Good article. If I can get my hands on a movie-file version of this clip, I'd love to try to stabilize this particular section to see what it looks like without the camera jumping around. It's hard to tell how many IR/light sources there are in that room, so exactly which shadows are supposed to be there and which are not is kind of a guessing game.

And yes, the host segments are fictional. Whenever we see one, I get caught up with questions like, "Did they have the camera crew sitting out in the snow all day waiting for someone to walk into TAPS headquarters so they could get that external walking-in shot?" Obviously, no. "Does a camera crew travel with Grant and Jason at all times just in case Donna calls them?" Hell no.

Then one starts thinking– why do they always have just the right expository dialogue in the driving-there shots? Do they film those afterwards, as well?

So we can only assume that the investigation footage hasn't been tampered with. We have no idea where the lines are, and we know that at least some tampering has taken place.

Frankly, the only reason to believe in the investigation footage is that most of the time the prosaic explanation is fairly apparent for anything spooky they see. And that means the proof value of anything they uncover is nil.

i often have questions like these of TAPS. questions regarding the number of film crew on the scene. i mean, there has to be camera, sound, equipment and production crew there, right? oftentimes, during an investigation, the team will hear noises and say there was no one else in the house, or something to that effect. but i think this can't be true.

as for this particular episode and the photos posted above, i agree. this does not seem very spectacular. as noted by Skeptical Viewer above, there is a camera shot of Steve getting up from the sofa coming from the exact same direction as the mystery shape he caught in that same moment. also, as you can see in the last photo above, it looks like an actual person in that last second shown when the picture becomes clear for a mere instant. you can see the light reflecting off the arm and perhaps a breast.

and i have to say, when i first saw this episode, i thought this image looked an awful lot like Chris even though they say she was not in the room. who knows, but it is not anything that i would find interesting.

the EVPs were quite interesting, though. impressive and creepy.

this week's episode was pretty good and i can't wait for the next analysis by Skeptical Viewer.

After having a second look at the article and the clip– yeah, that's the small statue sitting in the room. It's borderline deceptive of the production company to have edited out any discussion of the statue sitting there in that room. Apparently J&G attempted to duplicate the shot and failed to do so; since the camera was swinging randomly, that's not unexpected.

Remind me why I watch this show again? Why don't I just abandon all rational thought and watch "Most Haunted"?

I just wanted to let you know I found this link through the skeptics site at SciFi. I am very into ghost and believe in them, but I have a hard time with evidence that is presented.

I am in academics so when we talk about research, we are totally into validity, reliability, credibility, trustworthiness,etc. You've got a great handle on it and do a really good job explaining it to the layperson. I look forward to more from you!

ok, i get it now. i was over on the ghost hunters forum last night and saw the statue images that someone posted. i'm a bit slow, i guess! here's what gets me about this – wouldn't the owner of the house say to them during the reveal, "oh, that's just my statue on the coffee table over there that i see every day!"

so, one of the reasons i watched this show is that i really loved the TAPS team. i felt they were genuine and concerned people. especially Grant for some reason. now that i see all of the BS they do (i.e., Grant moving the lamp with the cord), i have no reason to watch this show anymore. I don't believe anything they MIGHT happen to capture and i have no trust or respect for any of the key players anymore.

Looking at the black mass that you caught on video when Steve was getting up in the living room looked like a decorated bottle. Please reply. Thanks.

SciFi Channel reran this episode tonight. The "apparition" seems pretty impressive until one realizes it's the statue on the table. If TAPS really claimed the appariton authentic, I wonder why it didn't make their top 20 list. Maybe they now consider it debunked.

Also, in this same episode, they talk about the connection between poltergeists and limestone or quartz in the area. What's that about? Is there any science to back up this "theory".

I don't remember– are they claiming that quartz or limestone deposits are related to residuals, poltergeists, or both? I know they've claimed they're related to residuals in the past.

The idea that "residual" or "replay" hauntings are related to quartz and limestone deposits is a variant on the Stone Tape Theory. There's a decent article about it here:

http://www.p-s-i.org.uk/stonetapearticle.htm

The idea was popularized in a 1972 science-fiction/horror television play called "The Stone Tape" by Nigel Kneale. It was previously suggested by Thomas Charles Lethbridge in the 1960s.

As the article points out, "it fails to be a scientific theory as the process is not properly explained and the theory is not testable." Quartz is piezoelectric, so it could produce an electric charge under tectonic stress. There's no known (or even suggested) process for recording events in quartz crystals.

Otherwise our quartz watches would be broadcasting old-time radio 24/7.

Heh, well before you can even think about testing any "theory" that poltergeists correlate with quartz deposits you have to first be able to determine that both subjects actually *EXIST*

Quartz Deposits, check.

Poltergeists, … …

… Bueller?

Re: Quartz

I unsuccessfully tried the web for more info, but I know that some chunks of quartz act like glow in the dark toys. I’m not sure if this is a property of quartz or, possibly, from phosphorus embedded in the quartz (remember an Indiana Jones movie?). The Inca, Aztec, and Mayan people were quite fascinated with it.

From this site:
http://www.webcom.com/canefan/ancientwisdom/quartzcrystalpoints.html

Quote:
“Metaphysical: Quartz Crystal Points can store and amplify energy, absorb negative energy, and is a healer of body and spirit. It also aids focus, is a psychic amplifier and a Mirror or the Soul.”

I guess the idea is that it can store or record events; however, I didn’t find any direct scientific evidence of this, on the web, to back the theory up.

– Dave

Well Superman has been storing information in crystals for over 50 years so I'm sure his writers got the idea from somewhere.

Interestingly as I was looking for an article on crystals being used for computer memory I came across an article accompanied by a picture that will seem familiar to Superman fans.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019123619.htm

Superman? Good one!

Actually, I don’t think the capacity of quartz and/or limestone is enough to hold much of an electrical charge or magnetic flux – practically nil. So, it looks like that’s out.

Another theory was EMR (electromagnetic radiation) that might turn the hunted, haunted house into a kind of battery. Here again, the capacity would be nearly nil, and besides this, any energy would spread and dissipate around the house (even out) so that it would not be focused in one place – not to mention being grounded into the earth.

What still bothers me that if the “evidence” is being manipulated, during or after the hunt, then it looks like none of it can be trusted. I was impressed by the “Where’is Jason” and “Uh, na, na, na, na,” EVP (third season) but what if it was added after the initial recording? I tried looking at the sound graph, using Adobe Audition, seeing if the room noise doubled up, but the bits are too short and come between someone talking. If the Prison Phantom footage was manipulated, as I suspect, then that would just about tear it. I mean, someone would have to, at least, pause (and unpause) the camera during recording in order to put up the sheet and get ready. It would probably take two people to do that. If it was edited after being recorded, then only one person would be needed.

– Dave

So, limestone/quartz deposits combined with the mental anguish of teenage females produce enough energy to throw objects across a room. Sounds logical to me. Who comes up with these "theories"? Don't get me started about the theory behind cold spots.

Well, in the case of the Stone Tape, bored British aristocrats and the BBC.

The EVPs didn't impress me quite as much. They're recording these things on cheap dictation-style recorders. When they say they've "cleaned up" an EVP, they've run it through a frequency bandpass filter, which can make almost anything sound like a female voice. We have no idea what the background noise really sounded like right then.

The only EVP that would impress me would be one taken in a Faraday cage (to prevent radio interference) with a high-quality backup recorder or two to let me know what the background sounds were. Then I'd be impressed. Not necessarily convinced, but impressed.

But then I'm a known EVP-hater.

“We are not amateurs. We have had extensive experience.” – TAPS Page

“What the frigg?!” – Grant Wilson

S.,

Don’t worry about it, I’m a ghost shadow hater – anything passing in front of the light, from a moth to a man, could cause a shadow.

Re: EVPs
I tried a few experiments myself, but I don’t get all the scraggy scuffling and crap the TAPS boys do in their audio. I’m just using an audio feature on a cheap digital camera. And you’re right, they need better audio recording equipment and techniques. What would be best is to get a recording in “stereo”. Two recorders could be set up in the room to record sound from two different locations; this would also allow for the triangulation of the voice (to figure out an approximate location). I would also like to see two cameras set up, side by side, to confirm that the “thing in the dark” isn’t just a bug in front of the lens.

Admittedly, using double cameras might get things beyond budget; however, the double recorders idea is more than practical. To save time, they need only go over the audio from one recorder and use the second as a confirmation. I mentioned this on the TAPS message board, some time ago, and didn’t get much feedback on it. Since the TAPS boys get so many EVPs, I can’t understand why they wouldn’t do this, except that they, in actual fact, really don’t give a frigg.

“And Judas went and hanged himself.”
“Go and do thou likewise.” — Bible

Dave: I love the contradicting quotes. Very funny.

As far as the "metaphysical" quote about quartz and all the stuff it can do… riiight.

Really now, where do people come up with these wacky claims that they try to pass off as factual when there is no evidence for them? And why do so many blindly believe them? It boggles the mind.

Surely if it's on the 'net or TV or in a book, it's gotta be true, right? Nope, think again.

Logisti, I heard Bueller was really sick.

And lastly, here's a quote I read today by Benjamin Radford (of the Skeptical Inquirer and CSI (formerly CSICOP)) about Ghost Hunters:

"That series, like "Destination Truth," is far more interested in making sensational claims and garnering ratings than actually solving mysteries or scientifically analyzing the evidence."

J.,

I rarely agree with the Cyclops people – but, in this case, they have a point.

Well, you know, all’s far in War and T/V. But the distasteful thing with TAPS is going into real people’s homes and leaving them more mystified then ever. I mean, if they what to humbug while doing a show at an old, famous Castle it’s one thing. But humbugering real people, in their own homes, is somewhat more sordid. What’s more distasteful is claiming to be good parents to their kids but abandoning them to go off, to use their free time, to hunt ghosts. It got worse when they chose the Mark guy as the new ghost hunter. He said he has five kids and his wife works. OK, so who’s going to look after the kids now?

– Dave

When I heard he had five kids, I too was wondering why he even entered the contest.

I guess he has his wifes support, as does Jason and Grant.

J.,

You mean he'll soon divorce and be paying his wife support.

Mark should bring his kids along! They'll be at least as good at ghost hunting as the ECW wrestlers.

Dave — As far as I can tell, GH folks are using cheap dictation-type recorders deliberately, not because they're short on cash. The EVP community in general has found that they get better results from IC recorders than regular analog tape (which has better fidelity), and GH seems to be following that lead. I snarked about it at length over here:

http://www.skepticalviewer.com/2007/11/08/harrington-home-ma/#comment-212

Also with you on the shadow-hatred. The supposed reason for shutting all the lights out is to make it easier for apparitions to appear, right? But most of the apparitions they see are shadows. Shouldn't they be bringing in huge spotlights instead, to give more light for the spirits to block?