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Stories of spirits, ghosts, demons, and encounters
with otherworldly entities abound throughout the histories and literature
of literally every culture the world has ever produced. Tales of helpful
spiritual guardians, spiteful faeries, and vengeful wraiths figure prominently
in many ancient stories. And they continue to be a topic for which modern
man holds at least some fascination, given the number of movies released
each year which deal with encounters with the supernatural. However, beyond
the entertainment one may enjoy by telling ghost stories around a campfire,
there is truly fascinating research being conducted into the realms of
what is usually termed 'supernatural'. Researchers have, for more than
a century, sought to plumb the depths of the unknown to find out what
may lie beyond the cessation of life in the physical body.
The first organized body of researchers to band together and apply scientific
techniques to the study of ghost phenomena was the Society for Psychical
Research. Formed in 1882 by a group of distinguished Cambridge scholars,
they immediately set about trying to formulate and prove theories on all
subjects relating to the paranormal, including telekinesis and clairvoyance
as well as haunting activity. Unfortunately, many of the early SPR members
seemed to be too gullible, wanting desperately to believe the claims of
many so-called mediums and psychics. This led to the downfall of many
researchers, with the credibility of the SPR being severely damaged as
a whole, when most of the charlatans who had been declared genuine by
the Society later were shown to be fraudulent. Ironically, it was one
of the SPR's own founding members, Harry H. Price, who debunked so many
of the supposed psychics. These included psychics who Price himself had
originally declared to be genuine. This unfortunate chain of events lead
to an inevitable schism between Price and the SPR, a side effect of which
was that much of Price's research faded into obscurity. However, we now
apply many of his theories and research methods to ghost hunting, marrying
century-old theory with modern equipment and scientific knowledge.
Most paranormal investigators are at least moderately conversant with
certain laws of physics. One of the strongest cases for the existence
of life after death revolves around the First Law of Thermodynamics (also
known as the Law of Conservation of Energy). It states: "Energy is
neither created nor destroyed; it changes from one form to another."
We know that all living beings contain a bioelectrical field, and that
this field is intimately connected with consciousness. Given these facts,
then upon the death of the physical body, one of two things can occur:
The consciousness and its attendant bioelectrical field either convert
to radiant heat energy and dissipate forever, or the field changes form
into a new, but self-cohesive, state. Many scientists take an atheistic
view, and believe that nothing survives the death of the physical body.
However, this flies in the face of centuries of eyewitness accounts and
well-documented modern evidence of the survival of at least a portion
of the consciousness, without even needing to delve into possibly problematic
religious teachings.
Modern evidence gathering can take many forms. Many interesting, possibly
even bizarre, investigative methods have been tested over the decades
that modern paranormal research has existed. Most have fallen into disuse;
the results, when there were any, were either too unreliable or completely
unverifiable by any other researchers. However, a few methods have withstood
the test of time. Probably the most effective, and yet most problematic,
method employed is that of so-called ghost photography.
It is a proven fact that photographic equipment is fully capable of seeing
much farther into the electromagnetic spectrum than the human eye is capable
of perceiving. Special films capable of recording X-rays are employed
every day for medical uses. Likewise, photographic film can be obtained
which allows infrared and ultraviolet photos to be taken. It is the belief
of all ghost researchers that ghost photographs are merely photos of phenomena
in the very near infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum. While
this renders the object being photographed invisible to the naked eye,
nearly all film and digital cameras are capable of capturing the image
and presenting it to us as a visible photo. The usage of cameras in paranormal
research dates back to the late 19th Century, and is considered to be
our single most powerful tool. Unfortunately, it is also by no means foolproof.
One of the most serious problems paranormal researchers encounter is that
of hoaxes. Most published 'ghost' photos are either deliberate falsehoods,
or mistakes made by well-meaning but uninformed private enthusiasts. The
most common form they take is that of the visibly bizarre but explainable
double exposure. Simply put, when a photographic frame is exposed twice
before picture development, then a strange 'otherworldly' double image
may be obtained. Usually, these are easy to spot, even for the photographic
novice. However, at times they can occur and look so authentic that even
longtime researchers are fooled. Of course, photographic artists and experts
can look and immediately see the underlying cause of the strange photo.
This has the unfortunate effect of destroying ghost photography as a credible
source of evidence, leading many skeptics to fallaciously assume that
all ghost photos are tricks of light, shadow, over, under, and double
exposure. Luckily, we now have new tools in our photographic arsenal.
Digital photography, and the privately affordable digital camera, has
been of great use to the modern ghost hunting community. With digital
photos, double exposures are nearly impossible. Likewise, as there is
no developing process, development errors or flaws on the film can no
longer happen. And most digital cameras can see quite far into the IR
and UV portions of the spectrum. An easy test of a camera's capability
is to simply aim a television remote at the lens and observe on the device's
screen when one presses the volume button. The IR light emitted by the
remote control will be visible on the camera's screen.
Another extremely useful tool is the IR capable camcorder. Most major
manufacturers of domestic electronics have at least one or two camcorders
that are "night vision" capable (i.e. The Sony NightShot). These
infrared enabled recorders have a small emitter on the front of the camera.
While the range of these emitters is generally limited to no more than
10 feet, special extension devices can be purchased which easily extend
the IR beam to more than 80 feet. With these cameras, phenomena have been
recorded which are very difficult to attribute to a mundane source. When
operating multiple cameras under strict usage guidelines as per the manufacturer's
operating instructions, mistakes can be nearly eliminated.
Nearly as common in usage as photographic equipment, electromagnetic field
meters (or EMF detectors) have gained in popularity and utility in recent
decades. All EMF sensors are designed to do one thing: measure the strength
of electromagnetic fields in a given area. While they are invaluable tools,
it is an uncomfortable fact that most paranormal researchers do not understand
how to use these devices, or even what they are trying to prove by using
them. Most EMF meters simply are not capable of measuring the fields we
believe to be most likely associated with haunting activity.
They were
designed to measure manmade electrical fields within certain frequencies.
Those frequencies almost always center on 50Hz to 60Hz, which are the
frequencies of the electrical grids in Europe and North America, respectively.
Some EMF meters can see further below 50Hz. A popular model is able to
measure between 5Hz to 60Hz. But while most ghost hunters can tell an
interviewer that it is important to register a wider range of EM frequencies,
they cannot answer why it is. Most don't know that the frequency most
often associated with haunting activity is centered on 40Hz, and is never
an Alternating Current field, or manmade AC electricity. It is always
Direct Current, or a natural DC electromagnetic field. I believe this
is because the human mind's "operating system", if you will,
registers as a DC electromagnetic field operating at or near 40Hz. So,
the EMF sensors most ghost hunters utilize are not even capable of registering
a ghostly energetic field, and what results they do get are almost always
caused by manmade interference.
Another very commonly used method of investigation involves the employment
of mediums or psychics. Many groups use "talents" in the course
of their investigations to flesh out the sometimes-sketchy information
available on the possible consciousness that inhabit the area under research.
However, there is a vocal minority within the ghost hunting community
that objects to the use of data gleaned from the use of these often self-proclaimed
mediums. Simply put, not one single experiment in modern research has
ever been able to conclusively prove the psychical talents of these so-called
mediums. Worse still, many mediums appear to be in the field solely for
the easily obtainable funding they can accrue from fleecing an unwary
and gullible public. As a scam, it has it's attractions: the general public
wants to believe in ghosts, and will have almost no means of proving that
they've been fooled by a con artist. Certain ghost hunters have taken
it upon themselves to offer their services, free of charge, to anyone
who is considering hiring a psychic or medium. Their offers usually involve
thoroughly investigating the supposedly haunted location to see if there
is even anything there for the medium to "cleanse". Very often,
there is not. The phenomena experienced by the subject most often have
mundane causes, which the frightened person's mind then expands upon,
in a process, which is self-sustaining and gets worse over time.
Indeed, it is our perceptions of our environment, which seem to fuel most
haunting activity. Most often, "ghosts" are nothing more than
the intrusion of subconscious fears impinging upon our conscious thoughts.
Humans are diurnal creatures. We work and play while the sun is up, and
at night we rest. During the day, therefore, we pay much less attention
to the minute noises and occurrences that are constantly happening all
around us. At night, our minds move to a more rest-like state. Small disturbances
are suddenly noticeable. Noises we may have ignored all day suddenly take
on newer, larger proportions. Items may seem to have moved, although usually
we moved them ourselves during the day and forgot that we did so. Houses
make settling noises as the temperature difference causes the wood inside
them to contract. To the mind at rest, these things can take on frighteningly
larger proportions. Coupled with our association of night with the realms
of the dead, mundane occurrences very quickly become horrifying evidence
of the presence of spirits.
However, while this may explain the vast majority of ghost sightings,
it does not explain them all. Interestingly enough, perception plays a
very important role in actual ghost activity as well. Based upon the research
of Dr. Michael Persinger at Laurentian University, scientific ghost researchers
(spearheaded by the Southwest Ghost Hunters Association,) have formulated
a theory of ghost to person interaction that appears to explain the mechanics
of the vast majority of ghost sightings.
Dr. Persinger founded the Behavioral Neuroscience Program at Laurentian
University in Ontario, Canada. The program's research centers on the specific
interactions between the human mind and different electromagnetic fields,
in an attempt to explain otherwise mysterious sightings. In Dr. Persinger's
own words, "As a human being, I am concerned about the illusionary
explanations for human consciousness and the future of human existence.
Consequently after writing the Neuropsychological Base of God Beliefs
(1987), I began the systematic application of complex electromagnetic
fields to discern the patterns that will induce experiences (sensed presence)
that are attributed to the myriad of ego-alien intrusions which range
from gods to aliens."
(Internet, http://laurentian.ca/neurosci/_people/Persinger.htm)
The findings of Dr. Persinger's group have direct relevance to the field
of ghost hunting. He has shown that the application of low frequency electromagnetic
fields to human volunteers can induce hallucinatory states. His subjects
reported feelings of euphoria, engaged in conversation with deceased relatives,
and even experienced alien abduction scenarios. In many cases, the field
frequencies used in research experimentation were the same as those found
in anomalous "rogue" electromagnetic fields associated with
haunting activity. So, it is possible that the vast majority of ghost
sightings were purely perceptual, the witness having been manipulated
by the electromagnetic energy of the anomaly to perceive whatever the
ghost wanted the witness to perceive. Consequently, while human witnesses
may behold a horrifying, grisly apparition, all that are captured by photographic
equipment are the quite mundane appearing orbs, mists, and other photographic
phenomena most commonly associated with ghostly presences.
Ghost stories, tales of the supernatural, strange occurrences, even poltergeists
and avenging reaver spirits have played a giant role throughout most of
human history. Our ancient ancestors in all parts of the world told stories
to each other to try and explain their world, or to teach valuable practical
lessons, or sometimes merely to give each other a fright on a dark night
around the campfire. But these stories must have had a basis in reality.
The remarkable similarities between stories told in China with stories
told in faraway Iceland strongly imply that the people at least had an
impression of something else beyond the realm of the living. They believed,
as many in the modern world still do, that the death of the physical body
was not the death of the self. Consciousness is not bound together simply
by our neurological network of interconnected nerve cells, but by the
electrical field housed within our bodies. At the cessation of life, the
consciousness may continue to exist in a new form. It is the discovery
and understanding of how and why this happens, that drives modern paranormal
research onwards.
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