Last night at pioneer village was interesting. I’m pretty agnostic about the paranormal—the way I see it, you either believe it or you have faith in a rational explanation—but the experiments we performed produced some interesting effects nonetheless.
1. The Séance
This one was interesting, if a little underwhelming. In a building that’s roughly 200 years old, you’re bound to hear some creaks and noises that might have set the mood for some in our party. I’m no stranger to that feeling of anticipation, and perhaps that created a placebo effect.
A ball was placed on the floor in the middle of 5 (electric) candles that, if I cared to trace the shape with my mind, made a pentagram. It did appear as if the ball slightly moved on several occassions—or was that just the light flickering? It was a tennis ball, so I was able to anchor my vision to the grooves on its surface. When I did so, it felt as though the illusion of movement was shattered. But perhaps it did move before we did this.
2. The Mirror
Looking into the window of the Mennonite meeting hall, I could tell it was a church. Something about it seemed familiar… And this was perhaps my intuition or a certain “shine” that exists in sacred spaces. The table at the front of the room felt like a dead giveaway.
At first it did feel more welcoming in this way, but quickly as we endeavoured to disturb whatever spirits might be there, I found it less so. Perhaps this is simply the feeling of fear one has when they’re expecting a slap or some other dis-pleasurable consequence.
We stared into a mirror for some time after that. It was so dark that the night sky appeared bright outside. Many of us reported seeing our image distorted—likely a result of low-lighting and prolonged staring at our own image. I myself saw my skin appear aged, my eyes darkened, and my expression turn hostile. Even when I mustered a smile, it reflected unfriendliness. Again, I could chalk this up to an optical illusion. However, what I could not shake was this feeling that if the mirror moved, I would see this damned creature behind me. Slowly I turned the mirror, sensing this possibility, I saw nothing… But I did feel something.
3. Ouija Board
Things became more interesting as we tried a Ouija board. I myself didn’t hold my hand on the indicator, so I cannot explain the feeling of what it was like when it began to move. The testimony of one individual who had their fingers on it (a sceptical Catholic) afterwards was that she didn’t exert pressure at all until the very end when it was time to say goodbye. Several other people had their fingers on the board, and it is impossible for me to know now if one of them was a plant or not.
Nevertheless, what was most interesting was how much sense its answers made. Without trying to be funny, at the surface level we were giving a ghost therapy as she lamented her husband having been unfaithful to her in life.
I am pretty sceptical about the oujia board. I have heard (through very modest research) that it amounts to a parlour trick. Having said that, at least in this instance, it was fun.
4. Spirit Box
Our experiments ended with a spirit box. Applying controls to ensure there was no listener bias (i.e., blindfolding a receiver and putting headphones on them so they don’t know our questions), it was interesting how similar it worked to the ouija board. Again, we found ourselves in conversation with a “spirit” some of whose answers we understood, and some of which we did not.
What’s most interesting about experiments 3 and 4 is how, if spirits don’t exist, a conversation can be one-sided while people fill in the gaps.
In fact, all the experiments had this quality, and I think that’s why they’re fascinating to me, even as someone who is (admittedly) reluctant to proclaim the existence of the paranormal. We each had our expectations and biases, but the common denominator was the fear of what could be. At times, the experience felt ridiculous. At other times, I found myself wondering what was actually happening. Is there truly a rational explanation? Or is it at all possible that there’s more to it than meets the eye?
I’m still fairly sceptical on the question, but this leaves me with much to ponder. I will likely return to this note to add insights and incorporate further research.
An Apology
Before adding anything further, I want to write a defence of my attitude towards these questions.
Yes, the idea of ghosts and spirits is ridiculous in today’s world—or at least most people would think so. Even people who believe in the supernatural (e.g., they’re religious) are inclined to search for rational explanations. So, most people, I would wager, fall into a “hard materialist” camp when they consider these claims. But I think, in keeping with the principles of a proper scientific method, you must be open to your hypothesis being disproven. For example, even my Catholic friend was crossing herself before using the ouija board, despite assuming that these events have rational explanations. It’s entirely possible, even if every account of ghosts and spirits before now is bunk, that on this occasion we will encounter something genuinely supernatural. That’s the trouble with supernatural things: we’re not testing material, predictable reality—we are attempting to observe something that exists outside of nature acting within the confines of nature. Science is not powerful enough to test beyond what is natural and (on some level) observable.
However, even assuming a hard materialist philosophy, I would argue that the experience in itself has something of value. Maybe (and quite probably) we did not experience something ghostly and not of this world. Nevertheless, the experience teaches us something about ourselves—our ability to (erroneously) make meaning and create narratives in instances where our empirical faculties are limited.