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Home About PSICAN Ufological Information Ghosts and Hauntings Information Psychical Phenomena Psychic Event Information Cryptozoology Other Notes Message Board Donations Contact Information Want to help us out? Want some interesting things? Click here! 
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 What do we do for the public?What people already come to us for...PSICAN already has people contacting us for a variety of reasons. Being formed from some of the most highly regarded paranormal investigators in the country, we are contacted (through our existing website) by people who are looking for information about paranormal events, people looking to "tell their story" or report an instance of what seems to be a paranormal event and people genuinely looking for assistance in understanding a perceived paranormal event. What we offer... - Students or People Looking For Information: Our staff consists of volunteers well versed in almost all areas of what is accepted under the term "Paranormal". Through the Internet, we have a library-like resource of contacts and personnel that can give out information such as previous historic reports, experiments, statistics and statistical analysis of "paranormal" events and experiences. Other than the Internet, we have access to such resources as a library (at our main mailing address) of over 150 books and volumes ranging from ghosts and hauntings to Ufology which all can be referenced upon electronic request. (This is well over ten-times the amount of volumes on the subject as the nearest Toronto public library.) We are also in the process of setting up free, downloadable versions of our own course books (on our website... the "Ghosts and Hauntings" book is already available), which are created with the help of sources such as members of The Society for Psychical Research and it's journals, members of Britain's Ghost Club, John Robert Colombo, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Dr. Carla Wills-Brandon, members of Skeptics Canada, members of CSICOP, The Spiritualist Church of Canada and countless other sources (not to mention our own existing studies.) - People Reporting an Experience or Event When people contact us with a report, we break it down into three possible overall categories... #1: A personal experience or event that the person reporting to us have witnessed. #2: A second hand experience or event that the person is reporting on behalf of another person who, for varying reasons, is not willing to come forward to report it themselves. #3: A "historic" or "folkloric" report from the past either gleaned from word-of-mouth or from another source (book, radio program, etc.) In the first two instances, in order to move forward, we must hear from the witness first-hand. In order to keep facts and information straight, we do ask to hear the witness's testimony first hand. If we do not hear from them, we do not follow up on a case (so as not to breach the privacy and security of a witness.) Once we hear from a witness, we respond within seven business days to request the following information...
If they are not a current tenant or owner of a site, we cannot examine things further as it would breach the current owner/tenants privacy and security. (beyond statistical analysis of the report such as general location, type of even experienced, etc.) In certain instances, we may pursue and contact the current owners or tenants, but only if this is confirmed by at least two directors or "team leads" within the organisation. This is to ensure that we are not disruptive to a business or home or in breach of current Ontario privacy legislations. If they are willing and legally allowed to allow us to come "on site" (visit the location), we proceed with a team (of at least two trained and tested members of our group) and examine the environment to look for possible natural (not "paranormal") explanations. (please read the section of this document entitled "Investigations and Experimentation"). If we cannot find any natural explanations for the events, we then move to the next step (please read the section of this document entitled "Investigations and Experimentation"). If the report is a "historical" or "folkloric" report, we try to look into the actual history of the site/event and find the facts behind the legend. We pride ourselves on our historical research abilities and have access to not only the standard library and archives resources, but historians and authors as well. We do have groups working in Quebec, British Columbia and New Brunswick. Investigations and Experimentation - Investigations First, in order to move to this level, we must eliminate all possible natural and man-made possibilities for the event or experience. We are willing (and have) done things from contacting local airports and police (to see what might have been "flying" or reported in the same area) to examining architectural drawings of buildings (via archives) of a structure to look for vents and HVAC components. We also do searches of newspaper reports for previous (or concurrent) reports from the site. We document these (if found) and present them to the person that contacted us to see if this has any bearing to what they've reported to us. If it does not (or we are unable to find anything that may correlate to the event or experience), we move to the next phase if we are able to do so legally and safely. We look at the witness's testimony and the amount of experiences that have happened. If it was a "single-one-off" event, we may just catalogue it on our website with as much information as we are legally allowed to present as per the witness's approval. If it is ongoing or repeating with some frequency (by looking into a witness produced journal or log or by the witness reporting it as such), we then proceed with an on-site visit with the appropriate tools to try and "capture" the phenomena with. As an example, is the event was seen, we ensure we have video and photographic equipment. If it was it heard, we ensure we have audio recording devices. If the event was physically felt, we simply ask the investigative team to note they're own experiences (time, date, "feeling", environment, etc.) Should we capture something we consider "anomalous" (or out of the ordinary), we then present it to our team for examination and look into all possibilities. We also then contact various experts (film, video, audio and even medical) to get their opinions. We then present the findings to the witness(es) and publish what we can on our website for public information. In doing this, we may assist others who have experienced similar events or simply wish to have information on the subject in general. We may also answer some of the "mysteries" on our own thanks to our own work and resources. - Experimentation We also, when able, would like to proceed with certain experiments and experimentation with things considered paranormal. We already have conducted (and have the findings online free to everyone who wishes to view the findings) experiments with "Remote Viewing" which is the psychical ability of someone at a distance describing an item using only a location as a point. The item, in our one finished case, was a swath of tartan coloured cloth in a sealed envelope... Using only the geographical coordinates and an image of the envelope (sealed) with a random number written upon it, we took data in and presented what people "saw" inside the envelope. We then work with those who "hit" (described accurately) the items and tested further. Should we see a pattern of ability, we would move to the next level and try to explain this ability by bringing in help from universities and other professional organisations. An experiment we are in the process of starting is a reproduction of the "Phillip Phenomena" or "Phillip Experiments" performed by the now defunct Toronto Society for Psychical Research where the group was able to "create" a ghost by writing a fictional history and then having séances to try and "conjure" up the ghost. The group, according to their writings, had great success, but never did the experiments using completely controlled environments and did not look into the manifestations they had managed to "manufacture". We would like to re-study the experiments with controls in place to explain the phenomena and what it's mechanics are from an "agnostic" point of view. We are also interested in pursuing experiments with infra-sound and electro-magnetic stimulation (with the assistance of appropriate engineers and medical assistance) in terms of how these elements may influence people to perceive "paranormal" phenomena. These last three experiments would be of a great public benefit as they may explain why people experience certain events and possibly avoid people to jumping to conclusions and possibly taking an incorrect direction to assist themselves.* * - We have a case on file of an elderly woman in Southern Ontario, who spent over $8,000.00 to have a 'psychic' clear her home of a ghost. The 'psychic' kept herself within the law by explaining in writing that the "psychic efforts" were for "entertainment purposes only", so legally the woman was left almost bankrupt. We were able to assist and calm the woman down without charge by explaining the factors of what she might possibly be experiencing. What is our (PSICAN's) overall benefit to the public? Aside from assisting people to understand what they may have experienced or are experiencing from an agnostic or neutral point of view (we preach neither "belief" nor "disbelief" of paranormal events and use a true sceptical point of view), we offer information to students who wish to pursue information for further study. Currently, we offer a website that will house all the information, but in the future (when funding is available), we hope to offer an office or space for the general public to come and access our files and library for themselves. What will the public have access to? Aside from our financial records and overall staff structure, they will be able to access reports from other witnesses (in so much as legally allowed by the witness and by the current Ontario privacy acts as we - the main PSICAN body - is based in that province) and the information to allow them a greater understanding of perceived paranormal events. We will also be offering public meetings and seminars on a quarterly basis starting in January 2006 at local public libraries and meeting halls to allow a more "in person" contact with the public for reporting events and experiences and gleaning information. Why would we withhold certain information? Some people have sincere trepidations about coming forward as someone who feels they have experienced something "paranormal". Unfortunately, society has "labelled" many who feel a belief in this as insane or, at least, overly credulous. We want (and need) the data from an experience, but we certainly understand someone not wishing to put their name in public as someone who has had an experience is they are not comfortable with this information being public. Also, with private homes and businesses, there may be a stigma attached to being known as a place where "weird things" happen. We must respect the rights of certain people not to make their address or a site's location public. To "counter" that and to make the data available to the public, we will always keep files that give... - A general location as to where things happened. (City/Town/County) - A general overview of what the location's function is. (Home/Business/Other) - The type of experience that was reported from the site. - Our findings, if allowed to go on-site for an investigation. - Any environmental information or findings. - Statistical information when released by the witness. (Age of witness, sex, origins of birth, cultural or spiritual background, etc.) - Resolutions or conclusions (if any) to a case or report by our team(s). We feel that this data is relevant, but must work within the safety, privacy and security of not only a witness, but also those who may wish to follow up on a study on their own. Our group does not and will not condone breaching a witness's privacy or security and does not and will not facilitate others to do this in terms of a study. The pertinent data will be available for anyone to study free of charge, but we do wish to maintain the security and safety of our witnesses first and foremost. What our ultimate goal is... Should we receive charitable status, we would like to do the following... 1: Continue our online presence through our website available to the public at no charge. 2: Continue our free public seminars and meetings. 3: Continue our ongoing work as we have with research, investigation and certain experimentation looking into the phenomena. 4: Develop a "Child Friendly Educational Website" on areas of the paranormal specifically geared towards eight-to-fourteen year olds explaining why children should never be "afraid", but examine things from a scientific, clinical, and safe viewpoint. (In conjunction with three elementary school teachers from Ontario.) 5: Try to receive funding to allow us to move forward on experimentation such as our "Phillip Phenomena" experiment. 6: Try to receive funding to assist us in gathering new tools such as a thermal imaging system and environmental measurement tools. 7: Try to receive funding to assist in creating a cross-Canada organisation of like minded people and resources available throughout the country (aside from out online resources). 8: Open a centre or space for the public and students to come and learn about the "paranormal" with our views on neutrality in place. (Offer information from all or any sources in terms of seminars and a physical library.) 9: Create a dialogue for educators, historians and scientists into aspects of the paranormal by offering proper documentation and resources to students and sites on what this may mean to them in terms of associated studies. 10: Try to obtain funding studies into other areas of the paranormal (such as cryptozoology) that currently don't have outlets into these areas. (Funding external and internal projects will be passed or rejected by our standing board at our quarterly meetings.) These are our overall goals... They would be ongoing and they would benefit many by looking into what are currently "mysteries" and offer all viewpoints on solutions and data and information to further not only our own, but the studies of others. Thank you for reading this document and I hope it has answered any or all questions regarding our organisation. MISSION STATEMENT: PSICAN supplies information free of charge and to the best of our abilities to witnesses and the general public interested in all areas of the paranormal from a neutral perspective with respect and dignity to all beliefs and faiths. |
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