Lou’s View: IF YOUR HOUSE ISN’T HAUNTED
By Lou Bernard
It’s probably not too big a surprise if I mention that, in addition to writing history columns for the local newspaper, I’m also a paranormal investigator. I work with the Lock Haven Paranormal Seekers, looking for scientific proof of haunted places. We search for measurable, provable evidence, and I’ve become somewhat known for it. That’s why I get people e-mailing me all the time, asking if their place might be haunted.
Many of these are credible reports. If there are noises, if things are moving around, if you find out someone died violently or suddenly there, then it’s a possibility you may have a haunting. Other times, though, it’s just people who misinterpret perfectly normal things, and I thought I might share a few of those with you. If you are experiencing something from the list below, don’t bother e-mailing me—Everything’s fine.
“My child is talking to invisible people.” Unless your kid is, say, sixteen, that’s called “being a child.” Little kids talk to invisible things all the time; my son used to speak to invisible unicorns all day. I realize this happens a lot in the movies, with the kid chatting with dead people. Hollywood has a lot to answer for.
Here’s the deal—You wouldn’t take medical or financial advice from your four-year-old. Don’t take paranormal advice from them, either. If there’s other activity going on, then yes, it’s worth looking into. If the only evidence comes from as little kid, it’s probably just childhood, and he’ll grow out of it.
“I took a picture, and look! Orbs!” Orbs are a big staple of TV ghost hunters. On the TV shows, they find orbs all the time. An orb is a round ball of light that appears in photographs sometimes. An orb is NOT usually proof of a ghost.
Orbs are created when the light reflects off of dust, bugs, particles in the air, or sometimes just reflective surfaces. I could take a handful of glitter and make a photo with orbs in it right now. Any photo you take in an attic, for instance, is probably going to have orbs in it; attics are dusty places. So why do the TV shows love them so much? Because they’re not hard to get, and if the show doesn’t find something, nobody will watch.
“We get a bad feeling when we go in the basement.” Hey, I hear you. I get a bad feeling when I attend the average meeting. That doesn’t mean it’s haunted.
I get this one a lot. People come to me with feelings of nervousness or apprehension, to which I am sympathetic, but it proves nothing. As I’ve already mentioned once, I’m looking for measurable proof. Someone’s feelings aren’t proof. I have a feeling I’m eventually gonna marry Julia Roberts, and that also proves nothing.
“My friend kinda thinks she remembers that someone was murdered there.” Here’s the thing—All of that information is readily available. You can get a complete workup on the home’s history by visiting the courthouse and the library. (Or, if you’re not sure how, I can do it.) The history of a property is all out there waiting for you, so there’s absolutely no reason to rely on gossip.
People love to repeat unverified rumors. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve debunked stories of nonexistent bus crashes, or used documentation to correct something someone thinks they remember as a kid. Once again, paranormal investigation is all about the proof, and hearsay isn’t proof. Just because someone told you something doesn’t make it true.
Done right, we can look into a house and figure out its history, and make a determination about how likely it is to be haunted. Done wrong, and you’re in for a big, rumor-packed mess. I’ve just described to you how to do it wrong, so let’s avoid that, okay?
