Melissa’s Meter

I am very skeptical of many aspects of the paranormal, especially when it comes to new “pseudo-scientific” concepts and untested technology. A few years ago, a fellow from Great Brittan brought, from across the ocean a marvelous sounding contraption called the Paranormal PC. Here is what the manufacturer claimed this miraculous devise could do for paranormal researchers:

The most valued outcome of a paranormal investigation is evidence, not only that but evidence from credible sources. That is why we at Paranormal Investigation are proud to bring you the Biggest Innovation in Paranormal Research in the last 25 years; we have combined the power of modern computing with the sensitivity of the latest scientific monitoring equipment. Not only can you detect potential paranormal anomalies you can also record them straight onto your PC or Laptop.

The ‘Influence Triggering’ based system will monitor and record all of the following parameters:

• Temperature
• Motion
• Sound
• Luminance
• Infra Red Night Vision Video
• Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) Meter Readings
• Negative Ion Levels / Static Interference
• Natural Magnetic Fields / Geomagnetic Fields

Anomalies in these fields are often associated with paranormal activity. Not only can you use the ParanormalPC to monitor haunting investigations, it can also be utilized in other paranormal investigations such as crop circles, UFO landing sites, alien abduction, séances, Ouija board, etc.

Astounding, right? The only problem was it was difficult for the average person to set-up, required many separate programs running at the same time and the attachments tended to detect one another! I am also not sure of the claims that it can be useful for crop circles, UFO landing sites, alien abduction, séances, Ouija board, etc. I suppose if you happen to be abducted by aliens while holding a ParanormalPC that might work. Otherwise, not so much.

Despite these issues and others, the ParanormalPC was a big seller for a few months. Many would-be ghost hunters worldwide dished out more than $800 for one of these untested high-tech paper weights. However, unlike many other devices currently available, it eventually fell off the radar for the most part. It may have had something to with price and the difficulty in using it. If paranormal researchers are going to ever be taken seriously, they are going to need to learn that sometimes they are wrong about the technological bandwagons they are so quick to jump on. Now, I could go on about how paranormal investigators are misusing K-II meters, “spirit boxes” and the Ovilus, but I’m not. This article is focused on the Mag-Temp or MEL Meter.

When this device was first brought to my attention, I was asked to field test it by my friends over at www.LessEMF.com. When I received my new EMF/thermocouple thermometer in the mail, I was very, very impressed. It was of rugged, solid construction. It had a back-light and many other useful features.  It even had a record mode to help you keep track of Max & Min temperature and EMF changes! and it was very accurate too. This device easily matched or surpassed some of the old standards like the Alpha Labs trifield meter and the classic analog Gauss meter. I couldn’t help but include it into my latest book Ultimate Ghost Hunter in 2009.

I didn’t even do my usual background checking into the device since all my self-testing passed with flying colors. After my book went to print, I started hearing numerous stories about the “Mel Meter” device. People were telling me it was designed just for ghost hunting! I found that hard to believe. Why? Up until this point, any “made just for paranormal research” devices were shoddy at best. The Mel-8704 Meter simply looked too well made! Also, devices like this are designed by teams, not by one inventor. I refused to believe it. Then, I heard even more! That the Model number, Mel-8704, was assigned to represent the birth and death of the inventor’s daughter. Great, I thought, more out of control gossip and rumors! More misunderstanding about how technology works. The girl’s name was Melody or Melanie. The “8704” was the year the young lady was born (1987) and the year she died (2004). I didn’t believe it for a single second! I had to research further to get to the bottom of this.

So, I got out my note pad and called Mr. Gary Galka, the actual inventor of the Mel-Meter. So, I introduced myself and explained to Mr. Galka that I am going to set the record straight on the misinformation out there on his invention. Sure enough, there never was a Melody or Melanie. Her name was Melissa.

Wow, so I was wrong big time! I did not expect to find any truth in any aspect of that part of the story. Gary was retired as of 5 and ½ years ago. His daughter Melissa, or Mel as he called her since she was very young, was on her way home one evening around midnight. For some unknown reason, she swerved off of the road and struck a tree in a terrible car accident. “I jumped out of bed that night,” Gary told me, “I knew something had happened to her.” The accident happened on September 24, 2004. Mel was born in 1987. She was on life-support until September 28th before being allowed to pass on. It was soon afterward that Gary’s new obsession with the paranormal would begin.

“Most of the proceeds from the product go to charities such as Compassionate Friends and other known charity organization,” Gary told me with some pride.

“From the moment my wife and I and two daughter’s got home,” Gary explained, “Mel began to let us know that she was still around.” Gary explained how Mel began playing around with electronics in the house. The TV, radio and lights would come on and turn off and switch channels by themselves. “We could smell her perfume,” he added, “Over a period of time we could feel her hugs and kisses.” These experiences didn’t just happen to him either. His wife, Cindy and daughters Heather and Jennifer also had these wonderful After Death Communications (ADC’s) as well. They all believe that Mel reached out to them in order to help them to heal and move forward with their lives. Within six months of her passing, Gary and his wife began to reach out and help other bereaved parents in their homes and through the formation of grief counseling groups. He began researching the paranormal and related topics to better understand what was going on in this field. After reading several books, and watching a few of the paranormal shows on television it became apparent that most paranormal enthusiasts had to resort to using mainstream gadgets and devices that were typically intended for a totally different purpose. Many were modified or adapted to suit the application of paranormal research. Gary, with over 30 years of test and measurement experience sat down and began to design the Mel-Meter. Not only to help give the paranormal community a push forward, but the biggest accomplishment, as Gary explained with pride is that, “Most of the proceeds from the Mel product series goes directly to grief support charities such as Compassionate Friends and other known charity organizations”.

So, in conclusion, it’s been five and a half years since Mel passed. Gary is still getting signs and visits from her, though not as frequently. He is still highly motivated and working on even newer technology designs that will be introduced to the paranormal field in the near future, including the new RT-EVP device, P-SB7 spirit box and numerous additions to the popular Mel meter series. He will continue the trend of those who saw that there was a connection between EMF and the paranormal going back to UCLA parapsychologists in the 1970s, Loyd Auerbach in the 1990s and Chris Flemming, Troy Taylor and Dale Kaczmarek in the 21 Century.

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