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SCI vs. PSI - Bridging the Gap
by Teri French
Is it possible for the scientific and the metaphysical communities to mesh? Not likely however, the two concepts can blend together cohesively. In order to do so, we must first understand how each field is made up. Science is about gathering facts and systematically arranging them to show the operation in accord with general laws of the physical and material world. Ironically, metaphysics is nearly the same with the difference being that most PSI related incidents defy physic laws and therefore cannot apply to the physical or material world. So, because it cant be seen means that it does not exist? Certainly not, take a cell phone for instance. Just because you cant see how it operates with the invisible frequency waves does not mean those waves do not exist. On the contrary, they do exist - - or you would not be talking on it! So, the absence of a physical or material manifestation does not incite that something absolutely does not exist.and the same is true for PSI phenomena. As I compare and reference metaphysics and PSI I am talking about anything related to such which includes psychic ability, astral travel, ghosts, aliens, etc
There are ways to measure the probabilities within PSI phenomena and this is how the science world can blend with the metaphysical world. Science usually recognizes that which translates things into numeric value of a physical and material means. Science is about study and deriving theories and hypothesis from applied techniques. any field can do this. The problem lies in the human nature and the collection where no discrepancies or double standards can exist. Its difficult at best, to find unbiased persons that are true to the study. The study must be dedicated to finding balance, fairness and validation acknowledgement. With that you can apply comparisons and start a process of elimination by measuring the probabilities.
Unfortunately, PSI is hard to validate with many of the feelings and impressions being of a personal nature. How do you validate a feeling? The physical and material makeup surrounding the incident when it happened is how that works. For instance, if someone is having a feeling and you take a picture where a ghostly apparition shows up beside themthis is your material and physical proof that the feeling was genuine. If a psychic is giving a reading and claims a spirit on the other side told them it was your birthday (and it was) there is your validation and physical proof. What is the probability of a stranger guessing it was your birthday, on the right day without prompting?
Metaphysics and psychic phenomena is a philosophy that science refuses to accept because it cant be readily seen, touched or experienced. To do so would send the scientific community upside down and turn their entire frame of work on its head. With Science everything must have a logical explanation of general physics and if something defies that logic it is considered non existent, a hoax, coincidence or improbable. I have seen many TV shows with cynics and skeptics that debunk true PSI ability to cold readings, pre-gathered information, cheating, spying, etc. As with anything in science, in order for these debunking explanations to be accepted, they should be proven. If proof is necessary to validate PSI phenomena, the same applies to debunking it as well. Skeptics are good for this field and completely necessary but those skeptics must realize that if they have no explanation, the PROBABILITY factor is there and IN FAVOR of the phenomena. This comes to play with predictions made by psychics. How can we predict the future? We cant.and if we do? Its incredible and completely defies general logic. Its easy to shrug them off to coincidence or probability, but in order to stay true to the study, just how probable was that prediction??? This is where the weighing balance needs to be more diligent and fair. The two things you cant argue with are predictions and historical validations. Proof can be found in interviewing someone who had a reading. Just as we study lab rats, we must also study those being read to gather better understanding of the phenomena. Just how probable are the hits a psychic gets during a reading? Are they ALL lucky guesses and reading body language? If so, which body language is it that predicts the future? I feel that if excuses such as cold readings and pre-gathered information are used to explain PSI ability, then they should also prove that the information was gathered in this way. In other words, come up with the tangible evidence of the hidden microphones, pre-gathered information, memorized scripts, etc. We can say these measures contributed to the success of a reading, but quite another to prove these items were actually used.
Ghosts and Aliens have not been proven yet there are thousands upon thousands of people who claim to have had a personal experience with them. Most metaphysical incidents are comprised of personal feelings and experiences and they are so plentiful that they cannot be ignored. It is necessary to remain cautious and skeptical but its just as important to remain fair and objective, as well. Logically, nothing is 100% certain and anything is possiblebut on the flip side (got to stay balanced) you have to weigh the credibility of the person claiming the experience and the probability of the incidents accuracy as well.
That said, the argument that its not proven isnt good enough and those who feel psychic phenomena will go away are sadly mistaken. John Edward, Sylvia Browne and others have paved a way for acceptance of true PSI ability and they will continue to pioneer and give credibility to the cause. With bringing it into the forefront we can determine what we truly accept as that which defies logical explanation and send those mad scientists to their labs in an effort to recreate and explain the phenomena.
There is a big need for balance. We need science, we need PSI ability and we need the two to work together to help us better understand things which we have no reasonable or logical explanation for.
- - TF 12/10/03 (c)
Teri French is the founder of the Paranormal Investigation Team of Tulsa. www.PITTok.com
EVP Classification
by TEAM GHOULI
Class A - 100% audible, clear voice & intelligent or reactive responses, not random noise or words. Example: having direct questions responded to or reaction statement. Audible to the human ear no enhancements needed, no question to what the voice is saying. Low Hz levels do not always apply with true Class A EVP. Some have registered on a higher frequency as the team present, other data to support the potential EVP claim, such as other tape recorders, and or video gear.
Class B - Practically audible, some doubt to the interpretation, syllables & consonant pronunciation is questionable. Appropriate tone & timing to question or statement made by team member. Frequency levels are also undetermined, but usually found on the low end of the spectrum. Non English EVP are placed in this category.
Class C - Frequency levels support this unexplainable voice, not always audible, but some constants are present. Timing & tone apply to this category. Direct response is not required. Random voices or tones apply in this category. Out of text words or phrases that are not explained by correlating data. Audible, but faint, not a whisper or murmur those will fall into the Class G catagory.
Class D - Non published or announced EVP. This may be an EVP, but it is too questionable to declare as paranormal. Whispers, faint murmurs, breathe like sounds and airy sounding voices. This classification is not the trash barrel for EVP; it is simply a holding area until the EVP has been validated by all data. Usually Class D EVP are not published or presented as paranormal phenomena.
Class G - If you have to work that hard to clarify or understand the potential EVP, then its probably not an EVP. G stands for GARBAGE.Trash it & keep trying.
GHOULI classifications are above most standards set within the community. We try to categorize EVP while we are at locations. Attempting to get the same voice, with a different phrase is key to understanding the phenomena & intelligence levels behind EVP. Getting intelligent and responsive reactions to direct questions or comments is the best way to validate a potential EVP. Random noises and unexplainable whispers are not valid EVP because of possible noise contaminants at each and every location.
Setting higher standards within the community has shown proof that every type of environment can produce a potentially false EVP. Awareness of your surroundings and controlling the environment as best as you can has been proven to benefit a teams EVP collection efforts. Working with natural acoustics & sound waves within a room or location is also beneficial to EVP collection.
We believe our standards of validation shows that there can be spoken truth about the afterlife. Direct responses and answers to our questions is what wee seek. GHOULI does not condone the use of audio editing software to enhance EVP. We believe if the voice is truly paranormal, it will be audible and clear enough to validate as a voice from beyond. Collecting EVP in its natural state, working with sound waves within the environment has profited our team and our questions about the unknown.
EVP -
EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon; voices caught on recording devices such as tape recorders. Thomas Edison first introduced this concept to the world during the latter part of his life. He became obsessed with the afterlife and began trying to prove that we do go on when our bodies die. In the few weeks prior to his death, he kept himself locked in a room with a modified version of the phonograph he invented earlier in his life. He would turn this machine on, and while alone, begin asking questions. It would record his questions as well as the pauses in between. When playing the recording back on a regular phonograph, he was amazed to find other voices providing answers. Since no one else was in the room during the experiment, he deducted that these were "spirit voices". The recording device he used is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute. Using the same concept, we place tape recorders, DAT (Digital Audio Tape) recorders, etc. , in "active" areas and find strange voices recorded. Often times, people talking about us and questioning what we are doing with all this strange equipment. EVP has always been and still remains one of the more controversial methods of trying to provide evidence of the paranormal. The basic principle behind EVP collection is the use of an audio recording device in an attempt to catch voices and/or sounds of an unexplained nature. Before we begin to analyze sounds we need to gain a greater understanding of how they operate and the physics behind their creation. Sounds are changes in pressure in an elastic medium such as the atmosphere that can be detected by the human auditory system. This pressure change is called a sound wave. The human auditory system can only interpret these changes in pressure or sound waves if they are cycling in the range of 20 to 20,000Hz. Anything below the 20Hz level is called infrasonic and anything above 20,000Hz is called ultrasonic. The human ear cannot perceive sound waves in the infrasonic or ultrasonic sound range. A sound wave will also loose intensity the farther away from the source of the atmospheric disturbance it travels. A sound wave can also travel through solid objects such as walls. This makes it difficult to determine the originating source of the sound wave. Frequency is the measure of the rate at which electromagnetic waves are generated. Frequency is measured in cycles per second, called hertz (Hz) after the German scientist who first discovered radio waves. (1 Hz equals one cycle per second.) The field around power lines, for example, is predominantly 60 Hz. Radio wave frequencies range from 300 Hz to billions of hertz. Electromagnetic waves with similar frequencies can be grouped together. These groupings form the electromagnetic spectrum with low-frequency waves (sometimes called ELF for "extremely low frequencies") at one end and high-frequency waves at the other. Radio waves, microwaves, and infrared light can be found at the lower end of the spectrum. Ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays occupy the upper end. Visible light, including sunlight, occupies the middle region. Microwaves are used in the transmission of telephone and telegraph messages, communications between earth and orbiting satellites, and in relaying certain television broadcast signals. Based on what we know in regards to the physics of sound, most people will accept that the human voice is generally incapable of speaking below the 280hz mark. Extremely low frequencies (30 to 300 Hertz) are the range most EVP is captured, and according to the laws of physics, impossible for the human voice to cycle at. When you capture a potential EVP you must first analyze the voices through spectral analysis to prove it is in fact in the ELF range of the sound spectrum. Once you validate the voices in question are in the ELF range, you have a legitimate EVP. These anomalies seem to be limited to locations with purported activity thusly linking them with "ghostly" phenomena. There are a number of computer software programs on the market that will detect and log the spectral range of a recorded or live sound wave. The most widely used is a program called Cool Edit. When looking for software to analyze your EVP you want to make sure it has a built in Spectrogram. The Spectrogram is the portion of the sound program that will show you the spectral range or Hz level the sound cycles at. Most of these spectrogram programs will give a visual representation of the spectral graph chart along with the Hz level of each spectral region. When importing a sound from an external recording device, you want to pick up an adapter from Radio Shack or any other electronics store of your choice. This adapter will plug into the headphone or audio output portion of your recording device and plug into the MIC or audio input of your sound card. Once you have your recording device connected to your computer you want to launch the spectrogram portion of your software and press play on the recording device you are using. This will immediately begin to read the Hz level of the sounds you have recorded. When you reach the portion of your recording with the suspected EVP you can view the spectrogram and validate its Hz level. Some of these programs will save the files to your hard drive in electronic format. If your software has the capability, it is easy to isolate and convert that portion to MP3 or WAV format for posting to your website. This is how we capture, analyze, and validate these anomalous voices that defy rational, logical, and physical explanation. © Chris Moseley Dagulfs Ghost Edited by: Chris Greene http://www.dagulfsghost.com
Physics and The Paranormal
Quantum holography is a theoretical model of the universe that basically says that everything shares a consciousness, also that we are all made of the same exact particles. That the matter and antimatter found in everything resembles DNA. Think about it like this the DNA in my right toenail is the exact same DNA that is in a cell in my cerebral cortex. This theory advances the notion that the same type of blueprint (matter and antimatter)can be found in everything in our universe, trees, animals, piece of paper you and I. It also, as an aspect of this thought employs the use of morphic fields or a universal memory pool. Basically saying that the energy used to formulate thought and emotions and memories never dies as we all know energy does not, instead it is made part of a morphic field, or a big old pool of every memory, thought, and emotion ever felt by anyone or anything. I have seen things and so have all of you which attempt to validate this theory. Amputees lose their limbs yet still can feel them, even though the nerves have been severed and in effect are no longer there to give sensation. Another example and I believe I posted this on this on the P.I.T.T. board for Teri, is a study I saw where blind people can still see shapes and colors even though they have no vision. I've seen trials and studies that involve rats that have had every portion of their brain removed that is used for cognition yet they can still manuever a maze, even thought technically they should just be breathing and eating and not be able to problem solve. There are studies that show successive generations of rats can manuever mazes with faster and faster times than their parents even though they have never seen the maze before. All of this lends credence to this theory. But then we try to apply it to what we study. Morphic fields go a long way towards explaining evp, apparitions, precognition etc. Untill you take into account "intelligent " hauntings. I have been present and have collected and have heard evp collected by others that is both interactive and responsive. So here is my question, How can a memory do this? Well one explanation could be this whole time\space continuum thing. I mean we've discussed before that time has no meaning other than as a mathmatical\incremental tool to measure the existence of our biological shells. Obviously if we dont have a biological shell then why would we need to measure time? So time either has no meaning over there or is so vastly different that it is beyond our perception with the knowledge of the universe as we know it. But I don't know, when you start thinking of all that stuff, the repercussions blow my mind. But anyway I can't buy this theory because of the interactive intelligent evp. As far as the string theory goes I feel it has very great value to our endeavors. The string theory is a mathmatical model of the universe that ties togther the two leading theories, relativity and quantum mechanics. The culmination of all these theories is now known as the "M Theory". It is important to us I feel because it is a model that has many other dimensions. I believe 7 or 8 (depending on who you are reading) but they have proven the existence of these other dimensions. (theoretically) But the two dimensional model of this is called the Calabi-Yau Shape and shows ALL of these dimensions layered and existing side by side like this  It is very apparent to me that if this is indeed the way our universe is laid out, then it looks to me that it would be very plausible for some sort of inter-dimensional contact at times. Remember this is all of 10 or 11 dimensions in this shape. So this is the theory I feel most comfortable with. I have also noticed Hinduism and the parallels with modern science. This has struck me before as well, I don't know much about Hinduism, but I do know that many religions refer to "vibration" and particle physicists have shown us that even the particles in inanimate objects are in perpetual motion or vibrating. This is interesting to me in relation to Hertz cycles and the lower frequencies we seem to record data on with our field of study.
Russell White (c) 2003
OLD PHENOMENA NEW NAME
The GHOULI Team has come across some strange sounds & occurrences while on locations.
We have discovered that not everything has been covered in the terminology area of Paranormal Investigation.
We are introducing two new forms of phenomena to the GHOULI website.
We have searched for similar occurrences, and came up empty handed, therefore we have taken it upon ourselves to invent names for these unexplainable occurrences.
We will have our findings & discoveries posted on this site. We follow a strict protocol when it comes to what we decipher what is or what is not of paranormal nature.
S.S.P - Spontaneous Sound Phenomena (similar to EVP)
When an noise or sound is recorded audibly and no explanation is found, this does exclude anything that may have a "voice tone". Examples: Taps, Knocks, Whistles, Squeaks etc.....
R.A.V. - Random Action Video
When a action is caught on video, without the presence of light anomalies, such as orbs, vortices, flashes or other paranormal light anomalies.
Examples: Mainly the movement of any object & anything that is of physical view or action caught on video.
GHOULI will be posting the above phenomena soon!
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TIPS FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY LIVE WITH GHOSTS
Here are a few tips to help you cope with having to live with unwanted spirits.
You are sure you have a ghost or ghosts in your home or property? What should you do now?
Control your emotions. Fear is a natural but intense emotion, try to remain as calm as possible and no matter how hard it may be, ignore them and try to think & feel like a hard core skeptic, until you get help with classifying the spirits in your home.
If you must, shout out to them, letting them know you do not fear them, and that it is your home , you will continue to stay there and that you will leave them alone if they leave you alone.
Life goes on, as you probably already know, not many people are accepting to the fact that you may have a ghost or ghosts in your home. Try to keep your life as normal as possible. This includes excessive reading, internet surfing & movies that are referencing the paranormal. Its healthy to want to know what is lurking in your home or property, but study up at a normal pace, to much ghost fever can create unwanted anxiety and stress. Research in moderation, and ask the investigators for help, it will save you some time and energy. Try to continue with your life as you normally would, before you became aware that you may have an entity.
Your personal beliefs. Its no ones business what your personal religious beliefs are, or if you have any at all. But please remember that certain practices can open more doors to spirits, both good & bad. If you are involved in occult type activity, you may want to put your practices on hold, until a classification can be made at your property. If you have any spiritual beliefs or faith of any kind, continue to ask for strength and guidance to help you through this tying time. Do not try to rid the ghosts yourself, use of Ouija boards writing or sances to make contact. Conducting any type of contact sessions without a professionals assistance or advice could provoke the spirits into angry spirits.
Keep a journal. Take notes as much as possible, write down everything paranormal or strange that has occurred at your property. Keep a camera close at hand, just in case there is something moved or damaged, you will want documentation.
Gut Feelings & Dreams. If you have an intense feeling to get up and go outside, do it. Trust what your body & emotions are telling you. If you begin to have dreams about unknown people, directing you around your property or reaching out to you, they may be the spirits trying to communicate. Document each dream, if you ever have one of these dreams, you will never forget it. Try to recall as much information as possible to help researchers or investigators classify your haunting.
Drugs & Alcohol. Its no ones business what you do on your spare time, but if you feel that a ghost is in your home you may want to limit or stop your extracurricular activities. Drugs, besides being illegal, they altar a persons mind and blur ones judgment, therefore the user can be an easy and open target for unwanted entities.
If you have children in the house, pay close attention to who they are playing with and talking to while in the house. If your child talks about a new imaginary friend, get the details as much as you can. Children are known to see and feel what most adults cant. If your children have NOT been effected by the spirits in your home, do not tell them or speak about it in front of them. Spirit contact can be traumatizing to both adult young ones. Unless they ask, try to keep it between the adults.
Get Help! You may want to set up video cameras, tape recorders and take photographs we encourage this, but we recommend that you leave that up to the investigators.
They are trained in knowing what NOT to say is paranormal vs. what IS paranormal. Proper use of equipment and data analyzation is needed when you are wanting to classify your spirits.
Select your group wisely and take your time when interviewing them to come into your property. Just because one team seems to be conducting many investigations, does not make that team the one for your needs. Most teams will conduct a preliminary investigation, and may be required to return many times to collect sufficient data for your needs. Avoid the crash & burn teams that are just out to investigate for their personal reasons and not help with your needs. Professional investigators do not charge money for investigations. If a team asks for fees move on to another team for help immediately. -TLewis
Audio Baiting 101 : Many Investigative teams use alternative methods to gain reactions from the Spirit World. Its not a new idea, but I have found no one yet has done any extensive testing and detailed research on the subject.
Along with many other new experiments, I will be conducting several Baiting techniques while on location with GHOULI.
What is Baiting?
Streaming Audio into a location to peek curiosity from the spirit world and of course to generate much needed sound waves to collect clear and audible EVP.
Audio Baiting is similar to baiting a hook while fishing, finding that perfect lure or worm to catch that big fish.
In Investigating, patience is a virtue same as fishing, sometimes they bite, and sometime they dont.
Some say weather, moon phases and folkloric tactics are needed to catch that big fish, some Investigators agree , to a certain extent, finding that perfect lure may help your odds get a little better.
So, I want to try Baiting how do I start?
Well, some things in life are simple, therefore they should remain on that simplicity level as much as possible. Technology is great, but not required for good baiting.
There are key points to remember, but they are not complicated.
Here are a few things everyone should recognize while setting up your baiting experiments.
* Research your location fully. Correct dates will help you pick and choose appropriate audio. Just blasting any type of audio will not help you obtain cleat results. You will need to do your homework.
* Classify your big fish. Ask yourself, what do I want to attract? A male, female or child entity? Once you classify what you are working with, then the search for your bait can proceed.
* Keep it real! Example: Want to play period music? Do not run out and buy that 1930s digitally re- mastered copy of the 1932 Andrew Sisters On Parade Use! Use only originally recorded audio, as if you have a old phonograph on location. Keep that muffled scratchy sound, thats how it was heard it back then, some things are better left untouched.
* You have distinguished what your dealing with, now what? Begin your search for the perfect bait!
Audio Baiting is not only playing music from that era. In fact, people have different interests in life, who are we to say we do not keep those same interests in death?
Choosing Bating Audio takes creativity. Put yourself in the spirits mind back when they were alive. What was going on in the media? What TV or Radio shows were popular? What foods & beverages were high on the menu? What sports heroes were around? What Movies & Film stars were the talk of the town? The more personal Baiting, the better the results may be.
Its not difficult to find these things out, the internet is a great fast & free source for history.
This is a new string of experimentation that I will be attempting over an extended period of time. Eventually, I will be able to report what has actually worked (For GHOULI) and to possibly help to benefit the Investigative field, and maybe it will not benefit the field at all.
If you have any questions on Audio Baiting, please contact us. We can offer tips & ideas that may make your next investigation a more productive one.
Happy Baiting!
T-Lewis
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Looking Up To LogicBryan Farha
Imagine you live in the small city of Salina, Kansas. As is typical of Kansas weather, it is a fairly windy morning. There is much debris blowing in your front yard, including leaves, branches, and twigs; the children's toys; and garbage resulting from the trash container having been blown over.
On the lawn of your residence, about twenty feet from your doorstep, you see what looks like a newspaper amongst all the debris. Because of the adverse conditions, it is somewhat difficult to clearly see the print on the paper. But you do not subscribe to the local newspaper. Upon further inspection, and to your absolute bewilderment, you seem to be able to make out the words "London Times" at the top. Also on page one, there appears to be a large photograph of the football team that won the Super Bowl the previous day. The images are a bit fuzzy, but it certainly seems as though the London Times is headlining the previous day's Super Bowl, which is not unusual for any paper. It seems rather bizarre, however, that an apparently current newspaper from another country would find its way to your lawn in Salina, Kansas. You do not, nor have you ever, subscribed to the London Times. Your curiosity and interest are escalating. So you go to your bedroom to put on a robe and slippers and then go outside in order to get a much closer look to determine if your eyes are deceiving you. But now, the "phantom" paper is gone. You check your neighbors' yards, but no paper is in sight.
How can this experience be explained? There are several possibilities. But the question must be addressed from two perspectives:
- Was the perception, in fact, what the observer thought it was?
- If the argument is plausible, under what conditions could it be accounted for?
Concerning the first perception, there are myriad factors to consider. Recalling the wind and resulting debris, was this actually a newspaper or could it have been wrapping paper, someone else's trash, or even reflected sunlight? If, in fact, it was a newspaper, can we verify that it was the London Times? That it was a photograph of the recent Super Bowl champions on the front page? What tangible evidence exists of your experience?
Concerning the second perception, how does a current issue of the London Times find its way to your residential lawn in Salina, Kansas? It is possible that the newspaper belonged to a neighbor and the wind blew it into your yard; this notion is easily supported or refuted with a small degree of legwork. But if this legwork does not yield a satisfactory explanation, we might then ask a series of other questions. If this, too, fails to provide adequate explanation, we then become faced with very tenuous possibilities. One such possibility is that a newspaper carrier from London, England, came to Salina, Kansas, by plane and delivered the paper to your house. Remote as this seems, it is a possibility. Not a perfectly logical or feasible answer, but the possibility is there.
It is at this point that drawing plausible conclusions based on logic becomes critical. Unfortunately, it is also at this point that much of the general public errs in drawing conclusions based on available evidence. A case in point: An object in the night sky is unidentified. This does make the object a UFO. But the term "UFO" only means that the object cannot be identified. If evidence is insufficient to ascertain its identity (or its reality), then the conclusions we can draw are very limited. Why, then, do so many jump to the conclusion that if we can't identify the object, then it must be an alien spacecraft from another solar system or galaxy? Understand, it might be an alien spacecraft, but before we can draw this conclusion we must have substantial evidence. Assuming that an unidentified object in the sky is an alien spacecraft is as tenuous and potentially erroneous as attributing the arrival of the English newspaper to Salina, Kansas, via a London carrier traveling by airplane. Yet in the newspaper example, we easily recognize the faulty thinking involved in making the assumption (hypostatic leap) of a Londoner making an unexplained home delivery to a nonsubscribing Kansas resident.
Why, then, does the UFO phenomenon seem to change the thinking process of so many? Is the UFO phenomenon, as well as other potentially anomalistic (paranormal) experiences, so intriguing that people allow it to alter their understanding of logical thinking? It is possible that alien spacecraft visit Earth, that abductions occur, that evangelists can reverse disease, that objects can move without apparent impetus, and that "ghosts" exist. But a word of caution: We cannot make positive conclusions about these phenomena without evidence, substantiation, and the use of logic. In other words, the scientific method must be employed as the basis for drawing conclusions regarding paranormal claims. Science is not a panacea for all explanation, but regarding paranormal claims it remains, by far, the best method. Let's not fall into the trap of abandoning science and logic because of curiosity and imagination. Rather, let's use curiosity and imagination as a springboard to the scientific method in order to draw accurate conclusions regarding mysteries of the universe.
About the AuthorBryan Farha is associate professor and chair, Department of Behavioral Studies and Counseling Psychology at Oklahoma City University.
Understanding Video and the Paranormal
To understand plasmoids (orbs in motion) captured on video, you must first understand how we perceive light, how night vision perceives light, and how electromagnetic energy emits light.
The Human Eye
Although the human eye seems to give us the ability to see everything around us, we are literally blind to much of what exists. A vast myriad of colors exists, yet our eyes are only capable of visualizing a small portion of this. The optical spectrum ranges in color from reds and oranges up through blues and purples. Each of these colors actually corresponds to a different energy of light.
Due to the fact that we can only see visible light, we are put at a disadvantage because the Universe is actively emitting light by all forms of energy. Suppose for a moment that you can only see the color brown. What would a tree look like if you could not see the leaves? You would not even know what a leaf is because you have never seen one. Imagine all of the things that exist in this world that we cannot see due to our limited way of perceiving light.
What is electromagnetic energy?
Electromagnetic Energy is one name for different types of radiation. Do not be alarmed! Radiation is everywhere, radios, X-rays, and microwaves all emit small amounts of Electromagnetic Energy (radiation). These electromagnetic energies emit light that our eyes cannot see. Radiation is only energy that travels and spreads out as it goes-- visible light that comes from a lamp in your house or radio waves that come from a radio station are two types of electromagnetic radiation (energy). Yet many times we do not realize that! The entire range of energies of light, including both light we can see and light we cannot see, is called the electromagnetic spectrum.
Enter Night Vision Into the Equation
Due to the sole purpose of night vision, it has been designed with infrared light to perceive that which our eyes cannot. Infrared light is a form of light that is invisible to the naked eye but allows night vision equipment the proper spectrum for visibility in the darkness.
Technically speaking, the objective lens collects light that you cannot see with your naked eye and focuses it on the image intensifier. The intensifier amplifies the light many hundreds or thousand times, and projects the amplified image to the eye.
Consider this, say for instance that an orb or supernatural presence is made up of electromagnetic energy, our eyes would not be capable of perceiving the light from the energy, but due to night visions capability of seeing light which our eyes can not, equipment such as a video camera with night shot is capable of recording these balls of light in motion.
Why are orbs believed to be paranormal?
First let me clarify that not all orbs are considered paranormal. It has been proven that you can create orbs simply by photographing a dusty area. Typically these dust orbs are very dim in color and transparent. On the other hand you will occasionally capture an orb in a photograph that is very solid and nearly seems to be glowing with light. These are considered paranormal by nature due to the vast difference in their appearance and their unexplainable origins.
It is a scientific fact that everything in existence is created of some form of energy. Many researchers believe that electromagnetic energy exists inside the human body. This cannot be proven as fact, but if the theory is true why can this energy not exist after the human body is no longer living? Whether these balls of light are actually a persons soul, or simply the energy emitted from their existence is yet undetermined. This discussion brings me to the existence of apparitions and other forms of paranormal activity, but I will save that for another day.
Article written by S. Slemmer
References used: Things to remember while you are conducting your Baiting Session!
1. Keep it short, to help avoid contamination, keep each session around 2 to 3 min long, unless you are getting visual activity.
2. Keep your group small, this is important to investigative teams everywhere, having more than 5 people to sit in on a session, you are opening doors to contamination.
3. Trust who your baiting with, do not allow visitors to set in on baiting sessions, some may not agree with the importance of "being perfectly quiet & still".
4. Keep your Hooks (tape recorders) at least 6 feet away from your baiting source. This will eliminate sound reverb & static, especially if you are using authentic audio.
5. Keep Notes! One person should be designated to keep notes during a session, making notes or cars driving by, dogs barking or any other sound that was heard, will help you while analyzing your data.
6. Optional---- We choose to have all lights out while conducting a session. Its kind of a "trust" issue with the spirits, if we cant see them, maybe they will be more prone to communicate with us? Just a thought! Remember OPTIONAL!
7. Last but not least! Make sure you have plenty of Bait while on location, different types of audio to help generate curiosity and different levels of sounds waves. Try to stream at least 4 different types of authentic audio during your investigation and at least 2 types during your session. You can conduct baiting through out your investigations, spread them out and keep them short, and chances are you will have some wonderful EVP collected. Good Luck!
*It's the Little Things that count*
There are a few things to consider while on an Investigation. It may seem petty and unimportant. But Keep these things in mind while on location! It may explain it all one day! In these days of "technology" it appears that the simple things in life are overlooked! They can make a difference!
*It all makes SCENTS*
While on investigations, some of us have witnessed the sites, sounds and SMELLS of potential paranormal activity. Here are a few things to remember, that can contaminate your evidence.
*do not wear perfume, cologne or heavily scented oils or powders.
* Heat activated products- this includes shampoo, conditioners and or course, DEODORANT. As your body heat rises, so does the scent. Some have reported spontaneous whiffs of baby powder and musk. We now understand why. As adrenaline kicks in, so does your body heat.
*I GOT NEW SHOES!*
*squeaky shoes- yep, just the right squeak can sound like "help" or "me" on your EVP collection.
*What was that?*
* Speak up- its easy to whisper, while looking at something strange, dont do it. If you cant speak loud, dont speak at all.
*THAT WAS ME*
* Admit it- if you kick or smash something or if your bodily functions make a nose, admit it! A hungry stomach can sound like Satan himself is trying to communicate with you! Especially if your holding the tape recorder.
*SHHHH!*
* Shut Up -Too much talking at the same time can produce unwanted echo's and sound relays therefore getting false EVP's. One at a time please!
* BE RUDE*
* Loose your Manners- If someone sneezes, drop the manners, let the spirits say the "bless you".
*BE NICE*
* Be polite- The last thing you want to do is make an unknown source angry at you. Ask first if you can take a picture of them. Announce yourself while walking into a room, remember, you can startle a spirits just as much as they can startle you. Thank them for letting you invade their space. Tell them "hello" and "goodbye" when entering & leaving a location. And try not to curse, you dont know who may be listening.
* I SENSE DEAD PEOPLE*
* Talk about your feelings- (not what it seems) While working with a team, one should never fear persecutions form other team members. If you are sensing anything, tell someone. If you have a "gut feeling" to step into a certain room, speak up. The human body is the best tool on the market, no credit required!
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If you would like to add more to this list, just let us know, we will post it!
Remember that the little things in life DO matter!
By-Tonya L.
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