| A lot of investigators get asked this, and many can't give a decent answer. Many use them because their trainers used them. Some investigators do not use them because they only detect fluctuations in the EM field but cannot actually detect a ghost. Well, if we really knew what ghosts were made of, this might be true. But we don't, so it isn't.
Explaining why EMF detectors should be used in paranormal research gets a little complicated because it has to have some background explanations. There are four Fundamental Forces of Nature. These are gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. Strong and weak nuclear forces affect the bonds between atoms, and are only found at that small scale. While spirits may interact with these forces, it's impossible to detect without a lot of very VERY expensive equipment that only major corporations can afford, and many detectors are the size of your bedroom. For the time being, this remains the tool of the well-funded physicist. Gravity is another matter. Gravity is what keeps you from falling off the planet. We're starting to understand more about gravity, but we have a long way to go. We can detect it, measure it, predict it, take actions based on it's effects, and can influence it in small ways. Maybe in a few decades we'll be able to manipulate it as well. But we still don't know what creates it. There are several theories but, at present, there is no way to fully test these theories and until we can, we're stuck with guesswork. Because of this, gravity is of very limited use in paranormal research. And then there's electromagnetism. We know a lot about this one. Just like with gravity, we can detect, measure, predict, act on, and influence it. We can also manipulate it and generate it. And best of all, we know what causes it. That gives science a big advantage. Electromagnetism is also responsible for the vast majority of every-day things: cars, television, microwave ovens, radios, digital watches, getting a tan, walking, seeing, touching... yes, it's some pretty useful stuff. In it's simplest terms, electromagnetism is how charged particles interact. Everything in our physical world is made of these particles (including you). Snap your fingers: that's the interaction between the particles in your fingers. When you type something, your finger-particles are interacting with the keyboard-particles. When you look around, parts of your eyes are detecting EM waves that are either emitted (like from the computer screen, light bulbs, or the sun) or reflected (mirrors, walls, dirt, bugs, etc...). All of this requires electromagnetism. EM fields surround us constantly. As living creatures, we also generate EM fields. And even things that do not generate EM fields still affect those fields in some way (and are affected by them). Electronics do both, which is why they are so vulnerable to EM influences and why EMF detectors work. This brings us to the main point. We know that some ghostly phenomena involve moving physical objects, or visible manifestations, or verbal expressions. Each of these requires an EM effect. Perhaps the spirit is generating it's own EM field, or perhaps it's just manipulating existing fields. Either way, we have a handy way of detecting these effects: the EMF detector. The Perfect Sensor in a Perfect World A good EMF sensor can detect alternating electric current (AC), radio frequencies (RF), and microwaves. It will be able to detect EMF's in all three dimensions (height, width, and depth). This is called a three-axis sensor (single-axis sensors detect EMF's flowing on only one direction, and are difficult to use effectively). It should also have an actual display, whether it is an analog (needle-gauge) display or a digital display, not a simple row of LED's that will give you a general idea of intensity rather than a precise reading. Back-lighting is a nice feature when you work in low-light conditions, but it's not really vital. Most importantly, it should be portable. While it might be a good idea to sit the sensor down and wait to see what it can find, you should also be able to use it in-hand while moving around the site. Don't tie yourself to one procedure. Some come with data logging. BEWARE! This usually means that the sensor will log the highest spike, not a real-time recording of the session. Logging also drives up the price into the thousands of dollars. At the present time, it's just not worth it. But someday... ah, someday. Some can also detect direct-current (DC), also called "natural EMF." To be honest, this is of little use to a paranormal researcher. If a spirit generates or affects a DC field, then it cannot be spotted among the background "wash" of power lines, appliances, and so forth which are also DC. If it changes the DC field in some way, that state of change causes the field to become an AC field and can be detected normally. With our current state of knowledge, there's really no sense in worrying about DC sensors. No known paranormal activity has ever involved radio or microwaves either, but there is another side to this. Many "hauntings" are caused by excessive EMF levels in a home. The human body is sensitive to high EMF levels, and the victoms are usually never aware of it. They feel uneasy, feel like someone is watching them, or that a presence is standing neabry. These are classic symptoms of high EMF exposure, and the EMF sensor will help identify that as a natural cause rather than a haunting. More importantly, vey high levels of radio/microwave radiation can cause serious harm and can kill after prolonged exposure. Get the heck out of there and tell the client to call an electrician, pronto! At the moment, this Perect Sensor is just a dream. You can't find one that does all of this without having it custom-built for several thousand dollars. But you can get sensors that fill most of these requirements for less than $300, and many run between $100 and $200. However, this is still a large expense and should not be entered into lightly. Consider that camcorder first. Until then, there's a cheap way of EMF detection. You could pick up a single-axis AC-only detector with LED scale for less than $50. They're not worth much, but it's a personal choice. Or you can use a magnetic compass. As it passes through a magnetic field (which includes EM fields), the needle will move to align itself with the field. It's not perfect, but it's cheap and will serve well enough until you can get a solid sensor unit. Keep going! Gimme More! Back to the Equipment page Back to the main Q&A page Back to the Front Page |
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| Why do we use EMF detectors? |