Hundreds of gravestones mirrored the moon's reflection as theMuncie Indiana Ghost Trackers walked quietly over the eternalsleeping quarters of the deceased.
Andy Gage, co-director of the Muncie IGT chapter, kneeled nextto a gray and tall marker as he placed a tape recorder on themoist, grassy ground. Members peered through their digital and 35mm cameras while turning on their recorders as a sequence ofquestions in a gentle tone were spoken.
"Do you care that we're here?"
Silence.
"May we take your picture?"
Silence.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell us?"
Silence.
After several questions are asked and photos are shot, membersand first-timers of the not-for-profit organization took theirtechnology home with the anticipation of having captured a signfrom the other side.
Andy and Shelly Gage, co-directors of the Muncie IGT as well asmarried Ball State alumni, started the city's chapter this pastspring after discovering IGT's Web site in March.
The couple's love of and background study in history accentedtheir desire to venture to Indianapolis for their first ghosthunt.
"It definitely opens up your mind more," Andy Gage said whilelooking at a
ceramic Loch Ness monster in the family room of his Muncie home."Today everything is scientific; there are no really bigmysteries."
Although neither found proof of paranormal existence on theinitial hunt, they enjoyed hearing people's stories of ghostlyencounters. Little did they know they would be leading the firstMuncie ghost hunt the following month.
"We ended up trying to help put the first one together (inconjunction with
another chapter) and then we ended up running it," Shelly Gagesaid.
The Gages said the transition into the co-directors position waseased by the network of IGT chapters found around the state. Theselocations include
Evansville, Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Northwest Indiana,Indianapolis, Lafayette, South Bend and Terre Haute.
The Muncie chapter meets once a month followed by a hunt in acemetery or known haunted location in or surrounding DelawareCounty.
Because Shelly Gage and her mother, Kathy Mumaw, have a stronginterest in researching civil war veterans, it made searching andreceiving permission to hunt on cemetery grounds after darkeasier.
Mumaw said she supports her daughter and son-in-law's ghosthunting hobby even though there is room for interpretation. Theinstruments the hunters use to prove or disprove ghosts range fromelectromagnetic field meters to digital thermometers.
"They seem to enjoy it," Mumaw said with a warm-hearted laugh."They are not out to discredit anyone or anything."
Some friends of the Gages said ghost-hunting is just a silly,and often times pointless, hobby.
"Even if they say they saw ghosts, they won't be able to knowuntil afterwards," said non-ghost believer Greg Anderson.
Besides hunting ghosts, IGT works on investigations withindividuals who may have something unexplainable floating, talkingor leaving messages in their homes.
Michael Weides, a paranormal investigator with a psychologybackground, said he has been on hundreds of hunts andinvestigations.
Weides, from the South Bend IGT chapter, said he tries to ruleout the possibility of paranormal existence because sometimes thosein search of answers suffer from mental illnesses, neurologicalinjuries or are consuming certain medications.
But this is not always the case.
"I've witnessed movement of objects, sounds photos, voices,temperature changes, possessions and similarities in hundreds ofinterviews," Weides said.
Although the Muncie chapter is still in the process ofconducting investigations, they want one point to be clear.
"We're not the ghostbusters," Shelly Gage said. "We're not goingto go in and trap it and take it away or drive it out," she said.The Gages said the ghost trackers provide those who might thinkthey have a ghost with a peace of mind.
Members of the IGT Muncie chapter attend ghost-tracking trainingsessions throughout the state to attempt to understand theparanormal.
The Gages recalled one session they attended in Fort Wayne wherean attorney gave a lecture about psychic protection.
"She was an attorney, a very rational person, but she wastalking about fairies in her backyard," Shelly Gage said. "She wasvery matter-of-fact about it."
The attorney brought in several pictures of orbs. An orb isdefined as "allegedly the true spirit form and one theory is thatthese are seen at the beginning of a manifestation," according tothe IGT Handbook.
Pictures of orbs are light and dark spots or rings, which can beseen on the IGT Web site.
Andy Gage said information collected while ghost-tracking iscomparable to Galileo's discoveries.
"Galileo was kicked out of the Catholic church because he wassaying that there were objects in the heavens that were rotatingaround something other than the Earth which was contrary toeverything that the Catholic church taught," he said.
"They weren't comfortable with the idea of something different,"Andy Gage said.
The Gages said the hardest people to discuss the paranormal withare those who are close-minded.
"They are very comfortable with how the world they know worksand they don't want anything to change that," Andy Gage said.
Shelly Gage said she believes there are many things that peopledon't understand.
"I think part of the human condition is that we're constantlyquesting to understand more, and probably there will always besomething more for us to try and grasp," Shelly Gage said.
The Gages encouraged anyone interested in joining the group orwho have questions about ghosts to log on to the Web site, orcontact them via e-mail.
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