Paranormal Activity: It's All in Your Brain

This article is a work in progress. I will research The New England Journal of Medicine and other more pertinent scientific journals to support the premise of this article and will provide references to support that nearly all reputed paranormal activity--or primarily the observable manifestation of such--originates in the most sensitive piece of paranormal equipment, the human brain.

Visit www.misconceptionjunction.com

If I find research to the contrary, I'll share it too. If this were a scientific experiment, this would be called "null hypothesis"--findings to the contrary of you original hypothesis. This is not a scientific experiment however, nor is anything like the scientific method used by ghost hunters or paranormal investigators. Theirs is the realm of pseudoscience.

The seat of the religious experience definitely involves the temporal lobe--and certain neuronal pathways that are individualized--and in fact, recent advances neuroimaging technology will allow us all to be able to see how our brain works in real time--primarily based on glucose (brain fuel) uptake levels and other criteria.

Until one of you volunteers to have an implant or be hooked up to a portable PET scan during a paranormal investigation--neither of which is feasible at this time I suppose--it's a catch-22, e.g. we can't tell whether the experience originated in the brain or not. And even with this technology, we still may not be able to tell. Still, we may be able to tell--with relative certainty that--if certain confluences of environmental stimuli generate paranormal experiences. Still, the question of cause, e.g. was it generated by your brain or a real external paranormal phenomena--may never be answerable.

Though the technology above will be a reality in the near future--even the ability to gene-engineer physical and even mental attributes will be common in the next 200 years--my guess is that the question of paranormal experiences will never be completely explainable by science. But, by definition paranormal activity--unexplainable by science--will remain just that regardless of advances in technology.

We've all encountered events that are paranormal. The paranormal experience is widespread and legitimate and sometimes is really paranormal and not debunkable. However the manifestations of such phenomena may have much more do to with perception--this certainly applies to photographs, video, and first-hand reports--than actual physical evidence that one is able to prove.

This doesn't take away from the paranormal experience and certainly doesn't make it less real. People have a misconception--if it came from your brain it's not real. That's simply not the case. Type neurology, neuropsychology, and even psychology into any search engine to fully appreciate that people lend a lot of weight to brain-based scientific research on perception. Your perception is--for all functional purposes--reality. What we really want to do is attempt to record some physical evidence, e.g. EVPs, video, and audio--that correlate with these experiences.

My premise is that a combination of electrical activity combined by anthropormorphizing may actually be able explain most of what is now considered paranormal phenomena. In fact, this is a near certainty and should be an accepted "truth" by paranormal investigators, however people still "jump at ghosts." My premise is that most of what we perceive--and that implies you've interpreted the experience through existing neuronal pathways and is due to electrical activity caused by a series of environmental events. Of course, this is not an astounding revelation. In fact, it describes all human experiences whether paranormal or not.

We can never get away from anthropormorphizing, but we may be able to track down unique confluences of energy that exist in certain locations, and acknowledge how that energy creates certain patterns that our brains perceive as paranormal activity. This doesn't mean that ghosts actually exist. "They" are just the context in which we are bound to perceive it. This would describe how certain locales are perceived to be haunted without having to make a gigantic assumption that ghosts prowl the location.

Consider the first hand reports of apparitions--manifestations of possibly paranormal phenomena that people usually associate with "seeing a ghost." How many times have you been in a room where an apparition shows up? I have on several occasions, though realize the event is relatively rare and considered one of the most energetic manifestations of paranormal phenomena.

If you've really been there when this phenomena occurs, and there are multiple people experiencing it...

one person may see something--ranging from shadows out of the corner of one's eye to the figure of a person in period dress--, one person may smell flowers or cigar smoke, one person may hear their name whispered in their ear, while another gets the "willies".

What is very interesting with these types of reports is that occasionally, an EMF detector may go off and EVPs may be recorded at the same time. This may or may not be evidence of something actually occurring outside of the human brain and all EMFs and EVPs are debunkable. Still, that's when EMFs and EVPs become very compelling. They are certainly environmental anomalies that have been recordable and this implies the phenomena is physical and not just due to perception. It is when these recordable phenomena are correlated with first hand accounts that the paranormal experience becomes even more compelling.

But all of it may still may be seated in and/or caused by your brain. Search "poltergeist" and "spontaneous human telekinesis" to see what your brain may actually be possible of doing as far as causing a physical effect on the environment. Though the reports are anecdotal, there are some extremely compelling reports of such poltergeist phenomena.

In fact, it's possible that your brain caused the majority of events associated with paranormal accounts, e.g. EMFs, EVPs, and poltergeist activity, that are subsequently recorded on tape. Far-fetched? Yes. Does any really solid evidence exist of this premise? No. However it is much more likely that your brain caused these events that a ghost. I mean, at least I know your brain exists. There is no solid evidence that ghosts exist.

I always amazes me when I encounter a ghost hunter who will completely discount the possibility of one's brain causing these events and yet ascribe such phenomena to ghostly causes. It seems to be both causes are extremely unlikely, but at least I know the brain exists. I can hold one in my hands--and have done so on at least one occasion. Ghosts, on the other hand, appear to be extremely hard to get your hands on.

Still this type of activity does appear to indicate that something is happening. However, it still doesn't mean that it is occurring independently of the person perceiving it and in fact, this line of reasoning has to lead one to believe that the person themselves is the cause, not the spirit of some deceased person or other nonhuman entity. Apparently, much of paranormal activity is either due to mistaken perceptions and/or manifested directly through the human brain. It is the nature of these manifestations that paranormal investigators and ghosts hunters are exploring, regardless of their purported cause.

You can believe whatever you want as far as the cause of such events. Belief is a theory based on faith and experience. But it seems to me that anyone that discounts the brain as a possible cause--instead wholeheartedly arguing for the existence of ghosts--is skipping a couple of logical steps and making a leap of faith I can't accept. Believe what you want, but realize that the way you express your belief may make you look like a fool.

I'm open to the existence of ghosts, don't get me wrong. But they just don't seem to be the most likely cause of such events. To me, anyone who is able to reason logically has to agree with this premise. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

First-Person Accounts: Legitimate Evidence?

Are first-person accounts legitimate "evidence" of paranormal activity? I would hazard that all ghost hunting groups and teams of paranormal investigators are drawn to the locations they investigate based on these reports, and yet they often discount such experiences--both their own and those of their clients. Yet, they will fully research each and every first-person account they can get their hands on and base tactics and historical research almost solely based on such reports.

But, at the end of the story, many will note that these first-person accounts are just that; experiences based on our own personal perceptions that are generated from our most sensitive, consistent--and yet unreliable paranormal detection mechanism--the brain. At the end of every report groups will often provide most clients with this caveat: We can't prove either the clients or our own personal experiences, so we have to discount them.

I don't agree anymore. In fact, I've always shied away from making such declarative statements. Sure, we regularly try and debunk the first-hand reports from our clients--and often are able to do so--but it's the one's you can't easily write off that catch everyone's attention. When the same thing happens to team members during an investigation--regardless of whether there is "evidence" captured on tape or not--that we get to the actual heart of things.

In fact, I will put forth that personal experiences are the most valuable "evidence" of paranormal activity. They are certainly just as valuable as any "anomaly" captured on tape and/or audio.

I have a background that includes conducting scientific research. That means I've conducted scientific experiments. Scientific experiment doesn't mean the same thing as investigation. Many teams of paranormal investigators purport that they are conducting research. They aren't. And anyone that makes such statements hasn't ever been involved in conducting an actual research experiment.

Consider the following text as an example as how far people will go to emphasize the scientific. It doesn't matter if you are an engineer, HVAC technician, or police officer. Sure, you may have a what you consider to be a technical background, but if you've never conducted an actual scientific experiment, you can not presume to know how to do it. Search "experimental method" on Wikipedia. Using words like "scientists," "scientific research," and "scientific community" only makes it more apparent that you don't know much--if anything--about the experimental method.

"And last but not least, to contribute in any way we can to all the hard work that many scientists and other investigators have put over the years into this ongoing scientific research, with the hopes that one day this field is taken seriously enough and be given the importance it deserves within the rest of the scientific community."*

*http://www.nightfallparanormal.com/aboutus.html

I know what is involved whether one considers the aspects of experimental design, the use of statistical analysis, and preparation of such an experiment for possible publication in a reputable scientific journal. Your average skeptic knows more about this than 99.9% of ghost hunting teams. And that's part of the "rub." In fact, many paranormal investigators become defensive when questioned about their methods. They are NOT provable.

Personally, I try not to be defensive when confronted with the truth. Knowing the difference is important. Personal experiences and every piece of "evidence" ever gathered on a paranormal investigation can be discounted, disproven, and/or written off. That's just the nature of the beast. To assume otherwise is a soap box I wouldn't want to stand on.

Given that, I used to discount such first-person accounts as inaccuracies in perception--which most certainly are--but I don't second guess these accounts for several reasons.

1. All purported evidence gathered during a paranormal investigation is not real evidence of anything. All photographic and video anomalies, EVPs, disembodied voices and sounds, objects moving, etc. are all debunkable. That's just the way it it, so I purpose that personal experiences--unless they can be obviously debunked--are potentially just a valuable as "evidence" as anything any group could potentially capture during any investigation.

2. People experience strange things. It is these experiences which drive the entire process of investigation. In fact, you can discount all first-person reports, however, when you have a cold spot set on your shoulder, record EVPs, and a strange anomaly on tape, it implies that their is something going on that supports all the first-person accounts that have been reported from a specific location.

In fact, at this point, these reports are the most important part of any investigation. A good crew will always be excited if they can come in and discover things and/or have personal experiences that support the major reason--first-person accounts--that drew them to the reason in the first place.

Have I experienced strange feelings that I used to ascribe to just getting "the willys?" Absolutely. Over the years I've learned that these feelings mean something and sometimes correlate with other possible evidence, e.g. EVPs, EMFs, sightings of apparitions, and strange feelings that may occur simultaneously? Absolutely!

It is these "clusters of symptoms" that I feel more fully represent possible legitimate paranormal experiences and in the grand scheme of things, they are harder to disprove. Every single EVP anyone has ever recorded can be debunked--and we got some doozies! Video and photographic evidence always generate more questions than they answer.

My advice to ghost hunters and paranormal investigators includes "don't discount personal experiences you have during an investigation." In fact, that's the time you need to shift into high gear and begin using you most sensitive piece of paranormal equipment you have: your brain.

Don't discount your brain as a paranormal investigative instrument. In fact, from my experience and research, it's more reliable than an infrared video camera, EMF detector, and/or any audio recorder you will ever use.

My background and training in neurobehavioral science and cognitive psychology lead me to believe that the brain is just as a reliable instrument on a paranormal investigation as any hardware. So what if ELF's--I didn't mistype that last acronym, research it if you are unsure--activate the temporal lobes and generate the perception of shadow people...some type of energy is there and that's what we are all looking for.

I'm not saying that peripheral vision is not easily fooled or that you hear voices once in a while. I mean, it's your brain. You know how it works. We are all fooled. Easily.

A combine--something like a tractor used to harvest corn--does look like a UFO when driving down a gravel road late at night, in Iowa. I'm not saying people don't get the willys when we all talk about this stuff. I certainly do, but I also occasionally get a similar feeling when listening to Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.

All of the above are true, but it is first-hand accounts that drive us in the first place and provide a place from which we can begin to debunk. You don't need a degree in neuroscience to have an appreciation of how your brain works.

You're never going to be able to prove it anyway, so why deny the experience? Jumping at ghosts is one thing. Fully utilizing all your tools to research whether first-person accounts during an investigation match up with the "evidence" that drew you there in the first place appears to be the most valid way to support the fact that paranormal activity does occur and may match up with the history of a specific location. In fact, it is exactly this fact that gives us all "the willys" in the first place.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Are Ghosts Good for Business?

Many people are aware of the relatively recent explosion in the interest and popularity of the paranormal. Paranormal programming abounds on the major cable television networks, and shows such as Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, Ghost Adventures, Celebrity Ghost Stories, and others have been successful both at garnering ratings as well as increasing the public’s awareness of possibly paranormal phenomena.

The popularity of these shows has fostered the birth of many teams of ghost hunters and paranormal investigators--note that I consider the focus of these two types of groups to be different, though for the convenience of this article I will use the terms interchangeably.

About 6 years ago, when I first became involved with a team located in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire, there was only one or two groups in the area. Now, by last count there are at least 6 indigenous to the region. Beyond famous teams like T.A.P.S. and Steve Gonsalves group--New England Paranormal--that also advertise that they cover this region, there are multiple other groups in the area: Sights Unseen Paranormal, Quabbin Valley Paranormal, and E.C.T.O. Paranormal are the most reputable and experienced groups in my estimation.

This parallels the growth in the number of ghost hunters across the country. Previously, if you needed a team of “ghost busters,” they were difficult to find. That’s not the case anymore and multiple teams can easily be located in any region of the country. A recent client said to me "I was surprised how easy it was to find a group.

So given that this—generally free--service is available to clients in need, what are the specific impacts of possible paranormal activity on businesses?

Interestingly enough, the economics of a haunting seem to be positive if you—as a business owner—know how to approach it.

Consider a haunted hotel or bed and breakfast for example. Many owners of possibly haunted establishments have capitalized the on the interest of such phenomena to attract business. The number of people that would go out of their way to stay in a possibly haunted location—and I am one of those people—appear to far outnumber the people that would avoid patronizing such locations. Some of these locations have begun catering to ghost hunters in the form of hosting overnight investigations, sponsoring paranormal conferences and workshops, and have even successfully gotten their business featured on one of the many popular paranormal-based television programs currently on television.

The biggest positive economic impact appears to occur with hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts, though restaurants also appear to benefit from such attention, museums, and other historic locations. Even previously abandoned properties--jails, mental hospitals, etc.--now feature tours and overnight stays geared toward those interested in paranormal activity.

So how does the business owner of a possibly haunted location capitalize on this popularity? Below are several simple steps one can follow.

1. Document possibly paranormal activity in a log and encourage patrons to do so as well.

2. Contact a local paranormal team and have them conduct one or more investigations. This may catch the attention of more "famous" ghost hunters and will increase visibility and the sites reputation.

3. Popularize the location as possibly haunted via the many Internet sites where haunted locations are listed, as well as invite reporters from the local newspaper to do a feature story on its "ghosts."

4. Develop paranormal-based activities, e.g. ghost tours, overnight ghost hunts, and other activities that cater to those with an interest in such phenomena.

5. Attempt to get your business featured on one of the popular paranormal-based television shows.

There are many ways to successfully capitalize on this interest, and this short article simply highlights a few. There are a plethora of other considerations of course, but for someone that owns a historic business that is experiencing possibly paranormal activity, realize that you may be missing out on some revenue if you aren’t capitalizing on your businesses reputation for being haunted.

Of course, if--as a business owner--you decide to fake a haunting, my guess is that you will certainly be able to fool a few people, and you will probably be able to find a team of ghost hunters that will capture potentially paranormal phenomena at the location. Heck, I can capture photographic anomalies and record strange voices in my backyard, but that doesn't mean it's haunted. I would hope that a competent team would be able to see through the ruse, but as a business owner, you are still potentially increasing your visibility even if you do decide to "hoax" it. I wouldn't recommend that business owners "manufacture" a haunting however. It's manipulative, duplicitous, and ultimately disrespectful to both the living and the dead.

Not every historic location is haunted--nor does every haunting occur in a historic location--and by hoaxing such things I believe a business owner would be disrespecting history as well. In general, most patrons don't appreciate false advertising.


Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Ghost Hunting: Pay for my Hobby via Paypal

The majority of ghost hunters and paranormal investigators offer their services free of charge. Many teams will accept donations and state this fact prominently on their Web site, sometimes accompanied by a convenient link to their Paypal account.

Our group will accept donations, however we feel it is pretty tacky to advertise this in a conspicuous place right on one's home page or have a "Donation" button on a menu somewhere. We definitely feel that groups that charge for their services are total hacks, and are more likely to overestimate their competence level. Sure, people generally put a ton of effort and resources into helping clients to research the various aspects of a location and there is no doubt that conducting an adequate investigation entails a ton of time. But that doesn't mean someone else should pay for your time, effort, or materials.

The word "donation" implies no obligation, but we still feel it's tacky to prominently advertise the fact that you accept them. Why you ask?

Why Should I Get Paid for my Hobby?
People don't generally get donations for their hobbies. If this were the case, I should be able to fund my fishing expeditions through donations. "I am a competent fisherman and travel throughout New England and fish in interesting and historic locations. Please provide a donation so I can continue with this exciting activity." See what I mean?

Unfortunately, many ghost hunters have become deluded into thinking that they should get paid for a hobby that they choose to engage in. Personally, I don't care what your hobby is and I'm certainly not going to pay you to engage in it. It's your choice. Just because you are a ghost hunter doesn't make your hobby any more special than anything else. I have a cross-stitching group that meets weekly, donate now so we can continue to engage in this valuable activity. See how ridiculous this sounds?

Some teams suggest that providing ghost hunting is a public service! Holy cow! This constitutes an illogical rationalization if I've ever heard one. If you were picking up trash from the side of a highway, you are providing a much more valuable service than any ghost hunter and I think soliciting donations for such activities is justified. The highways that I drive every day are cleaner and more picturesque due to your activities, and I can appreciate that. But ghost hunting being a public service? This simply shows that some people will try and justify their behavior in whatever way they can no matter how ridiculous the justification is.

Results Aren't Guaranteed!
As a paranormal investigator--or ghost hunter--your results aren't guaranteed. What can you really offer with any surety? What benefits do your services actually bring to a client? Visiting a location, capturing a picture of some strange mist, and giving it to a client doesn't count as results of anything. In fact, if done right, a paranormal investigation will generally leave more questions than it answers.

We realize that our clients come first and provide a lot of supports specific to education, possible validation and/or debunking, and provide a safe environment in which to discuss strange experiences. We also give people specific ways to live and deal with the activity that gives them control. There is a lot of psychology involved. Given that, I believe that as a team, we do provide a valuable service, but I don't think we are your typical paranormal investigators. Too many groups treat their clients like they live in a zoo of paranormal activity and swoop in like "paranormal field biologists" capturing--usually debunkable--"evidence" and then moving on to another location. I've seen it time and time again. Is this type of investigating providing any type of "service" to the client? No, I don't think so.

Of course, if you are a client meeting a group of interesting people (the ghost hunters) is a given. Perhaps if you conduct thorough historical research, you can offer something substantial to a client, but other than that, all you can really assure the client is that a group of strangers will show up at a specific location, monopolize a bunch of time, and then go away.

We actually offer some pretty valuable paranormal marketing advice to businesses, all the way up to putting them in contact with several producers/site specialists who produce and/or are developing paranormal television shows. This is a real service that can potentially result in increased profits for a business and WE STILL DO THIS FOR FREE. We do this because we want satisfied clients and want to increase our opportunities to investigate. Simple as that.

Below is a sampling of paraphrased language from several ghost hunting Web sites. I have nothing against anyone that uses similar statements and applaud everyone for increasing the public's knowledge of paranormal activity. Nor do I believe that a groups willingness to accept donations reflect on its abilities to deliver a quality investigation. However, I do feel some of these statement cross boundaries and hurt the original mission.

I found that when soliciting donations, the statements made by groups generally fall within the following three categories.

We Don't Require Donations
Does anyone think it's a little redundant to say you don't REQUIRE donations.

"Our group do not require donations, however, we will accept donations to help cover expenses."

"We do accept donations for fuel but it is not required or expected."

How your Donations will be Used
Want to know what your donations will be used for? Fuel? Equipment? Dinner? Intoxicants to facilitate the paranormal experience? Some groups address this question with amazing detail. Others even advertise that they give a portion of each donation to a specific charity--which I feel is quite honorable and a good example for the rest of us.

"We accept donations to offset travel costs and equipment expenses."

"Our team will use donations to fund travel expenses including lodging and food, as well as purchase equipment and activities which increase the public's knowledge of ghosts."

Guilt and Exaggeration of Expenses
Some groups go too far whether it's a significant exaggeration of the cost of time and effort or attempt to guilt you into donating to help them reduce the fear that people are experiencing. I feel both of these avenues are misleading and irresponsible. Just because you have a fancy infrared video camera set up doesn't mean that clients should feel obligated to finance it. And as far as soliciting donations because it will help future clients to live without fear? Come on, if you are going to donate because of this I would suggest making a donation to a real charity that is proven to help people, your local food bank for example.

Consider the statement below that purposes to calculate man-hours. Whats the average man-hour for conducting an investigation? As far as I'm concerned it's NOTHING. If you want to get paid, do something else.

"Our group graciously takes donations for research and service to our community. When one calculates the man-hours and materials to complete an average investigation, costs can come to over $1200.00! "

This paraphrased statement--based on fear--is perhaps the most ridiculous justification I've ever encountered for the use of donations by a group. Believe it or not there are several groups out there that use this approach.

"Your donation will be used to help people to not live in fear of what they are experiencing."

I should note that there are a number of groups out there who specifically say that they DO NOT ACCEPT donations or monetary compensation. I applaud all these teams and I feel they are the most moral and ethically sound considering the nature of the endeavor.

So my final advice? If you want to finance your investigations, sell t-shirts, offer ghost hunting tours, teach classes, write a book, offer consultation services on how to start up a paranormal group, etc. I'm sure there are a host of other options that I'm not thinking of, but I simply don't believe opening soliciting donations is necessary nor should you expect any client to support your ghost hunting activities via donations or otherwise.

If you are a ghost hunter (or a team of paranormal investigators like us), plan on financing your operations out of your own pocket or using one of the methods mentioned above. Don't put the cost of your hobby back on the client by soliciting donations. I don't get paid to garden, fish, play with model trains, etc. Don't expect to get paid to ghost hunt.

For a real look at a hobby that pays for itself and offers a real service, visit Relic Recovery. I should note that we offer this PAID service for FREE to our paranormal clients. So not only do we not expect to get paid, we offer services to our paranormal clients that we would OTHERWISE get paid for.

I encourage all ghost hunters and paranormal investigators to consider how they present themselves when soliciting donations. It may actually backfire and turn off potential clients reducing your opportunities to investigate rather than being a viable way to finance your activities.

Peak Times for Paranormal Activity

There are many theories concerning when paranormal activity is at its peak. Some say that during "the witching hour"--or any time from around midnight to 3am--is when paranormal activity is at its highest. Others say that during the full moon or a thunderstorm you are more likely to experience unexplained phenomena. Solar flares are rumored to have an impact as well and most are aware that any change of seasons are suspect time periods. Finally, events like renovating a possibly "haunted" building will stir things up.

As far as I'm aware, these are all theories based on the anecdotal reports of paranormal investigators and ghost hunters, as well as others that profess to know and/or have experience with such phenomena. All of these theories are filled full of holes, and have no real data to back them up.

Take "the witching hour" for example. To adequately research the theory that activity peaks during the hours from midnight to 3am, an investigator would have to conduct investigations around the clock. If you are only doing investigations during this time frame, how in the world could you assert that activity is highest during these hours? There's no way you could know that. Also, you would have to set up on the same location 24/7 for an extended period of time to determine if there was credence to this theory.

Also consider the fact that during the night, background "noise" is at its lowest. There is less traffic, less possible interference from people, and of course less light. So, just because you capture possible activity more readily at this time doesn't mean that it's more frequent. It could be occurring all the time and you just don't notice it. Take the analogy of a flashlight. During the day, you can shine a flashlight and your average passerby may not even notice it. In the dead of night, everyone will certainly notice it. The stimulus, though the same at both times is much more salient at night because of the lack of background interference (sunlight in this case).

My hunch regarding these theories is that there are a lot of people that are simply repeating something they've read and/or they don't consider some of the confounding variables that I mentioned above, e.g. if I only investigate at night, of course I am predisposed to believe that the majority of the paranormal activity occurs at night. One needs to consider all the factors.

There is no real proof to back up these theories, though as opposed to actually proving a specific piece of "evidence" is paranormal--which is nearly impossible--the patterns of reported activity could certainly be documented and that data analyzed to determine whether there is any actual "proof" that reports of such activity show specific peaks.

Given that, as a paranormal investigator, I have nothing to add except for my anecdotal reports and impressions. In my experience, as evidenced by the number of clients contacting us through our Web site who are reporting potential paranormal activity, I do sense some patterns that emerge that seem to support at least two of these theories.

1. Renovations: Reports of paranormal activity seem to increase when major renovations are occurring in a potentially haunted location. This is rather difficult to say for sure, as some of these renovations are occurring when someone new is moving into the residence or business. In these cases, it's difficult to say for sure as to whether the activity itself is actually increasing or it is simply someone reporting phenomena who is not totally familiar with the location. If one owned a home or business for years, and conducted renovations, and reports of activity increased, then this theory would hold more water. Interestingly enough--again through my anecdotal observations--there does seem to be some credence to the theory that more paranormal activity is reported during times where a business or residence is renovated or remodeled.

2. Change of Seasons: There does appear--again simply from my anecdotal observations--that the reports of paranormal activity increase significantly during the change of seasons, e.g. spring and fall. This was a pattern that I recognized early in my "career" as a paranormal investigator, however, I always assumed the spike in the fall was due to Halloween and the general interest it raises specific to all things spooky, weird, and possibly paranormal.

However, over the years, though I do feel that Halloween does have something to do with the increased reports in the fall, I don't feel that all the reports in activity we receive during this are all due to this specific holiday and its connotations. In fact over the years, I've become to expect and anticipate increased reports of activity--by people I talk to as well as measured by the number of reports we receive via our Web site--during both the spring and fall. This year was no different and the pattern reflected past years: an increased number of reports that peak around October and November, followed by a lull, and then spiking rapidly in March and April. This year--2011--has been our busiest spring yet.

As an interesting aside, a psychiatrist friend of mine told me that some data gathered specific to increased psychiatric emergencies, admissions to psychiatric facilities, and/or or reports of increased psychiatric episodes/problems are not correlated with the full moon. Rather, they appear to peak during the change of seasons, e.g. March/April and November.

Of course, there are theories behind what causes these spikes in reports. Remember we are simply talking about reports of possibly paranormal activity here, not whether the activity is legitimately paranormal. Reports of activity is a simple variable that can be documented. The reasons behind these reports can be a widely varied as the reported activity itself and are probably impossible to tease out. For example, during the fall, people begin to spend more time inside and thus may simply be noticing activity that has always been present. Also, during the change of seasons the temperature varies much more widely and can cause all sorts of creaks, pops, footsteps, and other anomalous activity that is associated with the physical aspects of the location and not due to any purposed paranormal activity.

Still for whatever reason, I can say with some degree of certainty that the number of reports of possibly paranormal activity we receive do appear to be correlated with these two factors: renovations occurring at a location with previously reported possible paranormal activity and the change of seasons.

Proof of anything? Absolutely not! But we do know one thing for sure. The above constitutes more theoretical musings from a paranormal investigator who will probably never get to the bottom of things.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Responsiblities of Ghost Hunters to Property Owners

Increasingly I have become concerned as to ghost hunters responsibilities to property owners. On a side note, I consider my group a team of paranormal investigators and not simply ghost hunters, though I do tend to use the terms interchangeably.

The specifics I'm alluding to is our level of responsibility to property owners in letting them know of possible health hazards and structural problems that may exist. We have team members that are professionals in regards to heating, plumbing, and electrical systems as well as are well-versed in construction methods. Of course these team members also have become knowledgeable--through various encounters in their jobs--of the dangers of chemicals, mold, and other potentially hazardous substances/situations.

Just as I'm comfortable in addressing some of the potential psychological and perhaps medical implications of what appears to be a possible haunting--primarily by providing information and referral to qualified mental health and medical practitioners--these team members are extremely competent in providing information and referral regarding these physical/property-based issue.

If we are conducting an investigation in a private residence owned by the client, we will share each and every possible hazardous/problematic situation we encounter. Many of these circumstances may relate to the reported activity in the home. The obvious example are problems with unshielded electrical wiring that may contribute to feelings of uneasiness and nausea--and possibly visual hallucinations--to those that are sensitive to such things. High levels of carbon monoxide and mold are other circumstances that can contribute to symptoms that the home owner may be attributing to paranormal activity. We feel it is our duty to share this with our clients. Even if we see a potentially hazardous situation that is not related to a possible haunting, we do not hesitate to give clients free advice--related to our fields of expertise--in such situations. I would guess that most ghost hunting groups operate in the same manner.

However, when you are investigating a location where a renter is involved, this becomes much more problematic. I should note that we do not investigate locations without the property owners permission. We do receive a large number of requests from tenants to check out their apartment or house. Though obviously a tenant can entertain guests of their choice, we do feel a responsibility to obtain a landlords permission before beginning historical research and certainly before conducting an investigation. Consider how you would feel if you are/were a property owner, and a tenant of yours okayed a full-scale paranormal investigation of the location. Wouldn't you want to know? In cases like this, we'll share the results with the landlord as well as the tenant/client. In the vast majority of cases we've encountered the landlord has been very helpful and appreciative of the information we provided. We view this as an important part of being professional in our methods and tactics.

So, given the above, what does one do if when investigating a tenant's residence and finds a significant problem related to the heating system? What if one finds a mold problem, that while may or may not be contributing to possible paranormal symptoms, obviously presents a health hazard to the tenant. I'm not talking about exposed electrical wiring which could be easily fixed at a low cost, I'm speaking to an extensive problem that to fix adequately, in the worst-case scenario could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Does one tell the tenant? Does one immediately share this with the landlord? Should one report the information to the local board of health, housing board, or rental association? These issues are problematic, touchy, and though it may seem like immediately sharing this information is "the right thing to do," the solutions to these types of situations seem more complex than simply "doing the right thing."

I do know one thing....When conducting an investigation of a rental residence where the landlord gave permission, they have given permission for a paranormal investigation, not a home inspection. The landlord hasn't asked for a risk assessment related to their property in the areas of construction, evaluation of the heating, plumbing, and electrical systems and a mold inspection. I'm sure that any competent property owner would want to know immediately of any situation that puts their tenants--and thus themselves--at risk, but sharing with a tenant that the electrical system is outdated, then having them run to the landlord with this information and demanding that it be remedied is a pretty quick way to ensure that landlords avoid teams of paranormal investigators like the plague.

Perhaps we are being selfish in this regard. Through state landlord associations, cases of paranormal investigators causing problems for property owners would rapidly be shared throughout the area and definitely have an effect on the ability to procure property owner permissions that we require to investigation such locations.

As in a lot of situations, we must walk a fine line and remind ourselves as to the reason we were allowed on the property to begin with. On the other hand, as a human being, I feel the obligation to share any potentially dangerous situations that may exist that could affect the safety and health of the residents. We will specifically address any potential causes of paranormal symptoms associated with the situation, but we carefully chose our words in doing so.

Do others have experience and advice on such situations? My guess is that there is no easy answer.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

The Influence of Paranormal Television

There is no denying the popularity of paranormal television shows. We've come a long way from the days of In Search Of. And though ghost stories, Bigfoot, aliens, and other high weirdness as always made for high ratings, now we are deluged with choices including Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Lab, A Haunting, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Destination Truth, and several others.

Some People say that Ghost Hunters--a television program on the Scy Fy network featuring members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S)--started this explosion in popularity, generating spin-off and copycat shows that feature teams of paranormal investigators visiting haunted locations. Though varying somewhat in structure and "methodology," they generally follow the same format: a team of investigators--after having done some amazingly cursory historical research--interviews a few witnesses to said paranormal activity, then "investigates" the location using audio recorders, infrared cameras, sonar, and a host of other equipment. This specific format has been expanded from just hunting ghosts to include programs that also feature cryptozoology (Destination Truth) , ufology (UFO Hunters), in what others would lead us to believe is spiritual and psychic warfare (Paranormal State).

Other paranormal television shows follow different schemes including featuring reenactments of famous hauntings interspersed with interviews with the people that experienced them--A Haunting--as well as a program featuring famous people sharing their own encounters with the supernatural--Celebrity Ghost Stories.

Though paranormal television has a history that extends to a time before cable, there is no denying the relatively recent increase in the popularity of such fare. In fact, the interest in supernatural phenomena has probably never been greater since the Spiritualism craze of the mid 1800's to the early 1900's. There may be many sociocultural reasons why this interest has risen in recent years, but certainly paranormal television has a lot to do with it.

One could argue that the biggest influence of paranormal television has had is on the hobby of ghost hunting. Though I feel that paranormal television has contributed relatively little to the actual understanding of the reasons behind paranormal phenomena, literally thousands of teams of ghost hunters have sprung up across the country as a result. Many members of these groups will state that Ghost Hunters was their single biggest influence in the decision to form or join a team of ghost hunters and a vast majority mimic their methods. Before these shows, it was difficult to find a local team of paranormal investigators. Though such respected paranormal luminaries as John Zaffis and Troy Taylor have been around for years--well before the recent craze--now one can find multiple teams of ghost hunters in every region in the country.

Personally, I joined a ghost hunting team because of two reasons. First, I experienced some possibly paranormal activity. Second, I saw a story in a newspaper about a ghost hunting crew looking for members and joined Soul Seekers Paranormal Society. The individual who started the team I joined--albeit a ghost hunter for many years previous--specifically founded the team as a direct result of being exposed to Ghost Hunters.

Interestingly enough, paranormal television has had an even more direct impact on the group I'm currently a member of. Several people quit this team and started their own team in response to Ghost Hunters decision to film an episode at a specific location. Though the details are tedious and certainly not worth repeating here, it's a simple fact that if you need a ghost hunter nowadays, you don't have to look very hard and it's obvious that just one of these television shows has had a huge influence on many people.

Considering the amount of people now involved in this hobby, and the amount of time and money spent by these teams on equipment, travel to haunted locations, and attendance at ghost tours, conferences, and workshops, it is readily apparent that paranormal television has certainly generated a significant economic impact. Consider the number of hotels that now find that advertising their haunted status is good for business, the formerly unused and derelict properties that are now open for ghost tours, and the haunted taverns where you can have a drink with a ghost. It's pretty simple, ghosts are good for business.

There are several interesting developments that I've experienced first-hand--as a paranormal investigator--that I feel are a result of paranormal television. One of these developments appeared to be an intense interest, now followed by an increasing wariness of business owners to get involved with ghost hunting teams.

Perhaps this reluctance has to do with the recent recession--business owners are becoming increasingly leery of potential negative impacts. I suspect that this wariness is also due to the amount of requests for investigations these locations receive from the large number of amateur ghost hunting teams in existence. I feel that these same dynamics may also apply to home owners.

Yet another reason that I perceive it appears to be increasingly difficult to procure investigations is that these home and business owners see these television shows and form a misconception about what a paranormal investigation really is, and thus are hesitant to contact a team based on the "stereotypes" seen on television.

Of course, I could be totally wrong, and this is simply an inaccurate perception. The reasons for my perception that it is increasingly difficult to secure an investigation--specifically of businesses--could be do to a variety of reasons NOT related to paranormal television, however I do suspect that paranormal television has influenced the majority of possibility haunted businesses owners--and private homeowners--in one way or the other.

This article could go on to discuss paranormal television's influence on ghost hunting tactics, marketing of paranormal groups, movies, the Internet, and other media, however we'll leave it at that for now, and declare this article "under construction."

I am more interested in what you--the reader--feels about this subject. I sincerely appreciate all input and will make sure your insightful opinions on this interesting subject appear in the form of comments to this article.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Sparkles: Unexplained Electrostatic Discharge (UED): Legitimate Paranormal Phenomena?

I've run across several reports of "sparkles" as a paranormal phenomena. Basically, these are what I can only describe as what looks like "tinfoil confetti" that appears in the air for less then a second, usually followed by some other sort of possible paranormal activity, e.g. EVPs, EMF, the sighting of an apparition.

I had first read about this phenomena once on Fionna Broome's Web site, www.hollowhill.com. (They have a free on-line ghosthunters course for those of you who are interested.)

Of course, I figured this was a common visual/photographic anomaly--an artifact of perception--that was simply the eye being tricked. For example, the strobe from a camera flash lighting up dust particles in the air that happened to correspond with other paranormal activity going on at the same time.

That is, until I experienced an UED for myself at a famous unnamed New England inn, and was able to rule out the above as an debunking explanation as I wasn't taking a photograph at the time it occurred. Subsequently, I had the distinct feeling something materialized and I recorded a class A EVP on two different audio sources simultaneously. The audio of the event is available here.

If any of you readers out there have experienced this phenomena, drop us an e-mail and I'll include your account in this article.

Below are a few links that mention this phenomena that were found on a google search on September 22, 2010.

http://www.coastghosts.com/ghostgabs.html

http://www.psychic-experiences.com/real-psychic-story.php?story=933

http://www.simplyghost.com/terms/

http://www.hollowhill.com/guide/sparkles.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Paranormal-Phenomena-3278/2009/9/f/sparkly-feeling-presence.htm


Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Paranormal Fail! A New Web Site

We are excited to announce our new Web site, Paranormal Fail!

This site is dedicated to failures by ghost hunters, the media, and other screw-ups, bumbles, and stumbles related to the paranormal. Even our own group--Sights Unseen Paranormal--is not off limits.

Paranormal Fail!

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while
the truth is still putting on its shoes."
--Mark Twain

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal

Intelligent vs Residual Hauntings: A Way to Tell the Difference

I believe in humans. I'm not sure I believe in ghosts. Though I'm a skeptic, I can unequivocally say that I've encountered events I haven't been able to explain. Whether the phenomena was caused by a ghost--the existence of a human consciousness after death--or other paranormal source, I can't say for sure. No one else on the planet can say for sure either.

At least in the foreseeable future, I suspect that we may never be able to answer the question as to the existence of ghosts. Perhaps it's something we aren't 'meant' to know. Belief in ghosts is just that--belief--and every human is entitled to their beliefs.

Given the above caveat, humans behave in predictable patterns and, by definition, intelligent ghosts should too. So, when a paranormal investigator visits a haunted residence how do they tell the difference between an intelligent vs a residual haunting? The answer isn't quite as clear as it seems.

Let's say we encounter a door that opens and closes or footsteps that cross the floor at a specific time that a known human was known to exhibit such behavior. Such an event could be due to a residual haunting--energy left imprinted on the environment--or an intelligent haunt--the ghost, at least in some respect, is able to choose to exhibit itself at a certain place in time and space because it wants to do so.

So, given human behavior, in the event of a certain environmental phenomena, how would one tell the difference between footsteps caused by a residual haunting and an intelligent haunting?

First, a paranormal investigator--or other human--should try and document the phenomena via video and/or audio. Ideally, it should be documented again. Upon the third occurrence, one should try and interrupt the process. This could be done via voice, placing objects or oneself in the path of the footsteps, or other 'intervention' in an attempt to interrupt the process. If it stops, that still doesn't prove anything.

One must look for a common behavior that would be exhibited in humans , e.g. you block someone from walking a certain path, they will stop, go the other way, walk around you, or confront you. Of course, the ghost--whether due to a residual or intelligent haunting--could choose just to walk through the interruption as well.

But, if the path of the footsteps deviated and/or the physical intervention by the living caused some other type of 'behavior' by the ghost, theoretically, you would be one step closer to be able to determine whether the phenomena was intelligent.

Of course, the ghost may simply choose to leave the location and go somewhere else, in which case a paranormal investigator is left at square one. Well, nearly square one. It has at this point become obvious that a living person can cause the phenomena to react.

In the field of paranormal research, and due to the lack of experimental controls, it's impossible to prove anything regardless of what happens. Each investigation becomes a single case study. Important? Yes, but investigations don't lend themselves to appropriate sample sizes with the controls necessary to extrapolate from the 'data.' Single case studies are the standard.

Still, if I interrupted the footsteps--and they took a different path around me--and I recorded an EVP at the same time that said "get out of the flippin' way," I'd probably be a lot more likely to consider it an intelligent haunting versus a residual haunting.

Many of us have encountered footsteps occurring at specific times, and yet I haven't seen this type of interaction attempted. Many times, as paranormal investigators we're very excited to record such phenomena. If we can record it more then once, Wow! Most of the time, we tentatively deal with such phenomena hoping not to disturb it. 'Don't turn on the lights! It will stop!'

Some individuals feel that a device such as a KII Meter (a type of electromagnetic field detector) can help an investigator determine whether a haunting is intelligent or not. For those not familiar with the device, there are a series of lights that a ghost or spirit can supposedly light up in response to questions. On the surface, this device may appear to be breakthrough when it comes to communication with the afterlife, but in reality, it is not.

I'm a firm believer in the power of the human mind--if you haven't done so kind reader, research some well documented cases of poltergeist activity and SPK (spontaneous human telekinesis). Given this, a KII meter going off in response to some questions in a logical manner doesn't convince me of anything approximating an intelligent haunting. Disregarding anomalous electromagnetic fields, I think it's more likely that your brain--and not a ghost--is causing the KII meter to go off. At least I know for a fact that the brain exists.

Of course, there's as much evidence of spontaneous human telekinesis as there is of ghosts. Thus, as with all paranormal phenomena, the cause behind it evolves into a belief. And people ascribe different beliefs as to the cause of paranormal phenomena.

Still, using a KII meter doesn't even come close to interrupting a series of events caused by a possible paranormal phenomena to see what the reaction is and then attempt to determine whether its something that one could define as a human reaction.

The tactics and possibilities are nearly endless, but one should take a very close look if one puts themselves in the position of attempting to call a haunting intelligent, and I suggest in the rare cases of phenomena that repeatedly occurs at a specific place and time, we have an important opportunity to take things a step further.

Always consider...what would a human do? Then, see if the paranormal phenomena reacts in a series of events in a way that a living human human might.

Then, one may get a tad closer to being able to confidently confirm the belief of an intelligent haunting.

Have many of us encountered phenomena that we felt was reacting to us? Absolutely. One needs to take a closer look and attempt to first replicate the effect, then introduce variables, consider how an alive human would react and push the envelope that goes beyond simply recording EVPs or other half-hearted and easily-debunked attempts to label such phenomena.

Bobby Elgee; Sights Unseen Paranormal
www.nhghosts.com