Oh come on now. You haven't heard the stories of people claiming to have seen a shadow person in a pitch black dark room?

It's an everyday occurrence.

Funny Ryan!

It's an everyday occurrence.

What good is total darkness if you can't see anything?

It's a good way to walk into a wall...

dim lighting is ok for me.

Welcome GhostBreakers. Glad to have you with us.

I'd say that some groups do both - investigate and hunt - depending on the location.

Here's something that Loyd Auerbach pointed out to us in our podcast with him that I think bears mentioning. The word debunk actually means "expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas."

Many investigators - legitimate investigators - that I know never attempt to debunk as it is defined above. They do, however, look for alternative explanations for phenomena. I'd say that groups that run around at grave yards are ghost hunters. Those who do their due diligence and then seek to explain and/or quantify the phenomena are paranormal investigators.

Semantics. Most of the time, I use paranormal investigator because I'm interested in all areas of the paranormal. When it comes to working with my team, I use either. I mean, we only focus on dealing with ghosts. No UFOs, no cryptids. If someone calls me a ghost hunter -- I don't freak out.

Debunking. I'm a debunker and I use that term. The clients know that we're not out to expose them or ridicule them. That being I like the term debunker.

Explainer sounds so lame.

Maybe a Ghost Paparazzo?

/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' /> I would not want to be a nuisance, and am little more subdued. /biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='<_<' />

Have a camera in my car all the time, if something catches my eye I shoot it.

Our area is very historic, Penn settled here. There are dates in the 1600's in cemetaries or small groupings of graves on farmers land that I have come across.

Then I search the history of the deceased. It's quite interesting finding out about the people who founded the small towns in my area.

It's very rural. This summer we went on a quest for covered bridges.

Anything paranormal comes into it, I'm good. Sort of always in the back of my mind and observing.

I'm an outsider also, but would have to agree with you. I think a ghost hunter and paranormal investigator are different for the reasons stated.

I shoot pictures, at places of inrerest to me and quietly observe. Love to read factual history on supposed haunted locations, and just locations in general.

Enjoy seeking, so I guess I would be a ghost seeker.

Maybe a Ghost Paparazzo?

Interesting post and a very astute observation. People should understand however, that the average Ghost Hunter gets their information from TV and reading ghost stories or books on ghost hunting. Very few get anything from actually educating themselves on the subject. They rely on the basics which is fine for ghost hunting but not if they are going to present themselves as a Paranormal Investigator. An investigator looks for facts to build a case. In the case of a PI if they get information that something has happened at 3pm they don’t wait for the sun to go down and turn off the lights to investigate. PI’s investigate and record information of reported incidents. Ghost Hunters go around looking for ghosts. It’s that simple.

Something should also be added and I hope people won’t take offense but here is the basic truth.

Most all people or groups you hear of are Ghost Hunters and not Paranormal Investigators no matter what they claim. Yes, there is a big difference but both are needed in the field. The problem doesn’t lie with what one does. It lies with those who call themselves something they are not. Many call themselves Paranormal Investigators thinking the title brings them some credibility. I can assure you that if they call themselves something they are not, all it does is damage any credibility they had. Ghost Hunters are doing just what their title suggests. They are hunting. Investigators do interviews, take notes, case files, hard copies of everything, don’t investigate for just a few hours or one night and they NEVER Debunk besides too much more to mention here. They can also always review and compare to the other cases they or anyone else has. Both are an integral part of the field but there needs to be a distinction. Simply speaking, the basic definitions will tell what people are actually doing. Investigating or Hunting.

I'm an outsider also, but would have to agree with you. I think a ghost hunter and paranormal investigator are different for the reasons stated.

I shoot pictures, at places of inrerest to me and quietly observe. Love to read factual history on supposed haunted locations, and just locations in general.

Enjoy seeking, so I guess I would be a ghost seeker.

Here is my concern with standardized practices - if we standardize investigatory techniques for something that is still in its infancy, do we limit discovery? Hmmm...maybe a blog is in order.

I think standardizing the process more than the activity is probably the goal. For instance, you probably should test equipment, plan out spots to investigate (inside of whatever place is being investigated, whether outside or in), set up check-in times if multiple teams, and become consistent with techniques. But that shouldn't step on any theories, techniques that the group uses or limit a group in any legitimate way.

Stick with me on this. So - if spirit communications are largely psychic in nature (unless they choose to act on something psychokinetically), then they could in large part be ignored in the same way that any other psychic gift might be. If we are distracted with other things, then certainly it would be easy to ignore.

As hard as it is for me to admit, I can substantiate this as it happened to me when I was seven (when I asked for it to stop). It was what you'd call psychic phenomena and had nothing to do with ghosts. The house hauntings continued as this seemed to be separate, though maybe conincidental. Its hard for me to talk about, even more so than ghosts, because I'm such a logical person. Its hard for me to accept things that I haven't experienced and digested, or that doesn't follow some sort of logical flow of "things" (such as science). I haven't ever experienced the psychic type anomaly ever, other than the year or two that I had as a very young child. Also, I have experienced any sort of haunting activity since I moved out of my parent's house at 18 (so almost 10 years ago).

Exactly - and how do we know?? Why is a spirit sticking around? Is it the whole spirit, or is it just a part of the spirit caught up in the emotional impact of a surprising and unexpected death? How much intelligence is there? Is it even in our dimension and therefore aware of the dimensional realities that we are experiencing? I've got a million of them - I can keep asking...

That is a possibility. In my mind there seems to be two most probable situations.

1) Spirits are fully conscious and self-aware, but the "residual" hauntings are because they themselves only allow whatever event to be replayed in their lives over and over. While some spirits seem to have become consciously aware that they have died or at least that they aren't living the same life anymore. These "intelligent" hauntings are fully self aware and that is why they can choose to "move on", even when requested from someone, and will react to us in some way. This would also be why residual hauntings may stick around even when asked to leave or the house blessed and intelligent hauntings will most likely move on.

2) Spirits are only part of an imprint of some degree of "intelligence" left-over from someone previously. As such some may be able to be aware enough to know that they are not alive anymore and some may not be aware and repeat an event in their life, because "less" of the intelligence was imprinted in our reality. This would be why spirits won't always be able to appear wholly for a picture at will or even continue manipulating objects or give clear EVP. Remember EVP seem to only give short, simple phrases or repeat a short word or two over and over again.

Psychic phenomena may be possible with both probabilities as well.

I tend to favor probability 1 in my mind as well. This would explain why living people do not leave a psychic imprint on our reality and why you do not see apparitions of a living relative or even yourself. Sure you could argue that some may cause poltergeist activity, but that activity follows them or is at least charged by them if the theory is true.

That is a very interesting point you made.

In the day, there are a lot more distractions that grab our attention as well. I notice these things in the day because I am alert to activity and watching for it from the moment I walk in the door, day or night.

Our housekeeping staff, who know what goes on, experience things in the day in all the rooms and on the property. They are alert to it and are often just waiting for one of the soldier spirits to pull a prank on them while they are cleaning rooms. Recently around the noon hour, one of the housekeepers came out of one of the rooms and saw a Confederate soldier a couple of doors down from her position peeking around the corner between two buildings and looking at her. She told me she could see the building behind him through him. But, as I said, all of the housekeepers have had experiences in the day while they are cleaning and are always watching for it. Most of the housekeepers have worked at the hotel for many years and are not afraid. Of course, they often tell me they wouldn't be there alone at night like I am. I have to laugh at that!

Carolyn

I would agree with this. Interaction is typically quite subtle, and if you aren't paying attention you might miss it. Especially if what Loyd Auerbach says is true - that spirits interact as pure consciousness, and therefore do so by some type of psychic means up to and including psychokinesis. If that is the case, I can tell you this - I blocked out any sensitivities I have for years because I never had a framework to understand them and work with them, so what I saw those sensitivities as being were frightening and something that made me different from others. It has only been in recent years that I have begun to embrace those things as part of who I am and manged them more appropriately. So - if I could essentially ignore or block out those energies just because I chose to with really no knowledge or understanding of them, imagine how easy it must be to do so.

I can't remember who I was interviewing for the magazine, but they mentioned this as well. They had experiences that were psychic in nature and it seemed weird and different - so they asked for it to please go away. It did. For a long time.

Stick with me on this. So - if spirit communications are largely psychic in nature (unless they choose to act on something psychokinetically), then they could in large part be ignored in the same way that any other psychic gift might be. If we are distracted with other things, then certainly it would be easy to ignore.

I think part of the problem lies in looking only for huge, obvious interaction and ignoring the more subtle cues.

Do spirits get caught up in the emotions, or the circumstances of their death? I would think that would have an impact on their awareness. It might even be an insurmountable obstacle to communication. I believe Carolyne has talked of this before.

Then you have other spirits, such as spirit guides, which seem to be around not so much because of their death, but because they choose to be.

So, I'm guessing a lot would have to do with the circumstances surrounding the spirit, and why they might still be around

.

Exactly - and how do we know?? Why is a spirit sticking around? Is it the whole spirit, or is it just a part of the spirit caught up in the emotional impact of a surprising and unexpected death? How much intelligence is there? Is it even in our dimension and therefore aware of the dimensional realities that we are experiencing? I've got a million of them - I can keep asking...

Hi Whammie. Thanks for the welcome. I think I will enjoy it here. I have been doing this a long time and things I have discovered just don't go with what you see on TV or read in books. I know people like to follow the old popular beliefs but I have found a lot of them to be misleading. Anyway, I was looking for a good place to discuss different things and I think this may be it. I also posted on the debunk article among others. ( http://www.paranormalundergrou.....net?p=1620 )

Oh, one more thing. Regardless of how something I say may sound. I speak only for myself and I don't intentionally bash anyone or group. I may disagree strongly and will give my reasons but everyone is entitled to do as they please.

I also have started a group/cause on Facebook for anyone who is on there. It is in regard to Standardization of Paranormal Investigation as a whole. If anyone is interested. Not meant for Ghost Hunters but they are most welcome also. Loyd Auerbach and Dale Kaczmarek have joined among others noteables so far.

Well, I guess I'll see everyone around now and again.

Very cool - your standardization group. I wonder this, however - are we to a point where we know enough about what we are looking for that we know how to look for it well enough that we can begin to standardize practice? Did that make any sense? Sorry - still on vicodin so probably still a bit rambly and less concise than I typically am.

Here is my concern with standardized practices - if we standardize investigatory techniques for something that is still in its infancy, do we limit discovery? Hmmm...maybe a blog is in order.

Stick around, Ghostbreakers, you are giving me all sorts of stuff to think about. I like people who make me think. /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

~Karen

Then again, it could be as simple as spirits being the most communicative when we are most able to sense them. Our senses tend to become dominated by our eyes during the daylight, because we can usually see farther than we can hear/taste/smell/touch. At night, the world seems to close in around us, and the rest of our senses heighten. It's the main reason that ghost stories are so much more effective around a late night campfire than at high noon.

In my rather limited experience with spirit interactions, they've tended to be very subtle, as though I would miss them entirely if I was visually focused on something. Only when I was feeling a little bit apprehensive did I distinctly feel an interaction, which was not particularly frightening, but was visceral enough to not overlook. It could just be a coincidence, but the one time when everyone else around me sensed a presence and I did not, I was extremely focused on using my eyes and picking up my feet when I walked (I was filming). Just a thought.

That is a very interesting point you made.

In the day, there are a lot more distractions that grab our attention as well. I notice these things in the day because I am alert to activity and watching for it from the moment I walk in the door, day or night.

Our housekeeping staff, who know what goes on, experience things in the day in all the rooms and on the property. They are alert to it and are often just waiting for one of the soldier spirits to pull a prank on them while they are cleaning rooms. Recently around the noon hour, one of the housekeepers came out of one of the rooms and saw a Confederate soldier a couple of doors down from her position peeking around the corner between two buildings and looking at her. She told me she could see the building behind him through him. But, as I said, all of the housekeepers have had experiences in the day while they are cleaning and are always watching for it. Most of the housekeepers have worked at the hotel for many years and are not afraid. Of course, they often tell me they wouldn't be there alone at night like I am. I have to laugh at that!

Carolyn

Welcome GhostBreakers. Glad to have you with us.

I'd say that some groups do both - investigate and hunt - depending on the location.

Here's something that Loyd Auerbach pointed out to us in our podcast with him that I think bears mentioning. The word debunk actually means "expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas."

Many investigators - legitimate investigators - that I know never attempt to debunk as it is defined above. They do, however, look for alternative explanations for phenomena. I'd say that groups that run around at grave yards are ghost hunters. Those who do their due diligence and then seek to explain and/or quantify the phenomena are paranormal investigators.

Hi Whammie. Thanks for the welcome. I think I will enjoy it here. I have been doing this a long time and things I have discovered just don't go with what you see on TV or read in books. I know people like to follow the old popular beliefs but I have found a lot of them to be misleading. Anyway, I was looking for a good place to discuss different things and I think this may be it. I also posted on the debunk article among others. ( http://www.paranormalundergrou.....net?p=1620 )

Oh, one more thing. Regardless of how something I say may sound. I speak only for myself and I don't intentionally bash anyone or group. I may disagree strongly and will give my reasons but everyone is entitled to do as they please.

I also have started a group/cause on Facebook for anyone who is on there. It is in regard to Standardization of Paranormal Investigation as a whole. If anyone is interested. Not meant for Ghost Hunters but they are most welcome also. Loyd Auerbach and Dale Kaczmarek have joined among others noteables so far.

Well, I guess I'll see everyone around now and again.

Do spirits get caught up in the emotions, or the circumstances of their death? I would think that would have an impact on their awareness. It might even be an insurmountable obstacle to communication. I believe Carolyne has talked of this before.

Then you have other spirits, such as spirit guides, which seem to be around not so much because of their death, but because they choose to be.

So, I'm guessing a lot would have to do with the circumstances surrounding the spirit, and why they might still be around.

Then again, it could be as simple as spirits being the most communicative when we are most able to sense them. Our senses tend to become dominated by our eyes during the daylight, because we can usually see farther than we can hear/taste/smell/touch. At night, the world seems to close in around us, and the rest of our senses heighten. It's the main reason that ghost stories are so much more effective around a late night campfire than at high noon.

In my rather limited experience with spirit interactions, they've tended to be very subtle, as though I would miss them entirely if I was visually focused on something. Only when I was feeling a little bit apprehensive did I distinctly feel an interaction, which was not particularly frightening, but was visceral enough to not overlook. It could just be a coincidence, but the one time when everyone else around me sensed a presence and I did not, I was extremely focused on using my eyes and picking up my feet when I walked (I was filming). Just a thought.

Well it goes back to this: How much of an awareness of its surroundings would a spirit have?

Do spirits get caught up in the emotions, or the circumstances of their death? I would think that would have an impact on their awareness. It might even be an insurmountable obstacle to communication. I believe Carolyne has talked of this before.

Then you have other spirits, such as spirit guides, which seem to be around not so much because of their death, but because they choose to be.

So, I'm guessing a lot would have to do with the circumstances surrounding the spirit, and why they might still be around.