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I know, it gives me ideas of what I want to do when we go there. That is if they allow us.
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If you pay to hunt at a commercial site -- does your evidence really count??
Call me cynical, but if these places are being kept alive by ghost hunting income, then they have motive to 'create the atmosphere' -- so to speak…..
Why wouldn't it count? Unless your definition of "evidence" changes simply because it's a commercial site that advertises that it is haunted, I don't see why it shouldn't. It doesn't matter what the motive is – no evidence is still no evidence, and something you can't explain is still something you can't explain.
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Why wouldn't it count? Unless your definition of "evidence" changes simply because it's a commercial site that advertises that it is haunted, I don't see why it shouldn't. It doesn't matter what the motive is – no evidence is still no evidence, and something you can't explain is still something you can't explain.
I know you didn't direct it to me but I'll post my two cents. I say that my evidence is different with a place that is selling it's hauntedness. Suddenly you have to worry about planted things, kinda like what Ghost Hunters went through with the Moss Beach Distillery. Is there a speaker hidden up in the ceiling? Is there a motion detector behind a door to make it move? My group mainly investigate private residences. Yes there is a chance of the owners faking it but mostly they just want answers not publicity.
So I am a little more skeptical about evidence I collect at a business that is depending on it's income from it's history of paranormal activity.
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Yeah, that's a good point, Ryan. I'd follow up with being able to debunk forgery as falling into the evidence pile (after all, you'd report that, right? lol), but we all know that it isn't as easily detectable as Moss Beach was.
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That does bring up an excellent question. If you visit one of these places and found evidence of fakery, do you report it to the media or anyone?
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Oh heck yeah, I'd report it. I mean, it's one thing to say there are claims that so-and-so location is haunted, but another thing entirely if a place is a fraud. I guess there can be both – but I'd definitely report that the place was pulling a sham job if I found out that was what they were currently doing.
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That does bring up an excellent question. If you visit one of these places and found evidence of fakery, do you report it to the media or anyone?
That is a good question. Eastern State runs a Terror Behind The Walls., during Halloween. The building is set up with speakers, which are still there when you take a regular tour.
I'm not in any way saying it's rigged for investigations.
I think you have to look at each location individually and do your homework before going.
Pay attention while you are investigating.
I have been places that offer ghost tours and investigations. While I didn't go on the investigation, the ghost tour seemed to add some atmosphere to the tour.
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I don't think you should have to pay to go ghost hunting (or viewing as I think it should be called), and $75 is a lot of money. With that being said, the Queen Mary specifically is a HUGE rip off and people should be warned about it. I live very close to the Queen Mary and one day not too long ago decided to go on it's infamous ghost tour, the price was shocking considering it is practically a historical monument and should be free. But still I went on. The woman giving the ghost tour directly lied on several points which I did not find out about until much later. They will tell you that the tv show "ghost hunters" found amazing evidence throughout the ship- which they did not, they proved the footage they caught was suspiciously altered. They will take you to a shower room and ask if you feel cold spots (which you absolutely will, since you are leaning against tile in the dark). Then the most annoying part comes when you get to the paranormal research room on the Queen, to find that on the day you went it is conveniently down for the day, which it usually is, and you will have no warning about this before you pay the money and you will not get a discount.
By the way, there is no true ghost hunting that will happen, they take you from room to room at their pace as the other people on the tour make too much noise to hear anything else. You can take pictures, but on limited time frames and that's all you can do. After the tour, you can not go back to the parts of the ship you just visited. So please, do not waste your money.
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Ive never been on an investigation, however from what ive seen and heard of these types of places the 'guides' tend to give people the sensationalist , folk tale orientated story with sprikles on top. There is an old house near me which started doing ghost tours for money a few years ago. I consider myself pretty knowledgable regarding local history especially regarding the paranormal. Up until this financially struggling country house started doing tours, i was not aware of any paranormal activity there. Yet it has gained a reputation of being haunted. MH even paid it a visit last year in a 'Girls Aloud' celeb special. Id hate to see a building like this deteriorate but is it really up to paranormal groups to keep these building going??? Maybe the government should be stepping in and helping out instead.
OK I just realised something that has been staring me in the face for years. As I mention in my post on fairies/elves/dwarves, if there is a place in Wales with 'Tylwyth Teg' (fair people) or 'Teg' in the title, you can rest assured there is a supernatural link to that place dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. These links are often part of 'remembered history' and this can stretch beyond the reach of recorded history, often as far as the bronze age. The immediate area the house is in is an archaelogical (bronze age/roman) hotspot. The house mentioned is called Plas Teg or Fair(y) House (Great pics on google images including lots of ghost hunt pics). Maybe there is something in it and ive been too quick to dismiss the place. Maybe i will part with a few quid and pay it a visit. Sorry to go off topic !!
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I don't think you should have to pay to go ghost hunting (or viewing as I think it should be called), and $75 is a lot of money. With that being said, the Queen Mary specifically is a HUGE rip off and people should be warned about it. I live very close to the Queen Mary and one day not too long ago decided to go on it's infamous ghost tour, the price was shocking considering it is practically a historical monument and should be free. But still I went on. The woman giving the ghost tour directly lied on several points which I did not find out about until much later. They will tell you that the tv show "ghost hunters" found amazing evidence throughout the ship- which they did not, they proved the footage they caught was suspiciously altered. They will take you to a shower room and ask if you feel cold spots (which you absolutely will, since you are leaning against tile in the dark). Then the most annoying part comes when you get to the paranormal research room on the Queen, to find that on the day you went it is conveniently down for the day, which it usually is, and you will have no warning about this before you pay the money and you will not get a discount.
By the way, there is no true ghost hunting that will happen, they take you from room to room at their pace as the other people on the tour make too much noise to hear anything else. You can take pictures, but on limited time frames and that's all you can do. After the tour, you can not go back to the parts of the ship you just visited. So please, do not waste your money.
I would agree on that point with regards to the tour, but I must say undoubtedly that the whole dang ship is haunted. I know at several points on the tour they purposely misguide folks into thinking they are on other parts of the ship when actually they are no where near the point they are talking about. Goofy staged effects and all, go on this only if you wish to be entertained.
With that out of the way, go roaming the public areas of the ship when foot traffic is low and sound levels are quieter. Be obscure and observant at the same time and you might get rewarded. The two instances I had that I deem paranormal in nature occurred when I separated from the crowd. The place is just seeping with residual energy, but look for it off the beaten path.
regards
Andy
That does bring up an excellent question. If you visit one of these places and found evidence of fakery, do you report it to the media or anyone?
Good question, Ryan. First, I have to say that I understand a lot of these places who offer up paying ghost hunts to the public, are the same as any other business. It comes down to marketing, obtaining the public’s attention and the results of paying customers. I understand that, and I also understand that the places I have paid to investigate at use the money towards renovations and keeping the “living museum” alive. I respect that, which is why I’m okay with that aspect of paying.
There are a few museums I’ve been to where they do not ask for an admission fee, but instead request a donation. Of course, I donate, though at times it may not be as much as what the cost would be if they charged for us to tour. Most museums do charge you to tour them, and in a sense that’s what we pay for when we are asked for money to conduct an investigation. It goes to a good cause, so I’m fine with it.
Back to your original question… I have found fakery numerous times at the Mansfield Reformatory. I haven’t been there for a few years, and since then they have an all new director of the museum and volunteer staff, so I was hoping things have become better. That was halted immediately when I watched the episode of Ghost Adventures there a couple weeks ago. That guard who took them through the “hole”, the bald guy, was telling stories I had never heard before after spending 12 years as a volunteer throughout the facilities, volunteering my time to work there assisting with renovations, investigating and marketing the place. So it bothers me that the old fake stories and “experiences” have gone out with the last group of people, and new fake stories and “experiences” have been created with the new group.
I did call out the old group a few times. I knew it would cause some big waves which it did, but in the end I was actually respected by most people for trying to keep the history and ghost stories of the Reformatory “grounded”. To me it is more important to learn and understand the history of these places but not forget they can be haunted as well, and in accepting the idea of ghosts, they should be respected as well. Unfortunately as with most businesses, fame and fortune are the priority before truth and respect.
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That reminds me of a place that we were going to pay to investigate. After doing some research and reading the place's website I noticed some things. For instance the location is old but activity only began after the current owners moved in. This sat off alarms in my head and makes for a negative mind set when and if we do decide to go investigate. But they are doing this to keep the place open, many places have to do this so do we as a paranormal community call them out for this and risk them having to close shop because of it? There are consequences in everything we do, whether we mean it or not.
Huh…now THAT would seriously irritate me too, when they flat our lie, to keep their "business" going. I have a similar question to yours. Why would these people who want to be well-known around the States or the world that they are haunted, be on TV, have articles written about them, be featured in books, yet chance being "busted" by someone which can ruin the location's reputation in a second? You would think they would want more of a challenge for ghost hunters, or investigators, not just advertise complete BS for publications when they can be "elimated" in quicker time.
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What's the saying? There's a sucker born every minute.
Remember that most people who go are those that are basically weekend warriors. Many may not be too grounded in the science of ghost hunting. Most are just those wanting stories to tell back at the office on Monday. Armed with a camera and a flashlight they take everything at face value. This is what the business is gunning for. There are risks in everything. My group debunked some stuff when we were at the Myrtles, stuff that they were reporting as caused by ghosts. In most cases it doesn't take much to figure the stuff out.
There are some groups who won't touch these places. They might think of them as being under their abilities to investigate. Others will take what they can get.
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I think many people confuse a paid ghost "hunting" excursion with a paid ghost "tour." There IS a difference, the former being that your group pays to investigate a place by yourself for a specific time limit, and a tour is just that – a tour.
Caveat Emptor, as the saying goes; do your homework before going on a "tour," but in no way should you expect it to be a ghost "hunt" where you can actually spend time doing what you see on television; these are usually meant to bring in extra money for the preservation of the place (or greed, whichever you prefer).
I think many people confuse a paid ghost "hunting" excursion with a paid ghost "tour." There IS a difference, the former being that your group pays to investigate a place by yourself for a specific time limit, and a tour is just that – a tour.
Caveat Emptor, as the saying goes; do your homework before going on a "tour," but in no way should you expect it to be a ghost "hunt" where you can actually spend time doing what you see on television; these are usually meant to bring in extra money for the preservation of the place (or greed, whichever you prefer).
Regardless, they need the money to continue their business. Any of these paying places will not give you the 100% "clean" environment you need to conduct an investigation. Earlier in the conversation we mentioned that they are good "grounds" for practicing or for people who don't get the opportunity to be involved with the industry much to see the inside of the places you'd only see on TV. Nothing wrong with that.
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Absolutely not, and I totally agree. A lot of people tend to get upset when they realize it isn't what they expected them to be, though. Perhaps its because they expected something that would "blow their mind" and not just be a bunch of folks walking around staring at the walls! /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
To me, it is what you make it; if I go on a tour, I know that I'm going for several different reasons: historical information, to get a glimpse of a place I'd normally not be in, and to just enjoy it for what it is – paid for or not. The tours are (usually) fantastic opportunities to check out a place.
You know what it all reminds me of? That expectation that a customer pays for something and they expect to get what they paid for; unfortunately, I think too many people have a preconceived notion that if they pay for a ghost tour, they had better see a ghost! /blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
You are completely right, Tom. One of the reasons I stated before that we like the "commercial investigations" is because the people expect Hollywood movie-like ghost experiences. They don't get them and are gone by midnight. Only the people who are familiar with the concept and serious about trying to get some sort of investigation in are the ones that stick around until 6am and hope to experience a paranormal something that isn't contaminated due to the other few people still around!
One of the nights we spent in Moundsville, this group of "foo foo" college kids came in on the ghost hunt. The girls had short-short denim skirts on and flip flops. They had their Coach purses. It was hilarious. They walked around for about an hour and left out of "boredom". Never in a millions years would I not wear tennis shoes to a place like that, not even talking about the dirt, but for safety reasons, let alone a mini skirt! You can tell right away who the people are that are more serious about it and understand the idea of the paranormal verus those who are dressed to see it take place in movie form!
You're right though, that people have a preconeived notion of what they will experience by paying to spend the night in a "haunted" location. They heard the ghost stories correlated with the place and really have no clue what to expect otherwise.
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One of the nights we spent in Moundsville, this group of "foo foo" college kids came in on the ghost hunt. The girls had short-short denim skirts on and flip flops. They had their Coach purses. It was hilarious. They walked around for about an hour and left out of "boredom". Never in a millions years would I not wear tennis shoes to a place like that, not even talking about the dirt, but for safety reasons, let alone a mini skirt! You can tell right away who the people are that are more serious about it and understand the idea of the paranormal verus those who are dressed to see it take place in movie form!
So did you get any pictures of the girls in skirts, I mean the ghosts in Moundsville? /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
So did you get any pictures of the girls in skirts, I mean the ghosts in Moundsville?
/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
*lol*
Actually, yes. We were amazed they (and their boyfriends) showed up dressed all nice and preppified to investigate in an old, dirty abandoned prison! That was from a few years ago though.
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