Lancashire's Anomalous Phenomena Investigation Society
About the Group
Kate Preston giving a talk to the group
So, what is LAPIS? Here is a potted history, plus some information about the group and what we do.
LAPIS - Lancashire Anomalous Phenomena Investigation Society – is based in Blackpool, and was founded in the mid 1980s by Joseph & June Dormer who were among the leading UK investigators at the time and has been involved with many exciting cases over the years, some of which have attracted the attention of the national media.
As the name suggest, LAPIS is interested in all anomalous (inconsistent with or deviating from what is usual, normal, or expected) events and experiences. Some of these may also be referred to as ‘Paranormal’ events.
This encompasses a wide range of fascinating phenomena including experiences that might be described as ghosts and hauntings, mystery animal sightings, time anomalies, UFOs, near death experiences, telepathy and a whole lot more.
As you are probably aware there are a lot of paranormal groups in existence at the moment. It is a subject covered by quite a few TV programmes and it’s common to visit your local pub and find that someone is staging a psychic night! The way we do things at LAPIS is in many ways different from most of these, so first of all here is a list of some things we do not do.
We don’t ‘believe’ in anything. We look at the evidence and reach conclusions based solely on this.
While we don’t accept that ghosts, in the popular sense, have been proven to exist, we are keen to investigate unexplained events and may spend time in a place where they have been happening, to gather evidence and try to find a logical explanation.
The fact that we don’t believe in these things doesn’t mean we discount the possibility that they exist, but we don’t accept that they have been proven to do so.
We don’t ever tell people we have found a paranormal explanation for their experience. We will tell them if we can find a rational explanation and otherwise will explain that despite our best efforts it remains unexplained.
If you are still interested after reading this you are probably wondering what it is we actually do. The good news is that we do lots of things and welcome anyone who wants to get involved.
We investigate reports of unusual phenomena with open minds and in a scientific manner, speaking to witnesses and gathering evidence from a variety of sources.
We share information with other groups and researchers and when we are able, assist them with their investigations.
We discuss interesting cases at our monthly meetings and value everyone’s input.
We have regular talks by guests or LAPIS members at our public meetings and show relevant documentaries.
We organise highly acclaimed conferences which attract people from all over the UK and sometimes from further afield.
We go on Skywatches - not because we expect to see UFOs but because knowing what should be in the night sky can be very useful when UFOs are reported.
We organise trips to other conferences and events. In the past few years we have been to Suffolk, Wiltshire and North Devon in addition to more local trips, including the Longdendale Valley, Stocksbridge bypass near Sheffield, Heysham, Ribblehead and Chipping near Preston.
And lastly but certainly not least, we get on very well as a group and have regular social events. This is probably why LAPIS is one of the longest established groups of its type in the UK.
Events and Trips
Each year LAPIS members attend conferences arranged by other groups, visit relevant locations and hold skywatches and social events There is an event to suit everyone ranging from camping trips to meals in a local pub. Any suggestions for trips are very welcome.