In Search of the Unknown - Ghost hunting

Ghost hunting is the practice of searching for ghosts, spirits or other supernatural beings. Although different individuals take different approaches, the goal is usually to capture some kind of physical evidence of a ghost's presence, such as video, pictures, or audio recordings.

Personal Experiences

Ghost hunters will usually ask people who live in an allegedly haunted location if they have had any paranormal experiences. Word of mouth obviously does not count as solid evidence, but if enough people report having experiences at a location, and if the experiences cannot be debunked (explained by logical or scientific means), then they lend credibility to the location's haunted status.

EVP

EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena. This refers to an occurrence where an unknown voice manifests on an audio recording. These voices typically are not heard by anyone present in the room at the time of recording. They only become audible when the recording is played back later.

This phenomena seems to happen most frequently in locations that are reputed to be haunted, so it is commonly believed that the EVP is the actual voice of a ghost. Both digital and analogue recorders are able to pick up EVPs, making it unlikely that the phenomena is due to some kind of malfunction in the device.

A common practice of ghost hunters is to leave running audio recorders in a location they are investigating, hoping that they will capture an EVP. Depending on the quality of the EVP, ghost hunters will consider an EVP to be possible evidence of a haunting.

Image and Video Phenomena

In addition to audio recorders, ghost hunters will typically bring multiple video and still cameras on an investigation. Video cameras may be carried by members of the team, left running to watch a single area, or a combination of both if there are enough cameras at the team's disposal.

At present, there are no known occurrences of a real full-body apparition being caught on camera, though ghost hunters are still hopeful. Most of the time, though, cameras simply document the investigation, the hunters' personal experiences, and any unexplainable events that happen during the investigation.

Special Note: Orbs

There is a common visual phenomena known as 'orbs'. Orbs appear as tiny points of light on camera that seem to float freely and almost inteligently through the air. There is a lot of debate over whether orbs can be accepted as evidence of the paranormal. To begin with, dust particles floating past the camera look almost exactly the same as orbs, so it's difficult to tell exactly what you're seeing. Generally, an object on camera is accepted to be an orb if it appears to be generating its own light source and moves in ways that dust and small insects do not move.

However, even if you see an orb on camera, that doesn't mean you've caught proof of a ghost. Many ghost hunters believe that orbs are not ghosts at all; they are just tiny balls of energy that may precede a ghost's presence. Although orbs seem to appear more frequently in locations where there is paranormal activity, there is still no proof that there is anything paranormal about them. Some ghost hunters believe orbs truly are ghosts manifesting, while others don't think real orbs exist at all. With what little evidence there is, it's difficult to know for certain.

EMF

EMF stands for electromagnetic frequency (or field). Most hunters believe that ghosts can be detected by tracking changes in the electromagnetic field in a location. Ghost hunters often bring digital EMF meters to measure the EMF while they investigate.

It should be noted, however, that the mere presence of an electro-magnetic field does not always indicate something paranormal. Only an unusually high and/or erratically changing electromagnetic field is possible evidence of paranormal activity. Electronic devices and electrical wiring give off a constant electromagnetic field, which may sometimes interfere with investigation. (In some cases, the paranormal experiences may be caused by the electromagnetic field itself. For more on this, click here to read my first hub on ghosts and the "fear cage" effect.)

Abnormal Temperature Changes

Another common belief is that ghosts need to absorb energy from their surroundings in order to manifest. Typically, this means they absorb the heat in the room where they are present. In haunted locations, hunters may encounter 'cold spots' where the temperature suddenly and inexplicable drops dramatically lower than the temperature of the surrounding air.

A useful tool for ghost hunters is a digital thermometer. The thermometer allows the ghost hunter to "see" cold spots in the room around them. It is possible to detect a cold spot simply by walking through it and getting a chill sensation, but the thermometer is more precise.

It is important to keep in mind that temperature changes can occur for a variety of reasons, not just in the presence of ghosts. Before jumping to conclusions, ghost hunters need to look for open windows, doors, vents, etc. that cold air may be coming from. If no source of cold air can be found, then a cold spot is a likely indicator that a ghost is near.

If ghost hunters believe there may be inteligent entities present, they will try to establish contact with them. Ghosts often cannot be seen or heard, but hunters will still try to talk to the ghosts to get their attention. On rare occasions, they may hear the ghost's response later on an audio recording (see EVP above).

The most common way to make contact is simply to try to ask the entity questions about itself and the location it inhabits. If the ghost hunters have a clue about who a ghost might have been in their past life, they will sometimes inquire about the person's name or talk about people and things from the time period when the person lived.

Provoking

When simple talking produces no response, ghost hunters will sometimes attempt to provoke an entity. They will act aggressively, curse and say insulting things in an attempt to get a reaction. If a reaction does occur from an entity, it is likely to be negative, but in ghost hunting that is much better than no reaction at all.

Special Note: Ghost Attacks

Ghosts can't typically interact physically with living people, but it does happen on rare occasions. If the ghost hunters try to provoke an entity, it may try to respond with violence. Experienced hunters have reported experiencing being punched or slapped by an entity, and there have been some documented occurrences where ghost hunters have gotten mysterious scratches or red rashes on their bodies with no explainable source.

However, these occurences are very rare. Most of the time, a ghost cannot hurt a living person, so there's little reason to fear them. Part of a ghost hunter's job is to set residents at ease about their situation. If they are afraid of the possibility of ghosts, it's usually up to the ghost hunters to either disprove the haunting, or to validate their beliefs while assuring giving them a sense of peace about the matter.

Religious Approach

If the people living in a potentially haunted location are still in fear, ghost hunters may employ the help of a priest to place a blessing on the home and drive away any unfriendly spirits. Although there is no evidence to determine whether or not this has the desired effect, the mere act of carrying out the blessing can be reassuring to the people living there.

(I may write more on the religious aspect of spirits in the future, but this hub is meant to primarily detail the scientific approach)