Is medical science investigating the death process as it relates to ghosts? 

   Last week’s Paranormal Question of the week, and my answer, generated a lot of interest in this fascinating topic; what happens when we die and how does that support the idea that ghosts exist? I think the experiences of people who survived cardio-pulmonary death are currently the best evidence that consciousness remains functional during periods of zero blood flow to the brain. Reports from near-death survivors are numerous, fascinating, and often share common features. Of course, they don’t constitute scientific evidence that ghosts are real no matter who authors the report.

     So, what is the next step? Is anyone doing research that focuses on the function of consciousness when the body is clinically dead? 

     Yes. Dr. Sam Parnia, of New York’s Weill-Cornell
Medical Center recently launched a large study that may tell us some fantastic things about the biology of death, functions of the consciousness, and, perhaps, the existence of the spirit. His study, known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation), involves 25 major medical centers in the US, Canada, and Europe that may involve as many as 1,500 patients who survive cardiac arrest and clinical death.

     In launching this study, Dr. Parnia noted that people who have near-death experiences resume life, and conscious, and recount, with amazing detail, some of the comments and jokes voiced by emergency room and operating room doctors, nurses and technicians. In many instances, they also describe procedures of which they had no prior knowledge.

     Acknowledging the claims of critics that these patients were not truly dead and, thus, merely heard what was said through normal hearing mechanisms, Dr. Parnia designed his study to focus on visual information. Most interesting, the vantage point described by the majority of near-death survivors is from the ceiling, looking downward as if they are floating above the ER or OR staff as they stand around the “dead” body.

     The plan is to install a diagram of unique design on the floors of operating rooms and emergency rooms that can be seen clearly only by looking downward from the ceiling. People who survive clinical death will be interviewed about their experience. Dr. Parnia believes that if 200 to 300 people resume life and describe the unique diagram, it would confirm that consciousness was continuing even though the brain was not functioning.

     What does that mean for ghost hunters? By definition, a ghost is the consciousness of a dead person that interacts with the environment or a witness. If the “dead” guys of Dr. Parnia’s study obtain information about the environment – vocal expression or visual information -  that would be very strong evidence that ghosts exist.
 
Want to see a good movie about this kind of thing?   
      Check out “Flat Liners.” A bunch of medical students     induce short term “death” to explore the other side.

    Reports from survivors of near-death are available on the Inter-net. I recommend that you read some of them. You may learn something about visual point of reference, ease of movement, perceptions of the environment, reception of sound, and other factors that indciate how a spirit,  a consciousness,  or ghost functions.   

What kind of research is being done that might explain ghostly activity and stop critics from attacking ghsot hunters?

    I don't know anything that will stop critics or quiet their attacks except first hand experience with intense, un-equivocal paranormal activity. I've said many times that we shouldn't waste time trying to gather evidence of ghosts that would oppose the loud voices of critics nor should we
care what they say about us personally.  
    Having said that, let's consider what kind of research would be most productive in explaining or defining ghostly activity. 
   Basically, the desired research would prove that some aspect of consciousness  remains after bodily death.  This would require that we observe a person suffer clinical death, have them gather information about something that occurred after the official time of death, and then report that information to us as credible scientific observers or witnesses. The problem, of course, is establishing communication after clinical death with clear, unmistakle reception of information from the entity.
    This sounds like a seemingly impossible task yet this research has already been done. We are talking about Near-death Experience, or NDE.
   There are thousands of anecdotal reports of persons who were declared clinically dead, but were resuscitated and restored to life, who astounded medical staff by repeating words spoken at the scene after their body died. In fact, it is estmated that as many as 10 million Americans have had a NDE. 
    Among the information reported by "dead" persons who regained life are reports of operating or emergency room banter among staff (including jokes), equipment that was dropped on the floor, expressions on the faces of medical staff, descriptions of procedures never witnessed by the deceased before, and discussion of decisions about discontinuing or prolonging efforts to resuscitate the patient.
   Comon features in reports by NDE survivors include a dark tunnel, powerful emotions, bright light, meeting others (relatives and friends) who passed on earlier, and awareness of a message that it is "not yet their time" to make the complete transition. Some NDE survivors come back with enhanced in-sight, dedication to some high objective, or vastly increased intelligence or academic skills. One man I knew, a high school drop-out, returned to school and earned a Ph. D. in physics.
   So, what does this have to do with ghosts?
   When the body is clinically dead, but information continues to be gathered by the consciousness of the dead person, we have, by definition, a ghost. Proof of the ghost's existence (prior to restoration of life by rejoining with the body) is derived from verification that the information could have been gathered only after the declaration of death (such as post-death remarks or procedures by doctors or nurses).
    This line of investigation holds far more promise for those of us who hunt ghosts than any collection of  EMF meters, hours of video, stacks of orb photographs, or tapes of EVP.
   It is obviously a very difficulty area in which to do research and there are some huge ethical issues that must be faced. But several university medical centers are involved in studies of clinical-death survivors. Keep on eye of NDE reports; they are the closest we will ever get to a laboratory study of ghosts. 

If a ghost is not solid, how can we feel a ghostly

touch?

 So, you felt a ghost touch you? Or something unseen brushed by your hair? Or a cold, invisible hand came to rest on your arm or shoulder?
   Was that a ghost?
   Can we feel the touch of a ghost?
   Think about it. If a ghost is the energy or conscious of a dead person, does the ghost have mass? Does it occupy space? If we are dealing with what the most orthodox ghost hunters call "pure energy," is that something we can feel?
   My operational definition of a ghost is an entity that is the consciousness or spirit of a dead person. I assume the entity has made a complete transformation from a "solid" existence, thus, it has no mass.
   So, if that is the case, how can I report in my books, lectures, and radio and TV appearances that I felt a ghost touch, push, kick, shove, hit, and sit on me?
   I fall back to the teachings of people like Loyd Auerbach and Sylvia Brown. Ghosts may create odors, sounds, a sensation of passing close by, and a sensation of touch by mental processes.
    The ghost is pure conscious operating without the confines of a body. It may create our perceptions by a kind of mental telepathy or thought transference. So, when you feel a ghost touch your arm, there is no mass involved. The perceptions is entirely a mental process from beginning to end.
    This is why I encourage ghost hunters--even those whose investigations are purely technical--to practice some form of meditation in order to prepare the mind for the reception of mental "energy" or "information" some some spirit source.
    I know that the success of some EVP investigators is based partly on their receptivity to spirit communication or their ability (unconscious or conscious) to turn-on environmental imprints or recordings. These are mental, processes.
    Years from now, when paranormal science is highly refined, we might realize that much of what we consider the paranormal experience is a collection of processes that may include;
   - outward stimulation of a dormant entity or  
      consciousness
   - transmittance of a signal to an entity
   - enhanced receptivity to responses from the entity
   - clarity of perception
   - recognition of spirit information of signals from
     "normal" background information or "noise"
   - ability to engage the entity in repetitive exchanges

   We have a long way to go, but I think the psychic or mental route will get us to our destination much faster than some of the technical prizes that intrigue ghost hunters such as orbs. On the other hand, I must say that technical practices such as gathering EVP may be a highly productive route connecting us with true spirit activity

Do TV production companies fake the ghostly activity that we see on popular paranormal programs? 

 This is a delicate question, but one that is often on the minds of a lot of TV viewers who wonder why they don't have similarly exciting experiences with the paranormal in their weekly investigations. It also comes up when  I talk with skeptics and others who simply can't buy into the whole ghost thing.

   These people look for every opportunity to accuse producers and show's "stars" of faking their paranormal encounters  because they can't accept the possibility that what they see on TV is real. 

    Sometimes, the paranormal activity that we see on TV is a fragment of what occurred, or what was perceived by the investigative team, making the scene look contrived.  These fragments invite the accusation that the activity was poorly created and, at best, a very weak effort at creating a Steven Spielberg effect on TV.

   To me, these fragments of paranormal activity are often amazing. Imagine how difficult it must be to send a crew to some remote location, stay up half the night, control an environment filled with film and audio equipment in which ten or more people are moving about, and then try to capture ghost activity.

    If TV shows were faking their encounters, we would see far more dramatic events.

• EVP would be more clear and directly respond to questions.
• Orbs would go unnoticed while we watch full body aparitions glide about     
• Doors and windows would move at the request of the star ghost hunters
• every seance would reveal some amazing secret information

    These kind of encounters don't happen because what we see is the real thing. Having worked on two TV shows, I can tell you that I've never seen the slightest tendency for faking paranormal activity nor have I heard any suggestion that the scene be "dressed up" for "camera effect."

    When I taped my ComCast show on board the Queen Mary, the production crew  and I spent more than a hour in the first class swimming pool area, a place of intense ghost activity. This area also has a vast array of Hollywood special effects devices used to create ghost activity for people who take the tour.  We could have used some of that equipment for our show, but that possibility was never mentioned. Instead, we worked around, and stepped over the special effects equipment, to get our shots of my psychic investigation of the area.

    The EVP I analyzed for Destination Truth were 88 minutes of audio cuts taken from visits to a haunted cave and a mysterious mosque in Malaysia. I was never asked to do anything  with these audio cuts except analyze them. The show's producer and host demonstrated the highest level of integrity, clearly desiring the truth, not some doctored audio cuts that would make an exciting TV show.

    The duration, intensity, reproducibility, and clarity of paranormal activity seen on TV may never satisfy our desires, but I am convinced that most of what we see is honestly captured by the star investigators and their production team. 

   Yes, I said "most." The remainder? That may be mis-interpretation, or excessive emphasis on something may, in the end be "normal" and not paranormal.

l   How would I make these TV shows better in terms of presenting paranormal activity?

• Surveillance should go on for 24 hours or longer
• audio and video "evidence" should be reconciled with psychic impressions and historical research
• fewer peope should be on the scene
• several camera angles of a particular location should be shot; get away from the hand-held cameras. 
• use investigators who don't yell, scream, or jump out of their socks whenever a hinge creaks or a spirit voice is heard.

    All in all; I appreciate the work done by the major shows.

What would I most want to see on TV?

    In 1994, CBS News aired a primetime, one hour special composed of the best video evidence of ghostly activity. I look at it from time to time. It is truly fantastic. I'd like to see an updated version with brief interviews of the ghost hunters who captured this "best evidence." 

What type of camera is best for capturing orbs in my

pictures ? Digital or film-based? 

This question comes up often when I speak to novice ghost hunters who use the Technical Approach in their investigations.  Orbs are, perhaps, the easiest unsual phenomena (I didn't say "paranormal phenomena") to capture, display as evidence that the investigation turned up something, and feed the ego. 
   Writers with solid credentials have taken the stance of critics and skeptics by providing ample evidence that most orb photographs are created by the operating characteris-tics of the camera, not the presence of a spirit.
   Although orbs are, at times, interesting and might rarely be paranormal,  I don't think much of them. Material such as photographs, audio and video recordings, and other physical evidence must always be reconciled with witness reports, historical information, psychic impressions, and investigator reports before I attach much value to them as indications of spirit presence. Some experts estimate that as a few as one or two orbs per 100 pictures might have value as evidence of the paranormal.

What is psychometry and how can it help me hunt ghosts? 

   Many of you have heard me speak about psychometry at book signings, lectures, and on the radio. I also used this methodology recently during filming of a TV show aboard the passenger liner Queen Mary. That show will be aired in September. Psychometry is a process of obtaining information about the history of an object or its users simply by touching it. It is a form of "scrying," or seeing something that is not ordinarily seeable.

    Psychometry produces impressions, inner visions, vibrations, electrical sensations, hot-cold sensations, and auditory impressions. Sometimes, people who use psychometry feel pain, especially when they handling weapons.

    First defined in 1842 by Joseph R. Buchanan, the process has been used in seances, ghost hunting, and crime investigations. Gifted psychometrists have discovered the location of murder victims by handling personal objects and looking at a photograph of the person who is sought.

    When I use psychometry, I get inner visions of the object's user, a perception of why the owner cares so much about the object, and, if I handle a weapon, im-pressions of pain, violence, or fear. When I get intense impressions of attachment, I look near the object for the ghost of the former owner or user.

How does psychometry work?

   There are three prominent theories that psychometry practitioners offer to explain how it works. The most widely accepted, yet far from proven, is that humans may transmit elements or certain characteristics of their aura to inanimate objects by frequent contact, especially at a time when emotions are intense or the aura is charged with high energy. The material that is transmitted has not been defined, but it is likely to be something that contains electrical charges or energy. This substance enters the pores, or tiny spaces between the atoms of the inanimate object and becomes imbedded. The energy or electrical characteristics act like a magnetic tape, retaining information about the object or the user, or a particular event, that can be "read" or sensed by gifted or sensitive people.

    I am one of those gifted or sensitive people. Since I was a teenager, I felt strange things when I visited historic places and touched cannon, guns, ship's fittings, antique airplanes, and old doorknobs. As I grew older, I did not understand the process, but I enoyed getting amazing impressions when I touched old, historic objects.

    A friend of mine has a WWII vintage C-47 that flew in the Normandy Invasion of 1944. When I sit in the pilot's seat and touch the controls, I get impressions of that historic event that include anxiety and fear followed by waves of relief. I get fascinating impressions when I handle my Civil War saber and other objects that belonged to my great grandfather.

How can you tell if you have a talent for psychometry?

    A variety of self-tests can be found on the Inter-net. If you have found that you sense vibrations, electrical sensations, or became aware of inner visions or knowledge by touching certain objects, you may have the talent or gift. Another easy test is to;

• sit quietly and mediate to clear your mind
• rest your hands on your thighs with palms up
• have a friend place an object unknown to you in your non-dominant hand while your eyes remain tighly closed or blind-folded
• while the object sits on your palm, see if you can get any valid information about the object without handling it. Do you sense the material, color, owner, purpose, age, origin, or antiquity of the object? 
• with an audio recorder running, describe your impressions. Don't try to analyze them. Don't hold back; say anything comes into your mind.
• after several minutes of concentrating on the object, open your eyes and replay your recording. If you have obtained more information than expected by chance, you probably have some talent for psychometry.  

How can you use psychometry in ghost hunting?

   You can identify objects to which a ghost may be strongly attached. I mentioned the C-47 airplane earlier. You may discover books, a chair, tools, glasses, pens, or weapons that tie a spirit to our plane of existence. This can help you focus your ghost hunt, especially if you discover personal information about a spirit that will enable you to provoke the ghost into making an appearance or create a highly specific EVP

How do ghosts use electrical or electronic devices to manifest themselves? 

     Last week I received some interesting e-mail messages about electrical devices that appeared to function as a conduit for ghosts. One man told me about an ominous message he captured in a Polaroid photograph taken of a TV screen when the set was turned off. He described a printed message that suggested a ghost was waiting around for someone to die. Less dramatic but equally curious reports mention human-like images in TV screens, bizarre sounds on bedside radios and cell phones, pagers that beep when they are turned off, and digital clocks that run backward. Many of us are familiar with more mundane paranormal behavior of electrical devices. I am speaking of EVP audio recoridngs and light anomalies such as orbs, captured in digital images.  

    The question comes down to this: can ghosts or spirit beings may manipulate the electronic and electrical circuits of devices? The answer is an unquivocal YES. In fact, some do it with amazing skill, leaving clear images, written messages, or unmistable auditory messages. Others can cause a device to beep in response to questions posed by the living. Many of you witnessed Chris Fleming on Ghost Hunters get quick and appropriate responses to several questions from a ghost that haunts a Hollywood home.

    How do they do that? I am not an electrical engineer or someone who tinkers with electrical devices, so I cannot respond to this question with authority beyond that knowledge I've gained by reading and speaking to ghost hunters who use the Technical Approach in their investigations. Apparently, any device that contains one of the following features may be manipulated by ghosts.

• A live circuit, even when turned off. Many newer electronic devices "instant on" features made possible by the constant flow of electricity into the "boot up" systems. TV, bedside radios, audio recorders, and computers are good examples.
• Any device that contains polarized light. Ghosts can use their own electrical properties to minipulate this light into shapes as a magnet may be used to shape a pile of metal shavings.
• Any device that contains ionized gases
• Devices with biase currents. Older electronic devices have a current that flows through the system constantly creating an small electrical field that can be detected by an EMF meter and manipulated by ghosts.

     Some smart and cleaver fellows who work with electronic devices have developed some intriguing equipment that enables operators to detect the presence of ghosts and communicate with them. If you watch Paranormal State you may have seen Frank's box used to ask questions of a ghost and get appropriate replies. This device produces a field of white noise and random voltages from an AM tuner that acts like a telephone, linking the living and the dead. Several similar devices have been described on the Inter-net. Two versions of Frank's ghostbox are pictured below together with inventor Frank Sumption.

    I expect to see more of these devices on TV shows that feature paranormal investigators. Of course, it is easy to fake ghost communications, especially with all the assets available to TV and film production companies. I am fascinated by these devices but I am also skeptical. I'll have to witness the use of one of these things, and thoroughly debunk the output, before I can accept them.