Need ideas for fooling ghost hunters FAST

[BruceDoh]

A local ghost hunters' group will be making an outing to a nearby cemetery to investigate some reported paranormal activity (they are very vague on what has been reported. All I know is this has something to do with the ghost of some piper). This is going to happen tomorrow night, so I need some ideas/illusions that I can use to fool them, after which I will send them a message explaining how simple each of the pranks was, had they used some critical thinking.

Based on what we have seen on google earth, the location consists of a large rectangular cemetery surrounded by a thin wall of trees, and subdivided into four quadrants by 2 more thin walls of trees. The center area provides a lot of cover from the looks of it. We will be visiting the used clothing store later to find an old "piper" costume, and we will visit the cemetery tonight at 8PM (the same time the ghost hunters are supposed to arrive) for recon.

So far our ideas include leaving strange scents before they arrive, playing faint recorder music, dressing up in old clothing and walking in the distance, and perhaps making other strange noises.

Other suggestions would be appreciated, as we have never done anything like this before, and I know there are a lot of illusionists here on the forums, so I'm hoping for some awesome ideas :)

Cheers

[Denver]

Do you know anything about the group? There are groups that are pretty skeptical, and if they don't find anything, will not be afraid to say so. And there are other groups that won't need you to fool them: they'll be happy to do that to themselves.

I think you should just leave them alone, and see what they find, and then debate their results as appropriate.

[Freethinker]

Less is more. Take a cigar and light it. Put it in a can so they can't see the glow. Stand upwind far enough away that they'll catch a whiff, but not so close that they can locate the source and blow into the end to emit smoke.

If you know of something they will touch, try to cool it down with ice before they arrive. They are fooled by the most trivial things, so keep it simple. If they walk up to a stone and it's colder than the one next to it, they will be taken in completely.

[madurobob]

If you know of something they will touch, try to cool it down with ice before they arrive. They are fooled by the most trivial things, so keep it simple. If they walk up to a stone and it's colder than the one next to it, they will be taken in completely.

Perhaps even easier, simply dump a couple of bags of ice in a concealed location inside the cemetery - say under a bush near a path they will walk on. If credulous, they will feel the cold air and attribute it to the supernatural.

[Kochanski]

I am with Freethinker, if they are going expecting to find ghosts then small things will be interpreted as ghost activity. A slight breeze, a cold spot, a wet spot, a flash of light in the distance, a weird noise (does not even have to be music, just a tone). The cigar is a good one. Even a simple snap of twig or crunch of leaves will do, just take care that any movement you do is not heard.

As long as you can get there earlier than they do, check out the light levels, if the place is well lit, you will not have an easy time creating any sort of illusion. The dark is your biggest friend, apart from keeping you hidden, people can not judge distance or direction as well in the dark.

[BruceDoh]

Do you know anything about the group? There are groups that are pretty skeptical, and if they don't find anything, will not be afraid to say so. And there are other groups that won't need you to fool them: they'll be happy to do that to themselves.

I think you should just leave them alone, and see what they find, and then debate their results as appropriate.

I have read articles in the newspaper about this group, and my brother is subscribed to their e-mail list, so we have seen some of the outlandish claims they make. Several members of the group believe that "Orbs" (dust close to the flash) viewed in photographs are spirits.

Besides the fact that this will be fun as hell, it also seems like the easiest way to point out the flaws in their reasoning. It is much easier to debate them afterwards if I am the one responsible for their horribly misconstrued sightings ;)

[gelatin]

I'd say just leave them alone. As stupid as you make them look, you're just gonna make yourself look like that much of an *******.

[Senex]

Just don't get caught for trespassing.

[fuelair]

A local ghost hunters' group will be making an outing to a nearby cemetery to investigate some reported paranormal activity (they are very vague on what has been reported. All I know is this has something to do with the ghost of some piper). This is going to happen tomorrow night, so I need some ideas/illusions that I can use to fool them, after which I will send them a message explaining how simple each of the pranks was, had they used some critical thinking.

Based on what we have seen on google earth, the location consists of a large rectangular cemetery surrounded by a thin wall of trees, and subdivided into four quadrants by 2 more thin walls of trees. The center area provides a lot of cover from the looks of it. We will be visiting the used clothing store later to find an old "piper" costume, and we will visit the cemetery tonight at 8PM (the same time the ghost hunters are supposed to arrive) for recon.

So far our ideas include leaving strange scents before they arrive, playing faint recorder music, dressing up in old clothing and walking in the distance, and perhaps making other strange noises.

Other suggestions would be appreciated, as we have never done anything like this before, and I know there are a lot of illusionists here on the forums, so I'm hoping for some awesome ideas :)

Cheers
Heather scent or Haggis scent or both would be great for that end of things. Really well placed/hidden speakers with faint piping would help.

[Soapy Sam]

I'm struggling to decide who is being sillier here. Them or you.

My advice is to go for a beer and forget this.

If you must go, then go , but be quiet and polite. Ask what they are doing and why they think it would reveal anything. Take photos if light levels permit.
Be rational, sceptical, objective.
Don't act like kids.

[BruceDoh]

I'm struggling to decide who is being sillier here. Them or you.

My advice is to go for a beer and forget this.

If you must go, then go , but be quiet and polite. Ask what they are doing and why they think it would reveal anything. Take photos if light levels permit.
Be rational, sceptical, objective.
Don't act like kids.

Thanks for all the good suggestions, and a huuuge thanks to the morality brigade!

[Soapy Sam]

Thanks for all the good suggestions, and a huuuge thanks to the morality brigade!

What do you hope to achieve?

[Goshawk]

It's just that the odds of you getting caught while you're still setting them up are high, and then you are the one who looks silly--running around a cemetary dressed up like Pumpkinhead, lugging bags of ice, trying to blow puffs of cigar smoke in their general direction against the wind. People who perpetrate elaborate practical jokes only look good afterwards if the joke goes off as planned, but if they get caught while they're still setting it up, they can only stand there looking sheepish with the bucket of flour and rope in their hands, trying unsuccessfully to laugh it off.

It's not a "morality" issue--it's a "we don't want you to embarrass yourself" issue. ;)

And you can't win anyway: even if you put bags of ice around, and they detect "chill zones", and you pop up out of a trapdoor afterwards and go, "Ha ha! Those chill zones were all where I put bags of ice previously!", they'll all say, "Ah ha! For some reason, the ectoplasmic presences chose to manifest themselves where you put ice!"

Stay home. Save your evening.

[BruceDoh]

What do you hope to achieve?

I want to have fun at the expense others.

(In much the same sense a young child would)

[Rufo]

While the "less is more" approach is a very good one when it comes to convincing people that something supernatural is going on - remember that the more of it that's in their head, the less you will be able to refute.

The reason why the approach is effective is that once you get the ball rolling, their mind will do the rest of the work for you, and with the right expectations and ideas - which they most likely have - that can be quite a lot. And if you then come to them and tell them that that was all cigar smoke and ice, there's no way they'll buy that, because their minds will already have taken the hint and created things which you have no way of refuting. If you're a mentalist or psychic entertainer, this is great. If you're attempting to get a group of superstitious people thinking, it's not.

Goshawk is right, you can't win. If you want to entertain yourself, that's up to you, but don't think you are going to do a good deed. If your goal is to get them thinking, then Sam's advice is the way to go.

[Soapy Sam]

Well, that's fine, but a bit... childish?

Check the exits- especially if its a municipal cemetery. They tend to lock them after dark. Keeps the ghosties in and the junkies out. I've known people get locked in because they hid from the parkie. Funny as hell for a while, but gets cold around 2 am and the police are not amused by emergency calls from beyond the grave.
Seriously, this is very old hat. Go for a pint and let the eedjits alone, is my honest advice. You won't amuse them, impress them or change their minds. Been there. Done that. Thirty-odd years ago.

Where is this anyway? Oh- and go to the toilet first. You wouldn't believe how many amusing ploys go wrong because you're bursting for a pee and the victims are late because they're still in the pub.

[Madalch]

Mostly I agree with the ones who say, "Leave 'em alone- it's a waste of time."

But I'll also suggest a helium balloon in a white grocery bag.

[Locknar]

I want to have fun at the expense others.

(In much the same sense a young child would)If you want to be dishonest "to have fun at the expense [of] others" knock yourself out. Just don't do it thinking you are helping the skeptical argument, because you're not.

[X]

Hide behind a tree, jump out, and yell "BOO!"

Nothing wrong with a harmless practical joke (harmless in hopes nobody has a heart attack and they all have a sense of humor).
I wouldn't try to disrupt their activities, though.

[JoeEllison]

Tell them you saw a ghost... they fall for that one EVERY time!

[Miss Whiplash]

As a big prankster myself, let me impart some wisdom: There is beauty in simplicity.

An effective spook that will dumbfound the ghost hunters can be made simply with everyday objects.

Demon effect recipe

Two yardsticks (or similar wood)
Two red reflectors
One oatmeal box or large can
One string
Flashlight

Make a "T" shaped cross with the two yardsticks. Afix the red reflectors on the horizontal piece of wood near the center. Place them about a foot apart.

With the oatmeal box and string, make a "moo cow." Make a small hole in the end of the oatmeal box. Knot one end of the string and pass the free end through the hole. The string should now be inside the oatmeal box. Wet the string.

When the ghost hunters are near, have someone shine a small flashlight on the reflectors. At the same time have someone pull the wet string in the oatmeal box. The "moo cow" will make a moaning sound. If all goes well, the ghost hunters will see a set of demon eyes and hear an inexplicable noise. Watch for rapidly departing ghost hunters.

Pulling pranks on the ghost hunters may not open up scholarly debate with skeptics. However, when people find they've been had, sometimes they rethink their credulity.

[tkingdoll]

You won't prove anything to them, and you'll make no point about critical thinking whatsoever. The reason for that is, they are investigating reports of occurrences where no practical joker exists. So all you're doing is adding a false alternate theory. Take away 'deliberately done by prankster' and you're back to paranormal explanations.

See, people experience weird stuff all the time. You want to make the point that it *could* be a cigar rather than spirits, but in order to make that point, you have to actually put a cigar in the scenario in such a way that it looks ghostly, on purpose. What does that say about the paranormal experiences people claim to have, where no pranksters were present? Nothing at all.

If you want to play a practical joke on people whose opinions you disagree with, just be up front about your motives. But don't pretend you're making any grand point about critical thinking, because you're not.

[devnull]

What do you hope to achieve?

LULZ obviously!

sheeesh

[Soapy Sam]

I had to Google that.

[I Am He]

Why do these so called Ghost Hunters always go to Cemeteries?? After all how many people actually die in there?? Are not 'Spooks' suppose to be found in places where they die?


I Am He

[Soapy Sam]

If you start thinking about this stuff logically, you are going to have problems.
Let's just be grateful ghosthunters don't hang around operating theatres.

[Beerina]

Less is more. Take a cigar and light it. Put it in a can so they can't see the glow. Stand upwind far enough away that they'll catch a whiff, but not so close that they can locate the source and blow into the end to emit smoke.

If you know of something they will touch, try to cool it down with ice before they arrive. They are fooled by the most trivial things, so keep it simple. If they walk up to a stone and it's colder than the one next to it, they will be taken in completely.

Also, make sure you don't step on the toes of their own plants who are doing the same kind of things. You'll both be embarassed. :o

[alfaniner]

Hide a pager, set to vibrate. Then surreptitiously call it when they are near.

[Starthinker]

Dress up in your Sunday best. While they are there, just walk up and introduce yourself using a name from a remote stone. Engage them in conversation. Say your name a couple of times. Leave. Have a friend walk up after you've left and also engage them in conversation. Have him act surprised that ghost hunters are there and then relate the story of the ghost of so-and-so who gets up and walks around sometimes. Say he can't remember his name but the stone is right over there. Like, OMG, that's the guy they talked to! They met a ghost and didn't know it!

[fuelair]

I want to have fun at the expense others.

(In much the same sense a young child would)

Well said young padawan. But, if you wish to reach the heights of the field you would be well advised to study the Art with it's true Master through His Holy Writ of Wit: our Supreme and Most Practical of Jesters, the Honorable (D.I.S.) H. Allen Smith and His Finest, Fairist Tome of True Knowledge and Japery: The Complete Practical Joker. Available at finer used book sellers and Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/compleat-practical-joker-Allen-Smith/dp/B0007H7LJ4/ref=ed_oe_o

[MostlyHarmless]

I would park on the far side of the cemetery and play piper music on my stereo. When the ghost hunters run up, cameras running, say you like the oldies.

[Denver]

Though I recommended against fooling with these people in the first reply to this thread, here is one thing that could be good to do and I'd be ok with. Contact them before they begin, and let them know you have heard that someone is considering planting fake evidence or otherwise trying to show their "evidence" is easily misinterpreted.

Which is true.

Then do nothing.

Which is fair.

They'll at least be on their toes like they've never been before, and may even more deeply question their methodologies throughout the evening, and could learn something from the experience.

[MageLite]

What's wrong with just dressing up in black and running through the woods with a white paper sheet on a stick?

[petra10]

Ok then so what happened?


Did you frighten them?

[osmosis]

whatever happened to the good old days of white sheets with eyeholes..?

[fuelair]

whatever happened to the good old days of white sheets with eyeholes..?
Makes you look too much like Ku Klucks Kancers (or whatever - racist slimeballs anyway).

[BruceDoh]

Ok then so what happened?


Did you frighten them?

Well, we got out there for an enjoyable game of catch in the baseball diamond adjacent to the cemetery. After that, we had a pizza party while waiting for darkness to set in. As it just began to get dark, we sneaked around the perimeter, getting a feel for the missions to come. As it was finally dark, we started to make our way into the cemetery using gravestones as cover, only to hear car doors slamming and people leaving. We went and watched a bit more of the baseball game before leaving.

Short version: Paranormal investigators are scared of the dark.

[mayday]

So far our ideas include leaving strange scents before they arrive, playing faint recorder music, dressing up in old clothing and walking in the distance, and perhaps making other strange noises.

Other suggestions would be appreciated, as we have never done anything like this before, and I know there are a lot of illusionists here on the forums, so I'm hoping for some awesome ideas :)

Cheers

Like the jerkwads who fake results of their ghost hunts or fake mystical powers, why would you be any more upstanding to do the same to people who are legitimately doing research?

Don't do it. It isn't funny or cute.

[mayday]

Well, we got out there for an enjoyable game of catch in the baseball diamond adjacent to the cemetery. After that, we had a pizza party while waiting for darkness to set in. As it just began to get dark, we sneaked around the perimeter, getting a feel for the missions to come. As it was finally dark, we started to make our way into the cemetery using gravestones as cover, only to hear car doors slamming and people leaving. We went and watched a bit more of the baseball game before leaving.

Short version: Paranormal investigators are scared of the dark.

Ok, that does it. PHONY THREAD. None of this happened.

[TX50]

whatever happened to the good old days of white sheets with eyeholes..?

If it's the ghost of a piper then it'd need a "mouthhole"
too so he can blow his pipe. :)

[tiger]

A local ghost hunters' group will be making an outing to a nearby cemetery to investigate some reported paranormal activity (they are very vague on what has been reported. All I know is this has something to do with the ghost of some piper). This is going to happen tomorrow night, so I need some ideas/illusions that I can use to fool them, after which I will send them a message explaining how simple each of the pranks was, had they used some critical thinking.

Based on what we have seen on google earth, the location consists of a large rectangular cemetery surrounded by a thin wall of trees, and subdivided into four quadrants by 2 more thin walls of trees. The center area provides a lot of cover from the looks of it. We will be visiting the used clothing store later to find an old "piper" costume, and we will visit the cemetery tonight at 8PM (the same time the ghost hunters are supposed to arrive) for recon.

So far our ideas include leaving strange scents before they arrive, playing faint recorder music, dressing up in old clothing and walking in the distance, and perhaps making other strange noises.


Other suggestions would be appreciated, as we have never done anything like this before, and I know there are a lot of illusionists here on the forums, so I'm hoping for some awesome ideas :)

Cheers

Throw some dirt in the air everytime they take a picture so they can yell ORB.

Throw rocks out in the cemetary has they walk by since every noise they hear during an investigation is considered PARANORMAL!

In the distance turn on a small flashlight and do this 2 or 3 times then don't do it again!

If they leave a digital recorder out somewhere whisper into it softly!

If they leave a video camera out have a friend pause it then step into the frame let it run a couple seconds and pause it again and step out of the view of the camera and have your friend unpause the camera then leave. Using some water and dry ice will have a nice affect during this. But don't let you face be seen use a cloak or robe.

Place some perfume on bushes or on trees and some headstones!

Just walk by a area in a distance with a escape route and you become a shadow spirit!