Popular theories on ghosts and ghost hunting gadgets

There are many things that seem to have slipped into the collective knowledge of ghost hunting and are accepted as an absolute truth. Few of these (if indeed any) can be supported scientifically as an absolute fact. Take my favourite aggravation - orbs. What leap of faith first made someone view dust specs and anomalous spots of light on a digital camera photograph as being the energy of a spirit that is about to materialise (or whatever they say it means)?  We could also hypothesize and say they are fall-out from the vapour trail of a UFO that is leaving earth's atmosphere - where does it all end???

I once took several photographs at a wedding where some 60 or so people were dancing in a ballroom. Now either that ballroom (and a modern building at that) was the most haunted place on earth, or "orbs" are simply just dust. There were thousands of the shiny little critters.

Another accepted theory is that we can "measure" the presence of a ghost/spirit/entity by using an EMF meter, because a nearby spirit causes a spike in EMF readings. Now don't get me wrong. I myself wander around with a couple of these devices wafting them around like some kind of Star Wars light sabre, so I am just as guilty as anyone. I have also had some strange anomalous readings that have just appeared, then as quickly disappeared. This isn't definitive proof that I have had a close encounter from beyond the grave.

Another popular toy is the laser thermometer, and yes, I have one of those too. It's great fun. Making a little red dot appear on a wall some 10 feet away and proudly proclaiming one end of the wall is 5 degrees cooler than the other end. So what?? Most rooms have cold spots, but it's usually more to do with draughts and bad insulation than it is the paranormal.

The best toy of all is a Frank's Box. For those that don't know what one is. It is an FM radio that is made to constantly search through the channels in a continuous loop. When you ask a question you get the occasional snippet of a conversation or a word coming through from a radio station. They are supposedly answers from the other side. Sometimes the answers can be remarkable, but more often they are just noises or utter nonsense. The law of averages says an occasional snippet would probably answer a question. I once asked a spirit if it was male or female and the box gave me the answer of "cream crackers". That's when I realised I must myself be a bit cream crackers for using it. 

Oh I know, I am coming across as some horrible sceptic and a kill-joy. Let those who want to believe in orbs and the like carry on doing so. I am still searching for the DEFINITIVE proof that something paranormal is happening. The chase goes on.