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.

How to Talk to an Audience about Ghosts – Checklist

For many years, I’ve spoken to groups of all ages, kinds and sizes. It’s a delight to tell people about this field.

I’ve learned a lot about what to say (and what not to say) and when to say it.

I hope this checklist helps you when you’re asked to speak in public, too.

Remember: You don’t have to include everything from this list. It’s a guideline to make presentations easier.

CHECKLIST

1. Introduction

Your name (or the name you use for this work) and where you are from.
How long you have been involved in paranormal research.
Why you began this research.
If you have a specialty, what it is, and why it is important to this research.

2. About your team (if you are part of one)

Name of your team, where it is based, and the area you cover.
How long your team has been researching.
Introduce team members by name and specialties, if they are with you.
What services you provide to the public (investigations, training, talks like this one) and how much — if anything — you charge.

3. The tools you use (if any)

Hold up each tool and explain what it is called, what it does, and how often you use it in your work.
Describe what you have brought with you to demonstrate (such as how an EMF meter works) or what you will be presenting (audio, video, a walking tour, etc.).
Explain which tools can be used by anyone (hiking compass/EMF meter, flashlight for yes/no, etc.) and which are best for professionals (IR video cameras, Frank’s Box, and so on.)

4. Present your information

If you are reporting on one or more investigations:
- Give an overview first.
- Explain where you researched, when, and why.
- Describe your experiences floor-by-floor and room-by-room. (A floor plan or map may help them visualize each encounter.)
- Tell the audience what “normal” would be, before each recording or demonstration.
- Demonstrate the research technique or play the recording three times (if it is short) and then ask if anyone has a question about that evidence.
- Take general questions and discuss specific situations at the end of the talk.
- If you are telling “ghost stories,” tell people whether they are fictional or your true experiences.
- Illustrate your stories with photos, recordings and/or drawings.
- Remember that your audience wants to be entertained. Use broad gestures, lots of variety in your voice, and so on.
- If you are taking the group on a walking tour, talk about where you are going, safety concerns, and your general rules (such as when they can ask questions). Then, lead the tour. (Optional: Organize them in teams of two, so no one gets lost or left behind.)

5. Close the talk

Tell them that you have completed your presentation.
Ask for questions or comments. Be sure they understand that there are no firm answers to most questions, and that is why we are still conducting research.
Refer the audience to your website, books, events, workshops, etc., for more information.
Close with contact information, and distribute any handouts you brought with you.
Explain that you have to leave at a certain time (be specific and stick to that), but you are happy to talk with people privately — for just a few moments — if they have questions.
Thank them for attending.
Smile when they applaud.
Before leaving, thank your host and give them a small gift (e.g., a book, a CD of EVP or a general presentation, a “ghost photo” from the location).

[Thanks to Claudia of Parahunt.com for restoring this.]

How to Choose a Ghost Tour

Ghost tours are popular all year ’round, and especially at Halloween.

However, their popularity has also led to some really bad ghost tours, and some shady marketing methods.

What kind of ghost tour would you like?

Ghost Tour Quadrants

I’m aware that “good” or “bad” depends on what you’re looking for. The grid at right can help you find the right ghost tour for you.

To be sure you’re getting tickets for a ghost tour you’ll like, ask questions before you buy the tickets.

Many people are looking for the experience. Will it be scary and seem real? Or, will it be silly, ridiculously theatrical, and just for laughs?

There are audiences for both kinds of tours.

Will you be accompanied by young children on the ghost tour? You’ll probably want something that won’t give them nightmares. Choose the tours that’d fit the right side of the quadrant: Both silly and funny and obviously made-up.

Tell the tour operator if you’ll have small children with you. Ask how scary the tour could be, and how lurid the stories are. No tour guide or company wants to be sued for emotional distress that could have been avoided.

Are you on your own, or with other adults? Do you want something kind of creepy, that you’ll laugh about later, because — looking back on it — the stories were so obviously fake?

Ask (a) if the tour is scary at times (does anyone scream), and (b) if it’s “all in good fun,” and folklore more than serious stories of tragedy.

Tip: No tour operator wants to be asked if the stories are “fake” or if the tour is “ridiculous.” They’ll respond better to words like folklore, colorful stories, lots of laughs, and so on.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something genuinely terrifying with real history — London’s Jack the Ripper Walk comes to mind — ask the tour operator if the tour is okay for small children. If they reply with a firm “no,” that’s probably the tour you’re looking for.

Also, if you’re expecting some genuine ghost hunting experiences, ask if the stories are all real and if they were researched academically. The term, “academic,” will usually put off anyone with fake stories.

I’m not popular on some ghost tours in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

They usually pause at the LaLaurie Mansion and talk about Madame LaLaurie screaming at her slaves in a French accent. At that point, I tend to remind the audience that Madame LaLaurie’s husband was French-speaking. She was actually the daughter of Irish immigrants. If she had an accent, it probably wasn’t French.

And, if the tour guide points to a window on the third floor and describes the (probably fictional) horror of the little slave girl leaping to her death, I often blurt that the third floor didn’t exist when Mme. LaLaurie lived there. The third floor was added later.

Fake tours don’t like people like me in the crowd. If you’ve already done some historical research about the locations along the tour, they won’t like you, either.

Many of the best ghost tours are somewhere between fun and scary, and mix researched history with some credible folklore.

Use the quadrant above to decide exactly what you’re looking for. Then, be sure to ask appropriate questions.

Shady marketing practices among ghost tours

Recently, I spoke at the Central Texas Paranormal Conference in Austin. During the event, I chatted with another speaker at the event, Dash Beardsley (owner of Ghost Tours of Galveston).

For many years — probably since 1999, when his tours were launched — I’d heard great things about them. According to reports, his tours are the second most popular ghost tours in the United States. (New Orleans usually claims the #1 spot for ghost tours.)

So, he knows a thing or two about ghost tours.

Dash shared some insights about the darker side of the ghost tour industry… and not the fun kind, either.

New ghost tours are trying to cash in on the reputation of established (and well-liked) ghost tours. They’re copying the names, just enough to confuse visitors. So, when you’re looking for Ghost Tours of Oshkosh (Wisconsin), you might see a list like this:

Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
Real Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
Original Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
Scary Ghost Tours of Oshkosh
Best Oshkosh Ghost Tours
Ghost Tours Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Best Ghost Tours

(That’s a made-up list. I have no idea if Oshkosh has ghost tours, or what they’re called.)

That name game is why you need to ask questions before you take the tour. And, if a friend recommended a tour to you, get all the details from him or her, so you know exactly which tour to take.

Refund policies on ghost tours

Whether or not you’re on the tour you’d expected, you usually know — within a few minutes — if it’s the right tour for you. If it isn’t, discreetly let the tour guide know that you’re leaving the tour and you’d like a refund.

The problem is: Some tour companies give no refunds for any reason. Ask what their refund policy is, before you buy your tickets. (Most honest tours will refund your money in full, as long as you leave the tour within the first half hour or so.)

But, by the time you realize it’s not the right tour for you… it may be too late. If you’re only in town for that night, it’s probably too late to join the tour you wanted, and your evening was wasted. Don’t let that happen. Always ask questions before the tour starts and before you buy tickets.

Plan ahead for the best ghost tour experience

As you can see, planning ahead — asking the important questions — can make all the difference. It’s especially important if you’re looking for a particular kind of ghost tour: Something safe for little kids, or something with perfect historical accuracy. Print this article and use it as a guide when you’re shopping for the best ghost tours.

And, if you’re in the Houston or Galveston area…

If you happen to be around Galveston, be sure to take one of Dash Beardsley’s tours. He’s a colorful guy (and an impressive musician – he played some of his music during the conference) and his tours are internationally famous.

Here’s the link: Ghost Tours of Galveston (And, for the record, Mr. Beardsley did not ask me to mention him, his tours, or even his music.)