By Tara Lynn Williamson
Ghosts - research, evidence, and discussion
I have taken many haunted Ghost Tours across the United States and around the world. Many of the tours are all very accurate in telling tales of the supernatural. But mny are just local legends and stories that parents told their kids to keep them in line. But as I have found the tall tales seem to feed off some residual engery and actually become a real bonified haunting. The belief in ghosts as souls of the departed is closely tied to the ancient concept of animism, which attributed souls to everything in nature, including human beings, animals, plants, rocks, etc. Although the evidence for ghosts is largely anecdotal, the belief in ghosts throughout history has remained widespread and persistent.
In many historical accounts, ghosts were thought to be deceased people looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. Most cultures have ghost stories in their mythologies. Many stories from the Middle Ages and the Romantic era rely on the macabre and the fantastic, and ghosts are a major theme in literature from those eras. The Hebrew Torah and the Bible contain few references to ghosts, associating spiritism with forbidden occult activities cf. Deuteronomy 18:11. The most notable reference is in the First Book of Samuel (I Samuel 28:7-19 KJV), in which a disguised King Saul has the Witch of Endor summon the spirit of Samuel. In the New Testament, Jesus has to persuade the Disciples that he is not a ghost following the resurrection, Matthew 24. In a similar vein, Jesus' followers at first believe him to be a ghost when they see him walking on water.
Ghost - personal encounters
Critics of "eyewitness ghost sightings" suggest that limitations of human perception and ordinary physical explanations can account for such sightings; for example, air pressure changes in a home causing doors to slam, or lights from a passing car reflected through a window at night. I'm not saying or debunking actual hauntings, I am just stating that a location may be haunted but not by the ghost that the Ghost Tour Guide story tells. A ghost is defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and usually encountered in places she or he frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings. The word "ghost" may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon. Ghosts are a controversial anomalous phenomenon. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup Organization, about 32% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. The term ghost has been replaced by apparition in parapsychology, because the word ghost is deemed insufficiently precise.
I have met dedicated Ghost hunters over the years from Hans Holzer to Troy Taylor and all those in between. Most will agree that they to are skeptical of tall haunted tales and urban myths. But half the fun is finding out the truth behind the story the experience and the actual ghost that haunts the location. Jeff Belanger's new book compiled from many told tales is an example of local ghost stories from many locations. His book may be filled with a feunbelieveable story or two but it's what makes ghost hunting fun. Critics of ghost hunting say there is a total lack of scientifically testable and verifiable evidence in favor of the existence of ghosts, despite centuries of interest in the subject. Often many tell of of ghosts "seen out of the corner of the eye" this may be accounted for by the sensitivity of human peripheral vision.
Haunted locations are places that are allegedly inhabited by ghosts. The reports of these hauntings are often referred to as ghostlore. Ghostlore is fueled by historical facts, stories, and legends. Although relayed through reliable sources, these tales can often be subjective in nature and there is no commonly accepted objective evidence that ghosts or similar phenomena exist. Many haunted items also fill the world from haunted dolls, holy icons, toys to furniture. But alas is the item haunted or is it just frequently visited by a ghost... or is it a portal key to the other side.
Pareidolia, an innate tendency to recognize patterns in random perceptions, can cause people to believe they have seen ghosts. The term pareidolia), referenced in 1994 by Steven Goldstein, describes a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hidden messages on records played in reverse. The word comes from the Greek para- ? beside, with or alongside ? and eidolon ? image (the diminutive of eidos ? image, form, shape). Pareidolia is a type of apophenia.
'Ghost tree' forms human face
www.dailymail.co.uk
Approaching paranormal phenomena from a research perspective is often difficult because even when the phenomena are seen as real they may be difficult to explain using existing rules or theory. By definition, paranormal phenomena exist outside of conventional norms. Skeptics contend that they don't exist at all. Despite this challenge, studies on the paranormal are periodically conducted by researchers from various disciplines. Some researchers study just the beliefs in paranormal phenomena regardless of whether the phenomena actually exist. In 1957, the Parapsychological Association was formed as the preeminent society for parapsychologists. In 1969, they became affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That affiliation, along with a general openness to psychic and occult phenomena in the 1970s, led to a decade of increased parapsychological research.
Typically, a ghost "ghost hunting party" will involve individuals who work as a team to collect evidence of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters usually record data in a scientific manner, making observation using electronic equipment of various types, such as; EMF Meters, digital thermometers, infrared and night vision cameras, handheld video cameras, digital audio recorders, and computers. Organized teams of ghost hunters are also called paranormal investigation teams. Easy access to information on the world wide web, movies like White Noise, and TV shows like Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters are thought to be partly responsible for the current boom in ghost hunting. One popular website for ghost hunting enthusiasts lists over 300 of these organizations throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
Scores of small businesses selling ghost-hunting equipment, ghost investigation services, and even ghost counseling, are booming outside of their prime season, Halloween. Several companies recently introduced new devices billed as ghost detectors, along with the traditional electromagnetic field detectors, white noise generators, and infrared motion sensors. The paranormal boom is such that some small ghost-hunting related businesses are enjoying increased profits through podcast and web site advertising, books, DVDs, videos, and other commercial enterprises.
While interest in the paranormal gains more popularity, so does the competition between ghost hunting organizations. As many groups get air time for publicity, personal rivalry and feuds are happening on a wide spread level. Larger groups such as TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) and IGHS (International Ghost Hunters Society) often attempt to discredit the other's paranormal claims.
Ghosts - Ghost Tours
An offshoot of ghost hunting is the commercial ghost tour conducted by a local guide or tour operator who is often a member of a local ghost hunting or paranormal investigation group. Since both tour operator and 'haunted' site owners share profits of such enterprises (admissions typically range between $50 and $100 per person), some believe the 'haunted' claims are exaggerated or fabricated in order to increase attendance. The city of Savannah, GA is thought to be the #1 US city for "Ghost Tour Wars" by having more than three dozen individual tours at last count.
A ghost tour (also called a haunted tour, ghost walk, or haunted walk) is an activity themed around the paranormal providing an entertaining and often educational way to present ghostlore. Tours often take place around sites with a reputation for unusual occurrences. They are usually conducted at night and will combine a mix of history and legends.
Tours themes around the paranormal can introduce historic, social and scientific topics to a wider audience than might not otherwise be addressed. Stories centered on ghosts and mysteries are more attractive to many people to whom leisure time is precious, than purely academic pursuits. A well presented thematic tour can create the interest for further investigation into the stories behind the topics.
Presentations use drama, humour and analogies to weave stories in an interesting way. Tours may be conducted on foot, vehicle or even a self led tour finding clues along a predetermined route.
Increased popularity of tours has led to the formation of several professional bodies aimed at promoting ghost tours and improving the experience and security of customers.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_tour"
Haunted locations are often regarded to contain the spirits of deceased beings who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property. Supernatural Activity inside homes is said to be mainly associated with violent or tragic events in the buildings past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide ? sometimes in the recent or ancient past. Amongst many cultures and religions it is believed that the essence of a being such as the 'soul' continue to exist. Some philosophical and religious views argue that the 'spirts' of those who have died have not 'passed over' and are trapped inside the property where their memories and energy is strong. Entities which are said to 'haunt' homes are often known to make noises, appear as apparitions, and shift or launch physical objects. This is sometimes manifested into 'poltergeist activity'; poltergeist meaning 'noisy spirit'. Traditionally an exorcism is the method used to remove unwelcome spirits from the property.
Ghosts - Real Ghost Pictures & Famous Ghost Photos
Do reported Ghost pictures show proof of ghosts?
Fake or Explainable "Ghost Photos" and Photographs of all Paranormal Phenomena show proof of ghosts! If seeing is believing, then these photos will convince you of the existence of ghosts. Most of the best rmarkable ghost photos like the Brown Lady photo below were taken while not on a ghost hunt.
Ghost Photography
Well into the 21st century, spirit photography will have many high-profile supporters--including the physicist Sir William Crookes and the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dale Kaczmarek, and Haunted America Tours own resident Ghost Hunter Gina Lanier.
The Mumler photographs sparked controversy and a strange career for Mumler as he took his ?talent? and began taking portraits of people who, later on, saw the images of dead relatives next to them. Though his photographs were never proven to be false or genuine, Mumler started a public fascination with the spiritual world that has lived on today.
Today many web sites display ghost photos real and unreal... We at Haunted America Tours only ask that you be the judge of what you believe is fact or fiction.
Mumler created a notorious series of "spirit photographs" that stunned an era. Thus the first known ghost photos were also the first fakes.
Are these real ghost pictures? The photos of reported real ghosts in these galleries were sent to us by web site visitors, ghost enthusiasts, ghost hunters, and ghost and real Paranormal Investigators. Posted here you will find those photographs that many experts in the field define as having real ghost or anomalous images on film. Many of these photos are just considered strange and believed by the photographers to show proof of the existence of real ghosts and they feel that by showing them to the world others will believe their claims as such.
Ghosts - Hunting For Real Ghost On TV
SciFi Channel recently greenlit a spinoff series titled "Ghost Hunters International" to air tentatively in January 2008. It would feature TAPS vets Robb Demarest, Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois, and Donna La Croix, along with Barry Fitzgerald (who appeared in the Ireland episodes of Ghost Hunters) and newcomer Shannon Sylvia. The format will be the same as Ghost Hunters but will feature locations around the world.
2007 Halloween Special - Live on October 31, 2007. TAPS will return to Waverly Hills Sanatorium for a 6-hour investigation. Joining the team will be guest paranormal investigator Joshua Gates from the show Destination Truth and WWE wrestler Elijah Burke. This show will also reveal the winner chosen among viewers as a new TAPS member picked from an online poll.
Elijah will join lead Ghost Hunters Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson at the desolate and abandoned tuberculosis hospital, Waverly Hills. Some call the Louisville institution the scariest and most haunted place on Earth because thousands of people have died there. The six hour, live show will be hosted by Josh Gates of Destination Truth. Last Halloween, almost 1 million viewers tuned in to Ghost Hunters? live, all-night ghost hunt with CM Punk at The Stanley Hotel (made famous in The Shining). And a personal note: I take my ECW Cm Punk action figure on every Ghost Hunt I do.
Elijah Burke goes Ghost Hunting - If there are any ghosts haunting the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, they better prepare for a real experience on Halloween night. ECW?s Elijah Burke plans to bring the Elijah Experience to Waverly Hills on Wednesday when he?ll be a special guest on the Ghost Hunters live, all-night show on Sci Fi. --wwe.com
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