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?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
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
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
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Angry Ghost Hunter on the Angry Ghost Hunter
When I started this blog in February of this year, my intent was to confront the problems that are damaging the field of paranormal research. Yes, I’ve talked about the lack of education, training, and professionalism as well as the abundance of thrill seeking and the competitiveness we face every time we set forth to find truth to the paranormal.
The diversity of ghost hunting groups is commendable. We all want and deserve to make our individual mark in the ghost hunting community. However, with the lack of internal communication and/or in helping our neighboring ghost hunters, more and more problems develop around us.
Those who know me personally will agree that I’m really a nice guy. Not so angry. But I'm very passionate when it comes to ghosts and the research. As my group and I continued to work on finding answers, my frustration grew. So many doors were closed, so little participation and hardly any communication with other groups. I wanted to take on these issues, talk about them and bring them to the surface. We need to acknowledge as a society that there are problems with our habits, attitudes and procedures. Are we so afraid to face the monster in the closet?
Discussing these problems may help us to tame the beast. What the ghost hunting community lacks is the unity, standards, and a force in helping us all find a common truth to the unknown. We do need to come together, build upon each other’s knowledge and learn what each one of us can offer the community. Because if we are so afraid of the monsters in our closets, then how can we face the challenge of ghosts in our homes?
The diversity of ghost hunting groups is commendable. We all want and deserve to make our individual mark in the ghost hunting community. However, with the lack of internal communication and/or in helping our neighboring ghost hunters, more and more problems develop around us.
Those who know me personally will agree that I’m really a nice guy. Not so angry. But I'm very passionate when it comes to ghosts and the research. As my group and I continued to work on finding answers, my frustration grew. So many doors were closed, so little participation and hardly any communication with other groups. I wanted to take on these issues, talk about them and bring them to the surface. We need to acknowledge as a society that there are problems with our habits, attitudes and procedures. Are we so afraid to face the monster in the closet?
Discussing these problems may help us to tame the beast. What the ghost hunting community lacks is the unity, standards, and a force in helping us all find a common truth to the unknown. We do need to come together, build upon each other’s knowledge and learn what each one of us can offer the community. Because if we are so afraid of the monsters in our closets, then how can we face the challenge of ghosts in our homes?
Standing Together
Come one, come all and see the most amazing spectacle of strange phenomena that baffle the ghost hunters and people living with the unseen world! Watch as the dishes fly across the room and feel the forces of invisible hands touch your flesh! Could these be what we call ghosts? Venture in and find out for yourself!
It’s pretty tempting to see what all the commotion is about. There’s that tall dark figure lifting the curtain and pointing in on what we might find to be our worst fears or even a satisfying dose of curiosity. I know if I was you, I’d be trying to take a peek into the darkened room. We all want to. So, what if you do walk in? What if what he said was true? There really is something to all these bizarre happenings that we call ghost encounters. Do I run out in a frenzy, trying not to look back to see if something is following me? Or do I face my fears and look a little longer and harder at what might be looking back? As for me, I’m going in and taking in all I can find out. For all I know all the whole, eery spectacle could be nothing more then smoke and mirrors.
I guess it goes to show just how much of an investigator I want or try to be. Throughout my life, I've spent over 20 years looking to see the invisible wires pulling the sheet down the hall. I’ve always been the type to really want to know how things work. How is it possible and what is the reason for all this? When ghost hunting began in the late 1850’s, it was a case of experience outweighing curiosity. Most ventured off to reenact phenomena they encountered themselves. Some looked for proof to claims that mediums were indeed speaking to the dead. Then their were those checking out the wizard behind the green curtain. Stop! Pay no attention to him, it will ruin the illusion!
When it comes to ghost hunting today, we as ghost hunters have to face that illusion every time. It’s the trick of light, the false impressions and even the lack of education that feed our hopes as well as our fears. So my argument for this month is: Where is the training and education needed to further us along? I find that a lot of groups don’t offer training or don’t constantly feed their minds with new ideas or research old ones. It’s as simple as “here’s a haunted place, lets go!”. With cameras and gadgets in hand, we find that so much can go wrong if you don’t know what the hell you are doing. Come On!! The sad thing really is, there is no standard to what we do as ghost hunters. So how can we help all these groups popping up left and right if we, the more experienced investigators, can't or won't even help ourselves? So many groups do investigating in so many different ways. There’s the psychic ghost hunters, the thrill seekers, the “it’s odd, so it must be a ghost” groups or even the “I don’t believe in you unless you can rip my heart from my chest” type of groups. Each and every one out there has their belief system of how it should be done. But without a standard way of doing things, in all honesty we may never get the chance to advance as paranormal researchers.
Having a standard practice will help us all support our individual evidence. Here we may never have to question one another on how the phenomena was captured. A standard will bring us all on the same page. Here we can eliminate all the human errors that get labeled as ghostly encounters. If we all worked on protocols, standards in reporting and documentation, we as a ghost hunting community would be able to stand together and stand by our own personal achievements. For as I always said, It wont be the work of one or even of some, but of ALL.
It’s pretty tempting to see what all the commotion is about. There’s that tall dark figure lifting the curtain and pointing in on what we might find to be our worst fears or even a satisfying dose of curiosity. I know if I was you, I’d be trying to take a peek into the darkened room. We all want to. So, what if you do walk in? What if what he said was true? There really is something to all these bizarre happenings that we call ghost encounters. Do I run out in a frenzy, trying not to look back to see if something is following me? Or do I face my fears and look a little longer and harder at what might be looking back? As for me, I’m going in and taking in all I can find out. For all I know all the whole, eery spectacle could be nothing more then smoke and mirrors.
I guess it goes to show just how much of an investigator I want or try to be. Throughout my life, I've spent over 20 years looking to see the invisible wires pulling the sheet down the hall. I’ve always been the type to really want to know how things work. How is it possible and what is the reason for all this? When ghost hunting began in the late 1850’s, it was a case of experience outweighing curiosity. Most ventured off to reenact phenomena they encountered themselves. Some looked for proof to claims that mediums were indeed speaking to the dead. Then their were those checking out the wizard behind the green curtain. Stop! Pay no attention to him, it will ruin the illusion!
When it comes to ghost hunting today, we as ghost hunters have to face that illusion every time. It’s the trick of light, the false impressions and even the lack of education that feed our hopes as well as our fears. So my argument for this month is: Where is the training and education needed to further us along? I find that a lot of groups don’t offer training or don’t constantly feed their minds with new ideas or research old ones. It’s as simple as “here’s a haunted place, lets go!”. With cameras and gadgets in hand, we find that so much can go wrong if you don’t know what the hell you are doing. Come On!! The sad thing really is, there is no standard to what we do as ghost hunters. So how can we help all these groups popping up left and right if we, the more experienced investigators, can't or won't even help ourselves? So many groups do investigating in so many different ways. There’s the psychic ghost hunters, the thrill seekers, the “it’s odd, so it must be a ghost” groups or even the “I don’t believe in you unless you can rip my heart from my chest” type of groups. Each and every one out there has their belief system of how it should be done. But without a standard way of doing things, in all honesty we may never get the chance to advance as paranormal researchers.
Having a standard practice will help us all support our individual evidence. Here we may never have to question one another on how the phenomena was captured. A standard will bring us all on the same page. Here we can eliminate all the human errors that get labeled as ghostly encounters. If we all worked on protocols, standards in reporting and documentation, we as a ghost hunting community would be able to stand together and stand by our own personal achievements. For as I always said, It wont be the work of one or even of some, but of ALL.
Friday, June 11, 2010
And you are NOT it!
When it comes to finding yourself interested or maybe just curious about ghosts and the strange things that lurk in darkened corners, you just might find yourself among several others poking at the same dead corpse. But really, how far are you willing to go in pursuing your curiosity? Are you just going to stand around and gawk? Maybe you’re one of those who want to touch it and see what oozes or you may be one of the rare others who really like to get down and dirty and flip it over to see what’s going on below the surface. For each person, we find their personal interest can vary from the extreme to the shrug of ones shoulders followed by the faint “Hmm”. It’s the heightened level of interest that really makes the ideal investigator.
I find there are three elements that identify someone who qualifies as a true investigator. That is PASSION, PATIENCE, and DEVOTION, or PPD. Each one of these represents the level of work you are willing to commit to in pursuing the truth to this ever-expanding, bizarre field.
Now, when you stand in front of the mirror and look close at that person staring back, ask yourself, “What drives me? Why do I want to know? What am I going to do with the knowledge that I gain?” We all have our own interest in pursuing the many different things that make us go “hmmm”, but it’s the level of PPD that helps us decide how far we are willing to dive into the gooey mess.
Once you have figured out what you are willing to do, now look at the others that want to be a part of the same autopsy that has peaked your interest. How do you develop the perfect team? Here’s where things can become a little more complicated. With eagerness, folks gather together and line up to venture off into the unknown. You can’t help but wonder, who are these people and what are they freaking doing here? With so many of people you’ll find a wide range of diversity which results in a myriad of goals and styles within ghost hunting groups. This diversity can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It really depends on how well you all play together.
Right now, with the popularity of ghost hunting TV shows, we are finding groups that exist only to imitate their television idols. Take for instance “Ghost Adventures.” Here’s a show whose premise is to film a group of testosterone-filled guys getting off by provoking the spirits. Throughout the show they cuss and make demands for the ghosts to prove themselves. Now it’s completely up to you if you so choose to put yourself in that dangerous situation -- remember, these guys are at least getting a paycheck and their 15 minutes of fame to show for their bad judgement. Don’t come calling me, though, when Mr. Dark Entity gets fed up with you and decides to kick your ass every night.
With so many fly-by-night groups running around in fearless mode, more and more popular haunted sites are not willing to give the serious investigators a chance. Why? Because these quickly-formed paranormal clubs are being disrespectful while investigating their homes or place of business. Remember folks, TV is a form of entertainment, not schooling.
The diversity in membership is so vast that within one group you may find that the entertainment value outweighs the passion for the truth; the social aspect has more appeal than the required work load; the thrills dominate the patience or the drama defeats the devotion. It all stems from the organizer(s) driving the force and focus of the group. You can easily spend years running a not for profit organization, only to find you wasted your time entertaining the members and not focusing on the real work needed. If people are not willing to put forth the effort in pursuing the truth, which involves consistent record keeping, reporting and discussion, then do we really need them out there ghost hunting?
Still willing to take on the task of developing a focused, fact-based paranormal investigation group? Then keep in mind that EVERY group (even mine) has their own set of problems. This can be lack of communication, people not turning in reports, people not reviewing their evidence or maybe it’s lack of support. When running a volunteer group you always have to be willing and able to ride the wave of ups and downs. There will be times when things run smoothly, but you find that every once in awhile someone on the team drops the ball and you’re back to square one.
So when developing your team of righteous ghost members you may have to consider a few things, just to keep your own sanity:
It’s perfectly OK to screen your future members. Find people who work good with you.
Make sure they know what they are getting into .
How much time can they devote to this?
How much do they really know and are they willing to learn more?
What are their limitations?
What can they offer the ghost hunting community?
Can they fill out a report?
Are they willing to step up when things get tough?
Are they willing to be a part of the team and not grandstand during investigations?
Are they a drama queen? (GOD help us all)
Depending on the work load for the group, one member should be willing to offer at least 15 hrs a month. That should include your groups meeting time, two investigations, review and documentation time. So take your time in getting to know the folks you might be working with. If they’re not right for you, there just might be a group out there that’s right for them. New members showing enthusiasm is good, but take the time to find out if they are in it for the long haul or just wanting a weekend hobby that lets them get out of the house once in a while? That lack of commitment is very contagious in volunteer groups. As the old saying goes, “one bad apple can spoil the whole batch,” and that is so true.
I find there are three elements that identify someone who qualifies as a true investigator. That is PASSION, PATIENCE, and DEVOTION, or PPD. Each one of these represents the level of work you are willing to commit to in pursuing the truth to this ever-expanding, bizarre field.
Now, when you stand in front of the mirror and look close at that person staring back, ask yourself, “What drives me? Why do I want to know? What am I going to do with the knowledge that I gain?” We all have our own interest in pursuing the many different things that make us go “hmmm”, but it’s the level of PPD that helps us decide how far we are willing to dive into the gooey mess.
Once you have figured out what you are willing to do, now look at the others that want to be a part of the same autopsy that has peaked your interest. How do you develop the perfect team? Here’s where things can become a little more complicated. With eagerness, folks gather together and line up to venture off into the unknown. You can’t help but wonder, who are these people and what are they freaking doing here? With so many of people you’ll find a wide range of diversity which results in a myriad of goals and styles within ghost hunting groups. This diversity can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It really depends on how well you all play together.
Right now, with the popularity of ghost hunting TV shows, we are finding groups that exist only to imitate their television idols. Take for instance “Ghost Adventures.” Here’s a show whose premise is to film a group of testosterone-filled guys getting off by provoking the spirits. Throughout the show they cuss and make demands for the ghosts to prove themselves. Now it’s completely up to you if you so choose to put yourself in that dangerous situation -- remember, these guys are at least getting a paycheck and their 15 minutes of fame to show for their bad judgement. Don’t come calling me, though, when Mr. Dark Entity gets fed up with you and decides to kick your ass every night.
With so many fly-by-night groups running around in fearless mode, more and more popular haunted sites are not willing to give the serious investigators a chance. Why? Because these quickly-formed paranormal clubs are being disrespectful while investigating their homes or place of business. Remember folks, TV is a form of entertainment, not schooling.
The diversity in membership is so vast that within one group you may find that the entertainment value outweighs the passion for the truth; the social aspect has more appeal than the required work load; the thrills dominate the patience or the drama defeats the devotion. It all stems from the organizer(s) driving the force and focus of the group. You can easily spend years running a not for profit organization, only to find you wasted your time entertaining the members and not focusing on the real work needed. If people are not willing to put forth the effort in pursuing the truth, which involves consistent record keeping, reporting and discussion, then do we really need them out there ghost hunting?
Still willing to take on the task of developing a focused, fact-based paranormal investigation group? Then keep in mind that EVERY group (even mine) has their own set of problems. This can be lack of communication, people not turning in reports, people not reviewing their evidence or maybe it’s lack of support. When running a volunteer group you always have to be willing and able to ride the wave of ups and downs. There will be times when things run smoothly, but you find that every once in awhile someone on the team drops the ball and you’re back to square one.
So when developing your team of righteous ghost members you may have to consider a few things, just to keep your own sanity:
It’s perfectly OK to screen your future members. Find people who work good with you.
Make sure they know what they are getting into .
How much time can they devote to this?
How much do they really know and are they willing to learn more?
What are their limitations?
What can they offer the ghost hunting community?
Can they fill out a report?
Are they willing to step up when things get tough?
Are they willing to be a part of the team and not grandstand during investigations?
Are they a drama queen? (GOD help us all)
Depending on the work load for the group, one member should be willing to offer at least 15 hrs a month. That should include your groups meeting time, two investigations, review and documentation time. So take your time in getting to know the folks you might be working with. If they’re not right for you, there just might be a group out there that’s right for them. New members showing enthusiasm is good, but take the time to find out if they are in it for the long haul or just wanting a weekend hobby that lets them get out of the house once in a while? That lack of commitment is very contagious in volunteer groups. As the old saying goes, “one bad apple can spoil the whole batch,” and that is so true.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Who's better than who?
Here in this corner, with 40 investigations, 8 members and worldwide media coverage, The Ghost Killers! And in this corner, with 39 investigation, 12 members and national television appearances, The Spirit Mongers! By now you can almost hear the sound of the bell ring as we, the ghost hunters, face a very competitive field of ghost hunting. Today. with ghost enthusiasts on the rise, more folks are stepping into the ring for the title of “All Knowing Top Dog” in the paranormal field. Why is it so hard to just get along?
I remember the days, (while shuffling through the 2001 investigation reports) when there were few other, openly like-minded people with whom I could discuss ghosts. There was a time when you could count less then 100 ghost hunting groups nationally. It was a time when we all could chat among ourselves on the latest theories and experiments, share reports and even a haunted location or two. So what the hell happened?
Nowadays you can see that most states easily harbor close to 60 investigation groups all competing for the same haunted sites, members and possible media attention. This fighting for paranormal popularity is just down right ridiculous. Come on folks, cant we leave the childish games on the playground and be respectable working adults here? The fight for who’s got the best equipment, most haunted site, best evidence or even the most investigations is really evident with groups working within the same states.
I believe the competition begins when members of a new group is formed as a result of a split from an existing/established group. It’s at this point where the gloves come off. “Newby groups” feel they have something to prove, know they can do something better/different or can become jealous of another groups popularity. You might find it could also be something as a serious issue of lack in communication between groups or as simple as the “he said, she said” phenomena that starts the rumor mill turning. Next thing you know, members are choosing sides, puffing themselves up like peacocks and challenging people within their own and other groups to show what they can do. This is NOT what ghost hunting and investigating is about and it saddens me that we ALL get pulled into the Ring of Drama. There’s a lot of work needed to fix some of the problems ghost hunters face today and it would be helpful if we could work together in building a better paranormal community.
What has helped me is to focus on my AGHOST's goals and not be bothered by what all the other groups think or are doing. In fact, I don’t even check their websites. My focus is about my group, not how I might be able to out-do another group. They've got their job and I got mine. It’s not like we are getting paid to do all this research. If we did, then I could perhaps understand the madness for the buck. But it’s not, so what’s the point in bringing all the drama and stress to the table? I've got better things to do than go toe-to-toe with groups who focus more on themselves than the client.
I really do hope that there are some like-minded groups out there that would like to have a cooperative relationship within the paranormal community. If we could all come together, think of the amazing things we could accomplish. It is most evident that if two different groups worked on the same haunted location and both groups walked out with the same or similar evidence, how credible our research then becomes. It would clearly show that both groups are on the same path of success in obtaining the proof we are striving for. Ultimately, it’s not going to be the work of one ghost hunter or even the work of one group that will prove the existence of ghosts. It will be OUR hard work as a COMMUNITY that will open the eyes of the skeptics and bring forth the truth we are all seeking. Why would anyone in this field not want to be a part of that?
So, ghost hunter, are you willing to shake off that anger, put away your pride, remove the boxing gloves and breath in life? You have the power to make your place in the paranormal world. It’s completely up to you on whether you choose to go in fighting or build a stronger community.
I remember the days, (while shuffling through the 2001 investigation reports) when there were few other, openly like-minded people with whom I could discuss ghosts. There was a time when you could count less then 100 ghost hunting groups nationally. It was a time when we all could chat among ourselves on the latest theories and experiments, share reports and even a haunted location or two. So what the hell happened?
Nowadays you can see that most states easily harbor close to 60 investigation groups all competing for the same haunted sites, members and possible media attention. This fighting for paranormal popularity is just down right ridiculous. Come on folks, cant we leave the childish games on the playground and be respectable working adults here? The fight for who’s got the best equipment, most haunted site, best evidence or even the most investigations is really evident with groups working within the same states.
I believe the competition begins when members of a new group is formed as a result of a split from an existing/established group. It’s at this point where the gloves come off. “Newby groups” feel they have something to prove, know they can do something better/different or can become jealous of another groups popularity. You might find it could also be something as a serious issue of lack in communication between groups or as simple as the “he said, she said” phenomena that starts the rumor mill turning. Next thing you know, members are choosing sides, puffing themselves up like peacocks and challenging people within their own and other groups to show what they can do. This is NOT what ghost hunting and investigating is about and it saddens me that we ALL get pulled into the Ring of Drama. There’s a lot of work needed to fix some of the problems ghost hunters face today and it would be helpful if we could work together in building a better paranormal community.
What has helped me is to focus on my AGHOST's goals and not be bothered by what all the other groups think or are doing. In fact, I don’t even check their websites. My focus is about my group, not how I might be able to out-do another group. They've got their job and I got mine. It’s not like we are getting paid to do all this research. If we did, then I could perhaps understand the madness for the buck. But it’s not, so what’s the point in bringing all the drama and stress to the table? I've got better things to do than go toe-to-toe with groups who focus more on themselves than the client.
I really do hope that there are some like-minded groups out there that would like to have a cooperative relationship within the paranormal community. If we could all come together, think of the amazing things we could accomplish. It is most evident that if two different groups worked on the same haunted location and both groups walked out with the same or similar evidence, how credible our research then becomes. It would clearly show that both groups are on the same path of success in obtaining the proof we are striving for. Ultimately, it’s not going to be the work of one ghost hunter or even the work of one group that will prove the existence of ghosts. It will be OUR hard work as a COMMUNITY that will open the eyes of the skeptics and bring forth the truth we are all seeking. Why would anyone in this field not want to be a part of that?
So, ghost hunter, are you willing to shake off that anger, put away your pride, remove the boxing gloves and breath in life? You have the power to make your place in the paranormal world. It’s completely up to you on whether you choose to go in fighting or build a stronger community.
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