Parapsychologists

1. “Parapsychology" is a pseudoscience. 
   
   

   pseu·do·sci·ence

   ˌso͞odōˈsīəns/

   noun

   1. a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.
    “Parapsychologists" study telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, near-death experiences, reincarnation, apparitional experiences, and other paranormal claims. 
   
   
   None of which are credible unless you hold degrees in Psychology. Regardless of what the people on TV tell you. Many of which have made a nice living by telling people they are Parapsychologists with no degree or training in psychology. Now you wouldn't go to someone who called themselves a Doctor without an MD, would you? So why would you believe what someone was telling you because they said they were a parapsychologist? In short, most everyone who calls themselves a Parapsychologist is nothing more than a Ghost Hunter just like you. 
   
   Now keep in mind that some people early in the last century were in the field of Psychology and delved into the paranormal field and called themselves Parapsychologists and rightly so. That is quite a different story and acceptable but I take pause when I hear the term these days. 
   
   So too unfortunately in this field of study, people feel titles make them look credible and more important than they actually are. However, the truth will eventually come out.

    However, there is actually continuing higher education in the field of Psychology correctly labeled Parapsychology. Surprised? Don’t be. Most of us who have lived several decades probably have done it without the education. 

 

     It is nothing more than the study of Death, the dying, what people believe and how people deal with it. The dealing with people who believe in the hereafter, Heaven, Hell, Spirits and so on. These people, (of which most of us in the paranormal community are) are the ones that psychologists deal with each and every day. They help these people cope with the death of loved ones. Help them understand their own feelings and beliefs, etc. 

     Oh, it is obviously much more involved on an educational level but you see, there really is a subfield considered Parapsychology. Unfortunately, most of those who are self described Parapsychologists (past and present) are nothing more than ghost hunters…  

GHOST HUNTING 101

I guess if you are going to start a blog it is always good to start at the beginning. So I thought I would talk about all the Ghost Hunting 101 classes that so many feel they are qualified to teach.

Well, here is what I believe to be the truth about that. 

Ghost Hunting 101 requirements.

1. Curiosity

2. Camera

3. Tape recorder

Now you are all set. Go wherever you feel there may be a Ghost and see for yourself. You are now a Ghost Hunter. (Certificate is in the mail)

Sounds silly doesn’t it but that is all there is to it. Hunt is the key word here. You need no expertise. Just a desire to get something and an idea of where to look. Oh there should be protocols to follow but without Standardization in the field that is out the window as well. Hence the tens of thousands of Ghost Hunting Groups in this country alone, just running around willy nilly. 

Oh yes, you will hear all kinds of people tell you the gadgets you must have to Ghost Hunt as well but that is just not true and I will talk about Gadgets in another blog. 

So the next time you see somewhere a Ghost Hunting 101 class, your first question should be why? Ask yourself, do you really need a common sense class? Most can answer, probably not and any real questions can be googled for hundreds of answers and you can choose the best one for you.

Standardizing Paranormal Investigation

I already feel the tension brewing, the teeth grinding and smell the fear by those who really don’t understand what it means. In fact with the tens of thousands of ghost hunters out there these days there is an extremely small number of people who do. This is not the first time nor site this topic has reared its ugly head and each time it is met with the same reactions. People seem to think that standardizing the field of paranormal investigation means that they will be controlled and monitored and somehow stripped of their right to do as they please. There is nothing farther from the truth. Standardization is not for everyone and no one wants to force it on anyone. It is only for those who want it and be part of a group that can share and compare information by all being on the same page. Besides, people could do both. Be part of the standard and do their own thing separately.Regardless of what people would like to believe, to date there is no official recognized field of Paranormal study except in the eyes of some in the “paranormal community” and I use that term loosely also. There are some European institutions and others that do studies but no official field. Oh, and no offense but institutions like some of those internet "College's” and people who throw out certifications for profit and other paper mills don’t make it an official field of study.Right now we see thousands of people and groups labeling themselves as whatever they choose. Everyone, you and I included are lumped into that group that was coined “The Paranormal Community.” Regardless of peoples experience, interest, etc., the general public still sees us as all in the same boat. A bunch of unorganized people and groups trying to get noticed. Standardization, would for the first time, steer Paranormal Investigation and splinter fields, towards being recognized fields of study and make it much easier for those serious about what they are doing to have their information, ideas, methods and findings, scrutinized and recognized as legitimate work in the field.The next point that so many have heartburn with is who would make up this entity that would set down the standards and protocols. Well, the general comment you will always see from people is, “There are no experts of the Paranormal.” A very safe statement to protect us all in our personal endeavors but not completely accurate. Maybe not many paranormal experts but there are experts in what all people and groups say they do. There are experts in photography, audio/visual, lighting, educators, psychology, investigating, the collection of evidence and I could go on and on. These type people would be needed to form that entity. People not necessarily even interested in the paranormal but experts in their respective fields to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Standardization is nothing more than organizing people and groups who want to be part of it and educating them in a standard way of collecting information so it all can be officially documented for all to use. Only if the field is seriously recognized by the main stream can it become a recognized field of study. There are really more pros than cons for those serious about what they do. The real problem is getting people on board and getting someone to champion the cause. There is a lot more to it than this and I am sure it will take a long time to hash out. It also seems that not only those in the general paranormal community but even those who profess to be experts in the field do not want this to ever happen. I can only wonder why…Now for those who have and will voice an opinion. Please remember the rules of testing arguments and the most important one. "You should attack the argument, not the arguer."

A New Beginning!

I have had this blog for about 7 years and just lost touch with doing it because of Facebook. So I have decided to post my personal Paranormal things here. Ideas, theories, stories, etc. 

Not sure this blog will catch on but it will give me a place to get my thoughts down in print yet not get lost in a revolving news feed.

So I will soon begin. Hang in there. 

EVP Recording without a Microphone???

Well, I have read stories on EVP's for years. I have formulated my own theories because of certain things that I have learned too.
Then I read Vince's idea of the Bell Jar experiment. (read it. It's interesting) I have also read underwater experiments, among many other types of experiments that minimize outside interference.
Now I like Vince's idea and if he ever mass produces it I want one. Also over the years I have read about sound and how it travels and how it is captured, etc. Now, I am going to try an idea that is not mine and that I have not heard of being used very often in recent years.
Ideally what I want is a very quiet environment to try and capture EVP's. Vince's Bell Jar would help do that as the bell would block out most sound. However, the bell is solid and could conduct some external sounds. So I am going to try and conduct some EVP work without a microphone.
Well here is a short story of mine. I was in Gettysburg at the time of last years conference. My group decided to check out the different places we had heard of. We took Mark Nesbitt's tour and asked them what was the most haunted place in Gettysburg. We were told 2 different places and went to both. At one of the places I took one of our recorders and left it in our vehicle and locked it in and parked well away from anyone by itself. It was always in view and no one ever went near our vehicle. None the less we caught an EVP.
After this I did some more research and read what I could about other theories. I have since adopted a theory of my own. I still believe they are of spirits but that, EVP's are not sound but impulses picked up by the recorder itself. Not by the microphone and transformed into sound.
Now hear me out. Sound waves are picked up by a microphone which converts them into electronic impulses. These impulses are amplified in the recorder. Then pass through the heads which give out a magnetic impulse and recorded on the passing tape. Now, roughly speaking, a microphone is designed to pick up sound waves in a range between maybe 60 and 12,000 cycles. This is close to the average range of the human ear.
If this is true, then any EVP picked up by a microphone should have been heard by everyone present when it was recorded. However, they never are?????
I believe that EVP's are the impulses made by the energy of an entity and not sounds emanating from the entity. So, maybe in only certain conditions could it be picked up by a recorder. Maybe microphones are interfering with capturing EVP's and we are missing more than capturing.
I am going to get a recorder and disconnect the microphone to use with my regular devices and see if there is a difference. Or will one pick up more than the other, etc. Now granted most of you might think I am all wet with this idea. But, most people think that already. LOL Hey, No risk... No gain. I'll be back when I get or don't get some results.

A point to ponder for the New Year?

Another year has passed with literally thousands of Paranormal Investigators and Ghost Hunters and yet NO definitive Proof of the Paranormal exists.
Yes, the fields have become more popular but, in doing so has opened things up for more trick photography, etc. And in doing so may have lessened the credibility of the serious people out there.
Now here is the point to ponder...
Since we still don't have any definitive proof. Are we doing something wrong???? Do we need to look outside the box???
Everything I have read or heard, shows me that everyone is following the same general rules set down decades ago. (inside the box) Seems to me that everyone maybe following unproven methods for finding proof and is satisfied with with the meager findings or photos they get because they have followed methods set down by those who have written books or made TV shows.
I myself, for the new year am changing some of my methods and approaches to certain situations. Some will be subtle and some may be drastic and some may even sound down right silly. I am not abandoning the old methods and don't suggest anyone should completely but maybe just adjust how the methods are applied.
Now I may be totally wrong but I for one am just not 100% satisfied with any results so far. No matter how interesting they may seem.
My reason is because once we have that one small undisputed shred of evidence. The method of how it was obtained becomes a proven method for capturing evidence. Then we have the beginnings of a scientific path to follow. Then again I may be way out in left field.

How about you? Any new ideas?

Ghost Hunting TV? What are your opinions.

Let's start with the most popular. Ghost Hunters vs Ghost Hunters International? Then you can look at the others. Do they compare?

Is research happening here OR is it purely entertainment?

Is Ghost Hunting TV good for the Paranormal Community? Some feedback PLEASE?