Friday, October 22, 2010

Thinking Outside the Pine Box...

Just one more full week before Halloween arrives. I know I've been quiet lately. It's been an interesting month to say the least. I want to thank Jason, Bobby, and Robyn again for having me on Strange Frequencies Radio this past Sunday. As always the time goes too fast! I had a wonderful time and loved listening to the rest of the show (and I'm glad Bobby was feeling better by the time I went on). They have a great mix of comedy, skepticism, and open-minded discussion. As soon as the archive is up, I'll post it for anyone who didn't get a chance to listen.


In other news my research has hit a few snags and dead-ends with finding more stories. That's the frustration with seeking out the true stories behind hauntings. I've been following one ghost story from Nevada to Washington State and haven't gotten any closer to pinpointing the full story (or the exact location of the haunting). The more ghost books I read, the more I realize most writers only retell the legend and leave it at that. Sometimes, they don't even give the exact name and town of the place in question! From my own experience I can understand why. It's difficult digging through history and tracking down people willing to talk. But the extra work makes for a better result.


I've broken down lately and done the unthinkable: watching old episodes of Ghost Adventures. To be honest, I rarely watch any of the paranormal television shows. Too many people use them as a training ground for paranormal investigation and learn everything from watching a few episodes and becoming instant ghost busters. Still, they can be interesting and amusing at times. I find myself cringing half the time (and laughing at some absurdities) but every so often there's something interesting or intriguing. I will give Zak Bagans kudos for delving into something I've been talking about for years now: ultraviolet spectrum work. Some animals seem to react to the paranormal and they also can see further into the UV spectrum than we do, so it was always a curiosity of mine. Of course, UV light can also cause blindness so that did stop me from testing some of my ideas in the manner I had considered.


That's the real key to trying to make some headway in the paranormal realm. you have to think outside the box, digest different findings, formulate ideas, and implement new techniques. Running around snapping digital pictures of dust orbs isn't actual investigation. But testing out new ideas can become an expensive hobby. UV light isn't the only idea which crossed my mind over the past 15 years of looking for ghosts. I think a few of my ideas could provide some interesting results but it will take a lot of work to figure out exactly how to pull it all off.


Otherwise, I'm about to head out of town for the week leading up to Halloween. I'll still be posting when I get a chance but enjoying the season while it lasts as well. And starting next month, I'll be talking more about ghosts in Australia as we lead up to my first trip "down under." I leave in just over five weeks, so time is ticking away. So much to do and so little time to finish it all in. Yet I am looking forward to this rare opportunity to explore the southern hemisphere and see wonderful things.

2 comments:

Cullan Hudson said...

Thinking Outside The Pine Box is a great name for a blog, btw. I was intrigued by the UV work and anything that tries something different. If done smartly and under controls, we can hone our science and at least begin to confirm some phenomenon exists.

Ken Summers said...

It would be! Something to think about... lol

The UV light idea is intriguing, especially given some of the phenomena that shows up on the newer equipment coinciding with phenomena. It's one step in the right direction. People are too pent up on the idea that electromagnetism is the way to go. There really isn't strong evidence that activity is composed of electromagnetic energy. My one thought is about trying to come up with other ideas for what might be causing it. People experience objects moving yet see ghost walk through walls. So isn't it more likely it's something that can act as a particle (tangible) and a wave (intangible)? Here's where science comes in... since we already know of one such thing that does... ;)