Hosting a panel discussion at iMagicon in Minot, the True Time Paranormal crew discussed their methodology, as well as their backgrounds. Dustin White photo

Dustin White
Editor

“In my home town, there was a spirit who was often seen on a local road. Some had talked to him, and shortly after, he would be a mile up the road. One night I decided to go out and talk to him. It was a darker shadow. After that, I took my friends to see it as well.”

This experience would be one of Kimberly Holbrook’s, founder and lead investigator of True Time Paranormal Investigations in Bismarck, first encounters with the spirit world. However, it was something she was prepared for; something that had been with her most of her life.

“I had grown up dealing with paranormal things,” Holbrook said.



Those experiences would lead to a deep interest in the paranormal. By the age of 13, Holbrook was becoming invested in learning more, and exploring a new world. Eventually, the interest would lead her to founding True Time Paranormal Investigations, and what she says is a more scientific approach to the supernatural.



Paranormal Investigation
Originally from Oregon, Holbrook would relocated to North Dakota. In 2008, she would take her passion and build it into True Time Paranormal Investigations.

“With the show Ghost Adventurers popularity rising, and the profession being taken more seriously, it gave me more confidence to move forward,” Holbrook said.

However, they haven’t been without a few skeptics. For Holbrook though, that is just part of the job.

“All I can do is show them what I have, and they can come to a conclusion from their,” Holbrook said.

It has been a learning experience though. While Holbrook and her crew are able to rely partially on research in their field, they have also had to learn quite a bit through experimentation.

“We have a lot of equipment,” Holbrook said. “We are continually trying different ways to approach this all.”

Part of that approach has been consciously trying to debunk their own findings. Not wanting to jump directly to the idea that each occurrence is supernatural, Holbrook and her crew examine other possibilities as well.

Investigations
While Holbrook often seeks out various sites for investigations, her crew also gets a number of requests. Usually coming through their website, other requests come from their friends or previous clients who refer them.

Often, the sites they investigate are homes, but the don’t shy away from larger investigations either. Having performed investigations at places such as Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Holbrook has had her sights on the San Haven Sanatorium.



“It has been a three-year long process so far, but we definitely want to get up there,” Holbrook said.

Regardless of the site though, Holbrook said that the method is largely the same. You have to know what you’re dealing with.

“Anyone can do it, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, the outcomes can differ,” Holbrook said.

Part of knowing what one is doing comes with researching each site before hand. Before going to any site, Holbrook and her crew try to put together a brief history of the area, so they can know what they are dealing with.

At times though, the research brings up little. Going in largely blind from time to time, Holbrook said that her crew had to have a level of awareness.

“Its the knowing what to ask, what to say,” Holbrook said. “I need to know what’s out there.”

Other times, it is more of a matter of weeding out the clients.

“Faking it hinders us,” Holbrook said. “We only want serious cases, we don’t want our time wasted. But we have had a few problems were potential clients see it more as entertainment.”

Building a Crew
“One person can’t do it alone,” Holbrook said.

Realizing that, Holbrook knew she needed to build a crew. From early on, right by her side has been Michelle Stoxen.

“To do this, you have to show a passion and loyalty,” Holbrook said. “Michelle has been a great help, and funny enough, she doesn’t even watch scary movies.”

However, not every team member that Holbrook has recruited has been as well suited as Stoxen. Others, whether they lack the passion, or don’t understand the amount of work that needs to go into each investigation, have caused problems.

“We have had some interesting individuals,” Holbrook said. “One in particular, during an investigation, decided to act as if they were possessed.”



With shows such as Ghost Adventurers, Holbrook said that one could learn how to fake such occurrences, which means that she, and her crew, have to have an amount of skepticism.

It isn’t just her own crew that Holbrook relies on though. Forming almost of family, different crews of paranormal investigators often help each other when the need arises.

“We are like a parafamily,” Holbrook said. “We aren’t in competition.”

For more information on True Time Paranormal, visit their website at Truetimeparanormal.webs.com.