A news article out of Mentor, Ohio attracted my attention this past week. The article claimed that local residents were observing strange, “mysterious” incidents and reporting them on their neighborhood […]
Category: Ghosts
Ghost Studies and Lightforms: A review of two paranormal research books
Long ago, my interest in paranormal topics became jaded because popular books were repetitive, full of the same information and stories as the last one. For decades, books written on […]
My three favorite vintage books on monsters and the paranormal
Every once in a while, I remember one of the books from my childhood that I recall with great fondness. Thanks to the Internet, I can usually find a blurb […]
Believers are the majority: Paranormal acceptance in America is rising
The results of the 2018 Chapman University survey of American Fears have been released and they suggest that America (that is, even well-educated America) is even more accepting of the […]
Legitimizing ghost research: Scientism, sensitives, and cultural authority
As I wrote yesterday, sociologists and ethnographers are paying greater attention to paranormal communities. I commented on Bader’s analysis of Bigfoot seeking groups and their mix of naturalistic and paranormalist […]
The Doubtful Witness: You don’t really know what you saw
How often have you heard someone say “I know what I saw”. Observations and remembrances of events are deeply flawed but we still rely on our memory to give us […]
The Doubtful Witness: Masefield’s Montrose ghost story
The primary evidence put forward in support of paranormal reality are accounts of witnesses. Those who believe in the reality of UFOs, Bigfoot, or ghosts are heavily influenced by seemingly […]
Can you make a good paranormal-themed TV show?
A recent discussion with a person who pitches ideas for TV shows got me thinking about what a solid, informative, program about the paranormal would look like. The bottom line… […]
A modern encyclopedia of popular ghostlore (Book Review)
“Ghosts in Popular Culture and Legend” is an exhaustive, cross-referenced encyclopedia chronologically exploring ghost depictions from ancient times to modern pop culture. Besides films, TV, literature, and games, emphasis is also laid on representations of women as ghosts, writers, and mediums.
Reading list for paranormal investigation and research
Check out my recommended lists of books for the serious and credible ghost researcher.
A rarity: An impressive and useful ghost guide (Book Review)
Steve Parsons criticizes amateur ghost investigators for sensationalizing paranormal inquiries without adhering to scientific guidelines in his book, ‘Ghostology: The Art of the Ghost Hunter’. He argues that investigations get lost amid personal ambitions, useless data, and lack of awareness about the subject’s history. Parsons calls for practical and ethical standards for paranormal investigations and recommends his book as a guide to help investigators avoid common mistakes and misleading conclusions.
Observing Paranormal Investigators: An ongoing research project at SFU
Kingsbury examines sociological aspects of the pararnormal and those who pursue it.
Errors in investigating: What you see is all there is
I received a personal message from a paranormal investigator who thought it was a shame I didn’t believe in the validity of spirit communication. He pointed me to a video he made that he said was the clearest responses he’s ever received in an EVP recording.
Confessions about Confessions of Ghost Hunters
There are three books that are explicitly titled “Confessions of a Ghost Hunter” – from 1928, 1936 and 2002. There is also one called “Confessions of a Reluctant Ghost Hunter” […]
The “Stone Tape Theory” of hauntings: A geological perspective
The Stone Tape “Theory” is touted regularly as a potential explanation for residual hauntings. Is it scientific? What does a geologist think about it?
Arrogant and confused, ghost and ghoul (Book Review)
I’m still doing research on the Stone Tape idea, as a paranormally-curious geologist does. I was interested in obtaining a book by T.C. Lethbridge because his name comes up repeatedly […]
Confusing speculative “language of stone” (Book Review)
I’m researching the history of the Stone Tape “theory” of haunting for my Spooky Geology site. It’s something I’ve been working on in bits and pieces for several years now. I’ve […]
Well-worn paranormal paths go nowhere: When to give up
Gary Campbell is the keeper of the Official Sightings Register at Loch Ness. In an article today in the Daily Record, he says that even after 20 years of this project, […]
A Guide to Ghost Hunting Guidebooks: NO MORE! Please!
This might come as a shock to the millions of ghost enthusiasts out there: The scientific consensus is that ghosts are NOT spirits, remnants of the dead, recordings of energy, or […]
Media as ‘medium’: Review of Paranormal Media and the good and bad of ghost hunting
It’s not news that the paranormal is mainstream, which is ironic since we commonly understand the paranormal to be events that are NOT normal yet the discussion about it is […]