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The Science of Ghosts 83

The Science of Ghosts:

What's Really Happening

When Your Brain Detects

a Ghoul?

by Philip Perry

Once, in middle school, a gang of boys and I
were lured to a spot behind the Dunkin' Donuts
in our town. We went after dark, to a place
where a kid from school witnessed a paranormal
experience. Once there, we saw nothing. We
chided our classmate until suddenly, a column of
white light appeared out of nowhere. We
scattered.
It sustained itself for a few minutes.
Then suddenly, it cut off. A few moments later,
just as mysteriously, it went on again. We stayed
there quietly studying it, scared out of our
minds. Until someone in our group finally
that her house was haunted. Poppy tried to do a 'Ghost Hunters' Is More
pointed out a streetlight overhead. The bulb was
cleansing by burning a sage stick and other
getting old. That was the last time I believed in
things. But no matter what she tried, the pressure Fiction Than Fact, And
ghosts.
on her chest got worse. It was also growing
Do you? If so, you’re in good company. Here's Why
painful.
45% of Americans do. In one poll, 28% of them
Finally, she took to the internet and
admitted they’d had contact with one,
arrived on a ghost forum for skeptics. She told Melissa Brinks
personally. Senior research fellow at the
them what she was experiencing and one of
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Joe Nickell is
them said she had the symptoms for carbon
the world’s sole, full-time, scientific paranormal
monoxide poisoning. These include pressure on
investigator. After five decades of research, he
the chest and auditory hallucinations. The utility
hasn’t turned up a shred of evidence that points Bad news, everyone - Ghost Hunters isn't real.
worker who rectified the problem, told her that
to the existence of ghosts. Magicians Harry That doesn't mean it's not enjoyable, nor that
if she hadn’t of gotten it fixed when she did, she
Houdini and James Randi arrived at a similar you shouldn't watch it. But it does mean that, if
wouldn’t have been alive the next morning.
place. you consider the evidence (something certain
The process by which one experiences
It’s not for lack of trying. In a video for investigators aren't always inclined to do), you'd
something that isn’t there is called misperceived
Vox, Nickell says he’s employed blood pattern see all the reasons why Ghost Hunters is fake.
self-representation. So what else might induce
analysis, linguistic analysis, aspects of It's spooky entertainment with a dash of
this, besides carbon monoxide poisoning, brain
psychology, and more. It isn’t just him. Not one scientific flair, but it's journeyed so far from its
damage, or an episode related to mental illness?
haunting or ghost sighting has ever rendered any more skeptical roots that it's hard, not to mention
Well, several things actually. There is a
evidence. inadvisable, to take it as a serious inquiry into
condition called sleep paralysis for one, also
One of the problems is, it’s hard to grab the paranormal.
known as waking dreams.
raw data. All we usually have is a personal Though some of Ghost Hunters might
This affects around 8% of the
account. And these vary widely. One person will use real investigative techniques, the TV show is
population. It usually occurs in the twilight
interact with an actual human figure, while all about the spectacle. How Ghost Hunters
hours of the morning, when one is between a
another will observe mere objects flying across tricks viewers is a mixture of scientific babble,
waking and dreaming state. You can’t move
the room. There are a few grainy, blurs in some playing with expectations, and including just
your body and sometimes experience visual
photos. But it’s hard to extrapolate from that. enough mystery to keep fans on their toes. The
hallucinations. Grief also tends to increase the
Though electromagnetic field (EMF) show may have started as a serious-minded look
chances of a ghostly encounter. Psychologists
meters have been made popular by movies like into real-life ghost stories, but it's moved pretty
say it might be a way for the mind to process and
Ghostbusters and TV shows such as Paranormal far away from that and into the realm of thrilling
deal with loss. Usually, the person they see is a
Lockdown and Ghost Hunters, there’s no "reality" TV. Even if the science isn't there, how
comforting figure who appears serene.
scientific proof of any link between supernatural Ghost Hunters fakes evidence is nearly as
Another ghost-inducing phenomenon is
phenomenon and the magnetic field. Despite a interesting as the few seemingly legitimate
called infrasound. This is a vibration that occurs
general lack of evidence, such experiences feel snippets of EVPs and paranormal activity they
below our normal range of hearing. That’s below
poignant and real. capture.
20 hertz (Hz). Certain machinery (like engines),
In a recent TED talk, Carrie Poppy
whales, and extreme weather can all cause
explains her brush with the paranormal, how it Ghost Hunters May Have A Staging Crew
infrasound.
made her feel, and later on, what she came to
Some studies suggest that it can result in
realize about it. She’s the co-host of the popular Ghost Hunters is good TV. Good TV is
symptoms including feelings of depression, the
podcast Oh No Ross and Carrie, which explores entertaining. And if the ghosts aren't appearing,
chills, and the sneaking suspicion that someone
and demystifies spiritual, religious, and the show isn't entertaining. Claims that the show
is watching you. According to Hayden
paranormal topics, among others, through a is faked have plagued Ghost Hunters for some
Planetarium director and astrophysicist Neil
scientific lens. time, but when former case manager Donna
deGrasse Tyson, infrasound at 18 Hz vibrates at
At the time her ghost sighting occurred, Lacroix left the show, she hinted, but did not
such a rate that the eye can pick it up, which
she was alone in her house. Suddenly, she felt a confirm, that a staging crew was part of filming.
might cause visual hallucinations.
presence. Poppy felt like she was being watched. In this case, a staging crew would be tasked with
So if you or someone you know claims
The feeling grew and grew and as it did, a setting up incidents and situations for the cast to
to have seen a ghost, believe them. But also,
pressure began to build inside her chest. The encounter, such as strange noises, smells, or
look for what evidence or phenomenon might be
feeling increased slowly over the course of a other intangible effects.
behind the sighting. You could end up finding a
week and rose to a fever pitch. She started to
faulty lightbulb was the culprit all along. []
hear whispering sounds and became convinced (Continued on Page 90)