“We try to make paranormal approachable, not a scary thing.”
—Nelson Nauss, executive director and co-founder, The Ghost Guild

The Ghost Guild is out to investigate Raleigh’s paranormal activity in some of the city’s oldest locations. The group began in 2017 and became a nonprofit this year with two main goals: to research paranormal activity, and to involve and educate others in the process. The team, which has conducted over 40 investigations, consists of five primary members as well as a few consultants. Each member has had a personal experience with paranormal activity, many from a young age.

“We are very skeptical, and we approach every investigation that way. We don’t go in wanting to find something, we actually go in trying to debunk anything that someone might have reported as something happening at that location,” says Nelson Nauss, executive director and co-founder. “We are certainly not a team that wants to fabricate anything.”

The group focuses on historic locations, specifically in the Raleigh area, but travels for a few investigations each month. Each investigation begins with preliminary research on the location, what happened there, and who may have lived there in the past. On the night of the investigation, the team will stake out with various tools and devices to learn more. The team records everything from the temperature and barometric pressure to the slightest sound, paranormal or not. Audio recorders as well as full-spectrum video cameras with night vision, infrared, and UV filters are distributed throughout the location. These tools are key to supporting what the investigators see, hear, and experience throughout the night. They then spend hours going over recorded data and review the audio and video files to find a connection.

“It’s nothing like the TV shows,” says Nauss. “To me, paranormal investigating is similar to fishing…it’s a lot of patience.” Among ongoing investigations, The Ghost Guild was chosen by City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources to investigate happenings at the Mordecai Historic House. The public is invited to learn more about the guild’s findings from eight investigations during the Mordecai Paranormal Reveal October 27. —Samantha Gratton