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©2001 The Atlantic Paranormal Society |
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Give
Me Some Proof - Part 1
Catching them on Film
Ghost Hunting/Investigating, as we know it, is an attempt to
understand and prove the existence of paranormal beings, powers
or intelligence. Understanding it isn't that hard, but providing
evidence can be more than difficult.
Photos that claim to have captured the image of a supernatural
being are among the most scrutinized evidence out there. (short
of maybe UFO pictures or maybe even photos from the OJ Simpson
case) The simple fact is, ghosts tend to appear as mists, orbs
or other vaguely distinguishable forms which, unfortunately
closely mimic very natural, very earthly circumstances. And
so they are easily debunked.
So, how do you get people to believe you? Take some very deliberate
precautions.
1. The first and foremost rule a ghost hunter should follow
is, "Be Skeptic" Just because you see a shiny orb
in the woods through your night vision video camera, don't think
you've caught a ghost. Try and think of what earthly item it
could be. Ask yourself questions like; "Is it moving or
standing still?" "Does it show up in every photo I
take?" "Is there ANYTHING that might have caused a
reflection?". If you ask these type of questions, you'll
catch your own "hoaxes" before they are debunked by
someone else hence ruining your credibility.
2. "2 or More Witnesses" Even in the legal systems,
two or more witnesses will always outweigh what one person claims
to be the truth. If you can say "There were eight of us
there and no one saw the figure in this image." chances
are people will believe you. Especially when they interview
the other seven people and get the same story.
3. "Never Smoke" on a case that is. If you can say,
with confidence every time, that no one was smoking or had been
smoking, you rule out 98% of skeptics' excuses for "mist"
type pictures. In the case of cold weather cases, let everyone
around you know you are about to take a picture, then have everyone
hold their breath for at least five seconds (if not ten) before
you snap it. If you make a habit out of this, then you'll know
for sure that you didn't catch anyone's breath on film. (It
should be said that it is quite easy to distinguish cigarette
smoke or human breath from ethereal mists.)
4. "Surprise Them" Take the ghost by surprise. Some
ghost want to be caught on film, some don't care, others don't
want to be caught at all. Because we don't know the ghosts'
feelings about this, there is only one way to pretty much guarantee
that you'll catch it on film. This is by casually snapping a
picture, over your shoulder even, whenever you get the inkling
to. It may sound silly but it works. Trust me. There's no need
to line up a perfect shot, as long as there is a ghost in it,
no one cares if it's not "framed" right.
5. "Trust your Feelings" Learning to trust your feelings
can yield astounding results. If you get even the slightest
urge to snap a picture somewhere, Do IT! Don't hesitate. Most
often pictures taken like this will be the only ones that show
results.
6. "Get a Digital Camera" Ok, so this isn't a "rule"
but a personal suggestion. Number one, you don't need to worry
about film. Number two, you get instant gratification. There's
nothing quite like knowing exactly where these things were just
a few seconds earlier. Number three, you can instantly email
them to TAPS so everyone can see what you've found!
Hopefully, these tips will help increase the amount of specters
you catch on film, and therefore increase your desire to continue
looking for and learning about the paranormal.
- Grant
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