It was filmed during one of the Rev. Mr. Emery’s workshops, [...]]]> Ghosts by Kevin Ross Emery is a somewhat quirky, New Age video.  At first, the amateurish quality may disappoint you.  (It doesn’t live up to the great cover image.)  However, this video may be worthwhile for some paranormal enthusiasts.

It was filmed during one of the Rev. Mr. Emery’s workshops, and it’s a full-length class.

As a professional ghost hunter, I’m always interested in others’ research in this baffling, spiritual field. We’re looking for new leads and fresh answers.

Seeing ghost phenomena through Kevin’s eyes as a spiritual catalyst, healer and medical intuitive, I gained helpful new insights.

In this video, “Dr. Kevin” shares a variety of stories from his own paranormal encounters. His views are often refreshing.

Mr. Emery and I disagree heartily on a several points.  A few are significant and his assertions could annoy experienced paranormal researchers.  That said, I think this video is worth seeing.  In general,  information is very useful for beginners and he suggested some research angles that hadn’t occurred to me before.

For example, he talks about why some spirits don’t realize that people on the other side can help them cross over.  In situations where we’re trying to help spirits move on, this is useful to consider.

I recommend this video for any ghost researcher with an open mind, who is looking for different answers to lingering questions.

This could also be useful viewing for fiction writers who want a wider range of material to draw upon, when adding ghostly elements to a story.

Or, if you simply love hearing good, real ghost stories, you’ll enjoy this video and share it with friends around Halloween, or on winter nights when the wind howls and the house creaks.

I always consider it a little chilling when someone talks about ghosts in a very matter-of-fact, almost flippant manner.  While Mr. Emery remains respectful, he doesn’t take himself too seriously.  I like that.

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And, skeptics go to absurd extremes to create natural explanations for clearly extraordinary events.

What’s even more amusing is watching them try to look as if everything is perfectly normal, when they’re usually the most frightened of anyone.

Ghosts do [...]]]> Skeptics are the most fun to watch. Ghosts often pick on them mercilessly.

And, skeptics go to absurd extremes to create natural explanations for clearly extraordinary events.

What’s even more amusing is watching them try to look as if everything is perfectly normal, when they’re usually the most frightened of anyone.

Ghosts do not fit into their accepted reality.

Most skeptics take seriously only the things that are in their own control… or that they think are. So, when we hand them a normal hiking compass and, in one haunted spot, the compass needle swings a full 50 degrees from where it should be (pointing North), they’re temporarily speechless.

(See our article about Ghost hunting with a compass Hiking compasses can be used to detect the high EMF levels that we find at haunted places.)

A closed-minded disbeliever will walk the same path 40 or 50 times, just to watch the compass needle swing dramatically near a haunted grave or a tree that’s been “sacred” since pre-Colonial times. It seems to take skeptics forever to accept what they’re seeing.

We’re only half-joking when we say that skeptics should never travel without an ankle brace or at least an ace bandage or two. We’ve seen holes in the ground appear out of nowhere, just so the skeptic steps into it and turns his or her ankle. In fact, on one ghost hunt in NH, we watched about half a dozen “snake holes” open up over a period of about four or five minutes.

On that ghost hunt, the victim was a skeptic who insisted on cracking “dead” jokes… you know, things like, “I’ve been dying to visit this place,” and, “You’re making enough noise to wake the dead.”

She had a nasty sprained ankle after stepping into several of these holes. She was watching where she was going, but the holes were opening up faster than her reflexes could avoid them.

Skeptics are also more likely to notice noises, or the lack of them. If a skeptic is along, he or she will be the first one to point out when all of the animals (birds, squirrels, etc.) have gone silent.

Skeptics are more likely to “hear” voices. What they’ll usually describe are people talking, just out of earshot. For quite awhile, the spirits play with them (in a not-nice way) by talking so that the voices (usually whispers) are heard, but the victim can’t make out what they’re saying.

Experienced ghost hunters can spot this easily. The victim will stand there, turning his or her head in all kinds of weird angles, trying to position him or herself “just so,” to hear the words.

Finally, when the spirits are tired of that prank, they’ll start talking clearly in very threatening terms. The skeptic/victim will tell us that there are people (they rarely admit that these are ghosts) who are talking about “getting” us.

Skeptics usually insist that the voices are coming from a place where… well, everyone else can see that nobody’s there.

For example, the skeptics will insist that the voices come from people hiding in a nearby wooded area. They’ll refuse to accept that there’s no moonlight and, with the fallen branches and twigs in that wooded area, we’d also hear people stepping (or tripping over) stuff. Or, we’d see their flashlights. There’s no way that living people (with bodies) are silently walking through those woods… not if they’re close enough that someone–and only one person–can hear them talking.

Skeptics become panicky when cellphones won’t work at a haunted site, no matter how clearly we’ve warned them about this ahead of time. And, they won’t even try the technique that usually works: Cross the street (in any direction) to a non-haunted area, and the phone will work again.

Skeptics are usually the first to insist on leaving a haunted site. But, they rarely leave by themselves. They stay and insist that everyone is in danger, and we all have to leave. They can be obnoxious. One of our team will escort them to a coffeeshop and leave them there, as soon as the skeptic has calmed down enough to be left alone.

There is rarely a point at which a skeptic admits that the “danger” is from ghosts. They are adamant that these are real, living people that they’re perceiving.

If they do accept that this is paranormal, within 48 hours, they’re back to being skeptics again. It’s what we call “the Scrooge syndrome,” where they insist that the spirits were just a bit of underdone potato or something.

Ghosts are more likely to torment skeptics than people who keep an open mind about the possibilities of hauntings.

And, it’s usually proportionate to how outspoken and skeptical the critic is when he or she arrives at the site.

Ghosts? Not everyone believes in them.

Oh, many people are afraid of the dark. Even more people become edgy when they hear unexplained noises after dark.

Let’s talk about fact and fiction, related to ghosts.

Generally, there are three common kinds of hauntings: residual energy, active hauntings, and poltergeists.

Some ghost hunters use different [...]]]>

Ghosts? Not everyone believes in them.

Oh, many people are afraid of the dark. Even more people become edgy when they hear unexplained noises after dark.

Let’s talk about fact and fiction, related to ghosts.

Generally, there are three common kinds of hauntings: residual energy, active hauntings, and poltergeists.

Some ghost hunters use different terms for these classifications, but the concepts are the same no matter what words we use.

Residual energy hauntings are just a location that “feels” haunted. There may be some activity, and even an apparition or two… but it’s the same thing, every time. The activity usually occurs on a certain day or date, and sometimes at a particular time. Or, it might be activated by a specific trigger, such as when a certain song is played on the radio. I usually describe this as stored energy that lingers after an event (or events) that included strong emotions. It’s like an iron that remains hot long after you turn it off.The vast majority of reported hauntings turn out to be residual energy hauntings.

Active hauntings are similar to residual energy hauntings, but the ghost (or ghosts) will respond to modern-day events in its vicinity. That is, if you talk to the ghost, it will respond or at least pause what it’s doing.

When we’ve investigated reports of hauntings, fewer than 20% turn out to be active hauntings. Most are residual energy hauntings that will fade away in time, if they’re ignored.

And–to break another stereotype–few ghosts appear as apparitions; that is, complete figures that everyone can see. It’s also unusual to see an apparition that appears gruesome, bloody, or extremely old or young.

Most ghosts are identified by what they do, the impressions that they make upon witnesses, or anomalies measured with scientific equipment and cameras or recorders.

Poltergeists are a controversial topic among ghost hunters and parapsychologists.

Poltergeists are, literally, “noisy ghosts.” When you hear about dishes flying across the room, or stones raining from the ceiling, that’s a poltergeist.

Some people believe that poltergeist phenomena is psychokinesis (also called PK) or telekinesis. That is, it’s caused by someone who is very much alive and has elevated abilities related to ESP. According to this theory, people are able to move things with the power of their minds, without physical contact.

Most people believe that the poltergeist is a mischievous or malicious spirit, acting on its own. It torments one or more people until it gets bored and goes somewhere else.

However, some ghost researchers–including me–believe that poltergeists are a two-part phenomenon. The energy for the activity is provided by someone who is very much alive. The pranks and noises are caused by the ghost.

One of the most intriguing lines of research relates to water and poltergeists. Poltergeist phenomena seems to increase around water–in the kitchen, bathroom, or a dining area where water is served. And, even in areas where there is no naturally occurring water, after a poltergeist episode, unexplained water appears in the area.

In general, ghosts can appear anywhere, but history–and perhaps geography–usually provide good reasons why the site may be haunted.

Likewise, there are three main stereotypes among ghost hunters: Rabid skeptics, over-enthusiastic “true believers,” and… well, everyone else.

Rabid skeptics go to extremes to find normal explanations for events that most people would label paranormal. The stereotype is male, over 25 years old (usually over 40) and he’s annoyingly sarcastic.

Over-enthusiastic “true believers” are the polar opposite of rabid skeptics. In the stereotype, they tend to be teens or young adults, or mature (45+) adults.

They eagerly choose paranormal explanations for events that might well be normal. They’re more likely to be skeptical of the normal explanations, poking holes in them, rather than vice versa.

These two groups–rabid skeptics and ardent “true believers”–probably make up less than 10% of all ghost hunters.

However, skeptics and overly-enthusiastic believers tend to stand out in the crowd. So, many ghost hunters have to deal with these labels in the media and public opinion.

Let’s talk about reality now.

The vast majority of ghost hunters are healthy skeptics who admit that some events can’t be explained, and may be caused by ghosts. Most ghost hunters believe in ghosts–at least in theory–but some don’t. Generally, they’re looking for proof, one way or the other, but how they define “proof” varies widely. What seems like compelling evidence to one person may seem laughably shaky to another.

In general, most ghost hunters are everyday people. At any ghost investigation, you’ll usually find a mix of genders and a wide range of ages and backgrounds.