Standards and Protocols

The International Ghost Hunters Society, the largest ghost research organization in the
world, has developed a set of standards and protocols for conducting field
investigations based on experience and common sense. These standards and protocols
establish a baseline to judge photos obtained by eliminating the common errors of
most beginners. The International Ghost Hunters Society Standards & Protocols
provide guidelines that ensure professionalism by International Ghost Hunters Society
members. We encourage you to follow them and to so indicate when you send us your
photos. Visit us at www.ghostweb.com.
Ask the spirits of the dead for permission to take their photos or to
record their voices.
Respect posted property, ask permission, and do not trespass.
Always conduct your investigations in a professional manner.
Show reverence and respect in cemeteries, battlefields, historic
sites, etc.
No running or horse play in cemeteries or historical sites.
Positive Mental Attitude is very important for all investigations
Skeptical minds will generate negative energy during an
investigation. Do not bring along skeptics or those who are
negative or want proof that ghosts exist.
Follow the lunar cycles and solar storms for conducting
investigations for best results. Paranormal events occur during
peak geomagnetic field conditions.

Do not take photographs during adverse weather conditions, such

as rain, mist, fog, snow, windy, or dusty conditions.

 Remove or wear the camera strap so it does not hang loose.

Take photos of dust particles, pollen, moisture droplets to see how
your camera records these kinds of orbs.
An orb is not special or unique. An orb is only a description of
shape. Most common orbs are airborne dust particles. Multiple
orbs in photos are almost always dust particles, never spirits.
Do not take photos from moving vehicles on dusty roads.
Do not take photos while walking on dusty roads.
Remove all dust, spots, fingerprints from camera lens.
Remove or wear the camera strap so it does not hang loose.
Avoid shooting into the Sun for resulting lens flare.
Avoid shooting with flash at reflective or shinny surfaces.
Keep fingers away from the lens of the camera.
Keep long hair away from the lens of the camera.
Avoid shooting when foreign objects are floating near camera.
Compare anomalous prints with negatives for confirmation.
Flash is only good for 9-12 feet from camera so focus on that
range.

Always use fresh audio tapes for tape recordings.

If digital, record in one or two minute tracks.

 After twenty minutes, the spirits will get bored, no need to record
longer in one area.
Do not rub the side of the recorder while recording nor walk while
recording. Stand still to record.

We do not consider Ouija boards, dowsing rods, pendants or

sances valid investigation tools
No smoking, drugs or drinking during an investigation.
If someone is angry, they should not be involved with an
investigation. They will draw angry spirits and the other spirits
will avoid them.

 site : http://www.ghost-tech.com/

What would a ghost investigation be without some form of recorded evidence! As technology advances,
we seem to be getting closer and closer to actually detecting and recording paranormal activity. Digital
cameras, audio recorders, infrared imaging, EMF detectors, thermal scanners and just about any other
detection device you can think of has probably been used in a ghost investigation at one point in time,
but what are we expecting to find?
Ghost investigations have been going on for a very long time. The main recording device has always
been pencil, paper and some sort of film camera, but technology has created a whole new world for the
paranormal investigator. The more toys you have detecting a phenomena the better your chances are of
providing proof of your experience.
The technical side of ghost investigations is still very new and open for skeptical critisim. Since
technology seems to be advancing faster then most people can keep up with, its sometimes hard to look
at evidence from a new digital device and say "yeah, thats unexplainable" with out actually understanding
how the device works and claim some sort of malfunction. Digital devices have made investigations
cheaper and taken efficency to a whole new level. But! Digital devices also leave open space for more
deception and manipulation of evidence.
I have attempted to provide some information and theories on some of the more commonly and not so
commonly used ghost hunting toys as well as some basic information on how these devices work.
Though many of these devices are still unproven to pick up paranormal activity, I really believe that many
of them have a good chance of providing some type of evidence. If you find any of the information on the
links to the left to be inaccurate, or just want to inject your 2 cents on some of the workings and theories
behind these devices, please send me an e-mail with the information. Though I have been working with
and building electronic devices for over 20 years, when it comes to the paranormal, not all of the general
rules apply.

ANALOG VIDEO

Video cameras have been around since the inception of television back in the 30s. The first studio
cameras were black and white, very heavy and of the mechanical nature. Portability was impossible and
the price tags were outrageous! (Though it may look like the first bass box for the model T, its actually
one of the first RCA mechanical video cameras boasting an awsome 120 lines of resolution).
Home video recording equipment would not be available until the late 60s and didn't became popular
until the late 70s. The picture quality was fare but the price was that of a new car. Many innovations and
changes have come since those first video cameras hit the market. Digital recording, Night-vision, 700X
zoom, digital image stabilization and many other features have only been added in the last few years.

The first home video cameras were large, heavy and

bulky. Most were black and white and required a
seperate video deck for recording. These cameras were
based on their studio counterparts using image disector
tubes to capture images. These cameras created
exellent pictures in bright light, but use in a lower light
setting was almost impossible.

Image disector tubes like the one to the left made video
capture possible. This works almost like the reverse of a
television using an electron gun inside the tube. The
image in front of the camera is reflected onto a plate
through the lens, the electron gun scans the image on
the plate. An elctro magnet (not shown) which surrounds
the tube is used to control the scanning of the electron
beam. Once the image is scanned it is turned into an
analog signal and then sent to the video recorder.

In the late 70s and early 80s CCDs emerged on to the market. Most cameras after
this time used CCD technology, it is much smaller, requires less energy to operate
and creates a much higher and sharper resolution picture. These CCD sensors are
the same sensors found in VHS, VHS-C, 8mm and digital camcorder, digital still
cameras, web cams and other imaging devices. Though the CCD works the same for
all of these devices the resulting signal for these older devices was analog . CCD
technology allowed the video recorder to be integrated with the camera to create the
camcorders we use today.

Unfortunately, the older tube cameras were not very efficent in lower light settings and the resulting
picutre was just a black screen. Tube cameras can see into the infrared spectrum to some degree, but its
sensativity is not of a CCD. Though these problems effect the overal viewable picture quality, these
cameras still have their place in ghost hunting. Because they use electron beams and are very prone to
electrical and magnetic distrubances, these cameras will most likely be effected by spirit energy and
electromagentic disturbances. These disturbances can easily be recorded from the camera.

DIGITAL VIDEO
Near broadcast quality video in the palm of your hand! This little
fantasy has since become reality in the past few years. Digital
Camcorders have taken the world by storm, but most people do not
realize that these new innovative devices are not really that different
from analog camcorders.
The recorded image quality of the new digital camcorders have far
surpassed the recorded quality of the older models. The technology
is in the recorded media, not so much in the CCD sensor.

Just the word "Digital Camcorder" sounds very technical and very advanced, but
these devices use the same CCD technology that any regular camcorder or digital
camera uses. There is nothing special going on during the capture of the image until
after it gets through the CCD and gets processed by the camera. Digital Camcorders
do not need to change the captured image into an analog signal like the older
camcorders. The image is captured as digital and saved to the media as digital.
(Though many of the newer digital camcorders are using CCDs able to capture a
much higher resolution then the older camcorders.)
Since the information stays digital during the whole capture and save process, little to no information
about the image is lost. This creates a higher quality recorded image. Digital recording is much more
reliable even with dirty recording heads.
Many recent digital camcorders also boast infrared capabilities. Though all
CCD cameras have this ability with some slight modification, digitcal
camcorders help make the picture clearer by converting the image to black
and white (or the famous Sony green color) digitally. Having the ability to
record in total darkness has increased the digital camcorders popularity
and made it a very valuable tool to the paranormal investigator (More
information on this under the Infrared Video link).

Though digital camcorders boast a ton of different features and an image quality that overshadows any
previous camcorder, these cameras are also prone to many of the malfunctions that plague regular
camcorders.

INFRARED VIDEO
The latest craze in ghost hunting parafanalia is Infrared video. Ever since
Sony introduced its first Night Shot camcorder in the late 90's, many other
camcorder manufacturers have followed suit and produced some kind of 0 lux
camcorder with infrared pickup. The ability to see in near total darkness used
to be something only the Armed Forces and FBI could do. Now for a few
hundred dollars, any one can!
This little

achievment

has made

ghost

investigations

much

easier,

unfortunately the sad part about this whole indevor is that infrared pickup by a
camcorder is not really anything new and just about any camcorder with CCD
technology has the ability to pickup infrared light with a little modification and
the addition of an infrared light. (more information is provided below on how to
modify an older camcorder to pickup infrared).
The picture above is your basic CCD (Charge Coupled Device). You can find these in Camcorders, Digital
Cameras, Web Cams and other imaging devices. Its main function is to take light reflected back from
objects and turn it into an electrical signal which is then processed by a microprocessor to reproduce the
image on a viewing device (computer screen, the little screen on your digital camera, recorded to a video
tape, etc...).

A CCD device can see light rays outside of the human visible spectrum. The chart above will give you an
idea of just how far a CCD unit can see above the visible light the human eye can see. infrared light does
not reflect light the same way visible light is reflected which causes problems with color, so most
camcorders have some kind of infrared filter in front of the CCD unit. Even the Sony Night shot
incorporates an infrared filter. When switched to night shot mode, the filter is moved to the side to allow
the infrared light to pass through to the CCD. Since infrared light reflects at a different wave length and is
not refracted to the same degree visible light is, could it be possible that infrared light is reflected from
spirits?
Another theory is that since the CCD works on electrical pulses that somehow the CCD is detecting the
electrical disturbance being emitted by the spirit(s).
So how can an older camcorder record infrared?

The modification is actually very simple and no electronic parts need to be tampered with aside of those
that will need to be removed during the modification. Please do not attempt this mod if you are unsure
what you are doing. I would suggest that this mod be done to an old camcorder that is not used for
general recording, this modification will not change the quality of the image, but will change the colors and
viewing in ambient light will be funky, so be sure that you will be using the camera primarily for infrared
recording.
The modification is simple, remove the infrared filter from in front of the CCD. If you look at the image of
the CCD at the top of this page, you will see a green lens just in front of the CCD. This is what needs to
be removed, unfortunately this is easier said then done. In order to retrieve this little piece of plastic, you
may need to disassemble the entire camcorder before you can get to it. Unfortunately there are just to
many styles of camcorder out there to give a step by step instruction on how to do the modification. Since
I can not give you a step by step, I would like to offer the following tips that may help during thie
modification. Once again, if you are not quite sure what you are doing, please do not attempt this mod.
THERMAL VIDEO

Its every ghost hunters dream to own a thermal imaging

camera and it's probably going to be awhile before the
general public can afford one of these, even from places
like Ebay. These cameras are not to much different the a
regular CCD camera aside of the fact that they can see
so far into the light spectrum that they actually see heat
being emitted from objects.

These cameras are typically stand alone and require a separate

video recorder when in the field like what the Ghost Hunters use.
The point of this is to keep the heat at a constant temperature to
avoid noise or in this case heat from emitting from the camera
itself. Keeping the unit at a constant temperature will allow the
unit to perform as designed.

FILM CAMERA
Film cameras have been around since the late 1800s, but the
overall process started much before that in the 1700s. It took
many decades of experiments to finally come up with a way to
create a picture and many decades after that to figure out how to
make the picture permanent. The very first Paranormal photo was
supposidly taken in 1861 by William Mumler when he was taking a
picture of himself. His final product yielded something else in the
photograph with him and this kicked off spirit photography. (For
more info on the history of spirit photography, check
out prairieghosts.com)
The camera itself is not the real marvel in this process, a simple shoe box could be used as a camera
with a pin hole poked to allow in enough light to expose a piece of film. The true marvel is taking that
exposed piece of film and getting a picture from it.
Taking a picture with a film camera is a chemical and mechanical process (though many new cameras
use elecronics, the final process is still mechanical). A lever with a plate covers the inside of the lens
keeping all light from the inside chamber of the camera. The mechanisim works much like a gun, the
spring loaded lever is cocked into place, when the shutter button is pushed, the plate lifts, light is let
through the lens for a split second, then the spring drops the plate back into position over the lens
keeping light out. (There are different variations of this process, but they all work in the same manner).
During the time the plate is allowing light into the chamber,millions of little grains of silver halide are
exposed to the light coming through the lens, These grains react to the light and change their chemical
state. When taking a role of film for developing, these grains are dipped in several different chemicals to
stabilize and stop the chemical reaction. Then washed to create the negative image. The negative is then
used with photosensative paper and more chemical processing to create the final product. That is as
simple an explination as I can give for photo processing, of course there is many steps involved, but for
the purpose of this information, the fact that film photography is a mechanical/chemical process is what
we really need to know.
This is a simple process, but there are still ways that this process can malfuntion and cause problems
with the final pictures:
Light leaks from abused cameras, misaligned lenses and film doors not closed
properly.
Intermittent shutter problems with older and dirty cameras, may hang once ever
20 pictures.
Mechanical shutter problems with electric drive cameras and weak batteries.
Moisture build up in the camera which reaches the film or condenses on the inside
of the camera lens.
Internal springs, metal parts that the black covering wears off exposing the shiny

metal underneath.
Blind style shutters misaligning and getting hung up intermittenly.
Image corruption during film processing.
Old film being used.
Heat causing problems with the film.
Since film has been around much longer then any of the other medias, there are a ton of theories to go
with how a film camera can photograph paranormal activity. The first and probably the most predominent
theory is that the film is actually picking up the spirits energy. Since photography is a chemical process,
this is very difficult for me to understand. But once again, when dealing with the paranormal, the standard
rules do not apply. Some religions believe that a picture actually steals part of the soul, so if spirit energy
is actually the soul of a dead person, then this may very well be possible.
A film camera works much like the human eye, but the camera does not have that big grey lump attached
to it processing all of the images that we see. The camera is going to record what is in front of it without
any discrimination of what it is seeing. As a child we are told on a constant basis that ghosts do not exist,
is it possible that we may have trained our brains not to register the events that the camera is picking up?

DIGITAL CAMERA
If there is any device that has revolutionized ghost
investigations, it would have to be the digital camera.
Developing time and costs are no longer a set back, and
most digital cameras can take 10 times the amount
pictures of an average film camera.
Digital cameras work much the same as a camcorder,
using a CCD sensor (charge coupled device). Light enters
the CCD and is changed into electrical pulses which is
saved onto some kind of media for later viewing and
downloading to a computer.
Digital cameras have created a whole new controversy in paranormal investigations. CCDs can see light waves far above
that of the human eye in the infrared spectrum, though this light is filtered from getting to the CCD, this is not 100% fool
proof and some infrared light does actually get past the filter. The qaulity of the CCD, the lenses and the type of infrared
filter used can play a big role it what kind of disturbances may be detected.

There is actually 2 kinds of CCD sensors. The first type created was kind of expensive to
build, and used expensive metals for the circuitry, but the overall quality of the image is
very high. The second type uses cheaper metals and slightly different circuitry and is
known as CMOS. This kind of CCD sensor is much cheaper to make, but some quality is
sacraficed. CMOS sensors require less power to operate, but more light to create a good
image. CMOS is starting to catch up to CCD in quality, but it will probably be a few more
years before they are comparable to the original CCD.

So how might a digital camera pickup paranormal activity?

I have come accross some theories that suggest spirits emit infrared energy. If this is the case, a digital camera may
possibly pick up this energy and create an image out of it. Since the light reflected back from an object is what actually
makes the object visible, could it also be possible that ambient light is able to pass through a spirit, but infrared light is
reflected? Other theories suggest that the camera is actually picking up the electrical disturbance produced by the spirit.
The CCD device works from electrical impulses, this just may be possible.

AUDIO RECORDERS
Audio recording devices are another media for capturing
paranormal activity. EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomenon is
gaining popularity among ghost hunters. With the introduction
of Digital recording devices, EVP is easier to catch and the
quality of the recording gives way to easily deciphering voices
and phrases that may have been detected.
Audio recording is not a very difficult process, a simple needle
traveling across a piece of tin foil can be used as a recording
device, much like the very first device created by Thomas
Edison. Of course the sound quality is extremely poor and the
media would only last a few playbacks, but looking at the raw
nature of recording sound may help explain why EVP is
possible.
Sound in its simplest form is nothing more then a series of vibrations which are picked up by the ear,
these vibrations travel down the ear canal where they strike the ear drum causing it also to vibrate, these
vibrating pulses are registered by the brain and deciphered into the different sounds that we hear. Audio
recorders work much the same way using a diaphram in a microphone to capture the vibrations and
record them onto some kind of media. When the audio is played back, the entire process is reveresed
causing a speaker to vibrate in specific patterns to re-create the sound that was recorded.

Since audio devices record vibration it may be possible that the spirit energy is emitting the correct
vibration to produce words and phrases on the recording device. Or it could be possible that the energy
bypasses the microphone and is picked up further in the circuit where the vibration is turned into an audio
signal, much like the bleed over of a strong radio station onto a nearby frequency.
So if the spirit is emitting vibrations, why might I not hear it?
Audio recording devices need to amplify the incoming vibrations many thousands of times before
recording the vibration to the media. It may be that we are hearing it but just not registering because the
vibration is just to week, or maybe the spirit energy is actually focusing on the audio device? Tis one of
the questions that is yet to be answered :)

Most audio recorders have the ability to detect vibrations well above the human hearing range in the
ultrasonic spectrum. It may also be possible that some of these voices are in the ultrasonic range and can
only be heard once the recording is played back. I still have to wonder one thing, if audio recorders can
hear these voices, can someone with a hearing aid also hear them?

EMF DETECTORS
Electro Magnetic Frequency (EMF) detectors are becoming a popular toy for
investigating paranormal activity. These little devices can detect all different types of
energy which may include the detection of spirits and spirit energy. Every living animal
emits some kind of electro magnetic frequency. All electronic devices emit some kind
of eletrco magnetic frequency. Though you can not see it, your computer monitor is
currently bombarding you with EMF as you read this webpage.
EMF detectors are nothing more than a non-specific radio reciever tuned to accept any
frequency entering the device. Of course you are not going to hear music from your
EMF detector, but its overall design is normally to alert the user of the existance of
EMF. Some use needles like the one shown, or small multi-colored LEDs and some
even use a really annoying squealing sound to alert the user of detected EMF.
The human body uses electrical pulses to carry signals from one part of your body to the next. In order for
your finger to click the mouse button, the brain must send a signal down to the finger to drive the muscle
for clicking. These energy pulses are traveling through the body at an alarming rate and can be detected
by an EMF detector if it is sensative enough. Energy for the most part, stays withing its own electrical
system (the body) but some does escape. It is believed that once the body dies, this energy is released
(the soul) and since the body is no longer dampening the energy, the radiation would be much stronger
and give EMF detectors the ability to detect its existance.
EMF detectors need to be used with care and are a complimentary device and not something to base
your entire investigation on. EMF spikes can be caused by paranormal activity, but can also be caused by
natural phenomenons or even man made frequencies that just happen to be bounced your way. For
instance... you are investigating in an old warehouse in the middle of a large town or small city in the
middle of the night, the warehouse has no electricity and the only device on and running is your EMF
detector and a flashlight. You are perusing the scene whenn all of a sudden it spikes to 7 and hangs there
for 5 seconds then fades back to 0. Obviuosly this has to be a paranormal event, there is no electricity on
in the place and thes only devices going is your EMF detector and a flashlight. Unfortunately this can also
be a man made phenomenon and the source would be difficult to track down. Activity such as this can be
caused by a large object like a mac truck sitting at a redlight which is bouncing radio waves in your
direction off the side of the trailer for the 5 seconds while its sitting at a stop sign 2 blocks away.

MOTION DETECTORS
Infrared motion detection could be yet another factor in proving
that spirits emit infrared energy. The device to the left is
probably the most popular motion detector used on
investigations. This little device sold by Radio Shack will detect
infrared disturbances up to 30 feet away. It runs on a single 9
volt battery for days and can even be modified to work with
other equipment (see My Projects for more information).
Infrared motion detectors sample the infrared light in front of
the detector and convert it into an electrical signal which is
then monitored by the internal circuits for changes in the
signal. When something moves in front of the infrared detector,
the infrared signature will change. This new signature is read
by the detector, if there is enough of a change in the converted
eletrical signal, the detector will set of an alarm or chime to
notify the user that something has changed the infrared light in
front of the device, ie, it detected motion.
Some theories suggest that spirits give off infrared energy which is detected by infrared detectors. If this is the case,
then it is possible for paranormal activity to set off the alarm of the infrared detector. This is one other step toward
possibly proving that spirits are infrared.

ROBOTICS

I have not come accross anyone using robots in their ghost investigations, so
this may be a first. Imagine having a device that could work on its own and take
pictures, record video in total darkness (emitting infrared light for video pick up),
detect disturbances and attempt to take a picture of the disturbance and send
live video back to a reciever so you can monitor its activity?
Meet Ghunter the robotic paranormal investigator. I designed Ghunter in an
attempt to cross the line between setting up a camcorder in a vacant room and
letting it run and the total live investigation. The amount of devices that could be
added to this little robot is endless and being able to monitor its performance
from a few hundred feet away makes investigating several rooms or areas at
once a snap.
Ghunter started his life as a Hero Jr robot, designed by Heathkit in the early 80s as a robotic companion.
Unfortunately the processor of this Hero Jr was fried when I recieved him, so all I was left with was a base
with wheels and a drive system and a power supply board. He sat in my basement for awhile till I came
up with this grand idea! What if I could use the base and mount a video camera on top of it to be used
ghost investigations.
After a few different design ideas, a dozen trips to Radio Shack and a months work, Ghunter was up and
running. Ghunter has the following functions:
Digital Radio control at 433 Mhz
8mm Camcorder modified to see in near darkness (infrared).
Digital camera which can be acivated via radio control.
Infrared motion detector which can activate the digital camera.
16 LED infrared emitter. (creates a very nice bright picture)
Mini Pinhole camera for remote viewing of robot functions on reciever.
2.4 Ghz video transmitter hooked to the Pinhole camera.
The transmitter controls the drive system to move the robot, a button to activate the digital camera
remotely, activates the infrared system which will take pictures when motion is detected (don't want to be
driving the robot around when this is active of course). and activates the infrared LEDs on front of the
robot if lighting conditions are to low.
Ghunters power system is 2 large 13 amp 6 volt batteries wired in series to produce 12 volts. These
batteries will run all of the devices and the robot for about 6 hours which it plenty of time to conduct an
investigation. I have not officially taken Ghunter out on and investigation yet, but his time is coming.

DIGITAL DEBATE

The biggest controversy in the paranormal community is digital vs film photography. Since the late
1800s film photography has been the popular media for capturing a moment in time. In 1982 Sony
introduced its Mavica digital camera to the world, but it would not be until the early 90s before digital
photography would be a commercial success. 20 years later and digital photography is still under fire
because of its ability to be easily manipulated with a regular computer and that there is no negative to
compare against for authentication of an unexplained phenomenon. Add the fact that digital
photography is an electronic piece of equipment and has more possible failure points makes it difficult to
rely on such a device.
As technology advances, film photography has not changed to much as far as price and quality. Some
innovations have been made over the past 20 years, but the process still remains the same. Buy film,
take pictures, get it processed. Though there are thousands of different types of cameras, they all work on
a basic premis which probably will never change.
My Thougts!
I hope through the last few pages that I have given you enough information to
understand that most digital devices are based on analog devices such as the
front end of a digital camera is the same as a HI 8 camcorder. Digital mostly
relates to how the information is saved, weather it is a camcorder, camera or
audio device. Digital camcorders record a much more accurate image then older
style camcorders, if spirits are infrared by nature or just reflect infrared light,
digital camcorders and cameras will most likely be more suited for capturing spirit
activity.
My Conclusion!
I say, use them all, The more devices you have picking up an anomoly the better. Film is a different
process then digital, the only similarities they share are the reflected light through the lens. Even that
process is different as the CCD is closer to the lens assembly then 35mm film is to the lens in an SLR
camera. If we let the general photography rules dictate how we capture spirits on film, we are turning a
blind eye to devices that may have a better chance at capturing something.

http://paranormalistics.blogspot.gr/
Ghost Box Hack

Several weeks ago a new hack showed up on the internet which made it
possible to take a $25 Radio Shack radio and modify it to work like a Franks
Box. The main URL was www.ghostboxhacks.com. I am not exactly sure what
happend to the information on that page and no further information was posted
as to why it was removed, but for those who are looking for a cheap way to
make a Franks Box clone, this is a simple hack that anyone can do within a few
minutes.

Pick up a 12-469 radio from your local Radio Shack. These are normally hanging on the wall near the
headphones. Its a basic white AM/FM radio with headphones. You will need a small phillips screw driver
and a small pair of pliers for this hack.

Remove the screws from the back of the radio, there is 2

that are visible on the back and one in the battery
compartment.

Carefully pry the back apart, there is a

couple of snaps around the outer edge
which should give way pretty easily, but do
not pull to hard, there are wires connected
to the back which might break from their
solder

points.

Remove the 2 screws from the inside PC

Board.

Separate the top PC board from the bottom. Be gentel, you may
need to pull the plastic top where the headphone plug in out just a
bit.

On the board you just removed

from the radio, you will see a row
of pins which have small labels on
them. Find the pin with the word
"Mute" right under it. You can
either bend this pin down and out
of the way like I did, or just
remove it all together.

Put the board back into the radio. This can be a little tricky, be sure the pins line up by looking between
the boards. Once they are lined up carefull push them back together. Put the screws back into the board.
Snap the back on and put the screws in. Now you are ready to run your Franks Box clone. Put in some
fresh AAA batteries and fire it up. You have just removed the mute capability of the radio, what this does it

make it continually scan through the radio stations without stopping and allow you to hear it while its
scanning.

Instrumental Transcommunication

Instrumental Transcommunication or ITC for short is gaining popularity among paranormal groups
around the world. Hearing intelligable answers to basic questions on audio devices during investigations
has been reported since audio devices were created over 100 years ago, but the phenomenon is not
limited to audio devices alone. Computers, Televisions and even fax machines have been reported to
recieve messages from beyond the grave that suggest it is possible to communicate with our departed
loved ones through the use of standard technology.

From a technical aspect, some of the techniques used seem pretty plausible and could possibly yield
some hard evidence where as others seem pretty impossible or just plain silly. ITC steps into a grey area
when it comes to proving or disproving a paranormal event, even if you are technologically challenge you
can still look at a piece of evidence and make some technically based observations that might help
dismiss or substantiate a possible communication. Seeing is not always believing with these kind of
experiments.
Faxes from the afterlife?
I could not find a specific incident where someone received a fax from a
departed loved one, but this is one of those claims that I find totally impossible
and a good example of how anyone no matter how technical can look at this
with a very skeptical eye. You know a fax machine requires a phone line and
another fax machine to receive a fax. These machines also have their own
language to talk to each other.... So my question is, how could a spirit possibly
"recreate" the fax sounds to cause the machine to print out a picture or write
any text...

Franks "Ghost" Box

Contacting spirits through the use of radio frequency
devices or so called boxes as a medium for
direct communication has been a huge topic of
discussion lately in the paranormal community. The
main device I am talking about is obviously "Franks
Box" or "The Ghost Box" as its being called now. This
device was created by Frank Sumption several years
ago as a means to further his interest in EVP
research. Frank began experimenting with EVP in the
year 2000 which led to using a computer program
called EVP maker invented by the German
researcher Stefan Bion. (available for download in the
software section)
After receiving various messages from computer savvy spirits relaying messages for other spirits
who were not so technologically advanced, Frank came up with the idea to create a device that hopefully
all spirits could use. His design was apparent to him almost immediately, but the actual construction of the
device has led him to create at least 25 different models to date. Each box is unique in design and
construction, but is based on the same principle.
Franks spirit receiver starts off with a standard white noise generator which is fed through a random
voltage circuit of Franks own design. The random voltage is linked to an AM radio receiver which reacts
to the voltage by tuning to a specific spot on the radio dial. This is known as voltage tuning and is a
common function of late 80s and early 90s radio receivers. Though various radio stations are turned in for
a split second every so often along with regular static, the devices also allows the spirits to interact with
the device and create their own vocals through the receiver and for lack of a better term, talk through the
device.
A newer version of the box simply tunes back and fourth through the AM band which Frank is calling the
Sweep method. At first, he believed that the random voltage design is what allowed it to work but
after using the sweep method, he has since changed his mind as it seems to do a better job. Frank has
made his plans available on the Internet for anyone who is interested in experimenting with his device. He
also makes available his own receiver plans for those who want to take it a step further and create the
entire box from start to finish.
Frank has created at least 25 versions of the box to date and handed them to several individuals for
ongoing tests. The initial results have been pretty positive and many people have experienced some kind
of communication which they would regard as evidence that the box really works. Unfortunately, the
difficult part about Franks design is his using the AM radio band as the medium for receiving the voices.
This is one fact that makes it easy for any skeptic to debunk the operation of his device. For starters, the
device will receive little snippets from various radio stations as it scans through the AM band. At any given
minute the device could spew some various words from passing stations that could be put together as a
sentence and claimed to be from a spirit when in fact its just audio matrixing. Another possible scenario

includes a few parts from Radio Shack and a couple of minutes of assembly could yield a small yet
powerful enough transmitter to broadcast over the AM band and inject various words and phrases into the
box directly. Definite care should be taken when operating the device to ensure the above scenarios are
not part of the equation. Using recorders and other tools, such as an EMF detector, can help legitimize
the results. EMF detectors should be placed far enough away as not to cause interference with the box or
produce false readings on the detector itself.
Does it work?
I built a Ghost Box based on the original plans
by Frank using the sweep method and an old car
stereo from a 91 Nissan NX which turned into
Franks bundle of wires by the time I was
done. The initial test was done in an old building
where a small group of us are working on an
ongoing EVP project. Although the device
functioned as planned we were unable to
receive any substantial evidence in the short
amount of time that we were able to execute the
test. Further tests will be done over the period of
the project to see if we can get the kind of
results that have been reported by the use of
this box.
Frank has made the plans for his device available on the web in the EVP_ITC Yahoo group which is
moderated

by

Frank.Yahoo

EVP_ITC

Group

You can also download the plans in PDF format here: Franks Plans

Spiricom
EVP was gaining popularity in Europe through the 60s
and early 70s but was not very common in the states
until the early 70s when George W Meek, Paul Jones
and Hans Heckman opened a laboratory to study EVP
and further research into a two-way spirit
communication system. This organization came to be
known as the Metascience Foundation. George spent
much of the first portion of his research traveling to
Europe and Germany learning about EVP and other
communication methods. Meek was of the opinion that
though the current research methods were sound in
their theories, the technology was not conducive to
direct two-way communication and often very difficult
to understand.

Meek believed that the spirit world is directly connected to

ours through 5 layers with earth being the bottom most 6th
layer. Each layer represents the next stage of existence
starting with the point at which we leave our flesh and
move onto the Lowest Astral Level. Then to the
Middle Astral Level, Highest Astral Level,
Causal and Mental Level and finally to the Celestial
Level. Each layer has its own resonate frequency which
he believed could be dialed in using radio frequencies. His
work on a device called Spiricom was designed to
bridge the gap between earth and the other layers which
he was only partially successful until meeting psychic
medium William ONeil in 1973.
ONeil was successful in communicating with the spirit of Dr George J Mueller, a deceased American
Physicists, who was instrumental in refining the operation of the Spiricom device. ONeil logged more
then 20 hours of successful two-way communication with Mueller.
The communication device consisted of a
tone generator which created 13 separate
frequencies all with in the human male vocal
range. These 13 tones were combined into a
regular audio carrier which was broadcast a
short distance via a 29mhz AM transmitter
(29.575 mhz) to a 29mhz AM receiver which
was fed into a speaker. All from within a
faraday cage to shield from outside radio
interference.
I have encountered several sites which
suggest that the transmitter was at 29 Mhz
FM which is not the case according to the
original manual, George used a modified
HAM radio transmitting on the AM band.
A cassette recorder was placed across the room from the receiver to record each session. The entire
room was used as an echo chamber. The basic design of the device was to give the spirit a frequency
upon which to inflect his or her voice through the airwaves much like the vocal cords do for the living. Dr
Muellers voice was very robotic sounding and a constant buzzing sound could be heard under the
voice. Unlike regular EVP, Muellers voice was heard in real time.Several spirits were able to come
through at various times while the Spiricom was under the direction of William ONeil but other users
experienced only limited success which did not even come close to the communication ONeil shared
with Dr Mueller. Various designs were attempted within a 10 year span, but the designed worked on by
ONeil and Mueller dubbed the Mark IV was the most successful.
In a skeptics eye, it would be easy to debunk this device as a glorified walkie talkie system using the
amateur radio band as the medium for short range communication which would easily allow O Neil to
hoax George Meek into believing the device actually worked. This device could easily be the biggest
breakthrough in proving life after death or one of the best EVP hoaxes to date. Unfortunately, the main
players of this device have since passed on leaving only the Spiricom manual and various cassette tapes
with audio bites from the machine in use. The Mark IV along with the other test models currently reside at

the Metascience Foundation in a small town in Florida. Though research continues in George Meeks
absence, no one has been able to duplicate the efforts of William ONeil and his two-way
communication with Dr. Mueller though the plans for its construction are readily available on the Internet
and in paper form for about 30 dollars.

Twenty-five years of advancement in radio

circuitry and technology have allowed the
original bulky Spiricom device to be created in
a miniature form. I have attempted to re-create
George Meeks original 29mhz device for
use during paranormal investigations. This
device uses a standard a walkie talkie
transmitter and receiver pair which have been
re-tuned up to 29.575mhz from 27mhz. The
transmitter portion consists of microprocessor
creating the 13 original mixed tones. The units
are placed about 10 feet apart. Unfortunately
we have not received any communications via
spirit or regular radio communication at this
point, but will definitely keep trying.

KII Meter
After seeing the Ghost Hunters episdoe on this
device and hearing that it's supposed to be tuned
for ghost hunting, I had to pick one up and check it
out for myself and see what is inside. During the
Ghost Hunters episode entitled Manson Murders,
Grant and Jason and the rest of TAPS meet up with
Chris Fleming to investigate a haunted mansion
which is located not to far from the famous Manson
family murders of 1969. During the episode, Chris
talks a little about the KII device and Grant states
that it is specially caliberated for use by paranormal
investigators. I wanted to know what made this
device so special and what exactly is calibrated?
At first glance there does not appear to be anything special about this device. It has 5 LEDs to show the
potential threat of EMF and an annoying button that must be held down while you are taking readings. I
did find that holding the button down and wiggling it could cause the device to reset about 1 out of every
10 tries in which case all of the LEDs would light up and go off to show that the device is working. This
could be a potential problem while out investigating and may show a false positive. In the instructions
written by Chris, it states your thumb could get tired pretty quick while operating the device, and he
suggests that you push a dime or a toothpick into the button to hold it down. I decided just to install a
rocker switch.

Somthing of particlular interest about the KII is how it comes on,

when you push in the button it will light up all of the lights, then do
it again, I had first thought that maybe this is how they were getting
the spirit to look like it was interacting with the device on the show,
but after reviewing the show again, I realized that the response
time is much slower then what they were recieving.
Taking a look inside the device does
not produce anything of interest.
This is a basic EMF detector with
average

parts

inside.

There

is

nothing that can be calibrated aside

of changing some of the parts to
make it more sensative to certain
frequencies, but unless these were
assembled on site and soldered by
hand, it does not look like any of the
parts have been replaced. I would
be interested to find out how this is
calibrated if there is no settings
inside.
A few other points of interest that I found about this device is its sensativity to RF signals is a bit higher
then your average EMF detector, but its sensativity to things like a TV is much lower. Putting this device
nose first against the screen only lights up to the orange led, but using a standard EMF detector will yield
full scale about 6 inches from the screen.
Technical Specifications:

Detection Range: 0 to 20+ milliGauss

Detection Frequency: 50/60 Hz (50 to 1000Hz - ELF) (1000 to 20,000 Hz - VLF)

Accuracy: 5% (typical)

Operating Temperature: 0 to 20 Degrees F (-18 to 49C)

Battery Requirements: 9 Volts

Size & Weight: 5.7 inches long x 2.25 inches wide x 1 inch high, 6 ounces.

I have been involved in an ongoing EVP investigation along with some other fellow investigators from the
area. We meet for 2 hours a week and attempt EVP and other forms of communication hoping to open a

repoire with the spirits of our known haunted location. For the KIIs first inital test, I put it up against some
of the other meters we have in our group including the famous tri-field meter and the ever popular Gauss
Meter as well as some other not so well known meters. Basically they were all sitting on a table with a
couple audio recorders while we attempted EVP. Interestingly enough, the KII did happen to pick
something up a couple of the times that the other meters did not register, so there may be something to
this device, but I was not able to establish any kind of direct communication with the spirits as depicted on
the Ghost Hunters show, but I will definitely continue trying.

Orb Tech
Over the past 15+ years, a phenomenon has been sweeping
across the paranormal community and leaving a good bit of
controversy in its path. Orbs have been plauging photographs all
over the world. Even though this is one phenomenon that typically
gets people interested in ghost hunting to begin with, most people
quickly figure out that there has to be a more scientific answer to
this all to common phenomenon. Far to many pictures are taken of
orbs, just surf the internet for paranormal pictures for 10 minutes
and you will be asking yourself... are orbs really spirit energy?

Since digital cameras have taken a strong hold on the market leaving film cameras in the dust, more
people are taking more pictures without worry of running out of film or the added cost of getting the
pictures developed. Just this one fact alone plays a huge roll in the amount of orb pictures hitting the
Internet, so what are they and how come your grandparents don't have any pictures of orbs, you would
think over the years they would have at least picked up something?

In the earlier days of film photography, the cameras

available to the consumer market were big, bulky
and only had a couple of settings with most having
no ability to take flash pictures. Most familys could
not afford them, the film speed was extremely slow
and the quailty was bareable compared to todays
standards. It wasn't till the 1960s that consumer
cameras started taking a strong hold with the
introdcution of cheaper cameras and consumer
friendly film formats. Kodak introduced a camera in
1963 called the Instamatic which used 126 film
cartridges and created an ease of use for the
general consumers, but the quality was just ok and
even though flash cubes were becoming a
standard, the brightness of the flash was not really
that great and did not cover much distance.

In the 70s, the camera market

exploded with the introduction of
110 cameras which could be
purchased quite inexpensively,
there was even a 110 SLR camera
created by Minolta to attempt to
generate sales from the 35mm
community. The 70s also yielded
the first electronic flash type
cameras were the flash was built in
and re-usable ending the need for
throw away flash bulbs and cubes.
The overall flash range was still not
that great but not having to buy
bulbs was definitely a plus! Konica
also released the very first point
and shoot 35mm camera

The 70s also brought us the first orb photograph.

The photo to the right was taken by my good friend
Kelly Weaver some time in 1972 in her home in
Pennsylvania. The camera was one of the first
models of 110 by Kodak using a flash with the flash
tower attachement. This is the earliest known photo
I was able to find showing the orb phenomenon.

The first digital camera was actually created in the 70s as well, This
prototype was created in 1975 by Kodak engineer, Steve J. Sasson.
The unit weighed a whopping 8 pounds and required a total of 23
seconds to record a still image onto a digital cassette tape, but it
wouldn't be until the late 80s when digital cameras would really see the
light of day. Most consumers were stuck with a 110 or 126 film format
camera or if you were lucky enough, you may have been able to afford
a 35mm slr. Digital cameras started showing up on the market in the
late 80s though they boasted price tags of up to $20,000 and just like
their film counterparts, started out with a large foot print and little on
board storage space. Computers of this day were not real speedy and
also did not boast a ton of storage space which made it difficult to work
with the large image formats. Over the next 20 years, consumable film
cameras would prgoressivly get smaller and more advanced and digital
cameras would follow right along, this microsizing of the overall camera
size is what I believe to be causing ths orb phenomenon today....

Dust is common no matter where you live or how often you dust your house, its almost impossible to
create a completely 100% dust free environment even in a clean room at NASA. Dust can be in large
clouds not visible to the human eye or just random particles floating about. Due to their microscopic size,
dust particles can float for hours in the slightest, un-noticable draft and can actually be attracted towards
your camera due to static electrcicity and the type of plastic used to create the camera. Dust is constantly
moving in any given direction at any given time and can very easily change direction with the slightest
draft.

I've spent many hours playing with different types of cameras and checking out the flash ranges, flash
angles and just overall performance. I have come up with several theories on how dust is effecting many
of the pictures that we take. From a technical point of view, I believe that orbs are 99.9% dust or other
microscopic contaminatents which happen to be floating within milimeters of the lens when a flash picture
is taken. Since the camera is focusing off in the distance, anything within milimeters of the lens is going to
be extremely out of focus, that coupled with the bright flash reflecting back into the camera lens from the
particle creates a nice round ball of light. Older cameras were not plagued by this problem due to their
larger size and location of the flash, but new smaller cameras which have the flash extremely close to the
lens appear to be constantly effected by microscopic particles.

As for our gransparents, back in the day when they were

taking pictures and maybe even when our parents were
children and lucky enough to have a camera that actually
took flash pictures, the flash technology was pretty new
and most cameras did not actually have an attached flash.
Those that did were large bowl like aluminum protrusions
which were designed to throw the light of a large bulb filled
with aluminum foil and oxygen. This kind of flash was quite
bright but did not have the reflective surfaces in the bowl
itself like we use today inside the typical flash assembly.
The bulk of the light would be thrown straight out with not
much deviation in the angle as it left the bowl. Any dust in
front of the lens would not recieve a direct blow from the
flash, hence no orb pictures in the 1950s and 60s.

From the late 60s to the early 80s, the Kodak Instamatic 126 camera
was the norm along side the 110 camera which appeared in 1972.
Both of these cameras used similar flash mechanisms which was a
mini version of the large bowl design above packaged in a small
cube design which held 4 separate flash units and a much more
reflective surface to bounce the flash to the subject, but again the
angle is not right for the flash to get within milimeters of the lens so
the possability of illuminating dust was very low.

Kodak, Fuji, Ansco and many other camera makers put tons of
money into research and development of their cameras over
the past 100 years, even though that R&D continues today, we
are trading size and convenience over proper design and
function. To the right is an average disposable camera. In most
cases the flash is located just to the left or right of the lens,
some are even directly above the lens. The basic flash design
though convenient in its place, is one of the major contenders
when picking up so many orbs (dust). I totally dismantled my
disposable camera to check the the angle of the reflectors in
the flash. The angle is almost 45 degrees. The small plastic
cover over the flash also does some of the reflecting and is
convex which may change the angle of the flash to an even
greater angle over 45 degrees. As you can see from the
animation, dust particles that are close to the lens have the
ability to reflect the light from the flash in turn creating orbs on
the picture. This animation will also hold true for many
instamatic and digital cameras. Basically any camera with the
flash just above the lens.

To the left is an average mechanical SLR camera.

As you can see the flash is situated far above the
lens and the design of the flash is to project to the
subject. The chance of illuminating dust particles
that millimeters from the lens is far less then with
an instimatic/disposalbe style camera. Of course
there are many different styles of flash available
for SLR cameras which will change the angle of
the flash and could increase the chance of
catching dust. If the camera has the ability to
zoom in on the subject, this to can attribute to the
orb phenomenon.

Orbs are also notorious for showing up in infrared video and even
regular video from time to time, but one thing that is constant with these
videos is a bright light source just under or beside the lens which can
illuminate microsocpic particles just as what happens with a flash
picture. Unlike a phtoto still, the orb appears to be moving towards or
away from the camera, its an optical illusion based on where the light
source is. If a particle is falling from the top to the bottom and the light
source is at the bottom of the camera, the particle will appear to be
getting bigger due to reflecting more light which will give the illusion as if

its getting closer to the camera. The video to the right is a demonstration
of this illusion.

Most folks investigate at night which makes not using a flash difficult, I have found though that using a
slave flash as the main flash can help reduce if not eliminate dust orbs. Slave flashes are typically
triggered by the red-eye reduction feature which can be found on most modern cameras. putting a piece
of masking tape over the camera flash will filter the light in front of the lens enough as to not illuminate
dust but will be bright enough to trigger the slave flash during the picture. So far this is the best solution
but may not totally eliminate dust orbs.

Over tha past few years, I have been involved in several debates over dust orbs versus possible real
orbs. Some investigators have attempted to come up with a system of discerning which is which, but
unfortunately, I still believe they are all dust or other types of particles, here is a short list that I have heard
over the years:

Different colored orbs:

Dust typically shows up white, though in some states its more of a brown depending on
where you live. But other colored orbs have shown up from time to time like red, green,
blue, yellow, etc.. but that does not mean they are paranormal. Pollen from plants and
flowers will typically show up as yellow or green, pocket lint from blue jeans will show up
as blue as well as other weird air born fibers will show up as red or some other color.
Dust is not the only airborn particle, if you are outside there is no telling what could be
floating by
Hidden orbs or particles looking to be behind something:
This is probably the most disputed case for orbs but is also an optical illusion and is
based on the light information coming back to the camera. The orb is actually in front of
the object, but due to the birghtness of the object, the orb light information is
overshadowed by the object so it looks as though the orb is behind the object. Another
observation about this phenomenon is that most of the orbs are typically on the left side
of the object, this is due to the flash being on the left side when the camera is facing
away from the photographer, the flash intensity is much brighter on the left then the right
at this point. This can also make them appear to be coming out of walls, doors, etc..
Orbs appearing to be in motion:
This pehnomenon happens when the shutter hangs open for an extra millisecond or two,
this is not unlike the dimensional shift phenomenon where the artifical brain of the
camera is making the decision that it needs more light but the flash of course is almost

out of light at that point, the particle did move, but the tail is created by the remnance of
what is left of the flash. Brian P James from APRA wrote a great article about this
phenomenon which is worth the read. You can download the article from here
Orb photos during the day:
This one is not to common but it does happend from time to time, but what you really
need to ask yourself after you get one of these is... was the flash on? Just because its
daytime does not mean the flash is not birght enough to illuminate dust in front of the
lens. Though the flash is no match for that burning mass in the sky when it comes to
throwing extra light during the day, it will be effective to things that are within millimeters
of the lens.

There is plenty of other questions you can ask yourself when it comes to orbs, things you may not of even
thought of... or maybe you did. Here is some of my favorites:
How come you never see any orbs floating by during evening news?
This is what this article is all about... lighting, TV studios are well versed in lighting
techniques. The main lights are high above the news anchors and many different light
sources are used to remove shadows. The cameras are 5-10 feet away from the set and
typically in a darkened area to stop streaks or other light problems from appearing in the
lens of the camera. Mobile cameras like on the spot live shots use high powered lights as
well, but they are situated at the top of the camera and typically half way back. Particles
will get no illumination when right in front of the lens.
How come orbs only show up during flash pictures?
This is covered above in detail but there is also a big misconception that the camera flash
is bleeding into the light spectrum that the naked eye can not see... Though this is true at
night the camera flash has no where near the spectrum of the sun, so this being the
case, you would think orbs would be visible during the day time when taking non-flash
pictures..
How come orbs never show up in studio pictures, they use a flash?
This is the same as a TV studio... lighting. A flim studio is setup as such that no shadow
will be cast when the picture is taken. In most cases several flashes are used and none
of them are any where near the lens of the camera and most are diffused frm being that
harsh bright light, there is just no way a dust particle is going to get illuminated in front of
the lens.
A senastive said... quick take a pic and there was an orb near them, so that must be paranormal!
I believe this to be coincidence... I do believe in psychics and sensatives and work with
them constantly during investigations, but just because an orb showed up when they said
to take a picture does not make it paranormal. Obviously since dust is everywhere, you
have a good chance of picking up orbs at any given time no matter where you are
sensative in tow or not, especially if you are in an old building that has not been cleaned
in ages. I have plenty of pics where a sensative said the same thing with no results of
anything around them and even some where orbs appeared to be right above them or on
their hand, etc... But just because a sensative is feeling something does not mean the
anomoly is going to show up in a picture or on a video.

My EMF meter was going crazy and I took some pictures and got orbs, that makes it paranormal!
EMF detectors can be effected by dust believe it or not. Dust can get statically charged
just as you yourself do in the winter when you walk acrossed a carpet and touch a door
knob. Most EMF detectors are quite sensative and can pick up on the energy being
emitted by dust particles in the air. If you want to see this phenomenon yourself, here is a
simple experiment. Comb your hair several times with one of those cheap black combs
you can find at Wal-Mart for 99 cents. Have someone hide the comb while you are not
watching, but make sure its not crushed under anything that could discharge the static,
then use your EMF detector to find it. You will find that the EMF detector will start picking
it up from a good distance before you get on top of it.
I took a picture of an orb, when zoomed in on, it has a face, that makes it paranormal!
The mind is constantly working to recognize things that we are familliar with and can
sometimes see familliar patterns in a garbled mess. Just like looking to the clouds and
seeing the familiar shape of an animal or object floating by, the mind can pick up on
familliar shapes and objects on your computer screen. This is called matrixing, we do this
everyday without even thinking about it. See the matrixing link to the left for some
examples and more information.

The orb phenomenon will most likely be a

controvesy for some time to come as new folks
discover this phenomenon and become
interested in the paranormal. Unfortunately this
phenomenon is nothing more then particles
caught up in the moment.

After experimenting with the disposable

camera, I decided to dismantel the
camera. I was amazed at the amount of
holes in the case and the fact that the flash
has no real backing behind it. Though the
shells have a ridge to stop light from
entering the chamber where the film is
held, all it would take is some rough
handling or bending of the camera case to
expose the film to the flash. This could
cause a streak or white blur on a picture
that may be mistaken for a vortex or
streaking orb. After this little adventure into

disposable camera land, I am now leary of

using these cameras for any type of
investigation. There
are to many
possabilities involved.

Deception
1. Clean Image
2. Blue ribbon.
3. Blue Ribbon (sideways).
4. Red Yarn.
5. Solder.
6. Lens strings.
7. Serial cable
8. Candy Wrapper
9. Pen.
10. Long Shutter.
11. Camera neck strap.

Things are not always what they appear to be!

The above animation is just to give you an idea of what some things look like when they get in the way.
So how can you decipher a ghost from a lens cap string? I don't think there is any one right way to tell
what is what, but here are some things that I have discovered while taking these picks. Take a look at how
the lighting changes from image to image. An object right in front of the flash is going to cast a shadow of
some sort and change the lighting. This will effect just about any type of camera no matter where the flash
is situated. Of course if you only have one picture its kind of hard to know if the lighting changed from one
pic to the next. Any of these objects can look completely different depending on the distance from the
camera and how much light is reflected from the flash. Of course shadows are only going to hold true if
there is something to cast the shadow on, but take a look through your pics and keep in mind some of the
little details. Dust will not cast a shadow either since its to small to do so, but it may change the lightning if
its right in the flash path, so be alert of lighting changes in your pics.
This one was kind of strange. This is a piece of
my wifes long hair placed in front of the lens
during the picture. Whats so strange about this
one is that it does not extend the length of the
picture even though the hair was completely in
front of the lens and should have made a streak
the entire length of the image. I took a sample of
the hair and a sample of the floor in the back
with the rug and blew them up 400%. As you
can see something right in front of the lens does
not get as grainy as something off in the
distance. This may help decipher if something is
right in the lens with a digital camera image.

So if that hair extends all the way down accross

the lens, why does it only show up 3/4th the way
down? Here is another pic to compare, not that
you really want to see pictures of my house, but
here is my stove. I picked this because it has
light and dark transitions. Believe it or not, there
is a hair hanging right in front of the lens for this
pic to, but you can not see it. The simple fact
here is that the camera is focusing on the
largest object in the picture, in this case, my
stove. So the hair is overlooked. And this would
be the case with any type of camera. The only
reason you can see it above is because the
flash reflected back into the camera from the
hair. The hair disappears towards the bottom
since that portion of the hair is not reflecting any
light, so as in the stove picture, it just
disappears.

If you want to take this a bit further, you can try a little experiment while sitting right in front of your
computer. Find yourself a hair (pull one out, check your chair, pull one from the cat, etc..). Put the hair
right up to your right eye and focus on it. Once you have the hair in focus, now unfocus to your computer
monitor. The hair just disappears (well you might see it a little, but for the most part its gone). Since a
camera works much like the human eye, it will not pick up the hair just as you could not see it when you
focused on your computer monitor. Kind of funky, but you get the idea of what is going on with the two
pictures above.

Here is my hand at creating an image using the

image above and splicing the hair into this
image to create a vortex like image. This is alot
harder then you think, but many of the graphics
programs these days make it much easier to
merge two images together or just add in effects
that can look ghostly. The bottom corner is a
blow up of the bottom of the fake vortex. As you
can see the pixles are blury as opposed to the
actual image around it. This may give you an
idea that something has been inserted into the
image. If I would not have blured the inserted
selection a bit, it would look very choppy and
easy to tell that it was inserted. Unless the artist

is a pro, there is probably going to be some flaw

someplace that will allow you to decipher a fake
from an original.

Here is a picture of something that is really hard

to

find

during

the

month

of

March

in

Pennsylvania. I ventured into my garage and

searched high and low and finally found a small
bit of cobweb. If you are exploring an old
building or other place that may have these
hanging around, you may want to be careful
where you are standing when taking that
picture. Once again, take a look at the lighting
and how much is reflecting off the cobweb, its
definently within inches of the lens.

Cigarette smoke can be a serious problem as

well, betcha can't tell what kind of car I drive
through all that smoke? This is nothing more
then a cigarette just below the lens of the
camera, but again, you can tell its right in the
lens because of the reflection off the smoke and
not being able to make out the background. Of
course for a pic like this, it needed to be taken
inside or on a really, really calm day. Smoke in
the wind is going to look much different if not
show up at all.

And finally, the biggest culprit is just breathing!

You would be suprised how a camera can pick
things up that you can not see, thats why we
ghost hunt with cameras in thr first place. Of
course it was cold enough for me to see my
breath when I took this picture, but in some
cases, its just cold enough for the camera flash
to reflect off of it and you can not see it by just
breathing out. And once again, we are back to
the lightning, still can't tell what I drive can you?
This is definently right in front of the lens.

So what does all this mean? The above photos are just to give a little insight of what to watch out for. I
took these photos with my digital camera, but any of these can effect an average film camera as well. The
bottom line is to be extremely careful when taking pictures to avoid the above problems. If you have long
hair, tie it back. Take your camera strap off. Be sure to hold your breath during a picture and take a look
around for anything that may get in the way or cause a reflection. If you can afford it, take several pictures
from the same spot on a tripod if possible. Digital pictures are free, the more pictures the better the proof
that something was actually there and not something in the lens. I must also again say, I am not a
professional at this, nor do I have all the answers, the information I am giving here is just a little logic and
a little experience with cameras. If you see anything that you disagree with or want to add something,
please e-mail me and let me know.

Dimensional Shift
Digital cameras have advanced a great deal
since I started this page over 5 years ago. Back
in 2001 the latest digital camera boasted about
2.0 megapixles and held about 64 megabytes of
pictures, today we are up to 12+ megapixles
with 2+ gigs of space in just a short amount of
time. Though they have advanced in clarity and
storage capacity, digital cameras are still
plagued by a commonly overlooked problem...
Dealing
with
light!
Most digital camera buyers are looking for
clarity, storage capacity and ease of use,
basically they just want to turn it on and push
the shutter button. Though most cameras are
pretty good at normal everyday shooting in auto
mode,
when
dealing
with
paranormal
investigations, we are leaving to much of the
decision making to the camera.
Just because you are looking for ghosts, does not mean your camera is!
Unlike the average film camera, digital cameras incorporate an electronic brain inside which is used to
capture what is in front of it. When this brain is in auto mode you are giving it complete control over the
exposure time, apature setting, focus and other similar functions. Unfortunately, the auto setting is
causing a whole new incident of unexplained anomolies which seems to have become known as
"Dimensional Shift".
Over exposing a picture is a technique that is as old as flim cameras themselves. This technique can yield
some interesting results and make for some great photography if you know what you are doing. Simply
put, over exposing is holding the shutter open longer then normal to allow more light to enter the film
chamber. This process effects the entire picture at once, unfortunately, this does not hold true for digital
cameras which can "interpret" if they have enough light or not and not allow more to some parts of the
picture but expose other parts to more light which can cause a blurred image or "Dimensional" effect.
The picture at the top of this page was taken with a Fuji S5200 camera with a 3 second shutter. I put it on
a 10 second timer and started the timing process and slipped into the hallway to the left while I counted to
10. Once the picture started processing, I stepped into the frame and started walking away from the
camera and this picture was the result. As you can see, the darker parts of the hallway picked up more of
my shadow then the lighter parts. The camera was pretty much done processing the lighter parts but
thought the darker parts could stand a little more light, so it continued to process those areas. In auto
mode, the camera may make a decision like this on its own, if it does not think it has enough light, it may

continue to process different areas of the picture for a longer period of time then what you are expecting,
even when the flash is one.
My son barrowed my old 3.2 megapixle Sony
camera for a field trip to Philidelphia and came
back with some intersting pictures. The words
"Point and Shoot" make up how my son was
taking pictures that day. Since he was pretty
much in a rush the entire day, his method was to
look through the viewfinder, push the shutter
button, then move on, never checking the
picture to see what it looked like. Apperently the
camera was still processing a split second more
then normal due to the lighting conditions,
everything the flash illuminated showed up
crystal clear but the processor was still scanning
the darker parts at the top of the picture when
he pulled the camera away from his face. That
split second caused the smear at the top.

The picture to the left is a deliberate example of

the "Dimensional Shift" effect. This picture was
taken without the flash with the camera in auto
mode. The camera will process the picture a few
miliseconds longer then normal to attempt to
allow enough light in to get a good picture. Even
those with the steadiest of hands will get some
kind of ghosting/smearing effect when the
shutter is open longer then normal. Not only will
you move the camera just slightly, but your
human subjects will most likely move a little to.

The best method for solving this problem is to read the manual that comes with your camera and learn
how to use the manual settings. Understanding how the camera works and what its quarks are can help
you understand when the camera is doing things it shouldn't be doing and stop false anomolies from
happeneing. Since we mostly work in low light settings during investigations, getting your camera setup
properly will yield excellent picture results and you can document what the settings are which can help
authenticate anomolies you do catch.

One of the things we as paranormal investigators needs to keep in mind is that the devices we are using
for our investigations are not specifically designed for this purpose. To date, I do not know of any device
that has proven to be an effective means of capturing proof of spirits though there are some great
theories out there.

Matrixing
Being skeptical or a skeptic in a nutshell means the person requires proof or facts about a given subject
before they can believe. Matrixing is one of those areas that allows a skeptic to be presented with a fact
normally in the form of a picture that may present evidence, but still allow the skeptic to push it off as a
mind trick or mindplay. Matrixing is basically the brains ability to create a familliar image or sound from a
picture or audio file that would otherwise be unrecognizable. Faces are probably the most common form
of matrixing.
The best matrixing or mindplay I have come
accross so far is the picture to the left. This is
truly a marvle and can show how the eyes and
the brain can be tricked into seeing something
which is not reality, in this case the image
appears to be moving, when in fact it is
stationary. The first time I saw this image, I did
not believe that it wasn't moving and that it
was an animated image, but it is not. The
patterns at which this image is constructed
plays a trick on the eyes. If you look at it in
different

places,

you

can

stop

it

from

appearing to move in others, but for the most

part, it always looks like its moving. If you still
can't believe its not moving, print it out!!

Matrixing can show in many different forms ,but the most popular would probably be a face of some sort.
One of the most famouse faces to appear in many different places is the the face of the virgin Mary. How
does one explain the sudden appearance of a face in everyday products such as bread, or in my case a
clam chowder can!!

The picture to the right was not an attempt at

matrixing, but merely the place where a piece
of cut potato was stuck to the side of the can.
This is the first time I have come accross this
phenomenon myself and I did not see it till I
was not looking at it directly. Some people
might not be able to see this at first glance, and
others will pick it right up. Is this an attempted
contact from a passed relative or just being in
the right place at the right time to see a pattern
in a bunch of clam chowder goop??

Here is another pic of the can a little closer with

a little less clutter around it. If you could not see
it before, then you probably can now. I am not
really sure what to make of this phenomenon,
but if I traced my family tree back far enough, I
am willing to bet I could find someone who
resembles the goop in this can. I am still on the
fence on what to make of this phenomenon, its
one of those mysteries that I still think is just left
to chance at this point.

EVP can present itself in much the same way. If you tune to a blank spot on a radio and listen long
enough, your brain will sooner or later start picking up on patterns in the static that may sound like voices
or spoken phrases. The following link will download a small wav file which was created with my sound
program. Its basically static witch has been run through a filter causing instabilities in the static pattern. If
you listen closely, you may hear voices or even a phrase or two which are not really there!
If you listen to the above file enough times, you will most likely hear something. Because this was not
recorded and in fact created, it is not possible at least in my opinion that this could be a genuine EVP. I
will leave it to your imagination as to what it could possibly say.

Raudive Diode
Konstantin Raudive used a germanium diode and some other small parts to create essentially a radio
frequency microphone to be used for EVP research. Many have claimed success with this device over
using a regular microphone.

L1 - .5 mh coil
R1 - 100k resistor
D1 - 1N34A germanium diode
Be sure to leave about 3-4 feet of
wire between the recorder and
the diode so the diode can be
placed away from the recorder as
not to pick up the interference of
the motor drive. The antenna
should be about 3 inches of thick
wire at least 14 guage or so.