A Guide to Spirits: Basic Tools and Theories, Part 1

The belief in ghosts, spirits and other supernatural creatures have been around since mankind could first think, this includes our ancient ancestors. When you think of Neanderthals religion and respect may not pop into your head, but ritual burial grounds have been found. The Shanidar Caves in northern Iraq suggest Neanderthals did indeed hold funerals for fallen comrades, even burying flowers with their dead.

In this article I will present several theories and methods of ‘hunting ghosts’, which has become a booming business and the topic of numerous shows including Syfy’s The Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, and Ghost Adventures. Keep an open mind, as the very idea of these things have survived far longer than any religion we know of.

A ghost is defined as the soul or spirit of a person who has died, though people are not the only creatures that can produce a ghost. There have been numerous reports of ghost animals, such as wolves, cats, deer and even bears. One prime example is the Demon Cat of Washington, D.C. It was spotted before many major political events including the stock market crash and the assassination of JFK.

The main thing to remember is that we are all made up of energy and energy cannot be destroyed, but only transformed. This suggests once we pass on the energy or electrical impulses in our brains are transformed into another state of existence, whether into the earth as compost or a wandering spirit, which can only manifest itself by energy.

Energy is important to the subject of ghosts, being the cause of what are called ‘cold spots’. By cause, I mean that in order for a spirit to manifest itself it takes energy to do so, because like us, if a spirit wishes to move or appear it must utilize energy as you or I would by lifting an arm. Since, a spirit’s body is no longer its vessel, it must gain its energy from another source, the must abundant being heat or in extreme cases, life itself.

The spirit will absorb all available energy from its surroundings, usually warmth that leaves the area cold. Energy is everywhere; we just don’t see it because it is outside our visible spectrum. However, there are cameras that can view energy as heat (i.e. infrared cameras), but if you were to view any area where a spirit may be manifesting itself the area will appear cold/blue on the infrared camera. This is one of the main methods of identifying a spirit’s presence, keeping in mind whether it can be explained naturally or not.

Though ghosts can be active and manifest themselves during the day, it is much more likely they will do so at night. This is because, though some spirits or demons may wish their presence known, most often ghosts prefer to be left alone. This is a helpful tactic, as you can see in any show on the subject, as you can challenge or ‘harass’ a spirit into revealing itself. I don’t condone insults or threat, nor have I performed any, because it will be likely to end badly in some form or another.

As I stated in previous hubs, ghosts affect the energy or electrical charges in their surroundings. For this reason many paranormal investigators use what is called an Electromagnetic Field Detector (EMF), which measures the electrical charges in the air for the reason stated above. You must also keep in mind that since many things conduct electricity that you can quite often get false-positive readings. Copper wiring, faulty plumbing, fuse boxes, and other electrical devices often the causes of EMF overdose.

Electromagnetic Field overdose is a proven and viable explanation for many hauntings. Reason being that faulty electric devices can give off an unsafe amount of this field, which can cause fear, paranoia leading to the sense of being watched, headaches and even nausea. Many people are in fact sensitive to Electromagnetic Fields and can easily succumb to its effects, though there is no known cure. So, before insisting your home, etc. is haunted it is best to have an electrician check out your home for any unsafe EMF readings. It could save you lots of money and looking foolish.

Electronic Voice Phenomena is performed by using a simple audio recording device to record ‘dead air’. This is basically turning on the recording device and letting it record in an area for any amount of time. The theory behind this is that spirits will use the electricity in the air and surrounding devices to express themselves, which the tape recorder will then pick up. It is a very use technique, but does take patience. The simplest method is to turn on the device, place it in a target room the spirit occupies and leave it alone in the room for an extended period. Backing up any data is advised. Some amazing thing have been heard, and there have been hours of data lost due to carelessness.

Other useful tools are thermal imagers, which can analyze heat signatures, even being able to spot a signature that has faded for some time. Digital Thermometer can be used to gauge the surrounding area for any cold spots. Along with the EMF Detector, an Ion Detector also measures the positive and negative ions in the air, which a spirit affects by absorbing energy to manifest itself.

Lastly, many paranormal investigators will employ those with ‘psychic powers’ who use various methods. Some of these include dowsing rods or cards, but most psychics can simply enter an area and are able to divine information naturally (no pun intended!).

This is by no means a complete list, but only an introductory. I plan on expanding on this subject with more theories and tools. I will also be addressing types of spirits and hauntings, along with famous haunted buildings and spirits. You may have noticed several associations have been referred to a number times. These are not advertisements and I am in no way compensated for linking to their sites, I simply put trust in those specific groups.