Ghost Hunters
By Bob Bainter
The Zephyr, Galesburg
ÒOn a cold, dark night in Kentucky, two plumbers
and their friends entered the sanatorium.
What lurked behind its walls would soon become apparent as the mists of
All Hallows Eve enveloped the skyÉÓ
If that sounds like the beginning to a cheap horror flick,
you would be wrong. ItÕs merely my
interpretation of the beginning of the 6-hour live investigation of Waverly
Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, by the Sci-Fi ChannelÕs ÒGhost
Hunters.Ó
Who are the ÒGhost HuntersÓ in reality? They are Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson,
life-long friends who share an intense passion in investigating claims of the
paranormal. Is there more to them
than meets the eye? Is there
trickery involved? Or are they
really who they claim to be: Two
average JoeÕs who work for Roto-Rooter by day as plumbers and by night seek to
help people overcome their fears of the paranormal and unknown, and who do
their investigations in their own spare time. I recently had the opportunity to meet Hawes and Wilson,
ÒstarsÓ of the TV show ÒGhost Hunters,Ó and the founders of TAPS (The Atlantic
Paranormal Society), based in Warwick, RI, at a presentation they gave in St.
Louis at the main branch of the St. Louis Public Library system. The crowd that the presentation drew is
a testament to the phenomenon that their organization has helped foster.
I arrived at the main branch around 5:30 p.m. to find
that there were hundreds of people standing outside the building. The event had been advertised through
the library system and on the TAPS website for over three months. The security staff of the branch
disclosed that over 600 people at a minimum had been turned away due to seating
restrictions. There were 600 seats
on a first-come, first-serve basis, and all tickets were free. While waiting for the presentation to
begin, I met Trish, a 26-year old mother of two who had driven from Omaha,
Nebraska, for the presentation.
ÒIÕve been here since 10 a.m.,Ó Trish said, Òand
theyÕve been turning people away since 3 p.m.Ó She added, ÒI just love the show and this is my first time
seeing them in person. Driving
this far will be well worth the trip.Ó
Her reaction to the field of paranormal investigating is not uncommon
amongst its legions of fans and has only blossomed as the show and its unique
history have become more and more popular.
ÒWe did a presentation at Harper College last week
(October 22) and there were over 1300 people in the auditorium,Ó Hawes said. ÒItÕs just amazing to me how many
people have shown up for these (presentations).Ó
ÒItÕs crazy, itÕs really crazy how big this show has
become,Ó said Wilson, the co-founder of the organization. ÒWe do this to help people, and itÕs
just crazy the response.Ó
TAPS began with Hawes and Wilson each having their own
unique paranormal personal experience in their lives. What were those experiences? ÒWe will not tell anyone what those experiences are,Ó said
Wilson. ÒThatÕs why theyÕre
personal. To give you an idea of
how personal they are, IÕve been married for eleven years. I told my wife just two years ago about
it, so that gives you an idea of how good of a chance you have of finding out,Ó
he ended with a laugh.
The premise of TAPS is as follows. A homeowner, business owner, or other
concerned person calls the TAPS team and tells them they are having strange
experiences in their home, office, etc.
Voices, apparitions, unexplained cold spots, and noises are just some of
the reasons people call TAPS. The
TAPS team will review the case, and then decide to accept it. Equipped with a myriad of gadgets, such
as digital audio and video recorders, EMF (electro-magnetic frequency)
detectors, temperature detectors, and even a thermal imaging camera, the team
investigates each area from a scientific point of view. The equipment is expensive (the thermal
imaging camera cost over $10,000) and the team has acquired their equipment out
of their own pockets.
ÒA lot of the equipment weÕve bought over the years
with TAPS,Ó explained Hawes. ÒI
can say that at one point Grant and I were throwing over $20,000 a year into
TAPS on a yearly basis.
ÒNow Sci-Fi channel will provide the tapes, batteries,
and things like that, you know, like the expendables (sic),Ó said Wilson. ÒThey also provide hotels and travel,
otherwise we wouldnÕt be able to go to, say, California. You have to remember that this is a
hobby for us. HobbyÕs donÕt make
money, they cost money. So a lot
of what you see comes out of our own pockets.Ó
Armed with their equipment and a team that includes a
veterinary assistant and a PR manager, just to name a few, they go Òlights outÓ
and begin to search for evidence of the unknown. The team will utilize their digital voice recorders by
asking into the seeming nothingness of an empty room, ÒIs there anyone here who
would like to talk to us? Can you
tell us your name?Ó While nothing
is heard at the time, review of the evidence after an investigation has led to
voices being heard on the recorders, and in some cases, those voices have
actually responded ÒintelligentlyÓ to the questions posed by the team. TAPS calls these voices ÒEVPÕs,Ó or an
electronic voice phenomenon. They
also measure fluctuations in the magnetic fields of the area with a device
called an ÒEMFÓ device, or electro-magnetic frequency device. A long held theory in the paranormal
world is that ÒghostsÓ and ÒspiritsÓ are actually energy, and they require
energy to interact with the world.
Therefore, the EMF device can detect subtle changes in the fields around
the areas they investigate.
However, most of the time, simple explanations can solve even the
strangest cases.
ÒAs plumbers, we have been able to dismiss many claims
just because of bad pipes in the basement, coming loose and banging against
other pipes, the ceiling, what have you,Ó said Hawes. ÒWe once installed a $1.49 trap in a womanÕs toilet and she
never had ghost problems again. I
kid you not.Ó Hawes also recalled
another case. ÒWe were
investigating a womanÕs claims of apparitions in her house, and when we checked
her bedroom, our EMF meter was jumping off the charts. We found her alarm clock was an old
1960Õs model, and was causing crazy electro-magnetic fields around it. This woman slept with this clock right
by her head for about ten hours a night.
We spent $22.99 on a nice digital clock, and she never saw an apparition
again.Ó
ÒAbout 80% of the cases that weÕve been involved in we
have been able to Ôdebunk,Õ or disprove,Ó said Wilson. ÒItÕs that 20% that gets us excited the
most. We are trying to eliminate
any possibilities of explainable phenomenon, and when those possibilities are
eliminated, you have by the very definition of the word a paranormal
experience.Ó
What is intriguing is the proliferation of television
shows on cable that deal with ghosts, hauntings, and other paranormal
experiences. It has also brought
some intense skepticism on the realm of the supernatural. The show that brings out the most
critics is ÒMost Haunted,Ó which airs on the Travel Channel. The show is based in the UK, and
travels to some famously haunted castles and estates that have been, in some
cases, abandoned for centuries.
The criticism comes from the ÒMost HauntedÓ crewÕs seeming perfect
record of having something unbelievable happen to them in every episode. However, recent revelations and damning
video evidence have in fact shown that many of the incidences of the
ÒparanormalÓ have actually been hoaxes perpetrated by the crew for the purpose
of garnering the ÒshockÓ value and increased viewership. Not to be outdone, A&E recently
announced the debut later this year of its own show, ÒParanormal State,Ó that
loosely follows the ÒGhost HuntersÓ format.
With
TAPS, the believability of the show lies in the fact that some episodes reveal
nothing but a couple of personal experiences amongst the team that canÕt be
backed up by hard evidence. Many
investigating groups, such as the team from ÒMost Haunted,Ó will use psychics,
mediums, sŽances, Ouija boards, etc.
TAPS frowns on this approach, as they look for concrete evidence of the
paranormal in audio and video tape, temperature changes, and fluctuations on
electro-magnetic frequency devices.
While this has brought on the opposite reaction of what TAPS is trying
to achieve, they do their best to remain positive
ÒWe did
an interview with Yvette (Yvette Fielding, the melodramatic host of Most
Haunted—authors opinion),
and it kind of went over like a fart in church, to be honest with you,Ó Hawes
said, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance at the presentation (He
then added, ÒSorry, donÕt forget, weÕre just plumbers) ÒWeÕre not disrespecting
her by any means, but she was forty minutes late for a live radio show.Ó Hawes continued, ÒYou know, people are
going to watch our show. TheyÕre
going to watch their show, but ours doesnÕt have the entertainment aspect of
theirs.Ó
Wilson added, ÒThe thing is, every show out there is
raising awareness. Some people want
to have that type of experience, you know, the Halloween-y, haunted house type
experience, and thatÕs great. But
theyÕre watching something paranormal which makes them think about it, and
thatÕs good. But that show makes
us look great.Ó
In the United States, Hawes explained, the general
population as a majority believes in the supernatural, but itÕs not embraced by
the people or the government as much as it is in Ireland, the sight of their
first investigation outside of the United States.
ÒWhile we were in Ireland investigating, the
government was building a new road in the country, and itÕs investment in the
road was over 14 million euros.
The local population explained to the government that the intended route
was going to result in the removal of a ÔfaerieÕ tree.Ó (Note: ÒfaeriesÓ in Ireland resemble,
according to local lore, three to four foot tall ÒelementalÓ beings, much like
trolls.) ÒWhen this was brought to
their attention, the government spent another 7 million euros to re-plan and
reroute the road around the tree.Ó
Wilson added, ÒIn Ireland, if a builder wants to build
a new home, they will mark the foundation with cairns, or a stack of stones, on
each corner of where the foundation is to be placed. They come back the next day after placing the cairns, if
they have been disturbed or knocked over, they absolutely will not build there. If they are still in one place, itÕs ok
with the ÔfaeriesÕ to build on that spot.
ItÕs really embraced by the culture there. In fact, if your house isnÕt haunted, people think there is
a problem.Ó
TAPS has investigated numerous sights around the U.S.
that are famed for their purported paranormal activity. This list includes the famed
ÒWinchester HouseÓ in California (they found it spooky but not haunted), the
Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana (strange voices found on tape recordings led
them to believe it lived up to its reputation), and most famously, the Stanley
Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which was the inspiration for Steven KingÕs
famous book, The Shining.
ÒItÕs the one place that has never let us down in
strange and unexplainable occurrences,Ó said Hawes. ÒWe were able to catch on live TV during our investigation
last year a childÕs voice calling out to us in the basement, and we have been
back there many times and have been unable to reproduce that voice.Ó
The incident occurred during their first-ever live
investigation on Halloween in 2006.
There were, according to Wilson, over 250 security guards on the
property to prevent anyone from interfering with the live investigation.
ÒThey wouldnÕt even let JayÕs (JasonÕs) wife on the
property. They wanted to make sure
that there were no false readings or any outside influences on the show, since
there was no way to edit out anything that went wrong. That voice we heard was right in front
of my face, and there was no one around or in the tunnel with us when that
occurred. It was extraordinary.Ó
One thing was clear after meeting with Jason Hawes and
Grant Wilson. Success hasnÕt
changed their mission. Regardless
of how the show fares on Sci-Fi (It is the number one rated show on the
network), the TAPS team will continue investigating. Judging by recent ratings, ÒGhost HuntersÓ will not be
relegated to the dustbin of television history any time soon. Their recent live investigation in
Louisville became the most watched show in the history of Sci-Fi, displacing
the previous number one show which was their 2006 live Halloween special at the
Stanley Hotel.
ÒOur number one goal is to help people,Ó said
Wilson. ÒPeople have asked us why
we donÕt charge for our investigations.
ItÕs simple. If we charged
for our services we would be charlatans in the eyes of the public. When you think about it, also, how can
you charge someone for something that in the eyes of the scientific world
doesnÕt exist?Ó
ItÕs nice to know that the next time you see that
shadow out of the corner of your eye, dancing in the darkness of your bedroom,
or you hear the voice of a dearly departed family member calling out from your
basement, there is no need to fear.
Help is only a phone call away.
11/22/07
CALLING
ALL GHOST HUNTERS:
Dear
Readers:
After
meeting with Jason and Grant from TAPS, it inspired me to want to find out more
about the paranormal on my own. I,
personally, have never had a paranormal experience that I can absolutely say I
couldnÕt explain, but IÕd love to find out what lies beyond.
So,
after considering it carefully, I, along with the assistance of the Zephyr, am
proud to announce a contest. I am
inviting the public to join me on our own ghost hunting trip somewhere here in
the Galesburg area. But I need
your help! How do I choose who to
take with me on this tripÉand where do we go to do our investigation?
First,
I need you, the reader, to help us pick a place to investigate. Simply e-mail me at rdbzephyr@aol.com with your ideal location
to investigate. Tell me if youÕve
had an experience somewhere, whether it be an apparition, disembodied voices,
unexplained noises, etc, and why this would be the ultimate location in our
area. Please include your contact
information in the e-mail, and also it would be helpful to include any
information you might know about who we can contact at this location to obtain
permission to investigate.
Second,
I am looking for volunteers. Send
me an e-mail at rdbzephyr@aol.com
telling me why you should be included in our team. Be creative!
Send me a video over the internet telling me why you would make a great
ghost investigator. Now, you will
not be turned down if you donÕt send in a video, but use your creativity in
describing what makes you the perfect person for such an adventure if you
canÕt. Everyone will be
considered.
I
will select 4-5 team members from the submissions collected, and the team will
study the suggestions of locations before we decide upon where the
investigation will take place. The
results of the investigation will be reported on here in The Zephyr in
an upcoming issue.
So,
tell me why youÕre not scared of things that go bump in the night, and good
luck to all!
Bob
Bainter
Disclaimer: This contest and investigation is not
affiliated with The Atlantic Paranormal Society or any of its affiliates, nor
is it affiliated with the Sci-Fi channel or ÒGhost Hunters. The beliefs (or skepticism) of the
author in no way reflect the beliefs (or skepticism) of The Zephyr or its
staff.
11/22/07