Hollow Hill

Skeptics and Ghost Hunting

Do you have to believe in ghosts to encounter one?

From my experience: No.

Can a skeptic change their mind about ghosts?

Yes, but when that happens during a ghost hunting event, it can be a problem.

Not only can skeptics realize – to their horror – that they’ve seen, heard, or felt a ghost; they also have to deal with the fact that they’ve been wrong in the past.

The more belligerent and snarky they’ve been about ghosts, the harder it is for them to accept their mistakes.

That’s why I’m wary of skeptics, but – at public events – I also keep an eye on them. Without warning, they may need to be escorted to a quiet place to have an emotional meltdown, sometimes of epic proportions.

I do my best to be sympathetic.

Oh, by the end of the event – or perhaps the next day – hard core skeptics often go back to being obnoxious.

Usually, they’re convinced we pulled a prank to embarrass them, or something like that. (As if any of us would bother. Or risk our reputations like that.)

If telling themselves that false version of the story brings them comfort, I’m not sure that’s okay, but I don’t know what else to say.

Time and time again, I’ve seen that skeptics don’t have to believe in ghosts to experience something bone-chilling at a haunted location.

In fact, it can seem as if the ghosts take particular delight in tormenting them.

So, if you can tolerate the skeptic’s pre-encounter behaviors, it may be worth following them around, just to see what happens.

Or not. Seeing a skeptic react to a ghost can be interesting, but it’s not why you’re at that location. Investigations should never become a spectator sport at the expense of others.

In fact, the most valuable aspect of an investigation is your deeply personal experience, and what you learn about ghosts and paranormal research as a result.

Have you seen a skeptic become a believer… or were you a skeptic at one time? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your story.

Dealing with Jokers at Haunted Sites – Especially at Halloween

Halloween can present one big problem for ghost hunters, and that’s dealing with jokers at haunted sites.

I’m about to rant, and – if you’re an experienced ghost hunter – you’ll probably nod in agreement.

Sometimes in autumn – especially around Halloween – when the weather turns cooler and dusk is earlier, jokers visit haunted sites for amusement.

They act as if ghost hunting is funny. As if the actual ghosts are projections of some kind. A special effect, perhaps, by the site owner, to get attention.

I’ve wondered if some people think actually haunted houses (and other sites) are the same as seasonal, staged haunted house attractions.

(Perhaps those jokers really are ignorant. Literally. If they’re among the 35% – 59% who don’t believe in ghosts, they may not realize the harm they’re doing.)

If you encounter jokers like that, here’s my advice.

First, leave the site immediately.

Whether those annoying (and immature) people are acting-out as obnoxious trolls, or they’ve been drinking, or both, they’re looking to get a laugh at someone else’s expense.

Get away from them as fast as you can.

Then, if it looked like they were already vandalizing the site (or seemed about to), call the police.

I mean it. Do not give stupid people an opportunity to cause damage to any site, haunted or not.

Next, go somewhere else (your Plan B) for your investigation.

If your Plan B falls through, The Shadowlands website can provide a few alternatives. However, some of their listings aren’t genuine or accurate. Mostly, use their lists as reminders of other, nearby places with ghostly reputations.

At a different haunted site, start as fresh as you can. Try to shake off the negative energy of the jokers. If you’re distracted by what happened at the previous site, your focus may not be sharp enough to notice important cues and anomalies. Especially if you’re new to ghost hunting, and not sure what to expect, that can put you at risk.

Then, at another time, not necessarily at night, return – with at least one friend – to the location where the jokers had been.

And when you’re there, apologize – out loud – to the spirits.

Acknowledge that the jokers were obnoxious and mean. Let the spirits know that no one should be taunted, teased, or bullied, ever.

Do ghosts hear us? I have no idea. I may be erring on the side of caution, but most ghosts seem to have enough problems, without being tormented by the living as well.

Yes, now and then we encounter belligerent ghosts and sinister spirits. No one should taunt or provoke them without a very good reason. Often they’re acting-out from a place of pain, themselves.

In that case, do not retort, yell at them, or walk off in a rage. Instead, err on the side of kindness. Let them know that you’re different, and you’re there to understand, and to help if you can.

At most genuinely haunted sites, ghost hunters encounter confused, misguided, fearful, or even bewildered ghosts.

Let’s treat them respectfully, and be helpful when we can.

Not Every “Haunted” Site Has Ghosts, But…

Peter Underwood, one of the early, leading ghost researchers of the 20th century, claimed that 98% of hauntings weren’t ghostly.

My own estimate is closer to 80%, but his estimate may be more correct.

The point is that many apparent anomalies have very normal – but perhaps odd – explanations.

Too often, when I decide to watch a ghost hunting TV show—which is rare—I’m immediately struck by how easily the ghostly phenomena can be explained.

Often, the cause is infrasound from a nearby or underground stream (flowing water) or a highway within a quarter mile.

Vic Tandy demonstrated that issue, years ago.

Does that suggest that all “hauntings” near sources of infrasound are bogus?

Of course not. For all we know, infrasound might make it easier for spirits to manifest in ways we perceive as apparitions, voices, and so on.

However, competent researchers double-check these kinds of explanations. They err on the side of caution.

That may not make TV producers happy, but it’s what genuine ghost research is like in real life.

On the other hand, when a researcher like me has investigated every normal explanation for an anomaly and the location still seems haunted, ghost hunting becomes exciting—even thrilling.

That’s why I’m still a ghost hunter. Like Peter Underwood, my interest is sustained—or even increases—when I investigate a site and can find no reasonable explanation for the ghostly activity there.

It’s probably why you’re intrigued by this field of research, too.

Look for normal – if extraordinary – explanations, first.

Once they’re ruled out, that’s when we’re faced with genuine anomalies.

And they just might be ghosts.

This short video explains a little more about apparitions:

(See more ghost-related videos at my YouTube channel: Ghost Hunting with Fiona Broome.)

Find ghosts tonight! Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries – a quick-start guide for beginners.

Are Ghosts Dead? Louis L’Amour’s Questions

This quote from Louis L’Amour resonated with me on many levels. Really… are ghosts dead, or is something else going on?

If you believe quantum theories about parallel realities, it’s easy to see a connection.

And, as both a ghost hunter and an admitted geek, I kind of love speculation about this.

I’ve talked about this before.

So have other ghost hunters, though most aren’t as outspoken as I am. (The late Rosemary Guiley was quietly convinced of parallel realities. She had some surprising evidence, too.)

Many times, it’s seemed to me that what we detect as a ghost is actually alive and well… but in a parallel reality.

Perhaps it’s a world that – in our reality – is in our past.

It’s a complex tangle to consider, because we’d have to dismiss our usual views of time and how it flows.

Despite that, many of us have had ghostly encounters that can’t be explained any other way.

Sometimes, it’s not just the entity that we sense at the haunted site, but an entire realm.

I’m not sure that explains the recurring procession of Anne Boleyn (headless or not) in the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

Is that ghostly, or just a repeating residual energy haunting?

Many other examples seem to suggest we’re not witnessing anything ghostly.

Instead, it seems like something that’s happening at that very moment.

And – for reasons unknown – its resonance is affecting us in a different timeline.

Is this a radical idea?

Yes. But others have considered it, too. Including author Louis L’Amour.

You don’t have to accept it.

Just keep it in mind, in case – in the future – it’s relevant.

Here’s a short, related video:

Are Ghosts Hiding in Plain Sight?

Are you looking for a “hiding in plain sight” haunted location?

Start with your local library.

Really. I mean it.

In large and moderately large public libraries, there’s almost always one room that everyone – including the staff – prefer to avoid.

Often, it’s a room dedicated to genealogical and historical records. Do the spirits of the dead linger there, hoping to read about their lives, or even their obituaries?

Another likely haunt is the library’s storage room with dusty old magazines and newspapers, if they weren’t yet digitized.

Or, it might be the library’s collection of law books.

Those haunts are usually in the basement or on the top floor, in a room few even notice.

That quote by author Shirley Jackson, is her typically understated way of pointing ghost hunters in the direction of old bookstores and libraries.

In fact, Ms. Jackson’s book, The Haunting of Hill House, may be the most compelling and accurate ghost story ever written. I’ve read it at least a dozen times, and still enjoy it.

Skip the movie remakes of her story. The old b&w version with Julie Harris – called just “The Haunting” – is pretty faithful to Jackson’s tale. I’ve probably watched it a dozen times. It’s available on some streaming services. (The 1999 version with Catherine Zeta-Jones was regrettable.)

From time to time, libraries offer “ghost cam” views of their most haunted areas.

The Grey Lady of Willard Library offers the most opportunities to spot something odd among the books and hallways. (And though I wince at the editing, the first episode of Haunted Collector was filmed at a haunted library in Deep River, Connecticut.)

Or, you might check the list of the 10 most haunted libraries in the U.S. and the 10 most haunted libraries in the U.K.

Go local

Libraries are so haunted, you’ll probably find one near you. A friendly librarian may admit to the site’s ghosts, but other staff members may give you a stern look and tell you to go away; they don’t want anyone to know they believe in ghosts and actually have to work near one.

Start local, anyway. You may stumble upon something fascinated and very haunted.

For example, I visited the Tilton-Northfield (NH) public library regularly, not realizing its basement was haunted. I shared some of that story in my article about Tilton’s “Mystery Tunnels.”

(I think you’ll find more about related ghosts in Rue Taylor Cote’s book, Ghost Hunting in Tilton, NH. I contributed some stories to that book, but it’s been awhile since I read it.)

Remember that community libraries may be the tip of the iceberg if you’re looking for haunted libraries.

Also look for university libraries, law libraries, family history libraries, and so on. Not all will open their doors to you and some may object to you investigating their ghosts.

However, as Ms. Jackson suggested, if you’re looking for “hiding in plain sight” haunts, libraries and old bookstores are good places to start.

Or… once you know what to look for, you might find one in your own home.

When to Take a Break During a Ghost Investigation

When you’re ghost hunting, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or stunned. You may feel too tired to think.

That happens to everyone. Even to pros.

At some haunted sites, it can seem as if the ghosts have an agenda. Or perhaps just one does; that’s all it takes to experience brain fog or an unexpected emotional response.

Remember that ghosts are people, just in a different form. They can behave the same as people you know in real life… including those that annoy you.

Maybe they don’t want to be disturbed. (Previous investigators may have tried provoking them.)
Perhaps one or more ghosts want to be alive again. (Some seem to think that’s possible.)
Others are distraught, not sure how to “cross over.” (That’s when specialists — and ONLY specialists like psychics and spiritualists — can be helpful. Don’t try this if you’re not trained and experienced in this kind of work.)
And then there are the ghosts that, in their own misery, seem to be predators. In true “misery loves company” for, they want to terrify and intimidate the living.

In any of those situations, a ghost — or the combined energy of several ghosts — can make you feel tired. You may realize you’re not thinking clearly, or feel overwhelmed.

During a ghost investigation, take a break.

Leave the site, or go at least far enough away so you’re not under the influence of the ghosts.

Important: Never leave a site by yourself, especially if you’re not feeling well. Contrary to what you may see on TV, no one should be entirely alone and unsupervised during an investigation. Things can go very wrong, very quickly, and with no warning.

Generally, ghosts seem to be too weak and frail to invade your thoughts or cause problems.

However, if your thoughts feel “heavy” or you’re having trouble focusing on your research, pause immediately.

The problem could be simple tiredness, or stress, or even allergies. (Many haunted indoor sites are dusty and can have mold or mildew. Outdoors, some plants, odors from nearby factories, or animal paths can trigger allergic responses.)

Get away from the site for at least a few minutes. Then, you can evaluate what’s going on, and whether you can safely return to the investigation or should just go home.