2008 Woodie Awards
Best Places To Experience A Ghostly Sighting
Erika Batey
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Life & Times
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
Mankind has belived in ghostly sightings for hundreds of years. For those who did not experience the phenomenon, however, proof was always wanted. It wasn't until the invention of photography and recording devices (both audio and video) that tangible proof was possible.
Are they definitive proof? Of course not, since photos and recordings can be hoaxed, and many are open to interpretation.
In many photos where ghosts have later appeared, the pictures were taken of objects anf the ghosts or apparitions were there unexpexpectedly.
In a recent Gallup poll, it was found that 38 percent of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. But how does one see a ghost? Many people claim they have photographic "proof," but many of these turn out to be hoaxes, or the result of a camera strap or scratched lens.
How certain can anyone truly be of the presence of a ghost?
People who call themselves ghost hunters claim that you have to believe in ghosts in order to see them. They have turned the phrase"seeing is believing" around into "believing is seeing." While this deepens the belief of those who already believe in ghostly spirits, skeptics see this as a problem that adds to their doubt.
"If you go in to a place that's supposed to be haunted, you're tuned up [to believe] already," explains world-famous skeptic James Randi. He has promised $1 million to anyone who can show evidence of the supernatural under controlled circumstances. So far no one has won the prize money. Yet, for those who do believe, ghost hunting is a serious endeavor. Beyond just believing, ghost hunters have various methods to see ghosts.
First, it is important to know what you are looking for. Contrary to popular belief, ghosts "are not fragmented souls cursed to roam the land. They're here by choice," says Dave Oester of the International Ghost Hunting Society. They also rarely look like see-through people. Ghost hunters say that, in motion, ghosts look like strands of vapor called ectoplasm. Standing still, they resemble balls of light. Sometimes they can even resemble shadows.