Alternate Perceptions Magazine, June 2017
An Interview with Cyn Hill, Founder of Tennessee's Elk Valley Paranormal
by: Brent Raynes
Cyn Hill, Founder of Elk Valley Paranormal (EVP), describes herself as a sensitive and as empathic and has known "others" around her since she was very young. She has also been 'rescued' a few times over the years from very dangerous incidents. Cyn has helped other paranormal teams, both in the US and abroad as well as law enforcement officers with evp analysis. Her desire to see and speak to those on the other side has sent her to many of the most famous and fascinating locations worldwide: Gettysburg, Alcatraz, Goliad Presidio La Bahia, Winchester Mystery House, Birdcage Theater, Tower of London, Heian Jinju Shrine and Rothenburg dungeons among others. She has formed EVP adding people to the group that not only mesh with each other, but also bring complementary characteristics and talents to the team.
Brent Raynes: How long has Elk Valley Paranormal been around?
Cyn Hill: EVP was founded in 2014, but the idea is years older. I had just trained Sean, EVP's Co-founder, in another group when I realized we had to form our own team to continue to grow and learn in the field.
Brent Raynes: What are the major objectives of your group?
Cyn Hill: We continually strive to find new and improved ways to reach answers for the paranormal and we are determined to find some sort of reason for hauntings. Overall, we like to be able to offer a client some sense of relief from any unexplained happenings they've experienced. We aren't afraid to reach out to or work with other teams and have had several successful co-investigations.
Brent Raynes: What sort of dangerous incidents have you been rescued from? Can you share some details please?
Cyn Hill: A few come to mind instantly and I know God wasn't ready for me yet. One example is from 30 years ago, before cell phones. It was just after a little rain when I was driving too fast in unfamiliar territory to meet my best friend at a night club. I missed a curve and overcorrected causing my car to fishtail and finally lose complete control going off the pavement on the left-hand side of the road. All I could do was hold onto the steering wheel and I watched in slow motion, my car finally came to rest squarely between two big trees. I had to walk back in the direction I came to get help. Once the officers, the wrecker and my friend all got there they told me how lucky I was, then walked me over to the right-hand side of the road directly across from my car, where they said every driver that had gone off that side died. I couldn't help but say a prayer of thanks as I looked down a very steep embankment to the rushing water below.
Another, also a car mishap, happened a little over 10 years ago while I was driving to see patients for home health therapy. It was a beautiful spring morning and I had just contacted my first patient to say I'd be there in an hour. I put my car in cruise and headed north on the interstate along with the traffic. I was about to pass an 18-wheeler when the bottom dropped out of the sky with no warning. The rain lifted my car up and, again, all I could do was hold onto the steering wheel, but this time I remember praying "help me Lord" continually. I had no control and my car went from the side of the big rig circling down into the big dip in the median all the way to the other side and toward the oncoming traffic. I saw the eyes of the drivers in the southbound lanes. They were helpless too. My prayer "help me Lord" was nonstop as I made two and a half complete circles and then rolled backwards before coming to a stop, completely unharmed, about fifteen feet from a dropoff above the underpass of the previous exit. My prayer turned into "thank you Lord" while I sat there trying to stop shaking. I sat there about ten minutes before I tried to get back up to the road. No one stopped to help but I know I had someone in the car with me the whole time.
Brent Raynes: Wow! Talk about a close call!
You mention in your bio that you've helped law enforcement officers with evp analysis. Was that the EVP group name or the electronic voice one? Please share some details. It sounds interesting either way, of course.
Cyn Hill: An out-of-state officer needed help for his sister as he, like others near her, thought her complaints of voices and having people follow her were all in her head. She had made several police reports of harassment and being followed, which no one could prove. In a last ditch effort, she contacted me with several sound clips around her apartment and in her car. Once I analyzed them, I merely gave her the results. She was indeed being bullied by a couple of intelligent spirits. They also knew no one believed her and found that entertaining. Soon after I received a phone call from her brother, the officer. He was incredulous, mostly because his sister finally had a form of proof no one else had come up with. We had a long conversation over her reports and what could be done. He asked if I could travel there but it was too far. I suggested an area paranormal team to come to them and advised a smudging ritual combined with prayers for the Archangels to protect her. I can only hope they carried out my advice for her sake. I haven't spoken to either since because I was warned by a dear psychic friend to cut ties as soon as possible.
Brent Raynes: You've traveled far and wide to better understand the paranormal. What have perhaps been some of your most profound and meaningful experiences?
Cyn Hill: I love investigating and have gotten to reassure a few people through audio clips that their loved ones are occasionally near them. During my investigations, I've learned spirits, like us, have different personalities and some can be quite funny with their answers.
The most meaningful experiences I've had have actually happened electronically - via messenger or email: Calming people who are terrified by occurrences in their homes. It's easier for them to reach out without having to answer questions on the phone or staring into someone's eyes. I've offered prayers and answered as many questions as the person has, until they feel at least a bit more at ease and in control of their environment. God blesses me with words when I need them.
If, however, you're asking about the scariest experience I've ever had, I'd have to say that, too, was via email.
It goes back to the policeman's sister: She sent several audio clips in about three separate emails to have me analyze. I had already finished three or four that I'd explained to her and closed the program for the night. Without going into detail, my husband and I had an argument that evening, but we were able to come to an agreement before the night ended. During this time, the girl sent me another email with audio attached.
I opened it the next night and began analyzing a clip expecting to hear more of the same taunts and bullying as the first message's sound bites, except this one was different. This one spoke directly to me about the argument we had had the night before and how I should visit them. I couldn't breathe. I saved what I had and closed everything immediately. My husband is not involved in EVP and couldn't understand what had happened. I couldn't understand what had just happened either. I reached out to the only person I know who could possibly explain - Mark, my psychic friend. After he calmed me down, he let me know it was a clever trick spirits can use to "get inside your head" without really being there - they read your aura. As he further explained to me, your aura has about 48 hours of imprints unless you ground yourself through meditation, cleansing and/or prayer. I had never before thought of grounding myself before analyzing audio, but I'm much more careful in all circumstances of an investigation now!
Brent Raynes: What type of cases do you investigate besides hauntings and ghostly encounters? Angels and demons too? Near death experiences? Out-of-body experiences? How about Bigfoot? UFOs?
Cyn Hill: We've only investigated hauntings and unexplained spirit encounters, but also like to visit places we feel may be haunted. I believe in angels and demons, but feel I've only been visited by angels. I know there is always the possibility, but I'd rather not run into a demonic force. There are others who have experienced that – but that is out of my comfort zone.
Brent Raynes: What is the overall goal that you want your group to be recognized for achieving?
Cyn Hill: Ah. I don't know that EVP will ever actually be recognized for achieving anything really. It seems that once you think you have a bit of understanding in the paranormal field, hundreds more questions come up. All we can do is keep trying to understand the bits and pieces we have as we try to catch glimpses of the other side.
Brent Raynes: With someone new coming into the field, what advice, suggestions, or instructions would you give them?
Cyn Hill: Learn from everyone you can and read on your own to form your own opinions in the field. Find out what each piece of equipment does and decide what works for you and your team. Know this is not an exact science, but using scientific experiments can help answer your questions. Be kind and always listen. Listen to the questions being asked and the fears being made known. Listen to the advice being made and know that even novices bring fresh ideas to the table. We can all learn from each other.