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Ghost Hunting has been around for much longer than most people are aware of. Thanks to the popularity of movies like Ghostbusters, and TV shows like Ghost Hunters, most believe that hunting for spirits is a new phenomenon. The truth is that hunting for the restless spirits of the dead goes back much further.

The oldest recorded case of ghost hunting is reported by Pliny the Younger in 100 A.D. When he told the story, it was already a century old tale. The tale tells of a man who bought a house in Athens. The price of the house was far below what it was worth but the sellers wanted to be rid of it and quickly. One night while the new owner was resting comfortably by the fire, a spirit came to him wrapped in chains. The spirit beckoned him to follow and so he did. He was led to a spot in the garden behind the house where the spirit vanished. The next morning, with the permission of the city magistrates, he dug the spot and found a skeleton wrapped in chains. Once the body was given a proper burial the hauntings ceased.

Not much of ghost hunting is mentioned for centuries until the mid-1880’s. William James, a philosopher, suggested applying scientific methods in the search for spirits and ghosts. He found allies in London with Alfred Wallace, Harry Sidgwick, Harry’s wife Elanor and Edmund gurney. Together they founded the Society for Phychical Research to collect evidence proving, or disproving, the existence of ghosts, haunted houses and other paranormal phenomenon.

Ghost hunting would not become a mainstream hobby until the 1970’s with the founding of the Chicago area Ghost Trackers Club (which became the Ghost Research Society in 1981). Today there are over 300 separate ghost hunting organizations throughout American and England and the list is growing.

Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween Season full of fun and frights.

Tags: ghost, ghost folklore, ghost hunting

Scientists have, for decades, been interested in proving the existence of ghosts to be false. Scientists are by nature skeptics and therefore require tangible evidence of something before they will believe. Even with evidence, scientists tend to try and disprove it until there can be no doubt to it’s authenticity. Very few scientists will take anything on faith.

One theory is that geomagnetic fiends can act on the temporal lobe of the brain and cause many of the experiences associated with hauntings. This theory has been tested in several ways but never proven conclusively. Other scientists attempt to link the onset of haunting phenomenon to increases in global geomagnetic activity. Other theories include carbon monoxide poisoning and infrasound (sound waves lower that 20 Hz). All of the work being done has been controversial and subject to debate.

There are at times rational explanations as to why certain phenomenon occur. Changes in the air pressure in a room can cause a door to suddenly close, or lights passing through a window at the right angle can give one the impression of being haunted.

For the times when no rational explanation can be found, we turn to “Ghost Hunters”. People who have a real desire to put ghosts to the test and verify their authenticity. These dedicated men and women spend their free time searching for evidence of ghostly activity or to prove that there is, in fact, a plausible explanation.

Mystical Charm hope you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.

Tags: ghost history, ghost hunting, ghosts

In 1848, two sisters from Hydesville, New York, claimed to have the ability to communicate with the dead. What followed became the spiritualist movement in America that claimed a number of adherents in the 19th century.

An increase in the popularity of all things paranormal rose as a consequence. Books were written for the growing middle class which included sketched of “ghosts and spirits”. Accounts of ghosts, doppelgangers, poltergeists and haunted houses began to surface all of the United States. In London, a newspaper was devoted to the Spiritualist community. Called The Light, the newspaper contained articles such as “Ghosts in Africa” and “Chronicles of Spirit Photography”.

The ability to summon or exorcise spirits of the dead have been part of religious practices for Spiritualists and practitioners of ritual magic for centuries. The Spiritualists movement of the 19th century has had an impact on the way the western world sees ghosts that lasts to this day. The pseudoscientific explanations of ghosts such as spirit photography and “ectoplasm” lend an almost scientific method to ghosts. Today, ghost hunting and ghost photography are as popular as ever with new “Ghost Hunting Societies” coming together almost daily.

Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.

Tags: ghost history, ghost hunting, ghosts

Ghosts took on a new dimension during this period. There was a renewed interest in ghosts and Necromancy at this time and stories began to surface all over the world. Songs, poems and ballads also made their way into mainstream life.

Some stories recounted a ghost returning to beg a loved one for release from his promise to marry her. Her refusal would mean his soul would be damned for eternity. Such stories were common at this time. People believed that a ghost would haunt a lover without a formal release of their relationship.

Other tales across Europe took it one step further. They believed that ghosts were caused by the grief of the living. The mourning of the living did not allow the dead to rest in peace.

Mystical Charm and Holy Land Favorites hopes you have a wonderful Autumn season full of fun and frights.

Tags: ghost hunting, ghosts, history