Ghost-Hunting Equipment
Function: Some ghost-hunters are New Age spiritualists, concerned with the emotional and psychic resonance of the departed. These ghost-hunters’ arsenal is a pastiche of pagan and occult objects: Ouija boards, crystals, dowsing rods, wind chimes (to “capture” the ghost’s soul or attention). Other ghost-hunters, however, lean toward the more scientific end of the spectrum. These paranormal investigators are generally hobbyists, though some ply their trade professionally. Most professional ghost-hunters make the bulk of their money from the attention of local radio stations and other promotional gigs at Halloween time than they do through actual spirit detection. Some investigators manage to make a living from it, but such investigators are rare.
While the scientific community considers the methodology behind such ghost-hunting dubious, ghost-hunters maintain that what they do has genuine scientific merit. Therefore, they have their own arsenal of equipment. Most ghost-hunting gear comprises various meters and detection devices. Thermal scanners detect drastic temperature drops (ghostly “cold spots”). EMF detectors seek to reveal electromagnetic disruptions. Other sensory equipment helps to detect ion spikes or unseen motion. Ghost hunters often bring digital voice recorders to capture EVP (“electronic voice phenomenon”) and digital cameras to find “ghost orbs.” Since many ghost-hunters choose to work in the dark, they also buy night vision goggles or lenses for their cameras.
When the pieces are purchased together, ghosthunting equipment is costly. For this reason, some ghost-hunting groups purchase sub-par equipment or are forced to seek out sponsors to pursue their hobby/career. Most ghost-hunters find few are willing to support this pseudo-science. A few groups exist that will help to bankroll a group of budding ghost-hunters, such as the faceless Eurydice Group.
The big question is, does this stuff really work? Can ghost-hunting equipment really detect a ghostly presence? Generally, no. Such equipment provides too many false positives. Old wiring in the walls will stump EMF detectors, dust motes look like “ghost orbs” when caught on most cameras and radio frequencies are so omnipresent that they provide a worthless watermark. Ghost-hunters may abide by some science, but such scientific endeavor is poor, at best.
That’s not to say their equipment fails to pick up supernatural activity; it just means it doesn’t reliably do so. A ghost disrupting electronic equipment can wreak havoc on a ghost-hunter’s EMF reader. Restless spirits can imprint messages on forms of media, thus affecting voice or video recorders. Ghosts can create a number of illusory (and contradictory) effects, and ghost-hunting equipment may very well capture this, but, in the end, is it proof of anything? A whisper on an audio tape, a weird reading on the motion detector or a glowing light on digital video add up to nothing more than speculation and skepticism.
However, ghost-hunting equipment can inadvertently detect other supernatural beings. Vampires caught on camera will show up as blurry distortions. Unless well fed, vampires have a lower body temperature than most humans, and a thermal scanner that can reliably take a subject’s temperature from up to 100 yards away will reveal this disparity (see p. 166). Some non-ghostly spirits can also affect an environment with their Numina, and may create bizarre readings on an investigator’s equipment.
While the scientific community considers the methodology behind such ghost-hunting dubious, ghost-hunters maintain that what they do has genuine scientific merit. Therefore, they have their own arsenal of equipment. Most ghost-hunting gear comprises various meters and detection devices. Thermal scanners detect drastic temperature drops (ghostly “cold spots”). EMF detectors seek to reveal electromagnetic disruptions. Other sensory equipment helps to detect ion spikes or unseen motion. Ghost hunters often bring digital voice recorders to capture EVP (“electronic voice phenomenon”) and digital cameras to find “ghost orbs.” Since many ghost-hunters choose to work in the dark, they also buy night vision goggles or lenses for their cameras.
When the pieces are purchased together, ghosthunting equipment is costly. For this reason, some ghost-hunting groups purchase sub-par equipment or are forced to seek out sponsors to pursue their hobby/career. Most ghost-hunters find few are willing to support this pseudo-science. A few groups exist that will help to bankroll a group of budding ghost-hunters, such as the faceless Eurydice Group.
The big question is, does this stuff really work? Can ghost-hunting equipment really detect a ghostly presence? Generally, no. Such equipment provides too many false positives. Old wiring in the walls will stump EMF detectors, dust motes look like “ghost orbs” when caught on most cameras and radio frequencies are so omnipresent that they provide a worthless watermark. Ghost-hunters may abide by some science, but such scientific endeavor is poor, at best.
That’s not to say their equipment fails to pick up supernatural activity; it just means it doesn’t reliably do so. A ghost disrupting electronic equipment can wreak havoc on a ghost-hunter’s EMF reader. Restless spirits can imprint messages on forms of media, thus affecting voice or video recorders. Ghosts can create a number of illusory (and contradictory) effects, and ghost-hunting equipment may very well capture this, but, in the end, is it proof of anything? A whisper on an audio tape, a weird reading on the motion detector or a glowing light on digital video add up to nothing more than speculation and skepticism.
However, ghost-hunting equipment can inadvertently detect other supernatural beings. Vampires caught on camera will show up as blurry distortions. Unless well fed, vampires have a lower body temperature than most humans, and a thermal scanner that can reliably take a subject’s temperature from up to 100 yards away will reveal this disparity (see p. 166). Some non-ghostly spirits can also affect an environment with their Numina, and may create bizarre readings on an investigator’s equipment.
Item type
Tool
Weight
Durability: 3
Dimensions
Size: 3
Base Price
Cost: ••••