Fact or Fiction: Ghost Detector Smartphone Apps

Do ghost detector apps really work?

I never thought I'd actually have to write this article, honestly...

There are a ton of free and paid ghost radar and communication apps out there for both Android and iPhone users, and are popular with paranormal enthusiasts, as well as anyone looking for a creepy-fun time.

Chris and I tested one out while at Kings Park Psychiatric Center, and based on our evidence, I can confidently say they are a load of CRAP.

Here's why:
1) I recorded clear EVP with my camera while the app said there were no ghosts in the area.
2) Your phone was not built to pick up these kinds of readings that the apps claim.

While yes, sometimes they have an uncanny ability to 'know' what's going on around you (GPS?), but just like a cold reader trying to pass off as a 'psychic', it's a series of hits and misses. People are naturally going to pay attention to the 'hits' and ignore the 'misses', and assume it's something otherworldly, because that's what they want to believe.

In our experience, the 'ghost' couldn't use the app to communicate, and instead used our traditional, well known method- speaking to my camera.

So don't believe the hype, and certainly don't waste your money. These apps can be fun to play with, but are anything but accurate.

[Guide To Choosing A Good Paranormal Investigative Team]

Fact or Fiction: Dowsing Rods

"I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the uncanny reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time."
 - Albert Einstein

The act of dowsing has been around for thousands of years, possibly originally developed for divination purposes, or fortunetelling. In the Middle Ages, people dowsed to find the truth during trials. Dowsing, as practiced today, is commonly used to find water, various metals, and many other things. Many paranormal investigators today like to use dowsing rods in their investigations.

But do they really work?

I don't know. Scientifically, it doesn't make sense. But it's strange how they seem to work. It could be possible, but I consider them unreliable due to a number of reasons, such as

• Environmental conditions. Even a slight wind could move the rods.
• People subconsciously tend to create an illusion of what they want to see. While you think you are holding the rods perfectly still and upright, you could actually be tipping them, causing them to move where you want them. 
• You cannot possibly hold the rods still while walking. 

While I'm sure you could convince a ghost to move the rods, are you sure you're not moving them even the slightest to get the answers you're looking for? 

I'm not saying they don't work, because I don't have proof that they do or don't, but I am saying that they are not reliable enough for investigative purposes. There are plenty of better methods out there.

[Guide To Choosing A Good Paranormal Investigative Team]

Basic Investigation Tools

Here is a list of tools the amateur ghost hunter may want to take on investigations. It is not all-inclusive, but these are the basics:

• cameras (with IR preferably) 
• digital audio recorders 
• external microphones 
• spare batteries/AC adapters 
• spare memory cards 
• all necessary cables 
• tripods 
• EMF detector/compass 
• flashlights 
• walkie-talkies 
• journal and pens/pencils 
• multi-tool 
• first aid kit 

**Take a checklist. Make sure you have everything you need beforehand, and be sure to leave the location with all of your equipment. 

Use a Compass as an EMF Detector

You don't need to spend a lot of money on fancy ghost hunting equipment.

For instance, you can use a compass as an EMF detector. Compasses are cheap, but do make sure you get a quality compass that will work if off-balance or shaken.

EMF levels pull the compass needle away from magnetic true north. If it deviates more than 30 degrees, that usually indicates a "hot spot". In other words, when a ghost is near, the needle spins and can't find north.

Note: Do make sure to rule out the possibility of an electrical source, and know which direction north is. Also, learn to use the compass in a location that is not haunted first, and avoid power lines (both overhead and underground).

You may even want to consider getting a digital compass to work in conjunction with the traditional version, because digital detection is not the same as traditional magnetic.

Fact or Fiction: Ghost Box

Since the 'Ghost Box' was created by Frank Sumption in 2002, it has become a growing trend in the paranormal field, and many claim they can use it to communicate with the spirit world.

The various forms of the 'Ghost Box', especially the popular 'Radio Shack Hack', are digital radios that are modified to constantly scan AM radio frequencies at a rate of over 200 stations per minute. This supposedly provides a 'white noise' medium through which spirits or extraterrestrials can communicate with us in real time.

I think this is a load of crap, and here's why:

As the receiver is scanning the AM frequencies, it is constantly picking up music, commercials, talk shows, and static noise. Also, CB radios, cell phones, etc. This cannot be classified as 'white noise'. It is a bunch of random words and sounds picked up during scanning.

Despite this, people still argue that they really are communicating with the dead, and psychology can disprove that. People hear what they want to hear, and this is called Pareidolia.

The 'Ghost Box' can be fun when used for entertainment purposes, but it is not reliable enough for investigations, and will result in lots of false 'evidence'. My recommendation is to leave it at home. Don't buy into the propaganda.

[Guide To Choosing A Good Paranormal Investigative Team]