Subcultures and Social Trends: The Paranormal Investigators – Bring Out Your Dead
Humans have always struggled with uncertainty, the unknown and the afterlife.
The stale, putrid air of an abandoned, historic building; the soft green glow of the EMF meter; the muffled creak of the floor boards; the tug on the back of the shirt and three burning scratches on your arm for which there is no explanation…
Welcome to the subculture of the Paranormal Investigator.
A Brief History of Paranormal Investigation
The very first historical reference of both a haunted house story a ghost hunt dates back to 100 AD, from Pliny the Younger, an ancient Roman magistrate. In a letter written to a fellow government official Lucius Licinius Sura, he explained a house existed in which the apparition of an old man, emaciated, with a beard and wearing heavy chains haunted any who purchased or rented the home. The haunting was constant and unyielding to the point the property was abandoned.
A philosopher named Athendorus took up residence and endured the haunting with the sole purpose of discovering the source of the unsettled apparition. One evening after many nights of continued haunts, he was finally able to follow the apparition outside the home to a place where it disappeared. He marked the spot, and in the morning, he ordered it to be dug up. The excavation produced the corpse of a man wrapped in chains and once a proper burial was performed, the apparition never returned.
The next major milestone in Paranormal Investigation occurs in 1681 when Joseph Glanvill, the chaplain of King Charles II of England, was charged with investigating the case of a ghostly drummer in Tedworth.
“John Mompesson of Tedworth (located in Wiltshire, England) brought a lawsuit against a local drummer whom he accused of collecting money under false pretences. The court found the drummer guilty, confiscated his drum, and gave it to Mompesson. Soon afterwards, Mompesson discovered that an angry, drumming spirit had invaded his house. The spirit drummed loud tunes on the bed of his children, moved objects around in the house, threw shoes, and wrestled with servants.”
Joseph Glanvill visited the household, promptly collected eyewitness accounts of the activities of the spirit, experienced and recorded unexplained noises himself and in his 1668 work titled, A Blow at Modern Sadducism, wrote about his conviction the spirit was, indeed, real.
In the mid 1700s, the groundwork for modern ghost hunting began with a strange marriage from the mix of science and religion during the time of the Enlightenment. Then in 1820, the Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Orsted discovered electric current created a magnetic field, and a cult rose around electromagnetism. The core principle was to imbue electricity with mystical powers and revere it as a divine universal principle, forever linking the electromagnetic with the paranormal.
The 1850’s gave rise to the movement of Spiritualism, spawned in the wake of poltergeist activity experienced by the family of Doctor Phelps at the Phelps Mansion in the New England town of Stratford, Connecticut. The offshoot of both this experience and the Spiritualism movement was the birth and mainstream acceptance of the séance party; dressing to the nines in a dark room, with only the soft glow of candles to provide a source of light and spiritual mediums speaking in tongues to the guests. Spiritualists believed a soul could be empirically quantified and the next milestone in Paranormal Investigation first appears at this point: spirit photography is born.
In the mid 1800s, The American Psychological Association suggested the application of scientific method to paranormal investigation, and in 1882, The Society for Psychical Research was formed by journalist, Edmund Rogers and physicist, William Barrett in West Kensington, London. This would be the very first organization of this kind in the world, with a stated purpose, “to approach these varied problems without prejudice or prepossession of any kind, and in the same spirit of exact and unimpassioned enquiry which has enabled science to solve so many problems, once not less obscure nor less hotly debated."
The contribution this organization made towards modern paranormal investigation was to approach the investigation from the standpoint of debunking and disproving rather than proving and reinforcing hypothetical solutions. The society was responsible for the exposure of fraudulent spiritual media, the disproval of the psychic powers of Helena Blavatsky and claimed her a fraud, the disproval of the famed spirit photographers Eoduard Isidore Buget and William H. Mumler and the publication of the infamous work Census of Hallucinations; where the organization sampled 17,000 individuals and discovered 1,684 persons admitted to having experienced a hallucination of an apparition.
In the current era, paranormal investigation has achieved celebrity status, complete with an array of technology that would make Bill Murray’s Ghostbusters appear very retro. Belief in the paranormal is running at an all time high, and with shows such as Ghost Adventures still going strong in its tenth season, it’s hard to believe the subculture will fade anytime soon.
What Exactly is a Paranormal Investigator?
“Paranormal Obsession balances the world of the unseen with biting academic inquiry.”
According to a survey conducted by the Associated Press in 2008, approximately 34 percent of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts.
Perhaps it’s strange apparitions in the mirror or a haunt bellying up to the bar in your local haunted tavern, or the feeling of coldness, chills or being touched. Most of the spirits you encounter are confused and have no idea they are dead.
Cue the Paranormal Investigator.
”Typically, a ghost hunting team will attempt to collect evidence that they see as supportive of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters often use a variety of electronic devices: the EMF meter; digital thermometer; handheld and static digital video cameras, such as thermographic (or infrared) and night vision; digital audio recorder; and computer.
Traditional techniques such as conducting interviews and researching the history of a site are also employed. Some ghost hunters refer to themselves as a paranormal investigator.”
Based upon the growing marketplace for paranormal investigation reality shows, it would appear he confused ghost phenomena are more prevalent and growing with time.
The media is saturated with all things paranormal. A cross section of written media:
- The Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/18/haunted-winchester-infirmary-lures-hordes-of-ghost/)
- The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/5/5341504/the-end-of-the-hunt-rise-and-fall-of-las-ghost-chasers)
- The Salon (http://www.salon.com/2001/11/01/ghosts_2/)
- CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/27/ghosts.go.irpt/)
On television, the paranormal saturation continues, some of the top ranked Paranormal Reality Television shows are:
- Ghost Adventures, The Travel Channel (http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures)
- Ghost Hunters, The Syfy Channel (http://www.syfy.com/ghosthunters)
- The Dead Files, The Travel Channel (http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/the-dead-files)
Capitalism and the Paranormal Investigator Subculture
Cashing in on the paranormal investigation subculture is something that appears to be both easy and second nature.
In the modern Paranormal Investigaton subculture, one needs a vast array of technology (http://www.ghosthunting101.com/) simply to get in on the ground floor. Fear not, there are stores devoted to this growing niche industry to get your Ghostbusting essentials:
- The Ghosthunter Store (www.theghosthunterstore.com)
- Ghost Hunting Source ( http://www.ghosthuntingsource.com/)
State of the art equipment is no good without a place to investigate.
Zak Bagans, the star of Ghost Adventures, recently purchased the historic Wengert House (a designated historic landmark) in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the intent of converting the first floor into a public museum to house his collection of cursed artifacts. He refers to the house as a, “gateway to hell” and features artifacts such as: Doctor Kevorkian’s death mobile, the Dibbuk box and The Peggy Doll.
It’s a surefire destination for the paranormal enthusiast and the morbidly curious.
Undeniably, the market for the Paranormal Subculture is deep and diverse. There appears to be no end to the fascination humans as a whole have in the supernatural and the paranormal. Perhaps it has something to do with each of us connecting to the campfire ghost story in the digital age, or perhaps it has something to do with each of us trying to prove or disprove our own theories about the unknown.
References
http://newcastleghosttours.blogspot.com/2011/12/ghost-hunting-is-nothing-new.html
Angels & Ghosts. “The History of Ghosts: Ghost Sightings.” Np. Nd. http://www.angelsghosts.com/history-of-ghosts-ghost-sightings
Aldridge, Alfred Owen. “Franklin and the Ghostly Drummer of Tedworth,” William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, Volume 7, Issue 4 (Oct., 1950), 559-567. http://hoaxes.org/Hoaxipedia/Ghostly_Drummer_of_Tedworth
Young, John. “The History of Ghost Hunting.” HubPages. June 25, 2015. http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-History-of-Ghost-Hunting
Marlon. “Ghost Hunting Through Time.” Angels & Ghosts. N.d. http://www.angelsghosts.com/ghost-hunting-through-time
Wikipedia. “Society for Psychical Research.” N.p. August 19, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Psychical_Research
Wikipedia.”Ghost Hunting.” N.p. September 14, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_hunting
Taylor, Troy. “Strange Happenings of the Phelps Mansion.” The Stratford Poltergeist. N.d. http://www.prairieghosts.com/stratford.html
Barton, Steve. “Zak Bagans Talks Deadly Posessions, His Museum, and the Dangers of Haunted Objects.” Dread Central. April 8, 2016. http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/160505/zak-bagans-talks-deadly-possessions-museum-dangers-haunted-objects/
Paranormalhuntress. “Wengert House Becomes Zak Bagans’ Museum.” N.p. June 2016. https://paranormalhuntress.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/wengert-house-becomes-zak-bagans-museum/
Doubtful News. “New Ghost Hunting Store Aims to Serve Weekend Hobbyists.” N.p. September 21, 2013. http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/09/new-ghost-hunting-store-aims-to-serve-weekend-hobbyists/
Ganahl, Jane. “Ghost Hunters/First of Two Parts: Despite the Naysayers, Cliché Rituals Like Seances and Dowsing Rods, a Cadre of Believers in Haunted Mendocino Hotel Gather for a Conference and Trapped Spirits.” SFGate. May 8, 2006. http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/GHOST-HUNTERS-First-of-two-parts-Despite-the-2497959.php
As a founder of a Paranormal Group and an investigator, you hit on some key points. However, 90% of investigations are completely explainable. The shows you see sensationalize the Paranormal and make it sound like it is easy.. A 1 hour show can take them 2-8 weeks just to get what you see in that hour. A normal non televised group normally gets a call, a premlim if done with the clients before an investigation is even considered. HIstory of the home, history of the family, asking the clients to keep a journal for 2- weeks will all help aid in deciding whether to follow through with the investigation. My own group, once decided sends in a medium first to do a walk through. Making notes of hot spots or questionable areas so we know where to set up cameras. Once in, lights are turned out and it begins. On average a home owner will only allow us up to 8 hours, which reall is not much time to make a solid determination but you have to respect their wishes. Once all the data is collected, my team will each analyze every sound/video clip over and over. This can take up to a month since most groups have working joes as volunteers. We come together, discuss the findings if any and write a full report and make an appointment with the client to review it. I have condensed what all really happens. :) What I do resent it being compared to the Televised shows. Clients expect you to find things, whether it be paranormal or not because this is what they see on TV.
Thanks for the upvote and he comments, I appreciate them.
I think a piece of my interest in writing this article stems from the fact one of my neighbors hired a paranormal investigation team, and I happened to run into them (almost quite literally) as I was leaving for work one morning. Thanks for taking the time to share what goes into an investigation which is not made for TV.
Full disclosure- in one of the source materials I chose not to use, they spoke at length about how in the reality TV investigations, the subject family/individual/etc. are generally pressured to follow a script r scripted response. Clearly the subculture series I write is not about pushing a specific editorialized viewpoint, and I could not find a corroborating source, so omitted it.
If you like the paranormal check out @loryluvszombies most recent post!!!!
The sensonalization of this stuff is weird. Most practitioners like to keep that on the down low. I mean, I don't have an agreement to take photos at the shaman rituals, because the spirits disapprove of publicity, and yet it is really fascinating stuff.
@xanoxt, when I look at the sensationalism of this, I can understand why you would think it strange, but I see it differently after digging through the sources to understand the history of how it came to be.
One constant which appeared over and over throughout history is human beings as a whole, appear to have a difficult relationship with the unknown. We have not only a desire to understand, but we are so unsettled with the phrase, "I don't know" that we are wiling to fabricate stories and even mythologies at times to provide comfort to convince ourselves we understand. At one point we did not understand thunder and lightning, so we created gods with human attributes to explain what we did not have the tools and understanding for (science and tech). Those who could explain and interpret in the system of mythology were given celebrity status and power, much like the current culture.
Regarding the paranormal and the supernatural, humans as a whole not only want someone to help them learn what goes bump in the night, but on a more fundamental level, they want someone to prove there is more and we do not simply cease to exist once we die. It is the holy grail of the unknown. Much the way priests of Zeus and Thor were granted celebrity status and power when they could interpret and explain lightning, paranormal investigators get celebrity and power because they can provide (rightly or wrongly) answers which soothe the fears of the holy grail of the unknown.
My $0.02 at least about the celebrity of the paranormal reality shows.
My experience and understanding is abit different than yours. I mean the terms "paranormal" and "supernatural" are misnomers in my book. If it is a phenomenon that exists (or even perceived) in nature, than there is nothing para- or super- about it. Even if it is a figment of imagination? Imagination is something natural.
There is a lot of weird stuff in my life, that could probably be labeled "paranormal" or "supernatural" by others. And while I don't understand a lot of it, I admit it freely. Yeah, there is a lot of sentiment behind not looking like a fool, I guess. But I don't mind if I look foolish.
There is a lot of harm because of people are taking themselves to seriously, and are locked into fearing to say "I don't know". That is the only way to learn something, if you first admit that you don't know.
Oh, and my view on Zeus is a bit different, but what would you say about Djehuti? I mean Thoth. There was nothing fearsome behind him? But after participating in a ritual dedicated to him with my egyptologist friends all I could do for almost a week is write and translate. :> Weird, huh?
Definitely not weird. Rather it's very cool. In the Egyptian pantheon, Thoth was always my favorite deity.
Have you considered sharing your own experience with that ritual in a blog post on Steemit? I would enjoy reading about it.
Yep, it is all there with a ton of other stuff that I am going to share at some point. Now that I have someone interested in it, it moved a bit closer to actually doing it. :)
Thanks for your interest. I am a bit under the weather, and have a ton of stuff I already committed to writing, but you can expect that post somewhere next week. Better yet, I should probably invite my egyptologist friend to steemit.
Ahh man! Sorry for seeming weird but my girl just posted some paranormal pics here on steem and i looked up paranormal and i found this post! Anyways go check out @loryluvszombies most recent post and fill in your opinion!
I'm a big fan of Ghost adventures love Zak and Aaron, I live a ghost story. I've never seen one but believe there's def something other than this life
@karenb54 thanks for the upvote and the comment. I appreciate it
I have to confess- Ghost Adventures is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I am a deep skeptic as it pertains to the supernatural. One of the things I love the most is the pre-production that goes into the history segment of the show. Great series.
I watched the series about his museum, some of the artifacts were weird.
Very interesting read! The paranormal is definitely a curious topic and I love researching it! So many unknown possibilities. :)
@artbyjessyca, I agree and I have a guilty pleasure of watching Ghost Adventures on a fairly regular basis. It is the greatest unknown of the universe which will continue to captivate the mind until an answer is discovered.