This weekend, The Livingston Post got the chance to attend the annual ghost hunt at the Historic Howell Theater. The hunts are put on by the Portal Paranormal Society, and this year it was joined by fellow paranormal investigator and psychic medium Christine Peaphon.
Portal was co-founded in 2009 by Ken Suminski, a Howell resident and paranormal hunter for 23 years, who told us that we’d be communicating with a bunch of spirits.
“All of them are nice,” Suminski said, “but we do have one grumpy guy.”
The goal of the society is always to debunk first and then to gather evidence, and these events allow people to understand the work.
“It’s about giving the experience and the knowledge,” Suminski said.
The night started off with a psychic gallery reading by Peaphon, who first noticed her abilities at the age of 3. (You can see her in season 1, episode 8 of “My Paranormal Nightmare.”) When talking about her gift, she said that “it’s always the first time, every time, because every one is different.”
During the reading, mothers, brothers, and even pets were communicated with. One audience member was brought to tears as she was connected with her childhood dog, Scout.
Following the readings, our group of 20 filed into Theater 1 to begin the process of talking to spirits. I won’t divulge all of their secrets, but I will say that as someone who had never had any paranormal experiences, I left the theater more curious than I was when I entered.
There were motion sensors on the floor, multiple cameras set up around the theater, EMF (electro magnetic field) meters we could hold, and we used a spirit box to communicate directly with the spirits. When we ventured into the projector rooms, we used dowsing rods to receive answers to yes or no questions. I used the rods myself and I can confirm that they moved without my influence.
Among the spirits we talked to were a young boy named Victor, a girl named Grace, a grumpy man named Eddie, and, while he didn’t present himself, we were told about a lion named Pete. While we can’t say for sure where he came from, there were documented circuses that came through Howell in the early 20th century, with one of Howell’s best known tales being that of an elephant that is buried downtown after he died – so is it really that far-fetched that a lion met a similar fate?
Overall, it was a fascinating evening and I would highly recommend attending – especially at this time of year. Whether you’re a believer or not, I think everyone can get something out of this. Be warned that tickets are limited, so act fast and make sure to come prepared with some questions!
The next hunts are Oct 27. and 28, with the latter including a gallery reading with Peaphon.
There will also be a special hunt on Halloween night.
For tickets, click here. All events are limited to 20 people, and all proceeds go toward the restoration of the nearly 100-year-old Historic Howell Theater.
