Debunking Paranormal Activity

Article from CPS Paranormal

One of the first things you should do is attempt to debunk the activity. Maybe what you thought was paranormal actually has a rational, every day explanation. You should try to look at the situation from every angle before deciding whether the activity is paranormal or not. Some things to try:

If doors are opening on their own: Check to see if the door latches. Sometimes it may seem like a door is latched, but it isn't, and any gust of wind/draft or pressure from opening/closing another door or window can cause the door to open. If this is the case, simply replace the latch. Another reason doors may seem to open on their own is due to the material of the door itself expanding or contracting from the weather.

If doors are closing: Sometimes the building may be just slightly tilted in one direction, which can cause doors to close simply from gravity, especially if the door is heavy.

If there is audio/visual activity: Check the EMF (electro-magnetic field) levels in the area, using an EMF detector, which can be bought at a hardware store or online. You can also use a compass. The needle will turn away from north when placed near high EMF; just make sure to know which direction north is and hold the compass level. High EMFs can cause headaches, nausea, rashes, feelings of being watched, and hallucinations. Some ways to remedy high EMF are to make sure wires and electrical boxes are shielded. Also make sure to place appliances that give off high EMF away from areas where a person may be for a long period of time, or replace the appliance with newer ones that give off less EMF. Some things that typically give off EMF are: wiring, computers, refrigerators, TVs, radios, alarm clocks, lights, fans, some pipes, and other electronic devices. Also make sure the sounds are not something else, like the motor on a fan whirring, people talking in another room and the sound is carried through a vent, people talking outside and the sound is carried in through the window, etc.

Cold spots/drafts: Make sure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly and remember that windows are often much colder than room temperature, so the area around a window will naturally be colder. Also check the placement of A/C units or other things that give off cold air.

Feelings of being watched or dizziness: Again check EMF levels. Also check for tilted or slanted floors, ceilings, walls, or stairs, as this can cause the "Funhouse Effect".

Footsteps/scratching sounds/knocks/bangs: Some houses are just noisy, especially older ones. Old houses creak a lot; it's usually just the house settling. Another possible explanation for knocks and bangs could be plumbing/heating systems. Sometimes as a heating or cooling unit kicks on or off, it may make some noise. This can usually be remedied by making sure pipes are secured. Make sure scratching sounds aren't from pets or other animals, such as mice.

Faucets that turn on by themselves: Check the seals in the handle. Sometimes when a seal is old or worn out, the faucet can "turn itself on"; this usually happens with the hot water, because the heat can make the seal loose. To fix this, just replace the seal.

Light phenomena: This may be just a car's headlights shining in through a window, maybe even bouncing off something, like mirror, and into view. Check to see if this could explain it. ("Orbs" caught on tape/in photos are usually just dust, bugs, or moisture on the lens. They seem to be illuminated and round, because the camera is trying to focus on the spec of dust etc.)

Silverware/objects moving: I saw this on TV and thought it was awesome debunking. There was a report of silverware moving in a restaurant after it had been placed on the tables. It turns out that the silverware had become magnetized and the magnetism was pulling them together. This could also be applied to other objects made of metal that seem to move on their own.

TVs that turn on/off/change channels: This is often caused by a neighbor or someone in another room using a TV remote, other remote, or other device (like walkie-talkies) that cause interference with the TV, causing it to change channels, turn off or on, etc.