I’m not a ghost hunter, and I confess I have a hard time watching paranormal investigative shows. It seems like all you get is a bunch of people running around either shrieking, or saying “Did you see/hear that?” Conversely, I do enjoy scanning YouTube for clips put up by the multitude of paranormal investigation groups around the country. Something entirely different, in my opinion. These are groups devoted (for the most part) to serious study of, and recording, paranormal phenomena, and are not for-profit or ratings driven.
I have not been out with an official ‘ghost-hunting’ group; I get plenty of encounters on my own, but I have to confess to a curiosity and desire to travel with one of these groups. They have a lot of gadgets and devices that can record, measure and otherwise detect paranormal activity. I have no idea how these work. Something that seems to be on the rise though is photos of ghosts where nothing is seen to the human eye.
I found this collection on YouTube:
The advent of security cameras, both motion-sensitive and continuous record, has brought us videos of objects moving, flashing lights, and unexplained shadows while establishments are closed, locked and unoccupied by the living. Like this example of a ‘ghostly head’:
I particularly like this one, from Hampton Court Palace. They even talk about him on their website, they’ve nicknamed him ‘Skeletor.’
Creepiness, right? Or just a tour guide in period costume? I think it interesting that the Palace website is vague about exactly what it is. According to the website, however, this is a fairly active area for ghosts in general, with public and staff reporting sightings or encounters.
Sometimes they move things, as in this rather dizzying video posted by Mass Most Haunted of their investigation at the Lizzie Borden House.
Could they be faked? Sure. Could some of them be genuine? I think so. I leave it to you to determine which you find the most plausible.
I’m not much with a video camera, but something I’ve always wanted to try is EVP. EVP stand for Electronic Voice Phenomena. In short, you take a recording device, ask questions and then hear voices on the playback. It used to be done with reel-to-reel and cassettes, but now digital voice recorders are used, also they are heard on playback from video recordings..
These were captured at the Chapel on the Hill in Sedona, Arizona.
Have you done any ghost hunting? Have you ever captured something weird on video or in a picture that you didn’t see when you were recording? What’s your scariest encounter?
I’ve belonged to a local ghost investigation group, attended paranormal conferences in such places as Tombstone AZ, and have stayed at many reputedly haunted hotels. So far? Nothing. Sigh!
Bummer! Keep trying though. Nothing as in, nothing on the meters or recording devices? Did you get any feelings in those places? Thanks for reading and commenting.
the idea of ghosts is intellectually sound but I’ve never seen one or heard one. too bad for me, I think
Plenty of time left for you to see one, Louise! 🙂
Totally wild and cool, as usual, Serena. I do get feelings, but not like I did when I was younger. I’ll never forget when I was younger I had gone upstairs to my room when everyone was downstairs. It was night and I made sure I turned on all the lights. (I’m getting the chills thinking about this). Going up the stairs I felt a definite presence and it really freaked me out, but I went upstairs anyway to get something. It was standing at the top of the stairs, so I had no choice but to walk right past/through it. I ran down the hall to my room and had to steel myself before coming out of my room to run past it again. I learned very quickly how to jump down multiple stairs really, really quickly. I’d always look back, but never saw anything. It had such a strong effect on me. Even now, it recall the same unease. It went on for about a week, then moved on. To this day I wonder who it was and what message it was trying to tell me.
Brrr! Gave me chills too. I love hearing about your experiences, Diana. Thank you, as always for sharing. It really helps me to hear from you, reminds that I’m not crazy, and not the only one. 😉 I wonder what that one had to say, too.
Yeah, the Hampton Court Palace looks freaky. Serena, do you have a book about your own experiences with ghosts? I’d love to read more about your encounters.
I was on holidays in County Wexford with my family when I was 13 years old. We had rented a little house in the country and I was upstairs in the bedroom. To this day I can’t describe what happened properly, but I just felt something near me. I didn’t see anything, I just had a horrible sensation of something there beside me that wasn’t meant to be there. I ran down the stairs and into my dad’s arms but I couldn’t get the words to come out. Next ten seconds, my two younger sisters ran in the door. They’d been playing in the garden and said they saw a white figure pass outside the front gate. They couldn’t/wouldn’t go into detail but were shaken. What happened to me and them would have occurred at almost the same time.
Someday, I hope to put together a book. Glad to know it’d have at least one reader. 😉 I’ve been to the U.K. twice, and each time it confirms for me that it’s the most haunted place I’ve ever been. Seems like I couldn’t turn around without bumping into a spirit. Which was by turns very cool, and very scary. My scariest encounter ever was in Greyfriars Cemetery in Edinburgh, 2002. I still can’t write about it.
You’d have a lot more than one reader! The Gretyfriars Cemetery – is that the one at the bottom of the castle? I loved Edinburgh. I did a ghost tour and the history was fascinating.
Can’t remember exactly where it is. One the tour the guide pointed out they were the only group with the keys to this one part of the cemetery, a haunted crypt in a part where they kept a large number of soldiers through the winter. Doh, I can’t think of the names at the moment, but the story was horrific. Prisoners of a war housed without shelter, or much food, water, etc. in a cemetery during the depths of winter has left a definite psychic imprint.
I have been ghost hunting and I captured one – I think. When my husband and I were in Hawaii we took the Haunted Hawaii tour one night. We visited several “haunted” places and were told to start snapping photos to see if we captured any orbs. I saw nothing in my lens but I snapped away anyway. When I got home and downloaded the photos on my computer I was amazed that I actually had a few photos with shiny white orbs in them. I captured a ghost!! Well, I captured orbs anyway.
It was kind of fun. I’d do it again.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Sweet! I’ll take a ghost tour in any city I visit if at all possible. So much fun to wander and pick up the vibes, but I’ve never been lucky enough to catch something with my camera.
I have only captured some strange light patterns and orbs. I never find them when I am hunting. They seem to find me… 🙂
Nice! I know what you mean. Most of the time I don’t have to ‘look’ they’re usually waving for my attention.
I’ve captured the full outline in a purple aura as she passed before me in a double shot. I’ve seen and felt other things I haven’t caught on tape.I’ve been to that chapel as a kid. Now I want to go back. Don’t think I’d care much to recieve that last message though.
How very cool! Was that with digital or film? Would love to see that pic if you’d be willing to post it. I’ve been to Sedona, pretty powerful place, but not that chapel. Did you pick up on anything when you were there?
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