"Paranormal Investigations, Research and Equipment
Paranormal is a term that describes a variety of unexplained and unproven phenomena, including crop circles, Bigfoot and ghosts. For those who believe in the paranormal or who have been first-hand witnesses to it, finding evidence of paranormal activity can be essential to validating their experiences, giving them peace of mind and proving the existence of the paranormal to the world.

However, when it comes to proving the existence of anything paranormal, research and investigation of these subjects are especially challenging. By definition, all things paranormal already exist outside of the realm of 'normal' science, and proving the paranormal to skeptics requires paranormal researchers to find these elusive scientific explanations.

Regardless of the challenge, many still use a variety of efforts to research and prove the paranormal.
Paranormal Research
As with any study of science, research can progress through a number of methods including the:

* anecdotal approach: Using anecdotes to prove the paranormal involves collecting stories and experiences from those who claim to have witnessed or otherwise experienced paranormal phenomena. Because people naturally have biases, make deductions from their experiences and rarely remember events exactly as they occurred, anecdotal approaches to to proving the paranormal are considered pseudoscientific and, therefore, aren't accepted by mainstream science.

During the early 1900s, Charles Fort popularized the anecdotal approach of researching the paranormal by collecting around 40,000 anecdotes of paranormal phenomena.

* experimental methods: Conducting experiments to prove the paranormal is primarily used by researchers investigating phenomena of parapsychology (a field studies the afterlife, ESP and telekinesis). In many cases, experimental methods revolve around card-guessing experiments that attempt to prove the existence of ESP.

While many credible researchers and institutions were using experimental methods to prove parapsychology during the 1970s, failure to find concrete evidence has led many reputable researchers to abandon this form of paranormal research.

* participant-observer approach: In contrast to research methods that take place in labs, the participant-observer approach to paranormal research calls for the investigator to immerse himself in the paranormal experience to better understand the subject and collect data about it. Visiting "haunted" locations and performing séances are both popular ways that researchers practice the participant-observer approach.

Currently, this research method seems to be among the most popular ways for paranormal believers to investigate their subjects. Many reality-television shows, such as Ghost Hunters, document ongoing investigations that use the participant-observer research approach.

While paranormal investigators around the world continue to use the above and a variety of other research methods, to date, no one has conclusively proved the existence of the paranormal through research.
The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS)
Based in Rhode Island, TAPS is an association dedicated to investigating the paranormal on an ongoing basis. While TAPS' paranormal investigations have been occurring since 1990, since 2004, TAPS has been the subject of a popular reality show known as Ghost Hunters. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are credited with starting TAPS.

Paranormal Equipment
Paranormal researchers may use a variety of equipment to document paranormal experiences. Common pieces of paranormal equipment include:

* motion detectors: This piece of equipment uses infrared technology to detect physical movement, shock waves and temperature changes in a given region. Motion detectors with a few special features can cost as little as $20.

* thermal scanners: By measuring extreme temperature changes with incredible accuracy, thermal scanners supposedly indicate the presence of paranormal phenomena. This piece of equipment typically starts at around $100, depending on where you purchase it.

* tri-field meters: These sensitive meters detect electric and magnetic fields. Depending on the sensitivity of these meters, they may have to remain stationary, rather than be carried around. Most quality tri-field meters start at around $150.

Gaussmeters, ion detectors and EMF headsets are also popular pieces of paranormal research equipment.

Paranormal Research Equipment
Paranormal investigators take their work seriously. When checking out a purportedly haunted site, they plan ahead and bring plenty of paranormal investigative equipment with them.

The equipment in a paranormal researcher's kit varies, but certain items are considered to be especially helpful when investigating paranormal phenomena.

EMF Detection Meters
An electromagnetic field (EMF) meter is a common tool used among ghost hunters. This piece of paranormal investigative equipment measures the electromagnetic field radiating from household objects. While no scientific evidence exists to support this, it is widely believed that ghosts can disrupt an electromagnetic signal or even give off radiation of their own.

The accuracy of these meters can vary, with handheld devices being the least reliable. A ghost hunter using a handheld EMF meter should be careful to stand as still as possible because even the tiniest bit of movement can cause the electromagnetic readings to fluctuate.

The cost of EMF meters ranges from about $40 (for a very basic meter designed for beginners) to $200 for professional equipment with a built-in EMF alarm.
Infrared Surveillance Cameras
Infrared surveillance cameras cost around $20 and can be very useful pieces of paranormal investigation equipment, especially for researchers exploring a large area. The camera will sound an alarm if motion is detected, meaning researchers can plant it in one room while exploring another one nearby.
Thermometer or Infrared Thermometer
Since a rapid drop of 10° or more could signify a nearby ghost, a thermometer is a great tool for any paranormal investigator to have. Infrared thermometers can scan a large space and can respond to temperature drops much more quickly than regular thermometers. Thermometers start around $10 for a basic digital thermometer and can cost up to $130 or so for a high-end infrared thermometer.

Because paranormal phenomenon can interfere with electronic equipment, paranormal investigators should also bring along an old-fashioned mercury thermometer as a backup.
Cameras and Paranormal Investigation Equipment
A regular 35mm film or digital camera is a vital part of paranormal research equipment. Photos taken at allegedly haunted sites can provide tangible evidence of paranormal phenomena. Orbs (balls of light believed to be ghosts) and ectoplasmic mist that might not be visible to the naked eye often show up on developed film, negatives or even on a digital camera's display screen.

Originally, using digital cameras as paranormal investigative equipment was frowned upon. The earliest signs of paranormal phenomenon captured by digital photography were explained away as defects in the equipment or computer trickery.

However, as digital cameras have become more mainstream and reliable, paranormal investigators have begun using them in place of their old 35mm cameras. The digital camera has many advantages over its film counterpart, the most obvious being the ability to see a picture immediately after taking it.

Prices for digital cameras vary widely. They start as low as $80, but paranormal researchers should be prepared to spend at least $200 to $400 for a good digital camera.
EVP Listener
Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) refers to the ghostly whisperings occasionally heard on tapes and other audio devices. For years, EVP could only be heard by a trained ear on an audio recording. Now, however, paranormal investigators can arm themselves with an EVP listener: a device that transforms magnetic signals into their audio counterpart. When paired with a set of headphones, an EVP listener allows researchers to hear EVPs as they occur. An EVP listener is portable and costs around $20.
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How Does Bermuda Triangle Works

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The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an infamous stretch of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico that has been the location of strange disappearances throughout history. The Coast Guard does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle or the supernatural explanations for the mysterious disappearances in its midst. There are some probable explanations for the missing vessels, including hurricanes, undersea earthquakes, and magnetic fields that interfere with compasses and other positioning devices. But it's much more interesting to think the following vessels got sucked into another dimension, abducted by aliens, or simply vanished into thin air.

1. Flight 19

On the afternoon of December 5, 1945, five Avenger torpedo bombers left the Naval Air Station at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Lt. Charles Taylor in command of a crew of 13 student pilots. About an hour and a half into the flight, Taylor radioed the base to say that his compasses weren't working, but he figured he was somewhere over the Florida Keys. The lieutenant who received the signal told Taylor to fly north toward Miami, as long as he was sure he was actually over the Keys. Although he was an experienced pilot, Taylor got horribly turned around, and the more he tried to get out of the Keys, the further out to sea he and his crew traveled.

As night fell, radio signals worsened, until, finally, there was nothing at all from Flight 19. A U.S. Navy investigation reported that Taylor's confusion caused the disaster, but his mother convinced them to change the official report to read that the planes went down for "causes unknown." The planes have never been recovered.

2. Flight 201

This Cessna left Fort Lauderdale on March 31, 1984, en route for Bimini Island in the Bahamas, but it never made it. Not quite midway to its destination, the plane slowed its airspeed significantly, but no radio signals were made from the plane to indicate distress. Suddenly, the plane dropped from the air into the water, completely vanishing from the radar. A woman on Bimini Island swore she saw a plane plunge into the sea about a mile offshore, but no wreckage has ever been found.

Airplanes flying from the US, Great Britain and Bermuda have all fallen somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. Read on to find out more about these fateful flights.

These ill-fated flights have fallen victim to the mysterious powers of the Bermuda Triangle. Find out how these planes were never heard from again.

3. USS Cyclops

As World War I heated up, America went to battle. The Cyclops, commanded by Lt. G. W. Worley, stayed mostly on the East Coast of the United States until 1918 when it was sent to Brazil to refuel Allied ships. With 309 people onboard, the ship left Rio de Janeiro in February and reached Barbados in March. After that, the Cyclops was never heard from again. The Navy says in its official statement, "The disappearance of this ship has been one of the most baffling mysteries in the annals of the Navy, all attempts to locate her having proved unsuccessful. There were no enemy submarines in the western Atlantic at that time, and in December 1918 every effort was made to obtain from German sources information regarding the disappearance of the vessel."

4. Star Tiger

The Star Tiger, commanded by Capt. B. W. McMillan, was flying from England to Bermuda in January 1948. On January 30, McMillan said he expected to arrive in Bermuda at 5:00 a.m., but neither he nor any of the 31 people onboard the Star Tiger were ever heard from again. When the Civil Air Ministry launched a search and investigation, they learned that the S.S. Troubadour had reported seeing a low-flying aircraft halfway between Bermuda and the entrance to Delaware Bay. If that aircraft was the Star Tiger, it was drastically off course. According to the Civil Air Ministry, the fate of the Star Tiger remains an unsolved mystery.

5. Star Ariel

A Tudor IV aircraft like the Star Tiger left Bermuda on January 17, 1949, with 7 crew members and 13 passengers en route to Jamaica. That morning, Capt. J. C. McPhee reported that the flight was going smoothly. Shortly afterward, another more cryptic message came from the captain, when he reported that he was changing his frequency, and then nothing more was heard, ever. More than 60 aircraft and 13,000 men were deployed to look for the Star Ariel, but not even a hint of debris or wreckage was ever found. After the Ariel disappeared, Tudor IVs were no longer produced.

6. The Spray

Joshua Slocum, the first man to sail solo around the world, never should have been lost at sea, but it appears that's exactly what happened. In 1909, the Spray left the East Coast of the United States for Venezuela via the Caribbean Sea. Slocum was never heard from or seen again and was declared dead in 1924. The ship was solid and Slocum was a pro, so nobody knows what happened. Perhaps he was felled by a larger ship or maybe he was taken down by pirates. No one knows for sure that Slocum disappeared within Triangle waters, but Bermuda buffs claim Slocum's story as part of the legacy of the Devil's Triangle.

7. Teignmouth Electron

Who said that the Bermuda Triangle only swallows up ships and planes? Who's to say it can't make a man go mad, too? Perhaps that's what happened on the Teignmouth Electron in 1969. The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race of 1968 left England on October 31 and required each contestant to sail his ship solo. Donald Crowhurst was one of the entrants, but he never made it to the finish line. The Electron was found abandoned in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle in July 1969. Logbooks recovered from the ship reveal that Crowhurst was deceiving organizers about his position in the race and going a little nutty out there in the big blue ocean. The last entry of his log was dated June 29 -- it is believed that Crowhurst jumped overboard and drowned himself in the Triangle.

Extrasensory perception is a collective term for various hypothetical mental abilities. These abilities (along with other paranormal phenomena) are also referred to as psi.

The major types of ESP are:

* Telepathy - the ability to read another person's thoughts
* Clairvoyance - the ability to 'see' events or objects happening somewhere else
* Precognition - the ability to see the future
* Retrocognition - the ability to see into the distant past
* Mediumship - the ability to channel dead spirits
* Psychometry - the ability to read information about a person or place by touching a physical object

A closely related psi phenomenon, not technically part of ESP, is telekinesis, the ability to alter the physical world with mind power alone.

All of these abilities are based on the idea that human beings can perceive things beyond the scope of known bodily senses. This concept has been around since the beginning of human civilization, under many different names, but the modern conception didn't develop until the first half of the 20th century. The term ESP itself was coined in 1934, by Duke University professor J.B. Rhine, one of the first respected scientists to conduct paranormal research in a university laboratory.

ESP believers around the world have different ideas of how these abilities manifest themselves. Some people believe everybody possesses these abilities, and we involuntarily experience moments of ESP all the time. Others say only a handful of psychics, shamans or mediums have the special power, and that they can only access this power when they put themselves into a special mental state. Most believers think that everybody has the potential for ESP, but that some people are more in tune with their paranormal abilities than others.

Believers also disagree on how ESP actually works. One theory says that, like our ordinary senses, ESP is energy moving from one point to another point. Typically, proponents of this theory say ESP energy takes the form of electromagnetic waves -- just like light, radio and X-ray energy -- that we haven't been able to detect scientifically.

This theory was fairly popular in the early 20th century, but it's out of favor today due to several inherent problems. For one thing, the explanation only accounts for telepathy, not clairvoyance or precognition. Presumably, if the information travels as electromagnetic energy, it has to be sent by someone -- it has to travel from mind to mind. It doesn't explain how information would move through time or from an object to a mind.

Secondly, the theory doesn't jibe with what we know about ourselves and the universe. In most reported cases of telepathy, ESP works totally independent of distance. That is, the power of the "signal" is the same whether the transmitting mind and the receiving mind are in the same room or on opposite sides of the earth. No other form of energy behaves this way, skeptics point out, so it doesn't make sense that "psi waves" would either. Furthermore, it seems strange that we haven't found any unexplained sense organs in the body that might pick up on this energy, nor any evidence of the energy waves themselves.

In light of these problems, the prevailing theory among believers today is that ESP is a result of something beyond the known physical world. For example, many people view it as "spillover" from another reality. According to this theory, in addition to the physical universe we are consciously aware of, we all exist in another dimension that has completely different governing laws. Time and space work very differently in the other reality, allowing us to know about other people's thoughts, distant events or things that haven't happened yet in the physical reality. Normally, our awareness of this plane of existence is completely unconscious, but every once in a while, the conscious mind picks up on this information.

Needless to say, this theory is also completely outside our scientific understanding of the world. But, according to the theory's proponents, it's not supposed to fit into that conception. Like the concepts of God or an afterlife, the hypothetical reality would not rely on the physical laws of the universe. It would depend on the existence of a soul of some sort.

So, given that it's completely at odds with our understanding of the world, why do so many people believe in ESP? In the next section, we'll find out some of the reasons for this belief, and we'll see what scientific evidence supports it.
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