The truth about ectoplasm

      I hope you're sitting down, because I'm about to burst your ectoplasmic bubble. Is that a word? Ectroplasmic? Let's pretend I didn't just make that up for the sake of this blog.
First a little history: Ectoplasm was "discovered" in the late 1800s and was described as a substance in which a medium excreted from an orifice (nose, mouth) during a seance. These mediums claimed that the ectoplasm was "light sensitive" and could only manifest in complete darkness. However, it was later discovered that the darkness created a shield in which the medium and her cohorts could place "ectoplasm" around her nose and mouth. It was usually made up of tissue paper or  a mixture of gelatin, soap, and egg whites. It sounds incredibly disgusting and probably pretty startling for the clients of said medium. The medium would also sometimes swallow a substance and regurgitate it during the seance and amaze her clients with her skill. So ectoplasm is a hoax? Yep. A pretty gross one, at that.
                                                 Sorry, Ghostbusters.

      With that said, I do believe that ghosts can sometimes leave behind traces of themselves within and on us. I like to call it "energy ectoplasm". This energy can leave behind an electrical slime, which sticks to our energy like paranormal glue. Once touched by a spirit, you know it absolutely. There's no mistaking the strange feeling you have after a brush with an entity that resides on the other side. It's almost as if the touched part of your body was transported to the dead realm. You feel as if you were electrocuted with a vibrating aftershock. That vibration can last for what feels like eons and lasts until you shed the energy that has made your body it's temporary home.

      So, no, ectoplasm doesn't exist in the traditional definition but it does exist in it's own certain way. Paranormal history, hoaxes included, is extremely fascinating. If you guys get a chance, definitely check it out.

Technology and ghost hunting

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love that I can find info or catch up with family and friends with my iPhone but sometimes it can really cloud your mind.
Ghost hunting has come such a long way over the years but I'm not so sure it's for the better. I'm just as impressed with new ghost hunting technology as the next ghost hunter, but now we tend to just rely on electronic beeps and flashes to tell us what our sixth sense should. A few years ago, if in the presence of a ghost, our hair would stand on end, our ears would ring, or our bodies would react in a certain way to let us know, "hey, there is something supernatural in the room." Now I think most ghost hunters are completely disconnected to the physical symptoms of a ghostly encounter. We rely solely on what our equipment says. We walk around a location looking like The Ghostbusters and lugging around bags of things we "need". I don't believe most of those things are really needed. (they are fun to at with though!)
I believe everyone has the ability to have a sixth sense. Everyone has that part of their brain open from birth and as we get older, it shuts down. This is caused by many reasons...parents telling us, "there is no such thing as ghosts.", technology turning us into mindless slugs, or even just life.
Now don't get me wrong, some ghost hunting equipment is necessary such as- a camera, a camcorder, a digital (or tape) recorder, and a flashlight. The rest is just stuff. Is it cool? Sure, it's cool. I have a few unnecessary tools myself but for the most part, I just use the basics. I got into ghost hunting to understand what I saw as a child and to possibly learn the answer to the age-old question of what happens when we die. I don't do it to prove to anyone that ghosts exist...people will believe what they want regardless of what's right in front of them.
I guess what I want to do now is change my old ways. Stop using so many electronic tools and start opening my mind. I'm just as guilty as others when it comes to overdoing it with technology. Ghost hunting has changed in so many ways and has even impacted tv (don't even get me started on ghost hunting shows). It's time for a different and more natural approach. I plan on chronicling my journey from tech-savvy ghost hunter to a more natural ghost hunter.
It's time to get back to real ghost hunting.