Oh my … what has Ghost Adventures wrought? I kid (sorta), but there are many ghost hunting myths that ghosty shows live and die by. And that’s trickled over to a new generation of ghost hunters. In this post, let’s look at some common myths you see on TV and YouTube that need a little debunking.

Myth #1: Ghosts Only Come Out at Night

Ghosts can manifest anytime they want to. It doesn’t matter if it’s 8 AM or 8 PM. And that’s especially true for an intelligent haunting. As for residual hauntings, these may be more restricted to a specific date and time.

But you may be asking why do ghost hunters always look for ghosts at midnight with all the lights turned off? Well, it’s because the world is far more quiet, and that makes it easier to capture evidence.

PS – Even then, you don’t need to turn off the lights.

Myth #2: Cold Spots Always Indicate a Spirit

Cold spots. Those blobs of chilly air you walk through in a dark, haunted house. It’s usually just the HVAC system or a draft. Now, if you get a sustained cold spot (like a few minutes) AND it’s 5 degrees chillier than the rest of the room, you may have something.

Why do ghost hunters think cold spots are signs of a haunting? Well, folks seem to think a ghost sucks up the energy in a room to manifest. And when the ghost dissipates, it gives off heat.

In my experience, I’ve never caught more a sniffle from a cold spot.

Myth #3: EMF Detectors Always Detect Ghosts

I just wrote about using EMF to find ghosts. In a nutshell, EMF fluctuation and anomalies are everywhere. We have radio waves, cellphone signals, appliances, and old houses have crappy wiring. So, you can’t really count on a strong EMF spike to mean anything.

Especially high EMF readings, over 10 mG, are almost always man-made EMF. So, if you get a reading that high, check the microwave.

But EMF spikes with other ghostly evidence like EVP or a spooky apparition could mean you got a ghost on your hands.

Myth #4: Every EVP is a Ghostly Voice

No, not every voice you hear is a ghost speaking. Analogue recorders are notorious for picking up ham radio operators, some military frequencies and radio in general. Also, sound waves can travel from far: I’ve had a digital recorder with killer mic capture sounds from nearly a mile away. You have to try to debunk as much as possible.

In other cases, it’s simply a matter of pareidolia—how our brains often find patterns, like hearing voices in random static.

So, my advice is to listen, see if the voice answers your questions directly, and you hear it well enough that you don’t struggle to understand what’s said. I’ve got more EVP articles on this topic to check out.

Myth #5: All Orbs in Photos Are Spirits

Another myth deals with orbs, those little balls of light captured on video or in a picture. 99.9% of the time, these are bugs, dust, moisture, or dust. If you need to know what generated the orb, here’s a little list:

• Bugs will move in irregular ways, like zigging and zagging, and making sharp turns
• Dust will drift across your video screen like a feather, and it’s usually accompanied by a lot of other specks
• Moisture looks like a semi-transparent blob that tends to hang in the air
• Pollen will drift much like dust

But there is the case of a ghost light, which looks like a glowing baseball and moves like someone’s flying a drone.

Myth #6: Ghost Hunting is Always Dangerous

Not every haunt is dangerous. Sure, if you go into an old, decrepit building, you could fall through a rotted floor. That’s where common sense kicks in.

99 times out of a 100, it’s people, who don’t take precautions, that end up getting hurt. That’s why you don’t need to turn off the lights: You have to see where you’re walking in old, dark buildings. Verify no one’s squatting in a building. Make sure you have a mobile signal to call for help. Don’t bring flammable things to a wooden building. Blah blah blah …

Really, don’t do stupid stuff, and stupid stuff doesn’t happen to you in return.

Myth #7: Ghosts Are Always Angry or Malevolent

Ghosts were people, and some people are just ornery. That doesn’t mean they want to scare you off. They may simply want to be left alone. And, sometimes, that means they’re less than nice to ghost hunters asking them the same questions for eternity.

Other ghosts may be mischievous, and like to play pranks on you. Another ghost may want to communicate with the living so bad, they end up scaring you. It happens.

The evil ghost, dark entity or demon encounter is usually made for TV or YouTube. It gets views. People like a good scare, and it’s totally unbecoming of a professional.

Myth #8: A Ouija Board Guarantees Contact with Spirits

Ouija boards are games. A game that uses the ideomotor effect, which is a subconscious impulse that causes our fingers to move based on our expectations. If you expect to interact with the ghost of a 17th century poet, then your hands and fingers will make sure you do.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love to put out some candles, dim the lights and call out spirits. But that just sets the mood. It’s your brain playing the role of the ghost.

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As with anything, be skeptical of the evidence you capture on a ghost hunt. There’s probably a normal, humdrum reason for it. And figuring that out makes your unexplained evidence even more exciting.

So, how about you? What are some myths you’d like to debunk? Let me know in the comments below. It might help someone out.

Take care and thanks for reading Ghostly Activities!

Last Updated on November 26, 2024 by Jacob Rice