because I think it is so very important to be grateful for what we have been given.  Our family, our friends, our jobs, our homes … the food on our tables … for a blanket when the nights are chilled.   But even more than that.  For the experiences that this life has to offer all of us.  For the beauty of our Earth … the beauty of nature.  The spectacular plant life we find all around us.  For the spirits of the trees.  For sunrises … for sunsets … for flowers … for vegetable gardens!  For healing herbs and soothing scents.  For bubbling brooks and waterfalls. 

                I am grateful for the fact that I get to live next to the Mississippi River … to see the water birds … to see the beautiful bald eagles soaring above me.  For wild flowers in the woods and in the pastures.  For the woods that offer a place of serenity and peace to sit and ponder life.  For the sounds that are there if we take the time to just sit and listen.  For the way it feels to sit on a fallen tree.  For the ability to watch for and stay out of the poison ivy!  (Seriously) 

                I am grateful for my pets who are so in tune with my moods and feelings.  Who lay beside me and at my feet to comfort me when I am not feeling well or I’m scared.  I always feel safe when they are around me. 

                I am thankful for all of our experiences … good and bad … because they are what make us stronger and more experienced.  They make us better … a better person … better at what we do … and better able to handle what comes next. 

                I am thankful for you, who came to visit our blog and I am looking forward to what is to come.

                Have a blessed day!

Delivering Messages From the Dead

I have often wondered to myself from the time I was just a little kid if I should deliver messages to people when I receive something pertaining to them.  I didn’t know how to go about doing such a thing and because of that … I chose to just keep things to myself.  The most common way of receiving information at that time was in my dreams.  That question has always stayed in my head and never left me.  Now … as a clairvoyant and a paranormal investigator I have many other avenues open to me for receiving messages from the dead.

Anytime we have our equipment running, delivering messages is always something that we offer to do.  Maybe there is a reason that a spirit is hanging around.  Maybe they have a message that they are wanting to give you.  Sometimes they just come directly to us and give us the message and then move on.  This is something that we always offer to try to do for anyone when we are doing evp work or working with the Spirit Box. 

Sometimes we get messages without any names attached to them.  Those … of course … are undeliverable.  I think that sometimes they just have the need to “tell someone” whatever it is that they have to say … they just want someone to know.  Sometimes it is only told to us … other times we are able to deliver the message to someone else.  Now that I have sat down and thought about it, there have been eight specific messages we have received thus far that clearly stated who they were from and who they were for. All eight had personal messages for an individual person.  Some of the messages have been directed to and for just us.  There have been other messages that were received by the intended person because they were with us at the time and heard it come through the SB7 Spirit Box right then.

It is not an easy thing to tell someone that you have a message for them.  Not everyone receives it well.  Not everyone wants to hear it.  Sometimes rejection is soft and easy … other times rejection is swift and hard like a slap in the face.  We have to remember that if we are rejected it is okay.  Sometimes that is hard to remember though.  For me, it would kind of hurt my feelings because I was so excited to be able to do that for someone.  It has been two years now and I have learned that it is okay and that I shouldn’t be hurt by it.  I have learned to be satisfied that I made the effort whether it was received or not.

Of the eight messages I have listed above that we have received, all of them were accepted and delivered except for one.  That’s not bad.  Now you may be wondering to yourself how I have the courage to even attempt to do such a thing.  I was pretty scared the first time but just as with everything else … it gets easier and I am more confident the more I do it.  I just don’t push it.  I do realize that it can be a shock to someone’s system to be told that I have a message for them.  Some people need time to think about it before they are actually ready to accept a message.  However, the majority of the time, I have felt very welcomed and good about the messages I have delivered.

For me, it is important that I give the person a choice in whether they want to receive the message or not.  I usually do this in person or over the phone.  I’m going to use the name Sarah here for an example.  I say to the person … “If I had a message for you from Sarah, would you like to know what it is?”  If they say yes … I tell them.  If they say no … I don’t.  I just delivered a message recently that I delivered through an email message.  It worked out okay but it was the first time that I hadn’t given the person a choice first.  I was hoping if they didn’t want to read it they would have stopped reading it and deleted it.  I made it clear that I was about to deliver a message.  But I am glad they didn’t delete it!  I am glad they accepted it and read it.  And I am also grateful that I got a favorable response.  I will in the future continue giving people an option as much as I can.  I think it is important for people to have a choice.  And if they say no, even if it’s in that “slap in the face” way … they are always free to contact me later if they have thought about it and changed their mind.

As I said earlier in this post, there has only been one time that I have had anyone turn me away and not receive their message.  There have also been two messages that I chose not to deliver.  In both instances I decided against it for the same reason.  Both times it was a message of negativity from people who were negative as living people and I chose not to continue the cycle by delivering a message that I thought might cause the living person stress because of their past experiences with the person who gave me the message. 

Right or wrong … what it comes down to is this … it is and shall always remain my choice of whether I seek to deliver a message of not.  My rule is this … peace, love and light.  If it is not a message of peace … I won’t deliver it.  If it is not a message of love … I won’t deliver it.  If it is not a message of light … I won’t deliver it. 

It gives us great joy to be able to help people with their paranormal issues … to investigate for them … to do cleansings for them … and to deliver messages to them.

We are very grateful for the opportunities that we have been given.  We are grateful for the people who refer us to their friends and neighbors and associates.  We look forward to the upcoming blessings of the people we will be working with in the future.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting us on the blog.

When We Were Just Beginning

I remember how new things used to be and how frightening experiences could be when we were new as paranormal investigators.  For me, being an investigator and learning to use equipment to capture evidence of what I was experiencing was very invigorating and empowering to me.  I spent all of my life thinking that no one would believe what I was experiencing, hearing and seeing.  I touched on the fact in a previous post that I have been able to communicate with spirits for as long as I can remember.  The truth is that I actually cannot remember a time when they did not communicate with me.  That is the truth.

One of the things that just amazes me … and will probably continue to do so … is hearing these spirits call me by name.  “Ava” … sometimes is it just said regularly like that.  Other times it will be more drawn out … “Aaaavaaaa”.   I find it comforting that they call me by name and talk to me.   Even though it freaked me out the first few times I heard it … and even made me cry … hey … I will be honest about it.  I have grown to accept it as a friendly greeting.  And now when I’m listening to evidence review and hear my name called it makes me smile.  Sometimes they give me their names but most of the time they don’t.  It seems that they are more interested in giving me messages or simply answering any of the questions that I might ask.

We have learned to take our time.  Your first instinct is to react to everything.  If you spend your time reacting to everything … you will miss so much because you are too busy talking or running around.  We try to use hand signals as much as possible and nod yes or no in response to those signals.  We do talk.  Don’t get me wrong.  But it is important to be as quiet as possible. 

Doug and I are partners in Aegis Paranormal Investigations … API.  You’re going to notice on here though that I mainly talk about my own experiences unless I am talking about us as a team.  There are several reasons for this.  There will, however, be plenty of upcoming posts about things that we have done and Doug will be included.  Don’t worry.

You will not see me telling on here where we’ve been to do work for clients.  That will never happen unless they have given me permission to do so.  But we can talk about our experiences in general and we can talk about public investigations that we have done.  We keep busy so that we stay in good practice and stay sharp. 

One of the things that we stay sharp on is talking while being recorded.  It has become second nature to us now and we don’t even think about it … sometimes we even forget that the recorder is on … but it was kind of hard at first because we were self-conscious of how we sounded.  Ha!  If you are self-conscious and worried about how you are sounding things can happen like getting tongue tied, or completely forgetting what you were saying and not being able to finish your thought … worrying about what your voice is going to sound like. 

Have you ever listened to yourself talk on a recording?  We always sound a little different than what we hear with our own ears.  It takes some getting used to.  I quickly learned that I said “okay” too often.  “Okay, let’s go over here.”  “Okay.  Let’s sit over here”   The “okays” quickly got on my own nerves.  Lol   Oh, and let’s see … there’s the “ummmm” … and the “uhhhhhh” … I tend to say “Okay” to soothe myself.  It just gave me a minute to think.  I have tried to not say it so often … it’s a hard habit to break.

Well, thank you for stopping by the blog and sharing some time with us.  We really appreciate your visit.

'Tis Halloween

Poem by Ava Potterfield

October 31, 2014

 

'Tis Halloween 

 

Are you alone in a dark, dark place?

Is there something brushing against your face?

Are there sounds near by …

And you don’t know why?

 

Is your hair standing up?

Did something go bump?

Are there chills on your arm?

Does something mean you harm?

 

Oh be careful my friend …

And so firmly stand …

This is Halloween night …

And it is filled with fright.

 

Look to the left …

Breathe with each step.

Look to the right …

Be filled with might.

 

While on this jaunt …

You might experience a haunt!

It is in the air …

And could be anywhere!

 

 

Travel in twos …

Because if it’s true …

And you travel alone …

You might not get home.

 

Still the beating of your heart …

Try not to jump with a start.

Close your eyes as you breathe …

Stepping lightly as you leave.

 

Oh be careful my friend …

And so firmly stand …

This is Halloween night …

And it is filled with fright.

 

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!!

From Doug and Ava

Wow!

 

 

 

It has been an incredibly active day for this paranormal investigator!  Wow!  And that is about all I can say about it.  Wow.  Just wow.

Normally we don’t do anything as a solo person … we always work in twos just for safety reasons.  Well … today just didn’t turn out that way.  Doug has worked all day and I had to take care of a few things on my own. 

I want you to know that I have been investigating for years.  I have been having these experiences my whole life.  I have had many experiences ranging from noises, knocks, voices, apparitions, shadow people, doppelgangers, being touched, even being assaulted … these are not new things to me.

One of the trainings I have trained so hard for is learning to react by not reacting when you are taken by surprise or even scared.  And you do get scared.  To have the ability to remain calm and give the air of taking in everything nonchalantly like it’s no big deal and happens every day.  You’re not scared.  You’re not nervous.  You’re not surprised or taken aback by anything.  And talking in a calm, even and clear voice no matter what is going on around you.

Today was just one of those days.  Everything happening at once.  No break in between … just bam, bam, bam.  But … today also was an attainment of personal success for me.  Why?  Because I handled the situations in a calm manner and acted on auto pilot.  Now why would I be happy about that?  Because it means when my training was put to the test … finding myself alone in these situations today … I not only remembered everything I was trained to do … but I did it all without even thinking about it!  Now … THAT …. That … is a wonderful thing!  And that has given me a new edge of confidence.  Now that’s not to say that my heart hasn’t sped up just thinking about my experiences today … but I did it! 

I may post more about my experiences today at a later time.  But what I can tell you right now … is … that I am one happy paranormal investigator!  One with a rapid heartbeat at the moment … but happy!

 

Blessings My Friends!

                Ava

 

 

 

Our Name … Where Did It Come From?

 

 

 

While a lot of people are into the paranormal for the fun and the thrill of it … the adrenaline rush you get from different circumstances you find yourself in and the different experiences you might have … you always have to remember that there really is a very real and tangible danger that exists.  This is why our team is made of individuals that I trust.  Individuals who take the paranormal seriously and have the right attitude that will not put us or our clients in danger.  Safety is first with us.  In most cases a walk through is done by me before an investigation is done with other team members.  Each case is planned out according to the circumstances that are specific to each location.

It takes a trained individual to walk toward noises … to walk toward unseen voices … to walk toward moving objects … to keep an even pace … to keep an even tone of voice with no trace of fear … to try to react by not reacting … to maintain composure … and work together and cooperate as a team. 

The name Aegis is not a name that we just picked out of nowhere.  It has a deep meaning to us.  We researched different name possibilities and decided this one fit.  We needed a name with strength because that is what we want to represent to our clients and that is what we need when we are investigating.

In Greek mythology, Aegis is the name of the shield that was used by Zeus and Athena.  It protected them well.  To us the word Aegis stands for a shield of protection.  It stands for strength and the ability to influence your surroundings for the good of others.  It means having support to lift you up and help you stand firm.  It’s the ability to hold strong to your course of action.  It’s the ability to overcome.  These are the things that I would look for if I was looking for help or answers … so this is what we chose.  Now … don’t go getting all technical and you panties in a bunch over my description of Aegis … this is not a dictionary definition … this is simply what the name personally means to us.

We offer our services as paranormal investigators … as communicators … I can perform cleansings of your location and I can perform a blessing on your location.  However, I will talk more about that at a later time.

So … here we are … this is what we stand for … and we are available to consult with you. 

My email address is listed above and please put "Paranormal" as the subject of your email.

Who We Are

We are API: Aegis Paranormal Investigations.  We are Doug and Ava Potterfield.  We are a husband and wife team.  We offer our services as paranormal investigators and also offer our services to perform cleansings of your location.  In some cases we may bring along a guest investigator or two but generally it will be just the two of us.

Here's a little bit of information about us individually.


     Doug is a local boy born and raised in Palmyra, Missouri.   And yes, he is one of those stealthy Palmyra Panthers, having gone to school in Palmyra from grade school to high school.  He still owns that 1958 Rambler that he used to drive to school and he is currently working on restoring it. 
     His hobbies are paranormal investigating, restoring his car and his 1973 Ford pickup truck, riding his 1985 Honda Shadow 500 motorcycle, picture framing, wood working, drawing and he spends a lot of time on you tube.  He is also musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo, guitar and he’s been known to sing when no one is looking.  J
     He enjoys working with the paranormal and doing investigations and cleansings.  When asked what got him interested in the paranormal he says it was the experiences of his wife (me) and then our shared experiences we began having working together as a team. 
     When asked what his favorite part of paranormal investigating is … is it the exploring?  Is it working with the digital recorders and catching evps?  Is it working with the SB7 spirit box?  Is it taking photographs and reviewing them later?  Is it the evidence review?  Well, he couldn’t only pick one thing.  Ha!  He says his favorite parts are going to different places to explore as well as taking photographs and reviewing them later to see what he may have captured.


     My name is Ava.  I grew up in a community called Spurgeon, Missouri located in Newton County just about midway between Neosho and Joplin, Missouri.  I went to school in Neosho attending South Elementary, Intermediate, Junior High and High School ... graduating from Neosho Sr. High School.
     I am the mother of two, a musician, a music teacher, a writer and a paranormal investigator. 
     My hobbies are working with the paranormal, music … I live and breathe music … I play several instruments … I enjoy singing and am working on recording my first two cds of original music that I wrote over the winter.  I enjoy playing Celtic and Old Time tunes on my fiddle and tenor banjo.  I enjoy photography and specifically photographing barns.  I enjoying writing poetry.  I am currently working on a murder mystery novel as well as some historic research projects which will be released at a later date.
     I began having paranormal experiences as a child as young as 2 years old.  Paranormal experiences have been what I have always considered a normal part of my life.  I have always had spirits visit me and the experiences have ranged from those that left me traumatized my whole life to those that were so sweet and very special. 
     There are people just meeting me for the first time who know me to have this blessing.  On the flip side there are people who have known me my entire life who are just finding out.  Please … allow me to offer an explanation to them.   While I grew up with parents that loved and supported me … who comforted me and assured me that I was okay and safe … I learned at a very early age not to talk about it with other people.  People tend to be afraid of what they don’t understand and some people tend to be judgmental.  Therefore, I kept my abilities to myself.  I witnessed at school how those who were considered different in any way were singled out or made fun of or picked on … so I never told anyone at school.  The only people who knew were the people in my household.
     It has lightened my heart and made it glow with happiness to become a paranormal investigator and create a team who I trust.  It has made me so happy to be able to use my gifts to help people with their paranormal issues.  I feel as if I am finally doing what I was meant to do.
     When asked what my favorite part of paranormal investigating is ... is it the exploring?  Is it working with the digital recorders and catching evps?  Is it working with the SB7 spirit box?  Is it taking photographs and reviewing them later?  Is it the evidence review?  Well, let me tell you ... the evidence review is NOT my favorite part!  lol  It is time consuming and mind numbing ... but I do get very excited when I find that we have captured something in our evidence.  My very favorite part is that I am working with my husband and best friend and that we get to share in these experiences and in helping people with their paranormal experiences.  My next favorite part would have to be asking questions and getting answers through evps and the SB7.


So ... there's a little bit about us.  Thank you for stopping by and we hope that you return to read our future posts.