Ghost Theory Two
After investigating sites for a year, it seems to me that spirits react to
the presence of the living. We have all heard stories of direct
interactions such as touching, feeling, or even direct communication. But,
I believe that spirits often choose not to interact with the living - in
fact, I think they might prefer not to interact. I base my belief upon my
investigations at Gettysburg, but I have also noticed a similar pattern at
other locations. When I first started investigating Gettysburg with a
small group, we were basically the only ones going out on the battlefield
at night looking for ghosts. We had very good results on these early trips
and, the basic atmosphere of the battlefield was different - you could
almost feel the presence of many spirits around you. Since that time, and
since the possibility of photographing ghosts on the battlefield has
become well known, the battlefield is alive almost every night with
investigators searching all parts of the park. When an investigator
travels onto the battlefield now, it is much more difficult to
successfully feel or photograph ghosts. It seems to me that the spirits
are avoiding all of these people who are now wandering around their
domain.
I began to suspect this a few months ago, but feel even stronger about it
now. Not too long ago, a small group of us went to an area of the
battlefield that is relatively unknown, thus, probably rarely, if ever,
investigated. We had incredible results at that location. My feelings have
been further confirmed, at least for me, by a statement I recently heard
that came from a well known psychic that lives in the Gettysburg area. She
stated, that the only time that she goes near the town of Gettysburg is
during the battle's anniversary - a period when the town is overrun with
tourists. She said that this is the only time that she finds it to be
"quiet". The spirits apparently isolate themselves when so many people are
in the town. This could also explain why there are fewer sightings of
ghosts in the day - perhaps they choose to roam at night because that is
when fewer humans are around.
Obviously, my theory would not hold true with all spirits. As I noted
before, some apparently like to interact. But, for some reason, it seems
to me that most spirits avoid "strangers" - especially if they are in
large groups.
This theory might also help us to develop investigative techniques.
Perhaps it is better to remain as quiet as possible during an
investigation. Perhaps it is better to try to respect the location that we
are investigating. Perhaps it is better if we try to understand what has
happened to these individuals who are now in the spirit realm - in the
case of a battlefield, we should try to understand and respect the tragedy
of the event. Maybe then, we will be less a "stranger" to the spirits and
more of a welcomed presence.