Delving into the unknown is a group of ghost hunters, determined to rid San Marcos of the paranormal.
The San Marcos Paranormal Investigation Society was created April 2014. The group investigates paranormal activity upon request to help families and individuals understand and rid their homes of the unknown.
Frank Gonzales, lead investigator and co-founder, said the group started informally in 2014 with only about four members.
Gonzales said the small group went to an abandoned house in Martindale to investigate some paranormal activity that had been mentioned in a tip given by a friend of Gonzales.
“I had my cell phone, so I decided to take some recordings,” Gonzales said. “From that very first recording, it kind of just sparked our interest. If we can catch this, then what else is out there that we don’t know about?”
Gonzales said the group then decided to start a Facebook page for people to read about their experiences.
“It was an informal group at first that got together every once in a while,” Gonzales said. “After a while, people started sending us calls and text messages requesting our help.”
Currently, the group is capped at 12 individuals. However, each member offers a key responsibility to the team.
Gonzales said the team shares a common thread of experiences with the paranormal and are all believers of the supernatural.
“I don’t think any of us have ever not been believers or converted from a skeptic to a believer,” Gonzales said.
The community of believers all share similar understandings of the paranormal. However, there are different opinions and beliefs about how to approach solving the problem of unwanted paranormal activity.
Cindy Deugherty is one of the three members that act as cleansers. Cleansers use various methods like distributing aromas or holy water to rid the haunted space of negative paranormal energy.
Deughetry is also a sensitive which means she has the ability to connect with the paranormal through senses other than sight, smell or hearing. Sensitives can pick up on residual energy left behind from the deceased.
Deughetry said anybody can become a sensitive. She said it only takes an open mind.
“I do feel like I have always been open to paranormal experience and I have had experiences in my youth,” Deughetry said. “I think anytime you can communicate with a non-living entity is really positive.”
The San Marcos Paranormal Society offers their services free of charge to anyone who may be experiencing paranormal activity in their homes.
When conducting an investigation, the team starts with a consultation with the affected individuals.
The team will then perform a series of investigations to conclude what the paranormal entity is. They find a solution in order to rid the home of said entity.
Mary Lancaster, Paranormal Society medium, works with the team to connect with paranormal entities that may be trying to communicate with living families and individuals.
Lancaster said she only recently started classifying herself as a medium.
“(Being a medium) has allowed me to have the confidence to fully connect to the other side,” Lancaster said. “Now I feel like I have a direction in making a connection (with the paranormal world.)”
Mediums and sensitives share similar characteristics. However, mediums have the ability to gain more detailed information from paranormal entities.
Often times, the team will investigate cases of paranormal entities identified as family members that have died and are still trying to hold onto the physical world.
Lancaster and Deugherty both said the majority of the time, the paranormal presence is not a negative, hurtful energy. Both said they believe these families affected by paranormal entities fear what they do not understand.
Gonzales said some of the interesting cases the society has worked on had to do with the paranormal contacting children who exhibited signs of Autism.
Lancaster said she believes children with Autism often have what is called an “inner light,” which is bright enough to shine through the Veil: the barrier between the paranormal and physical world.
The San Marcos Paranormal Society is sharing their passion with all of San Marcos in hopes that others will be able to eliminate their fears of the unknown.
If you are experiencing paranormal or supernatural behavior, contact The San Marcos Paranormal Society through their Facebook page.