A paranormal investigator’s primary role is to be a skeptic contrary to the label of ghost hunter we always hear. The objective of every investigation into claims of paranormal activity is actually centered on proving the activity is not paranormal. Only when all rational and scientific explanations have been eliminated will we declare a location as having paranormal activity.
– this process is called debunking.
Debunking is the act of disproving claims through the scientific method. Both during the on-site investigations and later while reviewing the collected evidence, we strive to find reasonable explanations for each claim.
These reasonable explanations can be determined through a careful examination of the environment surrounding the activity.
A common claim of paranormal activity is hearing unexplained voices, laughing, or talking while alone in a room. In order to debunk this claim, we search for rational causes. In some cases, we have found that sending an investigator into the area opposite the location and waiting to see if their voice carries into the room has reasonably proved the activity is not paranormal. It is simply the person experiencing another’s conversation without knowing they were there. We also research the buildings age, foundation, and material composition. This helps us determine whether the foundation itself is causing noises that may be interpreted as voices or whispers. Also, just using common sense, we check for the possibility of animals in and around the building (depending on the location, it could be a neighbors pet, a stray, or even birds or rodents). We have to consider this as a possibility and then determine whether these animals or the structure noises could be heard from where the person is experiencing the claims. Every scenario differs and requires the use of investigating techniques. Other claims have been debunked during our investigations through the simple act of finding explanations from the environment. Claims of cold spots or the sudden closing of a door are approached first by looking at the environment and finding possible causes for the activity. For instance, change in pressure or air flow could be caused through the intermittent start of the air conditioning. This event may create noises or a door to suddenly close.
In other events claimed to be paranormal, we look into claims that items fall from a shelf seemingly by themselves. We have been successful in debunking claims like these simply by duplicating possible causes such as bumping into the adjacent wall or examining the nearby appliances to see if they cause a vibration while operating.
Science has proven that high electro-magnetic fields (EMF) caused by electronics or exposed wiring can cause people to feel nauseated or to experience the sensation that they are being watched. It is through this rational and scientific evaluation that is responsible for debunking many misguided claims of paranormal activity.
Our skeptical examination of paranormal activity extends beyond the immediate environment into a detailed look at evidence collected from the investigation. During the time spent on-site, our investigators collect audio, photographic, and video evidence that is later scrutinized through the same debunking process to determine the validity of claims.
First, audio tracks are input into computer software and possible voices are isolated from the background noise. Then all possible sources for the voice are eliminated before claiming the voice as paranormal. We always preserve the original file structure and only filter so that we may hear better. All of our audio that we present to our client and to the public is unfiltered in order to uphold the validity of any evidence we do deem as paranormal.
Likewise, video and still photographs are scrutinized using computer software that allows investigators to view the evidence from many different perspectives. Each piece of visual evidence is viewed through various filters allowing for rational explanations such as lighting or reflections to come forward as the explanation other than paranormal. In 13 years of investigating, not one photo have we ever deemed as paranormal. Most of the strange anomalies on photographs are actually common photographic errors.
When people experience an unexplained event they might jump to the irrational conclusion that it is paranormal. But usually it can be explained after investigators take a skeptical view of the environment and evidence gathered during an investigation. It is only after the claims have been processed with the goal of debunking them, could not be reasonably explained, and evidence we collect supports the claims presented to us, that a location is then considered by WCGAPS to have paranormal activity.