The Need to Explain the UnKnown:The Job of the Ghost Hunters

There is a need to explain the unknown events that don’t always have a logical explanation. Many people in the world want the services of a ghost hunter. Most of us have had an unexplained experience in our life and want to believe that a noise or movement has to be caused by the dearly departed.

Sometimes they are not so dear and cause mayhem and injury to the living, according to eye witnesses. Of course, if the events were not so scary or caused harm, we wouldn’t hear about them.

There are a number of terms used for ‘ghosts’ such as paranormal, spirits, souls, apparition, demon, and devil. Ethereal being, phantom, poltergeist, visitor, vampire, spook and shadow.

Paranormal investigations or “ghost-hunters” are becoming very popular today and are having resurgence because people from around the world can report their experiences with those from the beyond.These investigators come in to help give people some relief or reassurance that they are not hearing things or seeing things that don't exist.

We usually think of the scariest places on earth around Halloween but some of these places have been scaring people everyday for centuries!

These scariest places are getting more attention than ever thanks to television programs also because investigators are filming their show there.

There are some locations in the world that have scared people for many years. I’ll name some of the better known places here and you can investigate them more thoroughly on your own. My list includes

• the Paris Catacombs
• the New Orleans French Quarter
• The Coliseum in Rome Italy,
• Alcatraz in California
• the underground vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland,
• London, England’s east end neighborhood of White Chapel,
• Auschwitz-Bikenau concentration camp in Poland
• and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Here is a link to a video on haunted Gettysburg;http://video.yahoo.com/watch/219479/848598

*Depending on your browser,you can watch it by clicking on this link or watch the video.Some browsers do not support the video below.

As you can see from this list, these places have a history of violence and death. The usual ingredients needed it seems, for paranormal events.

For more detailed lists and descriptions of the scariest places on earth, check out the link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scariest_Places_On_Earth

Here are some of the pieces of equipment used by some investigators in the field today. 

• Fuji
  Discovery 90 35mm Camera,

• Illuminator LED wind up flashlight 

• IR Thermometer by Radio Shack

• Lutron EMF-822A Digital EMF Tester

• Motion Detector

• Olympus VN-240PC Digital
  Voice Recorder 

• Sony TRV68 Analog Video camera

• Strobe Light

• E.L.F. Zone EMF Detector 

• Sony HVL-IRM video IR light

• 20 x 50 mm wide angle binoculars 

• 3-Wire Circuit Analyzer 

• 35mm disposable camera

• Acu-Rite Digital Thermometer

• Amprobe non-contact AC voltage tester

• Budget Buzz Stick

• Cell Sensor

• Compass

• Digiview TE21W Wireless Weather Station

• Magnetic Field Viewer Card,

• ANT Viper –Gen 1 Night Vision Scope 

• Quorum Room Guardian Alarm, Relative Humidity &
  Temperature Sensor

• Sanyo S701 Microphone 

• TRC-225 5-Watt 40-Channel CB Radio,

• Victoreen CD V-715 Model 1A Survey Meter

• Xact 2-Way Communicator 

• TVS-700 Radiometric Thermal Video System.

Television exposure has increased interest in the paranormal by producing programs of real life investigators in the field today.

Some of the are popular “ghost-hunters” are: “Ghost Adventures” on the travel channel,

“Ghost Hunters” on the Sci-Fi channel, a video from an amateur ghost hunter is shown below.

"Ghost Hunters International”, A & E’s “Paranormal State”, and ”Most Haunted” on The Travel Channel,

There are fiction programs based on real paranormal phenomena such as “Medium” and “Ghost Whisperer”, but I prefer reality.

I have been watching “Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel lately. It is about three young men, Zak, Nick and Aaron, who take themselves way too seriously.

Zak is the lead investigator and whenever the “ghost’ actually makes a noise or moved something after Zak taunted it, he would scream and yelled out for the other ‘dudes”.

“Hey dude, did you hear that? or “Dude, I can’t believe what I just saw!” Well, yeah, if you are going to go into a known haunted place and taunt the ‘ghost” don’t be surprised if they react. Dude!

I don’t think there are any certifications or licensing required to be a “ghost-hunter”, but but have found some “classes’ listed online to teach you how to use the equipment and set up your “business.”

Update* I just found out that Universal Class has a new class in Ghost hunting or paranormal investigations.

You may need to register with your local town as a business if you are getting paid to rid some ghosts.

I have seen an increase in the number of local paranormal investigation groups in my state. Most are amateur and have get togethers to share ghost stories. Some are becoming more involved in actual investigations and have ventured into local old buildings to practice.

It doesn't seem to be very productive to go and stir up the ghosts in these buildings.

The investigators and sometimes psychics, will 'speak' to the spirits and ask them to leave but I never see any conclusion on these ghost hunter shows.

It may give people some reassurance that there are reasons for noises or strange occurances in an old building but nothing is ever resolved. Maybe some one could relay their experiences.

I don’t want to go into any dark, old building .Why can’t they go in the day time? All these programs have all the investigations at night. I’m sure the ghosts are all there during the daylight hours.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not,please vote on my poll before leaving.Thank you for reading my article.