Customer Reviews

Ghost: Investigating the Other Side

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"Gone to be an Angel" is a popular epitaph, but if the IGHS (International Ghost Hunters Society) has its way, it won't be long before we walk through a cemetery and see a marker bearing the inscription, "Gone to be an Orb"! I would have liked Ms. Ramsland's book a lot more had she not devoted so much of it to the IGHS and its ridiculous theory that "orbs" (reflections of light off minute particles directly in front of the lens and flash of cheap digital cameras) are spirits of the dead. (Quite frankly, I cannot think of anything less appealing than dying and becoming an orb!) The book contains 300 pages and on page 296, the author finally gets around to interviewing a reputable ghost hunter who cast some doubt on the "orb" theory, but she devoted only a single paragraph--and a short one at that--to his opinions. I expected something more objective from Ms. Ramsland. This book was a great disappointment.

As a meandering, first-person tale of paranormal dabbling, this book isn't bad, although many of the people Ramsland contacts for their "expertise" are so over-the-top that they damage the credibility of parapsychology rather than bolster it.

The main problem with this book is that Ramsland ties her paranormal explorations to "Christian," a dead and supposedly sadistic vampire wannabe. Ramsland obtains Christian's ring from a psychopathic youth named "Wraith." Wraith then stalks Ramsland to get the ring back. Ramsland refuses to give it to him or get rid of it, as she feels it is her connection to the departed Christian. As all this drama unfolds, Ramsland never does the very first thing any journalist should do: verify that Christian existed. She accepts Wraith's high-gothic tale of multiple murders and psychic mayhem without a blink, yet never seems to have tried to find police records, new reports, or other vital records about Christian and his supposed victims.

Lacking any kind of hard evidence that Christian was a human on Earth, it's hard to accept her evidence of Christian as a tormented ghost in need of Ramsland's intervention. In the end, this book does nothing to prove the reality of the paranormal, but it is fun to read, if only to encounter the many unusual personalities she introduces who claim to have an in with the Other Side.

I expected more from this author, who, according to the book jacket, "taught philosophy for many years at Rutgers University." There is little intellectual rigor in this rambling discourse down already well-known paths. Ramsland includes a section of "orbs" photographs taken with a digital camera, and in several places quotes camera manufacturers who say they have no explanation for the pictures. Anyone who uses a dig cam (and without making an accusation, I remind readers of Adobe Photo Shop) knows that aberrations of light do occur at times.
In short, although the topic remains fascinating, Ramsland's treatment is woefully short of originality.

Ramsland's depiction of ghost hunting is interesting, and she provides a comprehensive look at some of today's ghost-hunting techniques, equipment, and theories as she travels the country to participate in various investigations, and learns the ropes from various experts about recording, photographing and videotaping various anomalies.

However, the book is not just a straightforward account of the education of a ghost-hunter. The author's main goal is to prove the existence of one particular ghost (which she calls Christian), apparently a serial killer/sociopath in the flesh - and who may or may not be psychically attached to a ring she obtains from another extremely shady (and very much alive) character (called Wraith). Ramsland obtains the ring under very foolish, risky circumstances that, unfortunately, tend to identify her as a kook right from the start of the book.

In fact, in her strange obsession with contacting the murderous Christian (with whose spirit she never conclusively makes contact), Ramsland reminds me of the type of woman who attended Ted Bundy's trial, blinded by a dazzling "surface" into the conviction that she'll be the one woman to save him from himself. Ramsland seems to have constructed this dynamic with her conception of Christian. I found this aspect of the book very disturbing, and a dangerous message to send to more susceptible readers, especially since Ramsland was repeatedly (but fruitlessly) warned by the psychics she encountered that Christian was dangerous and she should get rid of the ring.

In addition, there are several typographical and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book.

Personal experiences received some validation in this story. There were plausible explanations of paranormal activity, although she spent way too much time incessently droning on about how she would remain unbiased. Ramsland never seemed to concretely investigate an allegedly dead murderer, and was content to "play" in an insidious world. (Unbelievably stoic and cavalier.) Expecting the conclusion to wrap uploose ends, she instead wimped out and left it to the reader to decide, discrediting many of her "findings." I looked for missing pages...the ending was that lame.

First let me say, I do believe in life after death, and that there is something to this issue of Ghosts. However, this book is silly joke. In this book the author interviews several susposed psychics. On page 257 here is a short piece from one called Adel and the author about the ring she has and the ghost called Christian:
Adele: "He's not being honest with you."
Ramsland: "How can a ghost be dishonest?"
This is just one example of many of the author's extreme level of nieveness and silliness. How can a ghost be dishonest? The same way a flesh and blood living human being can, because they want to. Why do people who are alive rarely get listened to, and when they die people will stand in line to hear them or pay money to watch the spectacle? Why do these New Agers believe when someone dies and has lived a horrible life that when they've died they have changed and are such wonderful people now? Evil people who die, stay evil. Good people who die, stay good.
On page 279 is more interview material with a psychic called Kitty who the author feels has worthwhile information to give:
Ramsland-"Like many I've encountered, she felt certain that ghosts couldn't and wouldn't harm anyone. They weren't negative. She had even had sex with spirts-good sex.
I asked her to describe it."
'"It's nice," she said. 'When you've had a busy week and haven't had time to get a release, or you don't have a lover at the moment, it works well. They give you a better experience than any man can."'
There you have it. When you get a little lonely have sex with someone dead!!! Make for an interesting episode of Sex In the City don't you think? I could do alot of stand-up comedy with this, but since I'm sitting down, I won't.
I think you get the idea. Here is an author impressed with her degrees but allows herself and us to be insulted with this garbage.

When I started the book, I was really interested. I wanted to know what was up with the ring and the story behind it. But the author kept running off in different directions. Which became tedious and I found myself skipping pages to get to the meat of the story. Unfortunately it never was resolved. Why didn't the author inform the police??? And what happened to the missing reporter???? The whole book builds you up to one very anti-climactic end.

I love a good ghost story, and Katherine Ramsland has a gift for creating a tale and an ambience that captures the imagination and holds the attention of her reader.

Ghost, a Firsthand Account into the World of Paranormal Activity is a wonderfully written account of the author's experimentation with ghost hunting, starting with her first halting steps and ending with an expanding network of resources and equipment.

Although the story is ostensibly about the possible murder or suicide of a young man named "Christian," a member of a vampiric sub-culture, his tale serves primarily as the supportive backbone of a more complex tale. The author combines an interesting psychological account of her own pursuit of danger and excitement, a sense of mystery and suspense, a wonderful almost playful sense of humor, and a gift for story telling that makes the book hard to put down.

Her discussion of the history of ghost hunting, the individuals involved in it, their various styles of research--tarot reading, mediumism, electronic and photographic equipment, etc.--and their personalities make the book almost a textbook on the subject. The theories of what produces ghostly phenomena are discussed by each of the individuals with whom the author interacts, so that the reader learns a lot about what is believed about the subject. I was a little disappointed, however, that the author did not interact with or discuss in more detail the work of Hans Holzer, a name with which anyone with any knowledge about the subject would be familiar.

For those who want to follow up on the subject, the author provides an in situ bibliography, citing a number of authors and their book titles throughout the text. She also provides a fairly detailed formal bibliography with very current entries, mostly from the 1990's, although some as old as the 1970's. In addition there are a number of resources provided for the reader to follow up if desired, including addresses and websites for some of the authorities she had occasion to consult and the addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of various haunted places to visit or to spend a night.

Although I found the resolution of the mystery of Christian somewhat disappointing, I found Ms Ramsland's critique of the subject of ghost hunting a very objective one, far more so than I would have expected. Since I'd love to write ghost stories (fictional) myself, I found her discussion of the equipment very interesting and useful (I've bookmarked some of these pages for future use!)

A very intelligent and gifted lady. Probably someone it would be fun to know.

For THOSE WRITING PAPERS in literature, history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, physics: this book would make a fun resource and starting point. One might, for instance, write a paper on how this type of book bridges the gap between narrative and expository prose. Is this a "story" or a research paper? What aspects of both give it an arresting character. How does history become folklorized by tales of ghosts and hauntings? What function does the ghost story have for group cohesion, for reinforcing group values, etc. How might one explain ghosts as a social or a psychological phenomenon? Why do even people who "don't believe in ghosts" often still have difficulty with cemeteries, haunted houses, and the like? Is there something evolutionarily beneficial to a fear of or veneration of the dead? The author mentions the Skeptical Enquirer, a journal dedicated to debunking beliefs in ghosts, extra terrestrials, and other phenomenon. Read an issue and discuss the subject of science and myth/folk beliefs. Is this journal as much a "soap box" for its readers as ghost societies are for their constituency? What can be said of both? Some of the equipment mentioned as useful in detecting ghosts seemed plausible, how would physics support or refute the use of them in this way?

I found this book to be quite entertaining. It's a quick read, because Katherine Ramsland writes in such a way, that it is extremely difficult to put the book down. She challenged my opinions, and provoked me to form new ones. I suggest anyone interested in the topic of ghosts to read this. Or, if you are like me, and just like the thrill of reading true stories of spirits--this book is for you!

I enjoyed this book very much. It was the first of Katherine Ramsland's that I had read, but it wasn't the last. Unlike many books on the paranormal (which either offer "total proof" or "debunk" all they can), "Ghost" is more about the journey than about the end result. I've been to a few of the places Ramsland visited on her investigations, including the Lizzie Borden house. Much like with her book, it's the EXPERIENCE that gets you more than anything.

I read a few of the reviews left by some readers, and it's too bad they weren't fond of the book. I liked the mystery of the ring, even if it wasn't resolved. With something like that, resolution isn't always the point. It's the mystery. That's what makes it a mystery. No one will ever know who actually killed Lizzie Borden's parents, but it doesn't make it any less of a fascinating case.

This is a fun book that takes you places you may never go on your own. She tries just about everything and gets herself into some daring and sometimes "what the hell were you thinking?!" situations. Then again, that's part of the fun. Better her than us, right?