Real-Life Ghost Busters

Published in USA Weekend
October 31, 2004

By Gwen Moran

Husband and wife Dave Oester and Sharon Gill had just gone to bed when they heard someone moving around in their kitchen. Most people - knowing they're alone in the house - would be scared to death. Instead, Oester simply called out "Stop it!" and the couple watched the mysterious black shadow of a male figure leave through the back door near their bedroom. Then they rolled over and went to sleep.

When you've investigated more than 1,000 hauntings in the past 14 years, you're used to the unexplained. Oester, 56, and Gill, 55, are founders of the International Ghost Hunters Society, a group of nearly 15,000 ghost investigators and enthusiasts. Armed with digital cameras, voice recorders and a fascination with the freaky, the Deming, N.M.-based duo travel the country investigating haunted places. And with more than one-third of Americans sharing a belief in ghosts, according to a 2003 Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, there are many places to investigate.

Unexplained noises (such as knocking, footsteps or muffled voices), electrical appliances turning on and off by themselves and other mysterious happenings can be signs of an active ghost, Oester says. Some people in haunted settings have a feeling that they're not alone, or they get inexplicably cold. In the most extreme cases, people feel they've been touched by something or have seen objects move, even when there's no one there. Oester recalls one investigation in which he watched a coffee cup swing wildly on a kitchen hook while the cups around it remained still.

Ghosts are most common where there was a violent history or a sudden death. Oester says many ghosts don't believe they're dead and often feel the need to communicate something. Most ghosts look like a ball of light or a misty vapor, he says, not a floating bed sheet or transparent human form. Gill often uses digital or film cameras, which she says are more sensitive than the naked eye, to record ghostly manifestations. The best times to see ghosts are during a new or full moon or solar storms, Oester says, because geomagnetic fields are stronger then, allowing ghosts to absorb energy in the atmosphere and become visible.

The bad news is that there's no surefire way to get rid of ghostly houseguests. Blessings, exorcisms and the like are nonsense, Oester says. Be wary of people who charge money to get rid of a ghost. "The ghost believes you are in his house," he says. "Imagine if someone walked into your house and told you to get out. What would you do? The ghost won't leave unless he wants to."

Whatever you do, don't turn to Ouija boards or séances, Oester says. They offer no guarantee of the type of spirits you'll attract. "It's like driving down to Skid Row, opening the back door and inviting anyone into your car to come home with you," he warns. "You might want a Casper-type spirit; instead, you might get the Ted Bundy type."

Above all, be respectful of spirits, he says. If you treat a ghost with dignity, generally you'll have no problem. "If you're mean or snippety, or if you belittle them, they'll respond back equally."

How to engage ghosts at your home:

Tune in. Sometimes, getting ghosts to reveal themselves is as simple as talking to them and letting them know you're interested in communicating.

Try recording. Using recording devices (to capture ghostly voices) or surveillance equipment, like video cameras, can make ghosts more interested in interacting. "They know you're serious," Oester says.

Check your attitude. If you're looking to attract spirits as some sort of parlor game, or if you're skeptical, you're probably not going to have much luck. "If you were a ghost, would you go to someone who only wanted you for their own ego?" Oester asks.

How to get along with ghosts:

Calm down. "Sometimes, ghosts aren't that different from 12-year-old boys," ghost hunter David Oester says. "They're having fun spooking you." It's no longer fun if you aren't scared.

Talk it out. Give your ghost a name. If the ghost performs pranks that are dangerous, like turning on a gas stove, explain why it can't do this. "It may be that your ghost is trying to get your attention," Gill says. "Acknowledging it may be enough to get it to stop."

Get positive. If you have an angry spirit, it's likely because someone in your home has the same kind of energy, Oester says. He and Sharon Gill worked with a family in which a spirit was slamming doors, scaring the family. "We helped them create a rule where all of the problems were to be left on the front porch before anyone came in the house. They had to work on being positive in the house," says Oester, who notes that the family reported a ghost-free house within months.