TAPS Ghosthunters – Real or fake?
I am, confusingly so, a believing skeptic. I believe something more than what we can currently scientifically able to prove to exist, exists. After all, 96% of the universe is “unknown”, made up of dark matter and dark energy. But ghosts? Goblins? Ghouls? Demons? Gotta be a crock right? I don’t know!
As a scientifically thinking person, I can not rule out any theory simply because I don’t like it. Is there a God? I don’t know. Is there not a God? I equally do not know. Science does NOT disprove anything. It just verifies or does not verify theories. It can never say, something does not exist, as it can never quantify the universe. It can only say, yep, your theory is right or no, your theory is wrong. By saying your theory is wrong, it does not mean your underlining point is wrong, just that your way to prove your point is piss poor.
All that said, I’ve just watched the most recent episode of Ghost Hunters. I’ve blogged about it before. An interesting show on the SciFi channel, excuse me Syfy (pronounced seefee), that I have watched for many years now. In this episode they produced a piece of evidence that is very hard to dispute, if genuine. Apparently, ten feet in front of the two lead investigators, Grant and Jason, a thermal image was seen running in front of them. Now, they didn’t see anything with their eyes. On a thermal camera, which captures infrared radiation,they saw a large image, wearing a hood or a bonnet, run directly in front of them. I saw the image, saw the footage, if it was real, it was stunning.
So that leads me to the point of the post. Is it real? I have watched many of their shows. Most recently the controversial last Halloween episode of 2008. Clearly the lead investigator, Grant, was having his hoodie pulled down. They have footage of it. It happened. The question is, what caused it. It looked mechanical, like a fish hook was on it and pulling it down. It did not look like someone was grabbing it, or something. It was always being pulled from the same spot, never deviating. What was it?
Hard core skeptics would jump up and down and say it’s all fake. It may very well be, the show gets good ratings, has a spin off, and brings in the advertising for Seefee. They seeing something, capturing something, would only serve to make those ratings better. But, these two, Jason and Grant, have said repeatedly that they are 100% sincere. Further, they are part of a legitimate infrastructure of people that call themselves ghost hunters. Are they all full of it?
Honestly, from what I have seen, I don’t know. A purely scientific analysis has to say, either they are absolute fakes, or they are absolutly for real. If they are for real, they have captured some footage that must be further examined. With 96% of the universe as ‘unknown’ we can’t just simply dismiss the fringe. Can we?
I want to keep following all the Ghosthunters and Ghosthunters International episodes to critically look at if what they are seeing is genuine. Some of it isn’t. A good example, in the last episode, they claimed they captured a voice saying “i am guilty”. No, guys, sorry. No way that is what that crazy sound you captured said. “Necto, verada, nepto” sounded closer, and that sounded nothing like it. Further, you can’t say “it’s a demon” as opposed to a “haunting entity”, from a previous show. Last time I checked, demons were the realm of religion and fairy tales. If you want to be scientific, drop the demon bit, it invalidates you as scientists and validates you as nutballs. And all your theories about entities draining batteries, making cold spots, there isn’t any one shred of proof suggesting it, stop claiming it’s what an unknown entity is doing. You can’t explain something unknown with something else that is unknown, again makes you look like nutjobs.
But some of the things they show is very intriguing. They aren’t pure scientists, but if they are honest, they may have found something. If what they have shown isn’t fake, and I’m not saying it is, it may very well be evidence of something not before identified to modern science. After all, whale sharks, giant squids and planets were all once thought to be mystic phenomena. Perhaps what they have capture is just an echo in the quantum spectrum of reality? Who knows. I’m going to watch more to find out.
What I always say is this. Away from the perspective of the peanut gallery or audience. If it is a set up or fake its very well done. What I mean is that in a lot of these situations weather it be Haunting or the other shows. As bad or as good as they might be. I try to look at the known laws of metaphysics to describe what is happening. You often see blatant violation of spiritual or metaphysical laws. We can call this bad feng shui. There are known laws, axioms. And you see a lot of them broken. Pipes with running water under the floors. Fireplaces in the wrong spot. Hollow metal tubes on the east side of the house. Ect. You could literally do a spiritual CSI and go around and take a clipboard and mark off things that shouldnt have happened at the building of the house, ect. These people arent using our schema yet I can spot things wrong. Its not like they went 30 years ago and said “lets build a house over a indian burial site and then 30 years down the road become ghost hunters and wait for someone to approach us with a deal for a reality show”. Come on. The real issue is insturmentation. Ghost hunting is difficult because of the attempt to measure what is there. And as a result, its a closed medium and requires one to be independently wealthy or a corporate whore to obtain the support to do what you need to do to bring your tests to the forefront to the mainstream.
The hotly contested issue of Ghost Hunters being faked has no clear cut answers. The simple truth of the matter is that too many people have galvanized their opinions long before they’ve watched the show. Some people find it trickery, like David Copperfield and David Blaine are to magic. Others find it just fakery, as in the premise of ghosts existing is false from the start and everything done in its name to prove/disprove is nothing more than ignoranant showmanship. The rest are believers to varying degrees (from intrigued realists to the loopy hallucinigians) who argue the opposite spectrum with similar ferocity.
The truth is, an honest show will have a balance of unexplained as well as debunking with logical explanaitions. I fully believe that Jason and Grant are legitimate hunters. What they find can be left to the audience to interpret. My skepticism lies with the cable network who has an investment in creating the most exciting show it can. I think most skeptics are swayed to their beliefs because of the silly sound effects, mood music, and crazy editting done. We, as an audience depend on SyFy and the producers to show us what we want BUT without the uneditted 1/2 day hunting that each place endures. The magic of television takes out the mundane and explores the most fantastical moments. OF COURSE skeptics will wonder what we are being fed.
Unless we go with the TAPS group on each journey, we rely on the TV show. Our opinions are already set before they ever enter a new venue! And this question will conveniently never end..
While I understand the “bad feng shui” set-up of these antiquated homes and public facilities, the show is much more about humanity and its quest to understand where we belong in the long term of infinite life.
We crave for proof that life can exist beyond what we know. We hunger for some physical proof beyond anecdotal evidence. Now… mix that with the fact that many humans love to prey on the opportunities that present themselves. Why they do it, varies in the individual’s motivation. Some like to prank for the sport of it, some like to embellish for the glory of it, some like to disagree for the contrarian aspect of it, and some have a different belief sysystem that disallows for the possibility. Whatever the case, their sense of entitled place within the arguement of ghosts and spirits will be heard one way or the other.
From a television standpoint point of view, the show is a business that makes money. Thr truth is inconsequential to them. However, in order to maintain its popularity, every television program evoles to the desires of the audience. In the case of Ghost Hunters, we find a show so formularized, it seems very scripted right down to the minute. The content suffers in the face of detractors trying to find flaws in the arguement by way of how the show is produced. For those looking to “debunk” hunting as a legitimate cause, they point to the production and not the actual hunt. If they did, they would find the team doing their best to find logical reasons for what is going on.
Look no further than how a show is teased with quick edits and narration that sells you on what could be. Is that on TAPS shoulders? Jason and Grant?? no. SyFy promotes their show how they preceive it will gain the most viewers!
I say to you and to all people reading, without actuallly being present on the spot with the team, we are made to view ONLY the content SyFy gives us. I think thats why the Halloween show is so darn popular (and also so scrutiinized!) every year. Is there such things as ghosts? We’ll never know. But one thing is for sure, we love to think we know!!
I’m a little confused as to your logic. You indicate that with the vastness of the universe (as you indicate 96% of it “unknown”) you’d think you’d be more open minded.
There’s a lot of TAPS scrutiny over the last few years and I agree with the thoughts on the 2008 Halloween episode. Could it be pressure from the networks to spice it up a bit – very possible. However the only issue I have with your comments and those of others who are hard core skeptics is “Keep an open mind” and don’t try to analyze or conclude anything from a TV show.
What you don’t see is the hours of time spent on set-up, evidence review and research that is done “behind the scenes” all stuff that would make anyone fall asleep if they actually showed that. I’d be very surprised if Steve and Tango are the only ones doing the evidence review. I’d bet they use them to show the time THEY spent looking at what they were reviewing, but that doesn’t depict all of the effort put into it. It’s just not possible. As one who does this, it takes day’s or weeks to get it all done with one or two people doing it (depending on the time you can devote to it).
In regards to your comment “I’m going to watch more to find out”…. If you are seriously looking for answers, then hook up with a local paranormal group and ask to go on an investigation for yourself. I am the founder of a paranormal group in California and have always offered to take the “Refuse to Believers” on an investigation with me. So far I haven’t had any takers. Don’t make conclusions or base an opinion on things you haven’t experienced yourself or have not even attempted to experience. How can you possibly make an educated conclusion unless you have?
The infamous Halloween 2008 Show. What truly is the tell tell sign… when Jason is supposedly “checking” Grant’s collar. Notice the camera is not aimed directly at Grant’s back. It is aimed at Grant’s right side. Jason is standing between Grant and the cameraman “checking” Grant’s collar (wink wink). Reaches across his back toward left side, pulls line off. Why wasn’t camera directly behind Grant aimed directly at his back and collar if the back of his collar was yanked? That whole sequence looked fake from the get go.
It’s unfortunate these guys who once appeared sincere now fabricate evidence. We both know they are like the dead they hunt, untouchable. Nothing will happen in the wake of even more evidence against them. But
this is their most blatant attempt at misleading not only the viewer, but the homeowner. There has never been such a clear picture of wrong doing.
They ask a spirit to move an object, yet they don’t record the very object they ask be moved. Instead they stand a room away watching a spirit (the viewer does not see) walking through the very room where the object is. No surprise. As they return to the room (drum roll please) the object indeed has moved!
Must be paranormal. No just a pair-a-guys:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ultimatetubetime
I used to be a 100% believer. It has become harder and harder to blindly trust the integrity of these guys. How can everything just always happen on que? The latest episode they brought Meatloaf with them. Jason and Grant and Meat were in the attic and Meat told the entity to simply make the lights light up and we will leave. When it didn’t light up right away, Jason looks sharply and quickly to his right, also at downward angle, that that point Grant enters the picture with what appeared to be a flashlight in his left hand. From what I can tell, Jason was looking for Grant’s hand. Grant then squeezes the flashlight and Meat’s lights light up. Hmmmmm…..
Same episode, Meat puts a bottle of water on the window sill (window looked open to me) then they go out into the hallway and wait to see if the entity takes the bottle. But if this was going to be an experiment, why would they close the bathroom door so they couldn’t keep an eye on the bottle? Why wouldn’t they put a handheld camera or portable sound device in there to pick up any evidence? Well, they open the door and surprise, surprise the bottle was moved from the windowsill to the back of the toilet. Just doesn’t feel right to me. I was a huge believer, it’s just that the more I think of things and watch things it just starts to smell somewhat. I think they started completely legit, as evidenced by the first few seasons where more often than not they would tell the owner of the house/hotel/restaurant that the place was not haunted. Now that they smell the money, I firmly believe they embellish….who knows what kind of fee the restaurant or hotel pays, their business would double overnight if they can claim that their establishment is haunted and has been certified as such by the Ghosthunters! I do believe in the paranormal, I just don’t believe in this show anymore….take it for what it is…..entertainment!!
My 2 cents….
Hey Lar, great link! I wrote my ’2 cents’ before going to that link. That is exactly what I am talking about, just getting more ridiculous each time. I did notice that the window was open when I watched the show, I did not notice that it was closed when they set the bottle down. Great catch! Who’s to say that these guys don’t actually fake stuff, perhaps the production crew does stuff, that way when the hunters notice it seems like a legit reaction. The crew can create shadows, make footsteps, move stuff, whatever….must always remember that tv shows are not created to educate us and then plug in a few commercials along the way, it’s the other way around. TV is a commercial, for profit, enterprise…the content is designed around the commercials, it is to attract viewers to sell products to, the more viewers, the bigger the corporation that will advertise, the bigger the ad budget, the more you can charge per ad spot, etc….
Embellish is a fantastic word.. perfect!!! What might have some validity totally gets lost in the embillishment of TV’s ad machine and profiteering.
Meatloaf? Really.
They have jumped the shark my friends…
Too bad, cause I really liked the show.
Yup….,sadly — Meatloaf
http://www.youtube.com/user/ultimatetubetime
This is not up to debate about wheather or not this is real. It is a family show for our pleasure and enjoyment. It will excite people and also will make them “think” for once in their lives. I say, keep an open mind and enjoy what they do without trying to make judgement on other peoples quests. If you don’t think that it is real, change the channel and watch something you believe in like maybe the weather channel, because other than the weather and news, nothing is any more real than watching TAPS. I promise Jason and Grant will not judge you for what you believe in.
On the contrary, this is exactly a debate about whether or not this is real. It is a debate that I am having with anyone that says otherwise. I also take issue with your assertion that the Ghost Hunters will make people “think”. Think about what? How to fake a ghost haunting? They, the good ole boys of Jason and Grant, are the ones making the statement that it’s real. They are declaring in no uncertain terms, this is 100% real stuff we are showing you, it’s not fake, it’s all real. So, based on their claims, we examine their evidence and come to the conclusion that though we can’t disprove that it is real, it is highly suspicious evidence.
And in case you missed it, this is thinking, not sitting in front of a TV getting your jollies off because Jason declared “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!” at a blinking VCR light.
All I am saying is that if you don’t believe in what you are watching, why are you watching it in the first place? If I don’t like a movie, I get up and leave. If I don’t like a steak at a steak house, I never go back. If you are watching something you don’t believe in, or don’t want to watch for enjoyment, then don’t watch the show and leave it for the enjoyment of the people that “want” to watch people having fun with something that they believe in. Don’t jump on the “band wagon” of opinions that don’t matter. If the show is making SiFi money, they are going to keep it on. If it isn’t they will take it off the air. I guess it is more fun to watch for some, than it is for others.
And by the way if this is thinking?????….you have too much time on your hands. I am tired of listening to people say that they don’t believe. CHANGE THE CHANNEL! I am not sure that I believe everything that is being recorded, but I still enjoy the show.
Oh and one more thing I don’t “miss” much and I never get my “jollies” off watching anyone on TV.
Hey everyone. i think it is real because i dont think they would travel that far just to pretend. If its not real thats okay i still love the show,jason and grant if u read this please type me back i am ur number 1 fan!im only 14 years old and not scared,i hope to be a future ghoust hunter!:)
I totally agree with Randy, it is entertainment and people enjoy it. If you just watch it to try and find some proofs to debunk the evidences and then go online to make your so-called point, man your life must really be sad ! I do think the The Atlantic Paranormal Society are genuine, whether Sci-Fi want to spice things up to get better ratings is something else. The investigators are not actors and when they startle for real, you can see it, it doesn’t take a genius. Moreover, (sorry to say) but I hate this sort of arrogance sceptics have towards those who believe in those things. I mean, try and make sarcastic comments calling believers dumb or naive or whatever, just because they are too afraid to admit some things are left unexplained by their cherished science. I know a good bunch of PhD people who have experienced paranormal things and I also think those activities occur differently according to the countries where you are. TAPS should go to Indonesia or North Africa or even the Middle East, they’d be surprised …
I love the show. I believe it’s real, but I know sometimes they hype it up with overdramatics. I have had paranormal experiences and I think that people who are skeptics and want to judge shouldn’t watch the show.