Subject: Electromagnetic fields
From: Barbara Huyser <barb@...>
Date: 13 Feb 2002 07:09
Good day, Frits I appreciate your response to my e-mail. I believe there may be much to learn on my side as well regarding other perspectives on anomalous light phenomenon. An exchange of information and theories should prove interesting. The Joplin spooklights are known by different names, depending on where you live in the United States. They are seen very close to the border between the states of Missouri and Arkansas. If you live in Arkansas, they are called the Hornet spooklights after the nearest town in Arkansas. If you live in Missouri (which I did many years ago), they are called the Joplin spooklights after the nearest Missouri town. They are actually seen on the Arkansas side. An excellent source is www.mysterylights.com (which is where I think I learned about this group). I was in college in the mid-70's in southern Missouri, which is when I went to see the Joplin spook lights. We saw lights on three different occasions that night for about 5-10 minutes duration each. Each time the light was flitting about quite happily. Of course, at that time the phenomenon was attributed to an assortment of ghost stories. I may have the opportunity to go back for a visit in June. The electromagnetic fields I have found during paranormal investigations clearly do not have an artificial source. I'm very careful about that. I use a Tri-Field meter and one other (I don't have it here at work and cannot recall the brand name). Information about Tri-Field meters can be obtained at www.alphalabs.com A typical background reading with no electrical sources (such as in the middle of a cornfield or cemetery) is usually .2 to .3 milligauss. An EMF detector that is held up against a television set will usually read between 20 to 25 milligauss. An EMF detector held about one foot away from a television set will usually read about 8 to 10 milligauss. The spherical shape of the field around the television can be traced out by moving the EMF detector out in any direction from the TV set. I use the same technique for tracing out paranormal fields. I consider a field to be potentially paranormal if I find a reading of 1 milligauss or higher in a location where there are no electrical sources at hand. For example, on one occasion in a haunted bed and breakfast, I found a field where the center registered at 9 milligauss hovering about 5 feet over a bed. Taking the EMF detector from that point in any direction showed a steady decrease in readings until they reached about 4.5 milligauss at the ceiling and 4 milligauss at the bed. That field was quite large. I was able to trace the edge of field going sideways as being about 12 feet in diameter (6 feet on either side of that center reading of 9 milligauss). There was no identifiable cause for that electromagnetic field, given that there was no light fixture or other electrical appliance over or under the bed (which would not explain why the strongest reading was in mid-air anyway). It is more difficult to locate these fields in open spaces, such as cemeteries. They move and it can be very difficult to pin down their location. It is usually easier to locate the cold spots in a cemetery. I utilize a non-contact thermometer (more often called a thermal scanner among ghost hunters) to find them. It is an instrument that looks rather like a pistol. You simply point and shoot and it uses a laser to read the surface temperature of whatever you aim it at. I've found this device to be effective at locating cold spots for as far away as 30 or 40 meters. The cold spots I have found have had anywhere from a 5 to 25 degree temperature difference from the surrounding air. When I find that kind of temperature difference, I bring out the EMF detector and try to find the source. The problem is that the electromagnetic field that is creating the cold spot can be anywhere in that 30 or 40 meters. The EMF detector has to pass through the electromagnetic field in order to locate it. Often, the field shifts to a different spot before I can find it. Haunted house investigations offer an easier opportunity to locate the field because they are in an enclosed area. For example, during one investigation, the ghost seemed to be following the team around as we were doing a sweep of the house. At one point, there was a cold spot directly in front of the home owner as she stood on the stairs. I was able to put my hand in the cold spot and trace out the shape of the electomagnetic field with the EMF detector. It was, once again, a sphere where the strongest reading was about 3 milligauss at the center. I was able to feel a coolness and sense of resistance against the movement of my hand, along with a tingling sensation. Within a few minutes, the readings went down to normal and the cold spot disappeared. I have found paranormal fields that did not have a colder temperature than the surrounding air. These fields were found indoors during a sweep of a room with an EMF detector, but did not register as a cold spot when checked with the thermal scanner or digital thermometer. I have found some fields that felt cold to the touch, but did not have an actual temperature variation that could be detected by the thermometer. I have also experienced the tingling sensation when encountering one of these fields. This is usually my cue that I've just run into the ghost. This would fit in with the research you referred to by Albert Budden. I am not familiar with his work, but then I have focused primarily on ghost research rather than other areas of the paranormal. I am curious as to how much overlap there is with the work that we have been doing. We may be exploring some of the same phenomenon and attributing them to different causes. The UFO researcher sees a light over a field and attributes it to a UFO. The ghost researcher sees the same light and attributes it to a restless spirit. The geologist sees the light and wants to know where the faultline is? Maybe all of these are correct in analyzing similar kinds of phenomenon. Barb Huyser __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com