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Investigating the Future of Ghosts
by Daniel Cumerlato
Article originally posted Friday, September 12, 2003 / UPDATED:2009

"Without a struggle, there can be no progress."
- Frederick Douglass

I used to think I knew the best way of investigating ghosts. Over the last few years it has become clear that what I thought was right is not the popular view among a new crop of websites springing up all over North America.

The popular view is now to lurk in the background as a shadow in the night, staying away from the law, then staying quiet until the article is posted on the Internet to the complete shock of owners and other paranormal groups who are doing their best to follow the rules. This is more common then you may think, and is the subject of my article.

We don't know it all. Personally, I believe it takes a lifetime to develop even a tiny understanding of the paranormal. That's why it's called the unknown, because most facets of the paranormal are not and never will be proven. One thing I will claim to know is that none of it can be explained in orbs, ecto-mists or personal belief alone.

Some of these websites rely only on photographic or video evidence, drawing their conclusions on a strong belief gained from the roots of religion, pop-culture or suggestion. This is their foundation of belief; it stays hidden under the surface and keeps a secret that is only made of air. If challenged the entire foundation would crumble under the weight of light criticism.

How do they survive? The groups are aware that the foundation is not enough to hold up the structure, so they surround it with external confusion and defensiveness. These are the people willing to attack anybody that get close enough to see the secret.

Don't believe it, try going to one of these sites and post a question about their findings and see if you get a straight answer. Push for more specific information and see if you aren't put down like the many before you.

What makes up the foundation? Picture "evidence" of ghosts are posted one after another, at such a high rate that you don't focus on just one. These groups will grab a handful of unchecked and unproven elements and just throw them at the Internet to see what sticks. What we end up with is sloppy investigation and a truckload of orbs and ecto-mists compiled from many locations, some of which were never considered even remotely haunted until this group’s visit.

Some of the better groups may stop there and not explore the possibility of what was captured. The decent process would be to take that photo and compare it to others, or use camera techniques to help prove its validity (such as taking two quick, consecutive pictures for each spot). Without our techniques there are only people on the outside looking into the paranormal and a “bunch of flakes”.

This media overload is only one angle. Many groups have a second focus of haphazardly moving ahead of the "competition". These worry us the most because any person with a basic knowledge of Photoshop can create an effective ghost photo.

Not only can this fakery confuse the many beginner and novice fans of the paranormal, but it also sets us back as a team with the outside public, the owners, and the coordinators of potential haunted locations.

Acceptance
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Acceptance is what we (the lovers of the paranormal) have been looking for since the early days of the late 1800's. It completes the reason we are here, giving open and free access to the places that can help prove something does exist. It helps remove the stereotype that we’re all just a bunch of “Goths” with an unhealthy fascination with ghosts.

Does this stereotype sound unbelievable? Stephanie and I had to deal with it first-hand when trying to make a reputation within the city. One specific place (which will remain nameless) told us that he will never allow an event of this “kind” at his location because he feels that "Goths" will start camping out on the front lawn. Another said that if we did an event there it would disrespectful the history of that location.

Trespassing
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There is one strong action that will quickly ruin the reputation of any paranormal website, trespassing. Hamilton has one of the worst reputations in the paranormal community with "investigators" trespassing at haunted locations.

The owners and coordinators of the many popular locations are afraid to work with legitimate ghost sites because of this reputation, grouping us all into the same bucket. This proves the idea that we are only as strong as our weakest link within this city and the cities around us.

UPDATED – 2009:
Haunted Hamilton was one of only a handful of paranormal websites that fought against trespassing. That has changed quite a bit since 2003. There are many groups out there now that follow the same rules of respect we do and preach responsibility for the investigation.

Political problems from groups that disagree are still reality. Attacks are common for many experienced and new groups. The people doing the trespassing feel they are in the right, that their actions only affect them, and that it there are no negative repercussions. They're still wrong.

I’ll explain using a true situation. A group was investigating Darnley Mill. They went in with innocent intentions, "We are going to prove that this place is haunted", the reason they are right to enter. Darnley Mill is closed off by a fence that surrounds it and has many painted "No trespassing" notices, plus a sign telling people about the dangers of a crumbling structure. Dedicated to the ghosts, the group pays no heed to the warnings.

They arrive and start "investigating", taking pictures as they move around the outside and inside parameters. Then they make their way into the basement area, the location of a furnace explosion that ended the mill, and the lives of some workers.

The head of this group jokingly sends in his son to look around. He quickly moves forward to retrieve the boy, when he slips and falls on the sharp rocks. The man hurts his back so badly that he cannot work anymore and has to go on government assistance. The assistance is never enough support for a family, so he decides to find out who's at fault for allowing people to roam such a dangerous location.

Whose fault is it? If you said the "paranormal investigator" you'd be wrong. It’s the landowner, in the case of Darnley Mill it would be the city of Hamilton. The owner takes 100% responsibility. If sued, he/she would probably have to provide enough income to take care of this man and his family for the rest of their lives.

What about insurance? That would cover the damages, but their premiums will significantly go up. Many of the historic locations throughout Hamilton are just financially holding on by a string. The slightest change in budget could easily send a location over the line from historical importance, to dangerous and unneeded.

Coupled with Hamilton’s bad reputation of saving historical locations, this one small act could spell the end of Darnley Mill.

"A person's decision to knowingly break the law will affect others. That's the reason a law is created in the first place, to protect someone or something."

Conclusion
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A good reputation with the outside is very difficult to come by and is something that we are still working on after ten years of building a reputation. With every faked photo, act of trespassing or disregard of law and property, we all as a paranormal society, are pushed backwards.

For those who know us, you will agree that a rant like this is rare for Haunted Hamilton. Normally, we spend our time working on uncovering the ghosts and history of our great city. It only comes at a time when we are serious about a subject or see bad things over the horizon. Only then is it important to break the silence and speak out.

Updated for 2009:
The future of ghost investigation is not set in stone. Times are changing with the popularity of paranormal TV shows that preach the respectful and responsible ways that Haunted Hamilton stood for way back when. As long as this remains the majority group, then our reputation will only get better, opening many more doors that were once closed.

For now we sit in an environment where the historical and haunted locations of Hamilton, Niagara and Toronto are being overrun with requests for investigations. Still the doors are closed because the view hasn’t changed… but don’t be discouraged. It’s getting better.

With that said, thank you for taking the time to read this.

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today
than he was yesterday."
- Abraham Lincoln

Daniel Cumerlato

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