By: Lilly Trunnell

 The University of Louisville is an educational institution. Within the university, the Lifelong Learning program is proud to offer classes in hundreds of different subject areas to any alumni, staff member, student, or friend of the university. And yes, there really is a class for everything.

A series of five classes beginning October 1st, entitled “Ghost Hunting 101,” is being taught by Carrie Galloway, former Kentucky representative of the American Ghost Society and founder of Kentucky Paranormal Research. Unfortunately these classes have been cancelled. Galloway takes her work very seriously; although she was not raised in an environment of belief in the paranormal.

Like many, the beginning of Galloway’s experiences with the paranormal was at her grandmother’s house as a child. She recalls odd things happening far back, but said that the adults in her life used explanations like “Our eyes were playing tricks on us,” or “My uncles (being very close to our age) were playing tricks on us.” One day, however, she had an experience that was too significant to overlook. An apparition appeared before her and her cousin, with such great detail—such as the suit and tie and facial features—that their first instinct was not that their eyes were playing tricks on them, but that it was, indeed, a ghost. It was not until 20 years later when her brother revealed a similar experience that Galloway felt any affirmation in her findings, and fate took it from there.

In describing the actual work of ghost hunting, Galloway first explains what exactly a ghost is, defining it as “the disembodied soul of a once living human being.” From there, the signs of a haunting are looked for. According to Galloway, most signs of a haunting mimic typical human behavior. For example, hearing your name called though no one is there, or footsteps and, moving furniture with no explanation. Another indication of paranormal activity can be changes in the electromagnetic field of the alleged haunted area, which can cause interference with electrical appliances such as televisions and lights.

The process of investigating a haunting is long. First, interviews must be set up with the clients and the site must be visited to confirm that there is a potential for paranormal activity. Then a time is chosen and equipment is set up—thermometers, video surveillance, automated still cameras, etc, and, occasionally, ion meters or static generators. With that, data is collected and interpreted to determine if a haunting is likely. The interpreted data is then used to recreate the environment as best as possible for a potential reoccurrence.

All of that is common knowledge to most people, with the amount of ghost hunting television shows out there today. However, Galloway is certain that the shows do not accurately portray her work. They show nothing of the time, effort, and intelligence that is required to do preliminary research on a site and interpret the vast amount of data presented as a result of all the equipment and photographs.

Personally, Galloway has had several exciting moments during investigations; though such occurrences rarely seem to get caught on camera. In one particular moment, Galloway was with a team at a site in La Grange. She wrote in an e-mail:

“One unique experience in LaGrange, we had a significantly high electromagnetic field reading. The client reported that when she felt the presence she noticed a significant drop in temperature.  So, I was experimenting with a relatively new tool at the time, an infrared thermometer, to see if I could get a quick temperature reading.  This particular model had a laser point sight.  As I moved the sight across the kitchen cabinets (with no objects between me & the cabinets) the laser light refracted around something in the middle of air about a foot away from the cabinets. The light looked like I had put it inside a fishbowl.  I immediately thought it must be catching on the handles of the cabinet doors and swiftly moved it left and back toward the spot and it happened again. There was nothing that could be seen by the naked eye. Of course my jaw dropped in awe, and in the frenzy of the situation, I never actually looked at the temperature reading.”

Currently, Galloway is taking time off from the ghost hunting scene, however, she recalls her favorite parts of investigations fondly. Mostly she focuses on the history and the client. One of her greatest joys is providing a client with a service they trust, and assuring them that they are not crazy.

Ghost hunting is a science and a metaphysical experience all in one. Skeptics abound, and while Galloway recognizes that there is nothing she can do to change their mind, she can educate them. The same is her goal for the willing participants who sign up for Ghost Hunting 101. They will learn, in more detail than this article provided, what haunting is, how to research, how to investigate, how to interpret data, and many other skills from a seasoned professional. The techniques and talents of ghost hunting are sure to hold interest for believers and skeptics alike.