Ghost Hounds: Georgia-based Ghost-hunting Paranormal Investigation Team

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people interested in seriously studying the paranormal in as scientific a way as possible, especially in the matter of ghosts. According to the Harris Poll, 4 out of every 10 Americans believe in ghosts. Add to that a healthy number of skeptics who still want to try to find out the cause of so-called ghost sightings and paranormal activity, and it is no wonder that paranormal investigation has become a popular subject. This is especially evident on television. Witness the success of Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi channel and Most Haunted on the Travel Channel. Another "ghost hunter" gaining attention in the media is Patrick Burns, recently chosen to star in Court TV's new series, "Haunting Evidence."

Burns and the group he founded, Ghost Hounds, are based in metro Atlanta, Georgia. Ghost Hounds is the largest paranormal investigation group in the Southeast. Its website (www.ghosthounds.com) is in the top ten of all paranormal websites in the world, with over 500,000 page views each month. Membership in the website and the group is free. To quote the website membership information: "We ask members to open their minds; not their wallets."

The team also performs investigations for free for people and organizations who feel they may be experiencing paranormal events in their location. They have investigated museums, courthouses, cemetaries, individual dwellings, and a host of other buidings and locations.

The group welcomes not only those who are already believers, but skeptics and anyone who is willing to be open-minded enough to seek unbiased evidence.

Mr. Burns himself tries to maintain objectivity. "I am first and foremost a skeptic. Not a cynic who just dismisses. I question everything with an open, objective mind," he explains.

This is not the "research" of seances and table tipping. Ghost Hounds use the equipment which has become standard for serious ghost hunters, including video and audio recorders, infrared cameras, Electromagnetic Field sensors, and digital thermometers. They seek to record visual anomolies, register unexplained cold spots, and capture EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena, or unexplainable voices from seemingly nowhere.) While mediums and other "sensitives" are sometimes present, the emphasis is on obtaining evidence that can be seen, heard, and objectively measured.

A typical example of evidence they seek are the EVPs obtained when, in October of 2003, Ghost Hounds made both CNN and Headline News with its investigation of Anthony's Restaurant in Atlanta. Among the unusual things that happened in this investigation, the team caught unexplained voices on tape uttering the phrases, "I'm over here," and "Turn it off."

Patrick Burns has received considerable media attention recently as he was chosen to be one of three stars of Haunting Evidence. He has also been featured on many other television and radio shows, including Entertainment Tonight. He has been fwritten about in print publications such as National Review. In addition, he has created his own series of web-based documentaries, "Haunted," which may be viewed for free on the Ghost Hounds website. Here you may see footage of the team's investigation of the infamous "Crybaby Bridge" near Columbus, Georgia, where a mother is said to be seen searching for her drowned baby. The baby has also allegedly been heard by many people. You can also see Patrick's solo visit to a cemetary in Chicago which is sometimes called "the most haunted in the world."

In addition to the website and paranormal investigations, Burns and Ghost Hounds organize and host GhoStock ,"3 Days of spooks, spectres..and spirits," in Savannah, Georgia. This year is the third GhoStock, and it takes place September 29-October 1. The host hotel is the historic (and haunted) Marshall House Hotel, in the middle of the historic district, where it seems that every other house has its own resident spirit.