Podcast: Creating Era Cues – Ghost Hunting

What are “era cues” and how can they trigger ghostly encounters?

In this 12-minute podcast, Fiona Broome discusses the concept of “era cues” as presented on a 2009 episode of Ghost Lab.  She explains how you can use them to improve your research results, as well as what you encounter during ghost tours and events.

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Short version: “Era cues” are things that mimic something from the past — usually something related to a haunting — that can trigger ghostly activity.

By using vocabulary, costuming, props, and other reminders of the past, you can improve your encounters during ghost investigations, ghost tours, etc.

Fiona also suggests reading from old newspaper articles.  That is, something published at the time of the incident that’s related to the incident/s that sparked the haunting.  You may find those articles online, in old books, and in old newspapers (sometimes saved on microfilm at the local public library).

For example, if you’re researching around Bonito City, you might read from the articles posted at Fiona’s article, Bonito City – The Real Story.

However, you can be the trigger (or “era cue”) as well, if something from your past resonates or links to the haunting.  Study your family tree and see how your ancestry connects with haunted locations and the ghosts reported there.

This kind of connection may be why ghosts respond when Fiona visits Salem, Massachusetts’ historic sites.

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Paragenealogy notes:

Fiona’s Salem ancestors include her 10th great-grandfather, Thomas Cromwell (b. 27 May 1618, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England; d. 17 Mar 1686, Salem, Essex Co., MA), as well as Anne Ager Cromwell and Elizabeth Phippen, from the era of Salem’s witch trials.

Links to more information, referenced in this podcast:

Ghost Lab – TV episode (Disturbing the Peace – 6 Oct 2009)

The Myrtles Plantation – official website

John Sabol – MySpace – Book: Re-Haunting of Gettysburg (at Amazon.com)

The Spalding Inn – NH hotel

Salem, Massachusetts – “Witch City” – Salem Witch House

Paragenealogy – Fiona’s book about research ghostly history

Library of Congress newspaper articles

Music: Zombie by Devin Anderson

Photo credit: weatherbox, USA

Sample of “era cues” — also known as POP — in use, from Paranormal State. (Warning: At one point, Ryan uses the f word as he’s acting out the era cue.)