Burden of Proof and Fraud

[K2M]

Fiona, you said it perfectly, the paranormal is a gray area. I also liked what SG said about, dont be so open minded that your brain falls out, very well put. I personally have learned so much being here and reading so many posts over the years. The paranormal is not an exact science for sure and will always be a very interesting subject.

[D B Sweeney]

I agree with everything that's been said on this thread. I only hope other members read it and think again before they post their amazing experiences that defy science, logic
and stretch the standards of belief that rational people apply on a day to day basis.

DB

[Haunted Lady]

I was recently asked to do a consult on a case that was suspected of being demonic. Ususally when I am approached for demonology services it comes by route of phone call or email and one of the first things I ask for would be photos or video documentation to get an idea of the kind of activity being claimed.

I was given two photos, one was of a translucent little girl ghost that has made several contacts with the claimant. (The belief that ghostly activity is or could be demonic originates in the Orthodox Catholic belief system that the dead do not interact with the living and therefore must be demons.) The photo was taken with a cell phone and offered no exif info. I did a little research, knowing that I have seen enough para-photos to recognize the ghost. This little ghost gets around. I contacted the team founder (who BTW is a respected investigator in his community with 12 years experience) and sent him a link to the iphone ghost application. The software is available for 99 cents and the software designers webpage includes photos of the various ghosts you can attain using this app. The little girl ghost in questions is featured here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ghost-cap...79650?mt=8

Here's the thing, I in no way believe after my contact with this man that he was trying to fool me or provide fraudent documentation. The claimant was someone he was familiar with that has attended investigations with his group, therefore he believed her claims without question. When he saw what I had to contribute to his evidence, he was horrified and very dissapointed. This was something that happened to even an experienced investigator and he has learned a hard lesson about taking someone at their word, even if you know them.

Needless to say they won't be needing a demonologist. It goes to show that working together through consults and having a network of credible people who are truly looking for answers can educate even those who think they have seen it all. I don't think that every paranormal affiliate who presents falsified evidence does so knowingly, it often comes from clients. Keeping yourself in contact with others in the field who have a different knowledge base is helpful and neccessary.

There are no 'experts' in this field. We only know what we know through learning as we go, accurate documentation review and experience.

[scarygirl67]

Oh heavens, not the girl again. She does make the rounds!

You make some good points, LK. It does require that all parties be open to learning from what someone else's knowledge can offer. In your case..it sounds like the person was willing to listen. I have often seen in surfing around the net, instances where photography mistakes (not fakes) are brought up and the defensiveness begins. And of course if someone is faking..they get even more so. (or they hightail it out of there, never to post again). If a person is told what mistakes were made in camera settings, use of flash, etc. and they still say "but there was also...." and then proceed to tell a personal experience or a "feeling" someone was getting...in my opinion, they're not wanting the truth.

[Fiona]

Lady Kamae, thanks for your excellent post.

It is those types of attention seekers that give us - the ones who want real answers and have a genuine interest in this phenomena - a bad name.