It is open to all students, not just anthropology majors.
All full-time anthropologists will be present.
There will be free food and snacks.
Information about the department will be available.
Graduating students will be celebrated.
Ghost Hunting as Modern Paranormal Research
Ghost hunters aim to appear objective and scientific.
They seek physical evidence of the afterlife.
Ghost hunters lack the advanced degrees of psychical researchers and parapsychologists.
They are everyday people trying to determine if the afterlife exists.
Theories About Ghosts
Intelligent Hauntings
These involve deceased spirits that have returned.
The spirits are aware they are dead.
They can communicate in real-time.
They can manipulate the physical environment; an example of manipulation would be moving objects from one location to another.
Residual Hauntings
Locations or structures absorb the energy of a living person.
The haunting is like a recording replaying the person's energy.
There is no intelligent ghost present.
Communication is impossible; an example would be if someone had died at a specific location it create a residual haunting that plays over and over.
Psychological Hauntings
Ghosts are not physically real.
Ghosts are psychologically real or imagined.
These hauntings impact people who encounter them.
They can result from psychological trauma, stress, or fear.
Example: A woman in Laguna Niguel experiencing paranormal activity due to the stress of a divorce.
Case Study: The Train Conductor
Dom, from Paranormal Investigation New York, investigated this case.
A subway driver was put on leave after a high school boy jumped onto the tracks and was killed by the train.
The conductor claimed photographs of the boy appeared in his house.
Dom found this unusual, as photos of deceased individuals don't typically appear spontaneously.
Dom investigated, giving the conductor a questionnaire about medications, stress, home life, and mental illness history.
A second photograph appeared, making the case even stranger.
Dom identified the boy and interviewed students at his school, seeking a connection to the conductor but found none.
During the physical investigation, the conductor found a ring on his mantelpiece, claiming it belonged to the boy.
The conductor had attended the boy's memorial service and taken the photographs, blocking the memory due to trauma; the conductor was scattering the stolen items as an expression of his trauma.
Dom concluded there was nothing objectively paranormal, but the conductor was coping with deep trauma and PTSD.
This type of investigation is the majority of Paranormal investigations.
Statement from Victor, a Psychic and Unitarian Pastor
Victor took a leave from paranormal investigations to focus on spiritual counseling and healing.
His goal was to find the truth and promote understanding, not just seek evidence of paranormal activity.
Over 90% of investigations were due to emotional, environmental, or attention-seeking situations, not spirits.
People often blame the unseen for their problems rather than taking personal responsibility.
Victor retired from active paranormal investigation to rededicate himself to his spiritual foundation, healing, counseling, teaching, and communication.
The conclusion after a lifetime of paranormal investigations is that most cases stem from emotional distress.
Studying ghosts often reveals insights into human behavior and psychology.
Poltergeists
Poltergeists are supernatural entities responsible for physical disturbances, such as objects being thrown or moved.
They are considered intelligent.
The source is typically an unconscious psychic burst of energy.
Poltergeists are often associated with young women going through puberty, whose hormonal changes cause these psychic outbursts.
Example: Carrie (from the movies).
Possessions
Possessions are when an alien spirit inhabits an individual's body.
The individual's personality is fractured.
Treatment involves exorcisms.
Both poltergeists and possessions are rare in the ghost hunting world.
Quick Think Questions
Which of the following hauntings involve the second outburst of pre adolescent girls?
The Answer is C: Poltergeist Hauntings.
You can communicate with ghosts of a residual haunting.
The answer is false.
Practicing Paper Analysis with a Ghost Hunt Episode
Instructions
Background Information: Identify the background information provided.
Ghost Manifestation: Describe how the ghost manifested.
Meaning Attribution: Explain the meaning attributed to the haunting and how participants make sense of their paranormal experiences.
Series: Paranormal State
It follows a team of college students.
They investigate paranormal claims using a case study format.
Pay attention to how the team tries to appear objective and scientific.
Consider the limitations of science in these investigations.
Note the care and caution used when communicating with clients in private homes.
Episode Summary: Paranormal State
A family, Shelly and Brian, contacted the team because their son, Matthew (8 years old), was experiencing paranormal phenomena.
Matthew saw black mists, experienced cold spots, and was attacked at night.
He was afraid to sleep alone.
Matthew claimed a voice told him to harm his mother and jump off the roof.
The family had previously sought help from counselors and doctors without success.
The phenomena started after they moved into the house.
Matthew began talking about "Timmy" after the move.
It was later revealed that the body of a former tenant, Timothy Shirey, was found in the woods near the home six months after the family moved in.
Timothy was found with his 22 rifle missing.
The team contacted people who knew Timmy, including a couple who were close to him.
They learned that Timmy always wore headphones.
Matthew was shown photos and identified Timmy, even recognizing the headphones.
Dead time was conducted at 3 AM with the team splitting into groups inside the house and at the site of Timmy's death.
Shelly became emotional, and strange noises and breathing were heard.
A spiritual cleansing was performed to bring peace to the family.
Matthew appeared more relieved and began sleeping in his own bed again.
The team gave the family holy water for protection.
Analysis of the Paranormal State Episode
Background Information
Matthew was experiencing paranormal phenomena (black mists, cold spots, voices, full body apparitions).
The phenomena occurred at night, preventing him from sleeping.
Matthew was taking sleeping pills.
The activity began after the family moved to the new location.
A body was found on the property from a former tenant, identified as Timmy.
Timmy died by suicide, shooting himself in the forest.
The family sought help from counselors and doctors before contacting the ghost hunters.
The parent's relationship was struggling due to the paranormal events happening in their home.
Ghost Manifestation
Black mists
Cold spots
Bloody people and full body apparitions.
Voices telling Matthew to cause harm.
Compelling Evidence
Matthew correctly identified Timmy in a photo.
Matthew knew Timmy wore headphones all the time, a detail not publicly known.
Meaning Attributed to the Haunting
Matthew was sensitive to the paranormal.
The family was living in Timmy's former house, creating a connection.
The haunting was unresolved because Timmy died by suicide, a tragic and traumatic event.
The ghost hunters resolved the case through a Christian framework, using holy water and performing a spiritual cleansing.
The family was comforted by the validation that their experiences were real and acknowledged.
Analysis and Discussion
Validation and Acknowledgment
The family received acknowledgment and validation that the paranormal events are real.
Previously medical professionals told them the paranormal events are not real.
This sense of validation gave the Family peace
The Role of Christianity
The resolution, through Christian frameworks, provided comfort in a time of turmoil and confusion within the family.
Suicide and Societal Attitudes
Unanswered questions about suicide can contribute to the perception of hauntings.
The Significance of Physical Locations
Hauntings are often associated with sites of violence, trauma, or tragedy.
The Portrayal of Children
Children are viewed as innocent, impressionable, and vulnerable to paranormal activity, requiring protection.
Establishing Truth
Truth is established through shared experiences (intersubjectivity) rather than solely relying on scientific or medical explanations.
Importance of compassion
As Americans, there is more compassion for the dead then the living when it comes to race and marginalized communities.
Formal Education
Tours would sugar coat traumatic past and turn them into positive places that have been know to be haunted locations.