Fraud and the Paranormal Investigator
A look at fraud in the paranormal investigation community
I have wanted to write about this subject for a while but, frankly, was confused and a little bit concerned about it. I don't want to be unfair or too harsh to the paranormal community. So, I did what I always do. I went to the internet to do some research on the subject. I was surprised at what I found.
I didn't expect to find so many other paranormal investigators as concerned as I am about fraud in their field. But I did. I found a lot. It seems that all of the legitimate, science-based paranormal researchers out there are pretty angry, upset and vocal about the state of our field. Fraud is growing as fast as the interest by the public in this field is growing. Reports of psychics committing criminal fraud is growing.
But it's more than that. Fraud among us; fraud committed by groups, by investigators of private residences and by "ghost tour groups" is on the rise.
There has been an increase in fraud among psychics recently. Many all over the country have been in the news for bilking money out of unsuspecting "marks". Luckily, many have been arrested and convicted. However, there are many more out there who are getting away with it every day.
When I speak of fraud, I am not really speaking of the stereotypical "astrologer" in turban with a crystal ball, faking phenomena and telling their clients that they can make a bad future turn good if they pay them thousands of dollars to remove a curse. That's old school. I am also not talking about the paranormal TV shows, were faking is now so rampant as to be something assumed by the viewing audience, guilty or not.
Real psychics know that their gift cannot be turned on and off like a faucet. It's not under their control in that way. Their gifts, if real, are not on call. That eliminates almost all psychics who do it for money, and all psychics on TV. They are frauds out to take your money. Be wary.
It's making a resurgence, but its not what I am talking about.
I'm talking about so-called paranormal investigators faking evidence during an investigation.
I'm talking about faking phenomena during a ghost tour.
I'm talking about the paranormal fakers hiding behind the idea of paranormal unity as a way of silencing the critics of their fraud.
I'm talking about groups telling clients that their personal experiences are "evidence" of a haunting, and, therefore, their residence is haunted.
I'm talking about psychics, or self-proclaimed sensitives, doing a cleansing of a home, or an exorcism, or moving spirits on, or to the light, sometimes for a fee; sometimes telling the client that they will need to return many times before the cleansing is finished.
I'm talking about claiming to be "historians" or experts as they lead tours of historical locations and impart false, misinformed "history" to ignorant tourists.
And, last but not least,
I am talking about so-called investigators defending their non-scientific methods by using the banner of Paranormal Unity as a defense. If anyone criticizes their methods or beliefs they must be against unity, troublemakers, know-it-alls.
I once had an experienced investigator tell me that he/she used his/her cell phone in his/her pocket to set off K-2 meters during ghost tours, in order to give the tourist a "real experience. It's all about the experience." Apparently, it's also all about selling equipment and tours to make tons of money off of unsuspecting marks. What shocked me about this admission was that he/she didn't realize that this is fraud. This type of fraud is a crime punishable by imprisonment. And, of course, it is unethical, wrong, despicable.
I'm also tired of explaining my beliefs about things like orbs and matrixing. It's time that investigators and researchers did some honest soul searching and scientific study and found out the truth.
Let's separate occult practices from paranormal investigating, once and for all.
So, stop whining and blaming and start getting real about evidence, about scientific methods, about doing real research, collecting real data, working with science and working together to expose fraud, kick out the fakers among us, and get down to work.
Have you experienced what you believe to be faking, fraud, or other such nonsense while on an investigation? Lets talk about it. Share it here.
I have wanted to write about this subject for a while but, frankly, was confused and a little bit concerned about it. I don't want to be unfair or too harsh to the paranormal community. So, I did what I always do. I went to the internet to do some research on the subject. I was surprised at what I found.
I didn't expect to find so many other paranormal investigators as concerned as I am about fraud in their field. But I did. I found a lot. It seems that all of the legitimate, science-based paranormal researchers out there are pretty angry, upset and vocal about the state of our field. Fraud is growing as fast as the interest by the public in this field is growing. Reports of psychics committing criminal fraud is growing.
But it's more than that. Fraud among us; fraud committed by groups, by investigators of private residences and by "ghost tour groups" is on the rise.
When I speak of fraud, I am not really speaking of the stereotypical "astrologer" in turban with a crystal ball, faking phenomena and telling their clients that they can make a bad future turn good if they pay them thousands of dollars to remove a curse. That's old school. I am also not talking about the paranormal TV shows, were faking is now so rampant as to be something assumed by the viewing audience, guilty or not.
Real psychics know that their gift cannot be turned on and off like a faucet. It's not under their control in that way. Their gifts, if real, are not on call. That eliminates almost all psychics who do it for money, and all psychics on TV. They are frauds out to take your money. Be wary.
It's making a resurgence, but its not what I am talking about.
I'm talking about so-called paranormal investigators faking evidence during an investigation.
I'm talking about faking phenomena during a ghost tour.
I'm talking about the paranormal fakers hiding behind the idea of paranormal unity as a way of silencing the critics of their fraud.
I'm talking about groups telling clients that their personal experiences are "evidence" of a haunting, and, therefore, their residence is haunted.
I'm talking about psychics, or self-proclaimed sensitives, doing a cleansing of a home, or an exorcism, or moving spirits on, or to the light, sometimes for a fee; sometimes telling the client that they will need to return many times before the cleansing is finished.
I'm talking about claiming to be "historians" or experts as they lead tours of historical locations and impart false, misinformed "history" to ignorant tourists.
And, last but not least,
I am talking about so-called investigators defending their non-scientific methods by using the banner of Paranormal Unity as a defense. If anyone criticizes their methods or beliefs they must be against unity, troublemakers, know-it-alls.
I once had an experienced investigator tell me that he/she used his/her cell phone in his/her pocket to set off K-2 meters during ghost tours, in order to give the tourist a "real experience. It's all about the experience." Apparently, it's also all about selling equipment and tours to make tons of money off of unsuspecting marks. What shocked me about this admission was that he/she didn't realize that this is fraud. This type of fraud is a crime punishable by imprisonment. And, of course, it is unethical, wrong, despicable.
I'm also tired of explaining my beliefs about things like orbs and matrixing. It's time that investigators and researchers did some honest soul searching and scientific study and found out the truth.
Let's separate occult practices from paranormal investigating, once and for all.
So, stop whining and blaming and start getting real about evidence, about scientific methods, about doing real research, collecting real data, working with science and working together to expose fraud, kick out the fakers among us, and get down to work.
Have you experienced what you believe to be faking, fraud, or other such nonsense while on an investigation? Lets talk about it. Share it here.
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