Thanks Logisti, for the analysis. A few thoughts: the "footsteps" could have been the sound of the old, wooden floors expanding or contracting. As anyone who has lived in an old house with wood plank on beam floors knows, they can make a lot of racket, especially as a room warms or cools. They did sound more like footsteps, but I'm surprised that there didn't seem to be any effort to debunk/explain.

The EVP was a stretch. I listened to it 10 times and never heard "yes."

And finally … we are treated to a setup for the moving frame with Grant going out of his way to explain why he was using a camera that he'd be turning on and off to monitor the room — something about how he coud turn it off while he was undressing - nevermind that the camera only caught a small portion of the room and Grant had no problem walking around in his underwear on camera later.

It's also interesting that Gant implies that he stopped taping with the camera to review what was making the sound and then filmed the closeup shots showing there was nothing behind the frame to make it move. So we know that the camera was turned off before the fame moved, it was on for 2 minutes until it moved, then it was off for an unknown amount of time before the back of the frame is filmed to show that there was no wire attached.

hmmmm.

Also interesting was that the frame moved in the exact direction it would need to if there was a concealed wire pulling it from behind ….

As a GH fan, it's sad to think that we'll have to question any evidence the team captures from here on out.

(Report comment)

I usually make out the EVPs, but this one I didn't get at all. Even when they told us what it supposedly said, I didn't hear it; just sounded like a breath - and I didn't even hear THAT until the last time or two.

One more note about the EVP: I missed the first half of the original airing so I just caught the analysis to the end. In watching the rerun I was particularly interested in seeing the part when they caught this EVP. I was a bit suprised when I saw it. In the reveal it seemed like there was quite a bit of time before the answer; but during the episode, it didn't seem like Tango waited that long before asking another question. But I could be wrong.

As far as the moving picture frame - who knows? If it's the chair that's suppose to move, why not rig the chair? Surely that would have been easier than the frame? It does seem suspicious that it happened just moments after Grant started the camera. On the other hand, when these things happen just off camera, we get suspicious. So. GH may be at a point where they just can't win.

And Logisti, that's funny you refer to the chair at Race Rock Lighthouse because that is EXACTLY what I thought of when I saw the frame move. It was that same jerky movement: A short quick move followed by a longer one.

(Report comment)

Allow me to play devil's advocate for a minute.

If we take the supposition that it takes a tremendous amount of "energy" for an entity to manifest in some way (apparition, voice, telekinesis) then moving the picture frame would require short choppy movements spaced out over a period of time. A short burst of movement would not require as much "energy" as a long, dramatic movement.

This argument is in keeping with GH philosophy regarding manifestations.

(Report comment)

Also, I thought that I saw when they showed the walk through of the third floor, the ceiling was actually a peaked and beamed ceiling, implying that the ceiling was the underside of the roof. I may be mistaken on this, though. Someone please fact check that.

If so, then there would be no crawl space.

(Report comment)

Wes, I think your analysis of when the camera was turned off is spot on: it was off at exactly the times it would have needed to be in order to rig such a hoax and then it was off again before we were shown the closeup of the back of the frame, which would have conceivably given us the opportunity to detect any hoaxing — only after the camera operator would have had a chance to remove the evidence, so giving us a net zero.

In Grant's defense I think it *is* clear why he turned the camera off in both cases. The first time, the tape had been running all night during the investigation and he was about to go to sleep so putting a fresh tape in makes sense. It also makes sense that he would have to review the tape and see what actually moved before he could give us a closeup of the frame — because otherwise he couldn't/shouldn't have known it was the frame that moved in the first place.

Ultimately, there is a duality about many of the facts. For instance, I understand there were good reasons the camera was off at those two times, both those are also the exact two times you would need to turn the camera off if you were running a hoax. I understand that there was a whole bunch of stuff on the table, but that's exactly what you would need if you were going to hide a wire or string that was in the camera's field of view.

CrowTRobot: This brings me to my next point: Why not the chair? Well if I was intent of perpetrating a hoax in that room the chair is just too dangerous because no matter where you attach a wire/string, it's going to go through a few inches of air where it could be visible to the camera.

Frankly — and now I'm really going out on the limb of pure speculation, keep that in mind — Grant could have conceivably rigged the chair first, then reviewed the tape and realized you could see the wire, switched the wire to the picture frame instead, rewound and taped over it. We have no idea how long the camera was "off" for "between" tape changes.

So if this was a hoax I would have to say it's a well-executed one because I can't see any evidence of a hoax whatsoever. I can only see a lot of circumstantial facts that raise my suspicions, but while I think that's enough to say the clip isn't good paranormal evidence, it's not nearly enough to outright condemn the clip as "definitely not" paranormal and in-fact a hoax — despite my suspicions.

So I'd have to go with Wes and say the only thing that comes out of this (for me) is I'm going to be watching and scrutinizing even more closely and I'm going to weight hoaxing possibilities a little more heavier with future evidence.

…and for those who may think we're bitter and crazy, and that this moving picture frame is clearly some of the best paranormal evidence ever captured — you may be right. I certainly have no proof to say otherwise. Just try to remember we're only doing this because we care — we want to make sure all evidence is honest evidence, not someone guiding us to a false conclusion.

(Report comment)

Todd, you're right about the jerky movements. The problem is that it's also consistent with someone tugging on a string (especially a string that's being pulled around a table leg or something to angle it) and they're not sure how much force to apply. In fact, everything we see is consistent with both explanations.

What I would have liked isn't much: Any number of single changes would have gone a long way to disproving a string pulling the frame. For instance, if the camera hadn't been turned off between the frame moving and the closeup of the frame. The explanation of why it was is a fair one, but it leaves open that unfortunate possibility.

Or if we could have clearly seen between the frame and the object to its right as it moved. Or if Grant had come all the way into the camera's view so we could see there wasn't anything in his right hand. Any of these things could have taken credibility away from the "hoax" explanation but as it stands the evidence neither supports nor detracts from either explanation, hoaxing or true paranormal activity.

RE: the peaked ceiling, it's difficult to tell but here's my interpretation. I think we get the best view of the ceiling after Grant is feeling around for Jay's cold spot on the couch. We see the wall to the right seems to be about in the center of the house (where the roof is highest) but we can clearly see a little bit above the horizontal beams the wall goes black and this black line goes along the entire wall.

This looks to me like the seam where the wall connects to the ceiling. We can't see the ceiling itself though, so it doesn't explicitly prove there *was* a ceiling, but the only other explanation that makes sense is that the wall simply stops and all of the rooms on that floor are open on the top, like cubicles in an office.

Now that's certainly a possibility, but while I've seen modern buildings set up like that, older buildings (aside from castles and mansions) tend to be more conservative with using interior space and an attic serves a functional purpose too — insulating the rest of the building. For those reasons I would expect there to be one, even if we can't see it.

I should emphasize that I acknowledge I could be entirely wrong about someone walking around in an attic to cause the footsteps, but it occurred to me as a possibility and with the recent number of tourist sites that have been declared "haunted" or paranormally active by TAPS I didn't want to let an easy alternative explanation go unmentioned.

(Report comment)

Another quick thought - observers look for patterns. We're seeing now a clear pattern of GH "evidence" occuring around/near Grant where the footage can't be debunked, but can't be shown to have only paranormal explanations, either.

… and I'm still uncertain about why it was felt neccessary that Grant needed to explain why he was turning the camera on and off … rather than just saying I turned the camera on and here's what I caught … to me, just an opinion, it smacked of over-explanation of something that is about to happen.

Also, I do think the chair would be harder to rig with a wire because there was nothing to hide it behind - whereas a wire running from the back of the frame could have been hidden by the objects on the table.

If you use the TAPS criteria that something that might have a normal explanation can't be labled pararnormal, you'd have to say this isn't paranormal because it easily could have been a hoax … I'm not saying it was - just seems suspicious.

Side note: sure enjoying the analysis and debate this site offers as opposed to what we find on the TAPS board.

(Report comment)

OK. Good points about the chair. It may have been more difficult to pull off than I first thought. But does this make the picture frame even more suspicious? The reports were of the chair moving, not something else.

(Report comment)

Nice analysis from all. While we can't say definitively that Grant was pulling a hoax, his past involvement in questionable occurences leaves me inclined to NOT give him the benefit of the doubt. His overexplaining before he turned the camera on led me to believe something questionable was coming up.

As far as the EVP goes, I listened to it repeatedly and never heard yes or yeah or whatever it supposedly said. Jack the owner looked very doubtful when they played it for him during the reveal as well.

On the plus side, this episode was pretty entertaining. I found the banter between Tango and Steve pretty funny. For the first time, I got a good look at Kris in normal light (not IR) and she's better looking, and taller, than I thought. I do think she's in on the scam though. It almost seemed forced and too convenient when Jay and Grant were saying 'knowing Kris she'll definitely want to go back in' and she comes down and says exactly that.

(Report comment)

CrowTRobot, on the one hand I agree entirely but the counter-argument is pretty simple: Maybe there's activity all around the chair and people only ever noticed/realized the chair itself. One might argue that the picture frame turned as if someone sitting in the chair wanted to look at it.

So as Ronin1220 says, this really comes down to the benefit of the doubt. I'm not inclined to give it to Grant either, but it's there to be given nonetheless.

(Report comment)

I don't know if anyone knows this or not buy apparently Kris Williams is an actress. Go to imDb.com and type in her name. Interesting…

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1366043/

(Report comment)

If I remember correctly, Kris was introduced by Jay as a family friend or distant relative when she first came on the show (which she may be). I'm guessing they haven't played up the actress aspect because they don't want people questioning her credibility. For the record, she does seem genuine to me, although she doesn't add a whole lot to the investigations …

(Report comment)

In addition to all the other circumstantial evidence about the picture frame, I found the reaction to this "evidence" suspicious. If true, it's amazing evidence. But everyone was so blase about it (including the hotel owner). I've always taken this show with a grain of salt and enjoyed it purely for its entertainment value, but there is definitely something strange going on here. I never believed Grant's magic moving blanket. Now this. He comes across as a nice, trustworthy guy. But I have a feeling Grant is a fisherman.

(Report comment)

I agree, why does all this stuff happen to only Grant.

(Report comment)

I tried & tried but couldnt hear the EVP at all. I also noticed that the wind was blowing hard that night. They cut to the sign outside and it was swaying at a pretty good rate. I wonder if the sounds of boots was something outside the bulding…like a shutter?…also wondering why they didnt go and try to debunk the sounds. I would have trusted the picture moving evidence more if it had been in Tango's room. He seems to try and understand what is going on around him. IMO.

I agree with the poster who said they seemed blase about it all.

(Report comment)

Although I'm struggling with losing my faith in GH, I can't ever stop watching because I'm totally addicted to the intelligent analyses and commentary on this website. And, yes, just once I wish the article would move TOWARD the camera. I heard nothing from the evp. And Tango's cred is 100% with me.

(Report comment)

I obviously need to get my entertainment center wired up again and play these shows through my speaker system because I couldn't hear that EVP at all, if anything it sounded like a breath and a very low one at that. I assume that crew and such who occupy the room during these things do actually have to breathe, so I wasn't impressed by that. I was amazed they were all so certain about its content. Reminded me of watching GHI and there is some very low distorted gurgle on the tape after which Barry quickly pronounces "That's Russian". Oh don't even get me going on that.

I thought immediately when Steve was in there setting up it was the IR from the camera triggering the TV. Don't know how it ended up being the walkie, but kudos to Tango for actually trying out the IR theory straight away before discovering otherwise.

I am always suspicious about any Inn or anywhere thats a public attracting location. I just figure the owners/staff will try and pull something in order for some "haunted" publicity. Just like the Queen Mary with the bed spread, I thought that was an inside job - who else would it be? I just can never help feeling that way in situations like that.

I thought I actually saw something move (string?) to the right of the picture frame first showing but then the other times I saw the footage I specifically looked and didn't pick up anything. It looked questionable to me and of course right there is old suspicious Grant :D, just kidding. It did look funny like he stopped to stay out of the way for the next movement of the picture frame. But also could be some great evidence, however just seemed to me they would be much more excited about it then they actually were.

Anyways despite my comments on the shows, still enjoying watching. Fun to discuss, too.

(Report comment)

OK, had a chance to review the moving frame footage and found something very interesting (thanks, DVR).
During the reveal, we get full audio and full screen of the event. There's very distinct and loud creaking, which we can easily see is the sound of Grant walking on the floor. At one point, after the frame moves a second time, the creaking is loud and Grant says 'that got me out of bed' and we can see him entering the shot. BUT, you can clearly hear the creaking, like someone shifting their weight, right before the frame moves the first time. If he was in bed when the frame first moved, who was making the floorboards creak?

(Report comment)

Wes, I'll have to go watch again and listen for that! As GH would say "good catch" :>)

(Report comment)

I really liked episode and I knew the comments about Grant were going to fly It would seem to me that maybe they are trying to explain and not get too excited due to all of the distrust about the show. This site alone, myself included, can pick apart the smallest detail until we are collectively on the floor in a fetal position.

The boots on the floor item was very interesting to me and the ceiling was pitched very high on the one side. I am wondering if the high part of the ceiling was the outside wall. If it was there would not be attic space above it. I liked that they heard it and then it was captured on a recorder. They said if you think about the time frame of the Civil War they would have worn boots, which is true. That is of course assuming the haunt is someone or something of that period.

That basement was awful and who didn't know that they would catch off the chart EMF readings, did you see all of those wires and gizmo's? No wonder Kris got sick, while I felt bad for her as who wants to puke on national TV, why is she on this show? Tango as well, they are two very dull people at least Brian had a personality. And with cutie pie Steve you get a good chuckle when he gets scared by spiders.

Ok now the moving picture frame. Not sure what to think about that but all the theories about how it could be a hoax are amusing. What if it wasn't a hoax? The theory is that it takes an enormous amount of energy for a spirit to manifest, communicate or whatever. If that is true why not the stop, start, jerky movement of the frame?

Just because they said the chair doesn't mean it always has to be the chair. Some people are said to draw more energy or activity to them, maybe Grant is one of those people or maybe he is a big deceiving jerk.

The reveal was good except you could see the yeah right expression on the owners face. I think he is still a fence sitter no matter what he said at the end. The EVP, I hear nothing but air and the expression on the owners face said he heard nothing either. The frame moving was the one that got him. But he was hard to read.

SO there are a lot of could be and maybe with me on this one. I'll have to wait to see it again and begin to pick at it more.

(Report comment)

i have a question bout the frame. if it were hoaxed, how did they do it? it would seem, unlike a chair, you could hook up a string to it so that it turned just right without falling over. i saw it quickly and the frame seemed to move out. now someone with skilled hands could get it to move out slightly without it falling, but and maybe i'm not remembering it right, the frame moved quite a bit.

as for kris? i said awhile ago she was a b-grade actor, think she produced some stuff too. check you tube. and i find it strange she changed her tune on what got her interested in ghost hunting. her 1st show she said something happened to her but on the reveal with josh gates, she said her friend and her used to go to graveyards because her town had a weird one. notice too she's getting more time than steve. course, i'm tired of hearing he's afraid of everything but ghosts

(Report comment)

I am assuming that most have you have never been to Gettysburg or the Cahstown Inn. I travel to both frequently and I am not surprised at the findings from the show. In fact I am shocked they did not get even more evidence after 4 days there. I have a number of "strange" photos of the Cahstown Inn. In my own personal experience, I have felt something on the front porch and have some wierd photos. Not only is the Cashtown Inn a bed and breakfast, but one of the best restaurants in the area. You don't have to spend the night there, you can go for the evening and have a great dinner and enjoy a cocktail at the bar. I have also had a number of unexplained encounters and even more unexplainable photos from Gettysburg….Anyone thinking that it is a hoax, I would encourage you to take a trip to Gettysburg. Drive thru the Battlefield at night or at dawn. Park anywhere get out of your car and hang out for a while, do what they do in GH and talk to them and start taking pictures. Hot spots in Gettysburg - The Angle, East Cemetary Hill, The triangular field behing devils den, Sachs bridge, the Slyder farm, Oak tower…just to name a few.

(Report comment)

First let me say I have watched the show from day one and I find it entertaining. I've watched almost every episode. But I'm tired of watching the same pattern over and over again and it's never addressed on the show. I'm referring to the fabrication of evidence and lack of integrity.

My biggest problem with the show is Grant. I truly believe he is responsible for most if not all of the "unexplained phenomena" that takes place when he is the only one around. The last episode (Castown Inn), the picture frame moving on the table is consistent with someone pulling a fishing line (or other type of line) that is attached to the back corner of the frame. The wire was hidden behind the other object on the table. Then our hero Grant enters the picture and conviently leaves out his right side of his body so he can tug the string as the frame moves.

A few episodes back Jason and Grant are sitting in the living room and were asking the ghost questions. Then we hear a little bell ring. Jason asks Grant what was that. Again, we see Grant an arms reach away from the bells inspecting them.

In another episode we watched Jason and the SCI FI camera man in the attic of a house as Grant was standing in the hall way. All of a sudden the water facet turns on in the bathroom. As usual, Grant is the only one around with no witnesses to back up his claim that it turned on by itself. B.S.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, the episode where Grant taped himself sleeping overnight in a hotel room and the bed sheet by his feet appears to move upward all by itself. Ahhhh, the old fishing line and fishing hook snagged at the bottom of the bed cover as he pulls upward trick. Entertaining, but more B.S.

I can go on and on but I think the astute reader is familiar with the pattern I'm talking about. Look, I understand if nothing happened, there would be no show. Nobody would watch. But once you start to fabricate evidence and tell the people your helping that their place is haunted, or their is a spiritual presence, and they believe you, your doing more harm then good. Morally, this is no different then a corrupt Police Officer planting evidence on an innocent person then lying in court to a jury. (Dont read into that, I like Police Officers and believe that 9.5 out of 10 of them are good people, I'm just using an analogy).

Anyways, I had to vent. It's been building up for awhile and I had to get it off my chest. What I would like to see addressed on the show is Jason and Grant acknowledge that a person with average intelligence might think that Grant is a charlatan. This needs to be addressed.

Additionally, everyone on that teams credibility is questioned if they suspect Grant is responsible for all of these weird occurrences and don’t do anything about it. If they don’t suspect Grant is responsible for most if not all of theses acts, then their investigative skills come into question. How can you be an effective Investigator if you don’t look at every angle as to what caused something to happen and just explain it away as a paranormal event? And why is it always happening to him? Red flags should be going up and bells should be ringing for everyone on that team. Assuming they are not in on it or aware of it.

Not only that, but I would like to see Grant submit to a polygraph examination done by a non-biased polygraph examiner. I would like to see him asked very specific questions about the above listed patterns/problems and see the results. But, we will never see that happen. I think we know why.

(Report comment)

I couldn't have said it better myself, Shinobiscout.

Maybe we should get a petition going to at least try to get them to be honest about what's going on. I don't know if it'd work, but it's an idea.

On this episode itself, I also didn't hear the EVP they claimed was on there. It did not sound like a word or anything; it just sounded like noise to me.

Here we go again with Grant and this time it's yet another moving object while he's alone that is highly suspicious.

You know, these potential hoax patterns are almost, if not already, insulting to one's intelligence.

I think it's best to abide by the following saying: When Grant is alone, put your extra skeptical hat on.

(Report comment)

Tango and Cashtown. (Sorry.)

Basement EVP: This currently wins the official Stephen's Least Impressive EVP award. It doesn't even sound like a breath. It's just a noise glitch. Happens all the time. Don't blame Tango– the "Analysis" section is completely staged, and Tango may well not have had anything to do with calling that an EVP. They seem a little forced when talking about how great this is.

Footsteps: Interesting stuff. Remember, one of the outside shots showed it was pretty windy that night, so something could have been knocking on the roof. Doesn't sound like that. Who knows, but doesn't knock my socks off.

Moving picture frame: Grant's movements here are off-the-scales suspicious. He set up the shot (and put the frame right at the edge of the shot). We don't see his right arm until after the frame stops moving, although we hear a grinding noise VERY similar to Race Rock continue for a bit– is that supposed to be the creaking floorboards? Unlike bill kelly, I don't think it would require too much skill to do something like this; just attach your thread, run it around the lamp, and tug. If you mess up and it falls over, just rewind the tape. You're covered because you did this at the beginning of the tape, so even if you have a timestamp turned on it won't be noticed.

A couple of things occur to me.

1. Aside from occasional doors, have we ever seen anything move on its own when Grant wasn't the nearest known person? (Basically, see Shinobiscuit's post.)

2. Grant has still never said exactly what his first paranormal experience was, only that it wasn't exactly a ghost and that it happened when he was 15-17. All that we know is that his friends put him through tests "to determine if his experience had been real. It's kind of a touchy subject with him." The longer this series goes on, the more I think the key to the mystery is Grant's initial experience. What if he was one of these pseudo-telekinetic poltergeist kids? (And here the skeptic speculates wildly.) Unless one of Grant's childhood friends decides to talk, I'm pretty sure we'll never know– assuming there's something to know.

Re Kris' acting career: doesn't matter to me. So long as they're being filmed by the production crew doing quasi-staged or reshot sequences (and I'm not condemning here, it's the nature of the beast) then they're all actors.

(Report comment)

My biggest beef with the show lately is that it's been increasingly underwhelming in the entertainment department. The last two weeks I've been more interested in the analysis and discussion here than anything that happened on the show.

Despite the problems with this episode, which were many (that was the most pathetic EVP ever. I didn't hear squat!) I enjoyed the episode a great deal. Pink headphones… hehe.

I'm cynical enough to think that no one is above being a little shifty when it comes to reality television (or maybe anything for that matter) and if any of the evidence is faked then I get why they do just a picture frame (not to arouse too much suspicion and such) but if you were going to make something up why bother with a movie clip that is so obviously going to inspire more criticism of personal ethics than conversation of an actual paranormal experience?

In other words, if that was humbug is that really the best they can do? Bummer that.

Keep in mind that even if Grant and Jason caught the ghost of my grandmother as a full bodied apparition on all forms of media calling me out by name and deed for all the naughty things she's seen me do since she's been kickin' it in the afterlife I'd still be a little skeptical.

But if I was a ghost hunter who was compelled (for whatever reason) to "fake it" I wouldn't bother with a clip like that so I have to admit I wonder. Does that make it real? Of course not. Not even close. Maybe that is what Grant wants me to think.

It's Grants enigma in a puzzle and all that jazzy subterfuge and now my brain hurts.

BUT no cutaway to anyone telling me what an EVP was this week. I did like that. Hope we never have to see that again.

I also wonder if there is a repository for everything that is referred to on the show with the phrase "one of the theories is…" Do you think I could find that book or those books at the library of the college people go to for their demonology degree? Back in the day I was going to get my associates in demonology but it turns out I went to a party demonology school.

Bummer that.

(Report comment)

It's suspcious Grant would NOT want a LIVE camera in the Cashtown Inn bedroom where he slept. He says, he didn't want a live camera because "I want to be able to turn it off, if I'm changing."

Why couldn't he change off camera, or in another room? Why, if that room is ALIVE with activity, wouldn't he or Sci Fi want a LIVE camera to better capture movement? Why doesn't Sci Fi provide a camera man, or a secondary stationary camera in the room?

Grant changes tapes & the picture frame suddenly turns. Grant says he inspected the frame. A magician does the same to his box after he saws his assistant in half.

It just seems odd that with such a LIVE room, there wasn't a LIVE or at the very least a secondary camera, but one requiring a change of tape. Immediately after doing so an event occurs, only to have Grant walk next to it, but somehow (in the dark), he manages to stand just before the picture frame so as to not block your view as it moves again.

Jason & Grant regularly use the FLIR camera. Jason believed someone sat next to him on the couch. Ordinarilly, the FLIR unit would be used to capture or "prove," heat. It's a bit odd that a camera they deem a necessity to SHOW evidence was NOT used.

Lastly, how many more COLD SPOTS can they endure? This will eventually be the shows undoing. They've experience them so often they'll soon be hospitalzied for frost bite.

(Report comment)

larry, another great point that I missed. We can see from the way *this* camera was set up that we can't see half the room, or even the bed, so his explanation about changing is silly and doesn't make any real sense.

The LIVE camera would also mean he wouldn't have to change tapes, since everything would be recorded on the laptop's hard drive. Of course, it would also mean that there would be no excuse for missing time on the recording; so no way to set up, and later remove evidence of, any hoaxing.

Again, this doesn't prove a darn thing but it's yet another unfortunate coincidence for Grant if he really is blameless in this. Replace the spots where the tape was changed/stopped/reviewed with uninterrupted footage and suddenly any hoaxing theory becomes a lot more farfetched.

As it stands, over a half-dozen little coincidences needed to happen in order to someone to hoax this fairly easily, and all of them happened:

1) Incident occurred while alone in a room with someone suspected of hoaxing past events.

2) Handheld camera chosen instead of hard-drive recording camera for insufficient reason, making it possible to stop and start the recording without suspicion.

3) Tape stops at a point after the suspected hoaxer enters the room but before the event, offering opportunity to set up any potential hoax.

4) Incident occurs near the beginning of the tape, allowing the possibility of re-staging a hoax if it didn't come out looking good. Also eliminates any possibility that the event occurred while the suspected hoaxer was asleep.

5) Object moves like it is pulled from the right side but the right-side of the object is blocked so we can't see if there is a string or wire.

6) Suspected hoaxer comes into the video frame while object is moving, but we cannot see *his* right side or hand until the object stops moving.

6a) (Bonus) Suspected hoaxer jumps out of the way after briefly blocking camera shot of object (near the center of the camera's field of view), despite claiming to believe the object moving was the candle on the far left of the camera's view.

7) Tape is stopped immediately following the event, potentially providing an opportunity to remove evidence of any hoaxing.

If any one of those 7 things (other than 6a) failed to occur, then hoaxing becomes a *lot* more difficult. As it stands, not much imagination is required to reproduce exactly what we saw through human means.

(Report comment)

J. wrote…

“Maybe we should get a petition going to at least try to get them to be honest about what's going on. I don't know if it'd work, but it's an idea.
You know, these potential hoax patterns are almost, if not already, insulting to one's intelligence.
I think it's best to abide by the following saying: When Grant is alone, put your extra skeptical hat on.”

That’s a great idea about a petition. I was considering posting my concerns on their TAPS message board or the SCI FI message board just to get people thinking and start discussing these patterns. It may not be highly effective but if a couple of people start to connect the dots, maybe more people will open there eyes.

I also agree with being extra skeptical when Grant is alone. The way I look at it, the evidence is contaminated and should not be used if Grant is alone or nearby (Bell ringing example).

Stephen wrote…

“Basement EVP: This currently wins the official Stephen's Least Impressive EVP award. It doesn't even sound like a breath. It's just a noise glitch. Happens all the time.”

Without a doubt, that has to be the worst EVP I have heard on the show. I listened to it multiple times and can not make out any words at all being uttered. It should never have been used.

“Moving picture frame: Grant's movements here are off-the-scales suspicious. He set up the shot (and put the frame right at the edge of the shot). We don't see his right arm until after the frame stops moving, although we hear a grinding noise VERY similar to Race Rock continue for a bit– is that supposed to be the creaking floorboards? Unlike bill kelly, I don't think it would require too much skill to do something like this; just attach your thread, run it around the lamp, and tug. If you mess up and it falls over, just rewind the tape. You're covered because you did this at the beginning of the tape, so even if you have a timestamp turned on it won't be noticed.

Great observation. I didn’t even think of restarting the camera to avoid the time stamps if it took him a couple of practice runs to get it right.

1. Aside from occasional doors, have we ever seen anything move on its own when Grant wasn't the nearest known person? (Basically, see Shinobiscuit's post.)”

Just going by memory, the only thing I remember watching move was their last live Halloween special when all of them (Jason, Grant, and the Pro Wrestler) were standing around a ball that was on the floor. They were provoking a spirit to move the ball and it did appear to move a little. However, I’m not ready to rule out wind currents or a sloping hallway.

Jef wrote…

“I'm cynical enough to think that no one is above being a little shifty when it comes to reality television (or maybe anything for that matter) and if any of the evidence is faked then I get why they do just a picture frame (not to arouse too much suspicion and such) but if you were going to make something up why bother with a movie clip that is so obviously going to inspire more criticism of personal ethics than conversation of an actual paranormal experience?”

“But if I was a ghost hunter who was compelled (for whatever reason) to "fake it" I wouldn't bother with a clip like that so I have to admit I wonder. Does that make it real? Of course not. Not even close. Maybe that is what Grant wants me to think.”

I also think the reason Grant doesn’t do a grand illusion and keeps it small is to avoid the arousal of suspicion. In his mind, maybe he thinks he’s playing it safe. I’m curious as to what kind of hobbies he’s been involved in. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dabbled with magic tricks when he was a kid. It would explain a lot. I also think the more he does these little tricks, the harder it is for him to stop. Maybe there is some kind of gratification for him that he pulled one over on everyone and didn’t get caught. Maybe the rush is addicting and to great for him to stop. Plus, if he stopped, the ratings might drop. That might all the incentive he needs to keep his cash flow going. It could be all these reasons combined.

Larry wrote…

“It's suspcious Grant would NOT want a LIVE camera in the Cashtown Inn bedroom where he slept. He says, he didn't want a live camera because "I want to be able to turn it off, if I'm changing."
Why couldn't he change off camera, or in another room? Why, if that room is ALIVE with activity, wouldn't he or Sci Fi want a LIVE camera to better capture movement? Why doesn't Sci Fi provide a camera man, or a secondary stationary camera in the room?”

I agree. This only adds more doubt to the authenticity of their claim.

I hate to sound like a broken record (or Paula from American Idol) but I agree with Logisti’s post. Great observations with sound logic.

I haven’t checked, but is there anything on youtube where someone debunks and reproduces all of their questionable claims in a video, showing people step by step how they are pulling the wool over peoples eyes. Kind of like James Randi did back in the 70’s with Uri Geller?

(Report comment)

I am curious….all you skeptics out there. No one has addressed my post. Has anyone ever been to Gettysburg or the Cashtown Inn?? Has anyone actually gone "ghost hunting" or really know anything about it or how it is done? Some people are naturally sensitive and can attract the other side. Maybe Grant is one of those people. Maybe before you pass judgement, you should take a trip to a "haunted location" many locations now have ghost hunting investigation companies. They are not ghost walks or ghost tours, but you go to a haunted location, learn to use the equiptment, and be part of a real investigation. You can view all the evidence a week later on a website - EVP's, night vision video, photos, etc that is prepared from your investigation. I can tell you Gettysburg is very active, so before anyone passes judgement on a moving photo frame thinking it may be fishing line, I recommend you get off the sofa, turn off the TV and go investigate for yourself. Just curious as to how many people actually have the guts to go in the pitch dark and do it.

(Report comment)

Yes, I actually have gone on investigations. I have heard some EVP's that I nor the people with me could not explain. I think what the people on this site are doing is great for the paranormal community. All they are doing are brining up other possible causes to the things that occur on the show. I think everyone on this site just wants Ghost Hunters to be honest with what they are putting out to the public. If for some reason some of the things turn out to be a hoax it will put us investigators back into the stone age.

(Report comment)

Kathleen, well you touched on part of the reason when you asked, "how many people actually have the guts to go in the pitch dark…" — To many of us that just sounds plain silly. I've heard plenty of people give many credible and seemingly inexplicable encounters with what they believed to be ghosts or supernatural phenomena but none of them began by saying, "One night I was wandering around in the pitch black…"

Instantly the premise of any such investigation is flawed because you aren't replicating the circumstances during which sightings occurred, and you're putting yourself in a situation where you can't see properly so you have an immediate handicap that not only limits you ability to make clear observations but also increases the probability of misidentifications and other mistakes.

(Report comment)

Well that is just my point. There will always be skeptics that will not believe what they see second hand ie: photos, tv, EVP…and that is ok. It has to be experienced first hand. Encounters like what you see others experience on tv are easier to believe if it has happened to you. I don't think that this show is about fishing wire and fake nausea and the like (Most Haunted). And yes in order to experience these things, many times you do have to go out into the dark. You seek out your destination during the day and you return at night with a flashlight and what ever else you intend to use. No fumling involved. There is no misinterperting a real experience - you see it, hear it and feel it. Many times I have taken strange pictures in the daytime. However, to explain this to someone that has never experienced it before is just useless. To state what pictures I have or what I have seen, felt or heard means nothing because it is my experience. I do not doubt anything I saw on the show about the CAhstown Inn, because I have actually seen things move on their own but I am surprised there was not any more evidence after 4 days.

(Report comment)

some one commented that movement of objects only happens around Grant. What about the electrical cord around the bell at the bird cage theater? as that experience already been dismissed?

(Report comment)

I made the comment that I'm highly suspicious of any objects that move when Grant is around them or nearby. I refuse to believe anything paranormal is happening when he's the only individual around or right next to the object while his teammates aren't paying attention to him. Now, if he took a polygraph test from a legitimate, nonbiased third party and passed it, I would believe him.

I didn't make the comment that objects only move around Grant. I remember that episode with the electrical cord and I liked it. It was entertaining.

On a sidenote, I just found this website last night out of frustration with the patterns of fabrication I've been observing and Googled my concerns. The search hits brought me here. I have been reading through the past posts and literature today and I'm happy there is a website like this with like minded people who question some of the things they are shown. I'm not here to bash the show, I like it. I just think there is a problem area that needs to be addressed.

However, I do have other minor concerns, such as some of the tools they use and claim it's scientific. Using an EMF detector to detect the presence of ghosts/spirits? I believe I have a soul, why doesn't my EMF detector go off when I point it at me? But,I'm willing to look past that and enjoy the show.

(Report comment)

I have seen a lot of people saying why did the picture frame move and not the chair.

If you believe Grant that he didn't know what moved at first until he looked at the tape, then other guests may not notice the frame move considering it didn't change that much. The chair is a lot more obvious of a move because it is a larger more noticeable object.

(Report comment)

Kathleen, you don't seem to understand where I'm coming from with this whole "going out in the dark is silly" thing, so let me make my case here and then if you choose to respond, please address this question:

If 99% of all witnesses report seeing ghosts while going about their daily business in locations with normal lighting, then logically ghosts don't have any problem at all with light — and since we humans NEED light in order to see this all seems to work out quite nicely, so what possible reason could there be to turn all the lights off and go running around in the dark?

(Report comment)

There are a few reasons for the darkness, these reasons are just from my own personal experience, but here it goes. Ghost photos show up much better in the dark, there is also no chance of sun glare which sometimes will appear ghost like, or any other kind of light interference. If you find something, it will have a better chance of being paranormal than having to dismiss it because of sun glare. I know this may sound corney but ghosts were once people too. When doing a "ghost hunt" you will have more success in the dark and quiet. Most times they do not appear right away, you have to be calm and - don't think I am crazy - talk to them. Many times you will get a response if you know some history about the location or who may be there.

I will use Gettysburg for an example - if you are on ground that there were soldiers from Texas, ask "Are there any Texans here?" Start taking pictures and speak to them. There is also the belief that a lot of it depends on the phase of the moon - 2 to 3 days before or after a full moon and the weather conditions. The reason for the EMF is there is another belief that ghost activity is electrical and will cause an EMF meter to spike. I have one and I have found in my personal experiences to be true. An EMF meter will read up to 6 feet in front of it. You must however scope out the place and make sure there are no wires or ecectrical cables that would cause a false reading. I have experienced huge spikes in the middle of an open battlefield with nothing around.

One place I visited completely blew out my cell phone battery. It never held a charge again and had to be replaced. I have to say Gettysburg is a very active place and is very unusual to have that kind of activity in such a small area, but then again, so much went on in such a short amount of time. It is not just in the Battlefield, but the churches on high street, the civil war homes, the hotels, the restaurants and museums. Some of my photos coincide with first hand accounts of what others have seen, which I did not know at the time of picture taking. For my husband and I, Gettysburg is a fascinating place. It is not just about the ghosts, but the history of who lived and died there - which I have found go hand in hand.

(Report comment)

My point is how do you know they are not being honest?
At what point or what kind of evidence do you need?
I have seen many GH shows when they spend hours and have nothing but some open wires and old creaky pipes to show for their time, but the homeowners swear the house is haunted.

(Report comment)

Hi Kathleen! it's good to have someone with actual ghost-hunting experience on the board. I look forward to your input and some good debate.

No, I've never been to the Cashtown Inn, although I certainly intend to next time I'm near Gettysburg. It looks like a nice place, haunted or not.

I've never gone ghost hunting. I'm not an expert on ghosts– in some ways, technically, I'm not completely clear on what a ghost is. However, I will claim some expertise on what a skeptic will accept as proof of paranormal phenomena, being a skeptic myself. I don't think it's fair to say that it's impossible to convince a skeptic. All it takes is compelling, verifiable evidence. If you've got that, you've convinced me.

When I'm doing my analysis of GH's video clips, I'm not actually trying to decide if a particular location is haunted or not. How could I know that? What I'm analyzing is a far more limited thing: do the Ghost Hunters show compelling evidence? Are there mundane explanations for the things they present?

It might seem a bit surprising, but in my criticism I'm trying to treat the Ghost Hunters with respect. They call themselves scientific ghost hunters. Part of the scientific method is criticism– going through published findings carefully and looking for holes and alternative explanations. So when I criticize, I'm trying to treat them as scientists. In my mind, that's far more respectful than ignoring problems with their evidence simply because they're studying a subject frequently considered unscientific.

It's also true that no evidence presented on a TV show could convince me, at one stroke, that ghosts are real. Honestly, could any evidence from a TV show convince you that ghosts do not exist? However, if the Ghost Hunters and other sources were able to show, under conditions that made deception or mistake extremely difficult, that objects were moving by themselves, then I would be far more motivated to get out and join my local ghost hunting group. In that case, if I claimed that they were falsifying their data, the burden of proof would be on me.

So anyway, welcome to the board. I hope you check out the forums, where perhaps we could talk about some ghost hunting methods that might convince skeptics like me– but above all, I hope you have fun.

(Report comment)

I think that I'm the person that beks is talking about, who "commented that movement of objects only happens around Grant." Actually, I was asking a question:
"Aside from occasional doors, have we ever seen anything move on its own when Grant wasn't the nearest known person?"

I can certainly see how that was taken as a rhetorical question, but I actually meant it seriously.

I remember the Birdcage incident, but I've never subjected it to full analysis. I'll add it to my list of things to review.

(Report comment)

Hi Stepehn:) Thanks! I really just happend to find this board because I googled "taps cahstown inn" and I was very happy to find a very intelligent discussion board about something that fascinates me. To tell you the truth, I always believed there was "something" and my husband and I love watching all the shows about ghost investigations (and ok I admit it UFO's and Bigfoot shows too - LOL). Some of the shows I found hard to believe. I remember seeing a show about how Gettysburg is considered one of the most haunted towns in America. Being only a 3 hour drive away, we decided to go. I did a lot of research on line, found all the "hotspots" and with camera in hand off we went. Our first trip we did a Ghost Walk, which I found very interesting, took some unexplainable photos, but I still wanted more proof. I found the more more I investigated the area, the more interested I got in the history of the battle. I absolutely understand how anyone can be a skeptic from watching a television show…a lot is lost in translation and truthfully it looks fake. Unless you have experienced that kind of activity first hand, you would think it was fake. I can tell you that we are never disappointed in Gettysburg. If I get something in a photo, I go back to the area whre it was taken and try to duplicate it and I walk around and see if it was something else. If I can't explain it and I know what the exact conditions were - then I know what I got a photo of. Here is something that happened to me. I have a collection of "ghost photos" which are actually very good. I took them to a "famous" ghost hunter in the town thinking he could have a look. As I was waiting for him, I was looking at his photos of ecto mist, orbs, faces, and people that you can see thru. I showed him my photos of the same. Here is the laugh - he debunked my photos. I aksed him if the sign outside says "Ed's Plumbing" because he certainly was not a ghost investigator. One of my photos that he debunked actually coincides with a story in his book! The problem - they were not HIS photos, so I guess only his count. So to that end I completely understand both sides.

(Report comment)