Paranormal Peep of the Week: Danielle Garrison

Danielle Garrison has accomplished many things in the Paranormal Community that puts her in a league of her own. She has worked very hard towards accomplishing her dream of developing an entity for self regulation for paranormal research.  This is in the works as we speak. It will be a very slow process.

For those of you not familiar with Danielle, you are about to be bombarded with information just on who she is and how much she does for the Paranormal Community. Danielle has been heavily active in the Paranormal Community. She has 18 years of experience with her principal focus of research in Ghostology. Her interests in research go beyond that of your basic researcher. She dabbles in Thanatology, funeral customs, and related Rites of Passage sociologically. Danielle has taught numerous courses and speaks publically about topics associated with Paranormal Reseach. When not feeding her obsession with ghosts, Danielle is a very busy Mother and Consultant, living in Northwest, Indiana with her husband Ron and son Zachary.

I first met Danielle when I volunteered to help out with the Paranormal Meet & Greet at the Hannah House in 2009. I fell in love with this event and actually had no idea how much work she has done for this event. In 2011, I decided to help out again and was amazed at the amount of people that attended that year. Danielle predicts that this year will blow last years 800 + attendees out of the water!

Current Affiliations:

• 2008-2012: Event Coordinator - Free Paranormal Meet & Greet @ the Historic Hannah House
• 2010-2012: Marketing Manager - for Peoples Paranormal Radio Network
• 2004-2012: Instructor - "Ghost Hunting as a Hobby" and "Advanced Paranormal Research"
• 2011-2012: Speaker - Free Lakefront Haunting Series for the Portage Parks Department
• 2011-2012: Co-Producer - Free Chicago Paranormal Meet & Greet
• 2011-2012: Developing an "Independent Regulatory Commission for Paranormal Research"

Past Affiliations:

• 1994-2004: Independent investigator
• 2004: Affiliated, Indiana Ghost Trackers, Inc.
• 2005: Corporate Marketing & Public Relations director for Indiana Ghost Trackers, Inc.
• 2005: Corporate Board Director for Indiana Ghost Trackers, Inc.
• 2006-2011: Co-Founder for Crossroads Paranormal
• 2006: Editor for Bella Online Paranormal, a premier website - articles written by women
• 2006-2007: Event Coodinator - Free Paranormal Meet & Greet in Avon, IN. The first ever paranormal meet and greet in Indiana.
• 2008: Committee Member for PhenomeCon, the first Paranormal Conference ever held in Indiana @ the Crump Theatre in Columbus, IN. Raised $1800.00 for the Crump Theatre Restoration Fund.
• 2009: Committee Member for the 1st Annual North Central Indiana Paranormal Meet & Greet.
• 2009: Awarded - Dedication & Service for bringing the Paranormal Community/Field together
• 2009: Nominated - International Paranormal Acknowledgement Awards
• 2009: Tour Guide - Midwest Haunted Excursions
• 2010: Affiliated - Great Lakes Ghost Research and Investigations in Highland, IN

Here is a brief statement by Danielle on how the Indianapolis Meet & Greet became what it is today. "The journey began in early 2006, when I wondered if it were possible to end the hostility and internal strife amongst teams and individuals within the Paranormal Research field.  I was just beginning a new venture that took the shape of Crossroads Paranormal. I was on the phone with a colleague explaining that for years I wanted to develop a National Association for Paranormal Research.  I’ve always believed that we needed a formal organization to bring the field together in terms of self regulation, networking, and publishing.  My hope for the future was a professional conference, planned events, and more through this organization.  However, developing an organization with groups of people that could not even talk to each other face to face is impossible. 

Prior to 2008 there was no such movement in the Paranormal Community, either online or in real time, for any sort of “Unity,”  and the unity movement post 2008 has been combative at best.  It is extremely easy to sit behind a computer screen and make suggestions that orbs are real or not real, no that isn’t a shadow person, that wisp of smoke was someone smoking a cigarette, of course there are no such things as portals, don’t touch Ouija boards, demons are out to get you, and the list goes on and on. 

In the spring of 2006 I rented a picnic shelter in Avon, Indiana, at the Washington Township Park, and on August 12th, 2006 the first Annual Paranormal Meet & Greet was born.  Its purpose was to decrease hostility between paranormal investigation groups, and provide an informal open forum to foster networking between groups.  I will say that I didn’t understand the amount of stress I was taking on in the beginning.  I learned the hard way just how difficult it was to try to find current and new groups to invite to the event.  Marketing challenges are enormous for this type of event.  Other challenges included the need to keep the event free.  I ate the costs and still eat some costs for these events.  I absolutely refuse to continue the event, unless I am able to get a venue donated.  At that period in time I was honestly worried about physical confrontation between groups, so we actually had security at the first event.  Now we have security due to the size of the event for public safety. 

If you meet someone face to face and find the common ground of enjoying paranormal research, a friendship is naturally developed.  This is exactly what happened with the first Meet & Greet.  Billed exclusively as a picnic where people could come and “talk shop.” People had an amazing time and felt the need to continue this new tradition. Approximately eleven groups were represented at the first meet and greet.  We were all amazed at the lack of bloodshed and I think in total there were approximately 60 people in attendance."

Danielle works all year in order to bring this event to our great city. This event would not be where it is today without her, the vendors, the paranormal groups, the volunteers, and the community that loves the paranormal.

This years Indianapolis Paranormal Meet & Greet will be held at the Historic Hannah House on Saturday August 11, 2012 from 12pm - 4pm. Come on out and join the fun!