Podcast time!

The sound echoes really bad, and I am not sure why. I tried different microphones, but got the same effect or they didn't pick up my voice at all. 

So if you have questions, please ask thanks.

Happy hunting!

Guest blogger

Hello, I am the author of the horror video game blog Scary Pixels and I will be writing about the representation of ghosts in video games.

Ghosts have a long history in videogames, one of the most recognizable being Boo from the Mario universe. Even with their perceived popularity, ghosts appear in very few videogames that ghosts make an appearance each have various representations of what ghosts are and how much influence they have on the world around them.

Video game ghosts are usually portrayed as malicious towards the player are humans in general. An example of this would be Silent Hill 4: The Room, in which ghosts are among the main antagonists and drain player health (Perry, 2004). These spirits do not have any influence over the game world and are similar to residual type of haunting.  In the F.E.A.R. game series, ghostly antagonist Alma exhibits almost total control over the game world and because of this she could be considered more of a poltergeist (McNamara, 2005).

Some games allow you to directly control a ghost as the player character, usually using possession as a gameplay mechanic. In the game Geist for the GameCube, for example, players are the spirit of a recently deceased person who must use the power of possession to inhabit inanimate objects, animals, and humans in order to escape a military complex that is trying to weaponize ghosts—a silly plot, but not every video game needs an award-winning story (Casamassina, 2005). Another game to use possession as a gameplay mechanic is Ghost Trick for the Nintendo DS. The player must use time travel and possess objects in order to save people from an untimely death and solve a murder mystery (Hatfield, 2011). Very few games have used ghosts as protagonists compared to those that use the concept as antagonists.

In the modern gaming market it seems most games shy away from using ghosts, although some exist that portray them in a less-than-favorable light.

References

Perry, D. (September 7, 2004). Silent Hill 4: The Room [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://ps2.ign.com/articles/545/545387p1.html

McNamara, T. (October 12, 2005). F.E.A.R. [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://pc.ign.com/articles/657/657310p1.html

Casamassina, M. (August 12, 2005). Geist [Game Review].  Retrieved From: http://cube.ign.com/articles/641/641641p1.html

Hatfield, D. (January 11, 2011). Ghost Trick Review [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://ds.ign.com/articles/114/1143540p1.html

What to do when you experience phenomena

I mentioned in a previous post that I would post about what you should do when you experience certain types of phenomena, specifically noises and apparitions. 


Noises:
If you are investigating and you hear a noise you should stop for a moment and see if it reoccurs. Whether it reoccurs or not, try to find out where it come from and go to this spot. While at this spot do all you can to figure out what caused the noise. First check any equipment that might have also heard the noise. The begin to check the room for fallen objects and look around the room for things that seem out of place, if you are working with a team ask if they were in the area when you heard the noise. If you still do not know what caused the noise, try to recreate it. You can try dropping objects on the floor, stomping on the ground, or opening and closing doors. 
If you cannot recreate or find a cause for the noise you have experienced paranormal phenomena.*


Shadows/Apparitions:
If you see a shadow or an apparition stop and ask out loud if someone is around. If you get no response, try to think about what could have form what you just saw. Shadows can be causes by lights coming in through windows, or even off equipment that has lights. Like with what you would do when you hear a noise, try to recreate the image. This is easier if you have someone with you**. See if shining a light at a certain angle creates a form or analyze objects and see if they look similar to what you saw. 
If you cannot recreate the image then you may have seen a ghost.*


* If you do not have it caught on equipment it is nothing but a story. Your ears and eyes can play tricks on you.
** For safety and the recreation of images I suggest always investigating with someone else. 

The Amityville house

Would you live at 112 Ocean Ave Amityville, NY 11701?


If you’ve seen the films based on what happened in this house probably would not. But when it comes to hauntings, never trust the media. In this post I will be looking at one of the most infamous haunted houses, the Amityville home located in Amityville, New York. 


So if you have watched the films you know what they think happened, but what actually happened? 



Here is a time line of the home received from homeinfomax.com: ("Basic property report," 2012)

• Jan 14, 1924 - Jan 1960      John & Catherine Moynahan
• Jan 1960 - Oct 16, 1960      Eileen Fitzgerald
• Oct 17, 1960 - June 27, 1965      Joseph & Mary Riley
• June 28, 1965 - Nov 13, 1974      Ronald & Louise DeFeo
• Nov 14, 1974 - Dec 17, 1975      (vacant — owned by DeFeo estate)  
• Dec 18, 1975 - Jan 14, 1976      George & Kathleen Lutz
• Jan 15, 1976 - Aug 29, 1976      (vacant — owned by Lutzes)
• Aug 30, 1976 - March 17, 1977      (vacant — owned by bank)
• March 18, 1977 - Aug 10, 1987      James & Barbara Cromarty
• Aug 11, 1987 - June 9, 1997      Peter & Jeanne O'Neill
• June 10, 1997 - September 2010      Brian Wilson
• September 2010 - present      David & Caroline D'Antonio

As you can see in the list above, there have been several owners of the home, the story behind the home rest with the DeFeo family and the Lutz family. 

“On the night of November 14, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo, Jr., took his rifle and shot his farther. Within the next 15 minutes, he would murder all six members of his family. The brutal crime made headlines in many newspapers. Unfortunately, this was not the last time people would hear about the shocking events taking place in the home.” (Williams, 2008)

"On December 18, 1975, the Lutz family moved into the DeFeo home." ("The amityville murders," 2006)

During their stay the Lutz family experienced:

• Threatening and malicious voices,
• Drastic personality changes, 
• Phantom smells, 
• Green slime that dripped from the walls, 
• Black stains on toilets that could not be removed, 
• Hundreds of random flies despite it being the dead of winter, 
• An upside down crucifix, 
• Physical abuse and changes,
• Hallucinations, 
• Invisible forces that caused property damage, and
• The Lutz family dog, Harry, became lethargic even though her was known to be very active (Anson, 1977)

Also, "The youngest child, Missy, described speaking to "an angel" that was living in her room. This angel, Missy claims, was named 'Jodie'. Jodie was able to present itself as a "large pig" to Missy and change shape and form at will. George and Kathy claimed to have witnessed two red eyes peering in at them from the upstairs bedroom window. Missy believed it was Jodie wanting to come inside." ("The story ," 2012) 

Are the Lutz family's claims valid? Many still argue today that they are not and some believe that they are. I personally would love to investigate the home and find some real evidence. Would you?

Resources

Anson, J. (1977). The amityville horror. New York : Simon & Schuster, Inc.


Basic property report. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.homeinfomax.com/cgi-bin/generateReport.cgi

Capitalizing on a Tragedy (2006). Retrieved from http://www.amityvillemurders.com/capitalizing.html

The story. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.amityvillefiles.com/haunting/

Williams, D. (2008). Haunted houses. (p. 17). New York : Bearport Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ut9vPvOhnRcC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the amityville house murders&ots=KQyOyCy0kr&sig=v01KwtQWDFVaY0nwy04zn0b5bJQ

Electromagnetic fields and the paranormal

In this post I will give you a general scientific definition of what electromagnetic fields are and why they are an important topic to know about when investigating the paranormal. 

Electromagnetic fields, also known as EMFs, “are the areas of energy that surrounds electrical devices.” ("Electromagnetic fields," 2010) These devices give off electrical and magnetic waves and these waves, at high levels, can affect a person’s wellbeing. 


Household appliances that can give off EMFs are:
• Circuit breakers,
• Air conditioners,
• In-floor electrical heating,
• Fluorescent lighting,
• Halogen ceiling down or “can” lights,
• Electric sockets,
• Cordless phones,
• Telephone landlines, and
• TVs & computers
(Design Products, 2010)


EMFs can be found everywhere. Even our human bodies give off EMFs because of the body’s chemical functions.


So what do EMFs have to do with the paranormal? Well “electromagnetic Fields (EMF’s) have been a hot topic in the field of the paranormal for many years. “Ghost Hunters” and “Paranormal Investigators” have been using EMF detection devices for quite some time in order to help corroborate or rule out supposed, alleged, or real paranormal experiences.” (Cogswell, 2012)


“…humans have an electromagnetic field and in death the theory is that as a "ghost" what remains is your energy that gives off an electromagnetic field.” (Northeast Forensic Paranormal Research, 2010)
Knowing some of the theories about EMFs and the paranormal, help you understand how to either use EMF readings as a form of evidence or as a way to disprove paranormal activity. I personally use EMF readings as a way to disprove paranormal phenomena. 


High levels of EMFs can cause people to feel like they are being watched and/or depressed. EMFs can also cause people to feel depressed for no reason. If you have a location with these sorts of claims it is vital that you check the location for high levels of electromagnetic fields. 


If you ever come across high levels of EMF, be sure to inform whoever may be affected by these fields and advise them to have the location looked at by a professional. (Robson, 2008)


**THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS PAGE IS ONLY DESCRIBING POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES TO PARANORMAL ACTIVITY AND IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSIS, REFER, OR RECOMMEND TREATMENT. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONTACT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL FOR ANY SYMPTOMS.** 


Citations:


Cogswell, B. (2012). Emfs and the paranormal: Indicator, cause, or gateway?. Retrieved from http://www.paranormalsocieties.com/articles/emf-and-the-paranormal.cfm


Design Products, D. (2010). Emf: home protection - protect your house from emf. Retrieved from http://www.safespaceprotection.com/electrostress-from-home-appliances.aspx


Electromagnetic fields. (2010, June 27). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/electromagneticfields.html


Electromagnetic fields also known as emfs and the paranormal. (2010, 02 09). Retrieved from http://www.northeastforensicparanormal.com/apps/blog/entries/show/2818260-electromagnetic-fields-also-known-as-emfs-and-the-paranormal-


Robson, T. (2008). When is it not a haunting?. Retrieved from http://www.seohiopi.com/Not_a_Haunting_.html

How to conduct a paranormal investigation

In this post I will list the steps one should go through when investigating a haunted house. This post will not be covering the things one would need to do to set up an investigation, what to do when you experience phenomena, or what to do after your investigation. I will look at these in another post. The steps and ideas are the same for buildings or parks/outdoor areas. 


Before beginning an investigation walk around the home with the lights on so that you get a general feel for the house and make sure the house is clear of people and pets. While doing your initial walkthrough get a temperature reading so that you can recognize any “cold spots” you may have during your investigation. Be sure to turn off all light such as TVs or computers.


The investigation:


1. Walk into an area which the owner(s) claims to have experience phenomena and take a few pictures of the room.


2. Turn your video camera on and announce that you are not there to harass or cause harm and you expect the same for yourself and everyone with you.


3. Begin asking questions for signs of the paranormal to reveal that it exists.


4. While listening carefully look around the room with the video camera


5. Continue steps 3 and 4 for as long as you feel necessary, if you feel that a room is not haunted move on to the next until you have investigated the entire home. 


If you have questions please feel free to ask in the comments area and I will reply as soon as possible. 


Happy hunting!

Interview with Tony from Texas Paranormal Research Team

This is an interview of Tony from Texas Paranormal Research Team 

Me- What natural events, have you found, can easily be mistaken as paranormal phenomena?

Tony- Extreme amounts of electromagnetic energy(EMF) can cause a person to feel ill, paranoid, and cause hallucinations amongst other things. Almost all of which can make someone believe they are being haunted. Things like plumbing, a house settling, different kinds of flooring , and other “house noises” can lead a person to think that something paranormal is occurring.

Me- What is the first thing you do when phenomena happens during an investigation?

Tony- We do not yell or get overly excited, because we actually inform the spirits before an investigation that we are expecting them to interact and that we are not there for a "scare show." We may move slowly towards the area that something occurred or ask it to come visit us and come out of the shadows, but for the most part we do not chase occurrences or act in threatening manners.

Me- Do you and your team use photography as a medium?

Tony- We do, but photos are so easily modified and most often discounted by the paranormal community (peers). We do document the places we investigate with photos for future references and do snap several shots over our shoulders walking by or leaving rooms just to see what we get. So in short we do, but we do not put much stock in it unless it is over the top obvious.

Me- What is your attitude when doing an investigation?
Tony- In most cases we arrive with an open mind, not with an every place we visit is haunted outlook. We divide our onsite team into groups based upon experience to keep things on the right pace for what we are there to attempt to do. Very few cases do we arrive with the thoughts of provoking or trying to excite the spirits to get activity.

Early beginnings of paranormal photography

In his book Photography and Spirit, John Harvey’s first words are, “There are spirits – and they can be photographed.” (Harvey, 2007) This is a common thought for many people who believe in ghosts and it is now thought that the “coming together of photography and spirit [allies] modern technology to ancient believe and apparatus to apparitions,” (Harvey, 2007)

In the early 1800s, experiments to combine the separation of light and dark and a set of light sensing chemicals to produce photographs started. Despite the difficuly of the task, in 1839 scientist created the first photographical method known as daguerrotype imaging. This is where is all started and the development of photography is still going on today. (History, 2001) But when did it become a medium for the paranormal? 

The first “unexplainable” ghost photograph is said to have been taken by W. Campbell of Jersey City, New Jersey in 1860. (Prairie Ghosts, 2008) The story behind Campbell’s photography is that he took a picture of an empty chair, but once the photograph was developed it revealed an image of a small boy sitting in the chair. Unfortunately for Campbell he could not recreate the photograph and therefore was not well remembered by historians of art. (Paranormal-encyclopedia, 2012)

The most well-known ghost photograph was taken by the Boston photographer, William H. Mumler(Figure 1). (Radford, 2011) He began producing “spirit photographs” in 1861 and continued to produce until being revealed as a “hoaxer”. The ghosts he claimed to have captured were merely double exposures of previous clients. (Radford, 2011)

“Despite ever-increasing technology, real photographic proof of ghosts remains as elusive as ever.” (Radford, 2011)

The following picture was taken by William Mumler.

© 2000 The American Photography Museum, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission.
Figure 1

You can find more of Mumler's photographs on  The American Museum of Photography's website.

References

Harvey, J. (2007). Photography and spirit. London, England: Reaktion Books Ltd.

Fi.edu. The History of Photography. (2001). Retrieved from http://fi.edu/pieces/watson/hist.htm

Mumler, William. Master herrod in a trance. his spiritual body withdrawn and appears behind. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.photographymuseum.com/mumler.html

Paranormal-encyclopedia. A Brief History of Paranormal Photography. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/p/photography/history.html

Radford, B. (2011). When Did the First 'Ghost Photos' Appear?. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/11699-ghost-photos.html

Taylor, T. Spirit photography. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.prairieghosts.com/ph_history.html

Interview with 2 C Paranormal member

 This is my interview with Cindy from 2 C Paranormal 

Me – What type of things has your team found that can cause noises that aren’t paranormal but can be interpreted as paranormal?
Cindy – Many issues can create a noise that sounds like a voice or word. Like a loud banging can simply be something settling. Animals can make and sound like all sorts of things, whether you are in wilderness or a neighborhood. I prefer a place that has no power; this makes it easier to deciphering.

Me –When is the best time to investigate?
Cindy – This is dependent on what type of entity. But night/dark makes it easier to capture lights and colors, for pictures/video  daylight would be your friend. But there is no real time better than the other, each entity is different.

Me –What methods and equipment does your team use when investigating?
Cindy – We use temp, weather, and other reports. Also;

• EMF detector,
• IR video cameras,
• Digital cameras, 
• Trap cameras, 
• Voice boxes 
• Temp meters,
• Laser grids,
• Compass, ans
• Flashlights.

We role-play a lot, so sometimes we use props like;

• Balls,
• Food/drink,
• Pen/paper, 
• Perfume, and
• Games.  

We are not rude, and don't evoke or invoke.

Me –What types of paranormal evidence have you and your team capture?
Cindy – Our team have had some cool experiences/captures at Vulture Gold Mine; pic with a bright face/profile, great interactions several times in the school house, all lasting quite a while; including pics, videos, audios, emf senses and the best: personal experiences. Among other things found here. And many experiences other places too.

Interview with Long Island Paranormal investigator Rob

Interview with Rob from Long Island Paranormal Investigators

Me- How did you start investigating?

Rob- My friend Mike and I started our organization 9 years ago. We began by checking out local urban legends to see if we could find any truth to them. When we first started everything was new and there weren't television shows on the subject. We read a lot of
books and information on websites. We then tested out theories that others presented in books and the internet to see what we would discover and what to believe.

Me- What equipment do you suggest for beginners?

Rob- We generally tell beginners to the field to ignore all the new, fancy gadgets on television and get grounded on things that are more substantial and have been used for a while. Starting out you should have a basic EMF meter, audio recorder, and a camera. Make sure to study and learn the specs of the individual item thoroughly. Once you master what you have, then consider expanding what you have.

Me- What is your mentality when going into an investigation?

Rob- When we enter into a case we go in as open-minded skeptics. We believe in being open to possibilities, but that you shouldn't go in expecting something paranormal to happen. When you get something you must eliminate all other answers before you call it paranormal. Your evidence must hold up to scrutiny if you want others to take you seriously. 

Me-  If there is one piece of advice you would give to beginners, what would it be?

Rob- One piece of advice I give to new people is to remember television is for entertainment. I just say to take things at times with a grain of salt.

Equipment

Science and technology have come a long way. The paranormal is not back up strongly by science, but technology can help you gain evidence that will make your investigation more credible. Equipment is very broad in the paranormal field, but a few pieces of equipment are necessities. These are;

• Flashlight(s),
• Digital camera(s),
• Audio recorder(s),
• Digital thermometer(s), and
• Electromagnetic field detector(s).

These five items are good to have if you are just starting out, but there are other items that can be used.

Many investigators use;

• Video camera(s),
• Thermal Camera(s),
• Motion Censor(s),
• DVR System(s), and
• Computer Program(s).

I will warn you that the five items above can be expensive. That is why I am telling you what you should definitely consider having when investigating and what you may want to check out. Some websites you can find equipment at are;

• Ghost Shop.com 
• Less EMF.com
• Prairie Ghosts.com
• My Ghost Gear.com
• The Ghost Hunter Store.com
• Paranormal Research Tools.com
• Ghost Mart.com

GhostStop.com has the biggest selection but they are the most expensive out of the five I have listed. I found GhostMart.com has the best prices out of any paranormal equipment store. 

Another thing about many of these items is that you can find them in stores other than paranormal equipment stores. If you seem to be having a hard time finding a piece of equipment that fits your budget try Walmart or Home Depot.

Remember that you do not have to buy all this equipment, remember to use what you feel comfortable using and what you can pay for.

Need to know vocabulary for new investigators

Over the years investigative groups have developed some terms that every beginner should become familiar with. I will use a lot of basic vocabulary in my posts. To make my blog easier for you I am going to address some of these terms in this post. Thousands of words have been created to define the paranormal. I am going to keep terms and definitions concise and will only address those I feel a beginner should know.  

It is important to know:

• Apparition — a spirits manifestation to one’s sense of vision 
• Electromagnetic energy — a mixture of electrical charges and magnetic fields 
• Entity — a conscious ghost
• EMF — electromagnetic field 
• EVP — electronic voice phenomena   
• Intelligent haunting — ghost is aware of your presence and does things to get attention 
• Orbs — balls of energy that give off light, often mistaken as a ghost 
• Paranormal — anything that cannot be explain in a scientific or factual manner
• Residual haunting —the ghost has no awareness of your presence, they are just going through a past event repeatedly 

You need to know these words to get started as an investigator. If I ever use words not in this list, I will try to always give definitions at the end of post or directly next to the word in parenthesis’. These are not the only words that will be useful to know, but they are the most important for beginners. At the bottom I will list a good site that has a mass amount of words if you wish to know more. 

The website SimplyGhost.com has all these words and much more if you want to look up other words that describe the paranormal. 

History of paranormal investigation

The belief of spirits and ghosts has been around since the beginning of time. Many old, ancient cultures practiced animism, the belief that everything, even rocks, has a spirit. So the history of ghost goes as far back as the history of humans. 

“One of the earliest known ghost “sightings” in the west took place in Athens, Greece. Pliny theYounger (c. 63–113 AD) described it in a letter to Licinius Sura (c. 74 BC–7 AD), a Stoic philosopher, decided to rent a large, Athenian house, to investigate widespread rumors that it was haunted.” (Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team, 2009)

 “The first poltergeist was reported centuries later at a farmhouse in Germany in 856 A.D.” (History Channel, 2012)

Since Pliny’s investigation was the first to be documented, it is reasonable to say it was the first to paranormal investigation. 

The history of paranormal investigation is not greatly recorded. But what we do know is that ancient cultures believed in spirits and that ghost stories have been passed through the centuries. Also it is natural for human beings to be curious and investigate what they don’t know. 

This leaves a few questions to think about;

• Are ghost stories paranormal evidence? and
• What makes an investigation valid?

  Most importantly, whose idea was it to start investigating
  paranormal phenomena?


Figure 1 shows an old photo, with a ghost behind a soldier.

  Looking for more information?

             History.com history of ghost stories page
             GhostlyCast.com history of paranormal research page

Figure 1

This picture was found at about.com's paranormal phenomena page.

Welcome to the skeptical ghost investigation blog

Many websites, blogs, and shows give great advice and tips for investigating, but do not advise beginners to keep a skeptical attitude. This is important because if you don’t keep this attitude you will not have a successful investigation. 

I will solve this problem by addressing all the things that other websites, blogs, or shows address but with a skeptic view. My advice will make you a better investigator, which will be the difference between you finding credible and non-credible evidence.

Most of the resources I will get my information from will be from the internet. I will also contact investigative groups like;

•          Dallas Area Paranormal Society, 
•          North Texas Paranormal Investigations, 
•          Society for Paranormal Investigations, and
•          Others.

I will also ask randomly selected people on whether or not they believe ghost investigation helps to prove the existence of ghosts. 

My passion and experience will help me write this blog. I have performed investigations in my town of Mesquite, Texas. I have also done research on the topic because my own personal interest keeps me curious about new methods of investigating. 

As a process that cannot be proven as an actual science, ghost investigators must try to mesh science in with their investigations. A skeptical attitude will help you to find the evidence of ghost that you wish to get as an investigator.