Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Question for paranormal investigators


outsider39

Recommended Posts

I'm definitely a sceptic. I see the reasoning but just cannot fathom how it is real. I can conclude a million coincidences for a single event. I do believe that our minds hold immense power. And can let us see, feel , touch , taste and hear what we want

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

My thing about paranomal investigators is that they really are no more informed or astute then anyone who suddenly decides they are also paranormal investigators. Meaning a man holding a hollowed out oatmeal cannister saying it is a very effective ghostometer has just as much credibility as any other hunter holding any other device, because no device has even been proven to detect/identify paranomal activity because as the believers here themselves have said, it's not testable and reapeatable.

So why bother with the equipment? If you're being honest, you know it's because to the layman it lends abit of "creditbility" to the whole endeavor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There do seem to be basic tools of the trade.

It makes for excellent retail opportunities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My thing about paranomal investigators is that they really are no more informed or astute then anyone who suddenly decides they are also paranormal investigators. Meaning a man holding a hollowed out oatmeal cannister saying it is a very effective ghostometer has just as much credibility as any other hunter holding any other device, because no device has even been proven to detect/identify paranomal activity because as the believers here themselves have said, it's not testable and reapeatable.

So why bother with the equipment? If you're being honest, you know it's because to the layman it lends abit of "creditbility" to the whole endeavor.

I agree. With one of the latest trends being the ghost hunting craze, everyone and their brother is loading up emf detectors, tape recorders,and cameras and heading out to the local cemetary to catch 'ghosts'.

Some of these self proclaimed ghost hunters also vandalize property and create hoax videos, pictures, and evp's.

One thing that separates the 'fair weather fans' from the true paranormal investigator is time and personal investment. Not investment as in money, but true investment as in research, respect for people and property, and due diligence in separating the explainable from the unexplainable.

Like anything else, when something gets popular the freaks come out. This happened as computers came into prevelance, all the sudden everyone could 'fix' your computer. We've seen it with Youtube videos, someone posts a cat being cute and all the sudden everyone's got a cute cat. It's just what happens in the world.

I, for one, am very skeptical of ghost videos, pictures, evp's etc. I know that sounds funny, because I do believe in the paranormal. But I don't always believe in people and their 'hidden' motives. So, I look things over with a grain of salt.

I have several friends who are skeptics (and my husband is a die-hard skeptic), what I tell them is to go out there. Find a haunted spot, hotel, house, road, or whatever. Spend some time exploring, Take some photos. Do this more than once. Get out of the house, because unless your house is haunted, nothing is going to happen there.

Nothing is going to be posted on the Internet that will change anyone's mind. If the skeptic wants to see something paranormal, then they're going to have to search it out themselves. If a believer wants to find good evidence, then they're going to have to put down the flashy toys and put in some sweat equity.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aura, I liked that response, especially coming from a believer's perspective.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to keep in mind if you are inclined to skepticism is that the magician knows the trick, you don't, and it's foolish ego that makes you think you will see it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Piling on Auro's nice response, from a skeptics point of view, I believe "going light" like with just a camera and maybe a basic tape recorder, and spending lots of "quiet" time, not in necessarily in the dark or whatever, at a "haunted" location, would be the best way to look for phenomenal, probably spending more than one occassion at the location. Kind of like fishing!

I do think people see "things" I just think more often than not, it's something earthly, not mundane, it might be a VERY neat/rare event, but still of natural cause. Things like a "haunted" home being in an area with strong electromagnetic fields, or an area of lowlands with phosforous gases etc. etc. Even some cool things not yet figured out by science, like the (sorry spelling) Hesldaen Lights phenomana which you can totally understand people mistaking for UFOs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would love to have someone from the scientific community accompany us on our investigations. As other posters have stated, the "collected evidence" would be severely scrutinized when peer reviewed due to the unavailability of controlled environments and replication of results. One anology would be to compare trying to find evidence, to capturing lightning. No one knows where lightning may strike and neither can anyone know for certain where one could capture an apparition or any other form of paranormal activity.

Through many years of testing specific equipment, doing research about various entities and locations, I believe paranormal investigators are getting closer and closer to earning more respect. Many pieces of "evidence" have been sampled over the years by many individuals/groups but the skeptic and the non-believer will always have a tough time acknowledging the "facts" unless of course, they have personal encounters.

Although paranormal research and "ghost hunting" have been around for many many years, it is still very much in its infancy. Only recently have 2 world renowned scientists discover what they believe are the origins of the soul (you can read more about it here). If we can scientifically prove the existance of a soul, we can then proceed to find evidence of dis-embodied souls or "ghosts", if you wil. Another interesting fact is that many paranormal investigators and researchers believe that spirits can somehow access the Higgs field and are therefore able to materialise visually in our "world". Even great minds such as Dr. Stephen Hawking said that we would never find the Higgs particle (he even made a bet to further this notion) yet scientists after more than a trillion experiments, are 99,9% sure they have discovered it It made world headlines. This is much more down the quantum physics rabbit hole which is also still a fairly new field.

In every field we as mankind are able to progress (digital media to capture ghosts, quantum physics and science to prove other facts such as the existance of the soul etc) we get closer and closer to proving not only to skeptics, but to the world at large that as it has been for centuries, there are still things which we do not understand, but do exist. Years ago no one was aware of magnetic fields or how to measure it, today we build high speed trains. Many years ago everyone thought the world was flat and that we are at the center of the universe, today, we know better. It's just a matter of time before we are able to make small, yet giant leaps.

Another thing worth mentioning I think, is the fact that simply being a investigator of the paranormal does not come with an automatic belief in anything supernatural or paranormal. Many skeptics (myself included) are conducting research to find the elusive answers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I agree with some of you have posted, I diagree what ghost hunters are starting to earn respect/credibility. With the 101 ghost hunter reality show, 2001 local ghost hunting "clubs" Ghost equipment sales websites etc. etc. and...sadly still zero decent proof of anything. Honestly I think it has worked in the reverse.

Most sensible people now dismiss ghosts and ghost hunting. Again, don't take that as an attack or anything, while skeptical, I do believe in phenomena, but again I credit it to our earth and our brains and how they sometimes interact in odd ways heh.

I stand by the fact that ANY device you bring on a ghost hunt is no better at helping you find the paranormal than a Snoopy Snow Cone machine converted into a "ghost funnel" or whatever you like. I think cameras are good, because they work on the same basic principles as our eyes, so if you can see the ghost with your eyes, clearly, not blurry, then the camera should be able to capture the same image.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No scientist worthy of the description would go on a conventional ghost investigation, because the 'methods' used are totally un-scientific and likely to interfere with those that a scientist would want to use.

This is true. Conventional science can only investigate the paranormal using current scientific beliefs, methods, and controls.

It would be like trying to circumnavigate the globe using a 'flat Earth' map.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think plenty of competent scientists have conducted all sort of investigations of almost all paranormal claims, with negative results. The problem is not the scientists but that there are always those who refuse to accept it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your opening statement is correct, I'm afraid- to some degree at least. The numbers of “ghost hunting groups” and paranormal television shows have dramatically increased over the last few years. Some shows resort to trickery and subtle fakery in order to capture the attention of viewers. This is very sad but unfortunately true, and does great harm to the ghost hunting community. More viewers = higher commercial advertising costs = more profit. While some are trying to conduct actual research and proper investigations, others are in it for the money. While the average Joe won't be able to notice it at first glance, more "seasoned" investigators can quickly debunk erroneous evidence. Without credible qualification standards anyone holding in his hands a camera, a flashlight and maybe an electronic voice recorder can be called a "ghost hunter" or paranormal investigator. The same goes for the number of websites which advertise "ghost hunting equipment" ( for the sake of transparency I do too ). Any entrepreneur worth his salt will pounce on an opportunity where there is a high demand for products and few suppliers. Where some focus on investigating the paranormal first and make recommendations and review specific equipment, second, others just want to sell stuff for profit.

Luckily, where the internet is concerned, search engines are getting smarter and smarter. Those of you whom dabble in the make money online niche can attest to the fact that the days of creating a simple website and having it rank well in the SERPS to profit from "thin" affiliate sites are gone. The recent Panda and Penguin search engine algorythm updates which Google put in place, will now only cause the most authoritive websites to rank on the first page. This brings the user the most relevant and trusted websites around the web. The cream of the crop will rise to the top.

They say "there are two sides to everything". On one end of the spectrum you have those in it for the money, one the other end you have those who take their "job" of investigating paranormal events seriously. Take car salesmen for example: one will sell you any piece of junk under false pretences just to make money, while companies who earned respect over the years for great service and reliable products such as Mercedes (perhaps?), will serve you better.

In the end it will be up to the viewer/visitor to use common sense and distinguish between snake oil salesmen and true service providers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I bet the title of this thread got under the skin of a few PI's. You now some of them actually think they ARE scientists! They think they are using good science just by going to look for a possible natural source of that noise they heard and not calling it a ghost until they've stuck their head around the corner and had a quick look for another possibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.