So it's really not surprising that Timper, an East Brunswick resident, would parlay her interest in ghosts into something of a hobby. She has headed up the New Jersey Ghost Organization, a group that investigates paranormal activities throughout the state, since 2003.

Although Timper is accustomed to witnessing odd or inexplicable things over the course of a typical investigation, she acknowledges having similar experiences in her personal life, too. Take her recollection of unusual scents following her grandfather's death.

"I used to smell pipe smoke (and) I used to smell the kind of shower soap he used," she explains.

And earlier this year, Timper says her family's cat - dead several months - returned home for an appearance.

"I actually saw the shadow of an animal go by the shower curtain," she says matter-of-factly. "That was her route to the litter box in the bathroom."

Then there was the day in July when her team visited the Circle Playhouse in Piscataway. As the group's resident psychic, Lisa Palandrano, sat in one of the theater seats, she detected a female presence directly behind her. Other members took photographs, which Timper says contained two orbs.

"They were very high-density, bright orbs," she explains. "There was a man's face in one, and a woman's face in another."

Even more startling - the psychic's description of the presence she felt was very similar to the female image in the orb.

But the experience which most intrigues her occurred during an investigation of a 19th century Garden State mansion a few years ago. Timper says she and her crew were particularly interested in a dresser with an attached mirror that they believe was original to the home.

"What fascinated us with the mirror was that there were actually images in the mirror," Timper says. "Every time we photographed (it), a different set of people were in the mirror."

She explains that the first time her group photographed it, the images of several people - including a butler, housekeeper, mechanic and a young boy - were visible.

"Let's clean the mirror, this just can't be happening," Timper recalls saying at the time.

The group wiped it with Windex and took more photographs. This time, different images - a young couple and even George Washington - appeared.

Timper points to science, specifically the first law of thermodynamics, to explain what these images are and where they come from.

"(The first law) states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed," she says. "So the big question is: What happens to that energy when we die?'

"Individuals that have passed on are capable of continuing to fully exist in the next dimension. They can communicate and interact with us, and how they do that is with energy. Everything around us is made up of energy."

Timper compares it to "Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass" - we're looking at them, and they're looking back at us."

She explains that hauntings are caused by one of two types of ghosts: interactive spirits or residual occurences. Interactive spirits, she says, are the souls of individuals who have passed on and appear in specific locations for particular reasons.

"Typically, it's (because of) unfinished business," she says. "They want to deliver a message to you, to say that they're OK, that they love you, or maybe they want to send you a warning of something yet to come."

These spirits may do that, she adds, by moving objects, manufacturing smells, or attempting to manifest visually or audibly.

Residual occurrences, on the other hand, are the result of latent or leftover energy.

"It's energy from an event that's recorded onto certain materials, so when the condition is just right, you can see or hear this recurring," she explains, adding that this type of activity is frequently reported at battlefields.

Timper and her colleagues employ a variety of equipment in their investigation, including electromagnetic field (EMF)detectors, thermal meters, audio-recording devices and a variety of cameras, including infrared, digital, film and 3-D. In addition to Palandrano, they also frequently invite noted South Plainfield psychic Jane Doherty along on investigations. The psychics are never given any information about the location beforehand. That way, when the information they receive correlates with the readings the team is getting from their equipment, "it just basically reinforces (the results) even more," Timper says.

Doherty, who has been featured in television programs about the paranormal and is the author of "Awakening the Mystic Gift: The Surprising Truth About What It Means To Be Psychic," has been collaborating with the group for nearly a year.

"I find (the group) to be extremely professional ... and I felt very comfortable working with (them)," she says.

Doherty will join the group on a series of investigations it has planned in Englishtown in the coming months. She explains that she and Palandrano approach a case separately, conducting psychic "walk-throughs" in different portions of the home and only comparing notes when they're finished.

Although Timper acknowledges that many of the dozen members have had paranormal experiences, she says they takes great pains to prove (or disprove) a haunting.

"You have to be aware of your surroundings," she cautions. "You have to really rule things out."

For example, if the EMF detector's reading is really high, she says there is a likely earthbound explanation - such as a transformer nearby. Or, in the case of orbs appearing on video or in still photographs, she says, "You're going to rule out that it wasn't mold spores, it wasn't dust particles ... You're going to try to take all of the normal reasons away.

"The rule of thumb is: When in doubt, throw it out. Because if it's there to capture, you're going to capture something more than just something you're a little iffy about."

More information about the New Jersey Ghost Organization is available by visiting www.njghostorg.com. Jane Doherty's Web site is www.janedoherty.com.