Though we have been capturing ghosts on film since the dawn of photography, the methods by which we are able to do this today has vastly improved, along with the technology of film. Likewise, voice technology, since the invention of the telephone, has vastly improved, and there are some schools of thought that subscribe to EVP, or “Electronic Voice Phenomenon,†which is performed, in essence, by tuning a radio to a “white noise†frequency (usually an AM station) and recording hours and hours of this “fuzz-noise†in the hopes of being able to pick up the voice of a ghost, a concept that many people heartily believe in and pursue quite readily. It has also been observed and documented over the years that the “best times†(though not exclusively) to be able to contact a ghost are the early hours in the morning, around 3 a.m., and again, 12 hours later, at 3 p.m. in the afternoon ��" scientific studies have revealed that both of these times are ideal to “catch ghosts†in their activities because these times reflect the minimum of barometric pressure in the double daily wave, plus the minimum of air movement near the ground, along with a minimum of “oscillations†in terrestrial magnetism. During these times, explored and discovered by Dr. Gunther Wachsmuth in his meteorological book, Earth and Man, there is a great amount of conductivity of the vertical electric current on earth, and of radioactivity in the layers nearest the ground. And because ghosts, like all things, are composed entirely of pure energy, it makes good, common sense to conclude that they will definitely be more active and accessible to us at those time gradients. There are a few different areas of thought on the subject of how to capture ghosts in a medium by which we can view or go over later for further study, and just to cover all the bases, we’ll include all of them here; what might work well for one person may not do the trick for another, so it is safe to try any or all of these methods: 1) Working With Film and Camera Equipment
In today’s state-of-the-art technology, though there are many different ways in which to measure a ghost’s activity; the most popular among these is the camera. High-speed, color film used on either a 35-mm or digital camera will produce good results, as will Polaroid film. Many, many photos of orbs and streaks of white that were not seen by the naked eye when the photos were taken have appeared in Polaroid shots, so just because those are not the “latest and the greatest†of our cameras today, don’t put them on the shelf just yet. It’s best to use two cameras; if you’re going with a team of four or five people, of course, this is much easier to handle; one person can load a 35-mm camera with 400 ASA color print film, and another can shoot with a digital camera. Another good way to capture images of ghosts is with black-andwhite film, and the use of a tripod is an excellent luxury, but often one that the average ghost-hunting team won’t be able to carry around very easily. Use the cameras sparingly, but actively when you sense a ghostly presence or an energy; at these times, you should simply point and shoot, point and shoot, repeatedly, when you feel you have come upon a possible ghost. You should be prepared to go through many, many rolls of film because often, only one or two in 200 photos will actually catch the ghost on film. Remember, they move very quickly and can appear and reappear in the blink of an eye, so make sure you stay on high alert at all times!
2) How To Use Motion Detectors
Before “pointing and shooting,†however, there are other technical devices you should have on hand to be able to detect motion and temperature, which should keep you from wasting too much film. One important piece of equipment is a gaussmeter, which is designed to register deviations in electromagnetic fields. Another is the sound level meter, which is designed to measure the intensity of audio generated from either below or above the human audio range. Yet another very helpful device is a digital thermometer, which measures even the most delicate and slight temperature fluctuations. Also, don’t forget the old, trusty tape recorder ��" magnetic tape, as discussed earlier in this book, will also pick up audio sounds not detectable to the human ear, and you don’t have to spend a great deal on money on a good tape recorder that will provide a digital analysis of sound. When you begin to investigate what you believe to be a haunted place, it’s best to start with the electromagnetic field reader, or “EMF†device. You can go from room to room, scanning for any abnormalities ��" and, most importantly, for reasonable explanations to these abnormal readings, such as any electrical device that gives off a “reading,†sending the sensor shooting way up. If you do eliminate all other reasonable possibilities of an irregular or “abnormal†reading, then point and shoot! It’s also a good idea to have another person in the group test the air temperature; if it drops dramatically in one spot or area in the room, that’s your second “clue†that you may have indeed found a ghost. EMF meters like these are not unique or hard to find; they are available in most electronics stores and can be bought right off the shelf. In particular, however, some units are more desirable than others for these purposes. An EMF detector that has a range of zero to 199.9 milligauss operates on a 9-volt battery and is small enough to fit inside a shirt pocket. Remember that large appliances, such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, fish tanks, etc., will generate a very strong EMF reading, giving you a “false-positive,†so take those precautions discussed earlier to ensure that you’re not just detecting a vacuum cleaner! Watch the screen to determine when and if a reading greater than 1.0 milligauss is obtained; this, without any outside electrical interference, could indicate the presence of a ghost. However, one could get that same reading and watch it immediately drop below the 1.0 milligauss level, which would indicate that the operator of the device may have scanned a ghost moving across the room. These are very sensitive instruments, and great care and patience is needed to be able to arrive at good, verifiable conclusions, so set aside as much time as possible to spend in the areas that you may feel are vulnerable or high in ghostly activity.
3) Using Audio Equipment
Going back to the ghost “voice†phenomenon discussed in Chapter 3, also referred to as the “phantom voice,†these are events in which a ghost seems to be able to speak to us through an electronic medium; it is able to manipulate the machine in such a way so that it reproduces a sound as similar to what we understand and interpret as a “voice,†but it does not call and leave a more lengthy message, etc., because a ghost does not have a voice, as we do; again, ghosts use thought patterns to transmit their energies and manipulate them in various ways through several electronic mediums, and this is just one of the ways in which they can accomplish that. The ghostly “voice†is below or above the human range of hearing, which is the reason that an animal, such as a dog or a cat will be able to “hear†the voices, such as they are, whereas we cannot. For example, a dog can easily hear a dog whistle, but when we blow on it, we hear no sound ��" it is the same principle. The sound device that is best used to pick up ghostly “mutterings†is a simple, small, analog sound meter, similar to the EMF, which also uses a 9-volt battery and when scanned around a room, has a sensitive needle inside which will suddenly “spark†if ghostly sounds are detected. Watch the intensity meter for minor needle movement while the analog sound level meter is set on the lowest scale possible. Then, if you see needle movements, slowly scan the meter around the room until the signal is increased. The needle will then “flutter†lightly back and forth, and it is at this point when photographs should be taken, and a tape recorder should be activated as well to tape any sounds not detectable by the human ear but that can be picked up via magnetic tape and analyzed later.
4) What is a “Cold Spot?â€
Another very reliable method of detecting a ghost’s presence is with a digital thermometer. Investigators have documented many cases in which a narrow column of cold air rises from the floor to the ceiling of a room ��" the investigator can pass their hands through this column, which always appears to be very narrow. When they do so, they have reported feeling a “chill†or a definite “shift†in temperature relative to the rest of the room. This indicates a ghostly presence. But the question remains: Does the “cold spot†create the chills that people feel when their hair is electrified and literally “stands on end?†Does their hair stand on end due to the electromagnetic charge the ghost gives off by its very presence in the room? Because we already know that ghosts use our energy to insinuate themselves into our earth plane, it would be safe to say that this is the case, and that we may be able to soon prove that ghosts enter our plane via a very narrow type of “vortex†or “funnel†instead of just “plopping down,†or “landing†carelessly somewhere. It could be, and it is still being debated today, that the swirling energy vortex through which ghosts make their presence known is the actual source of the column that produces the cold air and the resulting electrical discharge. Photographs that have been taken of these swirling energy vortexes indicate that this energy apparently has matter, or density, to it, because it reflects light (we are able to photograph it, hence it reflects light) and because it also casts a shadow. Anyone interested in trying their luck at becoming a ghost hunter can start building their ghost-hunting tool bag with simple, yet effective tools. There are two items that are “must-havesâ€: a 35-mm with 400 ASA color or black-andwhite film, or a digital camera; and a standard magnetic compass for detecting a ghost’s energies. The compass should be used as a directional finder, using the needle to point to the ghost’s energy. Even with these simple tools, you’ll be well on your way to some happy ghost hunting!
Horatiu A. Davidescu,Ghost Hunter - www.ghost-hunters.clickworldstuff.com
