| The Ghosts of Ghost Hunting What were the first ghost hunters really after all those years ago? They were free-thinkers in a time of close mindedness; scientists, philosophers, mystics, trailblazers, and pioneers of diversification. People opening their minds beyond the confines of "legitimate" science, by blending philosophy and the metaphysical, science, theology, and a just the perfect dash of creativity. They were asking people to open their perceptions to the possibility that there was more out there to explore then just conventional science.They followed the paths their passions took them with resiliency and conviction; humor and a sense of adventure. Isn't it ironic then, that all these years later what started as a revolution has become a community over run with men and women who refuse to utilize the very perception which began it all. For the most part a majority of the community have become the self-titled elitist egotists, thumbing their noses at the concepts of free thinking, and disregarding everything but their 'way' as pointless. They attempt to assign rules and regulations to something that for all intensive purposes would function much more successfully if given the chance to evolve by way of experimentation. Is it not logical to conclude that by today's standards those of us who choose to think outside 'protocol,' are actually the ones re-lighting the fires of those historical trails ignited when it all began? Wouldn't they have wanted to see growth as the result of open diversity and exploration? New theories, and conclusions being formed as the direct consequence of thinking for ourselves, instead of accepting the conventional as the 'way'? And above all wouldn't they have wanted it to be executed by way of a healthy sense of humor? I like to think so, and I also like to think that somewhere beyond the veil that separates us from the place we investigate, they're over there cheering for our side. They weren't sniffing around for acknowledgment, an ego stroke, or a pay check to fuel their passions. They were out there searching the night for answers with all the relentlessness and inventiveness they could muster. They let their fascinations drive them, their fears, their rebelliousness, and above all they did it with style and ingenuity. How many of today's ghost hunters can boast that? Not many, though I can think of a few. When you cheapen something, you weaken the fabric of it for generations to come, and sooner or later its left as nothing but the brittle bones of what it once was, and stood for. Luckily there are people out there unwilling to let that happen, and more then willing to put up a fight to protect a subject that is choking on stagnation because the ripple effect of evolution has been delayed. If you cant accept progression then what you're really saying is you can't accept the very foundation which paranormal research was built upon; and contrary to popular belief it is not ego, money, fame, or acknowledgment. It started with adventure and exploration; thought and inquisitiveness, and most importantly a passion to understand and a willingness to go against the conventional grain. Those were the roots that drew people to the subject, and the rebels outside the castle walls of conventional ghost hunting remember that, and you better believe we have much more ammunition then just sticks and stones. A revolution is coming; in a way a Renaissance of sorts hearkening back to the days that began it all. Those old ghosts of ghost hunting deserve better then what this has become, and we owe it to them to take it all back if not for ourselves, then for the next generation who need us to leave them something worthy of carrying on. Someone else did it for us years and years ago, and now its our turn, so how do we want to be remembered? - Dana Matthews |