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Oct 27, 2008 11:00 AM | 26
Military bases appear to be a popular haunt for wandering spirits, with several attracting the attention of ghost hunters seeking evidence of paranormal activity.
The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) in January checked out reports of unexplained phenomena—mysterious footsteps, voices and apparitions—in three buildings at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio for the Sci Fi Channel show Ghost Hunters. Some base personnel have reported seeing the ghost of a blond-haired boy in building 219; others claim to have spotted the apparition of an elderly woman in building 70.
During the episode, TAPS co-founders Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes spend time in building 70, where they claim to hear footsteps one night in the empty office space after urging any spirits there to present themselves. Derek Kaufman, a public affairs specialist with the 88th Air Base Wing, says that the base was happy to have TAPS check out the reports. He notes that he works in building 70, but so far has not had any ghostly encounters of his own.
Ghost sightings at Wright-Patterson are nothing new. Hospital employees working in building 219—a three-story brick building—in the 1990s reported seeing ghosts (one they named "Harvey," after a doctor who had worked at the hospital in the 1930s and took his own life there) roam the halls daily, according to an October 1996 article in Wright-Patterson AFB's Skywrighter magazine. Other ghosts include the boy, who appears to be between the ages of eight and 10, as well as older men. Those claiming to have seen the apparitions say they are somewhat transparent but clear enough to distinguish their sex and age. Most of the sightings, according to the article, were on the third floor (where the operating room had been) and in the basement (which at one time housed the morgue).
Colorado Paranormal Investigation (CPI), a Denver-based team of ghost hunters, late last year investigated ghost sightings on F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming using electromagnetic field indicators, digital cameras and tape recorders. CPI investigator Karl Holden requested a visit to the base after reading (in the Fort D. A. Russell edition of the Warren Sentinel) about base personnel sensing the presence of a ghost. CPI's investigation turned up recordings of what they described as "paranormal heavy breathing, whispering and sobbing" in the base's Civil Air Patrol building, according to a report by the base's public affairs department.
The investigators also reported that their camera batteries drained uncharacteristically quickly (which they attributed to spirits drawing energy from the environment) in that building. CPI's investigation of the base's 90th Security Forces Group's Bldg. 34 and Security Forces Investigations building turned up little evidence of the supernatural, although investigators report hearing a book slam against the floor and another flying off a shelf while in the base library. (Alas, neither incident was captured on tape.)
Although not strictly a paranormal encounter, Reuters last week reported on recently revealed information that two U.S. fighter pilots were scrambled at the Royal Air Force base at Manston, Kent in the U.K. in May 1957 with orders to shoot down an unidentified flying object.
No shots were fired, but the mission was kept under wraps until information about it was recently handed over to the National Archives in London, which has tracked numerous reports of UFO encounters over the years. The pilots said that their radar detected a large object in the sky—like a "flying aircraft carrier"—that at times sat motionless and then took off at a speed they estimated to be more than 7,600 miles per hour, Reuters reports. The documents, however, contain no official explanation for the incident.
(Image courtesy of iStockphoto)
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26 Comments
Add CommentYou guys are joking, right?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs this science?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a bad article... It didn't even discuss pareidolia. Which, being a scientific magazine, would be a scientific topic worthy of discussion. Also how are a few stories even statistically relevant for a title of "Are military bases haunted?"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTAPS = "did you hear that?"
Should be Psixty - Psecond Pseudoscience.
I prefer to maintain a unique, although somewhat paradoxical view in matters of controversy such. That being a perspective of open-minded skepticism as well as being as unbiased as possible. This means, unlike a die-hard skeptic, I choose not to close my mind to possibilities that are considered out of the ordinary simply because science (in it's current state) cannot fully explain it, but of course with a grain of salt and rationality. I believe it's possible apparitions may exist in one form or another, but I have yet to see any conclusive or convincing evidence of this. I'm not going to say all "ghost sightings" are simply delusions, hallucinations, lies, or misconceptionsn, because frankly, I (and you) have no way of knowing with 100% certainty that is the case. Therefore, I cannot say apparitions do not exist and that the study of this phenomena is entirely irrelevant (even if they do not it's still fascinating from a sociological perspective) and if they are, well that would be even more interesting. I'm just going to blindly believe one way or the other or claim to know which is right or wrong since it cannot yet be proven or disproven with 100% certainty.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this*such as this... Also, I should note that although I've remained open-minded to this topic in general, I've become highly skeptical to the so called "evidence" TAPS has collected, for a variety of reasons. One of them being the fact that they refuse to submit any of their "evidence" to peer review or closer examination. Also, if you look up the show "Ghost Hunters" on wikipedia you'll see an interesting argument against the validity of the show. Follow those links and you'll see how some of their so called "evidence" can be recreated by amateurs and clearly illustrates how TAPS has altered their footage (i.e. increasing frame rates at low-resolutions in areas of poor lighting) to make their "apparitions" appear more convincing. When you take all this into consideration, and the obvious scripted dialog of the show, and the fact that it's on the SciFi channel, it's difficult any of it seriously. I relegate the show "Ghost Hunters" to the genre of entertainment, and certainly not any sort of valid investigative effort into the true nature paranormal phenomena, as it claims to be.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this*to take.. Now when it comes to UFO's one has to ask yourself, is there any evidence to support the existence of non-terrestrial UFO's? Most skeptics will say no.. and there is a reason for that. There is an abundance of evidence to support their existence in the form of video footage, credible eye-witness testimonies, declassified military documents, as well as cooberating radar cross section recordings that can in many cases prove their existence. There are of course just many (if not more) hoaxes, misidentifications, etc. But when you disregard the nonsense (rather than focusing on just that, as most skeptics choose to do) and take the vast amount of irrefutable evidence into account and choose not to ignore it (as most die-hard skeptics also will do) you end up with only one conclusion.. that being there are intelligent extra-terrestial civilizations (see the infamous "drake equation" as well as recent findings in the field of astrobiology & astronomy that support the existence of extra-terrestial life, and take into account how vast & ancient our galaxy, let alone the universe is), some of which being capable of interstellar travel (see http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/ideachev.html for an explanation as to how they may accomplish this), as well as our own inherent desire to explore space and other planets (which is more than likely mirrored in at least some of these civilizations distributed throughout our as well as other galaxies), along with the vast amount of evidence (as I mentioned prior), you begin to see a pattern. Again, you can't say with 100% certainty they do or do not exist, and to dismiss the very idea as nonsense is infinitely arrogant as well as ignorant. Theologians also widely dismissed any concept that contradicted their view of a geocentric universe, and even denying the theory of evolution to this very day. As for the hard PHYSICAL evidence (i.e. actual alien craft or bodies), those would be in possession of the US (among other) governments. And why would they choose to keep this a secret from the general public? A few reasons: 1) To prevent panic and mass hysteria (a much more valid concern 60-70 years ago) 2) To quell any doubt of the religious beliefs held by those in power; and foremost 3) For reasons of national security. The US government (especially the US Military) would certainly not want the public to be aware of another civilization with superior technology capable of invading our air-space at will. They would prefer us to see them as being in "control" of the situation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOr better yet.. that the situation does not exist at all. It's called plausible deniabilty, something die-hard skeptics buy into in a heartbeat and something the general public will always see as a loophole, allowing them to go about their lives not having to deal with the reality of the situation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a shame that a reputable organization like Scientific American, with a long commitment to science, chose to report on this shame. The Taps crew pretends to investigate, but shuns any kind of scientific method that might shed light onto what is really going on in their show. These so called experts don't understand or want to understand how to use the rather simple scientific equipment they use. This is pure pseudo science at its worse, and reporting it in SA lends it undo credibility.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought that this piece was a wonderful bit of spookiness conjured up for Halloween. And then the frightening thought occurred to me that it might have been written in earnest. If so, it is very easy to show that all of this "information" about ghosts and ETs is just so much nonsense. Take ghosts. As has been said many times before, if ghosts have clothes, then clothes have ghosts. Since there are no ghostly clothes, there are obviously no ghostly "people" wearing ghostly clothes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs for ETs and the UFOs that are supposedly so capriciously and clumsily navigating earth, they don't exist either. Aren't I being arrogant and dogmatic when I say that there are no such things. Not in the least. A frequently recited argument is that probability tells us that with billions and billions of planets there must be intelligent life somewhere else in the universe. This argument is completely fallacious. One could argue that with billions and billions of snowflakes, probability tells us that there must be at least two that are alike. But the fact is that there are no two that are alike. How do we know that? Obviously, the same way we know that (cloning aside) there are not, never have been two people alike. Identical snowflakes and identical people would exist only if the conditions for producing them are identical...and they aren't. Likewise the probability, that there are planets out there with just as remarkable and accidental a natural history as Earth and leading to the formation of intelligent life approaches zero. So, it is virtually certain that there are no ETs either. This argument needs to be fleshed out and defended against obvious objections, but the basic notion that there are no ETs is surely correct.
I wish that SciAm had taken a few moments to debunk this silliness rather than giving it some measure of respectability by reporting on it.
Chaosqueued
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI guess you're too lazy to even watch the Ghost Hunters TV show. They regularly record measurable data.
There have been several shows that were junk TV, but this is not one of them.
Bellyflop
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe answer is yes, this is science. They are taking measurable recordings of several types that are not currently explainable. This is the beginnings of a scientific field, whether you are aware of it or not. Try not to make assumptions based on your ignorance.
ChrisJones
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisScience is not a joke. Investigating something that is not understood is the foundation of science.
quantumcipher
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYour evidence seems to be a quick look at wikipedia.
TAPS as well as hundreds of other similar groups have given their data to anyone for peer review. And when evidence is enhanced, they admit it & explain how they do it.
TAPS is only one investigative group of hundreds, possibly thousands now around the world. What they are recording on IR, heat, audio, EMF, video, & more is not easily explained, but as you point out can be hoaxed. But just because something can be hoaxed, does not mean that it is hoaxed.
Its a shame that the scientific community would not fund & organize a group to either prove or disprove such evidence exists. Instead it insists on armchair skepticism.
I myself have had a handful of unexplained "ghost" type experiences, have been researching the subject for decades, & have been compiling a scientific kit to see for myself.
Unfortunately there is a ton of hoaxsters & junk that has cluttered up this area of investigation for over a hundred years. (the same with the UFO field) But, if you can filter thru the junk, you'll find there is a small amount of interesting evidence. And of course if you have some experiences yourself, that will certainly make you think too.
My, my children! You sound scared of investigative science AND investigative journalism. Such inquiry is long overdue considering the tenure of Ghost Sightings...oh, let's see, throughout recorded history is all! Even Einsteen believed in "spooky actions at a distance" and he was quantum leaps behind the present "knowlege" that there are a minimum of 11 Deminsions. As for UFO's, anyone who has done ANY investigation whatsoever has no choice but to eventually realize there is very high strangeness that requires review. Now that digital images are in your face, the giggle factor RE: eye witnesses is beginning to diminish, and even mainstream media like Larry King are breaking the mold of "cultural correctness" in favor of credible accounts. If you're not open to investigation of a pervasive area of human experience, I wouldn't call your method "scientific." These events may or may not be true. Scared to Investivate? Boo!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTwo points. First, what is your answer to the "ghostly" clothes problem mentioned in my comment? Yoi might say that it has been argued (at book length) that naked ghosts have been observed. This is just more silliness. Does everyone have two bodies, a physical body and a ghostly body lurking inside of it? If so, does the ghostly body have a ghostly brain, ghostly blood, etc.? Perhaps it is our "psychic energy" that survives and manifests itself as a ghost. It would be helpful to know what psychic energy is and how it manages to survive the death of the body.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSecond, unless we know what would count as evidence of the existence a ghost, no amount of "measurable data" is of any use. For all we know, the recorded data might be due to "a devil" or a prank-playing ET. The fact is that no one has the least idea of what counts as evidence of the presence of a ghost. "Sightings" are of no use because of the ghostly clothes problem. A change in any instrument tells us nothing unless we know that those changes count as evidence of the presence of ghosts. And, by the way, I have seen Ghost Hunters. At best, we can say that they are detecting something or other. But no one has any idea as to what counts as evidence for the presence of a ghost and so no one has any idea as to what it would be like to detect a ghost, the Ghost Hunters included.
Again, much ignorance on this post about paranormal study. SOME UFOs are non-human craft...get over it. How about physical trace evidence? I guess it doesn't matter because your denial of this evidence is a means to an end. As for Ghost Hunters: TAPS are skeptics who do thorough investigations rather than let proclamations be the investigation like so many "debunkers" and people who made some of these posts. It is time for fossilized thinking to become extinct and open, honest investigation commence.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo one has to believe in ghosts, be a skeptic if you want, but don't pretend that it somehow makes you more intelligent or reasonable. If you don't believe TAPS then see for yourself and go take a tour of Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville,KY. For those 'skeptics' that have to change their underwear when its over, your question may be answered.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have been doing my own investigation in my own house for the last four years and from everything i have caught, ghosts are real. I heard a childs voice call out my name when I was 5- years-old, seen her apparition when i was 12 and again at 39 and other experiences too many to list. I am not a person who thinks every bump in the night is a ghost.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot long after i started my investigation i have proven a female child and her mom are present. I have incredible audio I have heard anywhere. Some audio examples are direct referrences towards me. My name is James and I have recorded the child saying (I had headphones on at the time listening to the EVP session I just recorded) "mommy, jimmy is listening to us". On another occasion I heard movement behind me and I looked over my shoulder then I took a picture and this is what I picked up: "jimmy just looked at me" then you hear me take a pic and you hear "he just tried to take my picture". On night I had a cold spot next to me and i was wrapped up in a blanket and i picked up "jimmy looks like he's freezing mommy".
This child even has shown a since of humor for example: my mom has ceramic pig figurines sitting in the dining room and kitchen and I could hear these pigs shuffling around in the middle of the night. I picked up my dictation recorder and asked "who's present with me" and the response I immediately got was "oink, oink, oink. Creepiest response i received was 4:30 am my mom just asked me if i saw anything or caught anything on my camera during the night and i said no but i did hear footsteps behind me, i got the response on my computer from the childs mom "jimmy, you say you can't see me but i'm standing right beside you". These are direct intelligent responses. I have asked questions during EVP sessions and have received direct answers on some and on others i have gotten "jimmy speak up". I have attracted others spirits to my house and one i will never forget. I asked what her name was and i got the response "Tammy". I asked her if she was a ghost or spirit of a person who has passed away and she said yes i'am a ghost. She went on to say she was trapped and could not get out. I was able to help Tammy through a medium i e-mailed.
Too see if what she told me to do worked, i tried to contact Tammy the very next day and got the response from the childs mom that "Tammy was no longer here". Ghosts, Spirits are real without a shadow of a doubt. They show emotions, intelligence, and on some occasions a sense of humor. I do not care what the skeptics and scientists say.
A couple more comments, after 37 years of sitting back and watching what spirits are capable of doing, i have to admit T.A.P.S. (ghost hunters) are the only credible show on tv on the subject of hauntings period. My theory is after listening to the believers and nonbelievers, the electrical activity in our brains is what moves on after death. A recent study has shown there is activity in certain areas of the brain in even a deep sleep where your pretty much unconscious if not totaly. Who knows, maybe this is the first clue to where scientists will admit the possibility of spirits. There are some scientists who have gone from skeptics to believers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow do you know this? Would you be able to do any better if you were in TAPS's shoes? Why don't you tell us how it's supposed to be done? How would you put to better use the "simple" equipment that TAPS uses? Don't the steps of the scientific method include forming a hypothesis that you will test until you prove it right or wrong? How is TAPS not following the scientific method?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow do you know this? Would you be able to do any better if you were in TAPS's shoes? Why don't you tell us how it's supposed to be done? How would you put to better use the "simple" equipment that TAPS uses? Don't the steps of the scientific method include forming a hypothesis that you will test until you prove it right or wrong? How is TAPS not following the scientific method?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh, I see. Any unexpected noise must be a ghost.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf a pocket of air is slightly colder, it must be a ghost.
Why is it that any unexpected reading of any instrument = a ghost?
Sorry, I don't consider that science.
This is a transcript of a very informative podcast on Ghost hunter tools by skeptiod.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://skeptoid.com/episodes/4081
it can also be heard on iTunes podcasts Skeptiod - Episode 81 - 12/31/07
"Measuring equipment detects what it is designed to detect, whether that's light, heat, electromagnetism, or whatever. Thus it will only detect things that emit measurable amounts of those energies."
SCIENTIFIC American...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSave this BS for the tabloids and the TV shows that cater to the gullible. It has no place in real science.
I wonder if the scientific community responded in like manner when the idea of a round earth was first being put forth? (i.e. "this is BS, there is no evidence, we all know this is garbage")
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust curious how it was. I prefer to remain curious, open minded and skeptical. Just a selfish thing, I find the world more interesting that way. By the way I lived in a weird house as a teenager where knocking was heard on doors even when you were the only one home. A fruit cellar door in the basement was blocked shut time and time again only to be opened by morning (until it was finally boarded shut). Items were moved around. Hard to say what forces of nature move a dining room chair in a closed house. Anyway other than the days I or I and my sisters ran in terror outside, it was a cool house to live in.
You say that no two snowflakes are alike, but there are lots of snowflakes. And with ET's it could be the same. They would not be the same as us, but intelligent lifeforms nevertheless. With billions and trillions of planets out there, it is unlikely that there isn't one with intelligent life on. The reasons we have not met them: time and distance. They might have existed at another time, or like us they have not got the technology to bridge the distance, if they are at all interested to make contact with others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs for Ghosts, I have never seen one, others claim to have encountered some. How can I be sure they are wrong.