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.