Ghosts
- research, evidence, and discussion
I have taken many haunted Ghost Tours
across the United States and around
the world. Many of the tours are all
very accurate in telling tales of
the supernatural. But mny are just
local legends and stories that parents
told their kids to keep them in line.
But as I have found the tall tales
seem to feed off some residual engery
and actually become a real bonified
haunting. The belief in ghosts as
souls of the departed is closely tied
to the ancient concept of animism,
which attributed souls to everything
in nature, including human beings,
animals, plants, rocks, etc. Although
the evidence for ghosts is largely
anecdotal, the belief in ghosts throughout
history has remained widespread and
persistent.
In many historical accounts, ghosts
were thought to be deceased people
looking for vengeance, or imprisoned
on earth for bad things they did during
life. Most cultures have ghost stories
in their mythologies. Many stories
from the Middle Ages and the Romantic
era rely on the macabre and the fantastic,
and ghosts are a major theme in literature
from those eras. The Hebrew Torah
and the Bible contain few references
to ghosts, associating spiritism with
forbidden occult activities cf. Deuteronomy
18:11. The most notable reference
is in the First Book of Samuel (I
Samuel 28:7-19 KJV), in which a disguised
King Saul has the Witch of Endor summon
the spirit of Samuel. In the New Testament,
Jesus has to persuade the Disciples
that he is not a ghost following the
resurrection, Matthew 24. In a similar
vein, Jesus' followers at first believe
him to be a ghost when they see him
walking on water.
The Real Reason Ghost Haunt us!
Many believe haunted locations all have different reasons for being haunted. The truth is it all goes back to one basic problem. All ghosts want to be is the center of attention.
Stare at the above image for 60 seconds then stare at a blank wall and what do you see? Something that was? Or is real? An image of something that was before your eyes and is now no more? PLEASE VISIT HERE TO LEARN MORE!
Ghost - personal
encounters
Critics of "eyewitness ghost
sightings" suggest that limitations
of human perception and ordinary physical
explanations can account for such
sightings; for example, air pressure
changes in a home causing doors to
slam, or lights from a passing car
reflected through a window at night.
I'm not saying or debunking actual
hauntings, I am just stating that
a location may be haunted but not
by the ghost that the Ghost Tour Guide
story tells. A ghost is defined as
the apparition of a deceased person,
frequently similar in appearance to
that person, and usually encountered
in places she or he frequented, or
in association with the person's former
belongings. The word "ghost"
may also refer to the spirit or soul
of a deceased person, or to any spirit
or demon. Ghosts are a controversial
anomalous phenomenon. According to
a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup
Organization, about 32% of Americans
believe in the existence of ghosts.
The term ghost has been replaced by
apparition in parapsychology, because
the word ghost is deemed insufficiently
precise.
I have met dedicated Ghost hunters
over the years from Hans Holzer to
Troy Taylor and all those in between.
Most will agree that they to are skeptical
of tall haunted tales and urban myths.
But half the fun is finding out the
truth behind the story the experience
and the actual ghost that haunts the
location. Jeff Belanger's new book
compiled from many told tales is an
example of local ghost stories from
many locations. His book may be filled
with a feunbelieveable story or two
but it's what makes ghost hunting
fun. Critics of ghost hunting say
there is a total lack of scientifically
testable and verifiable evidence in
favor of the existence of ghosts,
despite centuries of interest in the
subject. Often many tell of of ghosts
"seen out of the corner of the
eye" this may be accounted for
by the sensitivity of human peripheral
vision.
Haunted locations are places that
are allegedly inhabited by ghosts.
The reports of these hauntings are
often referred to as ghostlore. Ghostlore
is fueled by historical facts, stories,
and legends. Although relayed through
reliable sources, these tales can
often be subjective in nature and
there is no commonly accepted objective
evidence that ghosts or similar phenomena
exist. Many haunted items also fill
the world from haunted dolls, holy
icons, toys to furniture. But alas
is the item haunted or is it just
frequently visited by a ghost... or
is it a portal key to the other side.
Pareidolia, an innate tendency to
recognize patterns in random perceptions,
can cause people to believe they have
seen ghosts. The term pareidolia),
referenced in 1994 by Steven Goldstein,
describes a psychological phenomenon
involving a vague and random stimulus
(often an image or sound) being perceived
as significant. Common examples include
images of animals or faces in clouds,
the man in the moon, and hidden messages
on records played in reverse. The
word comes from the Greek para- —
beside, with or alongside —
and eidolon — image (the diminutive
of eidos — image, form, shape).
Pareidolia is a type of apophenia.
'Ghost tree' forms
human face
www.dailymail.co.uk
Approaching paranormal phenomena
from a research perspective is often
difficult because even when the phenomena
are seen as real they may be difficult
to explain using existing rules or
theory. By definition, paranormal
phenomena exist outside of conventional
norms. Skeptics contend that they
don't exist at all. Despite this challenge,
studies on the paranormal are periodically
conducted by researchers from various
disciplines. Some researchers study
just the beliefs in paranormal phenomena
regardless of whether the phenomena
actually exist. In 1957, the Parapsychological
Association was formed as the preeminent
society for parapsychologists. In
1969, they became affiliated with
the American Association for the Advancement
of Science. That affiliation, along
with a general openness to psychic
and occult phenomena in the 1970s,
led to a decade of increased parapsychological
research.
Typically, a ghost "ghost hunting
party" will involve individuals
who work as a team to collect evidence
of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters
usually record data in a scientific
manner, making observation using electronic
equipment of various types, such as;
EMF Meters, digital thermometers,
infrared and night vision cameras,
handheld video cameras, digital audio
recorders, and computers. Organized
teams of ghost hunters are also called
paranormal investigation teams. Easy
access to information on the world
wide web, movies like White Noise,
and TV shows like Most Haunted and
Ghost Hunters are thought to be partly
responsible for the current boom in
ghost hunting. One popular website
for ghost hunting enthusiasts lists
over 300 of these organizations throughout
the United States and the United Kingdom.
Scores of small businesses selling
ghost-hunting equipment, ghost investigation
services, and even ghost counseling,
are booming outside of their prime
season, Halloween. Several companies
recently introduced new devices billed
as ghost detectors, along with the
traditional electromagnetic field
detectors, white noise generators,
and infrared motion sensors. The paranormal
boom is such that some small ghost-hunting
related businesses are enjoying increased
profits through podcast and web site
advertising, books, DVDs, videos,
and other commercial enterprises.
While interest in the paranormal
gains more popularity, so does the
competition between ghost hunting
organizations. As many groups get
air time for publicity, personal rivalry
and feuds are happening on a wide
spread level. Larger groups such as
TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)
and IGHS (International Ghost Hunters
Society) often attempt to discredit
the other's paranormal claims.
Ghosts - Ghost Tours
An offshoot of ghost hunting is the
commercial ghost tour conducted by
a local guide or tour operator who
is often a member of a local ghost
hunting or paranormal investigation
group. Since both tour operator and
'haunted' site owners share profits
of such enterprises (admissions typically
range between $50 and $100 per person),
some believe the 'haunted' claims
are exaggerated or fabricated in order
to increase attendance. The city of
Savannah, GA is thought to be the
#1 US city for "Ghost Tour Wars"
by having more than three dozen individual
tours at last count.
A ghost tour (also called a haunted
tour, ghost walk, or haunted walk)
is an activity themed around the paranormal
providing an entertaining and often
educational way to present ghostlore.
Tours often take place around sites
with a reputation for unusual occurrences.
They are usually conducted at night
and will combine a mix of history
and legends.
Tours themes around the paranormal
can introduce historic, social and
scientific topics to a wider audience
than might not otherwise be addressed.
Stories centered on ghosts and mysteries
are more attractive to many people
to whom leisure time is precious,
than purely academic pursuits. A
well presented thematic tour can
create the interest for further
investigation into the stories behind
the topics.
Presentations use drama, humour
and analogies to weave stories in
an interesting way. Tours may be
conducted on foot, vehicle or even
a self led tour finding clues along
a predetermined route.
Increased popularity of tours has
led to the formation of several
professional bodies aimed at promoting
ghost tours and improving the experience
and security of customers.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_tour"
Haunted locations are often regarded
to contain the spirits of deceased
beings who may have been former residents
or were familiar with the property.
Supernatural Activity inside homes
is said to be mainly associated with
violent or tragic events in the buildings
past such as murder, accidental death,
or suicide — sometimes in the
recent or ancient past. Amongst many
cultures and religions it is believed
that the essence of a being such as
the 'soul' continue to exist. Some
philosophical and religious views
argue that the 'spirts' of those who
have died have not 'passed over' and
are trapped inside the property where
their memories and energy is strong.
Entities which are said to 'haunt'
homes are often known to make noises,
appear as apparitions, and shift or
launch physical objects. This is sometimes
manifested into 'poltergeist activity';
poltergeist meaning 'noisy spirit'.
Traditionally an exorcism is the method
used to remove unwelcome spirits from
the property.
Ghosts - Real Ghost
Pictures & Famous Ghost Photos
Do reported Ghost pictures show proof
of ghosts?
Fake or Explainable
"Ghost Photos" and Photographs
of all Paranormal Phenomena show proof
of ghosts! If seeing is believing,
then these photos will convince you
of the existence of ghosts. Most of
the best rmarkable ghost photos like
the Brown Lady photo below were taken
while not on a ghost hunt.
Ghost
Photography
Well into the 21st century, spirit
photography will have many high-profile
supporters--including the physicist
Sir William Crookes and the creator
of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, Dale Kaczmarek, and Haunted
America Tours own resident Ghost
Hunter Gina Lanier.
The Mumler photographs sparked controversy
and a strange career for Mumler as
he took his “talent” and
began taking portraits of people who,
later on, saw the images of dead relatives
next to them. Though his photographs
were never proven to be false or genuine,
Mumler started a public fascination
with the spiritual world that has
lived on today.
Today many web sites display ghost
photos real and unreal... We at Haunted
America Tours only ask that you be
the judge of what you believe is fact
or fiction.
Mumler created a notorious series
of "spirit photographs"
that stunned an era. Thus the first
known ghost photos were also the first
fakes.
Also
see: A visitors
gallery of paranornal and ghost images
with stories of how and when the photo
was taken please
visit here.
Are these real ghost
pictures? The photos of reported real
ghosts in these galleries were sent
to us by web site visitors, ghost
enthusiasts, ghost hunters, and ghost
and real Paranormal Investigators.
Posted here you will find those photographs
that many experts in the field define
as having real ghost or anomalous
images on film. Many of these photos
are just considered strange and believed
by the photographers to show proof
of the existence of real ghosts and
they feel that by showing them to
the world others will believe their
claims as such.
Please
view these many images at your leisure.
New Ghost Photos added often.
Ghosts - Hunting
For Real Ghost On TV
SciFi Channel recently greenlit a
spinoff series titled "Ghost
Hunters International" to air
tentatively in January 2008. It would
feature TAPS vets Robb Demarest, Andy
Andrews, Brian Harnois, and Donna
La Croix, along with Barry Fitzgerald
(who appeared in the Ireland episodes
of Ghost Hunters) and newcomer Shannon
Sylvia. The format will be the same
as Ghost Hunters but will feature
locations around the world.
2007 Halloween Special - Live on
October 31, 2007. TAPS will return
to
Waverly Hills
Sanatorium for a 6-hour
investigation. Joining the team will
be guest paranormal investigator Joshua
Gates from the show Destination Truth
and WWE wrestler Elijah Burke. This
show will also reveal the winner chosen
among viewers as a new TAPS member
picked from an online poll.
Elijah will join lead Ghost Hunters
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson at the
desolate and abandoned tuberculosis
hospital, Waverly Hills. Some call
the Louisville institution the scariest
and most haunted place on Earth because
thousands of people have died there.
The six hour, live show will be hosted
by Josh Gates of Destination Truth.
Last Halloween, almost 1 million viewers
tuned in to Ghost Hunters’ live,
all-night ghost hunt with CM Punk
at The Stanley Hotel (made famous
in The Shining). And a personal note:
I take my ECW Cm Punk action figure
on every Ghost Hunt I do.
Elijah
Burke goes Ghost Hunting - If there
are any ghosts haunting the Waverly
Hills Sanatorium, they better prepare
for a real experience on Halloween
night. ECW’s Elijah Burke plans
to bring the Elijah Experience to
Waverly Hills on Wednesday when he’ll
be a special guest on the Ghost Hunters
live, all-night show on Sci Fi. --wwe.com
Ghosts - in the news
News stories about ghosts, Haunted
houses, Paranormal Research and ghost
hunters, And Ghost Tours often fill
TV, Newspapers and magazines articles
on a daily basis hitting it's climax
on Halloween. Many "Haunted Web
Sites" like Haunted America Tours
report over 12 million hits just for
the month of October alone.
Check
out Haunted
and ghost filled Paranormal and strange
news from around the world here now.
Ghost - Study And
Research
Participant-observation is a straightforward
technique. It suggest that by immersing
one self in the subject being studied,
a researcher is presumed to gain understanding
of the subject. In paranormal research,
a participant-observer study might
consist of a researcher visiting a
place where alleged paranormal activity
is said to occur and recording observations
while there. Participation levels
may vary. In studying a supposedly
haunted location, for example, the
researcher may conduct a séance
or participate in other activities
said to cause paranormal activity.
At which time many photographs are
being taken not knowing if a ghostly
image or spirit is being captured
on film. the only way of finding out
is by reviewing the material to see
what strange anomalies have been captured
during the investigation.
One significant modern example of
a paranormal phenomenon is electromagnetic
fields (EMF). At one time EMF was
debatable from a scientific perspective
but later was proven to be real and
is currently accepted by scientific
and medical communities. Some investigative
teams use these spikes in their meters
as a sign to snap a ghost picture.
New Orleans, Louisiana is very well
known as being the Most Haunted City
in The United States. Ghost Photos
happen there all the time. From Cemetery
ghost photos to Voodoo Spirit manifestations.
This is the reason that now a days
so many flock to investigate the cities
of the dead.
These are many "Haunted"
places you can start your own ghost
hunting experience.
Ghost Haunts - ghosts
and haunted places
Haunted
Cemeteries - Come explore some
of the world's most haunted cemeteries.
The World's Most Haunted Cemetery
may make you a real believer in ghosts.
Some say the black ghost dogs guard
these lonely places. Here is a collection
of true ghost stories from the world's
most haunted Cemeteries. This list
will have some familiar names, and
some places you never expected to
be haunted. Paranormal activity is
an really a very international affair,
and ghosts and apparitions intermingle
with the living everywhere day and
night. When it comes to the number
and regularity of ghost sightings
and unexplained events, these real
haunted Graveyards, Cemeteries and
burial spots can't be beat.
HAUNTED
HOUSES - Americas' Most Haunted Houses
- Haunted Houses | Haunted Mansions
| Haunted Plantations. A haunted
house is defined as building that
people live in that is a center for
supernatural occurrences or paranormal
phenomena. Some haunted houses are
known to be haunted by the ghosts
of dogs. A haunted house may contain
ghosts, poltergeists, or even demons.
Haunted
Schools and Libraries - Haunted Buildings,
Their Ghost Stories and Ghost Photos
Haunted Theaters - Probably the most
popular place for a ghost to appear
(if you don't count cemeteries) is
a theater. Certain aspects of theater
folklore involve hauntings, such as
the "ghost light" and the
attribution of mishaps to the work
of a ghost, so it's unlikely that
all these theaters were really the
sites of murders, or are really haunted.
Haunted
Battlefields - American Battlefield
Ghost Hunters always suggest that
planning ahead can often make the
difference between a good ghost hunting
trip and a great trip to National
Battlefield Park.Some tales tek if
ghostly dogs haunting the many battlefields
in America. Explore these pages to
discover the essential things you
need to know before you leave home—how
to get around the park, where pets
are allowed, how to stay safe, and
more important a ghost photo or ghost
story to read and plan to investigate.
Haunted
Travel - There’s more
to experience on a real haunted Vacation
than most people can fit into one
normal vacation – sun, sand,
ancient historic sites, secrets of
the dead and past, unique nature-based
experiences in exotic locals, and
non-stop ghostly haunted and paranormal
thrills. All this sounds something
like the latest Indiana Jones Movie
doesn't it? Also
See: Haunted
Vacations
Haunted
Hotels, Motels, B&B's Guest Houses
- Investigating a Haunted Hotel
THE Best Haunted Hotels in America
Listed By State. Do you know what
experts suggest before you book your
stay in a haunted hotel? Planning
your own Stay Overnight in a Haunted
Hotel or Haunted Motel or B&B?Visit
Here to learn what the experts think
you should know! An overnight stay
in one of the Haunted America Tours
Top 10 Hotels can sometimes change
the heart of a "True Skeptic"!
Haunted
Historic Locations - Many historic
buildings, because of their age, have
had more time to have spirits attach
to it. These buildings are often open
the public and can give you a easy
place to start. From the lost and
lonely haunted hot spots in America
Black Dog ghosts have been said to
roam. Many locations even have known
histories of hauntings and you may
be able to gain access to the building
after hours after speaking with the
caretakers.
MOST HAUNTED PLACES IN THE WORLD
Books on Local
Haunted Places -At HauntedAmericaTours.com
we invite you into our Ghost Haunted
Paranormal world Online Store where
art, News stories, photography and
the unexplained merge into a new landscape
that will leave you truly spellbound.
HauntedAmericaTours.com is a continuous
work in progress; we will keep it
updated for you on a regular basis,
so that you can come back and see
a ghost or two, and meet some new
ones. Please browse here and find
what your looking for. Check out the
other Catgories also and enjoy your
very haunted adventures safely.
HAUNTED AMERICA TOURS: Essentials
For Ghost Hunters And Paranormal Enthusiest.
Haunted
Museums -
Visit Haunted America Tours own Online
Haunted Chambers of the Bizarre.
Can inanimate objects such as paintings,
a doll or a pile of bones be really
haunted? Strange images appear in
haunted paintings, Skulls are said
to scream and strange looking items
disturb us. Some spend the day browsing
through but would you spend the Night
at the Museum? "Real ghost photos
- real ghost stories." you decide!
Come with us now and take a haunted
tour of this virtual online haunted
collection of the worlds most haunted
collection of the strange and unexplained.
Free Admission too! Please any visitors
to this web site
Haunted Musem Gallery, This
is not reccommeded for the highly
sensitive!
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