How can I debunk ghost evidence?

[burmballgeetar]

Fairly recently I ran into an old friend from high school. Over the years we've gone in different directions and he ended up as a "Paranormal Researcher". I expressed an interest in tagging along with him because he had some great stories and it seemed to be a good time. In the near future we will be going to a local police station that was supposedly built on a Native American burial ground. They have had several officers leave after seeing apparitions, having funny feelings, etc.

Once we actually do this I would like to be prepared to dismiss most of the "evidence". What are the normal, every day explanations for things that get passed off as "evidence of the paranormal"?

[Telaynay's G'son]

You might ask DW (MABRC) as this was (allegedly) his specialty before getting into the BF gig.

[Starthinker]

In the near future we will be going to a local police station that was supposedly built on a Native American burial ground. They have had several officers leave after seeing apparitions, having funny feelings, etc.


This screams fake to me. I'll bet anything they can't/won't identify one person that would say they left because they saw an apparition.

[Denver]

I don't think it's good to go in with an attitude of "dismissing the evidence".

Use the scientific method. Make good observations. Develop theories and test them. Understand what the equipment you are using really does. Look for areas of subjectivity and try to eliminate them. Encourage participation by skeptics and scientists.

In this area, I think a lot of what needs to be reexamined are all the assumptions constantly being made. Calling a noise a footstep implies there are feet. Invisible feet implies a ghost. But, just because something sounds like a footstep doesn't mean it was a footstep.

[MRC_Hans]

I don't think it's good to go in with an attitude of "dismissing the evidence".

Use the scientific method. Make good observations. Develop theories and test them. Understand what the equipment you are using really does. Look for areas of subjectivity and try to eliminate them. Encourage participation by skeptics and scientists.

In this area, I think a lot of what needs to be reexamined are all the assumptions constantly being made. Calling a noise a footstep implies there are feet. Invisible feet implies a ghost. But, just because something sounds like a footstep doesn't mean it was a footstep.

Exactly! And calling a shadow in a photo an 'apparition' or an anomaly.

Hans

[wvbig]

Fairly recently I ran into an old friend from high school. Over the years we've gone in different directions and he ended up as a "Paranormal Researcher". I expressed an interest in tagging along with him because he had some great stories and it seemed to be a good time. In the near future we will be going to a local police station that was supposedly built on a Native American burial ground. They have had several officers leave after seeing apparitions, having funny feelings, etc.

Once we actually do this I would like to be prepared to dismiss most of the "evidence". What are the normal, every day explanations for things that get passed off as "evidence of the paranormal"?

Logical explanations for these things might be high electromagnetic fields from fuse & breaker boxes, wiring, etc... & Carbon Monoxide poisoning. So if you could get your hands on an EMF detector & a carbon monoxide detector, you should be able to check for these logical explanations

[wvbig]

I don't think it's good to go in with an attitude of "dismissing the evidence".

Use the scientific method. Make good observations. Develop theories and test them. Understand what the equipment you are using really does. Look for areas of subjectivity and try to eliminate them. Encourage participation by skeptics and scientists.

In this area, I think a lot of what needs to be reexamined are all the assumptions constantly being made. Calling a noise a footstep implies there are feet. Invisible feet implies a ghost. But, just because something sounds like a footstep doesn't mean it was a footstep.

Being skeptical is at the heart of the scientific process. You have to assume there are logical explanations & then test for them

[cj.23]

Once we actually do this I would like to be prepared to dismiss most of the "evidence". What are the normal, every day explanations for things that get passed off as "evidence of the paranormal"?

Why? :) If it's evidence why not just evaluate it? You have evidence that people believe the place is haunted, and have experiences there. You don't want to dismiss it - you want to record it VERY carefully, get written statements, then set about developing a theoretical base to explain the experiences. :)

Once you have collected your evidence, without preconceptions, you can then try to find a reason for each individual claim. Usually with ghost stories the problem is the "ghost conclusion" is greater than the sum of the parts.

Try to work out how e story developed, chronologically. Who first mentioned ghosts?

The crucial question is - is any of it veridical? Dis any of the experiences actually relate to facts or convey information NOT known tot he parties at the time.

I'll happily help if you want. I'll see what I can dig out, think a chapter of one of my books may be relevant. Good luck and have fun!

cj x

[cj.23]

I popped some absolute basics on my website here --
http://jerome23.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/how-to-investigate-a-ghost-part-one/

I'll update it with a more detailed part 2 later. There are several other related articles in the Paranormal section of my blog.

Here are the SPR guidelines for investigators
http://www.spr.ac.uk/expcms/index.php?section=22

Well worth reading!

have fun!
cj x

[Ernie M]

Don't be fooled by the commonly-used "oh, it's on a Native American burial ground so the place is haunted" shtick.

There was an investigation by the GREATER PITTSBURGH PARANORMAL SOCIETY of a supposedly haunted police station in Homestead, Pennsylvania.

Here are some background news links for reference:

Hauntings Investigated At Homestead Police Department (http://www.wpxi.com/news/15773663/detail.html)
WPXI.com Article and short video.

Who you gonna call? (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08094/870035-55.stm)

Group finds evidence Homestead police station is haunted (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08107/873860-100.stm#)

Pittsburgh Ghost Hunters Think Homestead Cop Shop's Haunted
(http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15908279/detail.html?rss=pit&psp=news)WTAE*TV 4 Article and video.

I spoke with Tonya Boff, founder of the Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society. It was the Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society which was called in to investigate possible paranormal activity at the Homestead Police Station.

At the end of the GPPS investigation, Tonya (believed) concluded there was some paranormal activity in the form of a residual haunting. She and her team did find some logical, rational explanations for some of the other alleged events. Personally, I agree with the logical, rational explanations, and do not believe in a residual haunting.

Two logical, rational, explanations of "haunted" events:

First: PHANTOM TYPIST
What produced the effect of phantom typing on the electric typewriter? Tonya said the “typing” was due to a malfunction, caused by a stuck (backspace) key, or keys. Tonya noted that the typewriter wasn’t being used because it was old and broken, but for some reason, it was left sitting out.

Second: BOILER ROOM DOOR SLAMS SHUT
Some people may believe that ghosts or spirits cause the Boiler Room door to slam shut. However, Tonya’s investigation revealed that the Boiler Room door slams shut because of natural air movement which causes blowback and suction.

My independent evaluation of a supposedly self-starting/running broken street sweeper:

BROKEN STREET SWEEPER RUNS ON IT OWN
The machine that was supposedly found running on it’s own accord, without a key or battery, is a gasoline-powered version of a Walk-behind Street Sweeper, Model #6080 manufactured by the Tennant Company. It sat at the Homestead Boro Building. It was not a snowplow as erroneously mentioned in some other reports.

This is what I’ve found out on my own. That version of the street sweeper needs a battery as an ignition source in order to run, and requires a key to start it. In addition, there is a Dead Man switch, similar to that on modern lawnmowers, which must be depressed to keep the engine running. If the Dead Man switch is not held closed, the sweeper’s engine will shut off.

So, you need gasoline, a battery, a key, and to hold down the Dead Man switch to make the sweeper engine run. If you are still trying to decide if the street sweeper was running because it was haunted, maybe this will help. I called the Tennant Company who made the street sweeper in question, and the Service Technician I spoke with never heard about one of their street sweepers starting and running all by itself, without a battery or key.

[bryan]

Being in the field of “Paranormal research” myself, I can tell you that there are several things that you need to look for.

The “Indian burial ground” line is one of the most common ways to prove that a place is haunted. Unfortunately the use of Indians to make claims more credible has been well documented.

Any group that claims that they have “Evidence” should also be questioned. Because by definition evidence is “that which tends to prove or disprove something” and we do not have any proof of ghosts we cannot have evidence only data that we have collected.

Psychics are another favorite in the paranormal world. Once again they are trying to prove something with an unproven tool. If you see the words felt & feel in any of the reports you need to question the validity of the data.

The suggestion of EMF meters and a carbon monoxide detectors are a good start but when you are using any type of specialized equipment like an EMF meter you need the proper training. There are several types of EMF meter and different ways to use them to get accurate readings. Remember that people in this field are using this equipment as “Ghost finding tools” and the majority of them have obtained their education in investigation techniques and scientific methods by watching tv.

Also watch out for anyone claiming that they have ghost photos. There have never been any documented cases of a ghost on film or any other recording medium.

If you want to have fun with the typical ghost hunting/paranormal group just mention the word skeptic and watch them panic.

The advice that I would offer is to go in with a skeptical mind and offer constructive criticism for the “evidence” that is offered to you.


Thanks,
Bryan
Rocky Mountain Paranormal

[Autolite]

How can I debunk ghost evidence?

The first, and most important, step is to determine whether or not the 'believer' is capable of acknowledging reality. If so, then it's pretty much a piece of cake after that.

If not, then it's a waste of time...

[cj.23]

How can I debunk ghost evidence?

The first, and most important, step is to determine whether or not the 'believer' is capable of acknowledging reality. If so, then it's pretty much a piece of cake after that.

If not, then it's a waste of time...

How do you think we construct reality? Do you believe that anyone is capable of directly perceiving "objective reality"? Given that most of our thought processes appear to me to be linguistically constructed, can we hope to escape from a socially constructed reality? Note I'm not at all a relativist - I'm actually a believer in a hard objective reality. I just don't think given our brain architecture which evolved for adaptive advantage not necessarily "spotting truth" any of us believer, or sceptic, is ever in a position of an objective witness. We can only note our ideological baggage, and attempt to make sense of it as openly as possible... I guess reading Garfinkel and the ethnomethodologists did that to me though. You may well disagree, and I'm often wrong. :)

I think the important capacity is the capacity not to make the witness believe or disbelieve in line with ones own prejudices, but the capacity some humans seem to lack to change their opinion based upon new evidence. Nothing more, nothing less. Dogmatism is more of a problem than woo in my experience - and woo types can be INCREDIBLY dogmatic! (and so can some sceptics!)

cj x

[wvbig]

Being in the field of “Paranormal research” myself, I can tell you that there are several things that you need to look for.

The “Indian burial ground” line is one of the most common ways to prove that a place is haunted. Unfortunately the use of Indians to make claims more credible has been well documented.

Any group that claims that they have “Evidence” should also be questioned. Because by definition evidence is “that which tends to prove or disprove something” and we do not have any proof of ghosts we cannot have evidence only data that we have collected.

Psychics are another favorite in the paranormal world. Once again they are trying to prove something with an unproven tool. If you see the words felt & feel in any of the reports you need to question the validity of the data.

The suggestion of EMF meters and a carbon monoxide detectors are a good start but when you are using any type of specialized equipment like an EMF meter you need the proper training. There are several types of EMF meter and different ways to use them to get accurate readings. Remember that people in this field are using this equipment as “Ghost finding tools” and the majority of them have obtained their education in investigation techniques and scientific methods by watching tv.

Also watch out for anyone claiming that they have ghost photos. There have never been any documented cases of a ghost on film or any other recording medium.

If you want to have fun with the typical ghost hunting/paranormal group just mention the word skeptic and watch them panic.

The advice that I would offer is to go in with a skeptical mind and offer constructive criticism for the “evidence” that is offered to you.


Thanks,
Bryan
Rocky Mountain Paranormal

Don't EMF detectors come with instruction manuals?

[bryan]

Hello...

Yes EMF detectors come with instructions but so does any piece of equipment.
First you need to learn about the different types of EMF and the different meters. some are built to read manmade EMF's (that is the kind commonly used by "Ghost hunters") some can read natural EMF's. And if you have actually seen the instructions that come with these things it is amazing. The manuals are 1 page with little to no information.
I attended a week long class on EMF's theory and surveys and still don't have all of the information about the use of all of the meters.

An example that I use is people in the field that use a still camera. They assume that setting the camera in automatic and pushing the button makes them a photographer.
The worst part of this is that they have read the instructions that came with the camera and assume that they know everything at that point.
If that is the case why would a professional photographer require more training than that? (I went to school for 3 years for photography and am still learning)

The problem with most of the equipment is that the majority of the paranormal groups assume that it has some sort of magic power that will allow them to record something that is unseen or not heard while they were making the recording.

The truth is you need to know how to use equipment for any type of data collection.

Thanks,
Bryan

[wvbig]

Hello...

Yes EMF detectors come with instructions but so does any piece of equipment.
First you need to learn about the different types of EMF and the different meters. some are built to read manmade EMF's (that is the kind commonly used by "Ghost hunters") some can read natural EMF's. And if you have actually seen the instructions that come with these things it is amazing. The manuals are 1 page with little to no information.
I attended a week long class on EMF's theory and surveys and still don't have all of the information about the use of all of the meters.

An example that I use is people in the field that use a still camera. They assume that setting the camera in automatic and pushing the button makes them a photographer.
The worst part of this is that they have read the instructions that came with the camera and assume that they know everything at that point.
If that is the case why would a professional photographer require more training than that? (I went to school for 3 years for photography and am still learning)

The problem with most of the equipment is that the majority of the paranormal groups assume that it has some sort of magic power that will allow them to record something that is unseen or not heard while they were making the recording.

The truth is you need to know how to use equipment for any type of data collection.

Thanks,
Bryan

I didn't know there was a different type of detector for natural EMF's. I can see those being useful in Bigfoot research since some people report feelings of being watched & assume it's Bigfoot related. These detectors could eventually save a lot of time & energy following up on such reports once enough are definitely linked to high natural EMF's

[Autolite]

How do you think we construct reality? Do you believe that anyone is capable of directly perceiving "objective reality"? Given that most of our thought processes appear to me to be linguistically constructed, can we hope to escape from a socially constructed reality?

My "waste of time" post was just a little bit of 'tongue-in-cheek'. The point being that it's rather futile to attempt to debunk any sort of woo unless both parties have a mutual understanding of what defines objective reality.

As you've pointed out, that in itself can be a nasty can of worms... :(

[atpeace]

IF you plan to use any equipment please do your homework on it. Not how to use it but why am I using this? Pay very close attention to where you are getting your information from on why you should use a particular piece of equipment and don't use the Web as your only source.

[bryan]

Hello...

We teach that any equipment is used to document the location and not capture a "Ghost".
If we were going to capture anything ghostly on film, you would think that it would have happened by now. There are people claiming different things such as Orbs (not ghosts) are some type of entity, however they are just looking for answers without any training or critical thought.
Thing such as EMF meters and other devices can help find natural explanations for things that most paranormal groups would claim as paranormal activity.

You are right.. always think about the "why" would I use this type of device.

Thanks,
Bryan

[cj.23]

My "waste of time" post was just a little bit of 'tongue-in-cheek'. The point being that it's rather futile to attempt to debunk any sort of woo unless both parties have a mutual understanding of what defines objective reality.

As you've pointed out, that in itself can be a nasty can of worms... :(

Yes indeed. Sorry, you actually made me think quite seriously about how we construct these things. This evening I finally acquired a copy of Robin Wooffitt's Telling Tales of the Unexpected - http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Tales-Unexpected-Organization-Discourse/dp/0745010512/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243381619&sr=1-7 - and a bit of a review here - http://hhs.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/6/3/118?ck=nck and while I have not read it yet I think it may show where my interest lies, and why I'm thinking the way I do! :) So not "waste of time" post at all - made me think more than many other posts do, Autolite, which is always a good thing! :)

cj x

[cj.23]

I just added a few more real basics in Part 2 http://jerome23.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/how-to-investigate-a-ghost-part-two/ - hope useful!

cj x

[SlayerofCliffracers]

How to debunk Ghost evidence. Shouldn't be hard.

Firstly find out if there are any objects where the ghosts was seen, that could have been mistaken for a ghost.

Secondly find out if the ghost seer is otherwise mentally functioning.

Third, find out whether the ghost-seer is known to pull pranks.:):)

If you cannot do the above, it means the ghost is probably real.

This is called Science. Skepticism of <<insert disbelief here>> is not inherantly Science.

Science is accepting evidence if it is valid.

[blutoski]

Another concern is that failed debunking looks bad for skeptics, so don't be afraid to suspend judgement when you're not really sure. There's nothing worse than a lame 'swamp gas' explanation.

Most of the time, I have to say "I don't know."

eg: Testimony is just that, unfortunately, and it was often about an event years ago, and the person is long gone, so we're hearing it third-hand. Could be true. Could be invented. Could be misrepeated. Impossible to verify or refute. Unfortunately, testimonials are 99% of the 'evidence' that's supplied. In my opinion, there's nothing 'there' to debunk.

I would also try to figure out what your friend already considers valid evidence, so you don't spin your wheels debunking a category he has already dismissed. eg: the team I work with already thinks that orbs are photographic artefacts, and are totally unimpressed by EVP or EMF or temperature changes. They use intuitives/mediums pretty exclusively, and cross their fingers hoping for a good visual during a vigil.

I second cj.23's suggestion in [post 9 (http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=4749201&postcount=9)] about reviewing the SPR's guidelines.

[burmballgeetar]

Wow.

Thanks for all the replies, I can't hope to do all of the background reading that's linked here tonight, but I will catch up on it. I think that, to begin with, I was a little quick to ask for debunking help before we even went out there...but my friend is one of those fanatics of the ghost shows and is absolutely convinced that there is a haunting there and hasn't even been himself! I kind of want to be the voice of reason but I am prepared to suspend judgement if it is something that I can't explain. Thanks again for all the replies and I hope to keep you all updated on what goes on!

[5sisters]

Fairly recently I ran into an old friend from high school. Over the years we've gone in different directions and he ended up as a "Paranormal Researcher". I expressed an interest in tagging along with him because he had some great stories and it seemed to be a good time. In the near future we will be going to a local police station that was supposedly built on a Native American burial ground. They have had several officers leave after seeing apparitions, having funny feelings, etc.

Once we actually do this I would like to be prepared to dismiss most of the "evidence". What are the normal, every day explanations for things that get passed off as "evidence of the paranormal"?

Hey, where are you located and can I come along

[pfeenix]

Hello...

Yes EMF detectors come with instructions but so does any piece of equipment.
First you need to learn about the different types of EMF and the different meters. some are built to read manmade EMF's (that is the kind commonly used by "Ghost hunters") some can read natural EMF's. And if you have actually seen the instructions that come with these things it is amazing. The manuals are 1 page with little to no information.
I attended a week long class on EMF's theory and surveys and still don't have all of the information about the use of all of the meters.

An example that I use is people in the field that use a still camera. They assume that setting the camera in automatic and pushing the button makes them a photographer.
The worst part of this is that they have read the instructions that came with the camera and assume that they know everything at that point.
If that is the case why would a professional photographer require more training than that? (I went to school for 3 years for photography and am still learning)

The problem with most of the equipment is that the majority of the paranormal groups assume that it has some sort of magic power that will allow them to record something that is unseen or not heard while they were making the recording.

The truth is you need to know how to use equipment for any type of data collection.

Thanks,
Bryan

'tis true, but there are some fairly self-explanatory emf detectors out there [ie, the ones that have only 3 settings, the highest being "danger" (even if they do only read man made emfs)] that any person with a brain could use to follow to a source of high emfs that could be making these officers hallucinate, have funny feelings, etc.

[cj.23]

The only EMF I ever met were pretty dangerous, at least on the dance floor. But then again they did come from the Forest...

Contains sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5kr2OBhh4c

I think I'd prefer them on a ghosthunt than the things you use to detect wiring though. :)

cj x

[cj.23]

Dr Jason Braithwaite (who posts on this forum or did) and Dr Chris French examine one possibility (an environmental theory, for readers of my blog) - starts 15 mins 19 secs in. Hope of interest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kjjpk/All_in_the_Mind_26_05_2009/

cj x

[dirtywick]

Seems to me the first thing to do is determine if it was actually built on an Indian burial ground. Would kind of take the fun out of bumbling around in the dark with a camera and a meter though, but I'm lazy like that.

[jakesteele]

Fairly recently I ran into an old friend from high school. Over the years we've gone in different directions and he ended up as a "Paranormal Researcher". I expressed an interest in tagging along with him because he had some great stories and it seemed to be a good time. In the near future we will be going to a local police station that was supposedly built on a Native American burial ground. They have had several officers leave after seeing apparitions, having funny feelings, etc.

Once we actually do this I would like to be prepared to dismiss most of the "evidence". What are the normal, every day explanations for things that get passed off as "evidence of the paranormal"?


Why on earth do you want to "dismiss all of the evidence"? If you go in with a preconcieved bias that something is this way as opposed to that way, you're not doing anybody any good. If you've already got your mind made up, then why bother?

[Denver]

Seems to me the first thing to do is determine if it was actually built on an Indian burial ground. Would kind of take the fun out of bumbling around in the dark with a camera and a meter though, but I'm lazy like that.

An example of a good background check one that was done last year at the Stanly Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. This hotel has been one of those huge drawing grounds for those interested in the paranormal, for conferences, tv, and for all night investigations, because of its reputation for being haunted (and being the hotel that inspired Stephen King while writing the Shining).

A popular theory espoused by many of those promoting this location is that huge amounts quartz or magnetite in the ground somehow causes electromagnetic anomalies, and/or influences the spirits in the area. But the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society (http://www.rockymountainparanormallabs.com) actually got the National Soil Survey Center to participate in a survey of the area soil. Result: nothing unusual.

Results can be seen in the PDF on their site starting on page 23 (http://www.rockymountainparanormal.com/labs/DOCUMENTS/stanley.pdf).

[dirtywick]

An example of a good background check one that was done last year at the Stanly Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. This hotel has been one of those huge drawing grounds for those interested in the paranormal, for conferences, tv, and for all night investigations, because of its reputation for being haunted (and being the hotel that inspired Stephen King while writing the Shining).

A popular theory espoused by many of those promoting this location is that huge amounts quartz or magnetite in the ground somehow causes electromagnetic anomalies, and/or influences the spirits in the area. But the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society (http://www.rockymountainparanormallabs.com) actually got the National Soil Survey Center to participate in a survey of the area soil. Result: nothing unusual.

Results can be seen in the PDF on their site starting on page 23 (http://www.rockymountainparanormal.com/labs/DOCUMENTS/stanley.pdf).

Cool. I'm not real into these haunting escapades but it seems too often on the shows on TV they take the background stories at their face when it's a simple matter of going to the library and checking some newspaper archives.

As an aside, I like the Rocky Mountain Paranomral Research Society. Seem like some stand up guys.

[MaryCBW]

IF you plan to use any equipment please do your homework on it. Not how to use it but why am I using this? Pay very close attention to where you are getting your information from on why you should use a particular piece of equipment and don't use the Web as your only source.

I agree.

Equipment misuse is normal.

OP:
There is a poster, Dreamsinger, on the GH SciFi forums. He has a lot of information that he shares with others. He also has a knack for explaining
technical information that even I can understand.
http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2333327&st=0&p=6364823&#entry6364823
Check out the links at the bottom of his siggy.
He's here too:
http://paranormal.darkrealmlabs.com/?author=1

Jason and Grant are making a mint from gullible people who believe every word they say.

[Denver]

...

Jason and Grant are making a mint from gullible people who believe every word they say.

This is something I've heard mentioned once in a while, but have never heard any more specifics.

Can you post your details? I don't mean just the sources of their income: I meant the amounts that makes you say they are making a mint?

[shuttlt]

EMF meters are fun and all. I've got one for the man made stuff myself. But, does anybody know what a ghostly EMF reading looks like? I certainly don't.

[Apology]

Since you say that the guy that invited you is an old high school friend, why don't you just go and try to have fun? You can always debunk things if he asks you to go again.

Maybe it's a little selfish of me, but if I were meeting an old high school friend for the first time in a long while, it would be likely that I would put skepticism aside for a night in order to just enjoy my friend's company. :o

[cj.23]

This is something I've heard mentioned once in a while, but have never heard any more specifics.

Can you post your details? I don't mean just the sources of their income: I meant the amounts that makes you say they are making a mint?

If they are they are certainly bucking the trend in UK paranormal TV, where the individuals involved were generally paid far worse than I suspect the average on thsi forum; some "stars" would have been better off on benefits.

cj x

[dropzone]

Where is there any (okay, I'm at a loss to call it "proof," but I'd prefer more than "We have some EMF detectors lying around--let's try them"*) indication that ghosts can be detected by EMF detectors? And no, that people have used them for 40 years means squat, since no actual ghosts have been detected, near as I can tell. I suppose we should first define "ghost," but that's more than an entire thread of its own.


* - I've been following this for a LOOONG time, and that seems to have been the criterion back then. Cold spots? Forgot a thermometer, but we have this cool EMF detector!

[cj.23]

Where is there any (okay, I'm at a loss to call it "proof," but I'd prefer more than "We have some EMF detectors lying around--let's try them"*) indication that ghosts can be detected by EMF detectors? And no, that people have used them for 40 years means squat, since no actual ghosts have been detected, near as I can tell. I suppose we should first define "ghost," but that's more than an entire thread of its own.


* - I've been following this for a LOOONG time, and that seems to have been the criterion back then. Cold spots? Forgot a thermometer, but we have this cool EMF detector!

The theory I have always put forward for the use of EMF meters in hauntings is simple - after the film Ghostbusters, the original which I am guessing was 1985 or thereabouts, people began to look for equipment which looked like the fictional PKE meters in the film, and hence EMF meters were adopted as cheap and with bright flashing lights. :) Tragically, I AM completely serious. And remember, I am one of these much despised ghosthunters myself! (Though I hope not an entirely credulous fall. I'm just off to film some dust now, catch you later!)

cj x

[MysteryMammal]

One thing I think more "ghost hunters" need to include in their arsenal of gadgets is a spirit level. See? The name BEGS for inclusion. If you don't know what it is, just wiki it. I'll wait...

Why should it be included? Too often I've heard reports of doors opening or closing "on their own" as "proof" of ghosts. In that case, my house is haunted. The double doors to the master bedroom must be locked (with a skeleton key, no less. Isn't that spoooooooooooky?) or else they "mysteriously" open of their own accord.

Fine. I lied. It's not a mystery. The house is old, probably '20s or '30s era. Everything's settled and sagged. Nothing in this house is level. The latch for the door won't catch because of the settling. Locking the doors is the only way to keep them closed. The doors like to open because gravity pulls them open. My "haunted" house is debunked with a spirit level and a quick look at the latch on the doors.

[dropzone]

The theory I have always put forward for the use of EMF meters in hauntings is simple - after the film Ghostbusters, the original which I am guessing was 1985 or thereabouts, people began to look for equipment which looked like the fictional PKE meters in the film, and hence EMF meters were adopted as cheap and with bright flashing lights.As I recall, ghost hunters were using them in the early 70s.

[cj.23]

As I recall, ghost hunters were using them in the early 70s.


Were they? Cool. I was not old enough to know then, so I would not be able to tell, but if you can find any references or testimony thereto I'll be very interested. I'll ask round! :)

cheers!
cj x