David M. Rountree  

Just a short note to everyone.

It looks like my book, "Paranormal Technology" has a publisher. The contract will arrive next week. Stay tuned to more details. I will make an announcement when everything is finalized.

Thank you for your friendship and support.

David

I want to post the article that appeared in the Express Times, Warren County addition, and add a commentary at the end. Since the media doesn’t seem to get it right, I will correct it in my blog.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf?/base/news-1/123743557859050.xml&coll=3

“Paranormal investigator David Rountree discusses Hackettstown haunts

Thursday, March 19, 2009
By STEPHEN J. NOVAK
The Express-Times

HACKETTSTOWN |

David Rountree says he ain't afraid of no ghost.

That is, except for one experience in a New Jersey cemetery when, the paranormal investigator said, he and his group were assailed by small twigs and rocks presumably thrown by a ghost.

"It was kind of unnerving," Rountree said, telling a standing-room-only group assembled Wednesday in the Hackettstown Library that he would never return to that particular graveyard.

A local resident and director of Scientific Paranormal Investigative Research Information and Technology, known as SPIRIT, Rountree also related to the group of eager listeners some of his investigations from the Hackettstown area and his efforts to scientifically document proof of ghosts.

"That's my attic," said one Hackettstown resident, who declined to give his name, as so-called orbs and other allegedly spectral anomalies were shown on the screen. Other photographs chronicled the Hackettstown museum and an old, unused apartment on the third floor of the Charlie Brown's Steakhouse building.

The orbs Rountree displayed, he said, represent discharges of energy possibly resulting from the meeting of parallel universes, an interaction that he said could account for many of the conditions he measures, such as electromagnetic fields.

"Where they come together, weird things happen," Rountree said. "That's the theory I'm going with and that's the theory the evidence is starting to point to."

Rountree visited the library for a free program called "Introduction to Ghost Hunting." His claims of scientific verification of ghosts entertained the audience but are met with skepticism by the scientific community.

Alison Smith, founder of the Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society, said electromagnetic field readings can be easily manipulated by household appliances. Studies have shown how magnetic fields can sometimes cause hallucinations typically associated with the supernatural.

"There are two ways of looking at those results," Smith said. "Either one can walk away saying that when God, aliens or ghosts are present, weak, complex magnetic fields will be too; or that weak, complex magnetic fields, which are totally natural, can cause hallucinations that make us believe such things are so."

Scientifically valid or not, some simply enjoy the ghost stories as a part of local lore, and several audience members asked for Rountree's contact information so he could investigate their homes -- a service Rountree said he performs free of charge.”

Comment

Ok, I am NOT afraid of ghosts. This is a true statement.
The Cemetery was rather unnerving, as a five pound stone came sailing at me from an upper level graveyard area, and no one was up there (we investigated the area, no one was around) And yes, I won't go back. Not because I am afraid, but because I can take a hint.
Now, aside from the fact that the orb thing is extremely simplified, which is understandable (I went into a complete narrative on Plasma energy, and cold plasma and why I believe it based on data and evidence), but the part about Alison Smith was a cheap shot to discredit the work. But, let's give everyone the benefit of some doubt.
To be fair, Mr. Novak probably felt he needed to show a counterpoint to my presentation, which was, by the way, based on evidence, captured using the scientific method. Period. Oh, and it was collected objectively, meaning we neither believe nor disbelieve in its cause or source. We merely look for the answer. And we look for it in science. Now, to move on...
First of all, I do not believe that Alison Smith made her comments about my work, as the article would indicate, but I believe she made it as a general statement, and I agree with it to a point. If you are using a meter to test for EMF, chances are you are reading House power as the EMF, and it isn’t manipulated, it is CAUSED by the power service to your house, and the internal wiring. The statement itself has some errors in it, so if it is accurate, Alison needs to go back to Physics class. I'll explain...
Studies have not shown magnetic fields affect the mind. There is a possibility that Electromagnetic fields affect some people, but not all. And the evidence, based on Persinger’s God Helmet experiments, is not conclusive as there are control issues with his work. There needs to be far more experimentation before jumping to this conclusion as the answer to everything paranormal. While it is possible this can explain SOME paranormal reports, it doesn't explain all of them. Additionally the EMF that causes the effect in some people is NOT 60 Hz, but much lower frequencies in the brain wave spectrum. So the statement is false as written. Magnetic fields and EMF are two different animals.
I also disagree with Alison’s all knowing assumption that there are two ways of walking away from it. She says, and I quote, "There are two ways of looking at those results," Smith said. "Either one can walk away saying that when God, aliens or ghosts are present, weak, complex magnetic fields will be too; or that weak, complex magnetic fields, which are totally natural, can cause hallucinations that make us believe such things are so."
Alison, let me break this too you gently. There is no such thing as a natural complex magnetic field. Magnetic fields are simple, and have no frequency associated with it. DC in nature. Natural magnetic fields are all around us, they are static, earth based, or atmospheric based depending on the Earth's Core, metallic deposits under the earth, Sunspot activity and geomagnetic storms.
There are however, complex ELECTROmagnetic fields, and I have documented them.
They are made up of several frequencies modulated and tend to be associated with no apparent source. Additionally, we have direct evidence that EMF and EVP are related intimately. That was presented at my presentation, but the author of the article may have missed that.
So to be fair, Alison may know the difference in magnetic fields and electromagnetic fields; she may know that Persinger's experiment used low level EMF at specific brain wave frequencies, and they were used right against the scalp of the subjects so they penetrated the skull. Unless you have EMF hypersensitivity, it takes a very HIGH level EMF to affect the human body and perception. And it has to be of a specific frequency. This is backed up by a ream of scientific research in acoustics and psychoacoustics, something I have studied in college and used in my own work developing non-lethal acoustic weapons.
To review this basic physics lesson, when a field has frequency it is AC or alternating current, and it is a combination of an electrical field and a magnetic field, called an electromagnetic field, and to repeat, it is dynamic, meaning it has frequency. EMF is one of the 4 major forces of the universe, with Gravity, the Lesser Nuclear Force and the Greater Nuclear Force. As noted, Magnetism does NOT make the cut.
Also as stated, appliances and house power will cause spikes with an EMF meter, but these are 60 Hz, the standard frequency of house power in the US (it is 50 Hz in Europe). I explained in my presentation, how we use a sensor and an oscilloscope, and actually measure the frequency of the EMF present. I also was very clear about anything EMF we find that is 60 HZ we dismiss outright. Other frequencies we investigate, particularly frequencies that fall in the realm of brain waves, for the obvious implications.
These are some of the reasons why real research gets a bad rap. The reporting is inaccurate. My statements were not accurately reported in their entirety, and in the defense of the author, he is writing from a position that lacks understanding of some of the scientific concepts I discussed.
On the other hand, Alison may have also been misquoted. But I will add this.
Real scientific research is performed objectively, with no assumptions. Many, who claim to be skeptics, are very SUBjective, meaning they are convinced of the outcome before investigating the evidence. This is just as bad as assuming the evidence means there really is a ghost, with out the sufficient proof. Also, just because you can duplicate an effect in a laboratory, it doesn't explain the phenomena in the field whe the means of duplication are absent. I don't mind critics objectively criticizing my work that is healthy. If you criticize me SUBjectively, that is being spiteful. And I will call you on it.
Oh and Alison, if you are out there, I would be happy to discuss our research in great detail, and would welcome your evaluation based on actual evidence, and not a general dismissal out of hand.

I have a new interview up discussing EVP, ITC and Ghost Boxes at

http://kcparanormal.net/2009/03/12/13evppart2/

The Rhine Research Center is happy to host these and other educational events, but it does not endorse presenters' claims, as not all of these claims have been subjected to rigorous scientific validation.

Upcoming Events at the Rhine

March/ April

THE UNBELIEVABLE (YET COMMON) ELUSIVE SCIENCE

NYC author Stacy Horn and Duke Professor Sy Mauskopf

Friday March 20th 2009

6:00 -7:30pm Wine and Cheese Reception
7:30 – 9:00pm Panel Discussion at the Stedman Auditorium

Directions

Join us at an Informal Reception followed by a Panel Discussion with the engaging authors of two separate books featuring JB Rhine and the early Duke Parapsychology Lab.
Unbelievable, newly published on 3/10/09, is a commissioned book by Harper Collins written by NYC author Stacy Horn for which movie rights have already been signed! See Stacy’s blog on this book.

The Elusive Science was co-authored by popular Duke professor Sy Mauskopf in 1980, from the perspective of an historian of science. Dr. Mauskopf has been a long-time member of the Rhine Advisory Board, and a popular speaker in the Rhine Center Summer School Programs.

Come hear their stories and ask your questions at the Informal Reception in the Stedman Library before the talk or after the Panel Discussion in the Stedman Auditorium.

Rhine Members $10:00 * Non-Members * $15.00 * Students $5:00

Click here to buy tickets
http://fs8.formsite.com/jgadd11/form769091472/index.html

Ongoing

Monthly Psychic Experiences Group (PEG)
sharing and discussion around personal experiences

Every first Tuesday of the month
Next meeting April 7th
7:00 -9:00 PM

There is an open discussion group that meets at the Rhine Center Library. As an informal group, participants share personal experiences involving psi (experiences outside our ordinary daily lives). At times, various topics may unfold, but the evening always begins with the sharing of experiences. We honor participants' privacy for their stories outside the meetings. Facilitators are Pamela St. John and Debi Pratt. For questions or information, please contact: Pamela St. John, or call (919) 929-1578
Rhine Members Free * Non-Members $10.00

Coming Soon

April 3rd Accessing Your Right-Brain for Peace and Security in a Turbulent World, with Donna Spring Gulick. A talk and experiential evening of training your right-left brain pathways.

April 24 Child Mediums. A look at the Psychic Experiences of Children: From Autism to the Indigo/Rainbow Children, a talk and Saturday half-day workshop with Athena Drewes PhD.

May 1 Bluegrass Kirtan Concert: Mantra chanting with kicking old-time Appalachian fiddle and banjo music with Jon Seskevich and AC Bushnell

May 15-16th Afterlife Experiments and Paranormal Investigations, a talk and half-day workshop with Julie Beischel PhD and Mark Boccuzzi, from Windbridge Institute of Tucson, Arizona

June 5th Returning Psi to Healthcare: A Progress Report” a talk by
Beth Wechsler, social worker, who has been giving CE-accredited program around the country on Psychic Experiences of Clinicians and their Clients.

July 24th The Power of Premonitions How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives with Larry Dossey, MD