Hollow Hill

Are Ghost Hunting TV Shows Real? – Podcast

In this 5-minute podcast, you’ll learn what’s (probably) real – and what isn’t – on ghost hunting TV shows.

In the past, I’ve talked about how “real” (or fake) ghost hunting is, on TV shows.

I’m always happy to explain why some of what you see on ghost hunting TV shows… Well, it had to be recreated from an earlier experience. That’s not quite “fake,” but it’s not entirely real, either.

Sometimes, no one with a camera was nearby, and a great, ghostly encounter wasn’t filmed. So, the cast and crew try to recreate it.
At other times, the ghost hunter was so stunned by what a ghost did, the ghost hunter didn’t react. It’s like they paused, almost frozen with surprise, thinking, “Wait, what the heck…?” And that moment also had to be recreated for the camera crew to film.
And yes, sometimes the show’s director (or other cast member) wants the ghost hunter to fake a big surprise, when — to the ghost hunter — whatever-it-was seemed silly, minor, or not paranormal. (Remember, stars of those shows are under contract, and the contract may require the star to follow all instructions from the episode’s director or producer… even if it’s at least 90% fake.)

For my related 2019 article – with a LOT more insights, and links to dig deeper. It might help you understand how ghost hunting on TV (and at YouTube, etc.) went a bit off-the-rails.

It may also explain why some of the earliest stars of related shows… Well, they quit.

Or they quit until they realized how difficult it was, going back to their lives before they became famous. Here’s that link: Ghost Hunting TV Shows – Are They Real?

For an even earlier article with additional details, especially for new ghost hunters, see my original article. It was written in 2009. To me, late 2008 looked like a turning point in ghost-related television shows. They were starting to add hype and artificial drama to the staged “ghost hunting” that fans were seeing. Here’s that link: Ghost Hunting on TV – Is It Real?

Talking about real ghost hunting, I often reference something we’ve called “baselining.” It’s rarely shown on TV, but most professionals consider it essential. For more information about how to baseline yourself before (and sometimes during) ghost investigations, see “Baseline Yourself for Ghost Hunting.”

AND THIS MAY BE HELPFUL, IF YOU WANT TO FIND GHOSTS YOURSELF…

Or… If you’d like to be ON a ghost hunting TV show, here’s that info:

“Living for the Dead” – Season One Review

If you’ve wondered whether “Living for the Dead” is worth watching, I understand. A lot of ghost-related TV shows aren’t impressive. In fact, they’re almost parodies of what genuine researchers do. (Can you hear my exasperation as I write that? Probably.)

However, “Living for the Dead” is different… on many levels.

In this 18-minute, unscripted review, I talk about the show and briefly describe what I liked (and didn’t) in each of the eight episodes.

(One episode was truly “meh” for me, but that’s not the fault of the cast. And, as an occasional location scout, I’ve seen this recurring problem far too often. I mention that in the video… while trying not to tell you too much, and spoil that episode altogether.)

Here’s my review, as a YouTube video. (I apologize for the audio quality. With seasonal allergies, my voice isn’t as reliable or consistent as I’d like, but I wanted to share this review as quickly as possible.)

And, if you’ve watched the series, I hope you’ll share your opinions in comments, below.

How to Find Haunted Graves – Videos and Links

Many cemeteries are haunted.

In fact, most of them may have some eerie energy, if not actual ghosts.

Of course, I always look for known haunts. The website, TheShadowlands.com, is one of the best places to start, though pranksters and trolls may have added fake entries, for their own amusement. (So, fact-check everything. There are enough legitimate listings at that site to recommend it.)

But almost every community has a “haunted” cemetery. Some of the best are from the late 18th and 19th centuries, when grave markers and headstones conveyed a rich sense of history.

Find the oldest cemetery in the area, and start there. (But follow my usual ghost hunting guidelines, especially at isolated cemeteries.)

HERE’S WHAT TO LOOK FOR

(And yes, that is my foot in one of the photos, blue nail polish and all.)

CAN’T FIND A HAUNTED CEMETERY? THIS MAY HELP…

ARE YOU A NEW GHOST HUNTER? READ THIS BOOK!

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners

FIND GHOSTS TONIGHT! Learn how to find the most frightening, haunted graves in a cemetery near you.

IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

– HOW to find a haunted cemetery near you.
– WHAT to look for (AND look out for).
– HOW to organize for the fastest (and scariest) results in ANY haunted cemetery.
– WHEN to arrive at the site, and how to avoid real-life dangers
– WHERE you’ll find the scariest ghosts… and sometimes malicious spirits.
– How long to stay… and WHEN TO LEAVE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!.

YOU CAN START TONIGHT. Read this book. It’s short but you’ll learn the basics.

Then go out and find real ghosts!

Available as an eBook at Amazon and other booksellers. (This is the updated edition of “A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries.”)

…OR, LEARN ALL THE SECRETS OF HAUNTED CEMETERIES

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A How-To Guide : CLASSIC EDITION

Step into the eerie realm of haunted cemeteries.

This is a full, very detailed guide to exploring haunted cemeteries with your ghost hunting team.

It covers ALL the ins & outs of cemeteries… exactly where to look, what to look for on gravestones, how to find unmarked graves (they can be very haunted), and more.

In “Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries – Classic Edition,” you’ll learn to discover haunted cemeteries near you, pinpoint the most active areas, inside and outside the cemetery, and identify the graves most likely to hold supernatural secrets.

With step-by-step instructions and expert tips, you’ll learn how to conduct thorough investigations, and find haunted graves that others might walk right past. (Be prepared: Some ghosts don’t like being ignored. If you’re the first to pause and try to contact them, things might turn scary.)

This is the classic guide, updated and expanded. It goes far beyond the basics. Whether you’re a seasoned ghost hunter, or someone intrigued by eerie places, this book is your key to unlocking the mysteries that lie within haunted cemeteries.

Available at Amazon and other booksellers.

AND ONE MORE TIP FOR GHOST HUNTERS…

DO YOU LIKE OLD CEMETERIES?

Here’s one of my early “walking around” videos. For most people, it might be boring. I filmed it to test my new action camera.

However, it’ll give you a good idea of what to expect at haunted New England cemeteries. During my visit, I noted at least three graves that I expect to be haunted. Unfortunately, two that seem most active are right next to a busy road; they’re not great for after-dark investigations.

(In future videos, I will walk more slowly and pause at interesting – and perhaps haunted – gravestones.)

Easy Ways to Find Ghosts – Local History & Legends

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for fresh, undiscovered haunts. Not mild, “well, I suppose that might be a ghost” sites, but locations where ghostly activity is so vivid, it’s almost terrifying.

I’ll tell you a secret.

I use history and legends to find ghosts and haunted places.

Here’s an extreme example: The True-Life Horror That Inspired Moby-Dick, from the Smithsonian website.

** I do not recommend reading that article if real horror disturbs you. **

It’s a great example of resources “hiding in plain sight” when we’re looking for fresh places to investigate.

As I skimmed that story, I was intrigued.

This may seem morbid (ghost research often is), but my first thought was, “Is Captain Pollard’s home haunted?”

Searching historical records to identify where that site is located… Well, I might recommend it to ghost hunters.

(If I have the Pollard location right – and this was only a fast, cursory search – that Nantucket (MA) building was at risk of being torn down in 2021. However, at first glance, it looks like Zillow currently lists it as “off the market.”)

Then I’d go a step further: I’d look at the list of other survivors of that voyage, and find where they lived – and died – after that horrific experience.

And that thought led to another:

How often do we limit ourselves, looking only at famous sites where people died or are buried?

What about other, associated locations where horror happened, and where survivors relived it in their minds? At the very least, that would have left an imprint on the site.

The Smithsonian article was a reminder that the past – even the mid-19th century – had brutal elements beyond anything we’d want to think about.

For me, reading about Captain Pollard’s life and tragic voyage, I learned two things:

Intensely “haunted” sites may be found by digging deeper into history, such as the residences of those who sailed on the real-life Pequod.
We may be over-simplifying, or even whitewashing, the related tragic histories. Historical research could help us understand and empathize with the lingering, ghost-like residual energy of haunted sites.

In ghost hunting, there’s always a fresh way to look at our research.

For me, the real-life horror behind the Moby-Dick novel is an intriguing discovery. And it opens doors – perhaps literally – to fresh places to investigate.

If you’d like to test this approach to ghost hunting, here are the basic steps I’d take:

Search online using a phrase like “[location] tragedy [year].” (I’d focus on the 19th century, to start with.)
Then, research the address to see what’s there. (You can use a site like Zillow to find photos.)
Investigate it.
Look for names of people related to that tragedy… victims and villains.
Find out where their graves are, and investigate them.
Research other sites related to those people, especially homes, hotels, and failed businesses.
Investigate them.
Repeat using “[location] legends,” and dig deeply into history to uncover true (or likely true) odd and dramatic events, and so on.

Do you just want to see a ghost? This short video may help.

For more on that topic, see my longer article, How to See a Ghost.

Find ghosts tonight!

Ghosts may linger in your hometown, maybe even a few blocks from where you are right now.

GHOST HUNTING IN HAUNTED CEMETERIES – A Quick-Start Guide for Beginners

FIND GHOSTS TONIGHT! Learn how to find the most frightening, haunted graves in a cemetery near you.

IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

YOU CAN START TONIGHT. Read this book. It’s short but you’ll learn the basics.

Then go out and find real ghosts!

Available as an eBook at Amazon and other booksellers. (This is the updated edition of “A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries.”)

Do Ghosts Sense Time as We Do?

Often, it seems as if ghosts’ sense of time – that is, how much has passed since they died – is skewed.

Here’s an interesting (and geeky) study about how we perceive time.

It could be important.

It may affect ghost hunting, and how we communicate with spirits.

Basically, this study shows that time seems to go faster (and faster, and faster) as we get older.

Could that also affect how ghosts sense time?

Here’s the article that made me question this: Physics Explains Why Time Passes Faster As You Age. (Warning: The article is long, sometimes technical, and loaded with ads.)

That’s intriguing from a quantum viewpoint, of course. It’s even more thought-provoking in a ghost hunting context.

Let’s say it’s true that – as the article says – “the years seem to fly by the older we get.”

Does that pace continue to speed up, even after the person has passed?

Does a spirit that’s, technically, a 150-year-old entity, perceive events from 80 years ago (or more) as “just the other day?”

Is that one reason why some ghostly energy may linger here?

Is it because the spirit truly thinks they died (or just fell ill, or had that accident) yesterday, and – somehow — they can resume their lives with just a minor fix, cure, or tweak?

Would that also explain why so many ghosts seem baffled by how different our current world is?

Perhaps they think what they’ve landed in is just a dream, and — in a few hours — they’ll wake up and life will be back to normal again.

It’s an interesting thought, and one we should probably consider when we’re in contact with what seem to be ghosts.

The ghosts’ sense of time — how much has passed since the “yesterday” when they were alive — may be very different from ours.

How to Find Hidden Haunted Sites… in Winter

Would you like to find hidden haunted sites?

Winter – or whenever the weather is just too awful for ghost hunting – is an ideal time to find forgotten and hidden haunts.

As I’m writing this, I’m in coastal Maine (USA) and it’s November. Recently, the weather has been rainy and rather miserable. At night, some roads are dangerously icy, too.

So, I’m unlikely to go outside for ghost hunting, but I’m still looking for overlooked haunted places.

This is what I do every winter:

I do deep research to find historical – and potentially ghostly – places near me.

And all of that can be done at my desk, with occasional visits to local libraries and historical societies.

The more I prepare ahead of time, the more likely my haunted house investigations will be successful… and eerie.

These tips may help you find ghosts during your next ghost investigations, too.

(In a warmer climate, such as in Florida or southern California, the following advice would apply to the hottest summer months. Any time you’d rather stay indoors, it’s a good time for deep, background research.)

Ghost Hunting Preparations… and Ghostly Rapport

If you’re like me, you love to roll up your sleeves and dig into the history of haunted places.

That can help you find ghostly locations that no one else knows about yet.

At the very least, it’ll improve your results when you’re ghost hunting.

For example:

Calling a ghost by their actual name (or nickname, if you discover it) can make a big difference.
Ditto, identifying relationships that were important to them, so you can mention names of people they care(d) about.
You may discover which objects from their past – or items similar to them – could be trigger objects.

Also, with our new understanding of how people sense time passing, those references may be more useful than we’d realized.

After all, what if the ghost doesn’t understand that it’s the 21st century, not 1859 (or whenever the ghost died)?

What if the ghostly entity is genuinely convinced that they’re waiting for a friend, lover, or associate to show up? (The ghost beneath the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland is a good example. He truly thought he was just waiting for someone.)

Often, rapport with the spirit can make a big difference. Understanding the entity’s point of view can be useful.

And, to get the best results, knowing details of the related person’s life and times can be important.

Will This Be Your Best Ghost Hunting Year So Far?

If it’s a time of year when – frankly – you’d rather stay at home instead of braving the elements, here’s how to turn that into an opportunity.

First, decide where you’d like to investigate – or where you’ll investigate, most often – in the year ahead.

Then, with those locations in mind, focus on one, single aspect of one potentially haunted site. (In other words, don’t try to learn everything about every haunted place on your investigation list. Start with just one, and go deep. That’s essential when you want to find hidden haunted sites.)

For example:

If you love history in general, dig into the era when the likely ghosts lived, and how they might be affected. (One of my most useful references is The People’s Chronology. It covers far more time than I need, but I like how it’s organized, and how many cultural references are included, so I get a better sense of the ghosts’ past.)
A site like The People History can provide helpful cues. For example, if your ghosts lived in the 1920s, playing music from that era might spark some residual energy, or bring spirits out of the shadows.
If you’re intrigued by the site’s location, explore local history. The best resources may be the nearest historical society, as well as the reference section of the local library. See what dramatic events happened near (or even at) the potentially haunted site.
Similarly, consider ley lines. I’m editing my book about how I identify hidden haunted places, sometimes within feet of where they’re most active. Until that book is available, the basic concept is: Identify other, nearby haunts or sites with odd energy, and – with a map – literally connect the dots. (My Salem Judges’ Line map is an example, and it’s led to other eerily “haunted” sites.)
While you’re looking at maps, also check travel map, geological maps, and so on. (In the U.S., that might include the US Geological Survey database. In the UK, the British Geological Survey can be helpful.) Look for nearby rivers and streams, and possible underground water sources that could produce (and therefore debunk) ghostly, infrasound-related anomalies. Also check for highways – especially nearby bridges – and railways for sources of infrasound that could trigger otherwise-unexplained ghostly phenomena. (Generally, pets are most immediately affected by transportation-related infrasound. If your dog barks frantically at irregular times, it may not be sensing a ghost… or it might. You’ll need to investigate to be certain.)
If you find a particular person’s life compelling, dig into that person’s family history. Ancestry.com is my favorite go-to site for this, but some free records at FamilySearch.org can be helpful (but be sure to double-check them). To find hidden haunted sites, look for quirks in the family tree, such as siblings no one ever talks about, or a family member curiously missing from the family plot… and that could unlock the real reason – and site – for the haunting.

Warning: It’s easy to get sidetracked. Try to focus on just one kind of historical research at a time. Go as deep as you can. Hidden haunted sites are there!

Later, if you want more context for the apparent ghosts’ lives, you can stack research into other aspects of the deceased’s life and times. Or dig into the history of another, related haunted site.

With resources like those, you can uncover a wealth of information that will lead to better paranormal investigations.

If you truly know your ghosts’ world, even before you set foot inside the locations they haunt, you’ll be far ahead of other researchers.

So, take advantage of “bad” weather. Use that time for research. It can be the make-or-break difference for your upcoming visits to historical, eerie places.

Did I miss a useful, online resource for remotely finding hidden haunted sites? Let me know.