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.