I'm not sure if this topic has come up before. My apologies if it's been played out. However, it is something I'm interested in discussing and hearing opinions on if anyone is willing.

My question is simply this: Is TAPS faking evidence? Or perhaps it isn't TAPS, but Sci Fi and the production team themselves, I don't know. What I do know, however, is that there is something strange going on.

Look at this site here to see a claim that doctored FLIR footage was used on the "Manson Murders" epsiode: http://www.skepticalviewer.com/doctored-manson-flir/

Look at this page to see how it's likely someone (possibly Grant) faked a moving lamp: http://www.skepticalviewer.com/the-incredi...ving-lamp-cord/

Or look here at evident from the Crescent Hotel that more than likely should be have been tossed. You remember the military man, with cap and the number 2 emblazened on him, right? It was Grant!!: http://www.ultimatetechlinks.com/CrescentHotelAnalysis.html

I know the show Ghost Hunters and TAPS have a pretty good reputation and criticizing them can be like hocking a loogie on the Pope, but c'mon. Take a look at this stuff and let us know your thoughts. Is it TAPS faking evidence? Is it Sci Fi's editting only that is arousing suspicion? Is something strange indeed going on here?

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

I don't think they try hard enough to verify their evidence, and they don't throw enough questionable stuff out, and of course certain things are played up for the show, but I don't believe they intentionally fake anything.

LOL. Oh the TAPSford fan are going to love this one. And Yes i say they are.

What I find odd and worrying is how episode after episode of the current season keeps bringing more and more amazing evidence. It's a bit suspicious but I have a feeling it's just that Sci Fi has been working hard to get them into the best possible places for investigations.

I think you are both right. They don't try hard enough to throw stuff out. Let's face it...ratings are higher when every place they go is "haunted," right?

And look, I've been influenced by TAPS myself. A lot of people interested in the paranormal have. But something strange is going on there. To me it shouldn't matter if you're a fan of Ghost Hunters or not. The three links I provided are really just the tip of the iceberg. Those, and along with other things I've noticed...it's only getting on my nerves more and more.

The only reply I can make to that is....we all seem to understand that just because a place might be haunted doesn't mean anything will happen the night you go to investigate, right? I mean, my team has gone to private homes and had stuff go on one night, then the next time we go nothing happens. And vice versa.

What makes it suspcious to me is why is it that TAPS seems to capture this amazing evidence in their first time everywhere?

Its true. you never know what sci-fi is pressing behind the sceens for ratings. I can remember a lot of the old episodes where they really didn't catch nothin. Might be cause for lower viewers. Just a thought. I respected them for how they used to investigate. Now it definitely seems like they are getting more and better evidence. Why weren't they getting all this great evidence when they started. I definitely think there is something not right with how its going. Well see next wed. how it is this time i guess. I still watch it, but it would be nice to be able to trust the source!

If TAPS was found out to be faking, that would be such a blow. It would strip away any inkling towards the possibility of an afterlife in my mind. They better not be faking.

Yes, and let me make one other thing clear: I am not pointing my finger at anyone in particular. I simply don't have the evidence to do that. All I'm truly saying is that SOMETHING awful damn suspicious is going on, and it deserves a direct response from TAPS or Sci Fi. Their credibility alone should be worth some kind of explanation for these bizarre goings on.

it seems like they were super objective in the beginning to pave the way for more suprizing evidence to come into play later, and to have that built up respect for people to beleive the new evidence.

It would certainly be a pretty big blow to the paranormal research field as a whole. For everyone that's faking evidence, there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of others who are simply doing damn good and honest work. However, with a show as significant in the field, should they be found to be faking evidence....it sets everyone back. It would be so easy for the skeptics who revel in this kind of thing to point at and laugh. And then it would be that much more difficult to build credibility for a future investigation group.

It's true that people would still be interested in the paranormal....but any group that got their own show would then be pressured to either turn fraudulent themselves and start faking, or get out of the industry because people aren't going to sit there and watch week after week when they aren't capturing much evidence. And it's pretty tough to capture consistent evidence. I doubt home viewers would stay tuned for much of that.

You are right. All of you are. The 1st two seasons they rocked. But they went down hill fast after the manson house episode.

You may well be onto something there. I think it's even possible that they were truthfully being more objective in the beginning. But then, the production company and Sci Fi got together because, lets face it, while Ghost Hunters had a following, it was nothing like what it is now. And they said basically, "Okay, what can we do to get ratings higher?" The answer...less objectivity in evidence. Start presenting stuff that looks cool at first glance, because most people aren't going to care one way or another. They just want to be entertained.

And, quite possibly, but hopefully not....FAKE IT.

The apparition on the cabinet door in the morgue is the kind of thing I meant by not trying hard enough to verify their evidence. Looking at the stills on that page, that's definitely Grant, and TAPS should have been the ones to catch that. On the clip of the lamp moving, one thing I noticed is that the lamp only moved when Grant was moving. It seemed like they were actually taking a break at the time, and he was just sitting there talking to someone. I think it's possible that his hand just found something to fidget with, and he ended up moving the lamp a little at a time unintentionally. But again, it should have been TAPS who caught that.

The timestamps and temperature readings do indeed appear to be tampered with. That whole episode was kind of a farce. It seemed like SciFi was seeing how sensational they could make the show without going too far. After that episode it seemed like they pulled way back. I hope this is just a stunt the production team pulled to try to make things more exciting, but it does cast serious doubt on TAPS's credibility. By not coming forward about it they're as good as complicit. After seeing that I don't think I can watch the same way again.

I worry about the EVPs they catch. A number of those sounded to good to be true.

Agreed. You're absolutely right. They should have caught that. They could have showed it on TV still, just showed how they were able to debunk it. To me, debunking is just as important as capturing evidence sometimes.

THe Crescent Hill apparition alone is a farce. If I would have captured that, the second I seen the #2 on the locker I would have wanted to throw it out. I mean, cmon....are they not thinking rationally?

Look, it's tough sometimes. We all believe so thoroughly that we want stuff to be paranormal. But sometimes it just isn't so. We have to be more open minded. And TAPS, with their many eyars of experience, should know that as well as anyone. It's very sad.

I know what you mean. Like the recent "princess" evp. It's so awesome. And I want to believe in it so bad. But then I think about all the other stuff and I wonder, "Well, hey, I dont know...did someone add that voice in later? Somewhere between pre and post production of the episode?"

In that vein, why is it that EVPs aren't ever recorded on the production crew's audio? We should be able to hear the EVPs as the show is running, but all they ever capture are real sounds which were heard at the time. EVPs are questionable as it is, because you can't see what's making them, but how can we believe any of them on there now?

Good question.

I've watched Ghost Hunters for a couple of years and believed in Jason and Grant's intentions to debunk and bring logic to their investigations. But. I think his name is Brian? He throws their credibility completely away. He was fired once years ago for faking evidence. Then they brought him back. It's one thing to give a friend a second chance; that's admirable of them. But since the nature of the show is the viewer's dependence on their word that what they see is what we get, it makes me doubt Jason and Grant. I don't see Brian on the TAPS website so maybe they did finally get rid of him and the shows with him in them are old.

LMAO! Blame Brian. Yea Brian was there in the manson episode, Nope. Was brian there when the picture moved? Nope. Don't blame Brian he made that show fun to watch. Now all we got is the BaldFather and his sidekick. Its like watch grass grow.

And what evidence did Brian fake? Why was it Steve could mess up like Brian did and not get degraded?

To be honest, there have been A LOT of episodes where I thought "WTF." This may surprise a few individuals but I do think there are times when they..."stretch evidence" or in some way shape or form it may be manipulated. I have a few incidents in mind where they possibly accepted false evidence.

Remember the episode of the 14yr old niece staying with her aunt and uncle and they had the urn of her mothers ashes near the fireplace. Steve was sitting on the couch and he moved and the camera he was holding caught what appeared to be a shadow figure. Well, even when I saw it the first time it LOOKED exactly like Kris Williams. Plus add to the fact that she was there on that case just makes it more...convincing that it was her. How could you be a member of hers and not know that body when you see it even as a shadow! lol

As someone mentioned the thermal of the guy with the hat.....I thought it was Grant from the get go. It matched his characteristics...again disappointed when they accepted that as evidence.

Everything seems to happen when the camera isn't panned onto the spot of anything happening, or if the lamp moves, it isn't in complete view but cut off at the angle of the "tugging" if you will.

I don't think they will ever get straight called out on it, the evidence is few and far between but if it ever happens it would be a HUGE blow to every group imaginable due to everyone puts TAPS on a pedistle and if they fake evidence any amaturish group would do the same...especially if you are affiliated with TAPS.

Not saying groups follow TAPS footsteps but a lot of clients possible clients watch Ghost Hunters and being that TAPS is highly respected to have them being labeled frauds would possibly have the same effect as Sylvia Brown does on Mediums/Psychics.

Not only that, it would give skeptics more fuel for their arsenal against the paranormal.

I could careless really, my group does our own thing even though our methods are quite similar to TAPS except we are a bit more analytical.

On the Pope?...lol

Honestly, I have trouble believing any wild account unless I was there myself. I mean, all these shows about the paranormal...you pretty much just have to accept it as entertainment only, or put your faith in them that they are legit.

In TAPS' defense, I suppose it's POSSIBLE some of the EVPs or whatever have been caught on the production crew's audio. However, i DOUBT IT. Normally, during my team's investigation evidence review, we look for sounds or voices being heard on two different recorders. If we catch a phantom whisper or noise on a digital audio recorder AND a Mini DV camera, for instance...it's likely going to get tossed out. Put simply, if the same "EVP" is picked up by two different pieces of equipment, it lends more credibility to the notion that it was something natural and not paranormal at all.

Now, if a red fire spewing apparition jumped out and screamed "LEAVE NOW!" and it was picked up on multiple recorders, that might be a different story, haha. But until that happens, weird sounding voices or noises are either likely explainable or simple matrixing.

There have been times when I've been impressed by their footage, but what they do is ghost hunting and not serious research. And these critiques are pretty convincing.

Producing phenomena on schedule for an entertainment network... not the best setting for "science."

Oh, and by the way....where the heck are all the angry loudmouths I was hoping to see show up on this thread defending everything TAPS does? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad so many others who read my original post have similar thoughts or, at least, can see where I'm coming from. But I honestly felt like there would be some irrational and willfully ignorant people out there hellbent on arguing all night. I guess I was wrong. Or maybe those types just don't stay up until 3:30AM on message boards?

My dad was right. I really AM a loser. Boo hoo hooooooo.

I was inclined to say no, they don't fake their footage, but the problems look pretty serious.

Show me what looks like fraud and I immediately look for motive and opportunity before I give it any further thought. Sadly, both are all too present here.

As for opportunity, there is no scientific protocol here, despite their using the word "science" every five minutes. For heaven's sake, they even frontload their observations by doing a guided tour beforehand. It's like an anti-protocol, the complete opposite of "blind" anything.

And as for motive, well, it's show biz, after all.

Maybe investigators will take this as an opportunity to learn what science is and to do it.

Remember! the only reason a programme is aired in the first place is to make money. This steers the broadcasting company to edit or change the footage, for the best possible effects they can show. If monetary value is always first and foremost, they just cant help changing the show to try and get the best audience number.

I am not saying that the original intent by the TAPS team is not honourable and trustworthy, but the final cut for the show is decided by committee, and entirely out of their hands

How many of you investigators out there have spent countless hours out in the field, with little or no worthy results?.
The only problem with this 'massaging' of evidence, is that it empirically brings everything else into disrepute.

That is a good point.

Here in the UK we're way behind what's being televised in the States, we're on fairly early episodes and I don't think these are being faked. I'm impressed by the number of shows where they turn around and say "sorry, we didn't get anything" - in 12 months time I'll probably seek out this thread and say "yeah... I see what you mean, fakers!!". But for now, I'm impressed.

I will point out, in their defense, that if they have bad nights and get nothing, those would be cut in production of course. So, I'd expect to see everything they got in the hour the show runs.

But, that does not address the other points raised here.

Another point is that apparition with the 2 on his shoulder seemingly, afterwards I remember reading where they said it was not real, and they'd not been as up on the thermal imaging camera as they got after that incident. Perhaps it is the production company that seems to want to forget that and keep showing it when they were shocked and hadn't realized yet what they were actually seeing. I am willing to allow them that part of their learning curve, too.

As for that EVP of the Princess.... man, if I got a live reply like that, I'd have sat my backside down and talked until the cows came home or as long as I got replies LOL. There wouldn't have been any near yawn and well, let's go and check somewhere else attitude . I did not like the Manson episode and I am finding that this season especially seems to have a total different feel to it than the earlier seasons. More.... hype or advertising sort of for the "clients". Being haunted is hip, and they all ask that before the end. "So, would you say this place is haunted?"

For a few thousand... ?

NS

I believe the stuff is faked, I have heard with my own ears Jason say "Sci-Fi lets you see what sci-fi wants you to see" that is from the mouth of the founder/lead investigator. That tells me one thing, the network is faking stuff. This is television guys, they are under contract, if they didnt "find" stuff the ratings would drop, and I don’t think Sci Fi cares about this ghost hunting community so why not fake stuff. Why wouldn’t TAPS quit because of it? Because they are finally getting paid for what they love doing. Maybe it is not TAPS faking it but the network itself. Either way TAPS should still be held accountable because they obviously know what is going on.

Something tells me that they do not ... even though my other voice is telling me that I am crazy. It would be easy to do ... though I have seen an episode or two in which they came up empty and it was boring.

Maybe from time to time they would have to for ratings or stick extra's in when evidence is discovered ... make a note to think about the scooby doo effect, as you can never trust others outside your team.

I've never seen an episode, but i think a lot of paranormal shows may fake their evidence to get ratings, the tv network probably dont think it would be interesting to watch a group of people sitting silently in a room for hours waiting for something to happen. But as I said I've never seen an episode so I cant really say that much.

I think that there are far too many people involved with the show now for them to get away with intentionally faking things. Surely someone would have ratted them out by now. Be it a camera man, sound man, or perhaps an angry ex-employee looking to make a buck.

Like I said it may not be them (TAPS), but the network itself. the show isnt called TAPS, its called Ghosthunters, which sci fi owns. whatever the network wants the network gets.

Not while the series is running they could be under certain contracts. I dont know about you but i wouldnt want to get sued by a multi million dollar network just to say "no man that show is fake."

I, too, want to believe they don't tamper with evidence.

Keep searching the web and you will find there are plenty of sites agreeing with you, that something suspicious is going on.
Be warned, if you dig deep enough...you'll be disappointed in what you read/watch.

Here are a few sites that argue the point...someone involved with GH is tampering.
I know I was very disappointed. I want to believe in the show.

http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showforum=146
http://www.skepticalanalysis.com/
http://ghosthuntersplayground.yuku.com/for...iscussions.html


I recommend this one....
http://www.darkrealmlabs.com/scifi/


~Az

Perfect picture, this clip of Grant was taken in the morgue, where they saw the "soldier with the hat" was caught. The similarities are to close to be considered evidence of the paranormal in my eyes. But hey that’s just my opinion.

I think all you need to know about the show is summed up in the little plumbing scenes they do.

We have Grant and Jason, doing their 'roto-rooter' gig, and the phone rings, invariably from someone at TAPS HQ with a great ghost lead.

First of all, plumbers are usually paid by the hour, so it would piss me off, as a customer, that they are doing 'personal business' on my dime...but more importantly...

You don't think the film crew just follows these plumbers around all day, do you? Obviously, the scenes are fake, planned out, most likely scripted. All for 'dramatic license'.

So, what's stopping them from 'setting up' other things, all in the name of good tv?

Don't get me wrong, they seem like great guys, the show is fun, and enjoyable. But, to confuse any of this with 'actual events' seems a bit childish. It is a 'docu-drama', nothing more...reality tv, with some dramatic flair.

They do come up with 'unexplainable' things from time to time, but I do think they are cheating on some of it. Unexplainable however does not always equal paranormal.

And it's easy to make them look credible. Take that 'queen mary' incident. Where the bed unmakes itself. Totally busted by one of the 'diligent' members of the TAPS team. That follows a very nice formula however too. For every few 'creepy' episodes, have one where they debunk something. That seems to make credibility soar! But, it seems to be a bit too convenient and scripted to me. Hell, I thought of it, and I'm no TV producer!

The show is fun and creepy ENTERTAINMENT, not hard scientific evidence.

Exactly, also another thing you may remember on the show TAPS seemed like they were the ones who set up GHI and all for it, like it was affiliate with them. In reality and this is fact, Jason and Grant had no part in GHI truth be told they were 100% against it, (it is also to my understanding, GHI were allowed to mention Ghost Hunters but not TAPS, hmmm I wonder why.) it was a spin off to keep ratings high until the next season of Ghost hunters came back. People seem to think Jason and Grant have a say in what goes on when dealing with the network, no they don’t, they get told what to do, it’s not the other way around.

As the seasons go by, you do notice that there seems to be less descretion used in the cases and more jumping onto events as being evidence of hauntings.

I would like to see a investigation of Dudleytown or Adams, TN at the location of the Bell haunting.

Taps used to go to people's homes to investigate and that is the reason why they didn't find much evidence. Now they are going to well-known haunted hotels, old non-functionng prisons, and etc. They will find more evidence there rather than going to a regular people's homes that only wants to be on tv. I'm really liking the way Taps are going and I find them to be very honest in what they are doing. I'd be devastated if I were to find out they are faking all this.

Just because the places they go to are well known haunted locations, I find it very convenient they are there the day something paranormal happens. Hauntings don't work when you want them to, but they seem to work when TAPS wants them to.

Dude that is exactly what I am talking about. I noticed that right away and I CAN NOT believe they accepted that.

I see your point. Who's to say that they have gone to some places and didn't find one single evidence? Do you think they would air that? I wouldn't think they would. I have to think they are going to air the ones that actually have something to show. The shows are filmed like six months ago before airing it and they can weed out whatever they want. On Halloween, they investigate live and I remember two years ago they didn't have any evidence. Last year, they added some people with a wrestler I believe, and had only a sound and someone thinking they saw a ghost as weak evidence.

You are so right! I was just thinking that the other day, when the show 1st came on it was maybe 1 show out of 3 or 4 that they "found" something. Now all of the sudden almost every episode something major happens.

It made me wonder if at first they maybe started out legit, but over time for Ratings they have been forced into faking evidence to keep the show interesting?


And another question, does Jason and Grant still really work at Rotor Rooter? I’m sure they are getting paid good money from the Sci-Fi channel to quit their "day job"

This is my point, the first couple season they maybe claimed 2 to 3 places haunted. Now every episode the places are haunted, with minimal evidence. Jason went from having to see a ghost to claim something haunted to claiming a haunting from nothing more then a below standard EVP. Something isn’t right, I don’t blame TAPS I think it’s the network.

No I believe they have a contract stating they could come back at anytime though. Also I believe Roto Rooter sponsors them as well.

Well I hope they aren't faking evidence. And yes, I too have wondered about when it shows them at work
for Roto-Rooter and they just happen to have a camera man along. However the calls might be real,think they went to a Holiday Inn one time to do some work.
Didn't see the Queen Mary episode.I heard that supposedly someone from TAPS faked the deal with the bed sheets
and they were no longer with TAPS.Someone,whether on this forum asked if it was Andy Andrews, since he was there,then gone and now he's with GHI and so is Brian,though I think Brian also does TAPS.Whatever you think of Brian,he loves TAPS and I don't think he would go and fake evidence which would hurt them.
Yeah I heard,maybe at TAPS forum too that Jason and Grant were very reluctant to have anything to do with Ghost Hunters International.
I did enjoy their visit to Ireland and England when TAPS went to Leap Castle, Lisheen Ruins and the Hell Fire Caves.
The evidence they got on that trip wasn't faked. When Dustin got nailed by the elemental and picked up and slammed down,that was real.Also,when Dustin is talking to Tango and they are outside and he says he feels sick,you can hear a man's laugh.I DONOT think it was any of the sound or camera crew. Who or what it was I don't know, but it is there.
And it was caught on audio by the SCI-FI people, but no mention is made of it at the reveal.

In past shows which my sister has taped for me, they did peoples homes as well.I guess SCI-FI decided that they could get more stuff on tape if they went to a place like Eastern State Prision or the USS Lexington or wherever.
As you say,you can't turn it on and off like a faucet. A place like Waverley Hills would be better to investigate from the network's view point than somebody's home. There might be paranormal activity there on a daily or constant basis ,unlike in someone's home.

Well, prepare to be devastated.