High EMFS on Ghost Lab vs. Ghost Hunters

Has anyone else noticed that when Jason and Grant's team members on Ghost Hunters are getting high EMFs around electrical wiring or pipes, etc., they do not attribute any of those readings to paranormal activity? They say that the high EMFs make people feel as if they are being watched or can give them hallucinations or make their hair stand on end. But they discount claims by people based on those traceable EMF readings.

On the other hand, Barry and Brad Klinge on Ghost Lab attribute those areas of traceable high EMF readings to being a cause of paranormal experiences.

So basically Ghost Hunters says areas that create high EMFs due to a high number of electrical connections cause a PERCEPTION of paranormal activity that is not valid, while Brad and Barry claim those areas that generate high EMFs are like a "nest" that draws out actual paranormal events.

ASSAP web site does talk about this on their website under "Ghosts, Baselines and EMF meters."
Here is an excerpt from their article about EMFs and hauntings:

Can EMF meters detect paranormal activity? Given the problems outlined above, it seems unlikely. In summary:

•EMF meters cannot show frequency data so that different readings cannot be compared
•there are many natural sources of variability and spikes in low field areas (including non electrical sources) which cannot be easily distinguished with EMF meters
•EMF meters cannot identify 3 phase interference
•EMF meters cannot identify fields capable of causing hallucinations (EIFs)
In addition, EMF meters are often not used in the best way they could be. Problems include:

•baselines at the start of vigils which are little better than random
•what constitutes 'paranormal activity' is often poorly defined making comparisons between different vigils and different sites problematic
•mediumistic information is sometimes included as 'activity' even when nothing is witnessed by non-mediums
•paranormal activity is not always investigated exhaustively to eliminate natural causes

Brad and Barry do an EMF "sweep" prior to the investigation -- getting an overall baseline reading of the entire area. Jason and Grant don't show that they do that (they might, but we don't know). ASSAP says that a proper baseline EMF reading should be taken over a 24-hour period prior to an investigation, and that there are other types of readings, called EIFs (varying magnetic fields), which may explain possible hallucinations that seem like a haunting.

ASSAP says the best way to do EMF readings is:

A single baseline measurement is therefore not very helpful. A much better solution is a 'positional baseline'. With this sort of setup you position a pair of EMF meters so that one is in a 'hot spot' (where lots of paranormal activity has been reported) and the other in a control area (somewhere nearby and as similar as possible but with no reports of activity). In this setup, instead of comparing readings to a more or less random baseline, you compare contemporary readings in different places. The 'control' instrument effectively provides a continuous baseline for the 'hot spot' one. It is then easy to spot if there are higher readings at the hot spot compared to the control.

I have not seen any of the paranormal investigation teams doing this or reporting this methodology being used in an investigation.

A new show called Paranormal Cops debuts this week on A&E, Tuesday night.

Keep up to date on paranormal reality shows being aired each week by following @dhdobry on Twitter.

Ghost Lab vs. Ghost Hunters

Wow! I can't believe it has been more than a month since I last posted. Time flies.

Well, I've been watching all the usual paranormal programs, and Ghost Lab (Tuesdays, 10 p.m. on Discovery channel) has gotten a lot of new attention and provides some sort of competition for Ghost Hunters (Wednesdays 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Syfy).

Ghost Lab, with Brad and Barry Klinge and company from Texas, travels around the country with their ginormous black logo-emblazoned trailer/lab filled with expensive hi-tech equipment seeking to "probe the afterlife" in a scientific way. My take: Yes and no.

Ghost Hunters, with Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes and their T.A.P.S. investigative team from Rhode Island, does the same thing, and have expanded to international investigations with Ghost Hunters International, and now have a reality competition spin-off called Ghost Hunters Academy, featuring paranormal investigator wannabes vying for the privilege of being the next team member on the show. More on that in an upcoming post.

What I like about Ghost Lab is that they take prior baseline readings. They take a photo of each room in advance of the investigation. They take baseline readings ahead of time, though I've read on ASSAP that the proper method of taking a baseline reading is to do so over a 24-hour period. The Klinge brothers and company call it covering the location with a net. They will have EMF detectors lined along a path inside or outside a location, depending on the reports, and use the readings from the detectors along that line to notice if changes move. They consult with experts while they are on site, though i wonder how much editing they have done to those interviews. The Ghost Lab stays at a site for more than one night and they often try to include some sort of experiment in their investigation that is based on a theory -- such as higher paranormal activity during a storm or when there is energetic emotional activity in the area, or if recreation of a historic event in that area is done. Brad is definitely the lead character on the show. A large figure with a big voice and a big personality, he challenges purported spirits. He is excitable, but will usually note when his excitement was misguided. However, on a recent episode, he caught on a thermal camera a silhouetted image of what he said was a spirit. One of his team members said it looked like a water bottle. I think it looked like a water bottle. The expert they consulted said it looked like a water bottle but that they could not say for sure what it was -- there was something not explainable about the image. Yet Brad and Barry called it a spirit caught on the thermal imaging camera. I believe that is a big stretch and it made me respect their scientific stance less. The excitement by Brad and Barry may be good for promos, clips, and viewing pleasure, but I don't know that it makes it more believable.

Ghost Hunters by comparison is tame. Their equipment must be less subsidized by whoever provided Ghost Lab with their smart screen and hi-end technology trailer. Yet, in many ways, I find their lower-key approach to be more authentic and objective. Jason is not one to jump to conclusions. The T.A.P.S. people, though talking to supposed spirits haunting a location (addressing them respectfully, as opposed to Brad Klinge's often macho challenges), will spend time searching for ways to debunk what they find. Ghost Lab does this, too, but the whole thermal camera incident on Ghost Lab makes me wonder if they are out to debunk or out to find proof of spirits. That's really the key on ALL of these paranormal investigative shows.

A big disappointment with Ghost Hunters are the times that data is lost due to technical problems -- this past week, the DVR crashed the system for the Mark Twain House. Another time, as they were taking down the set-up, one of the team members unplugged the computers as data was being downloaded. Why, though, did it disappear? Wasn't there back-up? Wasn't there original data saved? They need to be more diligent with their technology.

However, I like the T.A.P.S. less emotional approach. One of their precepts is to go in and investigate and not to be excited or scared -- no running away -- as they reiterated after one episode when two investigators ran away from a possible paranormal interaction. On Ghost Labs, there is definitely more hype. OH MY GOD! is a big response to evidence. They are not as bad as Zak on Ghost Adventures, who is a bit melodramatic when investigating the paranormal--along with the fear displayed by Aaron. He's a lovable guy, but dude! what the heck are you doing this stuff for if you get so freaked out about it! I'm just sayin'. I don't claim that I would be any less afraid in that situation, but you're on television as a paranormal investigator. Perhaps his fear makes it seem that much more real.

How realistic things seem--I'm curious, how many viewers of paranormal television consider believability and realism to be important in determining their willingness to accept what they are seeing as evidence of something paranormal or something spiritual or of the survival of human consciousness. And if realism is a factor, which shows seem to be the most believable? I'd like to know what you think.

Upcoming -- Celebrity Ghost Stories, Ghost Hunters Academy, and that nasty paranormal investigation show that I can't even watch -- Extreme Paranormal.