Page 87 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October / November 2018

Ghost Hunting Tools of the Trade 87

Ghost Hunting Tools of

the Trade

Why the use of electronic equipment
by TV ghost hunters and Paranormal
Teams is so stupid.

by Brian Dunning

Television shows about ghost hunting have been
popular for over 50 years, and though the basic
concept is the same, recent decades have seen
the hunt become less about psychics and séances
and more about electronic detection gear. Just
about every TV show about ghost hunting sends
a crew of investigators into a building, armed to
the teeth with all sorts of equipment.
The use of any kind of measuring
equipment to detect ghosts is fundamentally, and
completely, bogus. How can I make a blanket
statement like that? Measuring equipment
detects what it is designed to detect, whether
that's light, heat, electromagnetism, or whatever.
wavelengths of infrared penetrate smoke more is rarely supported by any suggestion of what the
Thus it will only detect things that emit
effectively than the shorter wavelength of power source might be. There are many different
measurable amounts of those energies. For us as
visible light; so if there were a hazy invisible types of EMF meters. More affordable units,
viewers to accept that some piece of handheld
apparition floating in the middle of the room, such as those typically used by television
measuring equipment has a useful function in
infrared is perhaps the worst technology to performers, need to be held precisely for a
detecting a ghost, we must base our acceptance
detect it. Variations of IR readings inside a room period of time at each of the three axis to get a
on the premise that ghosts are known to emit
are merely showing temperature gradations on reading, and so they are clearly not used on
those types of energies in measurable amounts.
the walls, caused by heating and AC, insulation television in a manner that would produce any
If there were any truth to this, science would
variances, studs, wiring, or pipes behind the useful result. When they are, or when a more
have discovered it long ago. Hospital operating
wall, radiant heat, recent proximity of another expensive three-axis meter is used, they are
rooms would have ghost detection equipment
ghost hunter, sunlight, temperatures in adjacent designed to detect the operation of electrical
built in. Mortuaries and crematoriums would
rooms, or countless other causes. appliances or wiring. Ghost hunters are usually
have ghost detection equipment at the top of
thoroughly accessorized with every electronic
their list. Search and rescue crews would use
Infrared motion detectors work on the gizmo under the sun: radios, cell phones,
ghost detection equipment. If ghosts did exist
same principle. If the amount of IR radiation flashlights, cameras, TV cameras, and other
and were detectable, you can bet that there
striking the sensor changes, an alarm can be ghost hunting accessories; and all of these will
would be huge industries behind it. I can't think
activated. Such a change is caused by a sudden produce a result on the EMF meter. Building
of anything that would attract more venture
change in temperature within the detector's field wiring or appliances will also be detected. But,
capital dollars from Silicon Valley. However, no
of view, or a significant movement by an object even in an environment with no electrical
rigorous research has ever shown that ghosts can
with a visible IR signature. A ghostly cold spot devices at all, the presence of the TV camera
be reliably detected with hardware. It's easy to
moving within a room could not be detected, alone renders the EMF readings totally useless.
disbelieve me, but it's much harder to disbelieve
unless it also cooled the walls or floors enough Even without ghost hunting equipment,
the lack of interest from greedy corporate
to trip the activation threshold. electrical wiring, or a TV camera, a sensitive
America.
meter can even detect the oscillation of a steel
So now let's look at the popular tools of
Particle detectors are devices that measure filing cabinet vibrated imperceptibly by
the trade of ghost hunting. The important footsteps. In the midst of all the absurd amounts
takeaway is to understand what these devices are ionizing radiation. The most common particle of EMF pollution on a TV ghost hunting set, the
actually detecting when the ghost hunters point detectors are Geiger counters, also called pretense that the alleged EMF field of a ghost
them around the room, and why their crazily halogen counters. These work by measuring (who's not carrying any batteries) can be
jumping needles and indicators are perfectly cascade effects caused by incoming particles
that strike molecules of halogen gas inside the identified, is foolish.
consistent with, and explained by, the absence of
detection chamber. Typically, alpha, beta, and
ghosts.
gamma particles are detected by these. It's not Ion detectors are interesting animals. The
the most common of ghost hunting tools, but few commercially available ion detectors are
Infrared thermometers are the most
occasionally you will see someone pointing a available online almost exclusively through
blatantly misused of the ghost hunting tools, so ghost hunting and alternative wellness websites,
are a great place to start. These handheld devices Geiger counter around the room, though you
may hear them describe it by any of several which gives some clue of how useful they
measure the temperature of the object they are
fancier and more high-tech sounding names. It's actually are. Ions occur naturally in the
pointed at. They work exactly like your vision,
a Geiger counter. For a ghost to emit ionizing atmosphere from a variety of sources: solar
except that they are sensitive to far infrared
radiation, it would have to be an awfully sick radiation and weather being the main ones. Also,
instead of the visible spectrum. They measure
ghost; or be composed largely of unstable if you go to a part of the country where radon
surface temperatures, just like your vision
radioactive metals. Ionizing particles don't just gas is an issue, an ion detector taken into the
measures surface colors. If you can see
appear out of thin air, they are emitted by the basement can go crazy sensing airborne ions
something, an IR thermometer can measure its
decay of unstable isotopes that are typically created by radon decay. Ghost hunters prefer to
temperature. However, ghost hunters use these regard this reading as indicative of the presence
devices to detect what they believe are cold heavy and have significant mass.
of a ghost. Ion detectors can also sense the
spots in rooms. IR thermometers are not capable
EMF meters are perhaps the favorite tools. presence of static electricity, so if your ghost is
of detecting something without a visible surface. carrying a large static charge, you ought to be
In fact, an IR thermometer is even less likely EMF meters detect electromagnetic fields, and able to see it scuffing its shoes across the carpet.
than your vision to see a hazy apparition. are used in ghost hunting on the premise that
Firefighters use infrared because the longer ghosts emit electromagnetism, though this claim (Continued on Page 88)