Some people believe in ghosts, while others remain unconvinced. I fall into the latter group — not from total disbelief, but driven by curiosity and a desire to see if there is a natural explanation. My night at the Old South Pittsburgh Hospital (OSPH) was filled with moments that seemed to defy logic: shadowy figures, flickering K2 meters, and more. My intention isn’t to undermine or ridicule those who participated in the investigation but to offer an alternative perspective on what we witnessed that night. If you’re content with embracing the mystery, you may want to stop here. But read on if you’re curious to see how these experiences could be interpreted through a scientific lens. A word of caution—what follows may change how you perceive paranormal activity.
To begin unraveling these moments, I’ll look at several events that seemed to defy explanation. These include the moan heard in Nellie’s room, the fleeting shapes seen in Shadow Hall, and the activity involving the K2 meter and flashlight in Jim’s room. For detailed descriptions of each experience, I refer you to my previous blog post.
Nellie’s Room: The Mysterious Moan
Our time in Nellie’s room took a mysterious turn when a low moan echoed through the space—some described it as masculine, and I even captured it on an audio recording. Since the window was open, it’s possible the sound came from outside, or it may have originated from another part of the building where others were present. These ambient sounds can easily be misinterpreted, especially when everyone is on high alert for signs of the paranormal. Nothing indicated that this sound was anything more than the expected background noise.
Fleeting Shadows in Shadow Hall
During our investigation in Shadow Hall, fleeting shadows seemed to emerge from the darkness, adding to the corridor’s eerie reputation. The experience was compelling, but could there be a logical explanation for what we saw?
One possible explanation for the shadowy figures we saw in Shadow Hall is pareidolia. Pareidolia is the brain’s tendency to see familiar patterns in random shapes, like faces or figures. The same effect makes us spot animal shapes in clouds or see recognizable forms in everyday objects. For example, I have a picture of a tiled wall where, if you focus on the patterns, you can make out the shape of a mouse. In the dim, shifting light of the hallway, our eyes may have adjusted to the low visibility by interpreting the shadows as human figures. This tendency, combined with the eerie atmosphere and heightened anticipation, likely explains why we thought we saw shadowy apparitions.
Activity in Jim’s Room
Jim’s room, known for its reputation as a hotspot, lived up to its eerie status. As classic rock music played, the K2 meters flashed intermittently, and a flashlight on the windowsill turned on and off. Though these occurrences felt captivating at the moment, they also raised questions about non-paranormal influences that could be at play.
The flashing K2 meters, often interpreted as signs of a supernatural presence, added to the room’s intrigue. These devices detect changes in electromagnetic fields (EMF) and light up in response, but they are highly sensitive and can be influenced by nearby electronics.
One potential source of interference worth considering is the REM pod, another device present in Jim’s room. The REM pod emits its own electromagnetic field and alerts users when this field is disturbed. To maintain accuracy, it periodically recalibrates, creating small EMF fluctuations that may interfere with nearby devices. According to the manual, multiple REM pods should be spaced more than 20 inches apart to avoid interference from these recalibrations. Although K2 meters are not specifically mentioned, it stands to reason that a K2 meter placed within this distance could also be affected. In the photo, the K2 meters were positioned within this range of the REM pod, and their synchronized flashing strongly suggests they were responding to these recalibrations rather than detecting anything paranormal. This highlights the importance of accounting for equipment interactions in investigations, showing how easily technological effects can be mistaken for the supernatural.
Similarly, the flashlight that turned on and off intermittently added to the sense of intrigue. In paranormal investigations, a specific type of flashlight with a twistable front end is often used as a tool for communication with spirits. Twisting it clockwise tightens the connection, completing the circuit and turning the light on, while twisting it counterclockwise loosens the connection, breaking the circuit and turning the light off.
During an investigation, the flashlight is adjusted so the light is just barely off, making it sensitive to slight changes that can turn it back on. While the adjustment is made, the components briefly heat up as the light comes on. Once the light turns off, the components cool and contract, reconnecting the circuit and turning the light back on. When the light is on again, the bulb heats the metal components, causing them to expand and break the connection, turning the light off once more. This ongoing cycle of thermal contraction and expansion creates the flickering effect, which may seem like a response but is simply a natural result of the flashlight’s design.
While the experiences in Jim’s room were captivating, viewing them through a scientific lens highlights how easily ordinary phenomena can be mistaken for the paranormal. Recognizing these explanations doesn’t diminish the thrill of the investigation; instead, it deepens our understanding of how perception and environment shape belief, making these shared moments all the more fascinating.
Why Do People Believe in Ghosts
Why do so many people interpret these experiences as paranormal? Often, it’s not the events themselves but how they’re perceived and interpreted in the moment. A shadow on the wall, a flickering light, or a strange sound can feel extraordinary when the setting primes us to expect the supernatural. Misinterpretation, shaped by the context of the investigation, plays a central role in turning ordinary occurrences into seemingly paranormal ones.
Context plays a powerful role in shaping how we interpret events. During a ghost hunt in a building known for its haunted reputation, with specific paranormal stories in mind, participants are primed to expect ghostly encounters. In this heightened state, strange sights or sounds—like faint noises or shifting shadows—are easily misinterpreted as paranormal. This tendency is fueled by expectation, where what we believe or anticipate shapes how we perceive events. Context and expectation can turn ordinary occurrences into seemingly supernatural experiences, making it easy to mistake natural causes for something otherworldly.
Beyond individual perception, group dynamics also play a powerful role. When one person in a group claims to see or hear something paranormal, others may reinterpret their own experiences to align with that belief. Even if they initially had doubts, the shared narrative can amplify the sense of certainty. This social reinforcement can transform everyday events into something that feels extraordinary.
The combination of misinterpretation, context, and group influence explains why normal events often feel extraordinary in the right setting. Recognizing these factors, we can better understand how our perceptions shape reality. This understanding doesn’t diminish the emotional significance of these experiences but instead offers a deeper appreciation for the powerful interplay between belief and interpretation.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the investigation at OSPH, what initially seemed like paranormal activity often had natural explanations rooted in perception, psychology, and social dynamics. The fleeting figures, flickering flashlight, and mysterious sounds show how easily the extraordinary can emerge from the ordinary. Staying curious and examining these moments with an open mind uncovers their causes and demonstrates how beliefs and surroundings shape our experiences. Ultimately, it’s the journey to understand these phenomena that makes exploring the unknown so compelling.
Postscript: The Tingling Arms
Though unusual, the tingling sensation I felt didn’t warrant a detailed explanation, but I’ll say a few words. While standing ready to catch the human pendulum, my arms tingled, and the hairs on my arm rose as I lifted them. I had just removed my fleece jacket, and I believe this caused a static charge to build up on my arms. This is the same effect you might notice when pulling off a sweater in the winter—sometimes accompanied by a crackling sound or a small shock. It wasn’t paranormal, but rather a simple phenomenon explained by science, much like the other experiences from that night.