By Shenandoah Sowash
Gannett Wisconsin Media
STEVENS POINT -- Paranormal investigators Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk on Saturday will host the fourth annual Unexplained Conference in Stevens Point, a convention for people curious about everything from UFOs, ghosts and Bigfoot sightings to crop circles, werewolves and the afterlife.
The conference will focus on local paranormal lore, including reports of a blood-like substance oozing out of a gravestone in Woodville Cemetery and the grotesque ghost of a young bride said to appear on a Wisconsin 66 bridge best known as "Bloody Bride Bridge."
Lewis, who has hosted paranormal conferences nationwide for 13 years, says he finds the Stevens Point area more open to the paranormal than many other communities.
"People in central Wisconsin ... are not necessarily experiencing more (things) but certainly are reporting more things ... People feel comfortable reporting or maybe they just don't care what people think," Lewis said.
In addition to lectures and presentations, guests are not only invited to learn about paranormal experiences, but to have paranormal experiences at the conference, said Lewis, citing the presence of psychics, Ouija boards and a werewolf hunting video screening at this year's event.
"So often people come to hear us give our presentations ... Some people come to tell their own stories, to know that they're not alone, that other normal, rational people are experiencing these things as well," Lewis said.
Fisk says he observes three types of people in the paranormal culture: believers, skeptics and debunkers. He says many believers are as close-minded as debunkers.
"Skeptics try to maintain an open mind. They don't have preconceived ideas. They look at the evidence first, and that's what I try to encourage in my work and at the conference," Fink said.
While few people earn a livable wage through paranormal research, many enjoy researching the unknown and visiting "haunted" locations for fun.
"Our conference ... encourages people to explore. Is there a portal to hell in Wisconsin? Don't take our word for it. Get out there and find out for yourself," Lewis said.
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