• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Skeptical Gettysburg ghost investigation

idoubtit

Critical Thinker
idoubtit
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
365
Our local skeptical group is thinking about planning a skeptical investigation of the Gettysburg battlefield. I'm looking for some ideas.

Some of my personal hypotheses about the "haunted vibe" that goes on there are:
  1. People get creeped out because they KNOW so many people died there; thus, suggestible.
  2. The topography of the area (low ridges with valley in between), surface outcrops, streams, open fields and copses of trees lends itself to spooky fogs and areas of differing air temperatures and humidity levels.
  3. The diabase boulders at the surface can be magnetic which messes with ghost hunting equipment.

So, we are thinking about how to test these things. Some are easier than others. I think I'll feel like a real doofus walking around with dowsing rods and EMF meters to test things but, if I must, I must.

Any ideas?
 
Well, an EMF meter will at least indicate that there's electromagnetic energy somewhere, but it won't indicate a ghost necessarily. A dowsing rod will measure how steady your hands are, nothing else. I applaud the idea of a skeptical investigation, but it's much easier to investigate specific claims rather than vague feelings that a former battlefield seems "haunted." If there are claims of repeated "haunting" events that are similar and predictable, that would be best. I suspect that's unlikely, so then it'll take some research to find all the one-off haunting events and see if you can figure out what was going on in those specific cases.

The chances of any of you encountering a ghost on a bright sunny weekend afternoon are remote. If you are there on a foggy Tuesday morning just before sunrise, your chances will be better. Sounds like a fun field trip, though.

Good Luck,
Ward
 
You need at least one nut in a military jacket who will want to "establish a base camp" and "set up a perimeter" ... a geek-girl who is more concerned with her cat than with the investigation ... a cat ... a former cheerleader to have a hissy fit with the geek-girl and eventually wander off on her own ... a geek-guy who knows more about technology than inter-personal relations ... a narcissistic bohunk who bullies the geek-guy and chases after the cheerleader (who alternates between spurning him and wanting to have his babies) ... and a minority from the other side of the tracks whose sole purpose is to carry the poor, traumatized geek-girl away from the carnage at dawn.
 
Last edited:
idoubtit said:
Our local skeptical group is thinking about planning a skeptical investigation of the Gettysburg battlefield. I'm looking for some ideas.

Some of my personal hypotheses about the "haunted vibe" that goes on there are:
  1. People get creeped out because they KNOW so many people died there; thus, suggestible.
  2. The topography of the area (low ridges with valley in between), surface outcrops, streams, open fields and copses of trees lends itself to spooky fogs and areas of differing air temperatures and humidity levels.
  3. The diabase boulders at the surface can be magnetic which messes with ghost hunting equipment.

So, we are thinking about how to test these things. Some are easier than others. I think I'll feel like a real doofus walking around with dowsing rods and EMF meters to test things but, if I must, I must.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
I think all the usual knuckleheads (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Lab, Ghost Doofuses) have "done" Gettysburg. Maybe the thing to do would be to watch some of these investigations on YouTube and not do what they did.
 
I am betting that more then one of these fools see a tour guide in Civil War Uniform or a bunch of reenactors at an event aroung Gettysburg, and is convinced they have seen a ghost.
As a heavy duty Civil War Buff, this kind of crap drives me crazy....and we are going to get a lot of it with the 150th anniversary of the War upon us.
 
Any chance of combining your investigation with a group of believers?
They could show you their 'best practices'.
And you could show them yours.

It could be educational.
 
wardenclyffe said:
Well, an EMF meter will at least indicate that there's electromagnetic energy somewhere, but it won't indicate a ghost necessarily.
Click to expand...

There is no such thing as electromagnetic energy in a site. There is, of course, radio waves, coming from manmade transmiters and some natural background radiation, but none of this can be sensed by humans so it will not give raise to ghost stories.

Magnetic rocks can be detected with a compass.

Now, you could do (one of) the following:

Look up sightings (I assume the web is cravling with them) and check out the places to try t ospot a natural explanation.

Get a ghost detector (whatever it is) and go over the site. If you geet readings, find out what realy causes them. her EMF meter and compass will get you far.

Hans
 
dudalb said:
I am betting that more then one of these fools see a tour guide in Civil War Uniform or a bunch of reenactors at an event aroung Gettysburg, and is convinced they have seen a ghost.
As a heavy duty Civil War Buff, this kind of crap drives me crazy....and we are going to get a lot of it with the 150th anniversary of the War upon us.
Click to expand...

I think this is a good approach. Look at what the "ghost hunters" have done and then find rational explanations for their results. That would have the most impact.
 
dudalb said:
I am betting that more then one of these fools see a tour guide in Civil War Uniform or a bunch of reenactors at an event aroung Gettysburg, and is convinced they have seen a ghost.
As a heavy duty Civil War Buff, this kind of crap drives me crazy....and we are going to get a lot of it with the 150th anniversary of the War upon us.
Click to expand...

I remember one person telling his story of a ghost back on USENET. He went into great detail about his encounter driving by what he considered an obvious ghost of a confederate soldier...right near the Brandywine battlefield park.
 
kookbreaker said:
I remember one person telling his story of a ghost back on USENET. He went into great detail about his encounter driving by what he considered an obvious ghost of a confederate soldier...right near the Brandywine battlefield park.
Click to expand...
For us non-Americans, I take it that that particular battle was in the revolution, not the Civil War?
 
Madalch said:
For us non-Americans, I take it that that particular battle was in the revolution, not the Civil War?
Click to expand...
You are correct. I was going to chastise you for not being certain about this, but then I realized that you correctly phrased your question with the underlying assumption that there is only one revolution worth mentioning as well as only one civil war.
 
kookbreaker said:
I remember one person telling his story of a ghost back on USENET. He went into great detail about his encounter driving by what he considered an obvious ghost of a confederate soldier...right near the Brandywine battlefield park.
Click to expand...

I know of a person who tried to pass of a video of re-enactors as a ghost video.
 
Fnord said:
You need at least one nut in a military jacket who will want to "establish a base camp" and "set up a perimeter" ... a geek-girl who is more concerned with her cat than with the investigation ... a cat ... a former cheerleader to have a hissy fit with the geek-girl and eventually wander off on her own ... a geek-guy who knows more about technology than inter-personal relations ... a narcissistic bohunk who bullies the geek-guy and chases after the cheerleader (who alternates between spurning him and wanting to have his babies) ... and a minority from the other side of the tracks whose sole purpose is to carry the poor, traumatized geek-girl away from the carnage at dawn.
Click to expand...

Your analogy was good until you forgot the cardinal rule of horror films.

The minority dies first.

And the cardnial rule of any mainstream horror film produced post 2001.

No men survive.

I miss the Reggie Bannisters, The Ash William's, etc. Having a male hero out to stop the evil seems almost taboo in horror as of late. It is always just the female " survivor girl", not even a female hero. Unless she is wearing spandex and has some kind of superpower. ( notable exception given to the descent. Which manages to mesh the two premises quite well. )
 
Antietam doesn't have the same mystique. While it was the bloodiest single day, it didn't drag on for three days. It also wasn't the "high tide" of the Confederacy, or one of the few times the Union managed to beat Lee. Antietam was at best a draw, and didn't really end up as a major strategic gain for either side. That's probably part of why it's ignored by the woo-hunters. It's just not as well known, also.
 
dudalb said:
I am betting that more then one of these fools see a tour guide in Civil War Uniform or a bunch of reenactors at an event aroung Gettysburg, and is convinced they have seen a ghost.
As a heavy duty Civil War Buff, this kind of crap drives me crazy....and we are going to get a lot of it with the 150th anniversary of the War upon us.
Click to expand...

I agree. I'm almost certain that the Ghost Lab guy saw a reenactor. It was daylight, in July when he recorded his video. Gettysburg is CRAWLING with people in uniform at that time. You can't avoid it. It's ridiculous to accept his paranormal explanation compared to more logical ones.
 
Denver said:
Any chance of combining your investigation with a group of believers?
They could show you their 'best practices'.
And you could show them yours.

It could be educational.
Click to expand...

That's a great idea. I totally want to do this but I need more experience under my belt. I wish more skeptic groups would do it. I think it's also good diplomacy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom