The Michigan Paranormal Research Institute was founded in 1855 under the leadership of Dr. Bertram Hulley, a physician and natural philosopher dedicated to the scientific study of unexplained phenomena. Established through a legislative grant signed into law by Governor Andrew Parsons, the Institute was among the earliest state-supported organizations in the United States committed to structured research on subjects often regarded as beyond the scope of conventional science. Dr. Hulley envisioned an institution where rigorous methods could be applied not only to questions of human perception and psychology, but also to the persistent accounts of hauntings and spirit manifestations reported throughout the Great Lakes region.

From its inception, the Institute organized its work around three areas of expertise: parapsychology, psychology, and cryptozoology. Parapsychology included the systematic investigation of hauntings, apparitions, and other forms of purported spirit contact, making it a central focus of the Institute’s activities. Psychology offered emerging frameworks for understanding how the human mind processes extraordinary experiences, while cryptozoology provided a structured approach to evaluating reports of unverified animals in Michigan’s wilderness. Taken together, these disciplines gave the Institute an unparalleled ability to investigate claims of paranormal activity from multiple perspectives.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Institute established itself as a discreet but influential body in Michigan’s intellectual landscape. Teams of researchers conducted field studies in private homes, public buildings, and historic sites where hauntings were reported, often employing both observational methods and early forms of instrumentation. While the Institute maintained a quiet public presence, its work on hauntings became widely recognized among those who sought serious inquiry into phenomena that were otherwise relegated to folklore or sensational journalism. Its archives soon grew into one of the most comprehensive collections of case reports on hauntings in the United States.

The twentieth century brought both challenges and opportunities. Advances in psychology shaped the Institute’s methodologies, encouraging more rigorous evaluation of witness testimony, while new technologies such as audio recording and electromagnetic sensing expanded its investigative tools. At the same time, public fascination with paranormal subjects surged, from spiritualism and ghost stories in the early century to postwar interest in UFOs and cryptids. Yet, throughout these shifts, investigations into hauntings remained central to the Institute’s mission, representing the most direct connection between its research and the lived experiences of Michigan’s citizens.

In recent decades, the Institute has faced mounting financial strain. Over the last twenty years, public funding has been significantly reduced, culminating in an almost total withdrawal of state support in 2025. These cuts have forced the Institute to move away from its longstanding tradition of discretion. To secure its future, it has increased visibility by publishing more of its findings on hauntings, opening portions of its archives to scholars and the public, and engaging in community partnerships that allow investigations to continue despite reduced resources.

Today, the Michigan Paranormal Research Institute continues to uphold its original mission of applying disciplined inquiry to the unexplained. While its three areas of expertise—parapsychology, psychology, and cryptozoology—remain central, its emphasis on the investigation of hauntings stands as both its most enduring and most public-facing line of research. In adapting to modern challenges while remaining true to its founding vision, the Institute persists as a unique example of Michigan’s historical commitment to intellectual boldness and humanity’s ongoing effort to understand the mysteries of the unseen world.