Debunking is probably the most important task of a paranormal team. It is very important that we look at every claim of activity, and first look at all natural causes of this activity. The reason why this is so important, if we were to take all claims of activity, all personal experiences we experience during an investigation or even video and audio evidence at face value without searching for the more natural causes first. Most every investigation would probably produce enough unusual occurrences or experiences that we could mistakenly label a location haunted.
We do our clients no great service or the science of paranormal research any favors by showing evidence that is not of paranormal origin. Debunking requires a great deal of discipline and patience, but is why is very necessary in the process of providing quality and undisputable evidence of the paranormal. The most frustrating cases for us are cases where we cannot debunk certain pieces of evidence nor can we determine this evidence is caused by something paranormal. In these cases we normally suggest a second investigation of the location. This will give us additional time to look at some additional natural cases we may have missed initially, and also to accumulate additional corroborating evidence which will help us make a final assessment of this location. One of the things we look at initially are the presence of high EMF fields possibly causes by electrical disturbances, or any appliance such as ceiling fans, microwaves, lamps, or anything that runs off of electricity and can produce high EMF fields. If the EMF fields are high enough or the individual is sensitive to EMF fields (high sensitivity to EMF’s) this can cause a variety of symptoms, heaviness or pressure on a person’s head or chest, nausea, fatigue, or skin irritations. They can also cause a variety of visual and auditory disturbances, ringing in the ears, hair on your neck or arms standing up, a feeling of being watched, and just an overall ‘creeped-out’ feeling. Also fuse boxes, breaker boxes, and improper wiring can also be a source of the high EMF’s.
Continued exposure to high EMF fields will continue to produce these symptoms and can progressively get worse. Studies suggest that continuous exposure to these fields can produce serious health concerns. We suggest that these items be replaced or at the very least keep them unplugged if it is a wiring issue or a problem that the homeowner is not qualified to fix. We suggest that an electrician is called in to correct the problem and hopefully once the problem is corrected the symptoms will subside. Another example would be reports of scratching within the walls of a home or business. In some cases this can be contributed to a rodent problem, especially during the winter and spring. Exterminators are effective in solving this problem. We receive reports of a thumping or banging within the walls of a location and this can sometimes be explained by a water line or vent pipe not secured properly to the stud of a wall. Pressure by flushing commodes or turning the water on then off cause the pipes to move against the wall stud creating the thumping or banging noises. The process to fix this problem is quite messy, but once the pipes are secured, the noise will be eliminated. There are also reports of shadows which we can sometimes conclude as a passing car which cast shadows of objects within the room. Also, footsteps can be traced to the screeching and expansion of floors such as hardwood or laminate floors which produces cracking or popping sounds that can be mistaken for footsteps. These are a few examples of what we carefully investigate as possible explanations of claims we receive from clients. It is estimated and I would have to agree that 6 out of 10 claims reported can be explained through careful evaluation as being a natural occurrence. One out of ten we cannot conclude as being a natural source of a paranormal phenomenon. Three out of ten remaining claims we look at carefully as being of paranormal origin through corroborating forms of evidence such as video evidence of EVPs, cold readings of greater than 8 degrees, and unexplained EMF spikes.
In closing, it is a difficult task to both the believer in the paranormal field and also the skeptic at the same time. By approaching this from both perspectives it allows us to explain what we can, discard what we are unsure of, and find that what we are left with is creditable scientific proof of the paranormal. If you feel that you need an investigation or if you have any questions regarding the paranormal, then please contact us at southernparanormalsocietync@gmail.com or visit our website at www.southernparanormalsocietync.com.