With October upon us and Halloween fast approaching, many people's thoughts turn to "ghoulies, ghosties, long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night." Hunting for ghosts has recently become a popular pastime, with numerous televison shows such as Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and Paranormal State showcasing various teams as they prowl haunted locations in search of otherwordly activity.
In the 1984 hit sci-fi film Ghostbusters, a team of paranormal scientists designed and created their own equipment to not only detect ghosts, but to capture and hold them safely in a containment unit. The reality of ghosthunting science, though, is at the moment not quite as flashy.
Tina McSwain, founder and director of CAPS, the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society, points out that--unlike the custom proton packs and PKE meters the Ghostbusting team created to capture unruly spirits--most equipment used by ghosthunters today is gleaned from other industries. "You've got your EMF (electro-magnetic field) detectors that electricians use to find electrical faults in buildings; infrared and thermal cameras that firefighters, for instance, use to detect "hot-spots" in post-fire situations; and of course cameras, flashlights, and audio/video recorders are in common everyday use." She also adds that much of the equipment used by game hunters, such as motion-activated cameras, works equally well in hunting ghosts.
But will it one day be possible to actually capture a ghost? "If you think of ghosts as energy, and think of how we already can manipulate energy such as in electrical power lines, then yes, it's definitely possible," Tina feels.
Possible, but probably not advisable. If you are interested in learning more about ghost hunting, CAPS will be participating in numerous ghostly activities throughout the Halloween season; visit their website to learn more about the group and their schedule of events.
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