The Mysterious Shadow People

By Robin M. Strom-Mackey

“One day, I rode my bike to the woods and stopped. A few yards into the trees there stood an impossibly tall, solid black silhouette, at least 7 or 8 feet tall, standing just a bit behind a tree in the deep shade. This was on family property, and I knew instantly that he was not one of the friendly spirits of my ancestors. He had a very definite male presence, and the air was incredibly heavy around him, like his presence was smothering me. I had never felt anything so powerful in all my life, and I was startled by it.

I demanded to know who he was and what he was doing here, but he gave me no reply. It’s hard to explain, but I could sort of feel what he wanted to say, as if his words were quiet suggestions in my mind. He wanted me to come into the woods with him, out of the sunlight and into the shade, but there was no way in hell I was going to do that. I got on my bike and raced back home.

Then, I began to see more shadow people everywhere I went. They had no presences, they were the average human size, and there would always be at least four or five out of the corner of my eye at all times. They would always disappear when I looked at them.

Every day for a week, I returned to the woods and continued to ask him: "What are you?" Why are you here? What do you want?? But he would only beckon me into the trees. On the seventh day, I walked into the woods towards him, but then he vanished. I turned around to see him standing in front of my bike in the full sunlight, and he was downright giddy at how terrified I was.

I ran to the bike and pedaled just as fast as I could and when I turned around to see if he was still in the road, I was horrified to see that he was chasing me. His presence was so heavy, powerful and malicious that it was hard for me to breathe and I knew that he could catch up to me at any time; he just loved scaring me.” Daspang*

They lurk in doorways or hide behind the couch. They’re seen for an instant out of the corner of the eye or stroll across a room in full view. They’re dark, mysterious and may behave menacingly, often evoking feelings of abject terror in their victims. They appear to be shadowy amorphous creatures with a broadly human like shape. They look like shadows that move on their own. They have no discernible facial features, but are sometimes described as having red, blazing eyes or wearing a fedora type hat or cape. Some have described them as looking like a medieval monk. The phenomena have been recorded so often that paranormal investigators often classify them under their own category, labeling them only as the mysterious shadow people.

Characteristics

As stated previously, shadow beings look like dark, shadowy masses with no distinguishable facial features, although some are described as having red blazing eyes. They appear most often to be male or are described as bald and sexless with a large, broad silhouette (Russell, 2007). The shadows appear to move of their own volition. They often move quickly through a room and are witnessed disappearing through a wall or door (Richford, 2007). If they move across you you’re most likely to feel extreme cold. And yes, they have been known to touch, grab and pull on victims

Unlike other “spirits” these creatures appear to be acutely aware of the presence of witnesses. It seems they either act secretly as if trying to avoid detection or act brazenly with behaviors demanding attention or fear. For example, many witnesses report that they see shadow people out of the corner of the eye, noting that they appear to lurk in the darkest corners of the room, or peer around doorways as if spying on inhabitants. Other accounts are more sinister, speaking of shadow people that stroll out in full view, sometimes sitting on the edge of a bed or standing in a doorway menacingly. From the accounts I’ve read, they seem to appear most often to children or adolescents, and many witnesses have suggested that they felt the creatures gained strength by feeding off their victim’s fear.

They seem to prefer nighttime for their activities, although there are accounts of shadow people showing up in the broad daylight. They may make an appearance once never to be seen again, or they may make appearances at odd times over a series of years. One witness noted that one fedora clad shadow figure harassed him over a number of years, usually appearing when the witness was the most distressed or anxious, seemingly relishing in the misery it created.

Paranormal writer and blogger Jason Offutt of MysteriousUniverse.org notes he has been studying shadow people for ten years and says he has come up with a system for categorizing these creatures by basic appearance and behavior, suggesting that the term shadow people may be an umbrella term for a number of different phenomena. Offutt lists four categories:

Benign: These creatures may be seen only once or a few times. Their behavior appears more like a residual haunt in that they may always display the same behavior every time they appear, for example always appearing at the same time, walking the same path across the room. They may or may not acknowledge witnesses. Aside from being spooky, these beings don’t appear to have a desire to terrorize or unduly frighten witnesses.

“Mark began seeing something black going around the floorboards out of the corner of his eye. I saw some things with my peripheral vision, too, but it wasn't long before I was seeing what I thought was a single entity clearly on the ceiling of my room. It was a shadow, but a blob not a person….

Shadow, as I came to call him, did not seem at all evil. He was more like a curious, playful child. He didn't have red eyes but little white lights that seemed to resemble a line of tiny, twinkling light bulbs….Somehow he, or something, lights up the ceiling when he comes out to play, which is usually after I go to bed.” Anonymous*

Negative Shadows

Charles relating a story about his experience in an old church dormitory in Victoria, Mexico:

“About 3 am I awoke to a rustling sound next to me I looked over and saw two shadowy figures over my friend I heard whispers, and he was talking back to them. One slithered over his bed onto the floor almost like they were surrounding his whole body. The whispers became louder…I could hear the words but it wasn't anything I had ever heard, and my friend was speaking back to them in the same speech. It sounded terrible almost like they were speaking in tongues. He then started shaking violently on the bed. I watched this play out….I was almost too scared to move but decided to make a dash for one of the youth pastors. I made it to the side of his bed, shook him awake and told him that my friend was in trouble. He came with me quickly and when we got back beside James’ bed, his eyes got wide, but he didn't seem afraid. He went directly by James’s bed and laid his hand on James chest and started praying. He said something along the lines of: "Lord remove this evil from this place." The shadows made a sharp moaning noise and flew off across the walls.

James quit shaking and he awoke looking very frightened and confused. Our pastor took him to talk to him aside, and then me. He told me he had seen this before and that he knew they were demons.” Charles*

These creatures appear to lurk in dark shadows and can cause feelings of terror from their witnesses. For these creatures intimidation appears to be the goal.

Red Eyed Shadows

“Brian, my cousin, and I were sleeping in one room and the girls stayed in the other. It was late one night and we decided to go get a snack….We walked across the living room toward the kitchen and stopped in fear as we noticed that there was a dark shape standing in the entrance to the kitchen. It appeared to be hooded or else it had a pointed head. There were two red dots where the eyes should have been. We didn't turn on the light in the living room so we were in total darkness.

The Shadow Person appeared to be even darker than the shadow. Terrified, we ran back down to the bedrooms and into my sister's room. She and my cousin were still awake also. We asked if they wanted to see something really scary. They gave mixed answers but were still willing to come see what we were talking about. We went back into the living room and, sure enough, the dark shape was still there waiting for us. My sister began to cry and my little cousin just held her hand to her mouth. It was obvious that they both saw the shadow person but were too frightened to talk. We took off running back down to the bedrooms crying and screaming. My parents woke up and asked what was going on. My sister and little cousin wouldn't talk about it, but I told them that there was something standing in the kitchen.” Txguy

These creatures are always negative. They are described at staring openly at observers with blazing, red eyes and are described as feeding off people’s fear.

Hooded Shadows

“I used to take a night time walk to my nearest Petrol Station and back to help me wind down for the night... After about 2 - 3 weeks of making this trip, I started seeing Shadow People/Person again. Between a quarter and half way down this road, I would get a feeling of fear, panic, and like I was being watched and I would turn around to find a Shadow Person about 15 - 20 feet behind me. It was pure black, just like before, and wearing what appeared to be a hooded cloak and appeared male with broad shoulders and was about 6ft tall and he (or it) was always looking down at the ground and never moved. It just stood there looking at the ground. At this point, I would get a stronger feeling of pure fear. I would walker faster and faster and every so often, I would look behind me to see if it was still there and it always was; still no more than 15 - 20 feet away from me, still not appearing to move. But it must… otherwise it wouldn't have constantly been about 15 -20 feet away from me. But I never heard it moving. This happened every day for about a week.” Martin*

These creatures are sometimes described as looking like a medieval monk in hood and robes. They emanate feelings of deep rage.

Hat Men

“It started when I was 5 years old and has followed me ever since. My "Shadow Guy" is a very tall man, averaging about 7' tall. He is very distinct whereas he is not a mist or a cloud. He is a black figure that you cannot see through. He is of a substance or material that if you wanted to (which I never have) could possibly touch it and it would be as if touching a person. He is very much a "real being" and I use that loosely. He walks tall and has a very distinct stature. He wears a fedora, a trench coat, and the "feeling" I get when I see him; at some point he was involved with or has ties to the mafia or private detective feel. As strange as that seems, He is very formal in his visits as if he has a job to do and that's why he is here and the only reason. He walks with a purpose; he is very business-like.” Shan*

Offutt notes these creatures are “the most curious.” They appear to be wearing a fedora style hat and are sometimes described as wearing a suit. If this suggests a “men in black” style appearance it may be on purpose. Offutt notes that these fedora-clad, shadow men have been reported in numerous cultures across the globe, and it has been suggested that these may actually be inter-dimensional beings traveling not across the galaxy, but from a different dimension to make contact and/or study our world.

Although this may sound like the grossest of science fiction fantasies, quantum physicists have theorized that different dimensions may actually exist, and that it may be possible at certain locations where the dimensions are nearer to one another, to cross over briefly from one dimension to another. Was this the case, it may be that an advanced civilization from another dimension has figured out how to cross these boundaries at will.

Theories

In the article Hauntings – Shadow People, Nannette Richford suggests several theories as to what shadow people might be. The first is that shadow people are the ghosts of departed souls seen as amorphous shadowy creatures in an incomplete attempt to materialize (Richford, 2007).

Another theory is that they are beings from another dimension witnessed when our own dimension partially overlaps their own, which may explain why they are only partially visible.

Some paranormal investigators suggest that shadow people are evil or non-human creatures or perhaps even demonic spirits which evoke terror purposely. Offutt suggests they may be categorized as djinn (jinn). In the Islamic tradition djinn play an important role as entities that are non-human. These spirits may be gay, human companions or dark predators depending on their dispositions. They are said to lurk in cemeteries or the ruins of human habitations. They can be great deceivers, sometimes disguising themselves as a departed loved one.

Scientific Explanations

Sleep theory may help to explain many sightings. In the in-between state of wakefulness and sleep is known as the hypnogogic state. It is a period when the brain is extremely receptive to “ideas, images, sounds, feelings, impressions and intuition,” a period when a vaguely imagined dream may take on the feeling of reality (Cheung, 2006). Patients experiencing a hypnogogic hallucination report flickering lights, visual hallucinations, a feeling of being paralyzed and report feeling like they are being held down on the bed or a feeling of pressure on the chest. Sleep paralysis is a natural occurrence, the body’s defense mechanism against flailing about and hurting oneself while under a dream state. Northwest Missouri State University professor April Haberyan notes that the hormone that regulates sleep paralysis can be present in the body up to eight minutes after waking, keeping a person paralyzed until the effect of the drug wears off slowly (Offutt, 2012). Sleep paralysis and the in-between, hypnogogic state can go a long way toward explaining the fearful sightings of shadowy intruders spying on us in our sleep and holding us paralyzed in fear, as wakefulness returns slowly. However, while this explanation is a good one, it doesn’t explain the phenomenon in all cases. For example shadow figures have been caught on tape and in photographs. It also doesn’t take into account stories of people who have witnessed shadow people while fully awake or during broad daylight.

Richford also lists overactive imaginations and neurological disorders such as schizotypal disorders which can cause hallucinations and visual disturbances. High levels of electromagnetic fields have also been known to cause visual disturbances and hallucinations, and should not be discounted as a possible explanation. As chemist Rick Toomey notes, electrical stimulation to certain parts of the brain or certain drugs, or anything that causes an chemical imbalance in the brain can cause strange perceptions by the nervous system. Toomey notes that, “’every neurotransmitter is chemistry (Offutt, 2012).’”

Whether red-eyed demon, disembodied spirit or visual hallucination shadow people are reported in numerous accounts by people that adamantly swear they’ve experienced these unspeakable nightmares personally, often for years.

If you have a shadow person story to share feel free to add your story in the comment section after this article or email your account to biancospirito@yahoo.com Until then, here’s hoping the shadows in your life remain empty and benign.

References

Cheung, Theresa (2008). The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings. Harper Collins Publishers in cooperation with Barnes and Noble. China.

Offutt, Jason (2012). “The Lurking Shadow People.” Mysterious Universe.org. Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/03/the-lurking-shadow-people/

Richford, Nannette (2007). Hauntings and Shadow People Retrieved January 14, 2013 from

Russell, Shaan (2007). “Shadow People Phenomenon.” Unexplained Mysteries. Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/column.php?id=97317

*All anectodal accounts are reproduced from the Shadow People.org website. They are used for illustrative purposes only and have not been authenticated in any way.

Apports and Asports and Flying Rocks, Oh My!

By Robin M. Strom-Mackey

 

When you find the keys are not on the ring by the door, or when a cherished family watch isn’t in the jewelry box where you left it, but shows up on in the bathroom, you may be blaming the kids or considering early-onset Alzheimer’s. However, there may be another explanation…one that takes you into the realm of the paranormal.  

 

Apports

Apports are objects that appear with no explanation. The term was first coined by  paranormal investigator, Nandor Fodor, who described the phenomenon as the, “’arrival of objects through an apparent penetration of matter (Cheung, 2006).’”  During the height of the spiritualist movement many mediums would produce objects during séances. The objects themselves were often small, like a ring or a medal.  Not surprisingly many of these objects could be hidden in a pocket or clothing of the medium and then produced at the right moment via sleight of hand.  Many such mediums were exposed as frauds by investigators. Many...but not all.  In the eastern religions apports have also played a role. Islamic religious Sufis and Hindu swamis are known to produce apports. Sai Baba of India has been able to produce small items such as sweets from his closed fist, and pull objects such as statues from the sand with no clear explanation as to how (Cheung, 2006).  

 Asports

Asports are objects that  unaccountably disappear. Cheung defines it as, “psychic phenomena involving the disappearance or transportation of objects, supposedly accomplished with the help of the spirit (Cheung, 2006)."

 All this defining may be a bit confusing. It is possible for an object to be both apport and asport. For example, an object can disappear from one room (asport) only to be found in another (apport).  Then again an asport can disappear, never to be seen again, or an object appear (apport) from thin air only to remain with the person.

 Theories

 It has been theorized that spirits or mediums dematerialize an object at its location, and re-materialize the object at a new location, using a kind of “beam me up, Scotty,” quantum teleportation system (zSuzanna, 2006).  Science to date has not been able to dematerialize anything but tiny bits of matter. Thus apports may be ahead of developments in quantum physics, or it may be proven eventually dematerialization/re-materialization is not possible on a larger scale. 

 

Another theory for the phenomenon is that spirits lift the object from another dimension and bring it forth into this dimension using, “a type of psychic magnetism (Cheung, 2006).”

 Poltergeists

Objects moving, disappearing or appearing are one of the classic signs of poltergeist hauntings. The popular theory being that poltergeist hauntings are caused by a human agent and not a spirit.  The human whom is usually identified as an adolescent, is believed to be using (wittingly or unwittingly) telekinesis to move objects or make objects appear or disappear.  For example, a few of the famous poltergeist cases include stones or rocks appearing out of thin air, which then rain down on the house or the inhabitants. These stones can appear outdoors or indoors, and are difficult if not impossible to explain. 

 Haunted Locations

 Apports and asports are phenomenon that has also been known to occur at haunted locations. Balzano and Weisberg  point out that when this type of activity begins to occur many people brush it off, thinking they are the ones being forgetful.  Even when the activity picks up, they may still ignore the phenomenon. However, the authors contend that, “this displacement becomes a type of gateway haunting: an intelligent haunting that involves a spirit that is still holding onto parts of its human self.” This may be the spirit’s initial attempt at communicating, which if ignored may cause the activity to intensify (Balzano, Weisberg 2012).

 Many asports or apports are comforting objects that may show up in one location, and then another, seemingly moving about of their own volition.  In the book Haunted Objects the authors describe the case of Stephany DeSantiago whose deceased father had owned a much loved St. Raphael medal.  When her father died DeSantiago put the St. Raphael medal in the casket, but the funeral director returned it to her explaining that it was their policy not to bury jewelry with the dead.  DeSantiago was beside herself, knowing that her father would have wanted to be buried with the medal.  Shortly after the burial she took a trip out to the graveyard, dug a shallow hole over the grave and buried the medal. A week later she noticed something on the kitchen counter.  The St. Raphael medal had returned.  She then gave the medal to her small son, thinking that Grandpa would have wanted him to have it.

 But tragedy struck the family again, and DeSantiago's young son was killed in an auto accident.  Again she wanted the medal to be with the owner. So she took the medal again to the grave yard, and this time buried it over her son’s grave.  When she went again to the graveyard to lay flowers on her father’s grave she found the medal hanging on the gravestone. This she took as a sign from the two of them, the medal was meant for her. S

 

he took it home, put it in an old cigar box and put it under her bed.  During long nights of mourning she would often take it out and hold it, until one particularly bad night when she reached under her bed for the box only to find the medal gone. She said she figured her father had taken it as a way of saying that she needed to stop mourning and move on with her life.

 She reports that occasionally she finds the chain on either her father’s gravestone or her son’s, but that she doesn’t touch it or move it, having faith that it will reappear in time. She admits she never knows when or where it will appear, but that she takes it as a sign that her loved ones are saying hello.

A  T.A.P.S. paranormal investigator, Nancy Planeta reports an asport/apport that followed her home. The team was investigating the Seven Sisters Inn, in Ocala, Florida.  While on the investigation the quirky tome first appeared on a nightstand in the room which once belonged to Elizabeth Scott. It was a book of the poem, “The Lady of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott printed in 1893. In a building full of collectibles and antiques, the old book was the only item that was part of the original estate of the building; having been found in the attic.  For some reason Planeta was drawn to the book, spending several minutes leafing through it before setting it down on the nightstand and departing the room.  

Later in the evening, the team was investigating in the loft area of the building (a converted attic).  It was warm in the room, so they decided to switch on the ceiling fan. As they did so an object flew off the fan hitting Planeta in the head.  It was the book again.  Surprised and encouraged, the team took the book back downstairs to Elizatheth’s  room.  The next day as Planeta was unpacking her gear, she found the book buried under her laptop. Surmising that the book was of monetary value, she called the owner of the bed and breakfast to report the finding and offer to return the book.  Surprisingly the owner told her to keep the book, telling Planeta that the book had chosen her as its owner.  Since in possession of the book, Planeta reports it continues to disappear occasionally off the desk in her bedroom, only to reappear in odd places. To date she has found it in a waste basket, the china cabinet and once in the refrigerator (Balzano, Weisberg, 2012).

 So, if you find that the car keys are not on the ring by the door, or your favorite old book is unaccountably found in the trash, you may want to reconsider blaming yourself or the kids….

 References

Balzano, C. Weisberg, T. (2012) Haunted Objects: Stories of Ghosts on Your Shelf. Krause Publications, Iola,  WI.

 Cheung, T. (2006) The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings. Harper Collins Publishers in cooperation with Barnes and Noble Inc.

 Zsuzsana (Issue date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006) Paranormal Insider. Retrieved November 25, 2012 from http://archives.gophercentral.com/index.aspx?op=i&title=Apports_Asports_and_Ghostly_Hijinks

Haunted Objects

by Robin M. Strom-Mackey


The call came in late one Saturday evening. The young woman on the phone, we’ll call her Ann, was upset and needing advice.  The house in which she resided with her parents had transformed from a peaceful retreat to a house of fear.  Strange and unaccountable sounds were heard and lights turned on and off. Then one night Ann went down to the basement to flip a breaker that had shut off. As she stepped to the basement floor she witnessed a tarp tied around a box of old books come unaccountably untied and fly across the room. It was this event that made Ann decide to call me.  She was mainly concerned for her parents; being very religious, they were talking about calling in the family pastor to rid the property of evil spirits. Ann on the other hand wasn’t as frightened as she was stymied.  What had caused this sudden onslaught of activity in a home that, until recently, wasn’t haunted? She wanted some answers, and she wanted to know how to make the activity cease in order to restore her parents’ peace of mind.

I made the usual enquiries. The house was recently built. There was no known history of misfortune surrounding the land upon which it sat. The activity was a new occurrence.  I was trying to think of some reasonable explanation and then I remembered the tarp which began to seem like a direct pointer to the activity. I asked her to tell me more about the books.

She explained that she had just recently purchased the box of old books which included some very personal papers [her emphasis] and possibly a journal.  Wanting to protect the box she had put it in the basement with the tarp tied over it to protect it from the damp.  Bingo! I surmised that Ann and her family had unwittingly exposed their home to an haunted object.

 Just as houses, land or people can be the center of a haunting, so too can objects.  Given the premise then, a haunted object moved into a building can cause the start of activity, and moving the object out can make the activity stop.  Often haunted objects are items that were of personal significance, such as a personal diary or a painted portrait. Then again the items themselves may be mundane and  unremarkable. For example, the Discovery Channel documentary True Hauntings reported on a Wisconsin couple that purchased a used, wood bunk bed for their children and underwent a nightmare that ended only when the bed was removed from the home and destroyed.

 Psychometry and the Residual Haunt

Dave Schumacher Director of the Anomalous Research Department of the Pennsylvania and Wisconsin based Paranormal Research Group suggests three theories as to why objects might be haunted.  First is the theory of the residual haunt.  The residual haunt theory contends that certain emotionally charged events can leave an imprint on the environment, such as a location, building or object. This type of activity isn’t really a haunting in the traditional sense, but is more like a recording that plays when the right environmental circumstances occur. Activity may either be auditory, like the sounds of boots walking up a stairs, or visual, such as a woman who appears from nowhere and walks through a wall.

 Think of a residual haunt as being like a music CD. The disk in its case doesn’t play by itself. But put it in the machine, and hit the play button and the recording plays out just as it was recorded. Tomorrow if you hit the play button the exact same recording would play.  The recording doesn’t interact with you, and it doesn’t change.

A residual haunt is like that. It’s a pre-recorded episode that is waiting for the environmental “play” button to be hit. What causes something in the environment to record an episode? No one really knows, though theories abound. If a building or a location can record such things then it may be that a simple household object can as well, given the right circumstances. Then if the object moves to a new location, and when, or if, the environmental factors trigger the “play back” response the residual episode plays out, though the location has changed.

The psi term (pronounced by letter p-s-i) for the ability to read the ‘history’ of an object is psychometry. This unique ability allows a medium to read the history of an object usually by handling the item.  It is usually contended that psychometrists don’t directly interact with spirits when they read objects, but read the ‘history’ - like someone reading the back of the CD jacket.  Sometimes what they read is in images, sometimes in words. They may not read the same thing every time they hold the object, the images may change.  Psychic medium and psychometrist, Pat Patalona (Balzano, Weisberg, 2012) notes that she often sees different episodes in the history of an object, though one may be more emotionally charged than another. Or she may pick up only one person attached to an object, despite the fact that the object had numerous owners. If one person in particular was attached to an object it may only be their history she reads. 

 She explains the recording process thus, “Everything in the universe has an energy field that radiates all around it. These emotions, these impressions they are absorbed with that energy field. It’s not necessarily inside the object, but it exists in that energy field. I read that energy (Balzano, Weisberg, 2012).”  Palatona notes that of the objects she reads rings and other jewelry and in particular gold [also known for its electrical conductivity] tends to hold onto the greatest amount of energy.

 Therefore, it’s not out of the likelihood that someone with perhaps unknown psychometric abilities may bring an object into a home and by touching the object experience phenomenon.

 

Retrocognition

The second theory behind haunted objects is retrocognition, a psi ability of which psychometry and past-life experiences are both elements.  Retrocognition is the ability to perceive experiences from the past clairvoyantly, usually as a spontaneous replaying of past events such as in a vision or a dream. Such visions can include elements of sights, sounds and smells, and can seem to replace the temporal plane with scenes occurring during the past. In other words, instead of seeing an event in your mind (psychometry), a retrocognitive viewing is like literally stepping into that time period for however short a period.  Again, an object may be the unwitting locus of a memory of a past event. In the hands of someone with the ability to read it, it may play back episodes that were otherwise stored, seeming to take the purveyor to the scene of a past event.  It has even been suggested that all hauntings are retrocognitive events where the past scene is read telepathically in the present (Cheung, 2006).

 

Intelligent Haunt
 

 The third possibility is an intelligent haunt. This theory suggests that some part of a human consciousness survives death. This consciousness released from the body may return to a location to which it was attached, or in this case an object. Thus if someone were attached to an object in life they might return to it after death. It might be that the spirit desires to see the object given to the proper person. Or perhaps they might not wish to see their beloved object fall into the wrong hands.

Pyschological Effect
 

 There are also a few psychological possibilities for haunted objects as well.  Dave Schumacher suggests magical thinking, sheer human imagination, and the desire to experience a paranormal event, subjective validation and confirmation bias.  In other words, if a person is inclined toward believing in the paranormal they’re more likely to attribute unexplained phenomenon to being paranormal. For example, I was speaking with a colleague who was house-sitting for a person who collected antiques. One of the beloved antiques was an old church pew.  My colleague said that the object made her uncomfortable, and noted that if anything would be haunted it would be an old church pew.  Given her bias, had she noted strange sounds or movements in the house while she was staying in it, which is likely as she’s already in an unfamiliar environment, (see the article on the New House Theory), it’s quite likely that she would have attributed these things to being paranormal and likely blamed the church pew as the culprit. In other words, she was already suspicious of the object because it seemed “spooky” and needed only the confirmation of a strange event to leap to that conclusion.  Certainly some objects do elicit emotional responses from people. A creepy painting which seems to follow you with its eyes or the leering face of my brother’s Bozo the Clown doll come to mind.  If a person is half the way there, by perceiving something as “spooky,” all that’s needed is a little push toward belief.

Implications for Paranormal Investigators

New Jersey based paranormal investigator, Clinton “Doc” Vick suggests that haunted objects are one instance when using an IR thermometer versus an ambient thermometer is preferable. IR thermometers use a light beam that bounces off a solid object such as a wall or a dresser to determine the temperature not of the room, but of the object. Thus if an haunted object is, for example, several degrees cooler than the surrounding room it can be accurately measured.

 

Returning to Ann and her dilemma, when she asked again what she should do, I had a definite answer for her.  And the beauty was that the answer didn’t require hours of investigation, nor daunting research into the history of the property. Simply remove that box of books out of her basement and get them out of the house I told her; and then see if the problems ceased. “Why?” She asked. Ann was understandably fond of her little treasure trove of Americana. But I explained to her that she wasn’t the only one.  I told her to move the box out and see if the problems ceased. If not, I opened the door to her to call me back and we could schedule an investigation. That late Saturday call was the only time I ever heard from Ann. I can only speculate, therefore, that moving the box out of the house restored peace and order to their home, making any further intervention unnecessary.  Whatever happened to the box of books I can only guess? It’s probably buried at the back of some shed or garage where it will remain until someone else falls prey to its charms.

 References

Special Thanks to David Schumacher, Director of Anomalous Research Department, Paranormal Research Group paranormalresearchgroup.com for his helpful insight into the article and for pointing me towards other terrific sources of information.

 

Balzano, C. Weisberg, T. (2012) Haunted Objects; Stories of Ghosts on Your Shelf.

Krause Publications, Iola, WI

Cheung, T. (2008) The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings, 2^nd edition Barnes and Noble Inc. by arrangement with Harper-Collins Publishers, China.
 

High Tech Ghost Hunting - The D.E.A.D. System

By Robin Strom-Mackey

Since the beginning of the spiritualist movement, ghost hunters have sought the best combination of tools with which to search out the elusive phenomenon. With the development of high tech equipment, various instruments have been pressed into service with researchers divided on which is the best to use and when. The problem appears to be that no one device has ever been proven to work in all situations, while different equipment has worked on occasion with startling results, not to work again on another. The list of equipment pressed into service over time, by different researchers includes radiation detectors (Geiger counters), different types of temperature and humidity gauges, ion counters, EMF detectors such as Trifield Natural EM detector (designed to measure the low, natural, electric signals of the earth, DC power - changes below 0 Hz but not at 0 Hz.),EMF detectors designed to pick up household currents, (AC currents - 60 Hz), geomagnetic detectors and a whole host of audio and video and photographic devices.

One obvious problem with equipment is that it was designed for another use in mind. EMF detectors are a perfect example. EMF detectors that are designed to detect household currents for example, may register fluctuations in EMF levels when a paranormal experience is occurring, or they might be picking up the microwave oven or the walkie talkie in your pocket. And even the much vaunted Trifield Natural EMF detectors are not flawless. In a 2006 study by Schumacher and Carter, it was determined that the Trifield Natural EMF detectors, while not picking up household current, were picking up certain weak signals given off by electrical devices about the house. According to Schumacher, household electrical devices do often produce low frequency fields that are detectable by the Trifield. The transformers in televisions and other devices charge and drain, which can produce a change in the magnetic field then detectable. Relays contain electromagnets. When these devices are turned on and power flows through the device, a change in the static field occurs, which again can be picked up. Furnaces, air conditioners, washing machines and vacuum cleaners all contain a magnet in their motors which when rotating, gives off a spark caused by the brushes meeting the commutator, which then can be picked up. Malfunctioning equipment and field leaks from electrical equipment to water pipes were also detectable as was taking an electrical device and turning it off and on several times (2006 Schumacher, Carter). 

 

Another flaw is that equipment designed for another purpose is often narrow in its range of pickup. For example EMF detectors pick up only in the 60 Hz range, but don’t necessarily do well in the higher ranges, while DC natural EMF detectors pick up in the low ranges, leaving an investigator wishing they could get something that could pick up in all the ranges, or according to Schumacher, “a meter that could sample AC and DC fields at a high rate on a multi-axis basis (X,Y,Z and SUM)“ a meter that, “has a fast sample rate of up to 250 samples per second; measures field strength; measure changes down to 0.005 nG; and measures the field strength at any given frequency. Not only can we determine changes in the field BUT we can also determine the frequency (Schumacher, Lauer pg 101).” Schumacher is boasting about the Fluxgate Magnometer - with data sampling PC interface. Those with some understanding of electricity and gadgetry are now drooling. The rest of us have our eyes rolled up in the back of their heads about now, hoping the lesson on EMF detectors will soon be over. It’s over.

Needless to say, according to Schumacher, the Fluxgate Magnometer is the baby to get (if one can afford this $1500 gadget). His research group, the P.R.G. then takes this mother of all EMF detectors, cables it to a laptop, and adds a few other flourishes to create the D.E.A.D. system.

D.E.A.D. System

The Direct Environmental Acquisition Data Logging D.E.A.D. System (got to love a witty acronym) is a data collection system designed and used by Schumacher’s Paranormal Research Group (P.R.G.) Schumacher admits that the idea of developing a data logging system is not unique to his group. (Other systems include the MESA, GEIST, ARCADIA AND MADS - if you‘re looking to do a little light reading.) The D.E.A.D. system is unique in the quality and type of data it can collect, especially in the area of electromagnetic fluctuation.

As I mentioned before, the group started with the Fluxgate Magnometer and a laptop and then added variety of other equipment that is also sampled directly into the laptop giving them a system that reads and records a number of different environmental data simultaneously to give a full picture of what is going on at a location at any given time during an investigation. The D.E.A.D. system also includes:

• Triaxial ELF magnetic field meter
• Fluxgate Magnetometer
• HOBO Temperature date logger
• Trifield Natural EMF meter modified to be data logged by the HOBO Data Logger
• GM-10 Radiation Detector (Geiger Counter)
• Laptop computer - they’re using a Panasonic Toughbook Laptop

Logging data directly into the laptop allows the group to Date and Time Stamp the data, which means that they can look for correlations of two or more environmental changes at a given time. It also allows them to check the data at a location when an investigator reports having an experience. They know exactly what the EMF, temperature and radiation was at any given time, which will allow them to examine the data from one or several situations, looking for correlations, not only at one investigation but across the scope of investigations. Investigators that don’t have this technology are swooning at the moment. How often have you walked into what feels like a cold spot at an investigation, for example, only to be fumbling about looking for your thermometer while the cold spot dissipates.

Schumacher concludes, “Being able to correlate at least two pieces of data (i.e. EMF and a personal experience, radiation drops and an anomaly on a photo, radiation spike and a recorded E.V.P.) provides more credible evidence AND allows us to discover what the correlations might be between paranormal phenomena and environmental changes. Ultimately, this type of quality information may help us determine how a haunting affects the environment, what is normal and what is paranormal, if environmental changes cause people to have subjective paranormal experiences, and what type of information is needed to determine what a haunting is and is not. This is the type of information that is needed in order to advance the field of paranormal investigation (Schumacher, Lauer, pg. 100).”

 

So what have they found with this wonderful system? While the authors don’t belabor their findings, they do point out two distinct situations with “cold spots.” In both the cases sited the “cold spots” weren’t cold. In fact, in both cases mentioned there was absolutely no changes in the room temperature, but there were changes in the radiation and EMF fields. The group includes pictures of the graphs where clear dips (radiation) and spikes (EMF) are quite obvious. Obviously I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the P.R.G. for more developments (their website is listed below) and asking Santa for some hefty presents next year.

Resources

Lauer, Jennifer, Schumacher, Dave. Investigating The Haunted; Ghost Hunting Taken to the Next Level. Printed by Lauer and Schumacher. 2007.

Southern Wisconsin Paranormal Research Group www.SWPRG.com

Teach Yourself Automatic Writing

by Robin M. Strom-Mackey

In the article How to Practice Automatic Writing, the author, Stephen Wagner explains how anyone can practice automatic writing. You’ll need 15 minutes to an hour for the experiment, and it may take several sessions before you have success. Don’t be frustrated if you produce nothing at first.

Find a quiet spot without distractions. Turn off the TV, the radio, the computer (yes, even the cell phone) and put the kids to bed. You may want to dim the lights to help create a somnolent mood.

Sit at a desk or table where you can be write comfortably. Bring along a paper and pens or pencils.

Take a few minutes to meditate, clearing your mind of any distractions. Automatic writing usually works best when the mind is in a semi-trance or hypnotic state

Put the paper out, place the pen in your hand and wait…The point is not to consciously write anything. Keep your mind as clear as possible and let your hand write freely. Try not to look at what is being written, you may even wish to close your eyes.

Again, this may take some time, and several attempts so do not get frustrated if nothing happens at first.

When (and if) the writing seems to be done, check out what’s been written there, carefully. Wagner says that the writing may appear to be nonsense or scribbles, but try to decipher it to the best of your ability. Look also for pictures or symbols as well.

If you start to achieve success you can direct the sessions by starting to ask direct questions and see if you receive answers.

Resources

Anonymous (2006) “Automatic Writing” The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 12, 2012 from http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Automatic_writing

Blum, Deborah (2006) Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death. Penguin Books. New York, New York.

Taylor, Troy (2002-2008) “The Mystery of Patience Worth”
A St. Louis Housewife & One of the Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time”

The Haunted Museum; The Historic & Haunted Guide to the Supernatural.

Retrieved June13, 2012 from

www.prairieghosts.com/pearl.html

Taylor, Troy (2003-2008) “Automatic Writing; Communication from Spirits” The Haunted Museum; The Historic & Haunted Guide to the Supernatural.

Retrieved June13, 2012 from

http://www.prairieghosts.com/auto_writing.html

Wagner, Stephen. “How to Practice Automatic Writing.” About.com Retrieved June 12, 2012 from http://paranormal.about.com/cs/automaticwriting/ht/auto_writing.htm

　

Spirit Communication through Automatic Writing

By Robin M. Strom-Mackey

Automatic Writing also known as spirit writing or slate writing came into vogue during the early, American, spiritualist movement (c. 1850-1860). The Fox sisters first began the effort of communication with the dead, using a crude system of knocks and rapping’s. Like a spiritual Morse code, a language was worked out and messages slowly thumped out to be interpreted via the sisters.

It became clear that this form of communication, however, was laborious and thus spiritualists experimented with other forms in an effort to make communication faster and easier. As it evolved automatic writing took several forms. During the early period a planchette was used, a pointer on wheels, that spelled out a spirit message. Other mediums would use a small chalkboard and chalk. They would place the empty chalkboard and chalk under a table. When the scratching on the board was heard, the medium would extract the board, and read the message.

This form of spirit writing was, of course, easy to fake. A board full of markings could be placed under the table, and replaced with the empty board. The “spirit message” on the board could then be brought forth for the amazement and entertainment of the sitters (Blum, 2006).

In a highly publicized case, the British Zoologist, Ray Lankester, denounced the self-styled, American medium Henry Slade. Disgusted by such reports of slate writing, Lankester attended a sitting with Slade. When Slade placed the empty slate below the table, Lankester snatched it out - even before the chalk could be heard making noises. In his letter to the Times, Lankester described finding the board already filled with cryptic messages, obviously written ahead of time. So disgusted with the fraud, Lankester literally had Slade prosecuted. (Blum, 2006).

The simplest form of automatic writing uses a paper and pencil or pen, or even a typewriter. The writer attempts to enter a trance like state, and writes down unconsciously whatever “comes through.” Whether a device for spirit communication or a means to tap one’s subconscious mind remains the debate. One author even suggested that perhaps what was tapped was the writer’s alter-ego which had extra-sensory perception. Leonora Piper, famous medium of her day, proposed this as an explanation of her abilities at automatic writing.

Several trance mediums using automatic writing claimed that they were in contact historical figures including famous authors, composer or politicians. Complete articles, poems, songs and even novels were written and later published, using automatic writing. The wife of the poet William Butler Yeats claimed to be capable of automatic writing, her scribbling becoming the inspiration for Yeats’ poetry.

Automatic Writing isn’t always about the written word. In some cases people with no artistic ability have produced works of professional quality art during automatic writing sessions. And one notable amateur musician has performed original compositions that she claims are channeled through Liszt and Debussy, among others.

Pearl Curran and Automatic Writing

Perhaps the most famous experiment with automatic writing, was the case of Pearl Curran, a St. Louis housewife who produced several novels, one full play, 5000 poems and several short works that were published with critical acclaim, over the course of 25 years. By her own account, Curran had little education, played the piano and never read. Yet she produced materials that were beyond her scope of knowledge, using archaic language and making references to historical events.

The explanation? Curran claimed she was channeling an entity whose name was Patience Worth, born (so she claimed) in Dorset shire, England in either 1694 or 1649 (both years were dictated). (No historical documentation has been found confirming the existence of Patience Worth.) The entity, who was edgy about giving personal details, told Curran that she had come to America but had been murdered by Indians. But Patience said she didn’t really want to talk about her past, saying,

"About me ye would know much. Yesterday is dead. Let thy mind rest as to the past (Taylor, 2002)."

The relationship began with the Ouija board, but Curran finally realized that this method of communication was too cumbersome for the amount of information that Patience was sending through. Noting that whole sentences were forming in her head while the planchette scratched out slow, cumbersome messages, Curran eventually began writing the material out with a paper and pen, and eventually a typewriter (Taylor, 2002).

Curran, unlike other mediums, never entered a trance while dictating. She was by all accounts aware of and even spoke with other people in the room and was known to smoke or eat in the midst of dictation. Not only did she hear Pearl’s words, but Curran was also privy to seeing the scenes enacted. She described a pressure in her head as Pearl’s words began to flow, and then suddenly Curran would see the scenery, the trees, the birds the speakers and the objects. If characters were speaking a foreign language she would hear the language at the same time that Pearl was interpreting. And often Curran literally saw herself in the scene, moving about the characters as an onlooker.

The relationship continued for several years, but eventually became strained. Patience, while tolerant of her secretary, began making condescending remarks about Curran’s intelligence, often becoming exasperated with her lack of knowledge. At the age of 39, Curran became pregnant for the first time, at which time Patience began drifting away; their conversations becoming fewer and farther between, at the same time that public interest waned (Taylor, 2002).

Marguerite Du Pont Lee and the Spirit Photographs

In the early 1900’s, society icon Marguerite Du Pont Lee (of the Delaware Du Pont’s) began experimenting with automatic writing. After the death of her friend, the Episcopal priest, Kemper Babcock, Lee reported having “episodes” of automatic writing which she contended came from Bocock. The messages told her to take photographs which she did, setting a picture of herself or Bocock on a chair and snapping a shot. Once developed, the photos sometimes revealed wispy, spectral faces and unexplainable balls of light. Some of the faces looked like Bocock himself.

Feeling she was on to something, Lee contacted William Keeler, an alleged spirit photographer. Keeler began taking photos of Lee and imprinting them with fake images of the deceased Bocock, amassing some 4000 fakes. Lee, perhaps sensing she’d been duped, contacted an investigator for the Society of Psychical Research, Walter F. Prince. Prince noted that in all the photos Bocock was always seen in profile either looking left or right, and that while the body changed greatly the heads of Bocock always looked the same. Prince deduced that Keeler was using two photographs of Bocock, the only two taken of him during his life, to create the fake images. Having discredited Keeler, the ordeal receded. What became of Lee’s photographs, which may indeed have revealed real phenomena, no one knows (Taylor, 2003).

Society for Psychical Research Experiments with Automatic Writing

With all the attention to automatic writing, the Society of Psychical Research (SPR) decided they needed to do some research into the phenomena. Edmund Gurney, author of Phantasms of the Living, demonstrated that subjects in a trance state could communicate information given to them, and be induced to write it out, even while the subject was speaking or reading aloud; similarly a mathematical problem could be worked out without the subject knowing they were doing it.

In the book Ghost Hunters; William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death author Deborah Blum describes an experiment in automatic writing that spanned two continents and three sitters; including Leonora Piper, the celebrated medium of her day. The experiment began with Newnham College Classics Lecturer, Margaret Verrall. Verrall had been friends with the late Frederick Myers (one of the founders of the SPR). After Myers passed, Verrall decided to try to reach him from beyond, as she felt he would have desired. In order to do so, she decided to teach herself automatic writing.

For three months the tireless Verrall set aside an hour in the afternoon, when she would sit with paper and pencil at the ready, and wait, willing Myers to channel through her. Nothing happened. Finally she began to use the time to daydream, thinking of other things like her garden, her family, household chores, and she would come to only to find that the paper was covered in simplistic messages in Greek and Latin, and that they were signed at the bottom - “Myers (Blum, 2006).”

In Boston, medium Leonora Piper, through her medium guide Rector, started reporting having conversations with Myers as well. And what was striking was that the messages being reported through Piper’s séances were very similar to the messages showing up on Verrall’s paper. Even more interesting was the fact that the messages that came through to Piper were in the same Greek and Latin. Piper didn’t know either language.

Verrall taught her daughter Helen the trick of automatic writing, and Verrall, her daughter and Piper at their various locations began to receive similar messages which when compared were strikingly similar. Eventually the SPR decided to conduct an experiment in which messages would be given to Piper in Latin. The experimenters knew that Piper did know Latin, but that Myers had. So Myers would receive the message in Latin, translate it and send the translation and the reply to Verrall. They also experimented with sending anagrams Verrall would send the anagram rats, and Piper would receive the message- star - at the other end.

Whether automatic writing is truly communication with the other side or the tapping of a subconscious mind or alter ego remains debatable. But certainly the long history of automatic writing is an interesting chapter in the history of paranormal research.

Resources

Anonymous (2006) “Automatic Writing” The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 12, 2012 from http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Automatic_writing

Blum, Deborah (2006) Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death. Penguin Books. New York, New York.

Taylor, Troy (2002-2008) “The Mystery of Patience Worth”
A St. Louis Housewife & One of the Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time”

The Haunted Museum; The Historic & Haunted Guide to the Supernatural

Retrieved June13, 2012 from

www.prairieghosts.com/pearl.html

Taylor, Troy (2003-2008) “Automatic Writing; Communication from Spirits” The Haunted Museum; The Historic & Haunted Guide to the Supernatural. Retrieved June13, 2012 from

http://www.prairieghosts.com/auto_writing.html

Wagner, Stephen. “How to Practice Automatic Writing.” About.com Retrieved June 12, 2012 from http://paranormal.about.com/cs/automaticwriting/ht/auto_writing.htm

Experimentation with Table Tilting

By Robin M. Strom-Mackey

In the near complete darkness the sitters circle the table in anticipation; speaking in hushed tones, holding their breath. The minutes tick by. Nothing happens. And then…a series of three quick raps are heard. Someone knocking at the house next door, perhaps? But as they come to this decision they feel it; at first a small shudder skittering across the table top. Then the legs of the table seem to jump and move. A collective gasp from the group, and suddenly the table literally seems to lurch below their hands….

This past-time, popularized during the spiritualist movement of the 1850’s, is referred to as table tipping (or table talking). This phenomenon, was popularized by mediums during the period, many of them charlatans who manipulated the table themselves for a paying audience. However, amateur groups soon discovered that no medium need be in attendance. Often groups of ordinary people would assemble for an evening of free entertainment; invitations sent out for a night of “tea and table tipping (Blum, 2006).“

Essentially table tilting, involved a small table that could be made to move, sliding, shuddering and in some cases levitating or moving across a space. Unexplained sounds such as knocking or rapping were sometimes heard. Table talking sessions were conducted in the near darkness of a séance type of environment, usually involving a small number of individuals who would sit around a table each resting their hands on the table - much the same way as a Ouija board planchette. The sitters were instructed to keep both hands visible on the table top and to move them as little as possible. Sessions might or might not involve a medium.

Experimenting with Table Tilting According to Troy Taylor, author and founder of the American Ghost Society, table tipping has been enjoying a resurgence of late. He notes that a tipping session can be held in a location that is not considered haunted and sitters can still experience phenomenon (Taylor, 2007). That’s because the phenomenon is considered to be an effect of RSPK and not the workings of a spirit. The dramatic effects of table tipping are a collective combining of RSPK. RSPK or Recurrent Spontaneous Psycho Kinesis is an ability to effect the material world with the mind. It is what is theorized to be behind poltergeist (noisy ghost) hauntings, which are created through RSPK of a living agent, usually unconsciously, and not a ghost or spirit. (SPI, 2012).

British psychologist and member of the SPR, Kenneth J. Batchehelder was the first to suggest RSPK as the agent behind table tipping phenomenon. He designed an experiment using table tipping to measure RSPK. Batchelder believed that the heightened sense of expectation, an atmosphere conducive to table tilting, and the group’s collective belief in the success of the experiment created an energy sufficient to effect an agent - in this case directed at a table - creating anomalous noises and movements (Karl, 2007).

Click the link to watch a short video of Kenneth Batcheder demonstrate and explain table tipping. Sadly this historic clip has been poorly preserved

Taylor suggests that groups of individuals can experiment with table tipping with a reasonable assurance of success. The optimum size for a table-tipping group is four to five individuals. Table tipping rarely occurs at the first session, so make sure that the location and the group members will be available for multiple sessions. The group should plan to meet often and regularly - Taylor suggests one to two times a week. The group needs to be dedicated enough to sit through possibly several sessions where nothing occurs.

In the spirit of scientific investigation, the variables should be kept the same at table tipping sessions. Therefore, all the sessions should be held in the same location and with the same individuals present for each session. Do not invite onlookers, at least at the beginning. The group needs to be alone with each other in order to learn to direct their collective RSPK.

Select a table that is small and lightweight. You can usually find a cheap, small table at a second-hand store. But if you’re using Mom’s huge oak dining room table for your table tipping sessions, you’re not likely to see results any time soon! Again, the same table should be used for all sessions.

Sessions should be free of distractions. Turn off televisions, radios, put the kids to bed, turn off the ringer on the phone etc. Dim the lights to near darkness. Table tipping tends to work better in a séance like environment, probably because the mind and body are free of other distractions. A dim environment also has the added bonus of creating a rather creepy mood, which is also beneficial.

Sitting down to begin your sessions keep a calm, relaxed atmosphere. Talk normally, make jokes and try to relax. Taylor suggests that if a member or members are too uptight about making something happen, the less likely activity is likely to occur (Taylor, 2007). Make sure all members keep their hands relaxed, and in sight, on the table top at all times. When activity does begin to occur, it is easy for members to move their hands unconsciously.

Invariably someone in the group may become bored or over-anxious and may desire to shake things up a bit by experimenting. Taylor suggests that only one variable be changed at any one session (Taylor, 2007). For example, if you desire to bring in a new member, don’t also change the location. If you try a different location keep the same table and all the same members.

Video taping all the sessions is suggested. Use a video camera with an IR setting. If you don’t have such a camera available, IR adapters can be purchased from many electronics stores for very little money. Make sure the video camera is set on the widest shot available, use a tripod or other stable device. It is best, of course, to have all of the group members and the table is in the shot at all times, so that any cheating (i.e. members moving the table on their own) is detectable. It will also provide proof of any occurring phenomenon. You can also track the increase or changes in phenomenon over time. You may also want to keep an audio track recording on the session as well.

That is not to say that cheating is altogether a bad thing. Taylor notes that often faking something can induce real activity to begin. “In one experiment, a sitter experimented with this and found that he was able to induce real rapping’s after he faked rapping noises or moved the table. He was never seen doing this as the sessions were held in near darkness (Taylor, 2007).” Taylor speculates that the reason faking can help is because most people have an inherent disbelief in the existence of psi. This disbelief may be buried deeply within the unconscious, but he admits it is almost always there. “Faking it” seems to trick the conscience into believing that it can happen, and then the mind is free to channel without the block of disbelief.

Even though table tipping sessions are an experiment of RSPK versus actually trying to contact a spirit, still such experiments can be beneficial for paranormal investigators. Taylor notes, experimenting with table tipping can give paranormal investigators a better understanding of what to expect should they come across an investigation involving poltergeist style activity.

Table Tipping at a Ghost Hunt

Obviously table tipping can be attempted at locations that are thought to have paranormal activity. Taylor suggests if a group attempts a table tipping session at a suspected haunted location that the group use the parameters above with some additional caveats.

The group may elect to include a medium into the session as well. If so, only use one as a control for the group. Also, when selecting group members avoid those who are openly or brazenly skeptical. Those “goats” in the group can block the activity with their disbelief.

For an investigation session the group will want to monitor with more devices than simply a video camera. Taylor suggests setting up at least two video cameras, an audio recorder, at least one if not several EMF detectors (Trifield Natural EMF detectors suggested) which can be set up around the outside of the circle to monitor changes. Stationary temperature gauges and humidity gauges should also be set up and monitored. In addition Taylor suggests having one to two individuals take photographs throughout the session and another take notes of anything that occurs during the session. This is in addition to the 4 or 5 individuals needed for the circle.

The session itself may be conducted differently. The group may elect to hold a type of EVP session with questions asked and answers encouraged. Or, if a medium is present, a type of medium-type contact may be used. This type of experiment, Taylor notes, makes any solid, verifiable evidence difficult. However, all the equipment should be monitored closely during the session and any changes notated carefully.

Resources

Blum, Deborah (2006) Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death. Penguin Books. New York, New York.

Karl, Jason (2007) An Illustrated History of the Haunted World. Barnes and Noble, New York, New York.

Society for Paranormal Investigation (SPI) Retrieved via world wide web June 10, 2012 at

http://www.paranormalghost.com/rspk.htm

Taylor, Troy (2007) Ghost Hunter’s Guidebook: The Essential Guide to Investigating Ghosts and Hauntings. Whitechapel Press. Decatur, Illinois.