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Ghost & paranormal enthusiasts
Ghost hunters brave embarrassment
So you want to spend the summer looking for ghosts? The first rule: don’t be afraid of embarrassment.
In “Ghost hunters show adventurous spirit”, The Windsor Star recently did a profile of an adventurous team of ghost hunters who might just inspire you to get started despite your worry that you’ll come across looking like a three-year-old in a haunted house amusement park ride. Even the toughest guys sometimes let a ghostly atmosphere get the best of them and have to deal with the embarrassment that comes along with losing your cool.
According to the Windsor Star piece, during an investigation at particularly haunted locale “affectionately” called the Derelict Chapel, when Michael Ferri suffered a “brief but embarrassing lapse in bravery,” he “ran out of the place screaming.” But don’t worry, they knew what they were getting into. “Looking like a chicken is one of the dangers they face…” the article says.
So, brave that embarrassment the next time you get the urge to go ghost hunting. Of all the dangers you might face (ghosts, ghouls, demons, poltergeists, tripping, falling, breaking a leg, bumping your head…jail), embarrassment should be the least of your worries! If you’re dedicated enough, even embarrassment won’t stop you from pursuing your interest in ghost hunting.
These guys haven’t let it stop them, have you?
The article: Ghost hunters show adventurous spirit
The Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State Flip Flop
At one time, I said Ghost Hunters was better than Paranormal State. Then I changed my mind. Recently though, I’ve decided I had it right the first time. Paranormal State has begun to annoy me with its overreliance on psychics, mediums, and priests.
Not that I have anything against the ghost hunters and paranormal investigators using these, but I find I want more objective evidence, and psychics, mediums, and priests rarely provide objective evidence. This is the one particular reason I’m not a big fan of Most Haunted.
Do you watch these shows? Which do you like better?
Halloween’s Haunted History Explained
The history of Halloween is explained in the Haunted History of Halloween DVD Set.
The set contains both The Haunted History of Halloween and Haunted Houses. This would make a great addition to your video library, but you’ll want to get it before Halloween so you can watch it while the mood is right.
The Haunted History of Halloween–Discover how trick or treat originated in ancient Ireland’s harvest festivals, when food and sweets were offered to entice the dead to stay in the spirit world. See how Christianity tried to co-opt the celebration by turning it into All Saints Day, but how the underlying dark elements have survived, inspiring debate to the present day. From ghoulies and ghosties to the origins of the Jack-O-Lantern, THE HAUNTED HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN is a delicious journey into the enchanting past of the spookiest night of the year.
Haunted Houses–Venture inside the most intriguing haunted houses in America to learn their secrets. HAUNTED HOUSES introduces the figures that populate American history’s dark side. Experts explore Old Salem, where the 17th-century witch hunter George Corwin still curses sheriffs today. Eyewitnesses describe the ghost of a prospector who was unfairly executed in California more than a century ago. And dramatic recreations illuminate our past from a completely new perspective.
Casting Call for Paranormal Enthusiasts? Who Knew?
I’ve never thought about how the producers of reality or reality-like tv shows go about finding people for their shows. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that they put out casting calls, but lo-and-behold, it didn’t.
I ran across this fascinating bit of news on another site today when I was searching for information on the SCIFI Channel Ghost Hunters series.
PRODUCERS OF GHOST HUNTERS SEEKING PARANORMAL ENTHUSIASTS FOR NEW SERIES!
Are you a professional or part-time ghost hunter, spiritual medium, paranormal researcher or just a supernatural enthusiast? The producers of SCI-FI network’s Ghost Hunters are looking for someone to join a team of paranormal investigators for a new series filming VERY SOON. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have with the paranormal, as long as you have unique skills to bring to the team and are FASCINATED with paranormal investigation.
Maybe you’ve had a personal encounter with the supernatural or participate with a local group of paranormal investigators. Maybe you’re a police officer, psychologist, writer, electronics expert or even a stay-at-home mom who researches the supernatural in your spare time….
There’s more to this “casting call” and you can find it at RealityWanted.com.
I have absolutely no interest in appearing on television, but I thought this was a totally cool site. Of course, I can’t vouch for them or the validity of their info, since I’d never heard of them before today, but if it’s legitimate, this is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in this kind of thing!
Ghost Hunting Makes List of 10 Terrifying Activities
Ghost Hunting has made it into the list of 10 terrifying activities for the cheap adrenaline junkie. It doesn’t sound like much, but I thought it was pretty cool that it was listed with many other high intensity, high adrenaline rush activities.
I’m not sure I would have listed ghost hunting as a terrifying activity myself, but it can certainly be an exciting hobby or pursuit.
…there is a lot of fun fear to be experienced by going ghost hunting in the areas of the country that are reported to be most haunted. Whether you do this with a group or in some form of alternative urban exploration may determine how frightening you actually find this activity to be. Just imagine being alone inside of an abandoned hotel that is supposed to be haunted and suddenly hearing or seeing the very things that others have said are ghosts.
There’s not much else in the list related to hunting for ghosts or ghostly stakeouts, and I highly suggest you don’t bother with the “Ghost caught on tape” video. It’s a silly bit of entertainment at best.
That said, it’s funny to think of ghost hunting as a terrifying activity!
See the entirety of the top 10 terrifying activities
Ghost Hunting Their Way Straight to Jail
I came across an interesting story about two men attempting a ghostly stakeout at the Westboro State Hospital “on a dark night.” Their stakeout went awry and instead of capturing ghosts, the two ghost hunters ended up being the ones who were captured. Read on for details of shady ghosthunting gone wrong.
A couple of men hunting for ghosts at Westboro State Hospital on a dark night this week were interrupted by the rattling of handcuffs.
Apparently the guys were trying to find ghosts and paranormal activity at the Westboro State Hospital. (Insanctuary.com has some good pictures of the Westboro State Hospital.)
The campus policeman who discovered the would-be ghost hunters breaking into the hospital’s storage building said there were three men, not two, but the third guy seems to have gotten away.
Police dogs scared the other two into running out of the building. I guess the spirits they went looking for weren’t as scary as the dogs, huh?
“They were ghost chasers,” Police Sgt. Chester E. Hallice said. “They weren’t looking to do anything, just trying to find ghosts.”
The men were arraigned Tuesday in Westboro District Court. Their case was continued to Oct. 2 on $100 cash bail.
I’ll have to remember to check up on these would-be ghost hunters–although I’m not sure why I should. They clearly don’t have a lot of common sense!
According to several Web sites, some state hospitals are considered to be prime locations to search for poltergeists.
“I was told by campus police that this is an ongoing problem out there,” Sgt. Hallice said. “I guess state hospitals are ranked pretty high.
I would like to think that any serious ghost hunters are going to be much more respectful of the properties where they go searching for paranormal activity.
But there you go–two ghost hunters needing some serious guidance in the ways of paranormal research!
Read the article I’m talking about
Haunted Leeds at the Yorkshire Evening Post
Are you a fan of Most Haunted? Even if you’re not, you might want to catch these webisodes that are available on the Haunted Leeds website. The investigations center in Leeds (in the UK), and encompass six locations that are considered to be the most haunted locations in the city.
Here’s a bit from the homepage explaining why Leeds was the perfect spot for these investigations.
On the surface, Leeds is a modern vibrant city – but dig a little deeper and you’ll find tales of the paranormal ranging from unexplained laughter to the manifestation of a member of the Knights Templar. So what’s real, what’s fake, what’s unexplained and what are the stories behind the myths that have soaked into the very fabric of this northern city’s oldest and most haunted buildings?
View the webisodes that have been posted
Is your house haunted? Should you pay ghost hunters to investigate?
I’ve found a great article on how to decide if you need to call in a ghost hunter or paranormal researcher and how to choose the one you eventually call in to perform a ghost investigation.
The article offers a few basic suggestions to guide you. I’ve summarized them below, but you’ll want to read the article itself if you find the topic interesting. It’s a great article.
- If you think you have paranormal activity going on in your home, look for any natural explanations before you decide you have a ghost
- Decide to get a ghost hunter or ghost researcher to come to your home
- Avoid ghost researchers who “dabble in magic”
The one part of the article I had issue with was the part that talks about payment. I’m a skeptic and I believe there are more charlatans out there than legitimate ghost researchers, but the article says not to pay for services, only offer reimbursement for expenses like travel.
I’m not sure I agree with this. I can definitely see the problem with paying for the investigation, because this would just lead to more fakes, but is it really okay to expect these people to take the time out of their lives to do a thorough investigation of your home and not offer something in return?
What do you think? Should ghost hunters and ghost researchers be paid for their time when they do an investigation like this?
Ghost Hunt New Zealand
Ghost Hunt is a New Zealand show about three paranormal investigators, Carolyn Taylor, Michael Hallows and Brad Hills. TVNZ says “‘Ghost Hunt’ is a spine-tingling, sensory-overloaded ride into New Zealand’s most haunted hotspots.”
Like most ghost hunter shows, this one also tries to answer the “Are ghosts real?” question.
I’m not sure that’s a question that will ever be answered to the satisfaction of the scientific community, but individually, it can be any number of events or incidents that cause a person to begin believing in ghosts.
These guys use ghost hunting technology to help them hunt up ghostly activity. According to the website TVNZ.co.nz, their ghostly stakeouts lead them into contact with succubi, abandoned psychiatric hospitals, lonely castles and ghost towns, all while trying to collect hard evidence of the existence of ghosts.
Read the show summary I’m talking about
Why I like Paranormal State better than Ghost Hunters
Ah, it hasn’t been all that long since I posted about why I liked Ghost Hunters better than Paranormal State. Well, times have changed.
I don’t like Ghost Hunters less, but I do like Paranormal State more. At the time I wrote the previous post I hadn’t seen that many episodes of Paranomal State and I might have jumped to a hasty conclusion about the show.
I still have issues with it, especially with how the Paranormal Research Society members always seem to be bringing in a psychic. They rely heavily on blessings and the like to deal with their clients’ paranormal problems.
Another issue I have with the show is that they don’t spend much time debunking–then again, they have only 30 minutes per episode to bring me a story about a haunting and to determine what exactly seems to be going on. That’s not a lot of time to spend on the issues of the hauntings and on efforts to debunk.
A few episodes in particular have caught my interest.
In one, the PRS team deals with a possible hoax that could also be the result of one client’s Vietnam flashbacks or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This was a fascinating case, even though it didn’t turn out to have much to do with the paranormal.
Sixth Sense deals with the problem of a boy who seems to be able to communicate with or see the dead. If what we see on TV is in any way real, then this boy is going to suffer a lot for his paranormal gift. If not, then he’s going to suffer in other ways.
I have many more favorites from this new season, but right now, I’m going to wrap it up so I can go catch the newest episode. I believe my DVR finished recording the new one a little while ago, and I’m anxious to watch!
More about Paranormal State – DVDs and Other Paranormal State Goodies and Merchandise too
