Hertfordshire's Encounter Research Team (H.E.R.T.) is a non-profit organisation, set up primarily to help those that have had experiences of a paranormal nature. Sometimes these experiences can be extremely unpleasant to those that witness them. Our objective is to provide a solution to the paranormal occurences and we use the latest technology as well as traditional methods to investigate and document paranormal phenomena so that we can further our understanding of the Paranormal world.
Hertfordshire's Encounter Research Team was formed 3 years ago by paranormal investigator Leigh Prout. His dream was to form a team of like minded individuals that shared his passion for the paranormal and helping those in need. We have come a long way since our inception and have gained a lot of experience in this field. Our investigators have been carefully selected and all have the same vision and values which are set out below.
Our Team Vision:
To uncover the mysteries surrounding us, including those within ourselves using professional and ethical methods, which contribute to the scientific study of anomalous phenomena.
Our Team Values
To present ourselves professionally and to provide support and guidance to our clients by working alongside any religious or cultural beliefs. We aim to find answers to the many questions regarding the unknown through ethical research, which we will achieve through honesty and without fabrication. We will cooperate with other paranormal teams who have the same goal to ensure that our contribution is shared amongst the community, which will lead to a better understanding of ourselves and the world we live in.
OUR PROCESS
When an individual contacts us for help, we conduct an initial telephone interview about the event(s). After determining that further investigation is warranted, we will then conduct an onsite investigation to learn more and find answers. Next, we examine our data, do further research if necessary, and then meet with or call the client to discuss our findings. We will provide the client with a CD of relevant evidence upon request. We understand that contacting a group such as us can be a big step for many people, therefore, we respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality unless permitted otherwise. It is important to reiterate that through the whole process, we not only help the client to understand what is happening, but also help them to feel comforted and understood. Fixing the client is as important as or more important than investigating the phenomenon.
Click on a member to view their profile
Leigh's Profile:
I founded Hertfordshires Encounter Research Team in 2007 after completing a basic course in Parapsychology and Paranormal Investigation. My mission was clear, I wished to direct a team of like minded investigators to provide a service that was second to none in respect to helping those affected by unexplainable events.
My interest started when I was in my teens, I was fascinated by stories of ghosts and other strange phenomena and especially the mystery surrounding allegedly haunted locations and areas. My fascination has somewhat grown into more of an obsession and I spend most of my time advancing my education in all areas of the subject. My vision for the future is to be running one of the best Anomalous Phenomena research teams in the country and I believe this will be possible due to the quality of the people that are involved.
I am an advanced accredited Investigator with the Scientific Establishment of Parapsychology and Manchesters Association of Paranormal Investigation and Training and a Certified leading Professional accredited by the ParaNexus association.
Through our combined experience, I am sure that those witnessing unexplainable events can be assured that we will endeavour to help them through their experiences with the utmost care and diligence resulting in a positive and satisfactory outcome.
Welcome to the world of Herts Encounters
Leigh D Prout
Hertfordshires Encounter
Research Team Founder/Director
HERT Investigator/ Consultant Spiritualist Medium/ Equipment Manager/ EVP Analyst/ Bottle Washer
My name is Mick Churchill. Its only as I sit here writing a potted history of myself that I realise how far back my interest in the paranormal goes. I met, and was absolutely terrified by my first ghost at around the age of eleven, though I have since found out from Leigh that what I may have experienced was night terrors!
I began reading about Borley Rectory, UFOs and anything paranormal in my early teens and slowly and without realising it Ive been gathering books and information on the subject ever since.
I started on my spiritual path around 1997 and an awful lot has happened since then. After sitting in several circles and realising just how little the teachers knew, Sue, my Wife, and I decided to start teaching ourselves. We now lead two circles, which we feel our fellow circle members seem to enjoy, as they return week after week come rain or shine.
I was always being told that I was going to work as a healer and develop as a platform medium; the first part came true but I tried platform and its not for me. Instead I have been guided, by spirit, amongst others, towards the release and clearance of spirits and negative energies (exorcism). I do not and would not dare do this work on my own. I always have the support and guidance of the spirit guides and helpers who are travelling with me on this particular part of my journey, and of course Sue, who watches my back.
Ive been involved in poltergeist activity, ley lines, negative energies, a full possession and everything in between. With each case comes a new challenge but I have not been beaten yet nor will I ever be. I am neither big headed nor have a monstrous ego but if I do not have a 100% conviction that I will succeed then Im beaten before I start. Im no expert, I never will be. There are no experts in this field. If anyone working esoterically ever claims to be, smile and walk away.
I met Leigh early in 2008 and it seems that the right people are being brought together to bring his idea to fruition. We went on several cases together before the team started to grow and we seem to work well together but more importantly, it feels right. Leigh has formed HERT for the right reasons, it is not about ego, fame or riches, its about helping people and finding out the truth and Im very honoured to be a part of this. Theres a whole universe of stuff out there just waiting to be discovered.
May I leave you with a quote from the film Ghostbusters, "Lets split up. Yeah, we can do more damage that way"!
Happy hunting.
Mick C
I have been a member of HERT since it started early in 2008. Mick and I were involved in spiritual clearance work when we met Leigh through a mutual friend. Leigh, being an experienced and qualified paranormal investigator had the vision of forming a team, which could carry out paranormal investigations, and help people by resolving their spiritual problems. Mick and I had been working together doing spirit release and clearance work to help people and were also interested in paranormal investigation.
My own interest is on the spiritual side, I have been actively developing my own understanding and mediumistic abilities for over twenty years, my interest goes back way beyond, it is something that I have always believed in. I enjoy teaching and co-run two spiritual awareness groups; I am also a probationer healer with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers and studying Reiki under Micks wing.
Mick and I began working to help people who were having spiritual problems and activity in their homes in 2005, successfully resolving over 80 cases to date. Our experience on this side of things actually goes back to 2000 when Mick was experiencing spiritual activity in a school where he worked and we had our first taste of spirit rescue work. This was soon followed by a series of psychic attacks on us and so our path began.
Spiritual rescue is helping earthbound spirits make their transition properly; they sometimes get stuck and do not pass over properly for a variety of reasons. Spiritual clearance is where we help to remove other energies, usually low, negative ones. Mick is the one who actually carries out the work, feeling and clearing the energies, I work with him spiritually to try and identify the causes of the problems and watch his back.
There seems to be a growing need to help people in this way and I have found that there are only a few people who actually specialise in this area. There can be a number of causes of spiritual activity and problems including ley lines, earth bound energies, psychic attack and demonic type energies. We have successfully dealt with all of those and more; often the cause of spiritual activity and problems is a combination of things.
When I go in as an investigator, I am objective and dont automatically assume that every occurrence is paranormal; the main aim being to try to get hard evidence of activity that cant be explained by normal means.
Although I work as a spiritual medium my interest is much wider, the universe is full of many things, most of which we dont understand or havent experienced yet! I am open to everything but believe nothing until it makes sense to me. I am always learning and will never stop...
I have a keen interest in the paranormal
I have a Diploma in Parapsychology, Paranormal research and Psychology
These were obtained from the college of management science in London in 2006
My hobbies are history, films and I am currently trying to write a paranormal novel.
I was born in Scotland in 1960 and consider myself to be very proud of my heritage, including the British heritage, I am not a lets outdo the English at everything Scotsman because; I am British not just Scottish.
My interest in the paranormal is to investigate, examine the results and hopefully
Prove that there is a plane other than the one we live in.
I tend to be thorough in what I do and if something is not right then I will endeavour to solve the problem to the best of my abilities, I am a logical thinker and very observant both of which I feel are good qualities for not only being part of a paranormal group but good life qualities as well
I have always loved history, the paranormal, and psychology, so working within an area that combines all three is fascinating.
These unique subjects allow us a really good basis for uncovering mysteries of ancient cultures, religions and philosophies. They are the starting points for us to understand what came before us and have a strong bearing on the way the future is shaped. They have a huge impact on what we do in everyday life now, and I love a good mystery!
I joined H.E.R.T. last year with my husband, Stuart Rankin, and was impressed with how they handle investigations and have a genuine concern to help people.
I am currently in my fourth year of a Bsc in Psychology and I am looking to specialise in Criminal psychology. I am also a freelance historian, with special interest in the Crusades, early Wallachian history and The Cathars.
My personal philosophy is, explore everything because you never know what you might find!
Tracey
Profile to follow
Since childhood I've been fascinated by the unknown.
I'm interested in astronomy and astrology and as my children are getting older so I intend to pursue these interests further.
After talking to Sue and Mick about their involvement with HERT and having sat in their development circle I have decided to get involved in paranormal research to try to find out more about everything around us, there's so much we don't know.
Since joining HERT I've been out on a team building investigation which I really enjoyed, the members are a great bunch of people and I found them all really easy to get along with, no one talks down to you and everyone's really helpful.
I'm looking forward to going out on many more.
As a child I used to obsess and worry myself silly about if there was life after death or where you went when you pass away. As I became older this became more of a strong fascination and now most nights i'll be found up late flicking through the tv channels in search of paranormal programmes and anything out of the ordinary.
I also have an interest in Photography and Film Work and I believe that i can use the skills that I have in these fields to assist the H.E.R.T. team.
Phil
Shukir
Team Mascot
Enviro Meter
Trifield
Gaussmaster
Cellsensor
Hot Wire
Anemometer
Datalogger
Neg Ion
CO Meter
Hub
Environment Meters
These meters are mainly used for taking baseline measurements of the environment throughout our investigations. We have 4 of these instruments and they are stationed in every vigil location on any investigation. Investigators monitor the meters which measure, Air Temperature, Humidity RH%, Sound Levels in Decibels and Light Levels or Lux. The readings are logged every 15 minutes or more should an anomalous event occur, this helps get a better idea of what the environment is doing at any given time.
Hot Wire Anemometer
This device is used for measuring draughts including possible convection in rooms that may cause feelings of cold or heat and may also cause doors to open or close of their own accord.
Trifield Natural EM Meter
This is a specialised E.M.F Meter or (Electro-Magnetic Field Meter). E.M.F Fields are created when a current flows through a wire, if the current was switched off then you may pick up only electric fields because the magnetism is only created when the electricity is moving.
What makes this meter so useful, is its ability to pick up very weak E.M.F fields that may have more of a geophysical origin such as radiation given off by a solar or lightning storm. The meter can also pick up fields given off by humans and animals so cannot be held while in use, even though it is not really advisable to hold any piece of equipment while taking measurements especially if it is highly sensitive like the Trifield.
We use this device to analyse E.M.F anomalies that have been located while performing Baseline Environmental Monitoring at a location as it has the ability to detect, electric and magnetic fields separately as well as combined.
Gauss Master E.M.F Meter
Another type of E.M.F Meter that we use mainly for quick verification of fields from electrical appliances, this meter also has a special function where it will give you an idea of what the background levels of E.M.F radiation are in the surrounding area. This is very useful when checking areas that have had reports of apparitions and strange feelings as these types of fields have been proved to have an effect on the brain, therefore possibly inducing hallucinations and other subjective experiences.
Cellsensor E.M.F Meter
Not another E.M.F Meter, I hear you say! Yes, indeed, we like to ensure we are measuring as many different types of energy fields as possible. This meter is more sensitive to energy given off by mobile phones and electricity pylons, it can also detect lower frequencies of E.M.F.
Temperature & Humidity Data Logger
This logger records: Relative humidity, temperature and dew point, (the dew point is the temperature at which water vapour present in the air begins to condense).
The great thing about this little genius device is that you can leave it to its own devices in a locked off area while running experiments. When you retrieve the unit, all the data that has been collected over the course of the vigil can be downloaded, saved and viewed in graph format for ease of analysis.
Great!
Negative Ion Meter
In order to fully understand what Negative Ions are, we would need to embark on a physics lesson, which to be totally honest is not one of my strong points. However I will be putting an article together in the near future that may help to explain what Ions are and the part that they play or do not play in Paranormal Research. We will also be doing a lot of experimentation with this subject during our research of possible haunted locations.
Watch this space!
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Meter
This is a piece of kit that you will not see as part of many Paranormal Teams Inventories. I believe this to be a very important piece of equipment for the fact that, the presence of (CO) or Carbon Monoxide can have a very disturbing effect on those that experience it. Not only is this gas deadly in large volumes but even small doses can cause hallucinatory visions and other symptoms that could be construed as Paranormal in nature, hence why we have added this device to our arsenal.
This is the main Hub or control centre for H.E.R.T.
We use 4 CCTV cameras to ensure that the areas we investigate are recorded at all times, not only for possible paranormal occurrences but also for reference later on should we catch something of interest via another piece of equipment.
The laptop keeps us up hooked up to the internet should we need to research or check the latest weather report (connection permitting). We also have a weather station which keeps us wirelessly in contact with the weather that is occurring at that time in the immediate vicinity.
We also have a Oscilloscope which is useful for looking at frequencies being recorded on certain devices.
The items that have been detailed above are just a few of the most important items that we use most often, it is by no means exhaustive and it is purely to give those interested a better idea of the equipment that is involved most frequently with Paranormal Research and Investigations with Hertfordshire's Encounter Research Team.
Please click on the icons below to view our media files. We will upload new images, videos and EVP files periodically so please make sure you stop by often.
Pendulum Dowsing
Dowsing is something that anybody is capable of learning, all that is needed is an open mind and a willingness to believe that anything is possible. I personally believe that before we became civilised we all had the ability to sniff out water or find our way to the village that was far away and hidden by many hills. It is a part of our sixth sense but it has been forgotten as we have embraced and become overwhelmed by technology. It is possible to reawaken this sense and rediscover all of our natural senses, the animals fleeing well before the tsunami struck is a good example of being in touch with your natural senses.
The important thing to remember when using a pendulum is that it is a tool. All it does is indicate super conscious reactions to questions that you consciously ask, which it shows as a yes, no, or dont know answer. On its own its just an inanimate object and it requires our interaction to make it register.
Once you have your pendulum you need to go somewhere quiet where you will be undisturbed. Sit comfortably holding the pendulums chain between your thumb and forefinger with the pendulum close to your fingers. Then slowly let the chain slide through your fingers, when you feel that the length is right for you, stop. There is no right or wrong, just as there are no experts in this field, its what sits comfortably with you. Next, ask the pendulum to show you which direction it will give you for yes. Usually the choices are clockwise, anticlockwise, side to side or back and forth. When you are shown a direction say thank you, the pendulum will then stop, repeat this for no and dont know, always remembering to say thanks. I have never known the same direction to be shown for different answers!
The most important thing to remember when working with a pendulum is to be very specific when asking the question. Its no good going into your garden asking, is there any water here? There could be a water main, sewer pipe, water butt, puddle or just the dampness in the ground. There are two ways of working, you can either ask the specific question (in your mind), show me where the water main is in this garden then walk around until you get a positive response; or mentally divide the garden into sections and ask the question, is the water main in this section then work through each section narrowing it down until you find it. Try to think of it as a process of elimination. Suppose the main is six feet below ground, (although you dont yet know this), you ask, is it more than one foot down, you get a positive response, is it more than eight feet down, you get a negative response and so on until you locate it.
It can also be used remotely, either with a map, or just by trying to visualise the location. There is a dowser in Wales (United Kingdom) who earns a good living by telling Australian sheep farmers where to drill for water and he works from home with a map!
It should not be used for fortune telling nor should you pester it, if it gives you an answer to something, believe it! If you keep asking it the same question dont be surprised if it becomes erratic, remember that really, you are questioning yourself.
As I said at the beginning, be open to everything, theres a whole universe of stuff out there just waiting to be discovered.
Enjoy.
Mick Churchill July 2010
the local haunt2
spirits high2
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