There are many thoughts on what Parapsychology is however, the “textbook” definition of parapsychology is “…the scientific study of events within the human experience that have yet to be explained, in a satisfactory manner, by traditional or conventional science as pertains to paranormal events and psychic phenomenon.” It is a common misconception that parapsychologists are psychic or are psychoanalysts. This is not true, and unfortunately, due to popular media, many people who hear the word parapsychologist think that we are entertainers, astrologers, psychic readers, or the like. Reality would contradict this thought in that parapsychologist are trained persons with a scientific interest in explaining various psychic phenomenon and corporeal manifestations that take place in the world around us that conventional science has failed to adequately explain.

                As the obvious suggests, the disciplines of psychology and parapsychology have certain aspects in their respective fields that they commonly strive for. As an etymological lesson, psychology derives from the Greek root psyche which is literally translated as soul or mind. Logos, also a Greek root word, means rational discussion. Hence we have a rational discussion of the mind and its workings.

                Now that we understand what the root meaning of the word psychology is, the following definitions of psychology shed meaning on the overall view of the subject: “Psychology pertains the scientific study of experience and behavior, and the science of behavior and mental processes – of reason, action and reaction.”

                The prefix para also comes from a Greek root which means “alongside or beyond.” Parapsychology can be defined as the study of “…the apparent anomalous behavior, manifestation and experience that exist apart from currently known, traditional scientific explanatory mechanisms.”

                So, what does the study of this “rational discussion of the mind that goes beyond” traditional scientific investigation mean? To begin with, we will find that the long held belief that the world of the subjective (the intangible here and now) and the world of the objective (tangible within the manifested world) are definitively separated. Some say that there is no overlap of the two experiences, which is wholly untrue. Human experience has taught us differently. This is where the parapsychologist enters into the picture. Parapsychologists in general do not subscribe to the belief of black and white areas of consciousness and manifestation. We look to that “gray” area in between, where the tangible and intangible overlap. This overlapping of the two areas causes an experience that falls between the figurative dividing lines of the two experiences. This would render the experience not wholly objective nor is it wholly subjective. From a scientific perspective this type of experience would be called anomalous because it can not be explained with traditional scientific models.

Paranormal Investigators vs. Ghost Hunters

                When I tell people that I am a research scientist and a paranormal investigator there have been numerous persons who have asked “Does that mean that you are a ghost hunter?” Unfortunately, many people use the term “ghost hunter” rather than “paranormal investigator” when speaking of what it is that they, and we, do. Although the phrase “ghost hunt” is a semi-acceptable term to use it is far less accurate in describing what we do – and – it has some rather negative connotations attached to it. I have found that the term “ghost hunt” embodies a certain circle of thoughts that many people believe to occur when they envision this idea. Most times, when a “ghost hunt” is thought of, the ideas behind the term would reflect an unprofessional, random, unplanned, chaotic romp through a cemetery, historical area, house or other such place where the participants are screaming like idiots and snapping photos all the while; calling every “anomaly” that they believe they have photographed a ghost -very much like what is found on most “reality TV” programs and in most “ghost hunting” clubs. This is the exact stereotype that we as paranormal investigators want to cast off. When we systematically perform historical research on an area, collect data, take water and soil samples, and photograph a place we are investigators who are, well, investigating.

                In my own personal opinion I don’t like the term “ghost hunt” very much due to the fact that what is suggested – hunting – which is an implication of what we do. By definition the word hunt means “to chase game for sport” and “to hound in pursuit of game.” The very definition of the word suggests that we are chasing our “game” for sport and that we are struggling to capture whatever it is that we are looking for. We want our work to be reliable, credible and accurate. We don’t want to “hunt,” we want to investigate.  

                It should also be noted here that true parapsychology IS NOT  the study of anything concerning or connected with UFOs, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, paganism, vampires, occultism, the gothic underground, alchemy, witchcraft, new age studies, Reiki, magic or anything of that nature. Unfortunately, because there are others who have, for their own reasons (usually money and entertainment), tried to “devolve” and sensationalize parapsychology into some of the above mentioned pseudo-sciences most scientists are very suspicious, if not outright skeptical, of parapsychology. Because of this “sensationalized image” that has been thrust upon parapsychology many scientists more often than not will associate parapsychology with mysterious phenomenon, fringe topics, and other such incredulous entertainment topics which is looked to for its mysticism and dark entertainment style for the curious. This inappropriate link between a legitimate scientific field and fringe groups does not stop there. Because of the various incorrect stereotyping that now takes place in many people’s minds parapsychologists have been associated with psychic entertainers, tarot and palm readers, crystal gazers, Spiritualists and the like.

                Generally, the study of parapsychology will fall into three primary classes which are:  ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), PK (Pyschokinesis), and Haunting Phenomenon. The main focus of this book will be on the latter subject, and although this book focuses on paranormal investigation and haunting phenomenon there are other topics within the realm of parapsychology that make up the composite of the subject. Although the focus here falls on a singular subject within the three main areas of parapsychology, remember, this book is not your typical “ghost hunters guide” that is filled with opinion that is far from fact. Books that fall into the latter category do not encompass the whole of the subject, only the author’s feelings, which tend to be subjective and at times emotional rather than factual and rational.

Insight into Parapsychology - An Unaccepted Science

                It has already been stated that one area of parapsychology deals with the scientific study, research, and investigation of the potential of the existence of ghosts. These activities are, by and large, an unaccepted field of practical and applied science that has been designed to not only aid in the explanation of and give exposure to paranormal events, but to also expand the level of human experience that we are presently open to. The latter phrase, the human experience, is the whole of why parapsychologists do what we do - to better understand the human experience that is considered to be a paranormal event. The whole of the event is based on human perception, so even though all of the technical toys are a necessary and integral part of ghost hunting they do not replace the main reason for it all - our experience of what happens.

                I say parapsychology is a “practical science” because although, for the greater portion of the time we do not deal with “hard” or tangible data, the field of parapsychology utilizes and works in accordance with many various aspects of “traditional” science, usually on more than one level. This may sound like a lot of technical hype, but don’t let it throw you, its not as complicated as it sounds. Parapsychology is also viewed as an “applied science” because of the real-world uses of many of the aspects in the field work as well as its ability to touch our own personal life situations.

                Although parapsychology has been accepted in Europe for many years as a legitimate science we are now beginning to see that many people in Western societies are beginning to accept ghost hunting and parapsychology because of the degree that these things can touch our lives, but I must warn you there are some people who will still doubt you, or even possibly criticize you for what you are reading right now. Over the years I have run into many people with many different opinions and things to say about parapsychology and ghost hunting, most of which was fairly positive because of their genuine interest, however, as I said there are others that no matter how you may try to reason with them they will refuse to accept anything that you say. Thankfully, these persons are few and far between. To understand why some people take this view we have to get into that kind of mind set, the psychology of why they think that way.

                There are three main reasons why many persons do not accept parapsychology as a “science.” The first is due to the lack of tangible data - many persons find it hard to accept anything that they can not experience via their five senses, they want concrete evidence. Unquestionable proof in almost any theoretical field is almost impossible. Also, because many of us have been raised, as most others in modern western society have been, we accept as being real only the things which we can experience through our five senses - i.e. - touch, taste, feel, see, or hear. However, this is a contradiction to our own standard. This contradiction can be looked at in this way: although we can not see the electricity that runs our appliances, the radio waves that bring the sounds to our speakers, the microwaves that cook our food, the x-rays that take pictures of our bones and organs, we still readily accept them in our everyday lives as a common facet of our existence. We know how to utilize them and they are there when we need them. Even though we can not grasp these forces and hold them in our hands we still accept them as being there because we know that when we utilize them there is a certain predictable result or outcome that will happen when we put these forces to work.

                The second reason for this lack of acceptance is because of credibility. Too many times there are people who will claim to be “ghost hunters” or “paranormal investigators” that actually have no training or experience in the field what-so-ever. I am not saying that not knowing about something is wrong, not at all, we must all study a subject before we can understand it, but claiming to know about something and not actually having that knowledge - lying about it - is. When someone intentionally makes false statements about their knowledge of ghost hunting or parapsychology this too damages the reputation of persons who are making a sincere attempt to research this field and understand it from a certain scientific standard. The field of parapsychology is still in its infancy and, as it is in such a state, there are still many theories being tested and experiments being carried out to try to understand something that is larger than ourselves. This is the main focus of this book - to educate you about a specific facet of parapsychology - ghost hunting - in a manner that is fun and easy to understand so that by the time you are finished reading this book you will come away with a greater deal of accurate knowledge than you had began with.

                The final reason many people do not accept parapsychology is actually intertwined with the reason above. Often time’s people will allow their faith or beliefs to infiltrate their scientific work. This undermines the credibility of the investigation as well as the credibility of the person because now the person becomes mentally and emotionally involved with what they want to see. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having your own personal faith and beliefs but I would strongly encourage those who wish to make a career out of parapsychology, or at least a serious effort to study parapsychological phenomenon, not to intermingle your personal beliefs with your scientific work.

                Although it had been briefly discussed earlier I would like to reiterate a thought here: When you went to the bookstore I am sure that you have seen, often enough, that books on the field of parapsychology (if there are any) are usually lumped in with books on UFO’s, psychic powers, bigfoot, occult philosophy and new age study. These are also fields that are not widely accepted by the general populace as they are considered by most to be “fringe topics.” These subjects are generally viewed in this fashion due to their unproven and intangible nature as well as “the Western mindset” which was mentioned earlier. As such, many persons are ignorant of many of the subjects contained in those books and refrain from researching and understanding them because of a constrictive standard of social judgment. 

Science or Pseudoscience?  The Truth about Parapsychology 

                As it has already been amply commented upon in the above paragraphs, one of the main reasons that parapsychology is not well received in the larger portion of the scientific community is because of lack of credibility. Now, lets get technical for a second. To set the record straight it should be known that as a true parapsychologist we have to be trained to understand, utilize, and adhere to many various fields and laws of science such as physics, thermodynamics, chemistry, quantum mechanics, theoretical physics, electromagnetic theory and law, biomagnetic function, wave function, electromagnetic transference, the space / time continuum, astronomy, geophysics, geography, topography, subatomic particulate matter and function, cartography, biology, anthropology, biochemistry, history,  psychology, anatomy, statistics, probability, and logic. Sounds like a lot? Don’t worry about it, it only sounds complicated. I tried to tie up all of the technical stuff so that all you will have to do is sit down, kick back, relax, and read on. I have done my best to convert the information into a useful easy to understand form that you can put to use right away…and, if nothing else you can use information on these subjects to impress your friends and influence people…well, that may not work either so I think it would be best if I just stick to what I know…the parapsychology stuff. It may interest you to know why some of the more scientific minded persons in the community would be interested in parapsychology. To that end I offer this bit of information:

Anatomists would want to understand where these “anomalous” experiences are generated from, how we receive them, and why.

Biologists would be interested because any type of PSI activity found in the brainwaves would imply the existence of additional, untapped methods above and beyond the limitations of our five senses.  

Neurologists would want to know why the events occur, what the trigger for the events is, the patterns of the events, the degree of recurrence, what causes and / or creates their function within the body, and where they are generated.

Physicists are interested because of the various implications dealing with the space/time continuum, energy wave transmission and transformation, and what ramifications this has on the local environment within the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Philosophers are interested in parapsychology because evidence of PSI phenomenon would specifically prove or disprove many of their traditional arguments about their beliefs or the beliefs of others.

Psychologists would be interested in parapsychology because of the implications about the nature of the mind, its patterns, and the overall impact that these things would have on perception and personality.  

Theologians have a stake in parapsychology because they tend to be interested in what profound meaning that these events might hold in connection with any spiritual experience that they, or others, may obtain.

                Why is this section entitled “Science or Pseudoscience?” So that we can define the sharp contrast between the research and experiments that parapsychologists perform and the attempts of the glory hounds in the media who simply want their “fifteen minutes of fame.” Since we have already defined most of the fields of science that parapsychologists rely on we can now take this opportunity to define what pseudoscience is. 

                The word “pseudo” means fake, and the best way to spot a fake is to know as much as possible about the issue at hand, which in this case is science. Many times, because of the incredulous nature of “ghost hunters” on TV, in the movies, etc. fantasy infiltrates the areas where science should be. The media bombardment of sheer nonsense and fantasy gives the misinformed a proverbial soapbox to stand on so that they can proclaim their subjective opinion to be true facts. Trying to separate the true scientific facts from this misinformed opinion is not as hard as it sounds; it simply takes a bit of research. Pseudoscience is actually fairly easy to spot – once you know what to look for.

                Pseudoscience usually displays a remarkable indifference to proven fact and almost any degree of valid evidence. Many pseudoscience authors simply make up “facts” from their own subjective opinion where necessary instead of actually consulting legitimate reference works or investigating their subjects directly. For the most part, Pseudoscientists never present any valid scientific evidence to support their claims. Once their “work” is published it is almost guaranteed to never be revised. The first edition of most of these types of books is almost always the last.

                The “research” of the pseudoscientist is invariably exegesis. Generally, the pseudoscientist relies on hearsay, opinion, and other sources of misinformation. A pseudoscientist never makes an independent investigation to check their sources, which are taken at face value. The misinformation is then used as evidence to support the bogus claims of the pseudoscience author.

                Pseudoscience authors also tend to rely heavily on subjective validation which makes their “information” akin to a Rorshach inkblot test meaning that the data is subject to personal interpretation not scientific validation. Pseudoscience authors do not pursue the ever changing facets of science as they are more comfortable relying on vague, obscure or ambiguous sources of information so that their mistakes and outright deception may not be as readily noticed.

                Pseudoscience usually gets the attention of people by proposing a hypothesis. The hypothesis is usually something which appeals emotionally, morally or ideologically and is for the most part, spectacularly implausible. From there the author of the hypothesis looks only for items which appear to support the hypothesis. In this situation all conflicting or contradictory evidence to the hypothesis will be ignored. In overall terms, the aim of pseudoscience is to rationalize strongly held beliefs and / or opinions rather than to investigate and research certain subjects of interest.  

                We can now take a less intense look at some of the other tenants of pseudoscience so that we can better identify fact from fiction.

PSEUDOSCIENCE:

• Always avoids putting its claims to a meaningful test.

• Pseudoscientists never follow up to validate their claims, research or experiments.

• Does not progress.

• Explanations of phenomenon tend to be by scenario rather than by scientific processes.

• Results obtained cannot be reproduced or verified.

• Writings tend to be more opinion than verified fact.

• Failures are ignored, lied about, explained away, rationalized, avoided and forgotten at all costs.

• No physical phenomena or processes are ever found, noticed, studied or validated in any way.

                Why did I write so much on the subject of pseudoscience? My reasoning behind this was for the reader to be able to easily differentiate what they are reading as science instead of an opinion or, even worse, bogus “facts.”

                As I was writing this book I found that there are several prominent, scientifically minded persons in the field of parapsychology who feel that all of this information, research and work in this book is simply too much of an effort to put forth so that people can be educated on the subject of parapsychology and actively enjoy paranormal investigations. Obviously enough, I don’t share that view. I want everyone who reads this book to come away with a better understanding of the world around them, even if we do get “intangible results.”

                As for those would-be scientists who would seek to limit the activity of others who are genuinely interested in ghost hunting and say that it can not be enjoyed by everyone, I know that they would rather safely stick to mainstream science whose many theories have been proposed and laws have been proven.

                When I was first starting out in the field of parapsychology there was a specific “doctor” in the field who said that I shouldn’t be involved with parapsychology unless I had a college degree in crisis management, grief counseling, theology, or some other sort of similar diploma. Then this same “doctor” said that there were too many “uneducated loose cannons” performing parapsychology work.

                He then had the audacity to contradict himself in the same breath and suggest that in order for me to continue performing work in the field of parapsychology that I should take his course and be certified by him so that I had his official seal of approval. Needless to say, he wanted $1,300.00 to certify me. His position on the certification matter was that if they didn’t certify me that there were no other organizations that were competent enough to do so. It was either his way or the wrong way.

                Naturally I didn’t appreciate the condescending attitude and I continued my search. Eventually I found another organization who offered the same degree of credibility (possibly better), the same information, and the same certificate for substantially less. The point here is that if anyone tells you that their way is the only way you should move on.

                Getting back on track, there are some people who would rather take the safe and well-trodden path rather than create their own path by trying to prove untested theories by pioneering the field through research, so I must commend you for your willingness and open-mindedness in adventuring into the field of parapsychology. It must be remembered that these people who seek to curb the enthusiasm of new comers and limit their activities also tend fear new ideas by others who may either have a better idea, a different point of view, or who may prove them wrong on some of their own ideas. Guidance and suggestions for those who are starting out is fine, but to seek to control or even eliminate them from a specific activity or interest is not. My thought is that no matter how long you have been doing something or have interested been in a subject everyone has something to offer.  

                Speaking of various mindsets, I would like to touch on the field of psychology for a moment. I have found that in order for many people, especially those who hold an intensely critical view of what paranormal investigators do, to accept parapsychology, its principles and its foundations, they would either have to have a life altering paranormal experience with a ghost or they would have to reorganize their intellectual structure as well as their sense of reality. That being so, it is far more comfortable for those persons to be ignorant and uninformed on the subject matter. Thus, the thought “if I can’t see it, it must not be there” would apply, as ignorance is bliss. This mentality also seems to act as a strong piece of psychological “armor” in the arsenal of the complex human system of mental defense.

                The thought behind the phrase “ignorance is bliss” is that if the mind is uninformed on a subject, it can not comprehend the subject, but once knowledge is attained the burden of that knowledge will persist within the mind whether it is on a conscious level or a subconscious level. For many people it is easier for them to wear their metaphoric “psychological blinders” and scoff at what they do not understand. The well documented Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich (1897 - 1957) commented on this state of mass stigmatism and termed this psychological mindset of tunnel vision as the “emotional plague.”

                I admit that we have delved into the field of psychology a bit soon in the chapter and that it may, for those who don’t practice or study psychology on a regular basis, may be a bit extraneous at this time. However, these facts do include a relevant point on the discussion as to why some people either do not (or will not) accept that ghostly manifestations do occur. Although most people don’t want to admit it, we have all had something happen to us at some point in our lives that we couldn’t logically explain. These unexplainable events are easier to accept (not to mention far more comforting) if we relegate them to something that we can create a basis of logic for.

                Moving from the human experience to the technical point of view you are now armed with the above knowledge about an experience that most parapsychologists and ghost hunters eventually face at some point. This experience usually entails meeting someone who will attempt explain away, via logical or illogical reasoning, what may be “tangible” evidence of a ghost in a photograph. They may say that it is just dust or moisture on the lens or something floating about in the air.

                On occasion, the orbs that we see in photographs are just that, dust or moisture. In a later section you will learn how to differentiate between these false spirit orbs and real spirit orbs so that you can use your knowledge to explain to others the glaring differences between the dust and water orbs and a real spirit orb. By that time you will also learn how to explain the mechanics of certain paranormal situations, how statistics and probability become a factor, and how other scientifically researched factors and variables come into play. Even with this wealth of knowledge you will eventually run into some persons who feel that any photographic flaw, irregularity, or error is “proof” of a haunting. As scientists we must walk a fine line of discretion and good judgment when it comes to these matters.    

                You will find that it is much harder for any skeptic to argue against a case when there is other physical data present to back up the photographic evidence. This data comes in the form of Ion counts, EMF readings, temperature readings, humidity readings, geologic samples, astronomical trends, static field readings, radiation readings, and so on. This is where we come to our ultimate purpose - for the reader to not only have an accurate understanding of the subjects and procedures that are utilized but to also gain the ability to carry out a intelligent, logical, rational, and scientific field investigations with the ability to obtain tangible data results backed up by other “hard” technical data.

                Investigations, especially when backed up by hard technical data are a strong case in favor of the existence of ghosts. For anyone to be able to conceptualize any of these thoughts into a rational, logical, and cohesive form we must understand, as well as accept, the thought that “truth” or “reality” in any matter that confronts us is relative to the perception of the individual. What this means is that reality is what we understand it to be. To that end there are many factors that come into play: social background, religious faith, world view, personality, and the abstract, intangible mechanics of the human psyche. Our view of reality, as humans, is subjective. The perceived nature of any paranormal event wholly depends on the point of view of the person perceiving the event that is taking place.