Oh….this is too good…

In an effort for a ghost hunting group to legitimize their expertise, they often pepper their websites with their "very official sounding" affiliations.  While looking over a few sites, the banner I kept seeing was that of IGHS (the International Ghost Hunter's Society).  They claim to be "the largest (11,000 members) and oldest Ghost Research Society on the Internet."  Ok, no way I can prove or disaprove that, but fine…

Then I took a look at their Standards and Protocols section.  It is to "provide guidelines to ensure professionalism" amongst the IGHS members.  They are "based on experience and common sense."

 http://www.ghostweb.com/sp.html

Many caught my eye, but there was one in particular that really stood out for me:

"Skeptical minds will generate negative energy during an investigation.  Do not bring along skeptics or those who are negative or want proof that ghosts exist."

I kid you not.  I can't even make up something that's funnier…

• Respect posted property, ask permission, and do not trespass.
• Always conduct your investigations in a professional manner.
• Show reverence and respect in cemeteries, battlefields, historic sites, etc.
• No running or horse play in cemeteries or historical sites.

I think Steve broke all of these last investigation Lol.

Where did this come from? "Follow the lunar cycles and solar storms for conducting investigations for best results. Paranormal events occur during peak geomagnetic field conditions."

They fail to specify which lunar cycle. Perhaps they don't know either.

Well ghost hunters should be getting all time lows as we are at the bottom of the sun spot cycle. The peak looks to be around 2011 2012.

Learjet said:

Well ghost hunters should be getting all time lows as we are at the bottom of the sun spot cycle. The peak looks to be around 2011 2012.

Something tells me that they won't be worried about it.  They'll be too busy worrying that the world is coming to an end in 2012.

I'm glad everyone liked that link.  Just too funny.

Nosfer- I know how you feel, I wanted to comment on a bunch of them!  But you did bring up my other favorite one:  "After twenty minutes, the spirits will be bored, no need to record longer in one area."

Ok…so…

1)  By the given statement, we are to take "spirits" as real.  Not a theory or a possibility, but a proven fact.

2) Spirits can be "bored."  Therefore every haunting, by definition, is an "intelligent" hauntiing.  So much for the "residual" haunting theory.

3) Spirits have the attention span of twenty minutes.  Even though some may claim spirits to be over hundreds of years old and someone is finally trying to communicate with it…well, you've got 20 minutes.  I guess asking them mathematical word problems is out of the question.

4) Um….what?!? 

EDIT: Oh, and Alicat- "Steve is going to 'teach' ghost hunting for the 'College Edition.'"  Definitely a case of "the blind leading the naked…"

Thanks Revenant, great find.

"Ask the spirits of the dead for permission to take their photos or to record their voices."

Doesn't say whether to wait for a "Yes" or "No".  So how do you know when to start taking photos and evps?

Reminds me of yesterday when I turned on the radio and caught the last bit of the host talking about some psychic and her website.  The radio host then said, "the good thing is that if the psychic tells you something you don't like about your future, you can always ask if it is set in stone, or can you change it."  HUH?!

The Doctor said:

"Skeptical minds will generate negative energy during an investigation."

COOL … so just how is this measured ?

Does the EMF meter pin backwards or read negative values ?

Unlike the claims of spirits having an effect on EMF values which they really don't have any way of proving, this should be provable …

IF we only had a scientific way of measuring this "negative energy".

How was this conclusion reached that skeptics give off negative energy? 

Dr. Peter said We are a "buzzkill".  I agree, we would sit and analyze not just accept it was paranormal right off the bat.  On the other hand, most of these groups say they want to investigate scientificially, research, etc. soooo they want it both ways? 

The Doctor: "IF we only had a scientific way of measuring this "negative energy"."

And a BS meter would be nice also. 

As everyone knows on this forum, I was the one that was voted 'Most likely to cause terrible accident in the chemistry lab'.  

As far as I can tell, no scientific parameters were set for paranormal evidence collecting.  With no set protocols how does the field move forward?  Can you use protocols and parameters and have it mean the same thing in the science world? 

Must get me one of them certified CD's to add to my online university degree..

Amazing things those coat hangers.