The Brave Mortal's Guide to Ghost Hunting

by Alex Matsuo

  So, for me to start feeling these things is not normal. When this occurs, I tend to stop and examine everything from unevenness in the floor to being winded from going up the stairs. Usually, I can debunk these "funny senses" pretty quickly. But, if that "fight or flight" feeling is still there, then that is something worth studying and looking into more.

  I can count the number of times I've experienced this feeling on two hands, and that's about it. We can’t even say for sure that demons really exist. A lot of the names and stories we learned about demons date back to lore and mythology. What is often labeled as "demons" are gods and goddesses in other religions and beliefs. I don't want to attack Christianity since it is one of the most popular religions in North America, so I'll only speak from the historical documents.

  When Christianity was making its way through Europe and the British Isles, those who aligned with pagan beliefs were at odds with Christians in regard to converting. What was believed outside of the Christian context was often labeled as evil or demonic. In relation to that, I find it fascinating how in Ireland and Scotland, Catholicism was very prominent, and yet, the belief in fairies still remained and seemed to work alongside each other.

  If demons or evil spirits are a concern for you, I recommend researching demonology from a skeptical perspective as well as other religions. When I am working on a potential demonic case, I look up a demon and then cross-reference that demon's heritage to see where the name came from. Truly demonic activity is rare, despite what you see on television. I have watched shows with people and met people at conferences who say they are demonologists after reading a few books, taking an online class, or meeting a famous figure in this field. Once you do research on true demonology studies, you'll find that it's not as exciting as what you would see on television or in the movies.

  I also believe that extreme beliefs in demons can be dangerous. Look at the Anneliese Michel case as an example of this. Anneliese was a young German woman who had her first seizure at the age of sixteen and was then diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy. She had a long battle of depression and visits to psychiatric hospitals. Soon after her first seizure, she started developing aversions to religious objects. After five years of her medication not being effective, and her symptoms progressively getting worse, her family started exploring the possibility of demonic possession.

  Her family's first request for an exorcism from the Vatican was rejected. However, two priests got permission from a bishop in 1975. Keep in mind that this permission was given very hesitantly, and there was a lack of confidence in whether demonic activity was a factor. Anneliese died in 1976 from malnourishment and dehydration after she stopped eating. Her parents and the two priests were found guilty of negligent homicide.

  Some continue to believe that Anneliese was indeed possessed, mainly due to the audio recording of her exorcism being made public. She did make sounds with her voice that sounded inhuman. However, given her emaciated state at the time and her psychological state, her experience might have been explained medically. The 2005 movie, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was loosely based on Anneliese Michel, which drew newfound interest in her case.

  Haunting in Layers

  One theory of the paranormal is based on the idea that the universe contains different planes of existence. John Sabol, who is an archaeologist as well as an acclaimed researcher in the paranormal, has put this thought into practice in the field and has had some astonishing results. For example, he caught an image of a jogger with a very eighties-looking outfit. Surely, he was in downtown Manhattan, right? No. He was at Burnside Bridge in Antietam; the site of a very bloody Civil War battle. If you're trying to communicate with Union and Confederate soldiers, how did an image from the eighties or nineties get burned into the photo?

  Well, the bridge is located in a national park. People tend to use national parks for recreational activities, like running. At the time the photo was taken, it was just a few hours after midnight, and John and his crew were the only ones in the park per the rules.

  Perhaps the gentleman captured in the image was a dedicated runner who continues to do so in his afterlife. Could it be possible he was a conscious ghost, ready to communicate? Maybe. In my opinion, the most plausible theory is that this was an individual who ran often, and likely was working through a lot of emotions and thoughts while exercising. Perhaps, he was so dedicated and devoted to a daily run, that he etched his energy into Burnside Bridge along with the hundreds of souls that were lost during the Battle of Antietam.

  Is this runner the only contemporary spirit of the time? Of course not. He just happened to make his presence known in a photo and garnered a small legacy for the ironic timing and location of the photo.

  A ghost doesn't necessarily have to be from the time period of a relevant event that is in conjunction with a location. You can have ghosts haunting a place that are from different centuries and decades. Just like the fossils of dinosaurs are deep within the Earth, and the subsequent time periods layering themselves on top of these fossils, I believe hauntings can work in a similar way.

  As one of my team members shared with me, the Earth is older than we can ever imagine. Before a historic town like Gettysburg was built, what was there before? What was on the land before your house was built? What was on the land of the United States before the Native Americans settled? There are millions of years unaccounted for when it comes to the land. We don't know what energies to histories were present before life was lived. I often wonder just how much we are missing when it comes to aligning energies and figuring out who or what was present before the relevant events took place that made it haunted. Are we perhaps missing out on communicating with an ancient entity that was present when the Earth came into being?

  Digging Deeper

  You can have a haunted location that has the presence of dozens of spirits, but none of them are actually aware of each other. If there are indeed different planes, then this would make complete sense. If this is the case, then it is possible that ghosts can't even recognize each other all the time. Granted, this gives a rather dismal perspective of the afterlife and what it means for our eternity. Perhaps this is why ghosts crave so much attention from the living.

  If we were to go about our investigations as if this theory is plausible, then we shouldn't limit ourselves when we go into ghost communication. Keeping an open mind about who is present, what happened at the location, and what energies are left can open up more opportunities to engage with an entity that may not be from that time period. We should not limit ourselves to only communicating with Civil War spirits at Gettysburg.

  For example, there is a haunted apartment in downtown Gettysburg where a woman by the name of Debra Louise Harman was murdered by her roommate in 1985. She is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg if you ever want to pay your respects. Debra, better known as Debbie, was only 31 years old when she lost her life. A ghost tour company currently has access to the apartment, and I got to investigate the location personally. The apartment was completely barren of furniture or any signs that someone used to live there. I have to wonder how many people lived in the apartment after Debbie's death? Given that Gettysburg is a small town that depends on tourism for its economy, word travels fast when a tragedy like this happens. The apartment is also a short walk from the haunted Tillie Pierce House.

  So, on one end of the block, you have the Tillie Pierce House, which served as a hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg. On the other end of the block, you have the apartment where Debbie Harman was murdered. The tour company in charge has dubbed the place, "The Harman Murder House." Yes, it's a bit dramatic, but it's a marketing tactic so you will buy a ticket!

  This just goes to show that even contemporary and modern ghosts can haunt a historical location. They may be overshadowed by the historically relevant ghosts, but when they do manage to come through, we can experience a nice surprise.

  Ghost Communication Will Improve Over Time

  These
thoughts are all hypothetical. I can only speak from experience and my own theories on how this process works.

  As modern society continues to evolve, we have become a bit isolated in our phones and other modern technology. I genuinely wonder how this next generation of ghosts will be able to communicate with each other. I suppose I can answer this question from experience. As the current tech-knowledgeable generations continue to age and eventually pass on, one theory is that ghost communication will drastically improve since we know how these devices work.

  My team and I were working on a case and were dealing with a ghost who a paranormal investigator in life. It actually made for a productive conversation. I started the conversation introducing myself, and then told him, "You know how this works and what we're looking for. Can we ask you some questions?" We got a resounding "Yes!" on our radio sweep. We were able to capture his name, his nickname, and what he preferred to be called. This case made me consider what will change as the tech-heavy generation begins to cross over to the other side. Will this completely change the way that we investigate and establish communication?

  To be fair, learning how modern tech works is fairly complicated. I have a hard time believing a ghost from the 1800s understands what those lights mean. But that's a conversation for another chapter.

  We are becoming a society that prefers to do everything digitally instead of speaking to someone face-to-face. Don't get me wrong, I actually love this because my social anxiety can be crippling at times. However, I know that sometimes I do crave human interaction and be around people. One of my biggest worries about the afterlife is standing in a room full of people and no one is able to hear me. Given my experience in the field, I fear that this is a reality of the afterlife.

  So, is isolation the motivation for ghosts to connect and communicate? Given the resonance of paranormal reality television and the abundance of haunted locations available, I sometimes wonder if the ghosts have become like grumpy Mr. Wilson and just want some doggone peace and quiet.

  Humans, regardless of whether they're dead or alive, connect with something -- a person, an object, a story, a piece of music...This might be an explanation for why objects can be haunted. If someone treasured a specific piece of jewelry or furniture throughout their life, then that person's energy is imprinted onto the object. Yes, haunted objects can also have layers of energy. From the time a person creates the object, their energy is going into it. The owner then pours has their own energy, as well, often in different moods and with varying intensity. Finally, if the object is an heirloom, then it has seen different generations of owners, and thus, different generations of energy building on top of each other.

  Leave Me Alone

  A simple fact of the paranormal world is that regardless of what time period they are from, not every ghost will want to talk to you. Many people seem to believe that because a person is deceased and in a different state of existence, they are obligated to communicate with us. Looking at this from another angle, just because a ghost is popular and known to communicate with folks, they won’t necessarily talk every time. Remember, these entities were once human -- with moods, preferences, and energy levels.

  With paranormal tourism so popular these days, I wouldn't be shocked if these spirits were sick and tired of talking to people every night. Think about it: most haunted locations are booked 365 days a year, with groups coming in all the time. Can you imagine having to have the name conversation with strangers every night? This could be why you’ll see a lot of activity one night, but then none the next night. A lot of variables come into play with this perplexing phenomenon.

  I truly think that sometimes a location can be "exhausted," meaning that there have been so many people coming and going in a haunted location that the energies inside get tired. This could also explain why a location that is usually seen as a benevolent haunting turn aggressive and starts to physically harm its visitors.

  You may have heard stories of ghost hunters often hearing the words, "Get out!" on their audio recorders. It sounds cliché, I know, but there is something to it. Hearing those words doesn't mean that the entity is evil. Chances are, it just wants to be left alone and has some peace and quiet. A "Mr. Wilson" if you will.

  Story Time: I often find that when someone discovers my love of the paranormal, they share their stories with me. I always treasure these encounters, as I have the opportunity to learn more about the person. This is a story that I find exceptionally endearing because it doesn't involve a human spirit. Instead, the activity was the spirit of a cat.

  When I was mailing a signed copy of one of my books to a fan, I was at a local shipping office getting everything set up. The employee helping me happened to look at the title of my book and asked if I believed in ghosts. I smiled and said, "Yes, I love them so much that I write books about it."

  The employee, whom I will call Steve, went on to tell me about how when he was serving in the United States Air Force, he was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, which is considered to be one of the most haunted cities in the world. He was living there with a few roommates, who were also servicemen. After they moved into their apartment, Steve and his roommate were sitting in the living room when they saw an orange and black tabby trot across the living room before disappearing.

  Steve and his roommate looked at each other. Steve said, "What did you see?"

  The two airmen quickly talked and realized that they had seen the same thing. However, several months passed and they didn't see the cat again until they had guests at the apartment. While their friends were sitting on the couch, the orange and black tabby once again was seen. This time, the cat ran across the back of the couch. All the people sitting on the couch saw and felt the cat as it ran across. When the party looked at the cat as it jumped down, it once again disappeared.

  After this, the cat would be seen sunbathing for just a moment before disappearing. What was truly interesting was that Steve told me that they never saw the cat do the same thing twice. Also, the cat didn't often show itself unless new people were in the apartment as if the cat wanted to say hi and let people know it was around. Why was the cat haunting this apartment? I don't think this will be something we will ever know. But, of course, the cat ruled the household even in death.

  I find this story charming because the cat was still being a cat even in the afterlife. It was a non-threatening presence in the home that would occasionally draw attention to itself. And it was a cat was in its most natural state. This reminded me to go back to the basics in paranormal research and investigation, and it inspired me to be as authentic and natural as possible so that the human spirits I interact with can feel comfortable doing the same thing.

  I would also welcome a paranormal experience with a cat anytime, anywhere.

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  HISTORY OF GHOST HUNTING

  For as long as humans have been curious about the supernatural world, we have been searching for answers. Ever since we understood the concept of what death was, humans have been desperate to find some shred of evidence that immortality exists. Whether we are going to heaven or will be a soul that wanders this earth, we have a hard time accepting the idea that we cease to exist once our physical bodies have died. Before we understood science, we have been worshiping deities and gods that might give us a chance to go to heaven, nirvana, or some sort of good place that rewards us for our good deeds on earth. The same goes for the paranormal. Some of man's earliest belief systems included animism, which is a belief that all things have some sort of energy or spirit. This even counts inanimate objects. Considering that many believe that objects can be haunted, we haven't departed too far from ancient beliefs.

  The Ancients

  Stories about ghosts appear as early as ancient Greece and Rome. People have been curious about the afterlife for millennia. One of the most famous ancient ghost stories is that of Athenodorus of Canaanites. He lived from 74 BCE until 7 CE. He was a Stoic philosopher best known for being the teacher
of Cesar Augustus. Pliny the Younger recounted his paranormal experience in a letter to an individual named Sura. A house in Athens was up for sale, but it was long-deserted because of stories about a ghost with chains haunting the place. Tenants who lived there were forced to stay up all night because of the sound of chains and the disturbing appearance of the specter. When Athenodorus came to live in Athens, he saw an ad for the home and thought it was weird that it was so cheap for the amount of space available. He then heard the story of the ghost, and instead of being discouraged from going further, he moved in immediately. One night, as he was working on his book, he kept an eye out for the ghost. The first part of the evening was described as quiet. But then, the sound of clanking chains started. First, the sounds seemed like they were far away, gradually getting louder as if something was inching closer. The ghost had a long beard, was covered in chains, and looked extremely emaciated.

  Athenodorus tried to ignore the ghost at first. He kept his eyes down and continued writing. The ghost wasn't having it and made itself even more of an audible nuisance, basically getting in the philosopher's face and clanking chains above his head. When Athenodorus got up, the ghost beckoned him to follow. The ghost took Athenodorus to the backyard and disappeared. The philosopher marked the spot where the ghost disappeared and alerted the magistrates the next morning. The area was dug up, and human remains were discovered in that spot. According to witnesses, a skeleton was discovered, covered in chains. The remains were given a proper burial, and the ghost was never seen again. You could say that Athenodorus is one of the earliest paranormal investigators, as he not only encountered a ghost but took steps to resolve the haunting. Of course, he also got a great deal on a large house.

  What is especially interesting about Pliny the Younger is that in the same letter to Sura, he also tells the story of a man named Curtius Rufus, who had an encounter with what was apparently a psychic medium. As he was walking in the public portico, he saw the figure of a woman who was larger than average, and she was more beautiful than any other human. The woman identified herself as some sort of guardian, and she told him events of the future. She told him to go back to Rome and enjoy his high honors, which he did. The other predictions she made also came true. Curtius eventually saw the woman again, but this time she looked ill, and he took it as a sign that his good luck and fortune were up.