Taking Ghost Research To The Next Level

IT’S FRUSTRATING BEING a ghost researcher. At least it is for me at times. With all the ghost research societies, ghost hunter groups, and ghost investigative teams that have materialized in the last several years, there are more people examining the realm of the haunted than in any other time in history. We also have an array of technologies to help in the hunt, from digital recorders and EMF meters to infrared cameras and ghost boxes. There are even scientists and universities trying to find rational explanations for ghost phenomena.

For all that, however, we are no closer to really understanding what ghosts are than we were 100 years ago. We’ve gathered more evidence, developed new tools, and offered revised theories, but we still don’t know with any certainty what the ghost phenomenon is, what causes it, or how and why it manifests. We have evidence, perhaps, but we have no proof.

So why isn’t the evidence we have good enough?

THE EVIDENCE

Photos – There are some compelling photographs. The skeptics dismiss them as tricks of light and shadow, double exposures, reflections, natural phenomena, photographic errors, or outright fraud. Ghost researchers are more open-minded about them, of course, but without highly detailed information about the circumstances under which the photos were taken, we cannot in all honesty determine what they show either. And in today’s age of digital image editing capabilities, we can’t trust photos at all. Yes, they could show genuine ghosts, but we cannot prove it.

Anecdotes – Reports of ghost sightings are plentiful. In fact, they have been reported since the beginning of recorded history. This website alone receives hundred of such reports every month. Many of those are compelling as well. We can only assume that there are thousands of alleged sightings every day around the world. The phenomenon is part of the human experience. The skeptics say that people are notoriously bad witnesses, and that the senses are easily fooled by illusions of light and shadow or electrical fields. For those who have seen ghosts with their own eyes, however, no amount of “reasoning” can dissuade them from their conviction about the reality of their experience. While the sheer volume of sightings strongly suggests ghosts are out there in the dark, these experiences, unfortunately, don’t give us anything to look at, listen to, or touch. The stories are as ephemeral as the spirits themselves.

Film and video – A moving image can often be more revealing and convincing than a still image. But film and video suffer from the same drawbacks and doubts that photos do. Seeing is no longer believing. Additionally, really good videos of ghosts are exceedingly rare.

Physical effects – Objects disappearing and later reappearing without rational explanation. Lights and appliances turning on and off by themselves. A vase flying off a shelf and crashing 12 feet across the room. They are puzzling and sometimes scary occurrences. Skeptics wave them off as the products of overactive imaginations. For researchers, such activity is not only relatively rare, it’s nearly impossible to document since, like almost all ghost phenomena, it cannot be produced on demand; it happens spontaneously, seemingly on its own whim. So most of this type of activity falls into the category of “anecdotes.”

Even on the extremely rare occasions such activity is caught on video, can we conclude it was caused by a ghost? This kind of physical phenomena is often called poltergeist activity. Although “poltergeist” literally means “noisy ghost,” a large number of paranormal researchers think that it is not attributable to ghosts at all. Because the activity almost always centers around an individual, it is theorized that poltergeist craziness is psychokinetic; that is, caused by the minds of the person or people involved. So as dramatic as it may be, it may have nothing to offer in the way of ghost evidence.

EVP – Electronic voice phenomena might be the strongest stuff we have in the way of evidence for ghosts. All of the skeptics’ explanations of EVP being nothing more than stray radio programs, cell phone calls, ham radio conversations, et cetera have been disproved. But what these disembodied voices are remains quite a mystery. Are they the voices of ghosts? Could they be from other dimensions? Or, like poltergeist activity, do they arise out of the minds of the participants? Yes, the variety and textures of EVP (I’m talking about the Class A EVP here) are of astonishing variety, from those that sound like old men to those that sound like children. But if the human mind can cause heavy objects to levitate and sail across a room, could it not also imagine into reality such voices? Again, EVP could be very strong ghost evidence… but we’re not quite sure.

Ghost box – The ghost box is the latest tool in the arsenal of the ghost investigator. The group I belong to has several that we experiment with. But in my mind the jury is still out when it comes to these ghost boxes. They work by scanning broadcast radio frequencies, and when you listen you can hear snippets of phrases here and there, what sound like names, and other information. The theory is that those on the “other side” are able to pull the words and phrases they want from these broadcasts to communicate with us. That they have this ability, of course, is a huge assumption.

In my experience with these ghost boxes, I have to admit that some of the stuff that comes across seems relevant. For example, in one session we asked, “How many people are sitting at this table?” There were six. Very shortly, the ghost box said something that sounded like “Six.” And we were astonished. I have to wonder, however, if there were five at the table, would we have waited until we heard something that sounded like “five” from the ghost box? Likewise, when it names people, are we just pulling out from the garble of words the names of those present or that we know? In other words, how much are we projecting onto this tool? How much is sheer interpretation and hearing what we want to or expect to hear?

Yet, other examples are not so easy to explain away. At the same session, we asked questions about a man who once worked at this particular location many decades ago, now thought to be haunted. We kept hearing, over and over, what sounded like “horse” and “horses.” We had no idea what connection there might possibly be. When we later asked a person who knew the history of the location and about this man, she revealed that he was a horse trader – a fact that none of us at the table knew. Very interesting indeed.

Much more experimentation needs to be done with these ghost boxes before I am totally convinced. I suspect there is a psychological component here and that much of the information is the result of hearing what we want to hear – or “matrixing,” as some call it.

Ouijas and séances – These were the tools of choice for ghost communication for over 100 years before all the electronic gadgetry came along. Most ghost researchers shy away from them nowadays, however, because of the idea that they attract demonic forces. (An idea I disagree with.) The results of these practices, too, are far from great evidence. They are subject to the same psychological interpretations and trickery as many of the above methods.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

Individually, all of the above methods have their weaknesses. Collectively, however, they produce enough tantalizing evidence to indicate that, yes, there is something out there; there do seem to be intelligences on the “other side,” and they can and do occasionally materialize or otherwise make themselves known. It’s enough to keep the investigations going.

Yet we need better evidence. We need something more concrete, more solidly convincing to break us out of this 100-year rut. We need a breakthrough in ghost research.

I’m not sure how that breakthrough can come about. Through a new high-tech tool? Through a psychic breakthrough of some kind? And what would that breakthrough be? What would unambiguously convince us of the reality of ghosts and life after death?

Perhaps it would be a tool that would finally allow real-time, unambiguous communication with the other side. Not snippets of words and phrases, but a real conversation in which these spirits can talk to us, tell us what it’s like on the other side, can convince us in no uncertain terms who they were in life. Or perhaps it would be a psychic methodology that could produce – with consistency – materialized spirit forms that could be recorded and examined.

That’s a lot to ask for, I know. It’s the Holy Grail of ghost research that psychics, mediums, and other paranormal researchers have been seeking for the past 100 years. Ultimately, however, that’s what we need. Otherwise, we’re just stumbling around blindly in the dark.

Perhaps such a breakthrough isn’t even possible. (And maybe we wouldn’t even want it. What would it be like if we could have conversations with our deceased relatives any time we wanted? How would that change the world?)

I put out this challenge to every paranormal researcher and every ghost hunting group out there – even the nationally known ones: Let’s find that breakthrough. I don’t know what it will take or even where to start. But maybe you do. Yes, it’s fun to go out into haunted locations and collect EVP, take photos, and listen for raps on the walls, but it’s not really advancing the research. Let’s not be satisfied with that. Let’s take it to the next level. Spread the word. Share this article with everyone on your ghost hunting team; send it to other organizations. Let’s get some serious churn out there.

Rules of Evidence

Rules of evidence are a strict set of evidence rules that mandate how we collect evidence and present evidence. It is a strict means of keeping evidence true and raw. When presenting the evidence, it assures that all means for bringing its true authentic form was maintained before presenting evidence to the public.
It is easy for someone looking at photo's on a web site to say, "Aww that is a bug", or "It is Dust". Well collecting evidence with our strict rules eliminates any such questions. If we even have a slight belief that whatever anomaly is in the photograph could be natural or man made, the photograph will never make it to the public.
Please make note to the following Rules of Evidence:
* No single piece of evidence will stand on its own and will not be presented without further evidence to support the first.
* In photography, whether Still or Video, is not presented without the following factors completed; Strict monitoring of Pollen and Mold levels are recorded with each photograph, to include all weather factors that were present as well; all photographs are compared with a hugh database of photos that contain dust, pollen, mold, humidity, moisture, oblique light rays, etc. to ensure that they do not fit such patterns of natural or man made anomalies. Each photograph is supported by other paranormal events that might have occurred when the photo was taken. No photo is presented on its own merit, it is only posted if other paranormal events were present that support the photo. All photographs are screened for errors of processing and development and are compared with errors of that type. This eliminates any question as to whether or not the photograph is of a natural error. All photographs are examined with a array of computer filters to ensure their trueness. No photograph is altered to contaminate its authenticity and only the re-sizing and/or lightening is done for web site viewing only. This does not effect the photographs trueness and still maintains its evidentiary authenticity.
* EVP's are collected when only using fresh batteries, new tape, exterior microphone and is logged as to its location, beginning and ending. The section of tape that is believed to be paranormal is copied onto a computer in a audio format and is measured for its wave length, HZ levels and is compared to such sounds as a human voice, and other EVP's that are believed to be that of the paranormal. EVP data shows that human voices cannot get below 500HZ and our EVP's are measured to their level. Below 500HZ is believed to be that of the paranormal. Again, no piece of evidence is presented on its own merit.
* All other evidence is treated in the same manner as those stated above. We also include feelings that one may encounter during the process of retrieving the evidence. We look for a feeling of not being alone, a sense of Positive or Negative energies present, or any of our other senses that might of sensed something of the paranormal or supernatural.
* All Man Made or Natural possibilities are ruled out before any evidence is presented to the public. Only evidence that has passed intense scrutiny of these factors are presented.
A further note: Just because a odd light, or a circular object is captured on film, it does not make it paranormal. Only after intense study and comparison does the photo get considered as paranormal evidence. This is true for all anomalies and other evidence that we collect. We want to present evidence that is strong and supportive of the paranormal and is true and authentic.
These are just a few of the strict procedures that we follow and the list above may not include all the steps that we take to present authentic evidence. We strive to present the best evidence that we can and we are constantly critiquing ourselves and putting our evidence through tuff measures.

Communicating with Ghosts

A question thats often asked is "How Do I Talk to Ghost? I want to contact them."
I usually advise waiting until a ghost contacts you.  There are several ways that a ghost will do this. Through our dreams being one of the most common.  When we are asleep our mind is open to many things that we may not consider possible while awake.  Ghost communication is one of these. Many times a spirit will use this avenue as it is less frightening to us also.  So if you dream of a past loved one with a peculiar message, they might actually be visiting you in your dreams.  We have also received stories of ghosts using others means to communicate beyond our dreams. Phone calls are becoming more common from the afterlife, sometimes without us even knowing the loved one has passed yet.  These phone calls are generally short and to the point giving information, love and hope in times when we need it most. There are many other ways that a ghost tries to communicate with the living from a feeling of not being alone, to messages being written, or words being whispered in the night.


The thing to keep in mind however is to try to be patient and wait for the ghost to contact you, which they will if they have a message for you, or you are involved in the reason they are still here and haven't moved on to the next realm of existence. If you feel a loved one is trying to communicate you and find you cannot wait please do not try to take matters in your own hands. Find an experienced and highly recommended psychic or medium to help you make contact. It is never a good idea to use devises or rituals that manipulate ghosts such as Ouija Boards, seances, or automatic writing, all these procedures can be dangerous in untrained hands and can
attract the attention of someone or something other than the loved one you are trying to contact. Psychics, and mediums know the proper and safest ways to use these tools and can help you make the contact with the proper ghost in the huge world of the afterlife.  If you feel the ghost is not a loved one but you still wish to find out who it may be or why, then please do research into your home or area to find out what events may have transpired to lead to who and why a ghost is still here.  Many times just checking with your local library or newspaper will give enough information to help you determine who may be haunting a particular area.


Above all if you feel you are involved with the reason a ghost is still here or they wish you to help them, they will let you know in their own time.  The hardest thing to do sometimes is be patient while you wait for them to reveal their reasons to you.

The Nature of Hauntings

According to Webster's dictionary the word "haunting" is defined as: 1: to visit often, or to continually seek the company of   2: to have a disquieting or harmful effect on, or to linger.   From this definition we can see what a ghost 'does' but it does not help tell us what it is.

We can therefore determine that a "haunting" is simply repeated unwanted visits that disturb or harm.   Visits from who or what though???

The term "spirit" is defined as a supernatural being.   Although I believe that there is nothing "SUPER" natural about spirits.   They are simply natural occurrences that surround us every day, everywhere.   For the great majority of us we function completely oblivious to their existence, this creates for us a "comfort zone" about ghosts.   This comfort zone is disturbed or completely undone when we are unexpectedly required to meet and deal with these spirit forms.
Nothing on earth will convert a skeptic quicker than having a ghostly encounter.
All religious philosophies aside, the "essence" that makes us human is the "energy" that some call a soul.   One of the basic concepts in science is that "energy" cannot be destroyed, it only changes form.   With that fact in mind we will explore the realm of spirits.
I would like to say here that I cannot present to you all that my studies and experiences have taught me, only that I will try to cover the highlights and most frequently asked questions.   Also, I do not have all the answers, but am willing to work with you as an individual to find whatever information that will help.   Further, I will not enter into a religious debates or philosophical discussions.   It has been my experience that ones religious foundation will color attitudes and beliefs until the day you die, rather I will stick to practical, helpful activities that will guide you through your encounters.


Why do Haunting's occur?
Haunting's occur for one reason, that the essence/spirit of a human is bound to this plane.
What causes a spirit to remain earth bound? This question is a rather complex one, and the answer varies according to the spirits personality in life.   Some reasons that are commonly accepted are:
* Unfinished Business, the spirit feels that he/she has something important to accomplish before moving on.
* Attachment to another person, the spirit is unwilling to leave this plane of existence because of his/her love for another.
* Material Attachment, the spirit is unwilling to leave earthly possessions.
* Protector, the spirit feels it is necessary to remain as a guardian over another.
* Confusion, the spirit may have had an unexpected traumatic death and is unaware that he/she is now on the other side.


Although there may be be some other individual reason the spirit remains, most can be classified into one of these categories.
Why me, why my house? Don't take it personally!   In about 99.9% of the cases of haunting's, it is a spirit that you do not know, for reasons you will most likely never figure out.
Are these haunting's random? There is no solid answer to that question. Some haunting's may be based on the actual site, in other words the spirit may have an attachment to the spot your house sits on.   In a few cases though people have done something to "invite" a ghost in.
Can I get rid of them?
Truthfully, that depends.   There are no sure fire methods or rites that will guarantee you can remove unwanted entities from your home.   Keeping in mind that entities have individual personalities - just like their human counterparts, some may not want to go, regardless of how persuasive and/or forceful you may be.   They may go, or again they may return.   It also depends very much on the "type" of spirit you are dealing with. (please see "types of spirits for more detail)  This not said to discourage you, I have found for the most part that they will leave upon request and no special ceremony is required.

What is Infrasound

Infrasound refers to sound vibrations that are at a frequency too low to be heard by the human ear which has a range from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (called the audible range). Levels below 20 Hz are described as infrasonic (infrasound) and those above 20,000 Hz are ultrasonic.

While we may experience discomfort at sounds we can hear at volumes of around 80 decibels upwards, it is believed exposure to low frequency sound vibrations which we cannot detect may also have considerable impact on humans. In much the same way many find the audible bass of a high volume car stereo annoying, sounds at even lower frequencies may interfere with our emotions and perceptions. It is known that military forces have examined the effects of infrasound and even looked into its use as a weapon.

Exposure to infrasound has been demonstrated to effect recipients with symptoms including fear, sorrow, depression, anxiety, nausea, chest pressure and hallucination. It can cause objects to move through vibration and some believe the body’s internal organs can be effected. It is suggested that levels above 80 decibels at frequencies between 0.5 to 10Hz may start to effect the vestibular of the inner ear thus causing disorientation. Any high volume sound can trigger the body to react by increasing respiration, heart rate and blood pressure, but when they cannot actually hear the sound recipients are left with no explanation for the sudden onset of these symptoms. This may then lead to further effects caused by the minds possible reaction to the unknown, as outlined below.

Once the mind receives information it considers unusual it may enter into “search mode” to try and explain what is being experienced, calling on all senses to assist - sight, sound, touch, smell etc... The longer the search goes on without an answer, the more intense the scrutiny. In the extreme, the body may react in “survival instinct” - fear sets in, pulse races etc... This is the body’s natural reaction to the unknown, preparing it for possible “fight or flight” from danger. At such times, because the senses are so heightened and “in tune” for experiencing something, the brain may begin to misinterpret what the senses are picking up. Much akin to sitting alone in the dark after watching a horror movie although to a much greater extent.

This is all a natural reaction of the brain and very real to the witness. Possible triggers (either alone or in combination) are anything that may suggest something strange is occurring including high EMF, infrasound, low atmospheric pressure, carbon monoxide exposure, darkness, isolation and any stimulus that may create suggestion such as watching a spooky movie, being in an spooky location, or Ouija board use. Ocean waves are known to sometimes generate infrasound and it has been suggested to have been a possible "trigger" causing ships crews to abandon their craft in fear, only to have the ship later found mysteriously drifting about unmanned.

The range of infrasound is generally accepted to be between 0-20 hertz with a specific area of interest between 17 and 19 hertz. Tests by NASA have revealed that the human eyeball resonates at around 18Hz, to which infrasound exposure may cause a reaction and lead to hallucinations.

Infrasound occurs quite naturally at some locations and possible causes include storms, earthquakes, waterfalls, volcanoes, ocean waves and wind reacting with structures such as chimneys. Some buildings or natural features can act as Helmholtz resonators and create infrasound at high levels. Ancient places of worship or ceremonial burial such as the Maeshowe mound in Orkney, have been shown to act in this way. Some animals are sensitive to these low frequency vibrations and may appear to "foresee" approaching storms and earthquakes. Elephants are known to use infrasound as a form of communication over long distances.

It is possible that any room with an open doorway or window can operate like a Helmhotz resonator, similar to blowing a column of air across an empty bottle. Subsonic sound can travel long distances, pass through walls and may be amplified in tunnel like structures. Standard hearing protection is of little use for subsonic sound as it often can pass straight through and may even be amplified. There have been links reported between supposedly haunted locations and the presence of infrasound, which is the reason paranormal investigators may monitor infrasound levels whenever possible.

The following text gives some insight into how sound levels including infrasound are represented (usually in pascals, micropascals or decibels) which may be of some assistance in interpreting the results of monitoring.

There is a huge variance in sound pressure ranging from the minimum that can be heard by the human ear, 20 μPa (micropascals), to the threshold of pain, 20 Pa (pascals). Because of this huge range a logarithmic scale is used to represent the sound pressure level (SPL). A reference of 20 μPa (micropascals) is commonly used, being the lowest level that can be heard by the human ear at a frequency of 1000 Hz. This is equal to .02 mPa (millipascals) or 0.00002 Pa (pascals). The unknown level is compared to the 20 μPa threshold which is given a value of 0 dB (decibels) and the resulting level is expressed in decibels (dB). Because the human ear perceives sound intensity differently depending on it’s frequency, weightings may also be applied in attempt to match what the human ear experiences. "A-weighted” levels are the most common used, although a “G-weighting” is perhaps more suitable for infrasound.
For comparison dB levels for some audible sounds are given below.
0-10dB Threshold of human hearing.
10-20dB Normal breathing, rustling leaves.
20-30dB Whispering at about 1.5 metres.
40-50dB Coffee maker, library, quiet office, quiet residential area.
50-60dB Dishwasher, electric shaver, office, rainfall, refrigerator, sewing machine.
60-70dB Air conditioner, alarm clock, background music, normal conversation, television.
70-80dB Coffee grinder, toilet flush, freeway traffic, hair dryer, vacuum cleaner.
80-90dB Blender, doorbell, heavy traffic, hand saw, lawn mower, ringing telephone, whistling kettle.
85dB Lower limit recommended for the wearing of hearing protection.
90-100dB Electric drill, shouted conversation, tractor, truck.
100-110dB Baby crying, boom box, factory machinery, motorcycle, subway train.
110-120dB Ambulance siren, car horn, leaf blower, walkman on high, power saw, shouting in the ear.
120-130dB Auto stereo, rock concert, chain saw, pneumatic drills, stock car races, thunder, power drill.
130-140dB Threshold of pain, air raid siren, jet airplane taking off, jackhammer.
150-160dB Artillery fire at 500 feet, balloon pop, cap gun.
160-170dB Fireworks, handgun, rifle.
170 -180dB Shotgun.

180 - 190dB Rocket launch, volcanic eruption.

Equipment 101

By investigator: Erik Biggs

Not ghost detectors. We’ll save the fact that:

#1. Ghosts have not been universally agreed upon in definition—ever.

#2. No one has ever discovered a scientific piece of equipment that can quantifiably detect ghosts (see #1).

We’ll be saving the above two painfully obvious facts and the myriad of implications all for numerous other editorials. Today we are looking at paranormal investigating equipment as a whole. This will undoubtedly cause us to touch on many other aspects such as investigation procedure, the scientific method, and specialized terminology to name a few. Perhaps the best place to start from with this paranormal investigating equipment topic, is your approach to the general paranormal field of study.

Anyone who is considering picking up a piece of equipment (and in my un-humble opinion nearly everyone who already has) should first ask themselves, “why?” Not that I think equipment is a bad idea. I feel for two reasons this questioning should take place. First and fairly off topic, everyone should self reflect as often as possible. Second, everything you do after you pick up that piece of equipment will be based upon your answer. You will be putting your time, money, and energies into investigating reports of paranormal phenomena. There are countless decisions that you will be making before, during, and after each investigation. As a result we should probably spend some time thinking about what you want to get out of your efforts.

If your answer to “why?” is “to find ghosts” put the equipment back down. I’m not going to lie to you. Not even if it means making a sale. I got into this business many years ago to help advance the understanding of our environment. I do no-one but my pocket book any good by letting you believe you are going to find ghosts by picking up a piece of equipment. It just isn’t that simple. That is to say for clarification sake, using equipment is not that simple, not the “finding ghosts” part (again well save berating the terminology and theory for other editorials, this is the last interruption I promise). So if you are not going to “find a ghost” with equipment then what is the goal?

What you may eventually accomplish with equipment is to compile enough verifiable data, taken under strict scientific protocol, that future investigators could use to help fill in the collective understanding of our environment. This understanding may lead to the discovery of some “thing” that fits closely to our current definition of ghosts or more accurately simply fits closely to our societal beliefs of what affects people perceive as the result of ghosts. Still with me? Let me say it another way, I believe in the possibility of anything however I live in the reality of what we know as truths right now. That reality, whether you subscribe to it or not, is one where ghosts are not a proven fact.

Indeed what is the goal, why are you doing this? Go ahead and ask yourself, right now, out-loud even…if no one is around. Well come back to this self reflection later.

So how exactly can we get answers by applying equipment during investigations? I mean, if we are not looking for a specific reading on our equipment that tells us there is a ghost, then what are we looking for? By using equipment we hope to monitor and document as many known variables in the environment as is possible with the available resources. Should we be left with any data not explained away by known causes, it remains as an anomaly. This anomaly in my opinion is deserving of further research and investigation. What the anomaly is will be very specific to each instance you find one. An anomaly that is, not ghost, not alien, not angel, not demon, not poltergeist, not…well hopefully you are getting the idea. Each specific anomaly should be researched and investigated. Only if new data can be found about the anomaly should their be a theory formed that would speculate the most plausible source of said anomaly. Not just data but quantifiable data, and not just a theory, but a testable theory based upon empirical facts.

That’s about it folks. I think that generally sums up the use of scientific equipment during investigations of reported paranormal phenomena. Just in case you don’t have your head completely around my approach, let me expand on the idea with examples.

For instance, what would we be using the equipment for if not to detect ghosts? Well for starters establishing a base line of environmental readings. This means allot of work and procedurally one I mean to go into greater detail on in a separate editorial. For now, we are talking about taking sample readings in marked and mapped portions of each room, say in a reported haunted house. Readings from every tool in your bag, from electromagnetic field to temperature. Not just taking the readings once and mapping them once. Just as with taking a survey or opinion poll, the more people you question the more telling your final answers may be. If you are able to take readings once every 30 minutes for 10 days, great. Even better would be leaving your equipment onsite, attached to a computer for real time data logging 24/7 for a few weeks before your investigation. Not just leave it onsite in a closet, but an electromagnetic field meter for each room. Not just some single axis light-up kid toy, but electromagnetic field meters capable of monitoring wide range, on all axis’s, DC and AC, something like an array of high-speed digital fluxgate magnetometers. The magnetometers I’m thinking of have a sample rate of 250 times per second, but more on those later. What else? To monitor as many variables as possible such as temperature, humidity, visible light, ultraviolet light, air ions, the list goes on and on. But I’m a realist and I’m really sure that’s not going to happen, at least not every time.

If you can actually get into a location, have the people cooperate with your plans and methods, you are more likely to be able to take readings once an hour from the time you show up until a few hours later when you leave. Still this is perhaps better than nothing, or at least better than the current popular alternative of walking around taking random readings, hoping to stumble into something only to have nothing to compare it back to. You can see with the procedurally heavy approach I prefer, why I feel that investigating reports of paranormal phenomena properly is a huge undertaking.

The paranormal industry has drastically changed in the last half decade. More than two decades ago my view was the more people in, the more likely something new would be discovered. I have slowly moved away from this stance as I have not experienced a marked increase in quality research and investigation. Though in the last two decades the number of people coming into the industry has been huge. In my opinion it seems that the influx of people has more than anything else muddied the waters. More poorly obtained and unqualified data has caused those researchers stringently looking through the growing cache of information to simply have to devote more resources to an otherwise straightforward task. Researching paranormal reports has become an increasingly unnecessarily complex task.

It has been my long term goal to work from an institute. I feel this would help clear the waters back up and allow those doing unbiased scientific work to shine through. An institute like ASPR, but without the apparent corruption and lack of passion. But hey that’s just how I see ASPR from the outside looking in. A properly functioning institute could become a much needed resource to the current fragmented community of investigators that now populates the field.

A resource that could guide and instruct investigators that lack the fundamental training. A funded institute would also be able to address another central shortcoming in the field—required resources. The required resources to properly investigate reports of paranormal phenomena seem to be chiefly time, money, and specific skill sets. An institute setting could help to address major issues currently plaguing an industry in dire need of guidance. My dream career would not be in front of a TV camera pretending to do investigations. I’ve been there and it is not for me. I would much rather remain behind the scenes, intrinsically involved in an institute acquiring and dispersing knowledge. But hey, that’s just my pipe dream.

As far as scientific equipment used to investigate reports of the paranormal, steady and slow seems to be the best approach for now. There are so many directions we could go with our theories. As a result of the aforementioned shortcomings in the paranormal field of study, we are missing the quality data necessary to formulate specific and accurate hypotheses. It is then, with these testable hypotheses in hand we could move forward with additionally focused experimental research and investigation. To perform that research and focused investigation we would then need more specific equipment and tools. With the new equipment would come the need for a certain level of specialized training. This training, for instance could come from just such an institute. The purpose of these new focused experiments should then be to learn. Do not fall into the all to often pit-fall of substantiating belief systems. Logical theories based upon quantifiable data are excellent, just always be open or prepared to find them in need of complete re-working.

Perhaps there are two main points to learn from. One point could be to substantiate our hypotheses with quantifiably empirical data attained through re-creatable experiments following strict scientific methods. The second, to disprove them through the same process. It is in either of these outcomes that lay advancement of understanding. For even when we disprove something, anything, we still hold the opportunity in it to learn.

What Ghosts are made of?

By investigator: Erik Biggs

We read a lot about ghosts and spirits in books, here on the internet, and even in stories we pass on to one another but have you ever wondered what a ghost is actually made of? First we must define what a ghost is before attempting to figure out what it’s composed of. The term ghost can be used to describe an imprint which is an unconscious apparition that is of people, animals, or objects from the past acting in the same ways as those real people, animals, and things did years ago. The term ghost can also be used to define the spirit or soul of a deceased person that has in some way made it’s presence known to the living.
Lets take a look at imprints first. Imprints are definitely not spirits because they are often of things that were never alive in the first place like ships, trains, and other inanimate things. Because it looks and acts just as the real thing did, it’s very possible that they are made up of energy that is stored in the location of the phenomena. What kind of energy you say? Many believe that they are made up of electromagnetic fields and possibly electrostatic charges. They take these forms because the locations somehow hold the memories of these incidents. It is believed that the reason why these events are recorded by certain places is because some are of very repetitive motions and others are very dramatic in nature. It is all in theory but it may be just what is happening.
What about the ghosts of the deceased? Well, a very popular theory is that they are made up of the natural electromagnetic energy that the human body has inside itself. This theory is popular because very often during ghost hunts in haunted places and other places of paranormal phenomena, EMF readings that are unexplainable and erratic are caught on EMF detectors. You may be wondering what else a ghost may be made up of besides EMFs. Well, one man thought that the human soul is made up of something that holds a little more weight. Duncan McDougall tried to prove that the human soul was actually made up of some kind of mass. He performed an experiment with five dying patients by weighing them before and after their death. He found that their bodies actually hat lost a couple of ounces after those patients had died. It seems that there may be more to the soul than just EMFs but what exactly is it? This we may not ever know.
The main reason we know so little about ghosts is because they are so difficult to study. Hauntings and most other paranormal phenomena occurs at unpredictable times and places. Even if we new when and where a ghost was to appear, it is very unlikely that the entity would be willing to cooperate. Hopefully in years to come we will understand the phenomena we call ghosts at a higher level. Are chances are better if we don’t stop looking for the answers.

When to Research

All investigators know that research is part of the job. You’ve got to know what you are looking for and how to deal with it once you have found it. The real question, when it comes to research, is WHEN to do it.

If you are simply ghost hunting, you need to do research in order to know where to go and when. But if you are on an investigation, then you need to do your research afterwards. Here are a few reasons why:

- When you visit a house you want to start off with a clean slate. You don’t want to let the stories about the home limit what you feel there. For instance, if you read that a little girl was killed in the home 100 years ago, you’ll subconsciously have that little girl in the back of your mind, and it will taint your investigation. This forces you to be true to your feelings, therefore being true to the homeowner.

- If you log every event and detail for later study, you can then compare those notes with what you find when researching the history of the home. Not only is your mind free of predeterminations but you get the satisfying reward of having your theories match closely with fact. This is a good way to determine how advanced your sensing capabilities are coming along.

- You may overlook additional paranormal events because your mind is closed to them and only open to the events you read about in your research. For instance, if you know a man died in a certain closet, you’ll probably focus your investigation in that closet rather than searching the entire home and finding one other room is WAY more active than the closet you had read about.

These are perfect reasons not to do research before hand. When investigating someone’s home, make sure to research a bit about their lives (without prying too much) so that you can determine if the problem is in their home or just with them, independantly of their home.

If you’re not sure this method is the best, give it a try. It has made all the difference in what I sense on a case and more than doubles the reward of an investigation when you find out that your theory was correct

Protective Blessing

This blessing is intentionally devoid of any religious affiliation, as it is our view that each individual must, at such times, draw upon his/her own faith or source of inner strength.

Upon entering the site of a paranormal investigation, particularly where a hostile entity has manifested, it is advisable for the participants of the investigation to initiate a protective, "psychic shield."

One brief method of doing this is to have the participants gather in a circle, perhaps touching hands, while one of them intones the following blessing, or words to this effect:

"As we enter this place where impressions of the past are trapped and associations linger, let us do so with the assurance that we are guarded by the Power which proceeds from forthright and peaceful intent. We envision a white radiance encircling us, fortifying us and protecting us from any harm or distraction in our purpose this day."

Keeping Emotions In Check

Keeping Emotions in Check

Being on a paranormal investigation can be very scary, very exciting, or very boring. No investigation will produce exactly the same emotions. However, a person’s feelings can directly affect the entire outcome of the investigation. This is why I suggest all team members always keep their emotions in check. Sometimes unusual emotions can come out without any realization, or rationalization. Sometimes they can be directly due to the nature of the investigation, but sometimes they can be directly due to the nature of the entity.

Panic is another emotion to keep in check. Everyone gets scared, and it’s justified. However, the reaction to the fear is what’s important. Although we all see the “Fear” based programs on cable TV, the worst thing you can do is let out a blood curdling scream in a suburban neighborhood at 2 AM. Especially when it was just the family cat that scared the screamer. It’s highly inappropriate at any time, and if someone is that scared of ghosts should they really be looking for them? Just imagine the reaction of the neighbors, the police, fire department and the client when a circus forms on the front of their front lawn all due to one investigator with unsteady nerves doing a bad rendition of Jamie Lee Curtis.

Finally, Sometimes a haunted area will produce unusual feelings simply due to the entity. Sometimes more sensitive people experience unusual feelings being in a haunted place. One time upon leaving a haunted location I felt irrational rage for no apparent reason. It took me two days to get over those feelings. They weren’t aimed at anyone or anything, but I was in an unusually terrible mood. I know two of the five ghosts in that house were quite hostile and angry in life, and I do believe somehow I picked up on that negative energy. Right after that investigation I was very sick with a major cold for about a week. Some professionals say the immune system is directly related to our emotions, so it’s very possible my sudden bad attitude triggered the bad cold. Fortunately I learned, although the hard way, to analyze my emotions more. I have also had people on my team experience extreme sadness with no rational explanation. Twice two different investigators nearly burst into tears with no apparent reason, once in a private home, and once in a battlefield. They just began to feel very sad.

A positive attitude is imperative in a paranormal investigation and if an investigator feels something negative in any way it’s important to let the team leader know exactly what’s going on. A pep talk, a breather or just a change of location may be needed to feel right again. If it lasts for more than a day contact the director, and a good director or founder should know what to do. Just remember if you don’t feel like yourself, there may be a “paranormal” reason.

Ghosts... Why Are They Here?

What exactly is a ghost?

Before you can understand what an entity consists of you need to understand a
bit about the human body of the living person. Everything you do, see, hear, taste, feel, etc. Is controlled by electrical impulses sent to your brain
from your body's different parts or from your brain to your different body parts.

For example... right now you are reading this webpage, an electrical impulse is
going from your eyes to your brain carrying the information your eyes are seeing. As you scroll down this page your brain is sending electrical impulses to your hand to move your mouse, etc...

When a person dies their individual systems shut down independently, your kidneys fail, then your respitory system shuts down, then your heart stops beating and finally your brain stops functioning. Since all these systems are controlled by electrical impulses the electricity has to go somewhere. It is a general law of physics that
energy can not be destroyed, so where does the energy go when your body shuts down? It is released into the atmosphere!

When a person dies a slow or natural death the energy is released more slowly and in a less concentrated state than if a person were to die a sudden or violent death. This is why I believe hospitals are not the most haunted places even though more deaths occur in them then anywhere else.

Another theory I have been tossing around for some time now is what makes certain locations more likely to have a ghost than others. I believe it all boils down to
electromagnetic fields trapping the energy that is released at time of death.

For example...Everyone has heard of at least one haunted theatre in the area they live. Theatres are huge electromagnetic fields, they have high voltage electrical systems in them to support the sound and lighting equipment that is used for their shows. Theatres used to be very dangerous places to work at one time, it was very easy to have a lighting rig fall down on someone and kill them, it was also easy for someone to fall from a catwalk that is high above the stage. The ingredients were all
there for a sudden and violent death. When that occurred from time to time the energy that was released from the victim's body was trapped by the much stronger electromagnetic field and you now have a ghost.

One of the tools we use for paranormal research is an EMF meter. These meters are designed to measure changes in electromagnetic energy. Many times while investigating a haunting we have discovered very high levels of electromagnetic energy present. Alot of times this is caused by high voltage electrical systems or by old wiring. Both will create an electromagnetic field.

There is a strong possibility that despite the theories of some other researchers it is not the ghost that causes the electromagnetic energy, it is the electromagnetic
energy that causes the ghost.

What is a ghost?

Question: What is a ghost?

Answer: A ghost - or spirit or apparition - is the energy, soul or personality of a person who has died and has somehow gotten stuck between this plane of existence and the next. Most researchers believe that these spirits do not know they are dead. Very often they have died under traumatic, unusual or highly emotional circumstances. Ghosts can be perceived by the living in a number of ways: through sight (apparitions), sound (voices), smell (frangrances and odors), touch - and sometimes they can just be sensed.

The Intellegent Haunting

this style of haunting the entity or entities are aware of their surroundings. Most of the time you will find that these spirits are not confined to one spot, they can move around freely. Also, they will acknowledge the existence of human beings and even try to communicate in certain ways.

They are limited in what they can do. Most of the time they only move very light objects but they have been known to move objects up to around 10lbs. They are looking for people to notice them but they end up scaring people a great deal instead.

Usually, between the hours of 11pm and 4am are the times that the entities can more efficiently manifest themselves, due to this time period being the darkest hours of the night. Most of the time are not strong enough to show themselves during the daylight because it takes too much energy to make themselves visible. Think of it like this, if you were to turn on a flashlight during the daytime you would hardly notice the light, but if you were to turn it on in the dead of night, the light would be clearly visible. This is how spirits work as well. If they use too much energy during the day they will be too weak to show themselves at night.

These spirits can be benevolent or mischievous, depending on the reason that they are haunting a location, and there are several reasons. They may be haunting it because it was once their home and they want you to leave. They may be there because they’ve found that a child is able to see them so they feel noticed and are willing to stay around for this fact. There may be some kind of artifact that they are staying with and following due to some emotional bond with it. They also may be looking for something or someone. They may even not be willing to except that they have died. Whatever the reason may be, they are there and they do not want to leave.

Now comes the hard part, ridding a house of them. They are not inhuman entities which we will get to, so religious provocation will not be effective to rid the area they are in. You are, as they are, limited to what you can do.

The Demonic Haunt

They are usually very easy to identify as long as they are not hiding. When it is a demonic haunting you typically notice a revolting stench similar to rotted flesh or sulfuric acid. They often let loose a growl that sounds like it is coming from everywhere at once. They like to make contact by pushing, shoving, hitting, and even scratching. The whole air in the affected area will feel thick like fog and the temperature will drastically change, typically becoming warmer.

These creatures are very strong, unlike human spirits, and they don’t mind showing it. There have been cases where people have been thrown through the air and even attacked. Apparently, their main goal is to break down a person’s free will in order to make way for possession. This can take days, months or years, but time is of no concern to them.

They have a hatred for mankind that dates back to the days of God and Lucifer. They have lived for millennia and will be here long after we are gone. So, you must understand that though you may be able to get these creatures to leave a dwelling with religious provocation you will never destroy them. They could go to the next place down the road if they choose, most likely they won’t because distance is not a problem for these creatures. They could go from Maine to California on a thought.

They can take on any form they wish, but mostly commonly it is a half man, half animal form. They will have the head of an animal, the torso of a man, and the hairy legs of an animal. When they are approached by an investigating paranormal team they may feel threatened and appear in a human form to keep the home from being blessed and stop the use of religious provocation.

During an investigation you need assess the situation more by what happened before you arrived than what is actually going on during the time you are there. Demons are capable of changing form right in front of you from a human form to an inhuman form. They neither male nor female, but then can change that to meet their needs. People mostly see demons as black masses standing in doorways or near rooms. Sometimes they are called shadow devils.

If you feel like you have a demon in your home I would recommend getting help from a well known paranormal group as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence when dealing with these creatures

The Poltergeist

Poltergeist: is from a German word meaning noisy spirits. Reports of poltergeists date back to Ancient Roman times.

The activity that takes place will start of with knocks and bangs, furniture starting to move around by itself. Then, the activity will become more intense, manifesting itself through voices and even the appearance of full apparitions. Furniture may slide across the room and beds may shake. Many shows are based on this is a style of haunting because it tends to be the most terrifying and rarest type of haunting that occurs.

Most of the time, in the case of a poltergeist, the haunting circles around a female in her teen years. Some of these cases seem to be caused by the female unknowingly controlling the energy around herself. Some cases happen around people that are stable and in the right mind space.

This haunting is hard to classify due to certain situations. No two are ever really the same. Most of the time you will find that one person in the household seems to be more affected by the haunting than anyone else. It may seem that most of the activity doesn't happen unless that certain person is present. Usually, the activity appears to stop when that person leaves the home. The majority of the time poltergeists are experienced by several people, but again they seem to center around one certain person. This person may be highly stressed as of late or maybe this person has gone through some type of extreme emotional situation. If this is the case, see that the individual involved gets some medical care, and soon afterwards the poltergeist will subside.

When it is not the teenager that is manifesting activity there are usually several spirits in the area. The spirits appear to pool their energy together in order to become strong enough to move larger objects and make more noises. In order to remedy the situation, you need to find the root of their anger so that they can pass over and leave you in peace. On most poltergeist cases they will disappear with out any warning, just as they appeared. Certain times it may stop within a few days, other times it may take years. You may never know the reason that it happened. Most people are just happy to see it go and that's enough for them.

By understanding why it was there in the first place helps you to understand how to keep it from ever coming back again. Knowledge is the key in protecting yourself in this world.