Who’s afraid of the big bad skeptic?

You find yourself alone in a mist-filled cemetery as dawn breaks. Fading light traces the beautiful etchings on the tombstones around you. You’re at peace, surrounded by the dead with your digital recorder in one hand and a camera in the other. Wait a minute. What’s that? You hear the sound of a breaking twig from somewhere nearby. You suddenly realize you are NOT alone. Next, you hear footsteps, drawing closer and closer. Oh no! It’s the Skeptics. You can’t run, for Doubting Thomases are hot on your tracks. You can’t even hide, for their rolling eyes always seem to find you. They appear out of nowhere, reaching for you with their sharp pointy fingers, piercing your balloons of evidence with a sudden POP! It’s like waking from a zombie-filled nightmare.
It’s one of the many fears most paranormal investigators face every time we bring forth new ideas and evidence to the ever growing debate table. We learn it’s not the dead we need fear, it’s the living. Those who question our beliefs, strategy or even our findings have no problem passing judgment. They seem to find no trouble ripping down our walls of confidence and poking at our bellies of theory.
Through the ages, the idea of ghosts has come a long way. Ghost enthusiasts no longer have to hide in the dark along with our ghostly companions. Our numbers have grown such that we can now march in our own parade. However, we still fear those who stand on the sidelines, picketing and chanting against us.
Now, I know I’ve just painted a really ugly picture of those BIG bad skeptics out there. In fact there very well could be one in your own family (SCREAM!!!!!!). In all honesty, they are not as scary as some might imagine. Have we become less tolerant of them as they sometimes are of us?
A few years ago, a local skeptics group contacted me to arrange a speaking engagement on ghost hunting. I replied “Sure, I’d be happy too.” There was a silent pause on the phone, and then, the voice answered back, “Really?” I reaffirmed my answer, “Sure, why not?” To my surprise, I discovered the caller had been trying for months to get anyone in the ghost hunting field to speak to his group but came up with rejection after rejection from all the local groups. No one wanted to submit to appearing in front of a bunch of skeptics. WTF! We ghost hunters can hang out in cemeteries in the middle of the night with no fear but cower to a healthy debate on the discussion of paranormal activity? COME ON PEOPLE!
Just because someone calls themselves a skeptic, does not mean that they are closed-minded or they’re in search of the odd-man-out for next week’s public hanging. These people had valid questions, and I delivered answers. They were just as curious about the world of strange encounters, as we ghost hunters are. Sure, some may not be big believers in ghosts, but who’s to say that they can’t believe in the possibility of the unexplained events we encounter.
“SKEPTICISM” seems to be a big scary word for those in the field of paranormal research. But yet we try to encourage those who seek ghosts to carry a fair share of skepticism with them when they venture out into the dark. This is to keep anyone in this field more level headed and not so eager to label everything they encounter “paranormal.” Yet, I feel we have failed if paranormal investigators are not capable of being confident enough in their findings to face a skeptical review.
Now, granted there is a point when you can be too skeptical. Here the debate can go on forever with no conclusion, and you have to walk away agreeing to disagree. However, skeptics are not our enemies; they often challenge our observations while presenting different ways to view material. These views help us peel away the mistakes today’s ghost hunters often make in producing evidence. When the skeptics themselves cannot come up with an answer to support or refute data, then we’ve done our job properly. It’s those puzzling findings that show the world we are NOT wasting our time. When we enter the debate without first examining those elements we want to call PROOF POSITIVE with a skeptical eye, we fail to engage in the true science of our investigations or prepare ourselves for the larger debate. To avoid wasting time in the discussion of paranormal activity, ghost hunters should acknowledge and make use of skepticism as one of our most useful ghost hunting tools, which is too frequently lacking in most ghost hunters’ toolboxes.

The Angry Ghost Hunter featured in Ghost Voices magazine.

Due to The Angry Ghost Hunter being picked up by Ghost Voices magazine, I will be withholding my new blogs until after their publication. Sorry for the inconvenience to my followers. However, feel free to keep updated with what I’m doing through my new website at http://rossallison.com

Thanks again for your support,
Ross Allison - The Angry Ghost Hunter


ghostvoicesmagazine.com

Too many rules and not enough fun

3, 2, 1 ready or not, here we come! To most, it almost feels like a game of Hide & Seek. The ghost hunters or investigators are always wandering through creepy darkened rooms, searching under the beds and in the closets looking to find that hidden proof that spirits roam about. As you peer around corners you find yourself expecting to hear that startling “BOO!” to be uttered at you from the ghost himself. But most ghost seeking adventures leave us empty handed with no evidence to show we had found what we were looking for.

It is with this popular Hide & Seek concept that so many choose to venture off in search of ghosts. For most it appears to be a game, an adventure, a thrill ride, that feeling of reconnecting with our childhood. Ghost hunting takes us into a different realm, where we can easily cross that line between our own imagination and reality. Unfortunately it’s these ideas that make us question, "Where’s that fine line when it comes true scientific research or just simply child’s play?"

Throughout my years of running a volunteer organization I have found many people who wanted to join AGHOST looking for that exact thrill seeking experience. "When is the next spook show going to start? Will I be touched by a ghost? I can’t wait to see a ghost tonight!" When folks go into the field of paranormal research with this kind of attitude, their focus will not be on the bigger picture, but on that single, anticipated encounter and, sadly, this is where we as investigators begin to lose ALL credibility.

There has always been a gray area in how we proceed in the field of paranormal research. Due to this, we are constantly struggling to produce better ways in supporting or disproving popular beliefs. In doing so, we have to put protocols in place to help us produce better investigations and even better evidence. However, many groups don’t have rules of conduct in place or, when they do, members bitch and complain that there are too many rules and not enough fun. (insert record needle sliding across a record) WHAT THE HELL! If people are pursuing documented proof that ghosts could very well exist, then why can’t they understand the reasoning and purpose in having rules and protocols in place? It all goes back to the false ideas, due to television shows and media, which most people have in their heads when walking into this field.

Protocols were not created to satisfy the whims and desires of those who created them. Protocols are a necessary evil. Although many members do not enjoy following established protocols or perhaps do not understand their purpose, we must continue to follow them in order to ensure the credibility of our findings.

Following the rules is not about telling people what to do, but rather they are to regulate how we do things, ensuring that how we get from the beginning to the end of an investigation adheres to the practices agreed upon by specialist such as professors, scientists, crime investigators, and some of the big names in the paranormal field. Their research has made clear what is expected to produce solid evidence to support the idea of paranormal encounters. One thing these professionals ALL agreed on is you need data, data, data. There is no such thing in having too much data.

Due to the lack of protocols in our line of work, the ghost investigators are not collecting enough data to support any and all evidence. It is so important to note that protocols are not about how we run the group. Protocols are about how we present ourselves and our data to the world. This limited resource in protocols only continues to allow us to constantly question one another's evidence any time we encounter the oddities out there.

So what if members are not having enough fun when going out and doing investigations. If that’s the case, do you really need them assisting you in trying to produce evidence? Really think about it; are you really trying to learn from it all or just experience it all? That really is a question only you can answer.

Also ask yourself: Are you spending more time entertaining your members or are you truly focused on the research? Do you find yourself making sure your members are happy and willing to bend the rules just to make it easier on them and yourself?

If people are coming to you to learn on how to be a paranormal investigator, should you be redoing the protocols to fit their needs? If so, then you are basically taking people who watch COPS (the TV show), and allowing them to tell the police how to do their job. Unfortunately, living in a society that offers us so much freedom, we tend to do this in just about everything we do. We, as individuals have our own ideas in how things should be run or how we’d like to do them and have no problem expressing our opinions. But in all honesty, I believe we tend to forget why these rules are there in the first place.

Without the PAST, we have nothing to learn from

Today, we no longer have to cover our mouths denying our beliefs in the oddities that are all around us. It’s ok to scream from any rooftop or crowded street “I’m A GHOST HUNTER! And I LOVE TO DO IT IN THE DARK!” Or proudly carry your Ghost Lover’s membership card and say, “YES! I am an official member” without retreating to the nearest closet. The battles have been fought, and now as the smoke clears, we stand among the survivors, taking for granted the acceptance of our love affair with the things that go bump in the night.

Before there were hit ghost hunting shows polluting our minds; paranormal podcasts filling the air; or the dim glow of a green infrared screen lighting our way through the darkened halls of a haunted site; before any of this was even heard of, we the living, breathing ghost hunters hid in the dark, not only in search of ghosts, but hiding from YOU.

It’s hard to believe there was ever a time when the topic of ghosts or hauntings was such a hushed thought among most people. Anyone caught peeking into a ghost book on the dusty shelf at the library was sure to be one of those outcasts in society. But just like most controversial beliefs or ideas, there were folks out there searching for the truth.

A few names like: Hanz Holzer, Harry Price, Loyd Auerbach, Dr. Barry Taff, Peter Underwood, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ed and Lorraine Warren or Joseph B. and Louisa Rhine, pushed their ideas publicly. And if you don’t know who these people are, then how dare you call yourself a ghost hunter, SHAME ON YOU! These are “and were” our soldiers, the ones fighting when fewer than one in ten believed in their quests, at a time when skeptics would slaughter us publicly.

The problem is, so many are looking to what’s hot now; they are not looking at how we got here in the first place. Let’s NOT forget where this all started. NO! Jason & Grant of “Ghost Hunters” fame did not launch the idea of ghost hunting; they just kicked the door open. The pursuit of seeking out ghosts has been around for centuries.

So, to run towards the future of ghost hunting, you have to be able to look back and know our paranormal past. Before the digital age, many paranormal researchers captured oddities on film and on tape, which I personally feel should remain in use on investigations today. However, we are now seeing so many new faces claim the title “Ghost Hunter” and I question whether they deserve the title.

Some of these ghost hunters are stepping into the field so young that they still have their mother’s breast milk on their breath. HELL!, if they get any younger we’ll be throwing fetuses into haunted houses with EMF detectors strapped to their backs.

If people are going to be venturing off into the unknown, I feel they should be better prepared than simply watching last night’s episode of Paranormal State. There is so much more to understanding the strange goings on than what we are finding on TV. First and foremost is education. And without our past, we have nothing to learn from. So let us take a moment and reflect on those who have cleared the path for us, those who pursued this constant challenge all their lives and some who died without recognition. It is their ideas that I have learned from; their efforts that drive me, and their endless quests that inspires me throughout my life.

Ghost Hunters of the past, I salute you.

Your legacy will not be forgotten.

To Know or Not to Know, that is the question.

It was on this very dark & stormy night, 70 years ago, that Lady Miller took her sewing sheers from her purse and stabbed her secret lover in the heart 26 times. One for each and every lie he told her throughout their scandalous love affair. She then marched into her husband’s office covered in her lover’s blood. SHOCKED, her husband Edward cried out from behind the day's Wall Street Journal. “Martha! What happened?” She replied, “I’m sorry Edward, I don’t love you, I never loved you. I only loved your money.” She then took a wine glass from the nearby bar, smashed it against the wall and proceeded to force the freshly broken stem across her throat. Edward jumped to save her only to hold his dying wife in his arms for the last time. In tears, he could only wonder why, why would she do such a thing?

It was these past events that led to this mansion’s hated hauntings. Many will say it’s her lover, furious at her deed in taking his young life. Others strongly believe it’s Martha herself, pacing the halls in fear of what hell awaits her if she should try to move on. I myself believe that it’s Lord Miller who lurks forever in the darkened rooms. Soon after her death, he too died but from a broken heart.

So Scobby Do Gooders, it is now up to you to solve these mysterious hauntings that leave new owners running in fear just months after moving in. Find out why Lady Miller’s perfume is picked up late at night in the master bedroom. Why does the office, in which the suicide took place, always drop to freezing levels just before midnight? And why do the sounds of passionate breathing echo down the halls each and every night….

An opportunity like this is every ghost hunter’s dream. The more dramatic the haunting or history is, the more EMF-carrying ghost hunters want to pack up their gear and move in. But the question is, do we already know too much? We see this quite often on ghost hunting shows, where ghost hunters go in knowing their target and then focus their attention on what we call the HAUNTED HOT SPOTS. But is this the correct way to proceed into the world of paranormal research?

It has always been questioned whether knowing information about a haunted location is more helpful when conducting an investigation. Some would say that knowing too much affects your judgment, which could produce false encounters or even evidence. Whereas knowing too little keeps the investigator on a not-so-narrow path and won’t be so quick to judge. To be objective or unbiased towards any type of reported activity is to really go in with un-suggestive material.

The human mind has proven its capability of amazing things. Our will is greater than our physical strength. But yet, we are only as mentally capable of what we already know. Someone who may be well diverse in an abundant of facts, knowledge, and beliefs can easily find themselves lost in making the simplest decisions due to the different facts, contradictions and personal beliefs collected through the years. We can produce information and process a world of complex data. This is where phycology can easily take over our perception when confronted by our beliefs and knowledge. Knowing too much just builds the psychological belief that if you build it, they will come. This means that if you believe or know it’s there, you will encounter it. Here where the simplest explainable things can easily become powers of the paranormal persuasion.

In the case of NOT knowing, in which a team goes in cold. This is a practice my team of investigators are accustomed to. If they cover all their bases and find interesting reported activity in areas where they had no clue were activity was reported, don’t you think this builds the credibility needed in this line of work? What sets me off is folks are too eager to know what’s going on rather than to step into the unknown blindfolded. This only proves to me so many are in it for the rush of the hunt and NOT the true science needed to prove these encounters.

Some will argue that knowing everything prior to the investigation will allow the team to focus their attention to the active areas. But who’s to say while you’re focused on the bedroom, the ghost isn’t hanging out in the hall.

So here is a challenge I’m offering my fellow ghost hunters out there. Let’s take two teams to the same haunted location. Now this should NOT be a site where it’s public knowledge of it being haunted. The best scenario would be a client’s home if possible. One team will know everything about the site, such as history and even activity, and the other team will know nothing. Now, let’s see which team picks up the most activity. Were they all personal encounters or are they picking up real recorded evidence?

Is knowing too much affecting our perception or is knowing too little keeping us from finding the truth?

The Midas Touch in Evidence

With the press of a button, we can capture some of the strangest things creeping around us, fog-like images conquering the grounds of a forgotten cemetery or a flicker of darkness darting by with the turn of a head. These strange light formations, shadowy figures, misty forms and spheres of energy have also been known to sneak into our shots. We find similar strangeness in our recordings that ghost hunters can pick up as we journey through dark-filled rooms with eerie voices whispering in the background. As these oddities make their personal appearances, as if to greet us or even warn us of a line we are about to cross into the unknown, our curiosity, excitement and determination grow. These types of interesting findings can be amazingly credible bits of evidence or simply demonstrations of human error that play with our beliefs.

When it comes to seeking out ghostly beings that haunt the vast corners of the world, we find it takes a certain type of person to filter out the truly unique from the ordinary. It becomes so easy to pull nonsense out of our hats and label it “PARANOMAL” but to truly find that rare supernatural event requires more of a skeptical outlook. As I venture off to the world of the internet, I see so many ghost hunting websites making mistakes in how they filter their evidence. COME ON! Really? Are we to believe that all of this crap is proof of ghosts? Or could it be the other team members chatting about last night’s episode of Ghost Hunters who won’t shut the hell up during an EVP session!

With the popularity of ghost hunting and the gadgets that follow, many are too eager to find something strange in materials from their personal investigations. They analyze their evidence to death and are willing to accept just about anything as proof of the paranormal. But before we go into the topic of reviewing, we must understand the importance of how to capture the phenomena in the first place. Answer the following questions:

#1 Am I in a controlled environment?
#2 Do I understand how my equipment works and am I using it correctly?
#3 Do I understand established protocols and obey them before proceeding with the investigation?

Example: So many groups are focused on having the BEST and most sensitive recording equipment (and believe me that’s great), but here is where we run into problems. By using sound sensitive equipment or microphones that pick up the slightest sound of a pin drop, we begin to make errors in how we process the recordings. We must understand that these recordings are going to pick up sounds we normally don’t hear with the human ear (such as the before-mentioned pin drop). But even when you are in a room with everyone being quiet, you can still pick up sounds of movement, fabric rubbing together or even pops or creeks (normal house noises), and let’s not forget the sounds that appliances and other equipment can give off, that we would not normally hear. So when these sounds are recorded and we don’t recall hearing them during the investigation - BINGO! - we now believe we have a ghostly sound or voice telling us “You will DIE”.

To better ourselves as paranormal investigators, we all need to be willing to be more skeptical in reviewing our evidence. Just because we believe the location is haunted, doesn’t mean we are going to find something every time we investigate. As we review the oddities we discover, we need to be willing to allow others to review them as well.

A good many of my group’s members have gotten mad at me just because I personally didn’t believe the evidence they captured was paranormal. We all have to be willing to accept that what we believe are true findings may be our own psychological misinterpretations. In the field of science, we must allow our personal findings to be debated. Sometimes we even have to be the guinea pigs in our own psychological tests. I must ask myself: Where do I personally stand on my beliefs? What will it take to convince me I just captured something paranormal? And how much do I really want to believe it has to be a ghost, enough to cloud my judgment?

I have tested my members’ abilities to review evidence and encourage anyone in this field to do the same. I modified a picture so that it appeared to be a possible paranormal image. I then passed it out among the members to see what they thought of the image. To my surprise, many accepted it as proof of the unknown without further review. Few questioned it or wanted to analyze or discuss the contents of the photo. At the next meeting, I revealed the photo as a fake only to find disappointment from many of the members. HOLD ON A SEC! - just because I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m the president of a research group, does NOT make my evidence gold.

Just because you saw something on TV does NOT make it proof. We ALL need to be willing to have ANY and ALL evidence questioned. We are all humans who can make the same simple and psychological mistakes. Unfortunately, proving the paranormal becomes a guessing game when confronted by the strange. No one has the Midas Touch - no matter how credible their previous findings. As investigators, we must maintain distance from our personal prejudices and beliefs and embrace the analysis, reviews and criticism of other investigators. Only through the process of debate and discussion can we find the true meaning of paranormal.

R U willing to put your life on the line?

Ok, I said I wasn’t going to do a blog this month due to working on my upcoming books. But I received a phone call this afternoon from my other half asking if I had read the news about a ghost hunter being killed? No, I hadn’t, so curiosity drove me to the website, and I proceeded to read the tragic story.

Just last night on Aug the 27th of 2010, a group of a dozen ghost hunters went off to investigate the story of a ghost train in Iredell County, NC. It seems that these individuals proceeded to wander off onto active train tracks and onto a bridge. Unaware, they were surprised as a real train came barreling down on them causing investigators to jump 40ft for their lives, but one young man was not so lucky.

Due to the popularity of ghost hunting, stories of this nature are far too common. We find many groups going into unsafe environments for the thrill of the hunt. Where most end in foolish accidents of someone getting hurt or others being arrested for trespassing, some in fact are being killed. In Toronto, CA a woman fell to her death from a building while ghost hunting in 2009. The problem is, this crap should not be happening.

TV shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and others are playing on the viewers excitement of wanting to experience the same types of phenomena they are seeing on these very well edited programs and like the popularity of the MTV show Jackass, where individuals attempt to pull off silly stunts, fans are now trying to recreate what they see on TV. This led to many tragic endings for the viewers imitating their (to be honest) stupidity. Is the same happening with the ghost hunting shows?

Maybe these ghost hunting programs need disclaimers at the beginning and end to tell people that these investigations are done in safe and controlled environments and by somewhat professionals. For there are now too many groups out there who are careless, don’t know what they are doing and are clearly putting their lives and others in danger.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Christopher Kaiser