Debunking and Natural Explanations
The merits of experiential investigations versus pseudo-scientific ones are hotly debated today in paranormal research. For a while, the experiential, old-school type of investigation was viewed as totally passé. Perhaps it was the influence of shows like Ghost Hunters, but it seemed that the field became dominated by the scientific approach, where the main thrust of the investigation is to debunk the haunting through the use of scientific equipment.
The main thrust of the old-school investigation was to prove that something was out there, then to try to find evidence to support it. Secondarily, the goal was to calm the disturbance caused by the paranormal events and to help the client achieve peace of mind. Another objective was to help the entity successfully cross over to the other side.
Noting hot spots and anomalous readings is important. If you get high EMF readings outdoors, you must determine whether there is a naturally occurring explanation for the spike. What gives off sufficient energy to produce this electrical response? If you are not near a power line, car battery, or radio, an EMF spike could be an indicator of paranormal activity. In actuality, almost anything can give off an electromagnetic charge. Surprisingly, even static electricity can sometimes explain such readings if conditions are right. This is where the importance of good recordkeeping comes in. Under certain weather conditions, such as when it is dry (less than 60 percent humidity) and cold, the likelihood of static electricity being an explanation for odd readings should certainly be considered.
EVP Debunkers
EVPs are particularly susceptible to skepticism. Critics say they could be background noise or even random radio signals. Believers counter that background noises and radio waves might account for some instances, but you certainly can't explain some of the most famous EVPs in this fashion, especially when they are too long or when they pick up a recognizable and interactive voice.
Researcher Alexander MacRae designed an experimentation chamber that was both soundproof and surrounded by a Faraday cage, which blocked out electromagnetic signals so that no radio waves could get in. He still managed to record EVPs. More about MacRae's experiments can be found in “Report of an Electronic Voice Phenomenon Experiment inside a Double-Screened Room” in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research.
A Faraday cage is a space whose perimeter is made of materials that are good at conducting electrical charges. This wall of conductors effectively blocks out external static electrical fields and forms a shield from electromagnetic radiation for anything placed inside the cage.
Parapsychology and Methodology
The application of scientific methodology to psychic phenomena is the approach used by parapsychologists. Of course, this approach sometimes annoys not only the skeptics, but also those who are already convinced of the veracity of supernatural phenomena. The skeptics call it pseudo-science and those already convinced wonder why time is being wasted trying to prove phenomena they have already accepted into their worldview.
Paranormal investigators who follow a scientific methodology seem quite satisfied to keep a foot in both worlds. They feel that in the end, they are doing a real service to believers in the paranormal. They are seeking irrefutable evidence of ghosts, hauntings, and other related events.
Although skeptics loudly proclaim that there is no evidence that any paranormal phenomena is real, there actually is plenty of statistically significant evidence that has been gathered to support the assertion that remote viewing, precognition, and telepathy all exist.
Investigators are invited to ask themselves what an EVP is. Voice recognition software may be able to give us an answer. It can scan files and label sections of a file that fall within the range of the decibels and harmonics produced by the human voice. Voice recognition software also recognizes patterns and will mark them for review. This could be quite handy when reviewing long hours of audio recordings. If the decibel range of a voice at one meter is 40 to 60 decibels and your software identifies an EVP with the proper harmonics within that range, you have probably caught an EVP.
Jeff Barnes recommends a standardized procedure in which the team records the positive element — the voice of the researcher — and the negative element — white noise in the empty room — then compares where the alleged EVP falls in the spectrum between the two. This produces quantifiable data that stands up to analysis and contains within it measurements that can be compared to other data as hard evidence.
Evidence standards for evaluation of the data should contain unfiltered, unedited raw audio files; a negative, white noise sample for background noise; and a positive sample of a voice, preferably that of the investigator, for comparison. These recordings should ideally be made in the room in which the alleged EVP occurred.
In the theory of quantum physics, the universe keeps splitting into separate branches, only one of which corresponds to our perception of reality. If this is true, perhaps other realities can leak into our own or our consciousness may briefly resonate with another reality in a way that affects our perceptions.
Photo analysis of orb phenomena is also an area that is often easily debunked. We now know that digital flash often produces orbs, through reflections off dust or water particles in the air. Turn off the flash and shoot without it or use an external flash to produce images that are not so easily dismissed or debunked.
