Frequently Asked Questions About Ghosts

      Here on this page wehope to answer many questions that you may have concerning ghosts. Many of these come from E-mails we've gotten over the years while working with other groups or with PIRA. If you can't find an answer here, send us an e-mail and ask away! We'll answer you via e-mail and if you don't mind, we'll post it up here.
      Hey everybody, thanks for the great questions so far! We hope we answered them all for you. Keep'em coming! We'll do my best to answer everyone.

Do you believe in ghosts?
      Yes we do. All of us were skeptical at first, but we've all experienced enough to believe that there is something out there.

How did you get interested in ghosts?
      We all have our different reasons for why we do this, they can be found in our profiles. Click  Here.

How can I tell if I really have a ghost?
     Well, that may sound like an easy question, but its not. Noises, cold spots and seeing shadows can be easily attributed to natural causes. That cold spot could be from an overhead vent or an open window. Shadows can fly all over if a hanging lamp gets blown in a breeze. Voices can carry through one open window to another open window, making you think that you're hearing an EVP. You really have to rule out the natural before considering the supernatural.  But there are times when you KNOW you're sharing space with a ghost. The best way to make sure is to have a professional group conduct an investigation. You should be able to find one in your local area. You can check our links page. Be prepared to have at least two visits. Ghosts don't always perform on cue and may keep quiet until they "warm" up to the investigators.

Why do ghosts exist?
      There are many theories on why ghosts exist. Ranging from lost spirits to cris-crossing dimensions. For a look at some of the theories we've developed, take a look at  our Theories page.

Can a ghost physically hurt me?
      Although it is possible and I've heard stories of such abuse, we have never come across a case that involved any form of physical abuse from a spirit. So we can't verify if such incidents actually occur. Some of us have been brushed up against, poked, had hair ruffled and even been pushed over- but none of these incidents were threatening or violent in any way.

Will having an investigation make the activity worse?
    Paranormal activity can increase or decrease at any given time. In all the investigations we have been involved with, not one has reported any change in the amount of activity after we have packed up and left. In our investigations, we make it known that we are there only to learn, not to threaten or to "get rid" of the ghosts.

Do ghosts appear only during the night?
     Nope. Spirits are all around us, all of the time. They can be seen and heard anytime during the day or night. We have one picture on my site that was taken outside in the afternoon, which shows an orb. There have been many sightings during the day as well as the evening.

How can a brand new house be haunted?
      Just because a house is newly constructed doesn't mean its not going to be haunted. There might have been a building that had previously stood on the same site that had a resident ghost or perhaps the land itself may hold a tragic tale of a lost soul who died on the spot where a new house now stands.

What's the difference between ghosts and demons?
     We am not into demonology, but I have looked into it a little. Basically, a demon is a dark spirit that is hostile to humans. These dark spirits were never humans to begin with. Some believe they are fallen angels, while others believe they are the souls of the wicked dead. Ghosts, however, are the spirits of those humans that have lived on earth for a time. Ghosts do not hurt us and they do not hate us. Most likely, ghosts are lost and confused, or perhaps they have something to do before they can move on.

How can I get rid of a ghost?
      Although we believe in co-existence with spirits, we understand that some people are not able to handle the stress of living with an unseen guest. There are several ways to go about "getting rid" of a ghost. One way is to have a priest or another member of a religious order to bless the house, or to perform an exorcist, depending on the activity in the house. Another way would be to have a person or group come in and perform a cleansing. This is when they "clean" the house of spirits, essentially sending them on their way. We have never witnessed this myself, so we can't verify if it actually works. The best way , in our opinion, is to simply ask the spirit to leave. Remember that this spirit or spirits were once human like you and I. They may be confused about where they are and what has happened to them. Explain to them that this is your home now and it time that they move on. Some spirits may need your help before moving on. They may need to pass on some information to a family member and they need you to relay the messege. After helping the spirit, it will be able to move on.

Can a ghost follow me home?
      This is a tough one. Usually ghosts are restricted to places they have frequented during life or where they died. Just by going to a haunted house is not going to cause you to start hearing footsteps in your own house. They won't jump into the back seat of your car and ride home with you, but some ghosts have attached themselves to objects, like furniture. People who get attached to certain items during thier life are hard-pressed to let them go after death. These items, maybe bought from a "haunted house", may very well be the reason the house was haunted! Also, taking objects from a haunted site may very well come with an extra bonus...that of a ghost.

Where is the best place to find a ghost?
      Just about anywhere. Cemeteries, battlefields, Inns, taverns, diners, old homes and new homes. You never know when you might run into a spirit.

What is the difference between a poltergeist and a ghost?
      The name poltergeist is from the german words- poltern, to make noise and geist- ghost. This is an entity that manifests through rapping on walls, making strange noises and/or hurling objects. However, many ghosts hunters agree that poltergeist activity isn't the work of any ghosts at all. It is believed to be Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis- This theory states that psychokinetic energy may unconsciously leave the body of an emotionally charged person, usually an adolescent, an randomly do its damage. Simply put, its means that when some people get mad, usually kids going through puberty, they can do the mind-over-matter thing- they just don't realize that they're doing it.

How long does it take to determine whether or not a site is haunted?
      Often we can determine if a site is actually haunted about a month after an initial investigation. This leaves us time to review every piece of evidence to be sure its genuine. We need to rule out all possible natural causes before accepting a supernatural cause. Most investigators have full time jobs, therefore it could take a while before we all have a chance to review the information.

Can ghosts haunt several different places, or are they stuck in one spot?
      There are a few stories out there about the same ghost haunting several locations. Abraham Lincoln is a good one. I don't see why a ghost couldn't be at several places. Think of it this way- when we are alive, we have many places we like to go each day. We also have places we like to go at different times of the year. Why would it be hard to accept that we still might like to go to the same places after we die?
       Most ghosts do seem to be stuck in one place, usually where they died or spent most of their time. Some seem like they're stuck in one particular room

Why can children see ghosts better then adults?
      Children are still open to the world. They have not been forced to accept certain "truths" about the real world adults live in. For more on this you can see our theory about Spirits and Children.

Can I talk to a ghost? Will it talk back to me?
      Sure you can talk to a ghost. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that ghosts were once living people like you and me. Talk to them, ask them a question. You may be surprised by what you may get....a response. No, you won't get one all the time. Heck, you may never get a response, but its worth a try. You may want to have some type of audio recorder with you. We have found that most of the time, you can't hear them with your normal hearing. When you  play back the tape, you just may find a surprise!

Why can some people sense a presence, but another person can't?
      Some people are more open-minded and will more easily accept their natural instincts. I stand by my belief that if you get the feeling you're not alone, then you're not. I think its part of our basic animal instincts warning us of another presence. Trust your feelings. Your body does not lie to you, so listen to it.

If I have a ghost, what should I do?
      That depends on you. If you don't want to live with it you can move out or follow one of the steps under "How can I get rid of a ghost?". If you want an investigation conducted, then you need to get in touch with a ghost hunting group in your area. You can find several groups on my Links page or if you're in the Philadelphia and surrounding area, you can contact us here at PIRA.

What is an EVP?
      EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Its just a fancy name for capturing ghostly voices on audio recorders. It works like this- when you're at a location believed to haunted, turn your audio recorder on and you can do one of two things; 1- You can place it somewhere by itself and just let it run or 2- you can keep it with you while you ask questions. When you play back the recording later on, sometimes you'll hear extra voices or answers to your questions. Its kinda freaky when you hear it for yourself.

When you're trying to record EVPs, do you actually hear the ghosts speak?
       Not all the time. In our experience, there have only been a handful of times when we've actually heard a voice. Most of the time we have to wait until we play back the recordings to find out if we got anything.

When recording EVPs, do I need special equipment?
      Nope. A regular old tape recorder will do. Although I suggest you use an external microphone with it. The internal microphones tends to pick up a lot of noise from the gears inside the tape recorder itself, which leads to a lot of static. I use a digital recorder from Panasonic. It has 60 minutes of recording time and is the size of a credit card, which makes it easy to carry around. It also stores each recording as a file for easy and instant access.

What do you think of digital cameras for ghost hunting?
      At first I was skeptical about them. But after a lot of research I went out and purchased my own, and I love it. The money you save from film, developing and the development of bad pictures is just the beginning. With a LCD screen, pictures are ready to view instantly. You can see whether you captured an orb or not. I've been able to track an orb as it made it's way across a room. The loss of negatives and developing is actually a plus. There is nothing that someone else can tamper with. No water stains on the negative or chemical drops on the prints. The pictures are not handled by by strangers of any kind.
       There have been many arguments over pixel problems and having no negatives to back up photos. These will always be the arguments of skeptics. There was a pixel problem with one particular brand at the beginning of their run, but they've since fixed it and are going strong. It's said that it's so much easier to fake a digital photo, so any digital pictures of ghosts can't be accepted. This is bull! Plain and simple. You can find websites out here showing you how to fake photos using regular film. We even have one listed on our links page. A 35 mm photo can be scanned into a computer, thus becoming a digital picture, that can now be manipulated just like pictures from a digital camera. The bottom line is ANY photo can be faked. You just have to be honest and careful with ghost hunting pictures.

What are EMFs?
      EMF stands for ElectroMagnetic Fields. Power lines, electrical wiring, televisions, microwave ovens, and appliances all produce electric and magnetic fields. EMFs are invisible lines of force that surround any electrical device. The earth itself has its own electromagnetic field. The earth produces EMFs, mainly in the form of DC (also called static fields). Electric fields are produced by thunderstorm activity in the atmosphere. Near the ground, the DC electric field is less than the much stronger fields that occur directly beneath electrical storms. Magnetic fields are thought to be produced by electric currents flowing deep within the earth’s molten core. It is believed by many ghost hunters that spirits posses the ability to manipulate these fields, though no one is sure whether they do it purposely or if it is a natural reaction of their energy. By using an EMF detection device, one can measure the strength of the fields in specific areas. When using these devices, be sure to rule out any power source, like those mentioned above, before considering a paranormal origin. For a real indepth article about this, visit the Articles section.

Why do you use night-vision?
      Well, for starters, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to see at night! But there are even better reasons why you can use night-vision while ghost hunting. Using infra-red light, which we can't see with normal eyesight, and light-amplifying technology, these devices let us "see" in the dark. If an orb or other such anomoly enters within the range of the infra-red light, it's reflection can be seen through the night-vision. This is the reasoning behind a theory that spirits' energy is visible within the infra-red spectrum. We've had some good results using night-vision scopes and video cameras. They can be set up in a corner of a dark room and left alone to record in total darkness.

Have you ever used a Ouija board?
      Yes I have. When I was in high school I tried it with a bunch of friends, just because I was curious. Nothing happened and I lost interest. From some research and "hear-say" I've learned that ouija boards can be a potential danger to an inexperienced person. The ouija board shares the same common element as everything considered paranormal...and that is no one really knows what it is capable of. People use these boards to "invite" spirits to talk to them. Actually, you don't know excatly who or what is talking to you, or what their purpose is. The members of PIRA don't use them and we don't encourage anyone to, but this is just our opinion.

Have you ever worked with psychics?
      Not really. Although we do have a member who appears more sensitive then the rest of us, we do not rely on her psychic ability to guide us in our investigation. We take it with all of the evidence and come to our own conclusions. I don't work with professed psychics because they are dealing with the same problem we are with ghosts...there is no 100% proof that it exists. Scientists and the government have tested and studied the psychic phenomenon and still can't prove it 100%. So, therefore, we can't work with something or someone that we can not trust. .

If you have any questions that aren't listed here,
feel free to e-mail them to me at
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