May 28, 2008
GH: New Haven House
TAPS was back tonight with two new investigations. In the first they visit a private residence in New Haven County, Connecticut to look into one family's long history of paranormal activity on their land. Jen, the owner gave a very in-depth review of things that have been reported there over the years including some very specific events: Civil War soldiers seen outside, a bloody face in a window. There were also some very general reports: Shadows, weird feelings, etc.
One night, Jen reported waking up feeling that her arm was cold and saw a woman standing nearby. Standing further away near the door she saw the outline of a thin man weaing a wide-brim hat. Two weeks later her husband Nick, who expressed skepticism about the property being haunted, woke up feeling that his arm was cold and looking to the nearby closet he saw the silhouette of a man wearing a top hat. The two stories did not seem identical and I wonder even if Nick may have been simply had a dream just on the edge of consciousness where he believed himself to be awake but was perhaps having a dream subconsciously influenced by his wife's story?
There were also reports of pictures on the wall falling down with nary a reason. Steve and Dave Tango went to investigate those reports and during their investigation they turns up a dead moth, which startled Tango but gave Steve an idea: Offer Dave increasingly large sums of money to eat the dead moth. In the end Tango turned down $90, but as all guys with immature friends know it's always more about knowing the other guy will never pay up than it is about fear of eating moths.
Jay and Grant began their investigation outside with the FLIR. They thought they caught something, but it turned out — no. Inside the house they planned to debunk the uneasy feelings by chasing down high electromagnetic field sources, but it turned out there were none. Upstairs they had slightly more luck when there seemed to be a knock, but the knocking was anticlimactic since the Ghost Hunters spent more time reproducing it than actually experiencing anything potentially paranormal.
The dynamic duo eventually made their way downstairs to the basement where they set up two K2 meters rigged to be always-on. Fairly early they did seem to get some spikes, and the spikes did seem to coincide with questions or instructions from our favorite Ghost Hunters but the spikes also seemed to be fairly weak (only 2-3 of the lights lit up) .
Little things started piling up though: They heard what they thought were footsteps and Jay went upstairs to see if anyone was in the house. Not only did he find no one in the kitchen/dining area (where the noises seemed to have come from) but he also began experiencing the uneasy, nauseous feeling similar to what Jen had described (and in the same area).
Grant was feeling confident and told the spirits to make a loud noise when he counted to 5. Upon getting to the magic number and nothing happening he expressed his disappointment, only to have a sharp bang occur not a moment later. A nearby door had apparently slammed shut. At the time, Jay was sitting down rubbing his eyes, and it was clear he was having trouble making Grant out in the dark even when looking directly at him.
Grant on the other hand was standing just a few feet away from the door in question at the time of its slamming, however the door opened up into the next room, so for there to have been any funny business on Grant's part it seems to me he would have had to cover about 12 feet in two directions in less than two seconds, so I'm going to take the rare step of preemptively defending Grant here and saying I don't think he bears any suspicion for this particular occurrence.
A bit later Jay is standing up near another sofa and sees what he describes like something trying to flicker into existence. He thought his eyes might be playing tricks on him so he asked Grant to check the FLIR footage of the couch and interestingly there did seem to be some faint heat signatures in the corner of the couch where Jay saw the anomaly. Before the evening was over the ceiling fan began spinning seemingly on its own and the closet door in the next room slammed shut.
The analysis gave us two pieces of audio evidence. The first one seems to respond to Grant's request for any spirits to sit down and tell him their problems and is thought to say, "Thank You" however I hear a gruff voice and a soft voice, the word, "Sometimes…" and I see Jay is also speaking at the same time. There do seem to be two voices but I can't quite separate out Jay's voice from the other.
Perhaps the prize of the night, not because it's more impressive than anything else by itself but because it has a cumulative effect, is an EVP seemingly saying, "I will do this" just before Jay asks Grant to check the FLIR because he thinks he sees something. The three occurrences appear to corroborate each other in a very satisfying, if not entirely bulletproof way.
One odd note: At the end of this episode Jay tells Jen (the homeowner) that she and her family should consider a sitdown at the kitchen table and collectively reclaim their home by insisting the spirits leave. This seemed strange to me on two counts, the first of which is because I don't recall TAPS doing this previously and it seems like more of a Paranormal State type thing. Normally I recall Jay & Grant just telling their clients that ghosts can hurt them and not to worry.
The second reason I thought it was odd was that it seemed unnecessary. Jen had expressed a strong "need to know" about what was in her home but had never expressed any fear of spirits in her house and in fact seemed somewhat comfortable with (or at least resigned to) the idea. Also, Jay & Grant had already determined they felt whatever was there was cooperative and not in any way a threat or problem.
What did you guys think?
Filed under Ghost Hunters, Posts by Logisti
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Comments on GH: New Haven House »
Jef @ 5:05 am
One thing I can not believe… I can not possibly believe… is that Tango is still wearing that hat.
As for the rest, it's still percolating. I just watched the episode and I'll admit I am intrigued by the tri-fecta in the basement.
Lil D @ 6:29 am
I agree – the hat has to go! Why can't Tango just wear a regular baseball cap like Steve?
But on a serious note, I am pretty sure that J and G have asked homeowners to "take their house back" before, just not recently. But that was for EVPs that were much more abrasive not this possible "polite" entity. However, I agree that it wasn't that necessary. I truly believe the entity had something to do with the late grandfather Jen and the others had reported seeing – so not something to worry about. The entity reminded me of the "I miss Chad" entity in a previous episode, kind of a comforting reminder of a memory.
That being said, though, I can see their point that even if the entity is friendly, you still could be uncomfortable in your own home when you think you are alone. (I would welcome it, but I'm a weirdo.
) Also, there's a theory among believers that if one ghost is there it could open a portal and let bad ones in – I know, far-fetched, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Just like Tango's horrid hat!
Amy Jo @ 7:53 am
Regarding the EVP of "I will do this". I disagree completely. That is not what it says. I would be interested in knowing how other people hear it. Listen to it a few times with no other distractions and you will see what I mean.
Squirt @ 8:51 am
I think Grant closed the door real quick as he was walking by. Again he was off camera when the door slammed hmmm….
Logisti @ 9:03 am
Squirt, believe me that was my first thought: Grant could have taken a couple of steps, flung the edge of the door, taken two steps back and looked surprised.
BUT the door didn't open into the room they were in, it opened into the other room. That means in order to close it, you'd have to (at the very least) be standing directly in the doorway, lean into the other room, pull the door towards you and then run back to where Grant was standing.
And Grant was standing a good 8 feet from the doorframe, so since the door opened away from him, with the distance he would have had to move in two seconds I think everyone in that room would have heard/seen him doing it.
Wes @ 10:09 am
I'm not sure if Grant could have covered the distance, but what bothered me is the nonchalant look on his face right after the door shuts, and then how he throws his hands up to say "it wasn't me." It didn't seem like a natural reaction to hearing a door shut on its own a few feet away from you.
D @ 10:35 am
I think the night shots came back to bite them on this one. I know you've covered this before, but investigations at night are inherently problematic. It was clear that the investigators were having difficulty seeing in some places. Add the possible IR contamination (see forums) to the mix and anything visually seen is up for question.
And I do agree with Wes that Grant's reaction was a little wierd. But in his defense he may be aware of the controversy surrounding him and just "reacted" in a defensive tone. He's not off the hook with me, but aside from grand hoaxing the evidence seems to be he didn't have opportunity to slam the door.
Yeti33 @ 11:02 am
I'm still a little shaky about Grant. It may just be me, but if a frickin door shut 5 ft. in front of me I would have reacted much differently than he did. I have to admit the EVP's were really good, I'm not sure either if the second on said " I will do this". It didn't sound like a friendly spirit to me at all.
Sully @ 11:42 am
I agree with Wes: Grant's expression was odd. Then again, both he and Jason seemed sorta punchy throughout this entire investigation — almost as though they'd been drinking. Even Steve was kinda loopy (then again, he's been getting more and more mischevious, lately; I think I preferred Serious Steve). Probably exhaustion, from the drive to CT and all the late hours.
Once again, during this investigation, most of the action happens off camera. I'm surprised that one of the GH static cameras didn't catch the slamming door or closet, or at least the spinning ceiling fan. Jason's manifesting spirt was another example of the shadow-fest we've been having all season in GH and GHI. If you can't catch a shadow on camera, it isn't really proof of anything. Yeah, they had the FLIR signature, but we're not entirely sure the GH team knows how to operate that equipment properly.
Not one of the better investigations, for me. The team appeared to be going through the motions on this one; same story with the Palace Theater investigation later on in the episode. Kris's glasses are cute, though.
CrowTRobot @ 12:05 pm
Amy Jo, regarding the "I will do this." evp. The first time I watched the show, I actually thought it said, "I will kill Jason." Then when I saw the rerun, I had to agree with TAPS that it did seem to say, "I will do this."
However, when I get a chance, I'll track it down and listen again. What do you hear?
Jim @ 12:46 pm
Amy Jo, I have to agree with you…the first time I heard the EVP, my eyes bugged out because I thought I heard "I will kill Jason." I kept hearing it, and in no way did I hear "I will do this…" I kept on hearing "I will kill Jason." Is this what you heard as well?
On a side note, this episode of Ghost Hunters was special to me because I live in New Haven, as well…maybe 10 minutes away from where this house was! It's pretty cool to be so close to something that was shown on TV.
Squirt @ 1:05 pm
Logisti maybe I'm misunderstanding something. I thought he was standing fairly close to the door and the door slammed as he was walking towards/past it. At least was the impression I got. I need to see it again.
It's unfortunate everytime something happens in Grant's presence I instantly suspect him of being responsible. I just cant trust him anymore.
Lil D @ 1:38 pm
I thought immediately it said "I will do this" or "I will do this for you." I thought it sounded like a friendly EVP instead of the "There is no Jean here" from that one episode of the store. (That's the one that completely weirded me out.)
As for the comments on the door, I agree. I always am distrustful with noises and doors etc, because the camera never captures it happening, and you're all right, Grant's response is so nonchalant. Unless he believed the camera guy did it (or saw him do it!) I would have expected him to be startled.
IMO Grant is the least trustworthy of the two of them. He's quick to jump on any sound as paranormal, and often Jay is the one to explain away any sound with a reasonable explanation.
Lil D @ 1:39 pm
Squirt – I didn't see your reply. YES I agree, Grant is not to be trusted. When there's a sound or a movement or something, my first thought is, where is Grant? My second, how far away is he from the action?
Veronimica @ 4:55 pm
I wonder if anyone else noticed that J seemed a little irritated with Grant at points in the investigation… especially, for example, when G offered to go upstairs and investigate the knocking sound and J insists on doing it himself. Is J starting to question some of the things that are happening? Or maybe I'm just reading things into it.
On a probably unrelated note,J and G have been having a pretty funny comic-book war on myspace. Dunno if any of you have myspace accounts, but if you do check it out. They're pretty goofy!
Logisti @ 5:00 pm
Squirt, the key factor here is that the door was physically located in the next room. It slammed *towards* Grant, not away from him.
Think of the front door on your house. It probably opens outward, towards the outside, right? If you were standing five feet away from the outside of the door, and it was wide open, you could lean over and slam the door shut.
But if you were standing five feet away from the doorway on the inside of the house, and the door was wide open, you would have to walk all the way over to the doorway and then lean out to grab the door in order to slam it shut. Then you'd have to walk back to where you'd been standing a moment before.
Not impossible, but a lot more difficult.
As for Grant's reaction, I just watched it again and I don't really find it suspicious either. He was half expecting something to begin with and he kind of looked like, "Okaaaaay…" when he heard the door slam, which I think is within the norm.
re: The "I will do this" voice, I just listened again and OMG it really *could* actually be saying, "I will kill Jason" instead. For me though, that seems a bit odd and starts raising my suspicion that someone (living) in that room whispered into the recorder. Can we see where the recorder is at the time this is recorded?
Sully, there *was* a video shot of the ceiling fan spinning, but on the other hand it really wouldn't take much effort for someone to have reached up and give it a spin, only to "notice" (or let someone else notice) a minute or so later. Not my favorite piece of evidence for that reason.
allie0720 @ 6:29 pm
They've instructed homeowners to "take back their house" before. The most notable one (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) was one where the teenaged son had had trouble opening the door (among other things). I can picture the people, but can't recall the name of the episode.
I don't reasonably see how Grant could have caused the door to shut, unless Sci-fi is doing some serious editing.
I'm almost always disappointed in their EVPs because I can't hear them over all the stupid background music they put in there. The only good one I've ever heard on the show was the one that said "There's no Jean here".
kevin @ 8:54 pm
I think the "I will do this" EVP has to be one of two things. It's either genuinely paranormal, or it's someone talking into the recorder. As a skeptic, I naturally lean toward the latter. It doesn't seem to be a stray voice or random noise tweaked to sound like a voice. It sounds like someone (Grant? Someone from the production crew?) purposely speaking slow and sounding spooky, like a ghost from a bad horror movie.
About the door closing…Do we know for certain there is nobody in the outer room (the room the door opens into)? Are there family members in the house? If the house is "secure", why did Jason feel compelled to go upstairs to make sure nobody was walking around? Was somebody hiding in the closet? They did hear a thump coming from inside the closet. Did Jason open the door wide enough to check for an intruder? Could somebody have slammed the door shut, then run across the outer room to hide in the closet?
Garflonk @ 1:45 am
Leave Tango alone! At least he has some character in his hat choices and not some generic "ball cap" that every dude wears!
He and Steve are still little girls as far as I am concerned-afraid of all the things a 6 year-old girl would scream about. Come on you guys, you investigate basements and abandoned buildings. And sometimes you actually have to go *gasp* OUTSIDE!! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Bugs and cobwebs, oh no! You guys are twenty something, when are your testicles going to descend? Steve can get a thousand tattoos, but can't stand a baby spider. Really.
First off about the episode, I don't like Jason's explaination of why the land is unique and could possibly attribute to the possible haunting at the house. Native Americans lived there? No sh#t! Guess what..they lived EVERYWHERE! It's not like it is sacred ground or anything. That was a generic explanation. Also what do Revolutionary War soldiers have to do with anything either, it's not like there were reports of them walking around or a battle on that property. Didn't make a very strong case for paranormal activity being attracted to the house. It reminds me of the Mount Washington Hotel and the "certain types of rocks attract spirit activity" argument. Not a good argument.
Well, New Haven is not an HOUR from Warwick, Rhode Island. You'd be lucky driving 95 miles per hour to reach Hammonassett State Park in an hour, let alone New Haven. Jason come on!
Tango, "what am I an animal?" No you don't look like the elephant man, but I would eat that little dry, dead moth up for 90 bucks!! Yummy, 90 bucks for nothing never tasted so good!! I want to get on this show just by taking stupid bets from Steve. Maybe I can get a job where Steve pays me to crawl around in cobweb areas and eat dead bugs. I could be rich!!
Grant's comment about, "we've never investigated a place like this" What a house with land and a farm? Certainly so. People check on this one. Kind of a dumb thing to say.
Also what was a dumb thing to say was about the guy in a white, bloody shirt and blue jeans. Grant states that the apparition had to be from the 1940's. Uh, Grant you should probably know a little about the history of the blue jean pantaloons before you make stupid comments like that. Blue jeans have been around since the 1850s when mine workers in California started wearing them. It wasn't until 1873 when Levi-Strauss received a patent for them and it wasn't much longer after that, let's say the turn of the 20th century many blue collar workers including farmers were regularly wearing them. So dating this apparition by Grant's comment is not accurate at all. That apparition probably goes back to 1909 when the family originally purchased the land.
I had a problem with the lack of research into the property to substaniate the family history and claims into the Native American and Revolutionary War history as to why it has paranormal activity. Taking Jason and Grant's shaky, uninformed history doesn't help the investigation one bit.
As far as using the K2 meter, which is the second, I believe time they used this device wasn't very convincing. It seemed there was a lot of creative editing going on there, some reused shots I believe. The camera was never pointing directly at the device when they were asking questions or getting responses. It also looked as though it was reacting to their voices, which is strange since it picks up magnetic flucuations. Anyway, this device has yet to be proven, much like the EMF detector. Just another toy to f*%k with.
When Jason gets a dizzy, uneasy feeling he says that his "body is reacting to what is going on around him," but what about what is going on inside of him. Any alternate explainations, like lack of nicotine or coffee perhaps, or overstimulation of such? I don't know I am prone to weird feelings now and again but I don't automatically attribute it to paranormal activity.
I tend to believe the FLIR readings, I mean I wasn't there and I am going to have to take their word for it, just like the knocking and banging and doors closing. Who knows, it looks like a newer home so I could be the foundation or house settling. You have to trust their experience and ability to hear suttle sounds in the dark.
Jason and especially Grant looked dazed and out of it, kinda stoned or mildly drunk. Kind of odd. Steve and Tango were kind of high acting too, as Steve wanted to eat all the Easter Candy.
I am starting to like the banter between Steve and Tango. I think they should have their own spin-off show, which is kind of what is happening with their little scenes together. I really like that they set out to debunk immediately, which is good. Jason and Grant don't necessarily debunk even though some banging was coming from behind the shower in the bathroom. Hello? Plumbers? But the conversations and situations Steve and Tango get into seems very real to me and it shows these guys actually have senses of humor and mild personalities, even though they are scared of stupid stuff. Their conversation about the theory behind spirit manifestations and apparitions was interesting…..they "flicker" in and out….hmmmm.
A typical espisode. Some jumbled EVPs and good personal experiences. Didn't really use historical research or too much debunking to explain what, if anything was behind this paranormal activity or to calm the minds of the homeowners. Other than the fact that they told them to sit around and tell the "thing" to leave them alone and they weren't wanted. Which is rare for them, but they wanted to give her and her family peace of mind, so whatever.
I want to hear a EVP say "Get the F&#K outta here!" Why don't the spirits curse. I would love to hear a bleeped EVP, that would be halarious! Or, I want to kill you Jason!!!!, which is what I thought one said.
So that is my opinion on this episode. I am glad they are back for the summer, so there is some new TV to watch. How many episodes are they doing before another break?
I heard TAPS were investigating Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which has several reports of paranormal activity, but I don't know if they filmed it for Ghost Hunters. I guess we'll see.
Toodle-Pip!
yoda @ 8:05 am
Anybody know what town is the New Haven house in? Its not in New Haven.