I recently posted a blog on our MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/daytonohioghs) venting at my frustration of all the fakery and claims of fakery going on in the paranormal world right now. Don, one of our Investigators, cross posted the blog to his own SC site (http://www.supernaturalconnections.com/deadweight). He received some responses (4 to date), but I'll re-cross post it here to see if anyone else has any more input.
Throughout the past year that I've been actively investigating the paranormal, I've gone from the wide-eyed wunderkind to the bleary eyed skeptic. I started out with an almost magical belief that if anyone was doing this field a great service it was groups like TAPS (and their TV show "Ghost Hunters"). Even groups such as PRS and the Most Haunted team seemed to be "putting the paranormal field out there" for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
It took less than a month of watching "Most Haunted" before I realized that it was all shtick. Ouija boards, table tipping, seances, and stone throwing seemed to be their line of entertaining us. I became dissolutioned and soon stopped watching their program.
I still had Ryan Buell and Chip Coffey to pin my hopes on. Between them and the TAPS team, I knew that these people were truly holding up the bastion of truth and legitimacy. Both groups seemed to genuinely care about the places they were investigating and the people they were helping. And they were using some of the coolest equipment and getting actual results.
When I saw the episode of "Paranormal State" where they were using the Ovulus (Frank's Box, I think it's called), I was amazed. A neat gadget that takes EMF, temperature and other stuff (not too sure about it's inner workings) and throws it into a computer program that spits out a vocal response. How cool is that? My awe was soon crushed as I heard stories about the fakery associated with this device and that it isn't really doing what they say it is. My respect for PRS has been shaken to the core, and I may stop viewing their program.
Then along came the K-II meter that TAPS was using. It was the episode about the Manson Murders. Cool...a device that lets you get responses from the spirit world. Our team member, Don placed an order and got one. He used it at the Patterson investigation that we did with Paravizionz in November. From what I understand, we now need an RF detector to help debunk radio wave interference affecting the K-II. In the past couple weeks, I've learned that the K-II as well, isn't being used for its intended purpose and of all the ways that it can be hoaxed.
My faith in TAPS has all but vanished. Betweeen reports of their trickery and outright faking evidence on the Halloween program, they may have lost me as a viewer of their program too. I understand that all of these shows need something to keep us entertained. And that's all the "boob tube" is--entertainment. Obviously, TAPS has caved to pressure from the network to keep the ratings up and make money. So they're finding more and different ways to make us think that they're getting results with all of these fancy gadgets. I truly feel that they've sold themselves out, and it disappoints me because I truly believed that the way they portray themselves carries over to how they conduct their business. The TV show is nothing but entertainment. I still hold out hope that when they go out and do what we're all doing with their gadgets and cameras that they're doing it honestly and not faking.
Over and over I'm hearing that none of these gadgets we are using really work. Then I ask, what really does work? Is there anything? I see blogs about groups that have been doing this for 30 years or more looking down their noses at all us n00bs saying that we're doing it wrong. But never do they say what the "right way" is. Is there even a right way?
All of the science (or pseudo-science) around these devices seems logical. It makes sense that when a ghost is trying to manifest it will take energy from the surrounding air and make a cold spot. This would cause fluctuations in the electromagnetic field and possibly be visible by either thermal imaging or infrared imaging.
I read something just today that set me over the edge and was the final straw for me. Apparently the thermal imaging (FLIR) cameras that everyone totally drools over don't register anything but the surface temperatures of surrounding objects. It wouldn't pick up something so subtle as a ghost.
So what really works? Not K-II's, not EMF meters, not FLIR cams, photography is nothing but dust or lens flare, everything is fake? Next thing I'll hear is that the only really reliable device that I use (digital audio recorder) is really picking up random radio waves or TV signals. Oh wait...I think I did read something somewhere....
So please, someone clue me in on what works because apparently we're ALL doing it wrong, but no one will offer up the right way of doing it and getting honest results. We've got an investigation tonight, and I'll be using my Sony handicam (with a new IR light), my digital audio recorder, and our CCTV IR cameras. Between that equipment and the 5 senses of my investigative team, I hope we'll capture something. We generally do pretty good with EVP evidence (when there is absolute quiet). And I'll keep investigating this stuff the only way I think makes sense to me. At least until someone shows me a better way.
