I have been mulling this around for quite some time and not quite sure how to best broach the subject. So let's jump in with both feet, shall we? Should ghost hunting be an entertainment, a serious endeavor or a bit of both? Is there a difference between ghost hunting and paranormal investigating? Why does this even matter? Why not apply "to each their own" here?
To start with, the paranormal and related subjects such as the occult, are pretty much open ended and unregulated. There is no one way or golden certificate which guarantees someone knows what they are doing. The popular thinking seems to be if someone has appeared on TV or sold a book, they must be an expert. If they appear as a presenter at a conference, that counts as well. Even someone with very little experience, but is well known in another field such as modeling or acting, well they too are someone, hence know all about the paranormal field. Then we have teams or individuals who have went ghost hunting every weekend for three years, have a local fan following of 892 family and friends AND a Facebook page. Yep, they are experts as well. All of the above may or may not be true. I'm really tryng to not write in absolutes here. What I am trying to determine, what do paranormal investigators do and is there a difference between serious inquiry or the fast track to fame folks.
What has prompted all these questions? From our viewpoint, a proliferation of paranormal groups and individuals who choose entertainment and selling as a top priority. Give people what they want, let me entertain you, and while we're at it, attend our event, buy our product, watch our TV show. Before you remind me, yes! Many paranormal events are held as fund raisers for worthy causes and we applaud this! BUT.. is this entertainment or serious paranormal investigation? It depends how how the event is handled, maybe a bit of both. Are bonafide, knowledgable folks presenting accurate information regarding the paranormal field or are they celebrities selling autographed 8x10 glossies? Is the ghost hunting event a romp through a local haunted location with a large group of people wielding recorders? Is the TV show featuring actors/actresses really a good representation of a paranormal investigator? How about that horror movie with all the cool special effects? That's entertainment folks. It seems we have blurred the line between fantasy and reality to a fault.
Why does this matter? In our opinion, it cheapens the individuals and teams doing quality work in the paranormal field. Parapsychologists who have a degree and know how to use it. Grassroots groups doing serious investigation for little recognition or profit. They'll tell you they don't know the answer when they don't. They don't make up a little extra to pad the evidence. Spend hours researching and combing through video/audio. Continually study the field. Ask questions regarding ethics and veracity of a technique or information. This is serious paranormal investigation. The more occult side to the field has also been exploited. Everybody who has read a book, opened a deck of cards or had an intuitive feeling is now a witch, reader, or medium. Rarely, are these arts learned quickly or without a good background involving years of study and application. Watch out for mediums that do gallery or stage readings. I'm not saying these people don't have an ability. I'm saying if you're in a crowd giving readings, cards or otherwise, it smacks of entertainment and the tickets usually are not inexpensive.
To lighten things up for a moment, C.A.P.E.R.S. occasionally receives email from TV producers looking to cast a new show. They also want your knowledge. Your best haunted house investigation story. Do you know law enforcement individuals who are also interested in the paranormal, or nude paranormal investigators. WHAT!?! yes, we're looking to start a new TV show for a paranormal group who is willing to go nude. Email us with your photos, information, etc. etc. and we'll get back with you. Alrighty, then and no we did not respond. Why? We like to keep it family oriented, for one thing. Nude investigating? In Ohio in the winter? Give me a break. That would be adult entertainment, right? Generally, we view these "offers" as scams anyway. They'll take your best location, findings and experiences. You may get on TV as yourself for two minutes or portrayed by an actor, then sell your rights for a pittance, and voila! All your hard work is now someone's entertainment and profit. At least we kept our clothes on :)
Speaking of money and profit. What's wrong with selling a product or service. Isn't that the American way? Didn't C.A.P.E.R.S. sell a DVD "The Haunted Halls of Carey School"? Yes, we did, to recoup the money our Team chipped in to hire Capture1 Studios when they approached us about the project. We probably shot down our chance at the "big time" though. When the filmmaker submitted a sizzler from our documentary to a well known cable TV company, he added C.A.P.E.R.S. will not fabricate events. Oh well. By the way, we chose the documentary format over a TV show format because we wanted our video to be a serious, honest investigation. A memory of the school for our community before it was razed. We did add a few fun elements and hoped it was at least interesting. The main goal, though was never to be entertainment. Believe me, we could have jazzed that video up a lot more!!
Do we need a distinction then, between paranormal entertainment and serious study/investigation? Between Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Investigation? In our opinion, yes we do. If you want entertainment, go for it. Nothing wrong with fun, thrills, special effects, celebrities. Usually, your pocketbook will be a little lighter. Just know, that in many cases, serious thought is on the thinner side. Research who presenters at an event are. What are their qualifications? Who are the investigators in a TV show? Actors or real life folks? Are they people who have shown they will do anything for money? Special effects are not present in a real life investigation. Demons dripping blood in a movie are a good clue it's entertainment. If you want a more serious experience look for individuals or groups who investigate for the love of it, who are happy with a small donation, not making fame or fortune a main priority. Maybe they have written a quality book or two, even appeared on TV. But know the difference between those people and the frauds looking to cash in on the huge interest in all things spooky.
To wrap this up, we all need humor and entertainment in our lives. And yes a serious approach to the spiritual side of life. In our opinion, the paranormal world is part of the natural world, therefore a part of our spiritual lives. How far you want to take it is up to you. What route you go is up to you. But let's at least keep it classy, at best let our true intentions be known. And for heaven's sake, keep it honest and real. Thanks for reading!
.,
To start with, the paranormal and related subjects such as the occult, are pretty much open ended and unregulated. There is no one way or golden certificate which guarantees someone knows what they are doing. The popular thinking seems to be if someone has appeared on TV or sold a book, they must be an expert. If they appear as a presenter at a conference, that counts as well. Even someone with very little experience, but is well known in another field such as modeling or acting, well they too are someone, hence know all about the paranormal field. Then we have teams or individuals who have went ghost hunting every weekend for three years, have a local fan following of 892 family and friends AND a Facebook page. Yep, they are experts as well. All of the above may or may not be true. I'm really tryng to not write in absolutes here. What I am trying to determine, what do paranormal investigators do and is there a difference between serious inquiry or the fast track to fame folks.
What has prompted all these questions? From our viewpoint, a proliferation of paranormal groups and individuals who choose entertainment and selling as a top priority. Give people what they want, let me entertain you, and while we're at it, attend our event, buy our product, watch our TV show. Before you remind me, yes! Many paranormal events are held as fund raisers for worthy causes and we applaud this! BUT.. is this entertainment or serious paranormal investigation? It depends how how the event is handled, maybe a bit of both. Are bonafide, knowledgable folks presenting accurate information regarding the paranormal field or are they celebrities selling autographed 8x10 glossies? Is the ghost hunting event a romp through a local haunted location with a large group of people wielding recorders? Is the TV show featuring actors/actresses really a good representation of a paranormal investigator? How about that horror movie with all the cool special effects? That's entertainment folks. It seems we have blurred the line between fantasy and reality to a fault.
Why does this matter? In our opinion, it cheapens the individuals and teams doing quality work in the paranormal field. Parapsychologists who have a degree and know how to use it. Grassroots groups doing serious investigation for little recognition or profit. They'll tell you they don't know the answer when they don't. They don't make up a little extra to pad the evidence. Spend hours researching and combing through video/audio. Continually study the field. Ask questions regarding ethics and veracity of a technique or information. This is serious paranormal investigation. The more occult side to the field has also been exploited. Everybody who has read a book, opened a deck of cards or had an intuitive feeling is now a witch, reader, or medium. Rarely, are these arts learned quickly or without a good background involving years of study and application. Watch out for mediums that do gallery or stage readings. I'm not saying these people don't have an ability. I'm saying if you're in a crowd giving readings, cards or otherwise, it smacks of entertainment and the tickets usually are not inexpensive.
To lighten things up for a moment, C.A.P.E.R.S. occasionally receives email from TV producers looking to cast a new show. They also want your knowledge. Your best haunted house investigation story. Do you know law enforcement individuals who are also interested in the paranormal, or nude paranormal investigators. WHAT!?! yes, we're looking to start a new TV show for a paranormal group who is willing to go nude. Email us with your photos, information, etc. etc. and we'll get back with you. Alrighty, then and no we did not respond. Why? We like to keep it family oriented, for one thing. Nude investigating? In Ohio in the winter? Give me a break. That would be adult entertainment, right? Generally, we view these "offers" as scams anyway. They'll take your best location, findings and experiences. You may get on TV as yourself for two minutes or portrayed by an actor, then sell your rights for a pittance, and voila! All your hard work is now someone's entertainment and profit. At least we kept our clothes on :)
Speaking of money and profit. What's wrong with selling a product or service. Isn't that the American way? Didn't C.A.P.E.R.S. sell a DVD "The Haunted Halls of Carey School"? Yes, we did, to recoup the money our Team chipped in to hire Capture1 Studios when they approached us about the project. We probably shot down our chance at the "big time" though. When the filmmaker submitted a sizzler from our documentary to a well known cable TV company, he added C.A.P.E.R.S. will not fabricate events. Oh well. By the way, we chose the documentary format over a TV show format because we wanted our video to be a serious, honest investigation. A memory of the school for our community before it was razed. We did add a few fun elements and hoped it was at least interesting. The main goal, though was never to be entertainment. Believe me, we could have jazzed that video up a lot more!!
Do we need a distinction then, between paranormal entertainment and serious study/investigation? Between Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Investigation? In our opinion, yes we do. If you want entertainment, go for it. Nothing wrong with fun, thrills, special effects, celebrities. Usually, your pocketbook will be a little lighter. Just know, that in many cases, serious thought is on the thinner side. Research who presenters at an event are. What are their qualifications? Who are the investigators in a TV show? Actors or real life folks? Are they people who have shown they will do anything for money? Special effects are not present in a real life investigation. Demons dripping blood in a movie are a good clue it's entertainment. If you want a more serious experience look for individuals or groups who investigate for the love of it, who are happy with a small donation, not making fame or fortune a main priority. Maybe they have written a quality book or two, even appeared on TV. But know the difference between those people and the frauds looking to cash in on the huge interest in all things spooky.
To wrap this up, we all need humor and entertainment in our lives. And yes a serious approach to the spiritual side of life. In our opinion, the paranormal world is part of the natural world, therefore a part of our spiritual lives. How far you want to take it is up to you. What route you go is up to you. But let's at least keep it classy, at best let our true intentions be known. And for heaven's sake, keep it honest and real. Thanks for reading!
.,
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