“Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen. Voices whisper in the trees: tonight is Halloween!” – Dexter Kozen. If you are looking for ghosts there is nowhere as scary as Britain where ghosts haunt the streets. Britain is well known for its 2000 year history and grand castles but what spooky spirits lurk within may not be for the faint-hearted.
Halloween is here again! While Bournemouth is busy hosting events and parties grizzly ghosts will haunt each house shutting doors and blowing candles till the sun rises to make the best of this occasion that is once a year.
“Ghost hunting is like waiting for a bus. You wait for ages for nothing to happen, then all of sudden it all comes at once! “ says Barri Ghai, founder of The Ghostfinder Paranormal Society.
Barri Ghai’s team investigate many locations from homes to castles, theatres, pubs, schools and offices. After frantic calls from scared people who think they experienced paranormal activities, they go in.
Once the Ghostfinders are called in the science begins. Following a pre-investigation that includes interviewing the client and witnesses, there are base line readings, electromagnetic and EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) measurements and any smells or sights documented by video or digital photography. The extensive investigation may take 4 to 12 hours depending upon the case.
“In my experience I have found that investigating the paranormal is more about capturing evidence in the most unassuming places, and always expecting the unexpected” says Barri Ghai.
He added, “ we have captured some very convincing evidence over the years that include apparitions, thermal images, class A EVP’s and even a shadow figure on video.”
There are many different kinds of ghosts including residual hauntings and so-called “intelligent” hauntings.
Residual hauntings are thought to be a playback of a past event, such as seeing people in period clothing or Victorian dress without much interaction. With an intelligent haunting, the entity is aware of the living and there is the chance of communication and interaction; people believe this is most likely to be spirits of the dead making contact.
“I have witnessed full bodied apparitions walk through walls, appear in front of me, shake me from my bed, push, pull, slap and even tickle me” says Barri Ghai.
The Ghostbusters Paranormal Activities test the Ovilus on investigation at the Hell-Fire Caves
If you think paranormal locations are miles away from Bournemouth you might want to think again. According to witnesses and ghostbusters every 31st October a world war one soldier visits Bournemouth Town Hall. The rude soldier appears once a year and helps himself to a glass of water. There are reports of phantom horses and carriages seen outside the building while a ghostly cat is said to haunt several town hall rooms.
Numerous people question paranormal activity and most of the time demand explanations better than visual or photographic evidence. That’s when parapsychology comes in – the scientific study of paranormal beliefs and experiences.
“Parapsychology is trying to test claims that people are making, for instance in a case of a ghost experience there is a phenomenon called Pareidolia. It’s when people have a tendency to see faces and shapes which I think is a very logical explanation,” says Dr Caroline Watt Senior Lecturer in parapsychology at Edinburgh University.
Parapsychologists believe there is a social dimension to paranormal experiences whether for ghostbusters or any person. In a social situation fear is considered contagious from one person to the other. That is when they start noticing the smallest details: “I think everybody experiences strange phenomenon but whether they take them seriously or not depends on their beliefs. Ghostbusters go out to hunt but none of them really know what a spirit is really about and how such a thing is measured.”
Whether you believe in paranormal activities or not Friday is Halloween and ghosts could roam the streets so you better be fast on your feet.
