The burden of proof

Monday, November 9th, 2009

First off, I must offer a belated thank you to Dave Wood of ASSAP for his highly informative and valuable series of articles on Scientific Investigation which came to its 12-month conclusion in the previous issue.

This Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (try saying that after a few drinks) has been at the forefront of amateur scientific research into the paranormal for decades and is the most respected organisation of its kind. We couldn’t have asked for any better authority to guide us through the most effective ways to carry out scientific research into ghostly phenomena.

After all, we couldn’t have asked any professional scientific body or government department to help us: there aren’t any.

There are a few parapsychologists dotted about but their role seems to be to prove we’re all hopelessly deluded, not to discover whether there is any truth behind the countless reports of ghosts, poltergeists etc throughout history which might, if investigated properly, lead to perhaps the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the nature of existence since apemen gained the power of speech and started throwing ideas around instead of rocks.

Of course not. You wouldn’t get a grant for that. At least ASSAP hope ‘there’s something in it all’: they’re just careful to keep a lid of common sense and good practice on their enthusiasm.

ASSAP’s particular bête noir are the increasing number of gadgets people take with them on their investigations, almost all of which, they argue, serve no good purpose. Jerry Glover, in this month’s Bookend, has come up with a rather radical and intriguing suggestion for a bit of kit ghost hunters should employ more often – but I won’t spoil the surprise by mentioning it here (turn to the inside back page if you can’t wait to find out).

It all depends on whether you are interested in gaining proof of a spooky occurrence or interested simply in the experience itself. If you wish to gain proof then of course you must be scientific about it. If all you have as evidence is an odd reading on some meter or other you better be pretty sure you know precisely what that means – or it’s worthless.

However, there is a lot to be said for holding quiet vigils somewhere with a haunted reputation and seeing what happens. It might be worth taking along a friend. There’s always the chance that if something peculiar happens, you will both experience it – and at least that will rule out the possibility of it having been entirely down to your own imagination.

Either way, if you do see or in some other way experience a ghost, you will have no proof of it. But you will have had the experience: of something rare and fascinating, something that may prove – even if only to yourself – that there exists a world of strangeness and wonder outside the confines of our ordered modern lives.

Whatever the true nature – or supernature – of the paranormal, whatever scientific explanations may one day be forthcoming for the various phenomena, the paranormal remains a human experience, one that affects us personally, emotionally.

That is why sharing one’s own experiences of the supernatural is so important, irrespective of any additional evidence. It still helps to add to our sum of knowledge.

And, of course, it’s always of interest. Especially to us.

So here’s a hint: Experiences begins on page 76 this month. We look forward to reading yours next month!

Richard Holland, Editor

Tell the editor about your own experience with the paranormal. Email: editor@paranormalmagazine.co.uk or write to Richard Holland, The Editor Paranormal Magazine, Jazz Publishing, The Old School, Higher Kinnerton, Chester CH4 9AJ. Or submit your story through the EXPERIENCES section on our website by clicking HERE

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