| Ghost hunting is not a science. Out of all the | | | | paranormal photograph a picture of a ghost is a |
| individuals and/or groups of ghost hunters in | | | | leap of faith that I, personally, can't swallow. A |
| existence, very, very few actually have any | | | | person can certainly make that statement, but at |
| experience with the scientific method or have any | | | | that point it becomes an opinion, a statement |
| experience actually conducting experimental | | | | based on belief and faith. I mean, it just as well |
| research. | | | | could be a picture of a 1957 Chevy or Fred |
| Still, many groups will tell you that they have | | | | Flintstone. At that point, I can choose what I |
| photos and audio of what are spirits; evidence of | | | | believe. There's simply no evidence backing it up. |
| ghosts. As far as I am aware, there is no | | | | Our group members have varying beliefs. There is |
| scientific evidence of the existence of ghosts or | | | | one thing we all agree with however....we're never |
| an afterlife. That is a question of faith at this point | | | | going to call a picture of a camera strap a |
| in time. If somebody knows something I don't, | | | | "vortex through which spirits can enter our |
| please let me know! | | | | material realm" or a photograph of an orb "a spirit |
| As the member of a group whose members | | | | orb which shows a ghost trying to manifest itself." |
| actually have some background conducting | | | | This is simply too big a stretch of illogical |
| scientific research, I realize that ghost hunting | | | | rationalization in our minds. |
| doesn't lend itself to a well-controlled scientific | | | | I've been a member of a group where, to be a |
| experiment. The methodologies are weak, the | | | | member, you had to believe in ghosts! We've also |
| equipment used was never originally designed to | | | | had members in this group to whom every cold |
| detect ghosts, and it is nearly impossible to | | | | draft, every sound, and every strange |
| replicate the results. | | | | photograph was a ghost, regardless of whether |
| Even more perturbing is the fact that certain | | | | the phenomena was debunked or not. |
| groups are damaging the credibility of legitimate | | | | We like to have fun, and our belief's evolve |
| and accomplished paranormal researchers and | | | | everyday, but we feel that we have to be |
| parapsychologists by posting photographs that are | | | | careful and measured in our response to what we |
| easily dismissed as well-known and easily | | | | call 'evidence.' 99% of the pictures we post on |
| identifiable camera malfunctions and other | | | | our Web site don't contain anything paranormal. |
| artifacts of the photographic process. | | | | Capturing actual paranormal activity in |
| Capturing a photograph of an orb or strange mist | | | | photographs is quite rare. Also, the majority of |
| is just that. A photograph of a strange orb or | | | | EVPs can be debunked or certainly explained |
| mist. Competent paranormal investigators will | | | | away by skeptics as something other then the |
| attempt to rule out the anomaly....is it a reflection? | | | | voices of dead people. We post things of interest |
| Is it a bug? Is it dust? Is it condensation on the | | | | and for entertainment, but you won't catch us |
| lens of the camera? Is it a problem with the | | | | calling something a ghost. To be quite honest, |
| developing and/or printing process? The logical | | | | there are only two or three pieces of "evidence" I |
| possibilities are nearly endless, and yet, certain | | | | have captured over the years that I can say with |
| people will make a claim that "it's a spirit orb," or | | | | near certainty are paranormal--unexplainable by |
| that the mist is representative of "the paranormal | | | | conventional science. |
| energy of the ghost that haunts the" location. | | | | As far as myself, I can definitely say I've |
| We try and look at our "evidence" with a critical | | | | experienced paranormal phenomena, phenomena |
| eye, and include the use of accomplished photo | | | | that is unexplainable by science. As to what |
| consultants in an attempt to rule out all rational | | | | caused this phenomena, well, I can't say. It's |
| explanations. What we can't explain means simply | | | | simply unexplainable in my mind. |
| that, we can't explain it. If we've done a good job | | | | This is a hobby for us, and we like to have fun |
| ruling out everything, we may just be left with | | | | with it, and we don't take ourselves too seriously, |
| something paranormal. | | | | but, at the same point, however, in the spirit of |
| Remember that the word 'paranormal' simply | | | | transparency, we feel we have an obligation to |
| means 'not scientifically explainable.' | | | | call a spade a spade. |
| That's it. To take the next step and call a possibly | | | | |