Karen on a recent SSPR investigation
 
Researching the afterlife (and the paranormal) has taken me in directions I never imagined my life would go. I tried to get it down on paper in my latest book, Dancing with the Afterlife, but it's difficult to explain just how profoundly it has all affected every aspect of my life.

After reading the book, one of SSPR's good friends, Ashley, contacted me to tell me how great it was to see how far I'd come from a woman who was afraid to identify a German shepherd and an orange cat on a SSPR investigation a few years ago. 

She's right. In just a few years, I've come a long way.

Ashley was with us on the investigation in question - an older house in Centralia, Washington. The couple who lived there was experiencing some disturbing phenomena, particularly in conjunction with their baby. Ashely has always had strong psychic abilities, and she came with us to see what she could pick up from the house. At one point she asked me what I saw. 

I definitely had a picture in my head, but I was afraid I would look stupid if I shared it with her. She was encouraging, however, and told me to just go with what I saw. I told her I saw a German shepherd and an orange cat. I felt really dumb, because what would that have to do with anything? Turns out, that was what she was seeing, too. That was something of a turning point for me.

While the investigation was less than two years ago, it was a world away in terms of how much more I trust my own internal vision on investigations today. In the intervening time, I've had many experiences where I received specific, historically verifiable information in places we've investigated. As a result, I trust my inner instincts much more strongly.

Which brings us to the pink bunny hat. 

This past weekend, SSPR had an investigation in a small town outside of Olympia, Washington. I knew nothing of the investigation or property before I got there, but I kept seeing girl of about 8 or 9. I was in a store picking up a few drinks to take with me on the investigation when I spotted the fuzzy pink bunny hat. 

"Buy it," my inner voice counseled. "She'll love it."

So I did. As you can see by Patty's lovely photo (above), I wore my pink fuzzy bunny ears hat on the investigation. Questioning using a device called the SpiriTouch (as well as impressions other sensitives had at the location) revealed there was the spirit of a 9-year-old girl on the property. She was interactive with me right from the beginning. I credit the pink fuzzy bunny hat.

Two years ago, I would never have considered making such a move. I would have chalked the suggestion to buy a bunny hat up to imagination. Any "vision" of a young girl would have been written off as fanciful or wishful thinking. My experiences have taught me, however, to listen to my inner voice. As I've grown in my willingness and ability to do so, it's made a huge difference both in my paranormal research and my life.

We all have inner guidance. I don't believe there's anything special about any ability I have. Instead, I believe inner vision is there for all of us to use. Intuition manifests differently for everyone (read about different ways people may receive psychic information). For some of us, it may be voices, images, or even a gut feeling. For me, it is a combination of pictures, audible sounds, emotions, and "downloads" of information into my brain. When we begin to tune in and listen to it, our inner voice can open up a whole new way of being in this world.

More than anything else, that is what I've learned as a paranormal researcher. Trust yourself. Trust your inner voice. When you do, it can lead you to amazing places.