For a few years, I was part of a weekly tour aboard the RMS Queen Mary. Known as the Paranormal Investigation tour, every Friday night into the following Saturday morning, we led those curious about the ghostly side of the Queen Mary, into her depths.
One January in 2009 there was an event aboard ship in regards to the paranormal. Celebrating it, if you will allow. The event was known as Ghost Fest. It was the third Ghost Fest to be exact and one of the benefits of helping on the weekly tour I previously mentioned, was being able to take part in this event. People came from all over to attend. And why not? We are talking about a paranormal event on perhaps the most haunted ship in the United States if not the world.
Ghost Fest provided a wonderful opportunity for myself and some others to explore the ship and investigate the goings on. This night, two of my fellow paranormal investigators, Brian Simpson an investigator from Colorado and Matt Schulz, a tech guy from a San Diego Paranormal team and I, decided we would seek out opportunities to do some EVP work and, try to capture some evidence of the spirits who reside on the ship. After a quick conference amongst the three of us, we all decided the 1st Class Pool was the most desirous place to investigate. We all felt the sooner we made our way down to the pool, ahead of any of the tours taking place as part of Ghost Fest, the better.
From the exhibit hall we made our way down a flight of stairs which leads into the engine room. We moved through the upper level to the lower level of the engine room and out to lowest level of the exhibit hall, onto G-Deck. This area was once a boiler room and now was a venue for conventions and other sorts of entertainment and interests. We walked across the vast expanse of this area, forward to an elevator which would take us up to the deck where we would make our way through a maze of hallways and a bridge crossing over the expanse of Boiler Room 2. This would lead us to starboard side and eventually to the double doors through which we gained access the lower level of the 1st Class Pool.
You walk into the 1st Class Pool and it is like you have entered a portal where time has stood still the last 70 plus years. It's wondrous and, catches your attention the second your inside. The pool was the center piece of a ship which was designed and cultivated by many great artist. The ceiling is a master piece onto itself. A sliver, cambered, mother of pearl surface covers the ceiling, and reflects the light and, adds to the atmosphere. The acoustics of the compartment allow for some reverberation and echo. It was because of this acoustical element we decided to do our EVP session within the Changing Room.
Ddark and confining place, with sparse room for maneuvering, the Changing Room has its own element of the paranormal. Perhaps a darker side to this beautiful edifice. There are other dark places within the Queen Mary but, the Changing Room holds its own, believe me. Some have come to experience the vortex which they say exists in this narrow room. Some have sensed a menacing presence which apparently likes to intimidate the females who wonder in.
The blackness in this chamber is only sparsely interrupted by the light, which leaks in from the outer pool area. If you do not carry a flash light or some other source of artificial light, you will not be able to see the features of others who may be with you or your own hand held in front of your face. Still, despite the darkness and the knowledge of a menacing presence, there have been times I have sat by myself on the deck of the Changing Room and felt very peaceful.
The three of us made our way inside and took a place about midway between the portside and starboard side entrances. It was maybe ten feet either way, from where we sat, to the entrances.
Each of us of took a stall and sat down in front of it. Brian sat across from me and Matt to the right of me. We turned our recorders on and marked the time. Approximately 10:30 PM. All lights were turned off and we kept watch of both ends of the Changing Room. The questions asked were whatever seemed logical. Primarily we were addressing any possible passengers from back in the day. They were questions about their lives and the time period they lived in.
We encouraged them to interact with us. Effect the KII meters or walk past us and see the lights of the KII meters light up. We asked them to touch us or speak aloud so we could hear them in real time.
While I was observing the portside entrance to the room, there appeared to be a dark shape, which hovered low to the deck. It seemed to emanate from a changing stall near that end. I can only describe it as having a human like face which was trailed by an extremely black and shapeless form. I would have to classify this sighting as a personal experience for myself, as Brian and Matt did not see it. I was also witness to what appeared to a mist of yellow or light green particles which appeared before my eyes and travel past us. I described this to the others but they did not see it.
Approximately twenty-five minutes into our EVP session, as we talked amongst ourselves, there is the sound, a large click or pop. "Woh!..............what was that?" Brian exclaimed. Matt immediately was trying to determine what made that noise and he asked me about it. I had no explanation of what had just happened or what we had just heard. Upon inspection it was determined all the recorders and the KII meters were fine and undamaged.
In response to this strange sound, we encouraged whomever, to continue and show us more. I reassured the spirits that it was not our intent to chase them out or harm them. "I don't care if you stay here for the next three-hundred years!", I said, to whomever was listening. Not long after this, we all heard keys jangling and footsteps in the pool area and our assumption was it might be hotel security walking through. "Whatever you do, don't come in the changing room!", I spoke out loud. Matt seemed a little concerned we may get chased out of there and I wanted to tease him just a little. I didn't share his concern, as this was Ghost Fest and, I am sure that security was aware there may be ghost hunters throughout the ship.
This all went on for a couple minutes until we noticed something on the deck by Brian's leg.
Where did this object come from we all wondered. We had not noticed it when we first sat down. Brian picked it up and one of us said "It's a bobby pin!" It may have been Brian who said this. I remember asking Brian to let me examine it and he handed it over to me. "Throw it!" Brian enthusiastically requested. So, I did throw it against the side of the changing stall Brian sat in and the resulting sound prompted Brian to exclaim, "That's it!" Indeed it seemed to be. For the bobby pin to hit the side of the stall Brian sat in and land where it did, it would have had to come from just to the right of where Matt was sitting.
Upon review we discovered there was also a Class "A" EVP captured of a male voice which emphatically let loose with and F-bomb as it is known.
We also turned over our recordings to a known EVP expert and he confirmed for us that he believed the EVP and evidence to be genuine. We all had caught the original sound of the bobby pin hitting the side of the changing stall and, the EVP. The EVP was loudest on Matt's recorder and this made sense as his recorder would have been closest to the direction the bobby pin was thrown from.
Who was it? What was it? We know that nobody had come into the Changing Room while we sat in there. Nobody of flesh and blood that is. Also, the strange entity with human face and dark mass was seen by me just minutes to this occurring. The misty field of light yellow or green particles appeared in front of me and passed me, in the direction of Matt, just moments prior to the bobby pin being thrown and the EVP. The three of us know for ourselves, it did happen. We saw it, we experienced it and we'll never forget it.
End