About Us

Information

Meet the Team

Sisters, Katrina and Natalie run Paranormal Discovery in their spare time around family and work commitments. Both consider themselves to be level-headed and down to earth. We believe that the diverse experiences, skills and knowledge of the individual investigators have been utilised effectively to create a well-balanced, reputable, dedicated and hard-working team of paranormal investigators.

Natalie Boitz

Co-organiser/investigator, age 35, senior staff nurse

"Hi, I'm Katrina's sister and share her interest in the paranormal. We formed Paranormal Discovery over 3 years ago now and have had many strange experiences on our investigations - far more than we could ever have anticipated"

"I started out as a sceptic before this bit have now experienced so many unexplained things that I now believe in the paranormal."

Tori Bruce

Investigator, age 30, practising witch, commis chef

"I would class myself as a sensitive. This line of research is a personal quest for me to help develop this skill and to see how much I pick up is reflected in what the rest of the team detect (plus it helps me not to feel like I'm crazy). I'm really looking to get a logical explanation as to what I see and what causes it."

"When I was 14 I started to get interested in paganism and was initiated as a witch at 15. Now 15 years on I am still a practicing witch".

Katrina Dolan

Organiser/investigator, age 42, community staff nurse

"I wanted to start up the group so I could pursue my interest in the paranormal and couldn't find any local groups to join."

" I used to be very sceptical and liked to look for rational explanations for things. However, since forming Paranormal Discovery I have become convinced that paranormal phenomena do exist."

Steve Douglas

Investigator, age 52, electronic engineer

" I studied physics and electronic engineering and first started playing with computers and electronics in 1969. Paranormal things have happened to me, I don't profess to understand them but I'm also not willing to dismiss them as figments of my imagination, I'm happy to accept that things happen and we have no reasonable explanation for them - yet."

Lesley Thomson

Investigator, age 50, care assistant

FAQ

We are often approached by people wondering what it is we actually do and are often asked about the running of the group etc. For this reason we decided to include a Frequently Asked Questions page on the website. You are, of course, welcome to ask additional questions by e-mailing us.

Are you still looking for team members?

We are not a club open for anyone to join. We prefer to keep to a small team and therefore vacancies are not very frequent. If we are looking for new team members then details of how to apply will be advertised on our home page and on other relevant websites. We do not routinely arrange investigations/events where we take members of the public along. Occasionally we may arrange a charity or fundraising event which will be ticketed and open to the public. This will be advertised on this website. You are, of course, welcome to join our website or join us on Bebo and Facebook.

Do you work with other groups?

Yes, we are always happy to work with other reputable paranormal teams. So far, we have carried out investigations with Scottish Paranormal,Spiritfinders Scotland and Glasgow Paranormal Investigators.

Are locations to investigate easy to find?

There is no shortage of alleged haunted locations in the area. However, we only investigate areas which are open to the general public and/or if we have permission from the property/site owner. It takes a lot of effort and research to find a suitable location to investigate - not all haunted places are suitable as some are too dangerous. We only investigate places that we know to be safe or following a pre-investigation visit to carry out a risk assessment of the site. For this reason it is not our policy to carry out an impromptu investigation of a location we may pass every day, for example. All of our investigations are planned well in advance.

We also receive frequent requests from property owners to investigate their premises. However, due to the fact that we operate in our spare time and because some of the venues involve travelling time and may take several hours to investigate properly, we have to prioritise and actually have a 'waiting list' at the moment.

Are there other paranormal teams in and around Dundee?

Yes, several teams have carried out paranormal investigations in the area. Each team brings their own experiences and approaches to their investigations of Dundee's alleged haunted locations.

Can you explain what Paranormal Discovery does?

Paranormal Discovery is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation which carries out paranormal investigations and research of related phenomena. The team consists of members who carry out this research in their spare time. Every member has different skills and experiences and the group as a whole is constantly learning.

Whilst this is for the team's enjoyment and to help answer any personal questions each of us may have on the subject, the team remains serious about obtaining credible evidence. The reputation of Paranormal Discovery is paramount and we all abide by a 'Code of Conduct' which covers such aspects as group safety and respect for property. The current team has a mix of sceptics and believers and all of us share the same goal of gathering evidence of paranormal activity. Our approach is both scientifically and spiritually based.

Each team member puts a lot of hard work into the running of the group. We really appreciate feedback from places we have investigated and comments from those who have enjoyed the website. Constructive criticism is always welcome and is necessary for the group to evolve.

Most of our investigation reports are free to view on this website. Hopefully, other people who are interested in this topic will find them interesting. Anything unusual or unexplained which is captured on audio, video or photo will be included for the public to view/listen to. We believe that it is up to the individual to make up his/her own mind as to whether this is paranormal or not. Although we would like to find absolute proof of the paranormal we doubt very much if we will ever manage this. Even the most convincing of evps or video footage that we might obtain will always be open to ridicule or accusation of fraud.

Do you make any money from paranormal investigations?

No, none at all! The team is self funding and we do not charge for carrying out an investigation or for the investigation report. Donations are always welcome!!

Does a group like yours need insurance?

Yes. We have public liability insurance to the sum of £1million. The insurance premium is the team's single most expensive outlay but is essential to cover the team for any accidental damage to property or injury to others, eg guests at investigations. It is foolish to operate without insurance in this day and age. Anyhow, most locations will not allow a paranormal team into their property/site if they cannot prove that they are properly insured for carrying out paranormal investigations.

Paranormal Discovery's Code of Conduct

Paranormal Discovery Team Rules

We are trying to establish a professional, reputable team of paranormal investigators. This will help us to be recognised in the paranormal community and to gain support and advice when needed from other reputable groups. It will also help us in gaining permission from property owners to carry paranormal investigations. The following rules reflect this and are common to other paranormal research groups:

Safety/security

All members must be at least 18 years old no person under 18 is allowed to join us as a team member or at any investigation even if accompanied by a responsible adult.
Absolutely no alcohol or recreational drugs to be brought along to investigations and no-one will be allowed to participate if they are under the influence of drink/drugs
No trespassing at any time, eg no climbing over any fences/gates even if these are inside an accessible area/building
All participants at investigations to bring a torch and spare batteries with them
All members and guests to carry some form of ID during investigation
Suitable clothing to be worn, layers are best and remember waterproof clothing for outdoors and non-slip footwear(no squeaky shoes either, please). The team members will wear their team uniform and/or a name badge
Fire (indoor locations): assembly point will be arranged prior to start of investigation. Any incidence of fire should be dealt with by setting of fire alarm and evacuating the building via nearest fire-exit. The no smoking laws will be observed at all times
A safe area/break room will be decided on before each investigation. If any member feels unwell/frightened he/she should make way to this area accompanied by another team member
The organiser will check the online BBC weather report for each area the team is to visit prior to the event. All participants will be notified of weather prediction and advised on what to bring with them for safety/comfort, eg hot drinks, walking boots, waterproof clothes etc
The organiser or another designated team member will visit each venue in daylight hours before the team visits in order to check for any potential hazards whenever possible
Whenever possible investigation events will begin before darkness falls so that we can walk around the area to become familiar with the layout and for any potential hazards to be pointed out to everyone
The organisers will bring a first aid kit to every investigation and will administer first aid when required. We have a registered first aider as part of the team
No wandering off alone and no lone vigils (evidence and safety are the key issues - always pair up so there is a witness to any paranormal activity). Lone vigils will only be allowed as part of any controlled experiment in which case the lone person will have a 2-way radio for communication and/or be under surveillance on cctv

Respect

The investigation area will be left as we find it. find it. Any litter will be tidied up and furniture repositioned if it has been moved during the investigation
Respect for the dead to be shown at all times: no taunting or trying to anger spirits to get 'results' will be tolerated
Respect for property and professionalism to be shown at all times. We remember that our behavior will reflect on our reputation in the paranormal community

Evidence

All mobile phones should ideally be switched off or set to vibrate only
No smoking except in designated smoke area (we don't want any anomolies caught on camera to be blamed on cigarette smoke)
For the sake of EVP - no whispering during investigation. Please speak in normal voice. If a noise is heard and you know what it is, state what it is and time heard eg. clock chiming, stomach rumbling, bird hooting etc
No perfume/aftershave to be worn when on investigation (paranormal activity often manifests as a 'smell' and we don't want to confuse this with member's perfume etc)
If in charge of camera/camcorder long hair must be tied back - one loose hair floating in front of lense can give a false positive for paranormal sighting
Similarly camera straps should be removed whenever possible

Investigation Procedures

Pre-Investigation

We do not investigate every location that we have been requested to. This is due to time constraints and sometimes due to the unsuitability of the venue for investigation. Once contacted, we will arrange for one or more team member to visit the property to speak to the owner and perhaps other eye witnesses. We also ensure that the building is safe. We may record our conversations at this time for the final report.

After discussion and examination of the alleged haunted areas a date for investigation maybe arranged. Contact details will be provided in case more information is required later. The owner will be asked to sign a consent form indicating whether or not details of the following investigation can be included on the Paranormal Discovery website. Confidentiality will be maintained if requested.

The Investigation

The investigation can take place at any time of day or night. Night times are favourable because firstly it is quieter overnight with less traffic and everyday noise. Secondly, if we are asked to investigate business premises then this is the most convenient time so as not to disrupt business.
Our first task is to set up an area as team base. We begin with a tour of the property inside and out if convenient. Baseline recordings will be taken, eg temperature.
Various experiments may be set up in order to capture movement, sound or other evidence. The experiment areas will be continually monitored and may be out of bounds for the duration of the experiment.
Usually the team will split into smaller groups to cover as many areas as possible and vigils will be conducted. These vigils may involve "calling out" in an attempt to illicit a response, sitting quietly, filming on video, taking photos, sound recording, spirit communication methods, and psychic impressions being noted.
Investigations can be of only a couple of hours' duration but may last the whole night depending on the size of the property. Ideally an investigation is not a one-off event and may run over several separate dates. A single investigation can only give a snapshot of what may be happening at a location (some nights may be more active than others).
We may set up experiments overnight when the building is empty and watch remotely or return in the morning to collect equipment. We do not necessarily have to be present to 'investigate.'
There may be only 2 investigators present or as many as 10 depending on the size of the property and the number of people required to set up experiments.
The investigative team present will always include 2 or more from the Paranormal Discovery's core team as detailed on the website. Other trainee or 'bank' investigators may be called upon to help from time to time.

Post-Investigation

The owner of each location investigated will be provided with a free written report plus copies of any interesting footage. Investigattion is a time consuming process. Remember - the recordings from several different devices have to be reviewed which takes much longer than the investigation itself. Since the team members do this in their very limited spare time then a report may take 6 weeks or longer to be compiled.

The report maybe posted out or delivered in person. We would appreciate feedback from you about the report itself and about the team in general.

Liability

Please note that we provide this service free of charge under a voluntary basis and is not our occupation. Paranormal Discovery is not a business but a voluntary organisation founded by the team members themselves. We will not be held responsible for any dissatisfaction in relation to the team or the investigation. We do the best we can in good faith but this may not be up to all people's expectations. We will, however, treat you and your property with respect and expect the same in return. We are passionate about what we do but our families and work commitments are always our priority. However, we will always do our best to carry out a satisfactory investigation or to offer advice or to help when we can. We cannot guarantee to be available on request. Please be aware that we will not be held liable for any apparent distress, illness or injury as an alleged result of our investigation or for any claims that paranormal activity has worsened due to our visit.

We cannot offer any guarantees, namely that activity will happen, that proof will be found or that premises will be successfully cleared of 'spirits' or paranormal occurrences. We are not obliged to do anything for anyone and we reserve the right to refuse to do anything we are not comfortable with. If you have requested an investigtation and/or help and we have turned you down then please accept our decision. Abusive or hoax emails, phone calls and/or messages will not be tolerated as they are a waste of our valued time.