Ghost-Hunter's Quiz

Do you think you have what it takes to rout out pesky ghosts and poltergeists? Take the quiz and find out if you've got "the fright stuff."

Admit it. You've always wanted to be a ghost hunter. You relish the idea of gingerly stepping across the creaking floorboards of the dark, echoing halls of a haunted house, feeling for the damp chill of the "cold spot," listening for the faint whispers or muted cries of the lost dead, watching for the vaporous glimmer of an apparition as it coalesces from the limbo of its own dimension into the shadows of the world of the living. Or maybe you just like to go through other people's houses peeking into their closets and poking around in their sock drawers. But... do you know how to hunt for ghosts? Do you know what to look for? Do you have the right equipment? Okay, know-it-all, take the following quiz to see just how knowledgeable you are. And if you find you are somewhat less than expert, I suggest following the included links to find all the right answers.

1. According to Anatomy of an Investigation, when interviewing a person who suspects that his house might be haunted, ghost researcher Dale Kaczmarek asks many questions. Which of the following questions does he NOT ask?

1. When did the phenomena start, at what time of day, and how was it observed?
2. What's the emotional state of the family? Is there any undue stress?
3. Do you hear musical sounds or see the unexplained movement of objects?
4. Do you use alcohol, drugs, or any other kind of hallucinogen?
5. Do you listen to too many Marilyn Manson CDs?

At his site, Dale, of the Ghost Research Society, provides many other details of how a serious investigation is conducted.

2. There are five main categories of ghosts, according to Getting Rid of Ghosts. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

1. Chthonic (or geomagnetic) entities - fairies, djinn, or black dogs.
2. Qliphothic entities - those brought into existence through black magic, necromancy, sex magick, elemental magick, or channeling.
3. Poltergeists - moving or flying objects, often a result of psychic turbulence emanating from adolescent females with raging hormones.
4. Ghost (or haunt) category - a localized residual traumatic psychic imprint left on the geomagnetic grid.
5. Brother-in-law entity - an out-of-work lout who's decided to move in with you and drink all of your beer; often the most difficult to get rid of.

The site goes on to tell you how to "de-anchor" a ghost.

3. Which of the following items is NOT available from the Ghost Detector Shop?

1. Saferange EMF Meter - detects low-range fields, and features LED lights that show field strength of the energy that it detects.
2. EMF Field Tester 200A - featuring a digital read-out screen, this gives you a constant reading of any activity that you encounter.
3. Tri-Field Meter - combines magnetic and electric readings in one package for fast and accurate measurements.
4. Tri-Field Natural EM Meter - one of the most sensitive devices on the market - so sensitive that it can even pick up the fields of living persons.
5. Hallelujah Meter 6000 - detects when proselytizing religious groups are approaching your front door and sounds a discreet alarm so you can hide in the bathroom.

Several other devices are available from Whitechapel Productions for all your ghost-hunting needs.

4. According to Common Places to Find Ghosts, which of the following is NOT a recommended place to look?

1. Homes - many private residences have a tainted past that might include murder, suicide, or some other tragic event.
2. Cemeteries - offer an excellent chance for strange phenomena and spirit photos, perhaps because of the theory involving "spirit portals" and "doorways" in many burial grounds.
3. Churches - contains a lot of spent human emotion and can attract ghosts.
4. Hospitals and Nursing Homes - often overlooked by ghost hunters, they might have resident ghosts, phantom nuns, and spectral patients.
5. Gas station restrooms - there must be ghosts in there, because they certainly are not places for the living.

This information comes from Ghosts of the Prairie, which is the home page of the American Ghost Society and offers a lot of good information about ghosts and ghost hunting.

5. There are five levels of a poltergeist attack, according to Zerotime Ghost Page's Poltergeist page. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

1. Senses attack - cold spots, strange noises, odors, and footsteps.
2. Communication - whispers, laughs or giggles, breezes, strong static electricity.
3. Electrical control - lights and other appliances turning on and off by themselves.
4. Trickster stage - flying objects, objects appearing and disappearing, shaking beds.
5. Borrower level - borrows your hedge trimmers or chain saw, promising to bring it back as soon as he's finished. But oh no, you have to go back week after week asking for it back and hoping he can find it it that pigsty of a garage!

There are many other manifestations listed by Zerotime for each level. Check them out.

6. Signs of a Haunting lists 14 different signs that might indicate the presence of a ghost. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

1. Doors or cupboards being repeatedly opened or closed.
2. Dinner plates or glasses being moved or levitated.
3. Dogs, cats, or birds behaving strangely.
4. New batteries losing their charge with little or no use.
5. Cap being left off the toothpaste; toilet seat being left up.

Take a look at the other signs, then read about what you can do about a haunting.

[Answers: If you didn't figure out that all of the "e" choices are the false answers, ghost hunting may not be the right avocation for you. Try paint-by-numbers.]  

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