Ghosts Do Exist

Throughout human history, mankind has attempted to answer the question of what happens to us after we die. Where do we go? Do we continue to exist, or do we evaporate into nothingness? Hypotheses abound. One exciting idea is that the spirit, or conscious energy, of a person continues to exist on a level that is not always detectable by living persons. These spirits are commonly known as ghosts. According to physicist Richard Yannopoulos-Ruquist, ghosts excite physical particles in order to manifest in the physical plane. Because of this, their existence can be proved in much the same manner as dark matter is proved . The science and equipment used to prove dark matter are not easily accessible to persons outside the field of physics, but employing current technology, the existence of ghosts can be proved through the use of electromagnetic field detectors, electronic voice phenomena and photographic evidence.

The first way to prove the existence of ghosts is through the use of electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors. According to Ron Milione of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, ghosts produce magnetic fields at levels lower than those of living beings and electronic equipment. For this reason, ghost hunters use EMF detecting equipment to locate magnetic fields that cannot be explained by natural sources. In their use of EMF as evidence of the existence of ghosts, paranormal investigators attempt to communicate with ghosts, asking yes and no questions and making requests such as, "wave your hand in front of the meter," in the hope that the ghost will respond by lighting the detector.

Skeptics believe that EFM detectors pick up only signals from bad wiring and microwave ovens because that is what the instruments are intended to do . However, before using an EMF detector, ghost hunters do a sweep of the area to detect natural causes of any readings. A responsible paranormal investigator will attempt to find a rational explanation for any anomalous readings before accepting EMF spikes as evidence. The Atlantic Paranormal Society is currently experimenting with a K-II meter which has been modified specifically for the purpose of picking up ghostly activity .

The second way to prove the existence of ghosts is through electronic voice phenomena (EVP), first discovered in 1959 by Friedrich Jürgenson. Through experimentation, Jürgenson discovered that voice recordings when no person was present could be reliably replicated . Today, Ghost hunters actively seek EVP by asking questions of ghosts and giving them time to answer. Answers are rarely heard at the time of recording; it is only during playback that the voices can be detected. At other times, digital voice recorders or cassette recorders are left running without investigator interaction. Playback sometimes reveals someone speaking even when no one is present. In his book "Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side," James Van Praagh explains that this is the result of ghosts imprinting part of their own energy onto the electromagnetic tape or the digital device .

Skeptics believe EVP is only stray radio waves or pieces of human communication. They also cite apophenia, a phenomenon in which one sees or hears patters that, in reality, do not exist. Responsible investigators are aware of these possibilities and, therefore, ensure against picking up random outside noises and making words of sounds when no words are present. Areas being investigated are cleared of persons other than the investigators, and white noise machines are sometimes used to help filter out random sounds such as doors closing in the distance . In response to the idea that these recordings are the result of stray radio waves, Milione says this in his article "White Noise":

"If they had researched it, they would have found that the radio broadcast theory is absurd. Why? Because quite often, these voices actually respond to questions posed by researchers, comment on situations in a relevant manner, and occasionally even address the researchers by name. The chances of a stray radio broadcast doing this with just a few choice words are too remote to even consider by any objective person."

The third way to prove the existence of ghosts is through photographic evidence. Ghosts can manifest visibly, allowing them to be photographed. They can also interact directly with film and digital memory cards, imprinting their images as faces, full-body manifestations, orbs and mists . Of course, skeptics point to natural causes of ghostly images such as double exposure which causes one image to appear transparent, mimicking a ghostly presence . They also sneer at photographs of orbs, saying these are merely images of dust or bugs reflecting the light of the flash. The Indiana Ghost Trackers Kokomo Chapter recognizes that photographic evidence is easy to fake and that 99% of orbs caught on film actually are the result of dust and bugs. For this reason, they throw out all photographs containing orbs and rely more on video evidence than photographic .

Another drawback to photographic evidence is that faces seen in photographs are sometimes the result of over-active imagination or matrixing. Matrixing is the act or phenomenon of seeing familiar patterns in random objects . This can be overcome by having several others look at the image without indicating the perceived face or object and remembering that true ghosts are made up of their own material and are not part of the background.

Paranormal investigation is a difficult field. Most evidence cannot be recreated in a laboratory setting, so the scientific community dismisses the findings of paranormal investigators. Still, with patience and dedication, eliminating the impossible and explaining natural causes of what we see, the proof can be found. The tools exist for collecting the evidence, if we will only use them.

References

Alcock, J. (2004, December 21). Electronic Voice Phenomena: Voices of the Dead? Retrieved October 20, 2009, from The Committee for Skeptical inquiry: http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/electronic_voice_phenomena_voices_of_the_dead /

Daniels, P. M. (n.d.). Electronic Voice Phenomena (Raudive Voices). Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Psychic Science: http://www.psychicscience.org/evp.aspx

Ghosts Photographed, Proof that They Exist? (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Nebraska State Historical Society: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/sites/mnh/weird_nebraska/ghosts_photographed.htm

Kokomo Chapter Evidence Page. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Indiana Ghost Trackers Kokomo Chapter: http://www.kokomoghosts.org/evidence.htm

Milione, R. (n.d.). Electromagnetism. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/articles/technical/emfadvanced.html

Milione, R. (n.d.). White Noise. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/articles/technical/whitenoise.html

Nickell, J. (2007). Adventures in Paranormal Investigation. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.

Van Praagh, J. (2008). Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side. New York: HarperCollins.

Wilson, G. (n.d.). Give Me Some Proof - Part 1 Catching them on Film. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal- society.com/articles/general/proof1.html

Wilson, G. (n.d.). Photographic Analysis: Matrixing. Retrieved September 24, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/articles/general/photo- matrixing.html

Wilson, G. (n.d.). The K-II Meter So Far... Retrieved October 20, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/articles/general/kii.html

Yannopoulos-Ruquist, P. R. (n.d.). Dark Matter: A Materialist Medium for the Paranormal. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from The Atlantic Paranormal Society: http://www.the-atlantic- paranormal-society.com/articles/general/darkmatter.html