Some reports are probably the products of over-active imaginations and wishful thinking. I don’t see any harm in that, as long as it’s not taken to an extreme. If all someone wants is a “good scare” and they achieve that in a haunted setting… well, that’s in the category of entertainment, not research. As long as everyone’s clear about the difference, that’s fine with me.

I also agree that many ghosts could be as nervous as the most anxious investigators are, if not more nervous. I mean, just by having bodies and the ability to more readily affect the physical environment, we could seem pretty scary to an entity with relatively little influence over their surroundings.

However, just as I avoid obnoxious people, I think it’s possible that some (not all) ghosts would avoid the most vocal and obnoxious skeptics. (They might also avoid the gushiest, most over-the-top believers.) I’m basing that on the concept that ghosts — where there are any — generally behave the same as the living do.

Keeping an open mind, and reviewing the data after each investigation — not on-the-spot in the heat of the moment — is the most sensible approach, regardless of one’s personal biases.

Cheerfully,
Fiona