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Using GIS to Analyze Relationships to Explore Paranormal Occurrences in the Continental United States

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Using GIS to Analyze Relationships to Explore Paranormal Occurrences in the Continental United States Using GIS to Analyze Relationships to Explore Paranormal Occurrences in the Continental United States Lindsey Danielson Department of Resource Analysis, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona, MN 55987 Keywords: Haunted Locations, Paranormal Activity, Quartz, Magnetite, Steams, Faults, Limestone, Ghost Hunters, Geographic Information Systems Abstract According to a poll conducted by Gallup, 37% of Americans believe houses can be haunted (Gallup, 2005). There are also hundreds of paranormal research groups and societies in all 50 states who investigate and research paranormal activity. Within the last decade, paranormal activity has become increasingly popular in the media, with numerous television shows that follow paranormal investigators or share personal paranormal experiences (Hill, 2012). However, interest in the paranormal is not new; people have believed in spirits since biblical times. Many hypotheses have surfaced as to why paranormal activity manifests at a particular location; some locations of which are related to the geology and hydrology of a location. These hypotheses include tectonic strain, stone tape, running water, and magnetic anomaly theories. This research attempts to spatially analyze variables that may promote and increase manifestation of paranormal activity. This research will also use alleged haunted locations to analyze correlations between the locations and individual geological and hydrological features. Results of this study indicate one or more geological or hydrological features are suitable for paranormal activity to manifest. Introduction occur more than a visual phenomenon (McCue, 2002). Paranormal is defined as not scientifically Examples of auditory phenomenon explainable (Merriam-Webster, 2013). include footsteps, knocking, voices, music, Given the definition, it is not surprising and sounds of objects moving, which can the academic world recognizes be heard first hand, or recorded. Recorded parapsychology as a pseudoscience. One auditory manifestations recorded on of the main arguments the scientific magnetic tape which can be heard when community disregards paranormal the recording is played back later is known research as a science is because most as Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) investigators conduct research in a non- (Barušs, 2001). Other unexplainable controlled environmental and the results events associated with paranormal activity have yet to be proven as statistically or a “haunting” include, feeling of cold significant (Townsend, 2006a). masses or cold breezes, the sense of not Currently, most paranormal being alone, the appearance of lights, research is conducted by investigating an phantom smells, and objects moving. It is allegedly “haunted location” and also suggested animals have a heighten collecting evidence. An unexplainable perception of paranormal activity and can auditory phenomenon is considered to become distressed (McCue, 2002). Manifestations of paranormal activity are ________________________________________________________________________ Danielson, Lindsey. 2014. Using GIS to Analyze Relationships to Explore Paranormal Occurrences in the Continental United States. Volume 16, Papers in Resource Analysis. 10 pp. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota University Central Services Press. Winona, MN. Retrieved (date) from http://www.gis.smumn.edu more common at night; however, destroyed, but can be changed from one occurrences have been reported during the form to another. day (McCue, 2002). Parapsychologists have adopted a For the purposes of this research, a similar theory called place memory. It is haunting is defined as a recurrent thought information can be stored by the phenomenon (visual and/or auditory), of environment and retrieved through alleged paranormal nature associated with extrasensory perception. It is suggested a particular location (McCue, 2002; Heath, that for place memory to exist, the living 2005). However, it is also suggested are involved, and emotion is involved in haunting type phenomena may be either the creation or retrieval of memory. connected to a person or family and may Little is known about how place memory fallow these individuals from one location is stored, however parapsychologists do to another (McCue, 2002). believe the local geomagnetic field, The paranormal research geological features, and weather may community has adopted many hypotheses influence the storage and retrieval of place suggesting paranormal activity is memory (Heath, 2005). influenced by geological features such as Paranormal investigators also faults, magnetism/geomagnetism suggest paranormal activity can alter (Townsend, 2004), limestone, magnetite, magnetic fields, while others think and quartz (Cardinuto, 2011). paranormal activity uses energy from an The tectonic strain theory is one of area with a high magnetic field to the most popular hypotheses linking manifest; thus, it is hypothesized an area geology to reports of paranormal activity with magnetite deposits can generate (Townsend, 2006b; McCue, 2002). This residual hauntings (Schill, 2013). In hypothesis suggests stress less than what is addition, quartz-based rock and rock required to generate an earthquake, within containing magnetic minerals can have a the Earth’s crust, may result in significant effect on the spatial distribution piezoelectricity in sub-surface rock due to of magnetic anomalies (French, Usman, highly localized surface electromagnetic Bunton-Stasyshyn, and Davis, 2009; disturbances (Persinger, 1985; Townsend, Braithwaite, 2004). Paranormal research 2006b). groups favor quartz due to its structure and The Stone Tape theory is popular ability to absorb and amplify energy such among paranormal investigators. This as a piezoelectric circuit (Schill, 2013). theory suggests limestone, quartz and/or It is also hypothesized running magnetite deposits can store information, water can be used as a source of energy, such as an historical event. When the much like a battery for paranormal information is released, a residual activity. In The Other Side: A Paranormal haunting can occur (Cardinuto, 2011; Blog at Rapid City Journal.com, Mark Schill, 2013). A residual haunting occurs Rowland, the lead investigator for the when a past event is imprinted on these Black Hills Paranormal Investigations features at a certain location and is summarized this theory by explaining, ‘replayed’ in the present (Cardinuto, 2011; “because paranormal activity is believed to Schill, 2013). Paranormal investigators be electrical in nature and water is an validate this hypothesis by using the First electrical conductor, water can conduct Law of Thermodynamics (Schill, 2013), paranormal activity” (Rowland, 2009). which states, energy cannot be created or Furthermore, Rowland suggests because 2 running water produces energy, and The manifestation suitability model was paranormal activity requires energy to developed after a review of similar manifest, it can draw the required energy models. Six parameters where chosen after from running water (Rowland, 2009). reviewing paranormal theories. These The objective of this research is included the following parameters: faults, not to prove or disprove whether streams, rock unit lithologies containing paranormal manifestations are a result of quartz, limestone deposits, locations with hallucinations or a real external event, but large localized deposits of quartz, and rather to use current hypotheses to conduct locations with large localized abundance an analysis of locations where these of magnetite. hypotheses suggest paranormal First, all 50 U.S. states’ geology, phenomena may occur. In addition, faults, streams, and mineral data as well as locations investigated by the popular tables containing geological unit television show Ghost Hunters will be descriptions were downloaded. Limestone used to analyze correlations between the and quartz polygons, streams, and fault location they have investigated and the lines, and quartz and magnetite points individual geological and hydrological shapefiles were created by merging, features, as well as the calculated querying, and exporting the data to new suitability of the location. shapefiles. Next, the geocoded haunted Methods locations table was imported to ArcMap and a point shapefile was created. Relevant Data Once the preliminary data manipulations were completed, the Esri’s ArcMap and ArcCatalog (version limestone and quartz polygons were 10.1) were utilized for data analysis in all converted to raster data (Figure 1). steps of this project. Data included U.S. National Atlas Water Features shapefile from Esri 2012 data, shapefiles of faults, Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) and digital geology maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These data are freely available to the public. A point shapefile was created by geocoding locations investigated by Ghost Hunters, a television show detailing paranormal activity. Location data was collected from an episodes list located on Wikipedia. Location data were then either geocoded Figure 1. Limestone and quartz raster data. using a batch geocode service or The remaining data, running water, faults, coordinates were collected from the quartz points, and magnetite were historical site’s respective Wikipedia page converted to raster data by using the and truth checked. Attribute tables were spatial analyst tool, Euclidean Distance. exported to Excel using X Tools pro. All raster data had a cell size of 152.4 meters and all outputs were reclassified so Manifestation
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