AGAWAM – Halloween is notorious for bringing spooky activities to the community. From haunted houses to horror movies, there’s no shortage of scary in October. However, the Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators event at Agawam Public Library is not intended to be scary, but to help people understand the spirit world. On Oct. 31, Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators, a team who helps explain paranormal activity in the lives of locals, will host a presentation featuring spirit voices, photos and discussion.

Ray Sawyer and a close friend started Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators in 2005. They would walk through graveyards and observe the headstones. While his friend is no longer involved in the group, Sawyer has continued alongside Jim and Angela Deschenes who share his passion for explaining things that go bump in the night.

“We try to help people who feel that there are strange things going on in their homes and to feel more comfortable.”

Sawyer explained that those who contact him typically hear footsteps or other unexplainable noises and see shadows. Sawyer does a full walkthrough of the property in question, including taking videos and EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) recordings.

Sawyer has a gift that aids him in the investigations. He has been referred to as a psychic, but does not feel that title describes his abilities. As he explained, “I’m considered a sensitive. I see family members or animals for example. I am able to give descriptions of people I don’t know.”

Sawyer first experienced the paranormal between the ages of eight and ten years old. He recalled seeing men in confederate or Yankee uniforms, a woman in white, dogs, bears and even an eagle. “I would wake up to someone new at the end of my bed each night. I could write down everything that I saw the next morning. It never freaked me out. When they came to me every night, it became more of a pain.”

While Sawyer had paranormal experiences as a child, he never had a fascination with the subject. “I was into skulls, medieval, dragons, Dracula, that kind of thing. I never really got into the psychic thing.”

It was only after he watched an investigation by TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) that he found himself involved in paranormal investigating. “I watched one episode. As soon as I saw it, my whole world changed and I said ‘This is where I need to be.’ Next thing I know, I’m talking to psychics and mediums.”

While there is a stigma around the spirit world, Sawyer does not personally believe that evil spirits exist.  As he explained, “People are feeling loved ones. I have yet to come across an evil spirit. I have seen priests come into certain houses because people thought spirits were evil. They bless the home, but it doesn’t go away. We ask for our loved ones in our prayers and thoughts every day.” Sawyer believes that spirits of family and friends are manifested through the people who love them.

Sawyer believes negative energy is not brought into homes by evil spirits, but by those residing in the house. He feels that teenagers can be the culprits of negative energy, as teenage years are often known for angst. Sawyer shared, “I can pick up on heavy negative energy, such as energy developed through arguments or fighting. I try to tell people with kids that teenagers can build negative energy. If you walk into a fifteen year-old’s room and notice the temperature is five degrees higher than the rest of the house, they are manifesting negative energy.”

Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators use technology to discover voices or images of spirits. Poltergeists, which are ghosts who move objects, are believed to utilize electricity and other technologies to communicate. Sawyer said, “I found out by talking to mediums. When you talk to spirits, you set boundaries for them. The vessel that you were in decays, but the energy disburses into the universe. If the spirit is coming into the house, it’ll draw on all of the electricity in the house for attention such as lights, tape recorders or film.” Using all available technology, Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators hope to reach their goal of helping residents feel comfortable in their homes.

“We try to make people feel better about things going on in their houses and usually they do.”

Sawyer has appeared on episodes of the talk show “Maury,” where he conducted investigations in the homes of two different families. One of the families he helped resided in a home located directly across the street from the home that he grew up in. He shared, “I always knew there was something weird about the house. From that day on, my life changed.”

Attendants of the event at Agawam Public Library can expect to hear more about Sawyer and his team’s experiences with spirits and helping people feel safe. “We are going to discuss how we go about our business and how our investigations go. We will have pictures and EVPs.” There will also be an open discussion portion where guests will have the opportunity to ask questions about Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators and their work.

Sawyer and his team conduct investigations free of charge in an effort to bring comfort to people. He said, “My thing is we are looking to help people. We are looking for answers, but I want to help people feel more comfortable in their homes. I want to help people learn from the other side and feel comfortable where they live.”

To hear more about Dark Angel Paranormal Investigators and their work, be sure to join them at the Agawam Public Library this Halloween at 7 p.m. While the event may not be scary, their stories and evidence may be eye opening.