The Rose Phenomena
Residual Energy Investigations (REI) investigated a haunted probation office in Houston Texas in February of 2001. During their investigation, one of their members psychically connected with a spirit named Selma. Selma was a colored cleaning lady who witnessed a terrible crime and was upset. As the REI member was being used to communicate by the spirit, Selma mentioned that she didn't like the crowd that was gathering. Selma became more upset, left the host and flew down the hall where she knocked over one of the male REI members. Contact with Selma would seize for the rest of the night.
One of REI's members, Tracey Bridwell captured a photograph of a full blown apparition of a nurse standing in a window on the second floor. She was watching everyone below. The room that the nurse was photographed was a office that was locked with the blinds closed. In the photograph, a woman wearing a white nurse's uniform was very detailed, and was believed to date back 40 years ago in the mid 1960's.
A few months later, Steven Wolff, Founder of the South Texas Ghost Hunters Alliance accompanied Residual Energy Investigations (REI) on a second investigation back to this location in hopes of witnessing first hand Selma.
Prior to making his trip to Houston, Steven took the most beautiful rose of his rose garden and decided he would give it to Selma as a nice gesture, even though Selma was a Spirit. Steven believes that regardless of what form a Spirit is in, that they are still capable of emotion, and this emotion can be influenced by the actions we do, as well as the intentions. His theory would soon be put to the test.
Upon arrival, a total of 30 investigators met up with Steven at the scene. The group gathered in a room where everyone was briefed about the information they had about this probation office. Before the near by Jefferson-Davis Hospital was closed down, this probation office was originally a nurses dormitory.
After the briefing, the group split up into pockets of little groups. Steven went up to the second floor where he joined up with Johnny Bravo at a closet underneath a stairwell. For some reason, a spirit had drawn his attention from the outside of the closet to the inside where Steven felt the presence of a spirit in the closet. Johnny's Electro Magnetic Field Detector was registering a 4.1 up to 16 Milli-gauss signature. Steven took a picture and developed it the next day. To his surprise, he captured the EMF detector with the digital reading and an orb right above it. This provided evidence that there was indeed someone or something in the closet.
Several other REI members captured two ghost orbs on the third level flying together along the floor. Steven and Annie, another ghost hunter went into a room at the end of the hall where they felt a heavy presence. A feeling as if someone was giving you a bear hug. It occurred only in this one area. Photography revealed nothing in or outside this room. One of the young women opened herself psychically to Selma. Selma used her body to communicate briefly, before she would pass the controls to another spirit that was there... a spirit named Mary.
In the conversation between the living and the dead, both Mary & Selma used this woman to tell a detailed account of a brutal rape that occurred 40+ years ago (in the mid 1960's). Selma, a cleaning lady witnessed a Dr. Johnson rape a young intern named Mary on the second floor, underneath the stairwell. After he did his deed, he left her body in there, naked, cold and alone, locked inside a dark closet. Selma was very upset that she was helpless at the time. Both Mary & Selma reported the incident but back then, Doctors were considered GODS and were untouchable. Women's rights, as well as colored people's words were also disregarded because of the era they were in.
David Sills, Founder of REI promised Mary & Selma that they will investigate and that they can cross over now, now that their stories were told and 30+ people believed them. By now, 2 hours and 40 minutes have gone by.
After Steven heard everything, he went back to the closet that Johnny had registered a 4.1 on the EMF detector, and where Steven felt the cold spots. He took out of his pocket the rose he brought from his garden. It was a little withered and barely able to stand straight up. In the darkness Steven placed his rose down on the floor inside the closet.
"I originally brought it for you Selma, but I didn't know you were with someone. I dedicate this rose to the both of you. I hope you enjoy it... it's the thought that counts." Steven said. "I'm sorry for what happened. Your story has been told and you can go in peace now." Steven then closed the door. Then, Steven's name was called from the floor above. Johnny B. and Tracey Rogers called Steven up.
"Do you smell that?" Johnny asked. Steven took several steps in random directions... "it's Roses?!" Steven said confused but certain of what he was smelling. Tracey Rogers asked "But where is it coming from?" All three of them started from the end of the hall right above the stairway and checked every room for signs of a can of Rose Spray, Air Freshener, anything that would explain why there's a smell of a thousand roses....
Room by Room, for 15 minutes, they looked, unable to explain where the sweet fragrance of rose were coming from. The single rose that Steven brought could barely be smelled. You had to put your nose up to it to smell it. But upstairs, only on the third floor, there was a smell of a thousand roses... and source was never found. 30 investigators investigated 3 floors for 2 hours and 45 minutes. No unusual smells, odors, or fragrances were noted. Only the last 15 minutes, isolated to just one floor, was there a smell of a thousand roses.
Putting the pieces together, the timing suggests that when Steven gave his gift to the spirits, they heard him and were appreciative. Before the spirits departed, they gave a gift back a kind gesture and multiplied it a thousand fold...
This phenomena was documented and recorded by Steven Wolff as:
The Rose Phenomena
Follow Up:
The next day, there was no residual evidence of a rose or the smell of a thousand roses.
Several months had passed and the paranormal activity that once was observed prior to the second investigation has apparently subsided since the night of the investigation.
To date, Mary & Selma were never heard from again.
It's believed that they have crossed over together and that their friendship is still just as strong.
Their memory and their story will live on in the lives of everyone who witnessed this investigation, and who are reading this now. Mary was the victim of the crime, Selma was the witness. When it was time for Selma to leave her body and cross over, she didn't. She chose to stay behind with her friend Mary until their story could be told... no matter how long they had to wait. This selfless act is something that speaks louder than words.
How many people now days would put their friends before themselves? Mary & Selma literally gave a new meaning to the saying "Friends Forever"... And for as long as we can, we will honor their memory by sharing their story to others who believe too...Taking a negative that happened 40+ years ago, and turning it into a positive.
Ghost Facts:
It is highly documented that spirits have made themselves known by creating or amplifying certain smells. It's not uncommon to find the smell of perfume, floral, or sweet smells in a place suspected of having a female ghost. The same can be said for male spirits, wearing an after shave, or smelling of smoke or tobacco. There are other smells associated with spirits, but these are the most common. Usually the odors can be detected by several witnesses and last a few minutes to a few hours. The smells can be very light to very strong depending on the spirit. Reports of a deceased loved ones cologne or perfume can still be smelled long after they've been gone. It is usually believed that this is just one way they are using to communicating with us... To let us know that they are still here and watching over us.
Other Evidence Gathered:
After Steven left his gift for Selma & Mary, and it was time to leave, Steven went outside and started to walk around. He announced to any spirits that he was getting ready to leave and if anyone wanted to have their picture taken, to please come near him. Steven had a Kodak Advantix F300 Camera without a strap. As he cornered the building, he felt a strong presence and the temperature drop around him so he started taking pictures. Below is the first shot, taken with a 35mm.
Two independent photo labs (Kodiak & Fuji) carefully examined the negative film strip. Both found no evidence of tampering, heat exposure, finger prints, hair, scratches, or anything they could naturally explain the above photo. They said "What ever it is, it was taken right in front of the camera at the moment the picture was taken." The above photo is called a "Orb in Motion" ~ A solid ball of energy that when moving very fast, it causes a light streak at the moment the camera lens snapped the picture. Not visible to the naked eye, but visible to the camera, this orb was caught almost as if he/she wanted to be "seen."
Well, the fun didn't stop there...
Not knowing if he caught anything, Steven decided to take another picture since it was now ice cold and from his experience, he was pretty sure that something was definitely in front of him. He decided to take another shot of the same spot/location about 5 seconds later. His results.....
Were impressive. This strong "Ghost Orb" appears to have changed into a "mist" that ghost hunters like to call "Ectoplasm." Believed to be 1 of 3 stages, (orb, mist, apparition) Steven regretted not taking a third shot because he wasn't aware of the success he just had. He wouldn't find this out until 24 hours later. Steven believes that if by chance, he would have taken another picture, that he might of captured a apparition. On a previous investigation several weeks before, Tracey Bridwell captured an apparition looking up on the third floor just like in the photo above, and it happened to be of a nurse in full uniform. Another REI member captured an ectoplasm shot in his photo too, about 10 feet behind where Steven was standing.
Adding up all the pieces together... How much can be dismissed as coincidence, chance, imagination, extreme temperature chances isolated to a spot that has no ventilation, an amplified smell of roses that all of the sudden overwhelmed only the third floor and only during the last 15 minutes of a 3 hour investigation? What are the odds of all these conditions just randomly coming together at this one location within minutes of each other to create this phenomenon? No matter where you go... there's one thing we have... Consistency. These patterns are what we look for because we believe that they are a result of what happens when a spirit interacts with the environment.
Is this Probation Office in Houston Haunted?
Steven says "Without a doubt!"
Copyright: ©2001, 2002
The South Texas Ghost Hunters Alliance & The Ghost Education & Research Center - San Antonio