Got Ghosts? Who Ya Gonna Call?

Paranormal Expert Jeff Berlanger Doesn't Bust Ghosts, But He's Happy To Look For Them

(CBS)  If you study ghosts for a living, the month of October is pretty much like April is for an accountant - busy, busy, busy. Still, Jeff Berlanger found time to come visit The Saturday Early Show and share his insights on paranormal events.

Just in time for Halloween, a new poll by the Associated Press says that about one-third of Americans believe in ghosts. That's no surprise to Belanger, who says he is surprised the figure isn't higher.

Berlanger has spent the last 10 years researching ghost legends, interviewing eyewitnesses, and investigating the paranormal. He's met hundreds of people who tell him their stories about close encounters - even at famous landmarks like the White House and the Tower of London. Jeff has even come close to a supernatural experience himself, while exploring the catacombs of Paris, France.

To find out more about Jeff and his work, you can go to his Web sites, www.ghostvillage.com and www.jeffbelanger.com.

An Early Show producer spoke with him before his appearance:

The Saturday Early Show: HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS LINE OF WORK?
I've been doing this since 1997. That's when I published my first article for a newspaper I was working at at the time. And I've been hooked ever since! I've been traveling the world researching historic places with ghostly legends. I interview eyewitnesses all the time about their experiences. And you learn pretty quickly who is full of it and who has been moved by something they saw. And my interest has really been stirred by all these stories.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A GHOST?
The closest I've come was in the catacombs of Paris, France. I was totally alone. And the catacombs are these ancient limestone quarry tunnels from the Roman-era where they got building materials. But in the 1700s it became a mass tomb. They moved 6 million human skeletons down there because the burial grounds were contaminated. So there are these macabre and intricate patterns of skulls and bones.

And I was walking through there, and I saw a shadow of a man. It moved from left to right in front of me across the tunnel. And this is the closest I've come to my own ghost experience. And I've been back since and I didn't see it again.

HOW MUCH OF "BELIEVING" IS OUR OWN PERSONAL IDEAS AND INFLUENCES?
We all have baggage! It's the way we were raised, whether we were religious or not, the people who we surround ourselves with.

WHAT ARE SOME GHOST STORIES YOU'VE RESEARCHED THAT REALLY STAND OUT?
I've spoken with incredible witnesses. In the Tower of London, these are military soldiers who live and work at this place. And I got to go in after hours and tour it. And everyone I spoke with had some kind of story: "When I was cleaning the chapel one night, all the kneelers were going down one by one - boom boom boom!" Great stories.

I went to the White House and the Secret Service officers were actually very forthcoming about their ghostly experiences. I met the Chief Usher - the guy who runs the place. He's served every President since Nixon and he's spent more time there than anybody, and I heard about his own unexplained experiences: Coming downstairs, and seeing Abraham Lincoln sitting in front of the Lincoln bedroom! And these people work at one of the most secure places in the world where nothing happens there without it being on the schedule!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE POLL NUMBERS THAT SAY ONE-THIRD BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Actually, I think the numbers are low! There was a Gallup poll in the early '90s that said something like 30 percent of people believe houses can be haunted. Ten years later, the number went up higher - to 40 percent.

What's so fascinating is that science continues to evolve, and we learn more about our universe, and people continue to evolve and the numbers of people who believe keep getting higher.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE INCREASE?
I believe it's because people's religious and spiritual beliefs continue to diversify. A hundred years ago, people used to have to go to a certain church or synagogue. It's not like that anymore, but I think spirituality is a basic human need. If you're not getting it at church you're getting it somewhere. What's amazing is that everyone sees ghosts - Jews, Christians, Muslims, Catholics, Atheists! It's like a common denominator.

And when people see that, it tells them that there is life after death. And there is the increasing popularity of the subject. Every network has some sort of paranormal show on. The city of Chicago has five competing ghost tours - Five! People want to go out and learn about these things. It's titillating and intriguing to them.

And I think that deep down, we want to see something. We believe in our senses, and we believe ourselves if we see something.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ESP?
There are stories of a glass of water sitting on the counter, just shattering. Or a wall pounding by itself. It's often considered something children have the power to do. And it may be that the child isn't aware that they're doing it. It's not necessarily ghosts coming from the other side.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON UFOS?
I've just started really researching UFOs. In my opinion, UFOs are not paranormal. One thousand years from now - if we don't blow ourselves up before then - how far evolved will we be? We might be able to visit other planets; I don't think it's really paranormal.

HOW ABOUT CURSES?
I live an hour from Salem, Massachusetts so I know all about spells. And I'm a Red Sox fan - of course we believe in curses!

If you believe in it, it's real. Faith is powerful, it makes things real.

WHAT'S THE BIG PICTURE?
Haunted places can be everywhere. And it's an interesting way to see the world. When you go to the battlefield at Gettysburg - 51,OOO dead or wounded in three days. If you stand there and think about that, you probably will pick up on it. You just get it, that place means something.
I enjoy researching the history. I like to see how far back we can trace the legends.

[thomasputnel]

I have seen spirits ALL of my life. I was never told that "you can''t see and here spirits, it''s all in your head." We put too many blocks on our children that they CAN''T see or do or hear this or that. "Whether You Think You Can or Can''t, You''re Right"--Henry Ford I have had too many paranormal experiences in my life Not to believe in spirits and the supernatural. Our world is finally coming out from behind the veil that our ancestors placed on us to finally start seeing and believe in the things that we cannot touch or explain.

[shanev137]

"Ghosts" = Self-induced terror to the point of visual and auditory hallucinations.

It all happens in your mind...your own fear getting the better of you.

[iceman_1960]

"Perhaps you should do what Paul reports the Athenians doing. Set up an "Altar to the Unknown God[s]" -- just to cover all the bases."

Of course, if you do that, the "jealous" God of the Bible gets angry about your lack of faith.

So there"s no safety no matter what you do.

Pascal"s Wager is a s*ucker"s bet.

[iceman_1960]

What if the Muslims are right ? Or the Hindus ? Then you"ll spend eternity in one of their H*ELLS.

[iceman_1960]

"Don"t take this belief system to the day and the moment of your last breath dude. What if I am RIGHT, is is it worth risking eternity in hell?"
- Posted by sblake63 at 08:48 PM : Oct 27, 2007

What if the Muslims are right ? Or the Hindus ? Then you"ll spend eternity in one of their ***.

Or what if there is some god (or goddess), or more than one, that you don"t even know about, that you were supposed to be worshipping all this time ?

Perhaps you should do what Paul reports the Athenians doing. Set up an "Altar to the Unknown God[s]" -- just to cover all the bases.

[jimfinster]

Stories, shadows, unexplained floating objects. There are plenty of rational explanations, why reach for the supernatural?

I think it is because people crave mystery and excitement in their life.

[sblake63]

The inconsistencies are mounting...


Posted by GladImNotOJ at 06:10 PM : Oct 27, 2007
__________________________

Inconsistent for you, not for God. And yes it does say the dead will be judged - No matter where they went heaven or hell. This is GOD LOL. He does what he wants whether you think its logical or not. Thank god for what seems to us for us "lack of logic" and his forgiveness. Otherwise people with an attitude like yours would be stuck dead LOL.

Don''t take this belief system to the day and the moment of your last breath dude. What if I am RIGHT, is is it worth risking eternity in hell?

[sblake63]

Someone said, "Your either going to heaven or hell - no middle ground LOL - Face it...."

Actually, for MANY YEARS the Christian church taught that you could go to Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, or Limbo. Like everything the "Christians" believe, this has changed over time.

But what I find most interesting is how IGNORANT and UNINFORMED "Christians" are about their own religion. The Bible is quite specific and clear in stating that you don''''t go to Heaven OR to Hell when you die. None of that happens until after you stand before God on Judgement Day. Until then, who knows what happens? Many "Chrstians" are against cremation for this very reason. They are afraid that if they burn up their bodies then they won''''t get to participate in the big Judgement. As if their rotted corpses would somehow be preferable!

Posted by GladImNotOJ at 04:03 PM : Oct 27, 2007
____________________________

LOL excuse me ****! But the very 1st salvation was the thief on the cross next to Christ who said he deserves death, but Christ didn''t and asked Christ to remember him. Christ said to him "today you shall be with me in paradise". There is no delay - Heaven or Hell - Face it!

[iceman_1960]

RE: "The Bible is quite specific and clear in stating that you don"t go to Heaven OR to Hell when you die."

Jesus" said, "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham"s bosom..."

That seems like a real boring way to spend eternity.

[iceman_1960]

"...We both saw the same, impossible, apparition. If it wasn"t a ghost, I don"t know what else it could have been."
- Posted by GladImNotOJ at 12:02 PM : Oct 27, 2007

It might have been OJ Simpson, you never know.

[sblake63]

Sorry folks this story is a farce like all other ghost stories. Your either going to heaven or hell - no middle ground LOL - Face it....

[cyinzl8r]

Well that proves it. It had to be a ghost. There couldn''t have been any real, rational explanation for it ;) omg!