The Grim Society

While many ‘Ghost Hunting’ groups across the world rely on certain items, their use outside their intended field might seem odd to the average person. One of those items is the EMF Meter, a device that measures the electromagnetic field at a given location. There are websites out there which will tell you that using meters such as the EMF are ’shady science,’ taking an item not intended for this use and claiming scientific results from the readings. We obviously don’t agree with these critics, but wanted to share the reason for our difference of opinion.

Electric fields are created by differences in voltage: the higher the voltage, the stronger will be the resultant field. Magnetic fields are created when electric current flows: the greater the current, the stronger the magnetic field. An electric field will exist even when there is no current flowing. If current does flow, the strength of the magnetic field will vary with power consumption but the electric field strength will be constant. (Extract from “Electromagnetic Fields”, published by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in 1999)

Electromagnetic fields are all around us. Fields are produced by the local build-up of electric charges in the atmosphere associated with thunderstorms, and the earth’s magnetic field is what causes a compass needle to find North. It is even used by birds and fish for navigation. These fields can also be discharged from power lines, home wiring, airport and military radar, substations, transformers, computers and appliances.

One of the main characteristics which defines an electromagnetic field (EMF) is its frequency or its corresponding wavelength. Fields of different frequencies interact with the body in different ways. One can imagine electromagnetic waves as series of very regular waves that travel at an enormous speed, the speed of light. The frequency simply describes the number of oscillations or cycles per second, while the term wavelength describes the distance between one wave and the next. Hence wavelength and frequency are inseparably intertwined: the higher the frequency the shorter the wavelength.

A simple analogy should help to illustrate the concept: Tie a long rope to a door handle and keep hold of the free end. Moving it up and then down slowly will generate a single big wave; more rapid motion will generate a whole series of small waves. The length of the rope remains constant, therefore, the more waves you generate (higher frequency) the smaller will be the distance between them (shorter wavelength).

Wavelength and frequency determine another important characteristic of electromagnetic fields: Electromagnetic waves are carried by particles called quanta. Quanta of higher frequency (shorter wavelength) waves carry more energy than lower frequency (longer wavelength) fields. Some electromagnetic waves carry so much energy per quantum that they have the ability to break bonds between molecules. In the electromagnetic spectrum, gamma rays given off by radioactive materials, cosmic rays and X-rays carry this property and are called ‘ionizing radiation’. Fields whose quanta are insufficient to break molecular bonds are called ‘non-ionizing radiation’. Man-made sources of electromagnetic fields that form a major part of industrialized life – electricity, microwaves and radiofrequency fields – are found at the relatively long wavelength and low frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum and their quanta are unable to break chemical bonds.

Electric fields exist whenever a positive or negative electrical charge is present. They exert forces on other charges within the field. The strength of the electric field is measured in volts per metre (V/m). Any electrical wire that is charged will produce an associated electric field. This field exists even when there is no current flowing. The higher the voltage, the stronger the electric field at a given distance from the wire.

Electric fields are strongest close to a charge or charged conductor, and their strength rapidly diminishes with distance from it. Conductors such as metal shield them very effectively. Other materials, such as building materials and trees, provide some shielding capability. Therefore, the electric fields from power lines outside the house are reduced by walls, buildings, and trees. When power lines are buried in the ground, the electric fields at the surface are hardly detectable.

Magnetic fields arise from the motion of electric charges. The strength of the magnetic field is measured in amperes per meter (A/m); more commonly in electromagnetic field research, scientists specify a related quantity, the flux density (in microtesla, µT) instead. In contrast to electric fields, a magnetic field is only produced once a device is switched on and current flows. The higher the current, the greater the strength of the magnetic field.

Like electric fields, magnetic fields are strongest close to their origin and rapidly decrease at greater distances from the source. Magnetic fields are not blocked by common materials such as the walls of buildings.

In November 1989, the Department of Energy reported that, “It has now become generally accepted that there are, indeed, biological effects due to field exposure.” Because of this (and many other) findings, it became necessary for individuals to have access to a simple tool that would measure the electromagnetic fields they came in contact with. Thus the birth of the reasonably priced, high quality EMF meter.

The gauss, abbreviated as G, is the cgs unit of magnetic field (B), named after the German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss.

An EMF meter is a type of Gauss Meter. Inside an EMF meter is a coil of thin wire that usually has hundreds of turns in it. When the meter is on, the magnetic field radiates through the coil and inducing a current. The current is amplified by the circuitry inside the Gauss meter, which measures its strength. EMF meters vary in the strength of the magnetic field they can measure and vary widely in price and accuracy. Meters have either a single axis coil or a triple axis coil. Single axis meters are much simpler than triple axis meters to manufacture and thus, are less expensive.

To use a single axis meter you must point the meter’s one sensor in three directions — -the x, y and z axis. Then, you combine the three readings in a mathematical equation to calculate the combined field strength. Obviously, its far easier and more accurate to use a 3-axis meter. Triple axis Gauss meters are quite accurate, but they are also more expensive.

Here at the GRIM society we use a single axis ELF meter (ELF stands for extremely low field) with a range of 0.1mG to 199.9 milligauss and an accuracy of ±(4% + 3digits) at 50-60 Hz. Single axis meters have the advantage when attempting to trace a linear source!

Now you might find yourself wondering what all this has to do with hunting down paranormal activity, and we have the answer. It can be found in numerous scientific studies, but there is one in particular that we like to cite, a piece published in the British Journal of Psychology in May of 2003.

In his article, “An investigation into alleged ‘hauntings’,” Prof Richard Wiseman discovered an interesting phenomenon, as explained in the excerpt below:

“Thirdly, both experiments also examined whether the alleged haunting may be due, at least in part, to participants responding to environmental cues. In Expt 1, the variance of the local magnetic Žfield in the ‘haunted’ areas was significantly greater than of the ‘control’ areas. In addition, the number of unusual experiences reported by participants was higher, as correlated with magnetic variance. This was not replicated in Expt 2, which found a significant positive correlation between magnetic variance and the haunted order. These results provide some support for the controversial theory that the presence of certain types of local magnetic Žfields may impact upon a range of psychological, psychophysiological and health-related variables.”

Now, unlike many groups out there, we don’t believe that fluctuating EMF readings is proof of, well, anything other than fluctuating EMF readings. However, because there is in fact a scientific basis that shows a correlation between fluctuating EMF readings and an increase in the experience of paranormal activity, we feel that examining and recording these fluctuations are an integral part of any true exploration into the paranormal. In fact, the readings themselves can be, at times, classified as paranormal- especially in situations when there is no obvious or logical explanation for fluctuations in the field.

It is important to remember, though, that like many other things in our field of research, the correlation between EMF readings and ‘ghostly haunts’ remains speculative at this point in time.