• Hi guest! As you can see, the new Wizard Forums has been revived, and we are glad to have you visiting our site! However, it would be really helpful, both to you and us, if you registered on our website! Registering allows you to see all posts, and make posts yourself, which would be great if you could share your knowledge and opinions with us! You could also make posts to ask questions!

My Issues With Ghost Hunting

Mider2009

Apostle
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
1,138
Reaction score
1,140
Awards
15
I find most ghost hunters to be full of 💩 the apps, voice boxes, EVPS are gargled garbage.

there are a few cool shows about monsters in an area that mention spirits of the land, water, demons, etc.

I remember an interview with a guy who worked with a ghost Hunter tram for a tv show but he quit after he suspected a child really had spirit around it, so he quits, the ghost hunters just wanted ratings

interesting video.
 

Incognitus

Lead Transcriber
Joined
May 30, 2021
Messages
341
Reaction score
629
Awards
10
I generally consider anything I see in a ghost hunting show to be bullshit. Either outright faked, or taking the sound of someone rubbing their finger over the microphone on a digital recorder as "speech".

However, there's a psychological thing here that really interests me. The whole ghost/spirit box thing. It's not that I believe there's any spirits using it, but I will say it's a strange phenomena. I've always been interested, but didn't want to buy any "ghost hunting gear", because how would I know what it's actually programmed to do. The seller has a financial interest in those devices doing something, so in my mind you can't trust them.

So I built one myself out of a raspberry pi and RTLSDR dongle (NooELEC Nano 3). I took an existing app (rtl_fm) and modified it so that it can hop through channels like a ghost box. While I was at it, I made the hop delay configurable, and added some different modes (go forward through frequencies, go backwards through frequencies, pick a random frequency each time). You don't need anything more than a small wire stuck into the RTLSDR for antenna. Slap a battery on it, and it's small enough to just carry around. You can even pair a bluetooth speaker or bluetooth headphones for wireless output. Gotta love the Pi's.

This way I knew there could be no trickery. I should really post the rtl_gb app on GitHub at some point so someone smarter than me can make it better.

And yanno what, you really can hear phrases and sometimes full sentences, depending on a lot of factors such as how many radio stations are in your area. Even hopping random frequencies (to avoid hitting the same powerful station multiple times, which of course will have full phrases), sometimes it will hit a few random FM stations in a row and you will hear a phrase or sentence that makes sense.

If you pipe the output through sox (a cross-platform command line tool for audio), you can filter out some of the static and apply filters that make the output sound like the speaker is under water, much like one of the boxes some of the ghost hunting shows use (I forget the name of it). Matter of fact, I'd be surprised if there isn't just a mini computer in that box running some Linux derivative specifically using sox to create the creepy, underwater sound affect.

I'm sure this is related to pareidolia in some way, but it's still fascinating and can really creep you out (in much the same way going to a haunted house attraction can creep you out, even tho you know it's all fake).
 

The God-King

The Mystical Rebel
Vendor
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
351
Reaction score
714
Awards
13
I'd really like to do a live show with a ghost hunter and really pick their brain about what the fuck they're doing and why they think any of that stuff works despite NO ONE EVER in the history of EVER capturing a convincing spirit on film or audio.
 

Mider2009

Apostle
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
1,138
Reaction score
1,140
Awards
15
I'd really like to do a live show with a ghost hunter and really pick their brain about what the fuck they're doing and why they think any of that stuff works despite NO ONE EVER in the history of EVER capturing a convincing spirit on film or audio.
IMO, It’s probably a money making scheme

if you look at the top guys, the warrens, their nephew Zaffis, the ghost hunters, they have tv shows, book deals, movies about their lives, their books are full of outrageous bullshit like demons lifting cars, raining rocks, materializing large objects out of thin air. Funny thing is that these things are never caught on camera.

The ghost adventures guys have a museum in Vegas. Lol why would anyone have a museum with haunted objects if they’re so dangerous if thry put the public at risk?

Even Malachi Martin made up plenty of stuff in his books.

im not saying they’re all fake, just saying there’s money to be made Like workers in the magic world
 

The God-King

The Mystical Rebel
Vendor
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
351
Reaction score
714
Awards
13
IMO, It’s probably a money making scheme

if you look at the top guys, the warrens, their nephew Zaffis, the ghost hunters, they have tv shows, book deals, movies about their lives, their books are full of outrageous bullshit like demons lifting cars, raining rocks, materializing large objects out of thin air. Funny thing is that these things are never caught on camera.

The ghost adventures guys have a museum in Vegas. Lol why would anyone have a museum with haunted objects if they’re so dangerous if thry put the public at risk?

Even Malachi Martin made up plenty of stuff in his books.

im not saying they’re all fake, just saying there’s money to be made Like workers in the magic world
TikTok is full of this bullshit and people are making money hand over fist. I can't scroll through my Live feed without coming across "speed tarot readers" or ghost hunters offering their services to anyone in their live chat who claims to have a "haunting" in their home. Every time I go into their chats and try to speak sense, I either get muted or their goons jump all over me. They're worse than the TikTok Christians! At least the Christians just say "I'll pray for you" and mute me. The New Agers are ghost hunters literally try to belittle me lol.
 

Mider2009

Apostle
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
1,138
Reaction score
1,140
Awards
15
TikTok is full of this bullshit and people are making money hand over fist. I can't scroll through my Live feed without coming across "speed tarot readers" or ghost hunters offering their services to anyone in their live chat who claims to have a "haunting" in their home. Every time I go into their chats and try to speak sense, I either get muted or their goons jump all over me. They're worse than the TikTok Christians! At least the Christians just say "I'll pray for you" and mute me. The New Agers are ghost hunters literally try to belittle me lol.
I think I was banned from the ghost hunters forum, I find some things they do to be not only stupid but dangerous like implying it’s ok to go harass spirits at haunted sites, if the spirit does respond and gets pissed you’re in some deep issues, financial troubles, health, etc

Reading the Warrens book the demonology states they also mention how they don’t charge...lol they just charge for their expenses, you have to wonder how much that entails, hotels, plane tickets, food.
 

The God-King

The Mystical Rebel
Vendor
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
351
Reaction score
714
Awards
13
I think I was banned from the ghost hunters forum, I find some things they do to be not only stupid but dangerous like implying it’s ok to go harass spirits at haunted sites, if the spirit does respond and gets pissed you’re in some deep issues, financial troubles, health, etc

Reading the Warrens book the demonology states they also mention how they don’t charge...lol they just charge for their expenses, you have to wonder how much that entails, hotels, plane tickets, food.
I'm in the wrong business then! "TGK Ghost Hunting Services". I like it....gonna go start an LLC and open a bank account and start charging "just for expenses" ;)
 

Roma

Apostle
Warned
Joined
Aug 31, 2021
Messages
2,427
Reaction score
2,781
Awards
12
I used to live in Forres (witches in Macbeth) and the community bought an old hotel. I remember an older lady coming up from the town to reception. Apparently she used to work in the hotel. She asked: Is the ghost still here?

It was. We were well aware of it. Since we had painted cleaned almost all of the building the ghost was confined to the unrenovated corridor behind the main kitchen. Quite a lot of community members and guests had met the ghost at night.

Eventually a dowser from the USA gave it some love and sent it on its way. That was the last we saw of it.
 

The God-King

The Mystical Rebel
Vendor
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
351
Reaction score
714
Awards
13
I used to live in Forres (witches in Macbeth) and the community bought an old hotel. I remember an older lady coming up from the town to reception. Apparently she used to work in the hotel. She asked: Is the ghost still here?

It was. We were well aware of it. Since we had painted cleaned almost all of the building the ghost was confined to the unrenovated corridor behind the main kitchen. Quite a lot of community members and guests had met the ghost at night.

Eventually a dowser from the USA gave it some love and sent it on its way. That was the last we saw of it.
Not saying ghosts don't exist. I work with the dead often. I'm saying ghost hunters aren't getting into contact with anything, let alone the dead or a demon (in cases of "demonic activity" or exorcisms).
 

Roma

Apostle
Warned
Joined
Aug 31, 2021
Messages
2,427
Reaction score
2,781
Awards
12
ghost hunters aren't getting into contact with anything

That is an absolute statement - covering every live/active ghost hunter.

I find the recordings of strange voices quite interesting - although proving that they are ghosts rather than aliens or NSA might be difficult

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

The God-King

The Mystical Rebel
Vendor
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
351
Reaction score
714
Awards
13
That is an absolute statement - covering every live/active ghost hunter.

I find the recordings of strange voices quite interesting - although proving that they are ghosts rather than aliens or NSA might be difficult

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
I'll check it out tomorrow
 

Scottish_Pride

Meme-y Tree Nymph
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
538
Reaction score
753
Awards
11
IMO, It’s probably a money making scheme

if you look at the top guys, the warrens, their nephew Zaffis, the ghost hunters, they have tv shows, book deals, movies about their lives, their books are full of outrageous bullshit like demons lifting cars, raining rocks, materializing large objects out of thin air. Funny thing is that these things are never caught on camera.

The ghost adventures guys have a museum in Vegas. Lol why would anyone have a museum with haunted objects if they’re so dangerous if thry put the public at risk?

Even Malachi Martin made up plenty of stuff in his books.

im not saying they’re all fake, just saying there’s money to be made Like workers in the magic world
Yeah, I know there are hobbyist ghost hunters out there. Either they wholeheartedly believe in the legitimacy of what they're doing, or simply enjoy it as a personal interest. Tbh a lot of them also probably spend a pretty penny on equipment and trips to various haunted locations.
 

Mider2009

Apostle
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
1,138
Reaction score
1,140
Awards
15
Yeah, I know there are hobbyist ghost hunters out there. Either they wholeheartedly believe in the legitimacy of what they're doing, or simply enjoy it as a personal interest. Tbh a lot of them also probably spend a pretty penny on equipment and trips to various haunted locations.
I wonder how many of them get some spirit mad and go home with an attachment after screwing around at a site or cemetery.
 

cryphius

Neophyte
Joined
Jun 10, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
91
It's been 15 years at least since the phenomenon was first popularized by "Ghost Hunters." I was fascinated with it when it first came out.
But in doing some research, more reputable ghost hunting groups say the ones on TV were discovering more evidence in one episode than most groups had recorded in their entire life. So I became skeptical. And then I think there was some live Halloween episode where the TV Ghosthunters were more or less caught manufacturing evidence. So I think all the stuff on TV is bogus.

Anyway, as far the local "reputable" groups, most want more of a commitment in time and resources than I am willing to give. And yes, if they don't have some occult training, I'm sure they occasionally drag something back with them.
 

Öwnchef

Apostle
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
1,014
Reaction score
1,357
Awards
8
It's been 15 years at least since the phenomenon was first popularized by "Ghost Hunters." I was fascinated with it when it first came out.
But in doing some research, more reputable ghost hunting groups say the ones on TV were discovering more evidence in one episode than most groups had recorded in their entire life. So I became skeptical. And then I think there was some live Halloween episode where the TV Ghosthunters were more or less caught manufacturing evidence. So I think all the stuff on TV is bogus.

Anyway, as far the local "reputable" groups, most want more of a commitment in time and resources than I am willing to give. And yes, if they don't have some occult training, I'm sure they occasionally drag something back with them.
I did that 45 years ago. I was running for my life, almost got killed by an axe that appeared out of the dark. In the end I must say that the most dangerous ghosts were played by living humans with some interest to keep people away. Onky a few were real and I wouldn't even call the ghosts. Entities with a deep wish to get home fits it more.
 
Top