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*I have requested interviews with 3 people and none have reached back out yet*

-I have reached out to someone on the production crew of Ghost Files, the author of "The Rise of Paranormal Investigations...on YouTube," and a professor of sociology. These people can give me important insight on the happenings of ghost hunting

-I will use quotes from the interviews to support my claims

-It will give real world support for the claims made in the articles

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Are paranormal investigation teams more motivated by profit and fame than by uncovering the truth?

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Are paranormal investigation teams more motivated by profit and fame than by uncovering the truth?

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Legitimacy of Paranormal Investigation Interview Questions

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A brief examination of the science behind ghost hunting

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A brief examination of the science behind ghost hunting

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-This source helps me understand the science behind the tools used in paranormal investigations, explaining how and why they respond the way they do.

-I would use it in my inquiry to provide context on investigative tools—what they are and how they work.

-It raises questions like: What kind of device would be needed to definitively prove a ghost encounter? If current tools are unreliable, what alternatives exist?

-Understanding these tools helps readers judge how credible a paranormal investigator might be.

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The rise of paranormal investigations as virtual dark tourism on YouTube

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The rise of paranormal investigations as virtual dark tourism on YouTube

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-Explains how YouTube paranormal investigations have become a form of "armchair travel" and how hauntings are often used to attract viewers and increase profits.

-I would use this source for background and to support the idea that many investigators and tour providers focus more on making money than uncovering the truth.

-It raises questions about the ethics behind producing paranormal content and how these shows compare structurally and morally to other forms of dark tourism.

-This source effectively links paranormal investigators, haunted tourism, and the financial motivations behind both.

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The rise of paranormal investigations as virtual dark tourism on YouTube

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This paper proposes the rising popularity of paranormal investigations on YouTube as a new form of armchair travel, namely virtual dark tourism. To support this discovery, this study gathered stati…

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This Google survey is supporting evidence for how the public perceives the motivations behind paranormal investigations. I will use this as some factual data for a portion of my essay. Some questions that are prompted are: When did paranormal investigations become about making money and becoming famous?

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Ghost hunters haunted by new terror: competition

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Ghost hunters haunted by new terror: competition

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-This article shows how competition among paranormal investigators has ​led to increased rivalry among ghost hunting teams. It shows that many groups now prioritize media exposure and entertainment value over genuine investigation

-I would use this to strengthen the argument that investigations aren't genuine

-How does competition among teams affect the credibility and methods of paranormal investigations?

-Offers further insight on another reason why paranormal investigations may not be reliable

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Ghost hunters haunted by new terror: competition | CNN

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Ghosts may harass the living, but what happens when people harass the ghosts? The popularity of paranormal television shows has created a ghost-hunting glut.

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Using science to investigate the paranormal 

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Using science to investigate the paranormal 

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-Harry Price's work shows that investigating ghosts with science isn't new. He used real tests and research to find the truth, not just to entertain. This shows some ghost hunters have always been serious about uncovering facts

-I could use this to establish context or craft a narrative because it shows the idea that scientific ghost hunting exists

-How did his approach differ from today’s media-driven ghost hunting teams?

-This article contrasts with the articles that say ghost hunters investigate for fame and money

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Harry Price and the National Laboratory of Psychical Research

Photograph of Harry Price at the National Laboratory of Psychical Research, c. 1930, fixing machinery

Boston-based medium Mina Crandon, alias 'Margery', was a famous subject of scientific scrutiny in the 1920s. Margery was known for producing 'ectoplasm' phenomena-strange bodily emanations she claimed were spiritual in origin-in séances.

In the 1920s, Margery was investigated by several psychologists, physicians, engineers, and others using a range of scientific instruments and approaches.

Flash photography was important for visually capturing hard-to-see phenomena in the dim, red-lit séance room. Many photographs were produced for 'stereographic' viewing. This process made objects in photographs appear three-dimensional, which (investigators argued) enabled more accurate observation of the phenomena.

Investigators treated the séance room like a field laboratory, subjecting Margery to strict 'controls' (including physical restraints) to establish test conditions. Her ectoplasm, often taking the form of a crude hand, was a particular focus-especially since its authenticity was backed up by Margery's husband, a Harvard-trained surgeon whose medical background lent scientific credence to her performances.

A spirit 'hand' emerging from Margery's navel during a séance, 1925

The hand supposedly belonged to the spirit 'Walter'. Sceptical investigators speculated that the hand was stored in Margery's vagina, but this was never proved. Margery was internally searched before and after séances, but because of her social standing-and marriage to a well-to-do physician-many investigators treated her more respectfully, and with greater benefit of the doubt, than they did working-class mediums.

In some séances, Margery allowed impressions of Walter's ectoplasmic hand to be taken in softened dental wax.

The ectoplasmic hand of 'Walter' emerging from Margery's body during a sitting and making a fingerprint indentation in wax

Investigators compared these fingerprints against those of prior séance attendees. Some alleged that 'Walter's' fingerprints matched those of her (still living) dentist, who had participated in an earlier séance. But not all agreed with this charge-nor that it suggested fraud. A note in the scientific journal Nature documented the controversy, including counter charges by other investigators alleging 'bad faith, falsification of material evidence and sinister motives'-including that the wax print had been tampered with.

Fingerprint analysis showing apparent similarity between the thumb of 'Walter' (left) and a living dentist in Boston (right)

This kind of debate surrounding proof, trustworthiness and evidence is common in the history of psychical investigation, showing that establishing empirical 'proof' or 'disproof' of psychical phenomena was never as straightforward as it seemed. Margery was 'debunked' by some, but not all, investigators, and continued to perform into the late 1930s.

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Using science to investigate the paranormal | National Science and Media Museum

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Science has long been used to investigate seemingly supernatural phenomena. Read about some of the most famous examples-and what they tell us about the historical relationship between science and the occult.

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-This article gives me another perspective on this topic. It explores how paranormal investigations can be seen as "shady" and points out how unreliable they can be.

-I'd use this article to explain the view that paranormal investigators are motivated by profit and fame. If they really wanted to uncover the truth, they could use more scientific technology and devices.

-What about the individuals who genuinely study whether or not ghosts exist?

-This source can provide another point of view to this inquiry and explain an opposing side

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Ghost hunters use some very high-tech equipment and plenty of illogic. And somehow they fail to find what they seek. But of course, the hunt continues.

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-Visiting the Ferry Plantation house will allow me to interview employees about any paranormal investigators who visited and Observe how much of the house’s story is based in historical fact vs. folklore

-I can use this as firsthand evidence that supports my argument. I can use vivid descriptions to describe the scene as my opening paragraph

-How much do they profit off of the paranormal aspect?

-This will help me apply the knowledge I've learned from my online sources to real life

*I will be taking notes during my visit and interviews*