PRISM explores paranormal activity in UTM, local area

By: Spencer Taylor

Posted: 10/28/09

Students looking to explore the afterlife or canvas the area in search of the paranormal need look no further than UTM's premier paranormal research group, PRISM.

PRISM (Parapsychology Research and Investigation Society of Martin) is a group founded a few years ago by Casey McCasland, a senior Fine and Performing Arts major. McCasland has held a Paranormal/Parapsychology certification for six years, and is a veteran of many investigations.

"Certification is more or less a formality than anything really. Anyone can be a ghost hunter but you must be certified in order to take on clients professionally. While I also trained as an instructor I had to attend special classes and take lots of tests and fieldwork (236 cases total) to just become one. It took 3 years just to get an instructor's credit. But a regular investigator can take a few days," McCasland said.

Although many people may have doubts or reservations about such a group, McCasland feels that his team is a professional group that stays away from the stereotypes many may associate with ghost hunting.
"We are social scientists because we study people and their perception. We do legit scientific research by using various methods that integrate physics, sociology, physics, and psychology on our investigations as well as tools such as the EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) meter, Thermometer, Audio/Video tools and various other things," McCasland said. "We do not practice anything doing with the occult such as Ouija Boards, séances or any divinity tools primarily because you can't back those up with science."

PRISM currently consists of seven core investigators, and McCasland hopes to take on recruits throughout the semester and expand the group to have organization status on campus.

McCasland acknowledged the possibility of controversy surrounding the topic of life after death, yet he felt the members of PRISM are united by a common goal.
"I am a firm Christian and even though most of our members vary in religion we all are doing what every major religion tries to do and that's prove there is life after death and yes they may go to heaven and hell; for some people being trapped on earth because of some traumatic event is their hell," McCasland said.

McCasland believes that UT Martin has the potential for being the most haunted campus in West Tennessee, with Clement Hall being the most notorious haunting site.

"Someone is bound to ask us about Clement Hall and we have done research up there before and I will tell you we had some pretty wild occurrences at which I am not at liberty to say. If you want to know you'll have to come on the tour or the workshop which we hope will take place there," McCasland said.

The workshop that McCasland hopes to conduct could take place after Halloween, with a few of the venues not only including sites on campus but also the "Dresden House" that has recently garnered local attention.

Interested parties can get information about PRISM and their upcoming workshop on their facebook page, and McCasland urges anyone who may request an investigation to contact them.

"All inquires are confidential and free of charge. We are not in this for money or fame. All our investigations are professionally done and our investigators trained and certified," McCasland said.

"We do it to help people because when it comes down to it even though you may believe the stuff is real or fake there are real people who believe it to be real and we try to help with that."