Amature Ghost Hunting Groups “Plagued by Hooligans and Misfits”

Since the mainstream of Ghost Hunting has been on every television station with their own form of shows, the public with a curious fascination with ghost hunting, thinks if those guys on TV can do it I can too. This has developed into thousands of amature ghost hunting groups springing up in every city across the world.

There are some serious groups that want to investigate the unknown and paranormal, and these groups do take what they do with a serious scientific approach. On the other hand, there has been a huge amount of “groups” that are curious, they get together with their friends, go ghost hunting at locations, usually by means of just walking around in a cemetery or abandoned house yelling over and over “are any ghosts here”, or “come at me ghost, show yourself”.

In the news over the last few weeks has had it’s share of these so called, “Paranormal Teams” or “Groups” that have no business ruining the field by their untrained, uneducated and ignorant approach to what they call Ghost Hunting. Just this week, amature groups have been arrested for burning down a century old historic plantation while others arrested for trespassing at Civil War Battlegrounds.

“They misuse equipment and make pointless assertion, making the field look bad” said Ed Coleman, Chairman of the North American Association of Paranormal Understanding. “This field, thanks to TV is plagued by hooligans and misfits, they don’t know what they are doing, and when they don’t see a ghost, they destroy or deface the location” Coleman added.

Last week, seven men were arrested and charged with arson for burning down a neoclassical Louisiana Plantation when the “Founder” of the Ghost Hunting group smoked pot and ghost hunted with his team and decided to burn down the pre-Civil War Plantation when no paranormal activity happened. Original Article Here

Then on Thanksgiving, Gettysburg Police held three people in handcuffs and gunpoint as the police noticed flashlights in a historic building at the Battlefield that is being used as an art studio. The three claimed they were part of a “Ghost Hunting Tour” Read Article from TIME Here

A word of caution to anyone participating in a Ghost Tour or Walk, and urge extreme caution with association with any amature “Ghost Hunt Group”. Check them out first, do they have insurance? Do they have permission to be at the location? Are they a member of professional groups like T.A.P.S.? Stick with professionals, they may charge for their events but you get what you pay for. Free might be good, but it might land you in jail also.

“I’ve have been told several times by people, why should I pay you to go ghost hunting with you when I can do it for free”, said Ed Coleman “I let them know, I’m bonded, insured and have permission to be there, we bring thousands of dollars of research equipment and we have built rapport with these locations and communities, thats how we get in locations that is normally off limits, how is that free?” Coleman added.

Phillip Markman is a reporter for CBS affiliate and writes for several Paranormal Magazines.

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