1. Orbs aren’t paranormal. Period.
2. If you’ve ever paid to do an investigation, you’ve been suckered. (Guess what kids – this includes us in the NYPS as well). Donations to an organization are one thing, outright paying to investigate is another.
3. The Stanley Hotel is not haunted.
4. Competition between groups is pointless and ridiculous. Nobody’s “evidence” is better than anyone else’s. Nobody has exclusive claim to a location (unless it’s actually a location owned by a person in the group). And since nothing in the field has ever been proven, nobody “knows” any more than anyone else.
5. With that said, no group gets along with every other group. It’s impossible; and anyone who says they do is a liar.
6. With THAT said, your group is in no way unique. There are THOUSANDS of groups all over the world. Most likely a few of those groups have the same exact name as yours. And there are more groups popping up each day.
7. Most of your “evidence” is likely explainable as non-paranormal. If you ever claim outright that anything you have is “proof” of a ghost, you don’t understand the actual definition of the word proof.
8. Most likely, the only reason your group exists is because you want to be like Ghost Hunters/Ghost Adventures/Paranormal State/Whatever the hell else is out there.
9. Those shows aren’t based in any way on reality, despite having the ironic classification of “reality TV.” Anyone with even a peripheral experience with any major television show has seen the many ways things can be twisted.
10. Even after reading this, and knowing this, any member of any group who still wants to get on a TV show and is actively trying is lying when they say they aren’t in it for the fame.
11. You can be Facebook friends with as many “para-celebrities” as you want. Doesn’t mean you’re actually friends with any of them, will ever be on TV, or will ever be in that “circle.”
12. There is no such thing as a “professional paranormal investigator.” Does the paranormal investigating pay your salary? Do you get health benefits? A retirement plan? No? Then you’re not a professional paranormal investigator.
13. If you are vacationing to a supposed paranormal site, you are not “investigating.” You are vacationing. Calling a vacation with your spouse a weeklong investigation just makes you look foolish.
14. If you list your car or your iPhone app as a piece of “equipment” on your website, then you are an idiot.
15. You cannot put “Inc.” after your group’s name and magically make it so.
16. You CANNOT define your group’s “years of experience in the field” in the following ways:
- with a start point dating back to the first time you heard about ghosts (e.g. a 40 year old man claiming 30 years of experience);
- by totalling each group member’s individual experience (e.g. 5 members with “over 45 years of combined experience”).
17. You know those three cases you had of demonic activity? Yeah, those weren’t demons. A pentagram found at the location does not a demon make.
18. You wrote a book? BFD. Most likely I’ve read it, thought it was poorly written and didn’t offer up any original content, and then sold it on half.com. If it was a book on orbs being paranormal, I didn’t even buy it.
