Regarding #4 Brenda's House: If I recall correctly, the EVP supposedly said, "They don't want me." Brenda was upset that the sweet little ghost felt rejected.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but when I hear something that's supposed to be an EVP it typically sounds more like, "Brrr frap bzzzt grrr blah blah frap blah spuzzz…."

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EVP

It isn't so much the way things are recorded that brings up the possibility of debate, but the way that the human ear hears and how the brain processes it. It leaves us wide open for interpretation of many simple observable phenomena. The same hold true when we see the image of a face.Look at an object log enough and you will see a face.

When Grant and Jason visit the client and discuss the reveal If an EVP was discovered they will in 99% of the cases Make a suggestion as to what they think was recorded. This is implanting false information.

One more thing. After they complete an investigation they tell the client they will go over all the evidence. What evidence. Evidence is something you discover after you view the results of the investigations. Wrong choice of words.

You All do a great job.

All these things can make people seek patterns.The more likely explanation is pareidolia or Apophenia

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Paul,

Re: EVPs
I think that there’s more than matrixing going on, although I believe this is often true.

Some of the EVPs are too loud and articulate and, I suspect, most of them are background noises or accidental voices made, and perhaps occasionally faked.

Here’s some more about EVPS:

http://paranormalresearchgroup.com/images/stories/theimportanceofbackuprecording.pdf

– Dave

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On the Queen Mary episode, I don't know if I buy that Tango stumbled upon it so much as he was probably looking for it. The monitor they were watching it on wasn't that big - in fact, they even had to blow it up for the TV audiences to see what they were talking about. I think Tango was in on it with the others and saw right away that it wasn't going to fly and had to call it out.

I've always suspected that Tango was brought on because of his background as a fully trained magician, something I find rather suspicious. On the "Darkness on the Edge of Town" paranormal radio show, Brian Harnois confessed that Tango had ZERO Ghost Hunting experience when he made the TAPS team a few years back. Well that begs the question, why then would they bring him on board, other than the fact that he was adept at doing slight of hand tricks?

One other thing about that episode, notice how J & G immediately start to spout off how they don't think anyone from the Queen Mary would do this - almost as if they knew blame would have to fall on their hosts for TAPS' own stunt which backfired on them. Just my perception anyway.

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I love this site, very down to earth. Great points are brought up. I like the GH show, but you just can't ignore the discrepancies. I watch it to laugh at some of the things they come up with. It is nice to see that others question the same things that I have noticed. I taped a couple episodes and noticed some other things that don't really have to do with experiences, but just to keep things real about what it is you are really watching - a TV show for entertainment.

1. There was an episode, I believe it was at the OK Corral where they got Steve to put on a cowboy hat. He took off his ball cap and put the cowboy hat on, then the GH crew all started clapping, then the camera turns real quick when they are going back in the building and he has the ball cap on again, then in the next scene exactly after he has the cowboy hat on. I would not have noticed it because it is quick, but since I taped it I could replay it. The way they were talking it was a continuous scene, but it had to be edited because of the hat discrepancy. It is not that they said that anything paranormal happened, but it just rings true it is an edited show. They can make things happen as they wish but are sloppy in the editing room.

2. There was another episode, I forgot which one, but Jason and Grant thought they heard something and turned to the camera guy and asked him if they were messing around with them. For them to ask the crew that would mean that they know that the crew does try to fake things.

3. It seems that Jason doesn't really like to talk about his own personal experience, because maybe it's just not true. When he does mention it in a book, he then goes on a TV show and basically says he was not sensitive, but that is not what he claimed in the book. Another thing that makes no sense.

I could go on but you get the drift. I think they just edit and fake things to get ratings as a TV entertainment show. They are getting paid for the show and roll with things, then won't comment on the things that people have a reason to question.

Keep up the good work with this site!!!!

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i recently saw the eastern states one again. the line i took most from re-seeing this was "we'll put it on the site and see what people say. those who believe will believe, those who dont wont." NEVER did they say the shadow caught was paranormal. thats why they went back. to prove it did or didnt. they never did

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I just recently stumbled onto this site. I too have watched every episode of Ghost Hunters. I too wonder if the Paranormal really is there. But, Jason and Grant seem to take every measure possible to see if there is a scientific reason or maybe even a outside source making these "Paranormal events" take place. I believe they do a good job and hope they have many more episodes for us to argue about if it is real or not.

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First of all, thanks to Andy O. for directing me to this site. Second, thanks to this site for doing what it does to keep paranormal investigators honest.

When it comes to Ghost Hunters, I think it boils to this question:

Do I believe Jason & Grant are legit, or do I think they are hoaxers making money off of their show?

If you believe they are legit, then you really have no choice but believe in ghosts and the paranormal, based upon the video evidence they have given us in the show. Personally, out of everything I've seen, there has only been one episode that I doubted, and that was the one in the lighthouse. When they showed the video of th "shadow" leaning over the rail and looking at them, my first thought was "fake." But overall, I believe they are legit. The EVP's they have captured are downright freaky (do you remember "please just leave us alone.." from the toy store episode? It sent CHILLS down my spine), much of the video evidence is compelling, and the thermal image of the civil war era soldier in the basement was awesome.

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Re: “Do I believe Jason & Grant are legit, or do I think they are hoaxers making money off of their show?”

Actually, both. I think they started off with just an interest; however, once the show got going they because Goober and the Ghost chasers, and are not averse to exaggerating (and occasionally faking) certain incidents. The worst fake is Grant pulling the lamp cord to move the lamp across the table (see previous posts on the plantation). I think L. did a good job going over it. When I first watched that episode I actually didn’t worry about it – I just figured, hey! – just another ghost show. But I got into it more later.

I mean, what would you do if you had a chance to be on T/V, make more money than a plumber, and needed to keep the seasons going. I admit I might exaggerate things around the edges, but it’s unlikely I would fake them or except faked, or highly suspect to be something unusual but normal, evidence. Of course, if I were a team member, I wouldn't last a season with the Ghost Hunters.

On the other hand, the Ghost Hunters appear to make an effort to try to debunk things, but their attempts are generally half baked — however, their attempts do, artificially, make things "appear" to be more legit to the viewer.

– Dave

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I have personaly been in the ledge light house off the coast of Groton and New London, and have spoken to Coast Gaurdsmen stationed in the house and they have all said there is something strange going on. Some of them wouldn't even talk about what they have seen!

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Stef, … Right, that’s it, “a T/V show for entertainment.” But, like most people, I wonder how often genuine paranormal phenomena occurs, if ever. And, like most people, on this message board, I’m looking for the genuine article – which often means reevaluating the evidence and scrutinizing it. So the more I scrutinize it, the more likely I am to find flaws. Still, a couple of incidents have got me wondering.

– Dave

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OK people. i'm not sold either way yet but will leave you this story. my friend knows a guy who needed a kidney transplant so his non-blood related aunt agreed to donate. before they were to go forward, they found an aneurysm on her kidney but the surgeon said it wouldnt be a problem. the guy told my friend that the last words spoken to him by his dying father was "i'll always protect." once he got out of surgery the guy told his mother he was fine because his father was in surgery with him. come to find out, once they took his aunt's kidney out, the aneurysm broke. the docs said
1. it could have ruptured and killed her within that year if she hadnt been tested.
2. she was the only one who could donate.

now tv shows are 1 thing and i didnt see the surgery, but i believe this happened 100% the guy, who has diabetes like his dad, has had many issues since but the kidney is 5 yrs in and 100% perfect.

so, just cos not everyone has seen the "paranormal" doesnt mean things arent out there.

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It all goes back to past history. It is kind of like Jason and Grant found a crop circle then were caught with equipment to make crop circles in the back of their truck. Now if they stumble across a crop circle they didn't make, who will really believe they didn't make it or someone around them. That is the problem. Not that I don't believe there are things out there, but you have to consider the source and what they have told you in the past that didn't jive but they tried to pass it off as such.

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Crescent Hotel

Interesting: Comment:

University of Applied Sciences in Brandenburg, Germany:

First keep in mind that the "ghost" they see is standing on the door of a metal locker with the number two painted on in white. Second, keep in mind this comment by researchers at the University of Applied Sciences in Brandenburg, Germany:

"Thermal reflections are a common source of problems in interpreting infrared (IR) thermal images. In particular, atomically smooth surfaces like glass, metals [a locker door? -DV], or wet surfaces, and also brick and concrete, may easily give rise to reflections of infrared radiation from often uncared sources [sic]. If unnoticed, these thermal reflections may give rise to misinterpretations of the object temperature."

Why is the "2" hot? White paint reflects thermal radiation (heat), that's why wearing white on a summer day keeps you cooler than wearing black. Is it possible that the white number two is reflecting more heat than the metal of the locker?

Notice that when the TAPS guys attempt to repeat the effect they aim the thermal imaging camera to a spot to the left of the "2", and closer. We only see a small portion of what they saw originally. This is not a true recreation of the original event so it cannot be used in comparison. What I would conclude from this is that they may have been hiding something: the reality of the origin of the "ghost" perhaps. This is a TV show after all, it's entertainment, so they must leave something to the imagination.

Let's take a look at another clip, in which the same two TAPS members claim to hear a disembodied voice cry "help me" in the St. Augustine Light in Florida.

I hear what could very well have been a breathy wheeze from the off camera investigator, or maybe the cameraman himself. They are, after all, climbing the steep spiral staircase of a tall lighthouse. But wait, there's another. The same sound, like a wheeze. But certainly no "HELP ME!" There is no real resemblance to that phrase, just the suggestion of those words by the TAPS members. Listen again. It could have been "Oh!" or "NO!" or any number of other words. I certainly don't hear two words in there.

They're calling that a great piece of audio evidence suggesting ghostly activity, but as you can see I clearly introduced enough to leave room for doubt. There is absolutely no way they can use that as evidence of a supernatural event when other possibilities still exist. We can't rule out someone, somewhere else in the vicinity making noise either. Do we know for sure that they were the only people there? Do they?

Next they present fuzzy, dark shapes moving on the surveillance camera as evidence of a ghostly entity in the light house. I'll admit here that I do not know what the cause of the shape was, but I wouldn't rule out a trick of light and shadow caused by an outside light source. The lighthouse does have windows around it. Can we rule out a reflection from somewhere inside the lighthouse due to the rotating beacon? It's a far leap to claim a supernatural presence is the cause when they haven't exhausted every other possibility.

While that surveillance camera was setup, do they know for sure that no one else was in the area? Can we rule out a complete hoax for the sake of compelling TV? No.

Fans of TAPS, and TAPS members themselves, claim that the TAPS team is skeptical and looks hard to rule out every possibility, and first attempt to logically explain a phenomenon before actually admitting it might be of supernatural origin. I disagree. Just making that statement does not make it true.

From what I've seen here we can conclude that at least these two TAPS members do believe in ghosts, and they are presenting questionable sights and sounds as evidence of ghosts. That is not what a skeptic does. But hey, it makes for good TV, especially if that's what you're audience is looking for. It makes for additional revenue in DVD sales as well.

Drew Vics — 11-23-07

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I'm a skeptic, but

#4 Brenda's House: I believe the little girl's voice said, "They don't want us." Whether EVPs are real or not, I can see a mother easily upset by this and I thought her reaction was real. The other EVP was, "Can I come in?". Just sounded to me like a neighbor's kid saw all the people so she came over to see what was going on.

#19 Zubrowski's House: To be honest, this EVP of his grandfather is exactly how I'd expect one to sound.

But I agree with the others, I wish TAPS would let their clients hear the EVPs first to decipher for themselves before TAPS gives their opinion.

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on the Ogden house,my sister-in law grew up in that house that her parents owned for fifty years and i spent atleast 20 years worth of holidays and summers there.Never saw a thing.indian room was a root cellar, thats all,wasn't hidden ,had a door.

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