'More ghosts' after New Zealand earthquake
stuff - The "sheer strength and power" of the September 4 earthquake has more than doubled the number of reported supernatural events in Canterbury, a paranormal investigator says.
Christchurch Paranormal Investigators founder Anton Heyrick said his team had received an "interesting influx" of phone calls and emails after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake, with more than double the usual number of inquiries.
"People are calling us, saying that they had always felt like there was something in the house, but since the earthquake it had become more intense," he said.
Most cases related to strange noises, although one man said he had been attacked by a ghost.
Heyrick said the "sheer strength and power" of the earthquake may have been responsible for the increase in paranormal activity.
The number of old buildings damaged in the earthquake may also have been a factor, he said.
It was well known among investigators that when renovations on old buildings took place, "it tends to wake up dormant spirits, and activity tends to come out of nowhere", he said.
"With the earthquake, it literally smashed walls apart, and knocked down floors and ceilings, so you can imagine the effect that would have had."
The team, which did not charge for its services, had conducted two full investigations, and was planning to do several more.
New Zealand Skeptics chairman Gold said the reports may have been due to "people's minds playing tricks on them in the post-quake environment".
"You may not feel an aftershock, but it will still make things rattle. People's minds fill in the blanks, and they tend to fill in the blanks with fairytales, unfortunately."
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A response to ‘Ghost hunting, pseudoscience and skepticism’
northern-iowan - In the recent critique of ghost hunting, Michael Dippold argued that paranormal investigation is merely pseudoscience. He wrote that "there's not a single shred of evidence to suggest that ghosts exist..." Despite being written in such elegant prose, this article is wholly lacking in any real substance.
His claim that there is no evidence could not be further from the truth; there is an absolute abundance of evidence on the paranormal that has been gathered by investigators who fully adhere to the scientific method. The obvious problem is of course that the real, authentic evidence is often drowned out by the many so-called "ghost hunters" who do not practice scientific methods and tarnish the professional image that many paranormal investigation teams fully deserve. A distinction must be made between these two very different types of groups.
Furthermore, as a student who has done extensive reading on the differences between science and pseudoscience, I can say with absolute certainty that there is nothing that precludes the use of the scientific method in studying the paranormal. By definition, pseudoscience is said to be "easy to recognize because it violates the basic criteria of science ... systematic empiricism, public verification, and solvability." Is there a systematic way to observe supposed paranormal locations? Yes. Over time have there been theories developed in regards to the paranormal that can be tested, replicated and verified by others? Yes.
In fact, there are many academics in psychology, physics and numerous other fields who have proposed such theories, some even dealing with the cold spots Mr. Dippold mentioned. Is it possible to prove the conclusions made regarding paranormal energies? No, but in fact one can never say anything is "proven" in science. What can be said, however, is that there is a growing accumulation of data to support them.
No one would presume that the investigation of paranormal energies is a simple task; it isn't. There is much yet to be discovered. Admittedly, the current level of technology in the field does seem rather crude for its purpose and leaves much to be desired. This does not mean humans should simply give up on the investigation. What it means is that individuals with an interest in the paranormal should continue to refine their methods, continue to gather data and ultimately help achieve a greater understanding of what these energies are.
Although I understand the ham sandwich and fairies analogy was intended to be humorous, in order for it to have been so it would have had to be in some way relevant to this conversation; it isn't. To assume that paranormal energies should be able to communicate within the exact same parameters as humans is to commit an attribution error at the most fundamental level.
Electronic Voice Phenomena can be very clear; characterizing it as a "low" threshold is entirely dependent on the standards that are placed upon it. If a so-called ghost hunter labels an inaudible murmur as evidence of a paranormal energy, then most people would agree that is a very low standard, but when credible researchers record very clear audio of words being spoken when it is known for a fact that no human could have possibly produced it, that is fairly solid evidence.
In closing, there is actually very strong, credible evidence that has been gathered using the scientific method; it is there, but it will continue to remain "hidden" to those who are ardently opposed to accepting it.
Peter Allen, Undecided major
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Lady Gaga's paranormal teamster
heraldsun - Lady Gaga believes she is being haunted by an "annoying" ghost named Ryan.
The ‘Bad Romance’ hitmaker thinks she is being followed everywhere she tours across the world by the spectre, who has “terrified” her with his constant presence.
A member of her touring crew told the Daily Star newspaper: “She’s been telling us all for months that she has a male spirit called Ryan who travels the world with her.
“She’s pretty terrified by this spirit, but more than anything he’s annoying her as he won’t leave her alone.
“He’s hasn’t been doing anything too violent or scary but she’s freaked out by his presence. She’s a very spiritual person and in tune with the spiritual world but this is a step too far, even for her.”
Although little is known about Ryan the ghost, or why he has chosen to haunt Gaga, she has held a seance while in Ireland for her ‘Monster Ball Tour’ over the weekend, in an attempt to get through and see him off.
The source added: “She contacted a spirit medium and organised a seance so she could communicate with him and tell him to go away.
“She gathered all her friends over the weekend in Belfast, Ireland, and held the seance to find out what he wants. She’s convinced she picked this up as a bad omen.
“Although most of her friends were sceptical they agreed to take part.”
It has previously been revealed that Gaga, 24, has spent thousands of dollars on ghostbusters and splashed out $47,000 on state of the art Electro Magnetic Field meters to detect spectres.
A source previously revealed: “She believes in paranormal activity and won't take any risks when she is on the road. It's important to her to be safe from spirits."
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Carmarthenshire, Wales House Haunting Update / Join SRI
Irene was told by the client today that the house has been quiet the past few days and that they have decided to stay in the residence. It seems it took a bit of time for the clearing to take hold but now seems much of the problem has moved on. SRI will continue to monitor the situation.
There has been discussion on setting up voluntary on-site investigators and/or teams worldwide to document cases referred to Spirit Rescue International. You must be willing to go to the locations in your area, gather evidence and forward the information exclusively to SRI. As well, you must agree to have a personal background check done if your are not known to any of the current team. You will be considered and recognized as part of the SRI organization. Make inquiries to the SRI Team Coordinator
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This Week's Paranormal Links
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Paranormal investigators get metaphysical
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Paranormal expert leads ghost hunt on campus
Survey reveals that 70 to 80 percent of Americans believe in paranormal activity
Have you ever had an encounter with ghosts or the paranormal?
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