I've had a few things happen to me this week.
All of them centering about the telling of porky pies to keep likers and followers or losing people because I am too 'beige', not exciting enough!
This has had me thinking whether some people really care to hear the truth any more?
Does it matter if there is a good story to be told?
Maybe not - but when you are working on behalf of a site who has their integrity to look out for it matters greatly.
Story telling is an integral part of a ghost tour.
All stories get embellished over time - even just a little.
But to tell untruths can hurt a site's historical base, integrity and the site can turn around to a tour provider like myself and say "What the hell are you doing?"
Ghost tours do need a bit of spookiness for sure.
Most sites also have great urban legends.
There are also stories that can be passed down from one generation to the next ( with slight variations).
Often urban legends have some anchor in a snippet of truth but it can get lost over time.
Story tellers can create drama and mood.
A good story teller SHOULD do that.
But often creating lies can lead you down a path that can lead a site to closing its availability to ghost tours and investigations.
You can also strike a family member sometimes - someone who knows exactly who you are talking about.That can lead to a world of pain if you get the story wrong.
Why am I heading down this path?
Because, for the sake of keeping followers happy, some of those invested in the paranormal community, including myself, can often be tempted not to tow the line of truth in an effort to create fans, interest and increase blog likers etc..because the truth can sometimes be boring.
And why stand in the way of a good story!
This week I received some yearly feedback from one of my hosting sites.
The feedback in most cases was excellent but it also ran the full gamut from comments that said that my tours were 'a rort and waste of money' and 'never coming again, what a waste of time' to "fabulous and will be back again'.
All complaints were taken seriously.
Some complaints were actually about me telling the truth!
How dare I not produce a ghost on demand!
How dare I not be able to tell every single person who shows me a blurred photo that they have capture a ghost?
How dare I think that I know anything at all?
Or...
The truth that you wouldn't be guaranteed to see a ghost on a ghost tour or paranormal investigation no matter how haunted the site is supposed to be.
The truth that certain well maintained stories may have no basis as to what we currently know and the site.
The truth that orbs are normally dust or bugs captured in the flash of your mobile phone or in light flares.
So, some of those complaints cannot be dealt with unless I lie.
Now, I never have said that I know everything.
And I am very happy to change my mind and my opinion when I have information in my hands that can prove new details on what I currently know and understand.
But I am not prepared to lie to make people happy.
I don't think that any paranormal investigator should.
So this leaves YOU, dear participant, in a spot where you may have to make up your mind whether you want entertainment on your ghost tour or whether you are prepared to hear the truth and maybe be prepared not to poop your pants during a tour (which seems to be the bench mark between a good tour and a shit tour for some).
One of the most horrifying statements I can hear when someone is asking me about my tours is when they say ,"I've seen all the ghost shows on TV and I really want to be scared".
Oh boy!
Can I suggest you go buy a movie ticket and see the newest paranormal scream-feast movie that has come out?
Cause I cant guarantee you'll need to change your undies whilst on a tour.
Also, please don't make me sweat and squirm when I do tell you the truth.
That look of disappointment that I didn't live up to the expectations of your last watched episode of "Ghost Adventures" and that snigger that I am shit because I didn't produce the poltergeist you were hoping for is is really quite upsetting.
Be truthful and admit you want some good scary entertainment.
You want stories about demons and poltergeists and heads spinning and green vomit.
And that's cool. I get it.
But you wont get it on most ghost tours no matter how hard we try.
Reality is somewhat different.
Strikingly different - and in my opinion 1000 times more intriguing and astounding when you experience things for yourself.
Be prepared to wait for it - to seek it out and to use your senses to explore what you encounter.
If you think it's going to be handed to you on a plate - you really are misjudging the depths of these experiences.
And...if its sounds too good to be true - it usually is.
All of them centering about the telling of porky pies to keep likers and followers or losing people because I am too 'beige', not exciting enough!
This has had me thinking whether some people really care to hear the truth any more?
Does it matter if there is a good story to be told?
Maybe not - but when you are working on behalf of a site who has their integrity to look out for it matters greatly.
Story telling is an integral part of a ghost tour.
All stories get embellished over time - even just a little.
But to tell untruths can hurt a site's historical base, integrity and the site can turn around to a tour provider like myself and say "What the hell are you doing?"
Ghost tours do need a bit of spookiness for sure.
Most sites also have great urban legends.
There are also stories that can be passed down from one generation to the next ( with slight variations).
Often urban legends have some anchor in a snippet of truth but it can get lost over time.
Story tellers can create drama and mood.
A good story teller SHOULD do that.
But often creating lies can lead you down a path that can lead a site to closing its availability to ghost tours and investigations.
You can also strike a family member sometimes - someone who knows exactly who you are talking about.That can lead to a world of pain if you get the story wrong.
Why am I heading down this path?
Because, for the sake of keeping followers happy, some of those invested in the paranormal community, including myself, can often be tempted not to tow the line of truth in an effort to create fans, interest and increase blog likers etc..because the truth can sometimes be boring.
And why stand in the way of a good story!
This week I received some yearly feedback from one of my hosting sites.
The feedback in most cases was excellent but it also ran the full gamut from comments that said that my tours were 'a rort and waste of money' and 'never coming again, what a waste of time' to "fabulous and will be back again'.
All complaints were taken seriously.
Some complaints were actually about me telling the truth!
How dare I not produce a ghost on demand!
How dare I not be able to tell every single person who shows me a blurred photo that they have capture a ghost?
How dare I think that I know anything at all?
Or...
The truth that you wouldn't be guaranteed to see a ghost on a ghost tour or paranormal investigation no matter how haunted the site is supposed to be.
The truth that certain well maintained stories may have no basis as to what we currently know and the site.
The truth that orbs are normally dust or bugs captured in the flash of your mobile phone or in light flares.
So, some of those complaints cannot be dealt with unless I lie.
Now, I never have said that I know everything.
And I am very happy to change my mind and my opinion when I have information in my hands that can prove new details on what I currently know and understand.
But I am not prepared to lie to make people happy.
I don't think that any paranormal investigator should.
So this leaves YOU, dear participant, in a spot where you may have to make up your mind whether you want entertainment on your ghost tour or whether you are prepared to hear the truth and maybe be prepared not to poop your pants during a tour (which seems to be the bench mark between a good tour and a shit tour for some).
One of the most horrifying statements I can hear when someone is asking me about my tours is when they say ,"I've seen all the ghost shows on TV and I really want to be scared".
Oh boy!
Can I suggest you go buy a movie ticket and see the newest paranormal scream-feast movie that has come out?
Cause I cant guarantee you'll need to change your undies whilst on a tour.
Also, please don't make me sweat and squirm when I do tell you the truth.
That look of disappointment that I didn't live up to the expectations of your last watched episode of "Ghost Adventures" and that snigger that I am shit because I didn't produce the poltergeist you were hoping for is is really quite upsetting.
Be truthful and admit you want some good scary entertainment.
You want stories about demons and poltergeists and heads spinning and green vomit.
And that's cool. I get it.
But you wont get it on most ghost tours no matter how hard we try.
Reality is somewhat different.
Strikingly different - and in my opinion 1000 times more intriguing and astounding when you experience things for yourself.
Be prepared to wait for it - to seek it out and to use your senses to explore what you encounter.
If you think it's going to be handed to you on a plate - you really are misjudging the depths of these experiences.
And...if its sounds too good to be true - it usually is.
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