Behind Ghost Hunting

Ghost hunting followed a renewed interest in spiritualism caused by two young girls that claimed to speak with a dead peddler. Forty years later one revealed that the noises heard during his "presence" were fake, but by that time, such a resurgence of interest occurred that no one cared. The first group that devoted it's time to the search for disembodied souls was a society devoted to ghosts at Cambridge University in 1851. London's Ghost Club started 11 years later. These pioneers provided the beginnings for today's avid ghost hunters.

There are really only three forms of ghost hunting:

The first uses psychic methods to make contacts. Sensitive's walk through a home and make communication with the ghost or go into a trance. Others may use Ouija boards or other channelling tools to make contact.

The second type of ghost hunter uses something known as "ghost buster" tools. These can consist of Infrared cameras, tape recorders and energy measurement tools like the electromagnetic field meter. Pictures of orbs, ectoplasm and spirits represent their proof.

The third type of ghost hunting uses the scientific method. They gather all data and evidence of a haunting and search for normal, natural scientific explanations. If they can find none, then these investigators look to the paranormal for answers.

In their introduction to ghost hunting, The American Ghost Society tells the future ghost hunter's that some of the cases that they investigate are frauds and pranks perpetrated to make the ghost hunter look foolish. Other cases without merit are people that, out of fear, mental illness or some other reason, mistakenly believe that their house is haunted. These ghost hunters search for the truth and understand that the scientific community does not accept their work but make it their duty to find evidence of true hauntings.

Most ghost hunters seek the adventure of the unknown or simply want answers to age-old questions. Some, however, are more dubious and their desire is for personal fame. With the fame and claims of ghost hunting come the fat cheques for the books they authored, or ironically, had authored by ghost-writers. Television guest appearances and movie contracts add to the bounty. These types of ghost hunters usually have spectacular stories, later debunked by further investigation. The public seldom learns of the misinformation and prefers the gripping tale told originally.

The unfortunate effect of the professional attention seeker is that true ghost hunters receive not only a bad name, but further dismissal from the scientific community. Most impassioned ghost hunters want substantial proof that what they believe they experience while hunting spectre was real. The stories aren't spectacular but interesting and as any good ghost story, they can send a chill up your spine.

Across the world, people have the opportunity to join the ghost hunters by paying a small fee to joining a ghostly walking tour of haunted areas. Many times ghost hunters lead these tours and give important historical information as well as relaying stories of ghost sightings at the sites that they have visited.

Keith Ward is the Founder and Director of the Circle of Professional Clairvoyants, which offers Psychic Readings with fully qualified Senior UK Clairvoyants and Psychics.