Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

A rare double-SmackDown!

Leave it to me to return to my blogging duties here on the Paranormal Blog (hey, I've been busy with The Double Decker Bus Blog!) with not but rants...

#1: How to look soooo cool on a ghost investigation... and possibly be a massive safety concern.

You may remember me writing about the "ghost hunters" that think toting a gun around on an investigation is a good idea... which it isn't...

Well, they had another brilliant idea... and they aren't alone.

The group in question (and recently, a group based in Canada) have suggested that you MUST wear black (or at least dark) clothing while on investigation.

Apparently, they mistake being "goth" with doing paranormal investigation. These two things may not be mutually exclusive, but I can atest to this NOT being a good idea for several reasons.

Imagine this...

"Hey, look at this weird picture I took at the haunted place! There's a weird shadow... right there... now, that's either a ghost... or it was Bob... Bob might have been heading to the bathroom then when I took the photo... I don't know... might have been him... but if it wasn't that dark shadow was a ghost!"

Now, how do we fix this?

"Oh, that's a picture of Bob... he was wearing a yellow shirt."

Ta-da!

Yes, wearing light colours is a GOOD idea... it allows you to be able to I.D. things in photos when you're not sure.

Now, there's another, much sadder reason we REALLY don't recommend this.

As regular readers here know, we do not advocate cemeteries as great places to look for ghosts. (Ghosts tend to haunt where the person they represent lived, worked, or died... not where they are interred...) That said, the defunct Western New York Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society (a group under our umbrella at the time) had a young man working for them...

He decided to go out with another group to see a cemetery... something he wanted to do as a study since we really don't support "cemetery stomping" by would-be ghost hunters... he was curious.

He followed the instructions of the group he was with (the same one that now arms themselves with guns) and dressed all in dark clothing...

...and was struck and killed by a drunk driver on a road near the cemetery.

The driver said, with some evidence despite the alcohol, that they "didn't see him".

Since then, we have been HARD advocates of dressing safely... not only to avoid "misidentifications in photos", but to save ourselves from thinking of another young life lost due to ridiculous "rules"/"ideas" of how to dress...

Dressing darkly/Doing the gothy-thing DOES NOT make for better investigations. Period.

I could go on and on also about drinking and driving... but I hope that everyone here knows better... if you HAVE to tell yourself or someone else that you're "okay" to drive after a drink or two... you're not. Stop. Don't drive.

A young man we knew lost his life... the driver did not... Who's life was did that driver consider when they put the key in the ignition?

#2: Take my word for it, it's REAL!

Often, in our study, we remind people that we NEVER assume anyone is lying to us.

Sure, it can happen, perhaps someone has or will hoax us, but as a rule, when people tell us what happened to them, they're honest... and we do accept that.

Held to a higher candle are "investigators" and "researchers".

You see, when people say that they are presenting data, evidence, or the like, we hold them to the same standards as anyone who is presenting things publicly... in other words, we expect them to cross their "T"s and dot their "I"s... and yes, we will sometimes comment when things seem a little... well...

Recently, a "ghost hunter" here in Ontario did a TV news bit where, as a "startling" thing that was taped/happened and presented, a table "tipped".

By all accounts, including the reporter who was present when the table moved, the tape showed the "ghost hunter" using his knee to move the table.

Not a big deal... almost comical... and to be honest, most "enthusiasts" and whatnot in the know realise that this fellow is a little "questionable" in his methods and findings... and as much as the "display" kind of hurts us all (as we're all painted with the brush used to cover him,) it's no big deal.

...until...

The fellow did a speaking engagement recently and SHOWED THE TAPE!

How did they counter the arguments of "leg lifting table-tip"?

Were they candid about what happened and said "Oops"? No.

Did they show other evidence to suggest the knee didn't play a role? No.

Did they even say that the leg was moved by mysterious forces and therefore moved the table? Not at all...

Their way of answering this...

I must paraphrase... "Some people think that [the investigator] moved the table with his leg... but he didn't!"

That was it.

All I could think of was Hunh?

Um... that's the answer to the charge of hoaxery?

"It's paranormal because we say so!"

Wow! Great evidence!

Using this logic, I could write several books and present unbelievable data to everyone! Why? 'Cuz it wouldn't matter what I had, it's paranormal because I SAY SO!

Okay, folks... if you're presenting data and wish to look honest, either BE honest, or at least, consider taking questionable data and NOT using it to bolster your case.

Dear Goodness! When I heard that the response to the "leg moving table" was, "No it wasn't!" and nothing else, I felt thousands of lawyers, scientists, and legitimate researchers and investigators in ALL fields who have died turn over in their graves... some, who were cremated, came back to life so they could die, be reburied without cremation just so they could turn over in their graves!

Was this bad presentation of their case?

Yes!

...and not just because I said so.

From The Desk of Matthew "Double-Decker Bus Guy" Didier...