Question about T.V. show "Ghost Hunters"?

Question

I believe that life exists on other planets other then Earth. I dont necessarily believe that they have every visited Earth, but I am sure that life exists. On the other hand I do not believe in Ghosts. I find folklore and tv shows and books behind them extremely entertaining and interesting though. I have been watching the t.v. show "Ghost Hunters" and "Ghost Hunters International" and have seen almost all of the episodes and there is some stuff on the show that really makes a person want to believe in Ghosts. The light tower episode with the electronic voice phenomenon that they heard and that shadow at the top of the light house that looked over the railing then ran off to the side was pretty freaky. Here are my questions,

1. Do you believe in Ghosts and why, what proof do you use?

2. Did you see the episode I am talking about above, what did you think about it?

3. Do you think that they make fake shadows and electronic voice phenomenon for the show?

Answer 1

1. No.  Residual energy and electro magnetic fields that mess w/ the mind, yes.

2.  No but i watch that show all the time as i find it interesting, however . . .

3.  These guys were plumbers.  They found a niche and went with it.  There was an episode where they were in a house and saw a person "appearing" in the shadows, but right before the clip cut out you could see the light hitting very normal, modern, legs standing.   I dont trust anything i see on TV as most everyone is out for money, so there is always the possibility they are fabricating alot.  They use alot of electonic equip, so they obviously have the knowledge to edit.

As for waiverly,  i grew up in Louisville.  While its a creepy place w/ alot of death associated to it,  i think alot of the stuff is in people's minds.  We would dare each other as teens to break in and spend the night.  Everything we experienced was sheer paranoia.  Cool place to go though.

Answer 2

Based on the research I have conducted I believe all ghost evidence--videos, EVPs (which are nonsense), orbs, etc.--is either misinterpretations of real/anomalous artifacts or else hoaxes.

The TAPS crew is adored by the paranormalists out there.  Their audience believes ghosts are real and have shown themselves, for the most part, to be willing and eager to accept any evidence these TAPS guys offer as gospel.  I'm not saying they're cheats, but an atmosphere this forgiving and adoring is the perfect setting for cheating.

Also, I think many people seem to forget the show is produced.  It's not as "verite" as one might think.

Here's a great page where a guy analyzes a few piece of evidence from the show:

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/06-08-10...

SAPS has a great site too:

http://www.skepticalanalysis.com/index.h...

Answer 3

I know that there are ghost and spirits.  I base it on personal experience.

I did see the St Augustine Fl lighthouse episode.  That was rare but very good footage on both the original and the revisit.

There is no need to fake anything and I believe that TAPS probably has one of the toughest policies in regard to qualifing evidence that exist today.  There are plenty of cases that they go to and come away with nothing.  And they have to say that and they do.  While it is true that in this day of modern technology, fakes are easily done I do not see that as being the case with TAPS.  Afterall, the truth is alot stranger than what you can make up....

Answer 4

I dont believe in ghosts////// however, I do believe in life after death, which is different.......

I believe loved ones do appear to after they pass, to let us know they are okay...

When my father passed in the year 1974, I was awaken in the early am, still very dark, my father was standing at the foo of my bed, smiled, waved and then he was gone.

now, no cracks,,,,,,I have heard of this happening before, and I believe it happens, whether may it is because we miss them so much, do we imagine they are there?????  

I think my dad was trying to say, its okay now, I am alright at last.....

Answer 5

1. I believe that people have (and have had since man first kept written records) experiences of seeing apparitions (visual images of persons or person shaped objects). While I do not dismiss the idea of ghosts as surviving spirits (souls?) of formerly embodied human beings I also think that there are other possible explanations like ESP for such experiences. The difficulty is in finding a way to know which theory might be the more correct one in any one case. I also believe that many theories/explanations (not one) are required to explain many different types of ghosts experiences. I have had a couple of personal experiences of what some would consider ghost. Outside of that I think there is some evidence for these experiences (see links below).

2. I did not.

3. I think there are enough shadows and noises around on any investigation that one would not have to make anything up but that it would be possible to record and not properly identify many things. TAPS has below average (to be kind) controls for their investigations so I don't think they need to make/create fake evidence there is enough normal stuff to get wrong that you could take as evidence.

All that said I like that the show brings some awareness of peoples experiences with the paranormal I just wish they would do so in a better (more scientific) manner.

Psi

Answer 6

The episode in the lighthouse was just on the wednesday before last.  That's the best one I've seen of them actually catching an image.  I have an HD DVR and rewatched it a lot and it looks pretty convincing - the shadow moves too fast to be a person, has a definite human form (but a translucent shadow, not solid), they catch a voice saying help me, and when they walk up there the motion sensor turns a light on, but not when the image is up there.  That image was dark and moving very humanlike - if there was some projection system doing it, then the background would have had to be lighted more than the level of light there was to cast a shadow - but there wasn't anything like that. I don't know how it could be faked by anyone (I would tend to think fakes are more what the client would be doing rather than TAPS).

I have to disagree about the EVP stuff they get - I've heard most of it crystal clear, but I have a sound system attached to my tv/receiver set up.  It's either really good paranormal evidence or someone is totally faking it.  The more I watch Ghost Hunters, the more I think they catch a lot of paranormal evidence that isn't faked.

Answer 7

1. I've always been very much a skeptic, but still interested in the subject. I don't tend to believe stuff unless it's pretty significant, and even then I still have doubts later. Heck, someone I recognize who's gone could turn up in front of me and I'd probably still have doubts later. lol

2. Yup, probably THE best episode they've ever had.

3. No, I don't think they do, I trust that they are legitimate in what they do. A) because they were already investigators prior to even having a show and seem to still do local investigations that are not on tv, B) because there are plenty of episodes we get to be disappointed in because virtually NOTHING happens and we sit bored through the whole thing, and C) because their method seems to be to go into debunk things at all costs and only consider those things truly interesting that they can't figure out. i.e. The shadow up in the lighthouse that was just perfect, because it's so easy to be sure that no one was messing with them.

Personally, people are too willing to jump to a conclusion on an EVP when, at least on tv, it just sounds like a noise. If it sounds like a person or clearly is, like a while back there was one episode that it was clearly a little girl talking/singing, and no kids in the house at the time...ok, then you've caught my interest.

Answer 8

1) I believe that ghosts do very possibly exist but have not seen one which is why shows like Ghost Hunters fascinates me. I have become interested in starting my own group.

2) I did see the light house episode and the evidence they caught was amazing.

3) I do not believe they fake anything for the show. In fact they go into an investigation as skeptics and if possible attempt to disprove a haunting. If they are left with evidence they ca not recreate or debunk it makes it the evidence that much more compelling.

Answer 9

1. I believe in spirits. I have no proof which I doubt alot of people have. And I like mrs_nisius best.

2. I did not watch the episode but I do watch the show from time to time.

3. I really don't know if they fake it or not. But I do tend to think they exaggerate from time to time to make the show more interesting or else they wouldn't have a show. While I do believe in spirits. I watch the show for merely entertainment and don't care if what they're doing is real or if they're faking it. In all honesty though I wish the show would fake it just so there would be something more to watch. The show gets boring a lot of the times.

While I do believe in spirits because I have had an unexplainable experience which at the time I thought nothing of it til I explained to my friend I was on the phone with after it happened. It involved the most unnatural chill down my spine which I have yet to experience again even in cold weather(Me living in states in Boston, I know cold weather to a certain degree). And it having mess around with my cellphone(razr V3) which at the time I thought was merely broken which was strange since I was finished using it a few minutes ago and it was fine. My phone went haywire and typed a bunch of stuff. I took it apart the batteries and replaced it with a spare and it was still going haywire. I thought something was stuck in the buttons so I blew on it. Oh yeah I just want to say. NOTHING happened when I took out the batteries. Which would be a DUH but you know people want things to happen like that. ;p. But yeah it required my phone to be on for me to see the phone typing by itself as if buttons were stuck. This all passed 10 minutes later and I still thought nothing of it. Called back my friend however and told her I felt an amazing and disturbing chill down my spine and my phone maybe broken but worked out just fine talking with her. She mentioned it may have been a ghost.  While I would have been skeptical and passed it off as nothing. But from one experience of having played the ouija board. It made me able to accept unnatural occurrences and merely theres more to this world than what I can see. But in any case, I don't go trying to prove what I felt was real because I believe it is in my own belief that I do and could care less what other people say to disprove it. Deenie said it best. Sorry to get your hopes up. No horror story or some extreme freaky things happened here.

Edit: I forgot to add that my phone hasn't acted up ever since and still works now. And I haven't felt such abnormal chill since. Just to add to my story. My room is pretty warm and I always keep my windows closed. And I can't stand cold in my own house. Of course I still feel cold though but the regular cold. However I seriously am debating to upgrade my phone. It's a piece of junk compared to smarter phones these days. (*drools for iphone*) My experience happened a few years ago.

Answer 10

I think in order to believe it you have to have an experience. And I don't think you can MAKE that happen. They kinda do whatever they WANT to do whenever they WANT to do it. Or, maybe they have to get permission from somebody out there to do it. Or maybe they have to get permission from the person to appear to them..but if that were true..Ghost Hunters would have shows lined up till the end of the century! All I know is I don't know. But I DO know that I've had unexplainable experiences. That's why I'm here..to try to find the explanations!

Answer 11

I do believe in ghosts.. yes I also saw that as well as all the TAPs shows.. I would hope that they aren't faking anything..I want to think they are honest. But who knows for sure ..it is after all tv.. I believe in ghosts because I have seen them and have several recorded evps my self.. I ghost hunt with a small group and have for years, way before TAPS came on board and we have experienced some really odd stuff.. Until you see or encounter a ghostly visit..its hard to believe but be open and look for signs and maybe you too will have a reason to believe.

Answer 12

I believe in ghosts, and I don't need proof...it's like saying that just because some people don't see air and there for it doesn't exist...we all know it does. I have seen and heard paranormal activity myself.

I did see the episode you are talking about, and I believe it. I don't think that this show fakes anything...infact I think this show is one of the best paranormal shows there is.

Answer 13

as far as episodes of ghost hunters i've seen none have really proved more of "believer" episodes as Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Eastern State Prison, or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7C7WlYCZ... I don't believe they fake the evidence on Ghost Hunters, mostly becase they are a respected sect of a international society.

Answer 14

I do beleive in Ghost although I've never had my own personal experience. But I find it hard to disbeleive when you have EVPs. I dont beleive in orbs, if there is an EVP or actual thermal then I'll beleive.

I dont think these show's are fake. I do beleive the ghost show on the travel channel i think it is with the british lady,,,i think that's fake,.,,,they have no proof just nightvision and someone going OMG ....that i think is fake.

Answer 15

1.  Yes I do believe in ghosts and other things.

2.  I have had personal experiences which were witnessed by others

3.  I have seen those episodes and they were as suprised as the audience when they captured that one.  Did you see the episode where they got the heat footage in the basement of a man standing in front of the locker?  They tried to debunk that one as well and couldn't do it.  As it happened you saw both kinds of cameras on that same spot but only one captured the image.  

You figure that one out.

3. They don't have to make fake footage, and if you have noticed, many places that they go have absolutely nothing happening.  They find rational explanations for the things that the witnesses see or feel or hear.  Like the guy whose basement was the culprit...he had chemicals and an open electrical box that affected the brain.

Answer 16

1.) i dont know if i believe in ghosts.

2.) the movement of the man leaning over the railing was so tiny. I remember saying, wtf am i looking at? It wasnt until they put the little white circle on it to show me that i saw it. Personally, i think it was a boom mike leaning over the railing. =). And a lot of their late EVP's are c**p. They have to tell the ppl what theyre hearing on the tape for the person to hear it because its so indistinct/ soft/ or garbled.  not great evidence if you ask me.

3.) i think that they may exaggerate things. Remember the shadow they saw at eastern state penetentiary? they had to slow the film from 30 frames per second to 15 frames per second to see it. Why would they need to do that? The problem i have with "ghosts" is that they never give the investigators hardcore evidence to be able to prove their existence. Its all vague evidence, which never can be held up to true scientific scrutiny. =(.

Answer 17

The house I grew up in had way too many strange occurrences, odors, moving shadows, items moving, the piano playing by itself, etc.....

The lighthouse you are referring to is in St. Augustine, FL.

I too watched that episode and was amazed by what the camera caught.

There was one other place they investigated, maybe up near Gettysburg, PA, in a building that was used as a hospital and morgue. Anyway, on the thermal imaging camera, they caught an image of what they thought was a Civil War soldier.

And that area is notorious for hauntings anyway.