I can't imagine why ghost hunts always have to be conducted at night time. Surely if a ghost is present in a building it is present all the time. Some say that night time is better because ghosts are more active when the room is dark. I tend to think it is because imaginations tend to be more active when the room is dark!
As previously mentioned on this blog, the senses tend to be heightened in dark rooms under high paranormal expectations. I live in an old creaky house. It creaks just as much during the day time, but if I have been watching some spooky film in the evening I tend to notice every tap and creak.
I think if the location is quiet and the building is yours for the alloted time then a ghost hunt can be just as successful from a scientific or spiritual point of view. Can the same be said from a commercial point of view? - I tend to think that organised ghost hunts would probably be a total flop if operated during the daytime hours. People pay to be frightened, and there is more chance of that happening if they are stumbling around in the dark in a group containing a healthy sprinkling of hystericals.
Please do not think that I am in some way rubbishing organised ghost hunts that take large parties of guests around allegedly haunted locations, I am certainly not - in fact I think they are huge fun. That's the point I am making. These are not scientific investigations (well, not serious ones anyway).
I have personally had a few "paranormal" experiences (or was it just my imagination?) and the majority of these have happened during daylight hours. Has anyone out there ever carried out a serious paranormal investigation during daylight hours? - if so I would love to hear what you think.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Views on the afterlife
It's another one of those days where work is a little slack, so as per usual I started thinking about stuff!
One of the thoughts was the whole "everlasting life" thing. I think most people would hate to carry on just getting older and older but the body staying roughly the same. All the people you love shrivelling up and dying around you and you just staying at whatever age the fountain of youth froze you at. Horrendous thought. I would think you would slowly go insane - and then imagine an eternity of pain and mental anguish. I think this is why people turn to the afterlife as some kind of refuge. It is a way to live forever devoid of all pain and anguish, because all your loved ones are in there with you. That reminds me of a gravestone I once saw. The inscription read "To my beloved husband Frank. Rest in peace" which is a lovely sentiment, but underneath it was the inscription "Until we meet again" - sounds like the poor old sod won't even get a minutes peace even in the afterlife!
One of the thoughts was the whole "everlasting life" thing. I think most people would hate to carry on just getting older and older but the body staying roughly the same. All the people you love shrivelling up and dying around you and you just staying at whatever age the fountain of youth froze you at. Horrendous thought. I would think you would slowly go insane - and then imagine an eternity of pain and mental anguish. I think this is why people turn to the afterlife as some kind of refuge. It is a way to live forever devoid of all pain and anguish, because all your loved ones are in there with you. That reminds me of a gravestone I once saw. The inscription read "To my beloved husband Frank. Rest in peace" which is a lovely sentiment, but underneath it was the inscription "Until we meet again" - sounds like the poor old sod won't even get a minutes peace even in the afterlife!
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Sceptics v Believers
I suppose by my very nature I am sceptical about most things that need a measure of faith to believe in. I do actually believe in paranormal phenomena, I just don't know what the explanation is as to what these things are.
There seems to be two different kinds of hauntings. The ones that just replay an event over and over, and then there are the ones that seem (and yes I DO mean seem) to communicate intelligently. OK, so there you are, I am a sceptical semi-believer! - so why do the hardened sceptics think that anything that hasn't yet been proven is just total rubbish and everyone who even half believes in all this stuff is just a halfwit.
There seems to be an influence of fashion at play in both sides of the argument. It is very fashionable to be a sceptic in all things of a spiritual nature and dismiss the other half of the population as mere village idiots believing in witches and goblins. There is also a very fashionable new-age movement that believes in everything from fairies to healing crystals. I believe somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
As the believers cannot prove their beliefs, just as equally the sceptics cannot disprove them. They point to science as an answer to all lifes questions, but wasn't it scientists that claimed that the Black Death was spread by bad air just over 200 years ago?
Science is constantly evolving, and all the theories and doctrines we now hold dearly are derided and laughed at some years later. All I am saying is "vive la difference" and throwing insults back and forth solves nothing. It is a very twee little saying but nonetheless true "To a believer no proof is needed, and to a sceptic no proof is possible"
An open mind is a wonderful thing but it closes if you don't exercise it regularly by just not bowing under to peer pressure. Make up your own mind - it's one of the last freedoms we have.
There seems to be two different kinds of hauntings. The ones that just replay an event over and over, and then there are the ones that seem (and yes I DO mean seem) to communicate intelligently. OK, so there you are, I am a sceptical semi-believer! - so why do the hardened sceptics think that anything that hasn't yet been proven is just total rubbish and everyone who even half believes in all this stuff is just a halfwit.
There seems to be an influence of fashion at play in both sides of the argument. It is very fashionable to be a sceptic in all things of a spiritual nature and dismiss the other half of the population as mere village idiots believing in witches and goblins. There is also a very fashionable new-age movement that believes in everything from fairies to healing crystals. I believe somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
As the believers cannot prove their beliefs, just as equally the sceptics cannot disprove them. They point to science as an answer to all lifes questions, but wasn't it scientists that claimed that the Black Death was spread by bad air just over 200 years ago?
Science is constantly evolving, and all the theories and doctrines we now hold dearly are derided and laughed at some years later. All I am saying is "vive la difference" and throwing insults back and forth solves nothing. It is a very twee little saying but nonetheless true "To a believer no proof is needed, and to a sceptic no proof is possible"
An open mind is a wonderful thing but it closes if you don't exercise it regularly by just not bowing under to peer pressure. Make up your own mind - it's one of the last freedoms we have.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Animal ghosts
There are several websites out there on the internet sharing stories about animals coming back to haunt us. I wonder where the line is drawn on what would be able to come back to share our lives again over and above the usual dogs, cats and maybe horses?
Let's face it, if all animals came back to haunt us then KFC, your local fishmonger or your local butchers shop would be paranormal hotspots wouldn't they?
OK, it's a very flippant remark, and dogs especially do seem to be more prone to supernatural presences and things we can't see or feel than other animals, but maybe this is because we don't share our houses (normally) with cows and pigs?
If dogs are more sensitive to spirits does this mean that they themselves are capable of becoming spirits and coming back to visit us?
I have a very loose theory that may be totally off-beam, but maybe these animals are an extension of the haunting of a human being. A little bit like when people report seeing phantom airmen in their aircraft. They see the aircraft along with the ghost and not just a man floating through the air in a sitting position.
Maybe this is belittling the nobility of the dog and maybe they DO come back on their own merit - I obviously have no idea. It would be nice to think that a beloved faithful pet might come back to see we are OK wouldn't it?
Let's face it, if all animals came back to haunt us then KFC, your local fishmonger or your local butchers shop would be paranormal hotspots wouldn't they?
OK, it's a very flippant remark, and dogs especially do seem to be more prone to supernatural presences and things we can't see or feel than other animals, but maybe this is because we don't share our houses (normally) with cows and pigs?
If dogs are more sensitive to spirits does this mean that they themselves are capable of becoming spirits and coming back to visit us?
I have a very loose theory that may be totally off-beam, but maybe these animals are an extension of the haunting of a human being. A little bit like when people report seeing phantom airmen in their aircraft. They see the aircraft along with the ghost and not just a man floating through the air in a sitting position.
Maybe this is belittling the nobility of the dog and maybe they DO come back on their own merit - I obviously have no idea. It would be nice to think that a beloved faithful pet might come back to see we are OK wouldn't it?
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Good progress
As promised I have extended just about every category on the website. I didn't realise how many paranormal investigation teams there are out there - there may even be millions! (well maybe thousands anyway).
I have found loads in the good old UK and USA, but I am really struggling to find them in other english speaking countries. I only say that they must be in English because I can't give a link to a website if I can't read what it is about (my French is appalling and my German virtually non-existant) and I can't afford the services of a translator!
I have only found ONE investigation team in New Zealand - ONE, surely there must be more? Australia and Canada aren't doing much better either.
If anyone knows any teams who aren't appearing on my fledgling little list then please feel free to suggest them to me.
Enjoy the rest of Easter.
I have found loads in the good old UK and USA, but I am really struggling to find them in other english speaking countries. I only say that they must be in English because I can't give a link to a website if I can't read what it is about (my French is appalling and my German virtually non-existant) and I can't afford the services of a translator!
I have only found ONE investigation team in New Zealand - ONE, surely there must be more? Australia and Canada aren't doing much better either.
If anyone knows any teams who aren't appearing on my fledgling little list then please feel free to suggest them to me.
Enjoy the rest of Easter.
Friday, 2 April 2010
New stuff
I have to admit I have been hellish busy (no pun intended) and have neglected both this blog and my website www.ghost-investigators.co.uk a little. Now that Easter is here it gives me a bit of time to start to expand my site a little. I suppose I was prompted to do this by receiving an email asking if I would like to exchange links, and so it concentrated my mind upon actually putting up the link and getting on with some work. I hope to be concentrating on the US side of things today, but anyone out there with a UK website that I still haven't added, please do contact me.
Have a happy and safe Easter.
Have a happy and safe Easter.
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