Paranormal research is a recent interest for BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY associate Pat
Cody. In
1995, she roomed with an experienced investigator on a tour of English
country houses. Despite a skeptical outlook, Cody was impressed with
Stevens' common sense approach and attitude.
Over three years later, Cody is collaborating with Karen Stevens and another Society member, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, on a book about ghosts. "I want to consider all possible explanations for any anomaly we encounter," says Cody, "but sitting on the fence after personal experiences takes more effort than I ever believed."
Cody defines a skeptic as a person who maintains an open mind, considering all views possible until proved or disproved. "Scientific proof of life after this life doesn't exist in a form that convinces everybody," she says. "People have to reach personal convictions through personal experiences. About 46 percent of participants in one research study report experiences with ghosts. That's more common belief than most people share."
Her most personally convincing experience happened at St Bartholomew the Greater Church in London. When she reviewed 35 mm photographs and video of a visit to the centuries-old priory church, she found bright light figures on a balcony that weren't visible during her investigation. Experts reviewing the photos can't explain the phenomenon, and neither can Cody. "I wouldn't believe these photos if I hadn't made them," she says. "At times, I have difficulty accepting them anyway. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they keep me working to collect other evidence." The series of photos will appear in the book now titled Ghost Hunting with a Camera.
Growing up in the Appalachians, Cody took for granted that some people have sensory gifts most don't possess--or don't develop. "The Sight" was inherited by some mountain folk like a good singing voice. Not until recently did she learn her own genetic background included Cherokee blood and a long line of Wise Women, with healers and Seers among them. "I've always called the ability 'instinct'," she says, "perhaps as a comfortable way to explain occasional foreknowledge. I don't think of myself as having special abilities beyond writing talent. We who make anomalous photos are sometimes called 'photographic mediums,'" she continues. "I can't do them on demand or because I want them to happen. I think of it more as a natural ability to connect with people, wherever they exist. If people in this existence are attracted to you, why shouldn't those in another find you an easy connection?"
Her business positions have all involved writing and photography. In the early '80's, she began writing for a series of consumer magazines and sold her first nonfiction book. In the early '90's, Harper Paperbacks brought out her first two fiction books, Regencies. Last year Leisure Books published her first historical romance. She's presently working on another historical as well as ghost books and travel articles. Her second career is selling antiques and collectibles.
"Perhaps one of the reasons it's difficult to accept my own anomalous experiences totally is that I know I have a good imagination," Cody says. "I'm a writer; imagination and creativity are my business. But questioning is a valuable tool to an investigator. I want to question every unusual photograph, every sensory experience I'm lucky enough to have. What's left after the most thorough examination I can give is more meaningful for that evaluation."
What's her best advice to other ghost hunters? "Enter a reputedly haunted site with respect," Cody says. "I wouldn't respond positively to rude guests, and I don't see any reason for entities to do so. The time for cold appraisal of results is when you evaluate evidence. As you collect it, allow whatever happens simply to be, trying for the best record of events you can collect."