The investigation of paranormal forces is now a global pastime, with scores of ghost hunters operating all over the world. And it would seem that some modern technology supports the theory of life after death. But many skeptics have yet to be convinced, citing natural phenomena and technical anomalies as the real cause of ghostly goings-on.
Find out all about famous ghost hunters from history, the type of equipment used today and the evidence that has been unearthed.
The First Ghost Hunters
Ghost hunting isn't a modern activity; one of the first ghost hunters was Joseph Glanvill. As the chaplain of English king Charles II in the late 1600s, Glanvill investigated the paranormal, especially ghostly activity in the British Isles. His most famous case was the Drummer of Tedworth, and he published his results in Saducismus Triumphatus in 1681.
Another investigator of ghosts was philosopher and bookseller Friedrich Nicolai. His interest in the paranormal began after he suffered from visions of deceased people. He began to investigate and try to find a cure for the condition. In 1799, he presented "Memoir on the Appearance of Spectres or Phantoms Occasioned by Disease," which not only included various experiences with the paranormal but also the view that it could be cured by the application of leeches.
It took nearly a hundred years for the paranormal to have a real investigation group. Originally called the Ghost Society, the Society for Psychical Research was established in 1882 to examine alleged paranormal phenomena. The society was founded by a distinguished group of scholars and continues to investigate the paranormal in a scientific and unbiased way.
Next: Orbs — Evidence or Dust?
