Things That Go Bump (in the night or otherwise)

Paranormal investigation is all the rage now days. Shows like Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State are enjoying the luxury of fat ratings and a vast audience. As a horror author that often writes in a supernatural vein, I am often asked what my opinion is of the paranormal, outside of my fiction.

Let me start with this. I in no way mix what I write about in fiction with what I truly believe. That is not to say that I never add my own theories or proven truths into my writing, but rather I am saying that it would be impossible for you, the reader, to know when I am using solid theory and when I have completely made something up off the top of my head. So please don't read my stories for the purpose of trying to figure out my view of the paranormal. It is fiction.

With that said, I would also like to say that I have a great deal of respect for the community that scientifically investigates paranormal activity. The most well know, of course, is TAPS of Ghost Hunter's fame (Sci-fi channel). The way that Jay, Grant, and the gang go about their business is impeccable. Using gadgets such as EMF Detectors, Infrared Cameras, Voice Recorders, and other technology, they take a purely scientific approach to the whole business of collecting evidence. They shun the use of "spiritual" malodies, such as, Oija Boards and the like...purely scientific, the way it should be. They do not base their opinions on feelings, but on hard scientific proof. There are local groups also, much less known often times, but almost every area has one. One that I associate with is The Minnesota Paranormal Study Group out of Hibbing, MN. Adam Nori and the gang are a TAPS family affiliated group and also approach all their investigations from a scientific point of view--I highly encourage you all to check out their website.

The way I see it all is like this: All of God's creations are subject to His laws of science. Why would His spiritual ones not be, even if it is a science we do not yet understand? There was a time when we had evidence that black holes existed, but did not understand the science behind them...thus, they were unknown and scary. Today we understand the science behind black holes...and low and behold, the public view is now one of acceptance. One hundred years from now, will we understand the science behind ghosts? Will we accept them as part of our every day life? Interesting questions are they not?