Verklagekasper sein Kana, on youtube explains:

“Some ghost hunters use a flashlight to communicate with ghosts. Typically, the performing ghost hunter turns the flashlight’s head to a position where the lamp easily goes on or off by the slightest touch. Then the ghost hunter puts it on a table or on the ground and starts asking questions. Eventually, the flashlight seems to respond by going on or off. The questioning goes on, and the flashlight keeps going on and off without any noticable force affecting it. The ghost hunters claim that the flashlight is operated by a spirit.

But there is a physical explanation for the flashlight repeatedly going on and off by itself. This video presents experiments with the Mini Maglite 2-Cell AA (Xenon), which happens to be the model used in the TV-Show “Ghost Hunters” that made the trick popular. Experimental results and considerations of contact physics reveal that the trick is actually caused by a heat cycle.

In particular, the cycling is caused by the flashlight’s reflector expanding under the heat of the lamp and contracting when the lamp is off, thereby breaking or making contact as it is reducing or increasing pressure on the switch. The long and distinct on and off phases of the cycle are caused by complex events on the contact surfaces. First, when the lamp is off, some pressure is required to break the insulating layers of oxide and other debris that cover the contact surfaces. The lamp stays off until the reflector contracted far enough so that the spring in the tail cap inflicts enough pressure on the contacts to break the oxide layers. When the layers break, the first point of electric contact overheats, melts and spreads, and the contacts get welded together. As the lamp goes on, the reflector starts expanding from the heat of the lamp. It expands until it generated enough force to break the welded spot. Depending on the quality of the weld, the lamp either goes off quickly, as the contact surfaces jump apart, or it goes off flickering, as a bridge of molten metal is formed between the contacts which burns out. After the lamp goes off and the contacts start closing again, it takes some time to remake contact. Because if the surfaces jumped apart when the welded contact spot broke, the resulting gap needs to be closed again. In any case, pressure on the contacts needs to be built up again to break the oxide layers, which either grew back instantly after the weld broke or which got even worse by the oxidization and degredation of the liquid contact bridge. As contact is remade, the cycle starts again.”

See the video at:

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Today, I was saddened to read about the death of Sara Gibson Harris, (September 12, 1976 – November 25, 2012) a paranormal investigator with PRS.

Sara and her husband Shane had visited the private, vacant home for paranormal investigations three or four times before. On October 19, they went with a team of ten. As far as physical safety was concerned, nothing was out of the ordinary.

Ten days later when Sara became feverish and had trouble breathing, by November 7 she was on life support. She passed away on November 25, at 12:30 p.m. EST.

Shane Harris believes that his wife, who contracted a lung infection, breathed in contaminated air at the vacant house during their investigation.

As one caller into the Paranormal Insider Radio show says: “Those of us who have been in the field for a long time, this is a wakeup call,” And indeed it is.

We must, as a community, make everyone aware of the unseen dangers of paranormal investigation, and the risks we take in our research. We are all aware of the rickety stairs, the crumbling floor and other things we can see; but we must also think of houses that have been unattended may have infestations of vermin, who’s feces can contain disease, or who may bite if disturbed.

The Paranormal Research Association of Boston (And it’s divisions in Colorado, New Hampshire and Ireland) would like to offer our sincerest condolences on this tragic loss.

Please offer your condolances and support for Shane and their team at Sara Harris’ online memorium

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Something not many people know, is that sound can make you feel and hear things. Ultra-low frequency sounds can have an effect on the body and mind, as EMF can affect the brain.

Read the full article on Examiner.com

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According to this idea, consciousness is a programme for a quantum computer in the brain which can persist in the universe even after death, explaining the perceptions of those who have near-death experiences.

Dr Stuart Hameroff, Professor Emeritus at the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychology and the Director of the Centre of Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, has advanced the quasi-religious theory, the Daily Mail reported.

It is based on a quantum theory of consciousness he and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose have developed which holds that the essence of our soul is contained inside structures called microtubules within brain cells.

They have argued that our experience of consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects in these microtubules, a theory which they dubbed orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR).

Thus it is held that our souls are more than the interaction of neurons in the brain. They are in fact constructed from the very fabric of the universe – and may have existed since the beginning of time.

The concept is similar to the Buddhist and Hindu belief that consciousness is an integral part of the universe – and indeed that it is really all there may be, a position similar to Western philosophical idealism, the paper said.

With these beliefs, Hameroff holds that in a near-death experience the microtubules lose their quantum state, but the information within them is not destroyed. Instead it merely leaves the body and returns to the cosmos.

“Let’s say the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, the microtubules lose their quantum state. The quantum information within the microtubules is not destroyed, it can’t be destroyed, it just distributes and dissipates to the universe at large,” Hameroff told the Science Channel’s Through the Wormhole documentary.

“If the patient is resuscitated, revived, this quantum information can go back into the microtubules and the patient says ‘I had a near death experience’,” Hameroff said.

“If they’re not revived, and the patient dies, it’s possible that this quantum information can exist outside the body, perhaps indefinitely, as a soul,” Hameroff added.

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You can read it here: http://www.thebestdegrees.org/7-supposedly-haunted-universities/

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Do you see anything unusual?

Anyone interested in the paranormal field WANTS to find evidence of – well, the Paranormal.  For serious Paranormal researchers, this often means listening to and watching countless hours (and days) worth or audio and video recordings and examining hundreds of digital images looking for “anomalies”.

However, throughout the endless hours of analysis, it is important to account for biases that can creep into our evidence-starved brains – in other words, while looking for evidence of the paranormal, we often see what we want to see.  This bias can be described as the Observer-Expectancy effect (further termed OEE).

Wikipedia defines OEE as: “when a researcher expects a given result and therefore unconsciously manipulates an experiment or misinterprets data in order to find it”.  So, when you’re looking at an image of a “haunted” location, and you “expect” to see an apparition, you may unconsciously “notice” an apparition in places where perfectly natural explanations exist.

To illustrate this point, over the past 24h, I posted a photo of the “haunted” Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado (seen above) on our Facebook page.  I asked the simple question: “See anything unusual?”  Now, since the photo was posted on the Facebook page of a Paranormal Research group, it is natural to assume that the photo shows an “anomaly”, although this wasn’t implicit in my question.  I didn’t ask “Do you see the anomaly that I saw?”  I simply asked observers if they saw anything out of the ordinary.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see a man standing next to the hotel’s front desk (upper left of the image).  Many observers of the photo noticed him as well.  Although I don’t remember the man being in the room when I took the photo, does that mean that I captured an image of an ghost?  Not necessarily, but because the photo was taken at a reportedly “haunted” location, it is natural to assume that the man in the image is anomalous.  However, if I had taken this image at the Hilton DTC, you might not think twice about the man in the photo.  This demonstrates OEE – we expect to see “ghosts” in the photo from the Stanley Hotel, and we assume the man by the desk is paranormal.

This is a perfectly natural bias – it’s human nature to see things we want to see.  The OEE can also be demonstrated by the phenomenon of Pareidolia (or matrixing), where “a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) is perceived as significant, e.g., seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing non-existent hidden messages on records played in reverse (from Wikipedia).  Again, if we EXPECT to see paranormal anomalies in photos of “haunted” locations, we might unconsciously try to see “faces” in dust orbs or ghosts in light reflections.  That’s pareidolia – we humans often see what we want to see.

What does this all mean?  As paranormal enthusiasts and researchers, we should always remember to think objectively while examining evidence.  While looking at photos from the “haunted” Stanley Hotel, you might also look at photos taken at the Hilton DTC to see if “anomalies” show up in photos from both locations.  If you see “orbs” with faces at haunted locations, compare them to those that show up in photos from YOUR basement.  Try to eliminate the expectations of finding paranormal evidence, and you might be more satisfied when you actually find anomalies you can’t explain.

For more information about the Paranormal Research Association of Colorado, please visit our Website here.

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On Oct. 13, 2012 the Paranormal Research Association of Colorado visited the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO for a public Ghost hunt.  While in the basement of the Concert Hall, Lead Investigator Nate Goldstein and Trainee Josh Goldstein were able to capture the door to “Lucy’s Room” closing by itself.

It has NOT been verified as being a paranormal occurrence — full analysis is currently underway.  What do you think of the video?  Please share comments below!

For more information on the Paranormal Research Association of Colorado, please visit their Facebook Page.

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Get in the Halloween “Spirit” and join Lead Investigator Ian Murphy and Public Relations Officer Becky MacDonald next Friday, Oct. 12 on WBZ News Radio 1030 in Boston.  Ian and Becky will be on Nightside, with Dan Rea at 10 p.m. Eastern.

They’ll be discussing the ins and outs of scientific paranormal research and what the Paranormal Research Association of Boston does for the community.

I’m sure there will be some fun and creepy discussion about Ghosts, too!

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The Paranormal Research Association of Colorado has launched a new campaign — film the Ghost Car for a chance to win!

Whenever you see my car, take a quick movie or photo with your phone and upload it to the web.  In order to eligible for prizes, you MUST complete ALL of the following:

YouTube:

Upload your video of the Ghost Car to your YouTube account.  Type the following text in the video’s information:

“My entry in the Ghost Car sweepstakes!! Visit http://colorado.praofb.org for details!”

Type the approximate location where it was filmed.

Add the tag “PRAColorado” for the movie.

Then subscribe to our YouTube channel (PRAColorado) and leave a message on our front page notifying us of your entry!

Twitter:

Take a quick pic of the Ghost car and Tweet it with with the following: “My entry in the Ghost Car sweepstakes!! Visit http://colorado.praofb.org for details!” #PRAColorado.  Don’t forget to add the hashtag #PRAColorado so I can find your Tweets!

Follow @PRAC_Nate and send me a direct message saying you have an entry!  I promise, I’ll follow back!

Foursquare:

Take a quick pic of the Ghost Car and check in at the closest location!  Include the following text:  ”My entry in the Ghost Car sweepstakes!! Visit http://colorado.praofb.org for details!”.

Add Nate Goldstein as a friend, send me a message saying you have any entry, and I’ll add you back!

Entries must be posted by October 30th, at 11:59pm MST. Drawing for tons of awesome prizes will be held on Halloween night! Winners will be notified via YouTube.

Prizes (including, but not limited to):

$10 Starbucks Gift Cards

PRAC Merchandise

Grand Prize: Two free tickets to our next Public Paranormal Investigation, COMING SOON!

See: http://Colorado.praofb.org for more info.

Good luck!!

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The Paranormal Research Association of Colorado are currently recruiting members for the position of:

Trainee Paranormal Investigator

NOTE: Final application date is Sunday, 16th September 2012 at 23:59 EST - No Applications will be processed after this date.

Trainee Paranormal Investigator Position Description:

The Trainee Paranormal Investigator works within a team that provides a scientific investigation into supposed paranormal phenomena. The successful applicants will undergo training in paranormal investigation and use of equipment along with discussion in emerging theories of paranormal research.

About the Paranormal Research Association of Colorado

The Paranormal Research Association of Colorado will be launching in October of 2012. It is being launched as an expansion of the Paranormal Research Association of Boston by the PRAB’s Public Relations Officer, Nate Goldstein who will be the Lead Investigator of the PRAC.

About the PRAB

Since it’s inception in September 2008, the Paranormal Research Association of Boston has helped a large number of residential and commercial clients with their paranormal issues. The PRAB is a non-profit association who exclusively use scientific means to investigate claims of paranormal activity. When we enter a client location, we go in with an open and scientific mind to verify or provide alternative theories to supposed paranormal events.  We do not employ psychics or sensitives in any of our investigations, as evidence from these sources cannot be verified by scientific means at this time.  We provide investigations free of charge to members of the public, businesses and supposedly haunted locations. In addition to this, we also give talks and presentations in an attempt to educate the public in the science of paranormal research. The PRAB has enjoyed extensive media coverage. The Paranormal Research Association of Boston is founded on the same fundamentals of Ian Murphy’s previous endeavor, the Paranormal Research Association of Ireland. In it’s 4 years, the PRAI became one of Ireland’s leading paranormal associations and continues to grow.

Requirements

The successful candidate will:
*Have a strong interest in the science of paranormal research
* Be 20 or over.
* Enjoy solving problems and working in a structured environment
* Be focused and helpful to all out clients
* Be bound by the PRAB Confidentiality Agreement
*Experience is a plus, but not necessary as all training will be provided
* Please fill out all questions comprehensively: Applications with short answers are unlikely to progress to stage 2

Promotion prospects:
As this is a start-up Association, the primary management members will be taken from the pool of applicants. These positions include but are not limited to Training Officer, Deputy Lead Investigator and AV Analyst.

Remuneration:

As the PRAC is a non-profit Association, no benefits or payment can be offered.

Trainee Paranormal Investigator reports to:

Lead Investigator, Organizational Unit Leaders, the PRAC and Core Members

Process:
Stage 1: Online Application
Stage 2: Selection and interview with Core Team members  (Note: Travel may be required; no expenses can be offered.)
Stage 3: Offer of position and training

Ready to apply?
Apply online now at: colorado.praofb.org and select “Apply for PRAC membership”

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