Ghost Hunters 2.8: "14 Sep 2005"

Case #1: Astor Mansion
Case #2: Roselle Park, NJ

Like the previous episode, this is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, there’s the site that has a number of quirks, all of which add up to unsettle the staff. That makes sense, and nearly everything can be debunked. And then there’s the second case, where it’s one person living in an old home, where things happen that the investigators find hard to explain, even after they debunk several aspects of the “haunting”.

I also enjoyed the fact that there were a lot less of the “personal drama” moments that plagued the earlier episodes of the season. Sure, there was that minor issue with Steve and the power cord, but it was quickly resolved and over with. (Though I still don’t understand why they didn’t just run out to a store and get a replacement; they’re cheap and several stores are within a few minutes of that site!)

That brings me to the other thing I enjoyed about this episode. The second case was practically in my backyard! I actually used to live down the road in a neighboring town (where I, incidentally, had some unusual activity). It’s a lot of fun to see my local area on TV in something other than “The Sopranos”!

First case:

This is one of those situations where that whole “psychological effect” kicks in. There are some who believe that most, if not all, of a haunting is a psychological effect due to environmental conditions: reactions to EM fields, power of suggestion, and so on. I like to think of it as a more balanced phenomenon. I think there’s something happening, but because it is often fragmentary at best, the brain needs to develop something within its available range of sensory interpretations to account for the activity.

CC is a perfect example. The mansion seems to have plenty of maintenance issues that result in unusual circumstances: cold drafts, moving doors, etc. Because of her growing anxiety and the suggested haunting that she’s associated with it, she begins to experience things like apparitions and auditory phenomena. At least, that’s what the investigation and its presentation in this episode seemed to suggest. (That’s also not an insult to CC, because this seems to be a very human trait.)

Second case:

The second case looked to be as easily debunked as the first, given that a truly amateur group had originally run the show. I find it interesting that CNJPS continues to have a very small membership, and Dave doesn’t seem to be working with them anymore. They’re also not part of the “TAPS Family”, according to the TAPS site, which makes me wonder.

Anyway, while the skeptics are sure to find those problems with Grant’s computer to be very convenient (remember: Windows…’nuff said), the fact that the footsteps and movement were caught on tape make it hard to dispute. Of course, that’s assuming that there wasn’t someone up there intentionally messing with the team. But if someone was trying to fake activity, there were easier ways to do it, so I’m taking this one as presented.

One last comment: I was listening to the Haunted New Jersey podcast this week, and they made an interesting point. They all tend to be skeptical of these TV shows on the podcast, but they did seem to indicate that TAPS’ methods and integrity seem to shine through. The podcasters do, however, point out that some things discovered during investigations seem questionable, as if someone were trying to make sure the team finds something. They made a very clear distinction, of course, between this and the ludicrous “Most Haunted”, particularly in the sense that activity is rarely found on “Ghost Hunters”.

Chill Factor: 7/10