A brief introduction to Ghost Hunting 101 presented by Dr. Brandy Stark in 2015.

1. Ghost Hunting 101
 Brandy Stark, PhD
 June 20, 2016
 Pinellas Park Library

2. Stark
 Academics (Undergrad/grad papers, first thesis
(Ghosts in Roman Religion); current thesis
(Danse Macabres Des Femmes as
protofeminism)
 Started ghost hunting (1997)
 First team: 2000
 Websites: Florida Urban Legends,
Paranormal Pugs, Paranormal Pets
, Ghostly Images
 Podcasts: Paranormal Pets (petliferadio.com)
 Modified team (St. Petersburg Paranormal
Investigation) 2016 (www.sppipinellas.net)

3. Can you identify these items?

4. Pseudoscience:
 No canon, not regulated, belief/faith based
 This is a pseudoscience: Claim that something is
presented as scientific but does not adhere to
valid scientific methods, cannot be
scientifically tested, does not contain what is
considered objective, replicable supporting
scientific evidence. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pseudoscience

5. Television/Internet
In the 1990s, scientists protested
paranormal TV shows as pseudoscience
--Had paranormal shows reclassified
(entertainment).
TV shows have larger budgets, multiple camera
crews, multiple days of filming, and are designed
to create feelings of excitement
[Watch for: editing, filming angles, music, etc.]
Gender discrimination: male vs. female
in the field; I did a relaxed mixed media study in
2008; 60% of those responding were female)
Mary Ann Winkowski
“Ghost Whsiperer”

6. Terms to Know
 Supernatural: 1. (of a manifestation or event) attributed to
some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of
nature. synonyms: paranormal, psychic, magic, magical,
occult, mystic, mystical, superhuman, supernormal;
 ghostly, phantom, spectral, otherworldly, unearthly, unnatural
 1. manifestations or events considered to be of supernatural
origin, such as ghosts. (google.com)
 Paranormal: Beyond the normal ranges of scientific
explanation; coined early part of 20th
century with rise of
technology; post WWI (1915 – 1920).
 Occult: supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or
phenomena. (google.com)

7. Terms to know:
 Skeptic: a person who questions the validity
or authenticity of something purporting to be
factual. (Dictionary.com)
 Over-belief: Everything is perceived as
paranormal or supernatural without
questioning natural phenomena

8. Terms to Know
 Legend: Something larger than life, but based
on real person or event (George Washington,
Trojan War)
 This can also be a part of a stigmatized property
 Folklore: Usually conveyed orally, mythical,
usually tied to a legend (Odysseus’s journey
to the underworld, fairy tales: Hansel and
Gretel). Can be entertainment, can convey
learning values or fears of society.

9. Terms to Know
 Urban Legend: Contemporary version of folklore,
oral and now written (social media, e-mail).
Friend of a friend: (FOAF, second hand).
Vanishing hitchhiker, AIDS Mary
 http://www.snopes.com/

10. What is a Ghost?
 General: A natural entity (a living being) that
has died, crossed the supernatural barrier,
and returned to the natural world as a
supernatural being.
 Recorded across culture
and times
 Gilgamesh , Iliad, Odyssey,
 Aeneid 
 Ghost Whisperer, Medium
 Ghost Hunters, Paranormal Witness

11. Types of ghosts:
 Haunting: Non-intelligent;
almost like a recording
 Apparition: Intelligent,
interactive (poltergeist included
here)
 Crisis Apparition: One time (or
limited time) manifestation to
convey information (often
reported; family)
 Drop in: Unknown reason for
Being there, unknown individual

12. Researcher as an instrument
 Does a ghost exist without a receptor? How
do we count the human experience?
 Sensory: Sight, sound, touch, smell and
(rarely) taste
 Sensation of presence: Feeling as if one is not
alone; sensation of emotionally charged
atmosphere
 Psychological state: What has happened?
What is the stated belief of the individual?

13. Most basic tool/researcher as
instrument:
 Write it down (the
sooner, the better)
 Keep a log
 Team: multiple
witnesses
 Research: public
records, Google,
history museums,
interviews

14. Equipment: Cameras
 Film: Chemical interactions
 How does the process work?
Is this a mental impression?
 High Speed (400), color
or black and white
 Polaroid images
 Expense, difficulty finding
places to work with film, delay
of results, developing issues
creating false positives

15. Ghost Photos

16. Equipment: Cameras
 Digital Cameras
 Cheap, easy to acquire, instant results
 Mechanical process rather than chemical
 False positivesVERY easily obtained (ORBS are NOT
ghosts!)
 Digital files can be manipulated – good to clear up
images, bad if the intent is to alter the image
 Pixilation , ink blot images
 Be aware of pollen, humidity, dust, smoke, and other
items in the flash field.

17. TEST YOUR CAMERA!
Can you guess
what created these
images?

18. EMF Meters
 Theory is that
ghosts manifest and
emit energy (bio-
magnetic,
electromagnetic).
 Compass
 Trifield meter
 Others

19. Thermometers
 Look for temperature
fluctuations, usually of
several degrees.
 Cases where I have
requested an entity lower
the temperature and it
complies
 Local, room, column of
air.
 Verify not a natural
source
 IR (surface readings)
 Air temperature

20. Digital Recorder
 These are used to capture
EVPs (electromagnetic
voice phenomena)
 Tape: expensive, hard to
find, internal noises
 Digital: Files can be
downloaded and analyzed

21. Program for analysis
 Audacity: Free online
 Effect Noise Removal Noise Profile
Amplify Normalize

22. Misc. Items
*Level, tennis ball *Feather *Watch

23. Misc. Items
Not recommended:
Pendulum
Ghost Rods
Ouija board
Apps

24. Misc. Items (TV shows)
 Laser grid *Paranormal Puck
 Ovilus *EMF pulse
 Reverse EVP *Frank’s Box

25. Resources: Reliable
paranormal teams
 Check the team for validity
 How long have they existed?
 What is the team mission?
 What is the experience of the team members?
 What philosophies do they use?
 Religious
 Metaphysical
 Folkloric
 Research/Equipment

26. Resources: Ghost Tours
 Ghost tours are good for the following:
 History
 Urban Legends
 Legends, Folklore
 Good company
 Entertainment
 They may expose people to haunted locations
 Be careful of suggestion, trickery
 Cost

27. Ghost Tours
Today, ghost tours can include actual walks
through a specific area, graveyard tours,
dinner in a haunted location, and building
tours
Be aware that you will most likely NOT get a
true ghost manifestation from a tour (least
controlled circumstances, many people)
Things to look for: Reviews, resources,
locations, safety
Not recommended: Pub crawl ghost tours

28. Ghost Tours/books
 Many may come
with a book or a
history by the tour’s
founder
 These can be really
good references for
well known haunts
 Stories usually have
public access and
public knowledge

29. Ghosts aren’t going away!
 They appear across space and time
 The interest in ghosts continues to rise
 Better technology, or personal experiences,
may help bring us closer to understanding
them.

30. Questions? Info to
share?