Am I a fraud? If I’m wrong about ghosts, a better word might be “stupid” or “naive,” but I’m the first to admit — and possibly (regretfully) antagonize the daylights out of some people in this field — that none of us can prove much about ghosts, one way or the other. We can document the phenomena, and the most likely explanation is: It looks like we’re dealing with ghosts. But, all of us could be wrong. Until we have good, scientific evidence, anything is possible.

For example, it’s possible that we’re sometimes dealing with side effects of subterranean water. UK studies have shown that, where there are underground streams or springs, the low-level sounds tend to disorient people so they interpret odd (but normal) phenomena as paranormal. (That sound could also explain why some pets balk at entering “haunted” locations.)

It’s possible that we’re dealing with parallel realities (ref. quantum studies and unified field theory), and the “ghosts” are actually alive and well, but in their own time. Or maybe there are beings in other worlds who are using anomalies to play pranks on us, making us think we’re encountering ghosts.

Or, there could be far more mundane, everyday explanations for what we think are ghosts. I’d be terribly disappointed, of course, but I’m looking for the truth… whatever it is.

So, if you want to call me a fraud because you think I’m wrong… maybe I am. Plenty of people have accused me of being “weird” or “twisted” just because I’m interested in ghosts, so I suppose that label may fit, too.

However, I don’t lie. I gave that up when I was about five years old… I am simply terrible at lying, and never seemed to fool anyone. So, I rarely even try. (That said, I’ve been appalled when I realized that a few people in this field — a very tiny minority — aren’t as honest they could be. That’s why I wrote my article, Scams and Con Artists. )

I am an admitted coward. If I was genuinely afraid of ghosts or the phenomena that I encounter, I’d be the first person out the door. I think of ghosts as real people, but in another dimension or world. They don’t scare me. If they did, I wouldn’t be involved in ghost research. (For the record, I don’t watch scary movies or TV shows, I don’t read Stephen King novels, and I don’t go on most “dark” theme park attractions and won’t go on roller coasters.)

So, I’m not courageous… not like the people who put their lives on the line, every day, defending principles far more important than whether or not it’s a ghost at such-and-such a location.

Keeping this issue in perspective is vital; when ghost hunters (in general, not the TV show) take themselves too seriously, we all lose credibility.

The censorship question is also important to answer.

Originally, I wrote this article to save myself time. I was receiving hundreds of emails asking if that particular episode of Ghost Hunters was fake. Though I didn’t watch the show (and generally don’t watch any ghost-related TV shows), I do know Jason and Grant away from the show. So, as an “old timer” in ghost hunting and someone who trusts Jason & Grant’s integrity, I wanted to reply to the emails with one post, and then get back to my research.

Instead, I’ve kept receiving comments… and replied to them because I like to answer people’s comments and questions when I can. It seems the polite thing to do. So, I didn’t save time, after all.

Also, I created this website in the 1990s to share how-to information about ghost hunting, period. That was years before the Ghost Hunters TV show, etc. I’m interested in research, not entertainment, and I’d rather not spend time discussing TV shows when I could be contributing to the real work in this field. This was intended as a one-time post, and that’s all.

So, in July, I let people know that I’d soon close this article to comments. I kept waiting for a lull, since I know that closing comments can result in losing about 10 recent comments. (That may be a WordPress issue or related to the WordPress theme that I use.) That was never (and still isn’t) supposed to be censorship.

But, we’re almost in “ghost season” now. This year, it started in late July. The media contact me for interviews, people want me to make personal appearances, and so on.

I’m already working 12- to 14-hour days, many days. (I’m not asking for sympathy. I do this work because I enjoy it.) The extra, seasonal work — including my increased research during this active time — requires more time, and that has to come from somewhere.

So, I’ve considered closing the site to comments altogether. I may yet do that. However, I want to try leaving most threads open… but not reply to them, personally. I’m a rather rabid First Amendment rights advocate, so I’d like to maintain Hollow Hill as an open forum, if possible. The only comments that I delete are those that include libelous statements or are far off-topic (dating services, pharmaceuticals, gambling websites, etc.).

My dilemma is… my time. How do I use it to best help those who are seriously interested in ghost hunting?

This week, I’ve finally resumed podcasts. I’m going to try to add a new podcast every second Friday. I’m not sure that I can maintain that schedule, but I’m going to try.

But, as I compare the number of people I can reach with more research, more writing and new podcasts, and how many I reach with individual replies to email and comments… well, the decision should be easy. (For me, it’s not, because I want to reply to everyone.)

I checked the definition of “censor” and the 1644 meaning was, “An official whose duty it is to inspect books, journals, plays, etc., before publication, to secure that they shall contain nothing immoral, heretical, or offensive or injurious…”

With that in mind, I suppose that I do censor comments, since I don’t approve anything that could badly insult someone, or land me (and the person who commented) in a lawsuit for libel. I also remove words that’d be bleeped on most TV shows.

So, regarding censorship, I’ll leave that decision to those who read this. From my view, the label sort-of applies… and yet it doesn’t.

Mostly, I hope this explains more clearly why I’ve closed this thread. And, while I appreciate additional comments, I hope people will respect my time and let this conclude what’s been a very interesting thread, with many important ideas to consider. (If it wasn’t, I’d have deleted the entire thread when I closed this article to comments.)

Must be great to be a cowardly bitch, and obviously a fraud.

Semper Fi

I wanted to get your thoughts about provoking spirits. On the season premiere of Ghost Hunters, Jason and Grant seek out to provoke what might be an inhuman entity. I always thought that provocation of spirits, even as a last resort, is frowned upon by the paranormal investigation community. This investigation took place in a residential home and I think that the conclusion that Jason and Grant came to poses a safety risk to the homeowner.

I have been a GH fan for it’s entire run, and by extension an avid fan of TAPS. I stumbled upon this website by accident when I began a personal quest for the truth after seeing some of the alternate evidence posted by people who have been refuting Grant’s claims.

I have a major problem with some of the things you have said in your posts:

1. You keep expressing this great “personal relationship” with Jason and Grant, yet you say you have never met anyone else in the production crew. How is that possible? They have been followed around by the same production people for five years. They have been using the same GH members in various capacities for much longer than that….. yet you do not know any of them? How is it, that you with all of your experience have never been mentioned? As a guest, a source, or a participant? I mean GH has introduced the audience to nearly every TAPS family member over the years, from episodes with the family cook outs, to the guest appearances from members, and celebrities all over the United States, and the World for that matter. So why don’t we know you?

I mean many people know you, but why don’t we know you as in relationship to the TAPS people or the GH show?

2. You say “Ghost Hunters is not TAPS”, that is patently false, since the entire concept and premise of the show is surrounded by the TAPS offices, and the various employees who perform case manager duties over the years locating sites for TAPS to investigate. TAPS is without a doubt intertwined with GH in every aspect.

3. You were given evidence to review. Evidence that provided at least one persons proof that Grant is a lair, and that on at least one occasion he has duped his audience, his team, the client, and the public in general. Yet you used a cop-out, and off handed sarcasm to excuse yourself from reviewing the evidence.

Isn’t this just a little bit ironic? I mean you have spent a better part of your life searching for answers about issues of the after life, and paranormal experiences. Time after time you have used video, photography, audio, and personal experiences to offer proof and evidence. So how exactly is it that you can sit here and refuse to review that same kind of evidence when it refutes what you believe in?

The video evidence clearly supports that the EVP came from a recording device from someone on the site, because it was heard by the TAPS members, the guest investigators, the production staff, and the director in their ear pieces and headsets…..Why would you offer a rebuttal in defense of an event, when you refuse to examine the evidence?

The video evidence also supports that Grant was acting oddly, that he was continually adjusting his collar prior to, and after the “coat tugging”.

I have participated in OPs where people were pulled aside and interrogated on less visual evidence than the behavior Grant displayed that night. And none of the police officers you know would stand in front of you and tell you they would refuse to examine exculpatory evidence in a case for or against the validity of an event,….and still call themselves objective.

And isn’t that what you are supposed to be, is objective?

And isn’t that what you have been expressing all your life?….for people to listen to you, and be open minded and objective?

The evidence against Grant goes far beyond the live event on Halloween. The evidence for the lamp at the Stanley Hotel is very damning, did you bother to look at that either?

The evidence against Grant as the mysterious “soldier in the hat” in the morgue is again overwhelming, did you look at that?

The “shadow man” at Eastern State, where the leg and shoe were clearly visible in the original unedited footage, did you look at that.

You talk so much about knowing the program and Jason and Grant, then why is it a surprise to you that a “future” episode might have a psychic? The original show used a psychic and a demonologist as interviewers and investigators.

I will give you a couple of points though, the Queen Mary was an inside job, and I do not believe anyone at TAPS had a hand in that. I do not think that Jason, or Steve, or any other TAPS member knowingly supports Grants antics. Also the live shows are totally ambiguous of the regular case work. Because the live shows have to be stopped and started with people doing exactly what they were doing and how they were doing it when they cut away for commercials. So they issues of “staging” might be true to an extent. It is no more staged than a live televised concert, or cooking show. There is all kinds of movement and in-continuity in the breaks, so the shuffling around didn’t effect the reality in the least.

My problem with what you have been saying is you call yourself an investigator, yet readily admit you refuse to look at evidence, based on something so benign as the language used by the production crew in presenting it.

Yet you fault others who do the same from the other side of the coin…

Hypocritical does not even begin to describe your flawed stance about this issue.

Semper Fi

Now in the episode i will admit that yes it does look pretty questionable but if anyone has ever
experienced paranormal activity can admit things happen that dont add up.

For example I have been touched in a couple diffrent investigations and even had film of it. when i went
back to review it NOTHING on my body had moved. Even slightly. You have to understand the ghost
activity is not the same as physical activity. Being hit by a entity is not the same as being hit by someone.

Now secondly I dont think Grant ever said he was pulled off his feet but was like most people thinking someone or something grabbed his collar which like most investigators would probably react to. In fact
many times on an investigation i pulled the same kinda maneuver when i saw something down a hallway or heard something to try and keep my position the same.

And finnally and the most damning evidence to the fact that this was not faked is WHY THE HELL would
Grant risk his career of almost 10 years or more for a fucking collar being tugged? If they REALLY wanted to fake evidence im pretty fucking sure we would being seing the devil himself or someinthg absolutley undeniable before something as petty as that. I mean think about it logically and OBJECTIVELY why of all
times ESPECCIALLY on a LIVE SHOW would they fake something so obvious? WHy not stick to just the stuff
that couldnt be denied. I mean come on Jay and Grant KNOW how badly skeptical their audience can be and have repeatedly thrown out pretty good evidence on that fact. The simple fact remains that they had so little to gain and so much to lost from that. And honestly if they where in it for the money like some people want to say than why was thier first season in a trailer? BECUASE THEY NEVER TOOK MONEY FOR INVESTIGATIONS. Some skeptics are just as bad as some belivers in that they will take anything and run with it as far as possible.

All i have to say is until you have actually been out in the field doing REAL paranormal research you have NO idea what its like. Nothing makes sence and you almost get used to the whole fact that your in the twilight zone. IN my personal opinion they DID NOT FAKE IT, period. Want more ? How about their Queen mary investigation? When someone actually faked evidence and they discovered it and where pissed. Honestly It just doesnt add up that they would stake so much on something as silly as a supposed string down a jacket.