'What the heck was that?!?' is a very familiar phrase to many. Was it just the house settling? Maybe it was a friend playing a prank. Or could it possibly have been a ghost? The latter choice is normally ruled out fairly quickly. But for some, it is very plausible. To prove or disprove the possibility of an apparition, a surprisingly scientific and frequently detailed investigation is carried out. The "ghost hunt" originated in the 1800's. In these days, it was not a true ghost hunt, rather an entertaining seance, picture, or "show." Many people experimented with the invention of photography in this century. Making an eerie photograph was and is rather simple, but at those times the public was naive and unaware of these techniques. They consistently paid money for fake ghost pictures. Time has a way of exposing frauds, and such was the case with these deceitful photographers. Over the decades, genuine researchers and photographers sprung up. Because of the beginnings of their profession, they came under much scrutiny and still do to this day. But in the current century, ghost hunting is almost as scientific as physics. Ghosts are now normally categorized into one of three groups: a residual haunting, a spirit that lived as a human , or a spirit that never lived as a human (Killen, 1). A residual haunting is what a person has normally encountered when they say they have "seen a ghost." What these types of hauntings are, are a past event in space and time that has been "recorded" onto a specific object or place. They are actually just like watching a movie playing an incident over and over. Because they are just replays of a past event, these types of ghosts will not interact with any surrounding people. ... ... middle of paper ... ... of fraud to its current state of technical understanding, the process will continue to fascinate society. Its desire and drive for scientific acceptance will keep this practice and tradition alive and well into the centuries to come. Bibliography: Works Consulted Hemmel, Jeff. "BOO!" Boating October 2000: 140-145 Killen, W. Kevin. How To Conduct A Ghost Hunt. [on-line]. Available: http://home.naxs.com/kkpcc/howto.htm. (11.20.00) Taylor, Troy. INTRODUCTION TO GHOST HUNTING. [on-line]. Available: http://www.prarieghosts.com/intro.html. (11.20.00) Sellier, Charles E. The Paranormal Sourcebook. Place of Publication: Lowell House 1999. SPIRIT (Society for Paranormal Investigation Research and Informational Training). www.ghosthunter.org. [on-line]. Available: http://www.ghosthunter.org/toolbox/belt.htm. (11.20.00)
Ghost- a vision of a dead person that is believed to appear or become visible to the living as a vague image. There have been many cases in reality where one sees the ghost of their deceased loved ones or encounter some sort of paranormal activity in their life. “Proof” by David Auburn plays around with the “Ghost story” in his play to represent identity, memory of Catherine.
There is only ghost where they die and where they're favorite place is to be or what they held close to their heart. Many people have not seen these ghost only the people who work in the white house. Will you be one of those people who does find the ghost or hears them doing something in the place of happiness. Now you know where to go if you want a ghost hunt.
www.theatcoghost.com--A site detailing directions on how to see the ghost with an accompanying message board in which individuals recount their own experiences of attempting to witness the ghost.
The word “ghost” originates from the Aged English word “gast,” and its synonyms are “soul, spirit [good or bad spirit], existence, breath,” and “demon” (etymonline.com). In the book, The Woman Warrior, that is, ironically, subtitled as Memoirs of a Girlhood Amid Ghosts, the author, Maxine Hong Kingston, uses the word “ghost” as a metaphor to typify her confusion concerning discovering a difference amid reality and unreality – the difference that divides her American present that prefers and her Chinese past that her mother, Valiant Orchid, filters into her mind across talk-stories that steadily daunt her to cross her established bounds. Ghosts, in the book, change reliant on point of view. Anybody whose deeds deviates from what is satisfactory in one area is a ghost according to the associates of that society. To Chinese people, like Valiant Orchid, Americans are ghosts. On the supplementary hand, Chinese are ghosts according to Chinese-Americans (including Kingston, who finds her past loaded alongside frightening Chinese ghosts). For Kingston, Ghosts, however, are not always scary; in fact, a little of them enthuse...
Chinese culture has many interpretations ghosts. One way they are seen as is people who have disgraced their family or country. An example of this in the novel is Maxine's aunt. She is considered a ghost because she disgraced her family by having a baby outside of marriage. They call her "Ghost! Dead ghost! Ghost! You have never been born." (Kinston 14) She drowns herself in the well to become one of the most feared ghost, the Shui Gui or watery ghost. These ghosts are said to be waiting for their victims, to pull them into the water to take the drowned ones place. In the novel another example of what the Chinese consider ghosts are American people. Sometimes they feel haunted by this unfamiliar culture, just as a ghost would haunt. "But America has been full of machines and ghosts- Taxi Ghosts, Bus Ghosts, Police Ghosts, Fire Ghosts, Meter Reader Ghosts, Tree Trimming Ghosts, Five-and-Dime Ghosts." (Kong 96) These examples are American people of any ethnicity. They are called ghosts because the Chinese are not familiar with the culture. Another example of the unfamiliarity is when, "Her husband looked like one of the ghosts passing the car wind...
The particular story I collected takes place in Philadelphia, where ghost stories are plentiful. Philadelphia is an old city with a rich cultural heritage, and our founding fathers made history in the place that was once our nation’s capital (Eidmann). Many believe that their spirits and spirits of those from colonial times still lurk around. It is easy to feel like spirits are around when in a place where many people have lived and died before, and in a place that is filled with old buildings and landmarks. All of these factors make this city a perfect place for a ghost story.
The Nelly Butler hauntings is referred to as the first recorded ghost story in American history (LiBrizzi 5), and possibly the most exciting hauntings to date as there are still many unsolved mysteries. The apparition appeared on more than 30 separate occasions to over 100 witnesses in Sullivan, Maine, just over fifteen years after the American Revolution (5-6). Although the Nelly Butler apparition is one of the most convincing ghosts of all time, it was subject to suspicions of fraud. These claims turn out to be groundless as the evidence reveals the ghost to be genuine.
With the recent technological advances, ghost hunters have been able to find more ghosts and search better than before. Embracing this new technology can provide us great insight into the world of the ghosts by showing us how strong they are, what kind of energy they use, and how they look like. Science has given ghost hunters the technology, now ghost hunters can apply it to their trade.
One quality of ghosts that makes them very difficult to evaluate is their form and behavior. Benjamin Radford writes in his article “Are Ghosts Real? - Evidence has not Materialized” “One difficulty in scientifically evaluating ghosts is that a surprisingly wide variety of phenomena are attributed to ghosts, from a door closing on its own, to missing keys, to a cold area in a hallway, to a vision of a dead relative” (N.p). Because so many different experiences are associated with the presence of spirits, it becomes more of a challenge to validate their legitimacy. Perhaps the door closing was just a coincidence, or that the cold area happened because an air vent blew cold air into that part of the hallway. Not everything needs to be attributed
Paranormal activity is simply the activity dealing with spirits and the strange phenomena that cannot be explained by what the scientist know about nature and the world (Merriam-Webster, 2014). There are several different types of paranormal entities such as Poltergeist, spirits, hauntings, and etc. Hauntings appear in most places and they appeal to every sense except taste. Hauntings can be from anything dealing with the life form that was once alive (MPI, 2009-2014). Poltergeists are “noisy ghosts” but really distinguishes them is they are attracted to one person, epicenter. Epicenter is usually a person, usually a female, which is going through puberty and sometimes emotionally stressed (MPI, 2009-2014).
For many years, people have debated whether or not spirits are real. Some people get scared at the fact that there might be something unknown lurking in their house in the middle of the night making their footsteps known to everyone in it. Maybe that person feels watched upon or feel some kind of presence in their home, or even sees shadows moving their way through rooms. Different people around the world have their own opinions based on religion and experiences when talking about angels, demons, and the spirits that have life after death. New technology is getting closer to detecting these energies happening in the world today. The history of haunting dates back many years, and more people want to get involved because of the new technology.
Ghost hunts can be conducted however you want, so there isn’t really a set way that everyone does them, but there is a guideline that most people use. The first step is meeting near the location and decide who will work each piece of equipment and divide into teams if necessary. You need to decide who’s doing what and where everyone will be so that you don’t mistake someone else making noise for something paranormal. Next you want to make sure you put yourself in a positive frame of mind. Many experienced groups believe that there are evil spirits in areas such as cemeteries and that saying a prayer or blessing will get rid of them. Many demonologists will say that by doing this in the name of whatever god you worship, you’ll keep any non human spirits at
A mystery or ghost story is a story that contains a ghost or a supernatural element. Like in ‘The Signalman’ ghosts often appear as prophets of things to come.
Of course I didn't ask my mom or dad. Nobody shall know. October 26 1998, haven’t recorded in a while. I've been paying attention to the thing in my house, but today changes everything I don’t think we have one I think we have many. Today I go in the basement to see what is down there. I open a door labeled, CONCEALMENT CHAMBER. I open it anyway I find bones and organs in jars. I almost threw up. I had to be stealthy leaving the basement, I was told not to be down there by my parents order. I went to check in the attic that had a built in step ladder. I went up there and there was dead animal carcases as my body stimulate my body. As I steadily leave the attic after almost throwing up in the attic which was a closer call than the basement. I go in my room to write it down and on my wall it says fury. I have no clue why this thing is angry. October 31, 1998 It's Halloween and I am not ready to have this ghost pop out of nowhere and kill me and put my organs in the basement. I take precautions. I don’t have the audacity to capture this ghost. So I just go out trick or treating. I don’t want to come back with the house in flames but I have to go trick or
If I am loved, liked, or hated then I am not a ghost. IF I am simply not thought of at all by someone then maybe that's what we could consider being a ghost. I would rather be hated then to have someone just be indifferent to me. At least then there is some feeling, motivation, or passion. Something about me has affected this person - even if it is something negative. I would prefer to think of a ghost as the kind of ghost we see in Beloved; a dead person come back to this side of things. The thought of walking through this life as a ghost is much scarier to me than the thought of dying and then becoming a