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ghost (gōst)
Date: before 12th century 1 : The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats. 2 : spirit, demon |
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The Hunt
Ghosts, spirits, demons and otherworldly entities dwell in the realm of the supernatural. Stories abound throughout history and among virtually every culture. As long as there have been ghost stories, there have been attempts to communicate with the other side and prove its existence.
Today’s interest in ghost hunting can be traced to Hydesville, New York in 1848. There, two young girls, Maggie and Katie Fox, seemingly communicated with the ghost of a murdered peddler. Since that time, modern spiritualists, scientists and skeptics have sought to prove or disprove the existence of spirits. The first society devoted to ghostly explorations formed in 1851 at Cambridge University. Many others soon followed.
Today’s interest in ghost hunting can be traced to Hydesville, New York in 1848. There, two young girls, Maggie and Katie Fox, seemingly communicated with the ghost of a murdered peddler. Since that time, modern spiritualists, scientists and skeptics have sought to prove or disprove the existence of spirits. The first society devoted to ghostly explorations formed in 1851 at Cambridge University. Many others soon followed.
There is no definitive proof that ghosts exist and no one knows for certain what happens to the human spirit after death. However, history is rich with anecdotal evidence of ghosts in the form of eyewitness accounts. Investigators have long sought explanations for these ghost stories.
Many believe, but is there proof? Ghostly investigations range from the mere collection of tales to the use of mediums to pseudoscientific explanations. Real scientific investigation has largely been ignored.
To many a true believer’s dismay, the history of the paranormal is filled with deceptions and outright hoaxes. Time and again skeptics have exposed the fraud presented by blatant tricksters
Both believers and skeptics claim open-mindedness is the key to investigating the paranormal, but they don’t always agree on what that means.
“I have been involved with many investigations both into private and public buildings … cemeteries, Indian burial grounds, historic locations, battlefields and murder sites. I have found that no area can claim to be totally free of ghostly activity.”
– Dale Kaczmarek, President, Ghost Research Society
“In scientific inquiry one seeks to gather, study and follow the evidence, only [giving] a supernatural or paranormal cause when all natural explanations have been decisively eliminated. Investigation seeks neither to foster nor debunk mysteries but instead to solve them.”
– Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Many believe, but is there proof? Ghostly investigations range from the mere collection of tales to the use of mediums to pseudoscientific explanations. Real scientific investigation has largely been ignored.
To many a true believer’s dismay, the history of the paranormal is filled with deceptions and outright hoaxes. Time and again skeptics have exposed the fraud presented by blatant tricksters
Both believers and skeptics claim open-mindedness is the key to investigating the paranormal, but they don’t always agree on what that means.
“I have been involved with many investigations both into private and public buildings … cemeteries, Indian burial grounds, historic locations, battlefields and murder sites. I have found that no area can claim to be totally free of ghostly activity.”
– Dale Kaczmarek, President, Ghost Research Society
“In scientific inquiry one seeks to gather, study and follow the evidence, only [giving] a supernatural or paranormal cause when all natural explanations have been decisively eliminated. Investigation seeks neither to foster nor debunk mysteries but instead to solve them.”
– Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
spiritualism (spir΄i·chōō·əl·iz΄əm)
Date: 1796
1 a: a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium b: capitalized : The practices or doctrines of those holding such a belief
1 a: a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium b: capitalized : The practices or doctrines of those holding such a belief
Burden of Proof
Harry Houdini is undoubtedly one of the best-known skeptics of the paranormal. A master magician and escape artist, he unmasked many phony spiritualists and even lectured on their deceptions. Houdini challenged anyone to exhibit a true psychic effect that couldn’t be reproduced by natural means. He backed up his challenge with a $10,000 reward. No one ever collected it. |
Out of the Mouths of Babes
The setting is Hydesville, New York, 1848. Strange rapping noises are heard in the bedroom of sisters Maggie and Katie Fox. The girls claim the noises are from the spirit of a murdered peddler. Before long, the young girls mastered communicating with other spirits and toured the country holding private séances. The girls spoke to spirits by rapping and knocking. Doctors could find no medical explanation for their gift. The Fox sisters enjoyed a long career, made a hefty fortune and spawned the Spiritualist movement. On October 21, 1888, Margaret Fox Kane confessed it had all been a hoax. She snapped her toes on a thin plank and also cracked her toe joints to demonstrate how the noises were made. This admission did little to sway true believers. The Evening Post reported, “Mrs. Kane now locates the origin of Modern Spiritualism in her great toe.” |
In 1976, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) was created due to the glut of paranormal stories in the media. From the start, members included notable scientists such as Carl Sagan, Steven Jay Gould and Isaac Asimov, as well as many others.
Renamed the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), this group examines claims of the supernatural and has found many to be false. They invite leading scientists from a variety of fields to evaluate claims. Anyone can join and help promote scientific inquiry and critical thinking. |