Product Description

With the same open and personal style that won her much praise for Piercing the Darkness, bestselling author Katherine Ramsland turns her keen and curious eye to the phenomena of ghosts to uncover the truth behind a number of supernatural "sightings". Ramsland's extraordinary investigative memoir takes readers directly into the world of ghost hunting and paranormal activity, offering an unflinching account of this mysterious world. On the track of an authentic "haunting," Ramsland encounters psychics, shamans, voodoo practitioners, and high-tech ghost hunters eager to reveal how to contact spirits. But through her own daring experiments, Ramsland is able to penetrate the supernatural mystery that has inspired paranormal investigations worldwide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #566315 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Ramsland (author of numerous books on Anne Rice, vampirism and other ghoulish subjects) is just the sort of person you'd want to tell you a ghost story: credible, smart, sane and funny, neither a believer nor a skeptic. Cast as an adventure in "participatory journalism," the book begins with Ramsland's chance acquisition of a haunted silver ring. Determined to extract its secrets, she sets out on a quest that gradually turns into a full-blown investigation of psychic aberration in America. She plunges into the vast culture of ghost detection, sleeping in haunted bed-and-breakfasts from Salem to Sedona, familiarizing herself with the latest technology while also consulting conventional occult modes tarot, palm, Ouija. Charmingly understated at all times ("I never quite know how to talk to someone who lives simultaneously in two time periods"), Ramsland admits to being impervious to the spirit world; while psychics and sensitives of every description reel and recoil at the mere sight of her ring, she at first feels and sees nothing. Her gradual conviction, as she delves deeper and deeper into the realm of the unseen, that "something is out there" is all the more spine-tingling. Ramsland is a master of foreboding, and as her tale unravels, an explosive climax seems inevitable. What results more a creepy certainty than a frightful resolution may disappoint some readers. But whatever its payoff, the book will find avid fans among X-Files watchers, amateur ghost hunters, and the vast majority of those who feel that things that go bump in the night should be heard rather than seen. Agent, Lori Perkins.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A haunted ring acquired during Ramsland's research for Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today (LJ 9/15/98) drove her to explore the ghost world in this investigative memoir. With a healthy blend of skepticism and avid interest, Ramsland journeys, X-Files-style, into the realm of medians, channelers, psychics, exorcists, and ghost hunters to research the ring's connection to its former owner, a murderer who claimed to be a vampire. Ramsland is careful not to impose easy frameworks on the facts, and her openness enhances the hunt as she sleeps in haunted bed-and-breakfasts and gives tarot and palm reading a try. This daring jaunt is recommended for public library collections on the paranormal and any library with a large occult collection; browsers will be attracted. Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach Lib. Dist., FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Employing a participatory sociological approach to the examination of paranormal phenomena, Ramsland totally immerses herself in the subculture of the ghost world. Inspired by the acquisition of a ring purported to be a spiritual link to a deceased serial killer, the author embarks on an intimate odyssey into the mysterious realm of psychics, phantasms, and ghost hunters. Seeking entree into the sphere of the supernatural, she suspends her natural disbelief, cultivates an open mind, and participates in a wide range of ghosting rituals. Although prepared to dismiss many so-called paranormal occurrences in favor of natural explanations, she nevertheless encounters, experiences, and investigates a variety of inexplicable visual, photographic, and verbal manifestations. Both skeptics and believers will be intrigued by this first-person exploration of ghostly visitations. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

"Gone to be an Orb"
"Gone to be an Angel" is a popular epitaph, but if the IGHS (International Ghost Hunters Society) has its way, it won't be long before we walk through a cemetery and see a marker bearing the inscription, "Gone to be an Orb"! I would have liked Ms. Ramsland's book a lot more had she not devoted so much of it to the IGHS and its ridiculous theory that "orbs" (reflections of light off minute particles directly in front of the lens and flash of cheap digital cameras) are spirits of the dead. (Quite frankly, I cannot think of anything less appealing than dying and becoming an orb!) The book contains 300 pages and on page 296, the author finally gets around to interviewing a reputable ghost hunter who cast some doubt on the "orb" theory, but she devoted only a single paragraph--and a short one at that--to his opinions. I expected something more objective from Ms. Ramsland. This book was a great disappointment.

captures the imagination and holds the attention
I love a good ghost story, and Katherine Ramsland has a gift for creating a tale and an ambience that captures the imagination and holds the attention of her reader.

Ghost, a Firsthand Account into the World of Paranormal Activity is a wonderfully written account of the author's experimentation with ghost hunting, starting with her first halting steps and ending with an expanding network of resources and equipment.

Although the story is ostensibly about the possible murder or suicide of a young man named "Christian," a member of a vampiric sub-culture, his tale serves primarily as the supportive backbone of a more complex tale. The author combines an interesting psychological account of her own pursuit of danger and excitement, a sense of mystery and suspense, a wonderful almost playful sense of humor, and a gift for story telling that makes the book hard to put down.

Her discussion of the history of ghost hunting, the individuals involved in it, their various styles of research--tarot reading, mediumism, electronic and photographic equipment, etc.--and their personalities make the book almost a textbook on the subject. The theories of what produces ghostly phenomena are discussed by each of the individuals with whom the author interacts, so that the reader learns a lot about what is believed about the subject. I was a little disappointed, however, that the author did not interact with or discuss in more detail the work of Hans Holzer, a name with which anyone with any knowledge about the subject would be familiar.

For those who want to follow up on the subject, the author provides an in situ bibliography, citing a number of authors and their book titles throughout the text. She also provides a fairly detailed formal bibliography with very current entries, mostly from the 1990's, although some as old as the 1970's. In addition there are a number of resources provided for the reader to follow up if desired, including addresses and websites for some of the authorities she had occasion to consult and the addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of various haunted places to visit or to spend a night.

Although I found the resolution of the mystery of Christian somewhat disappointing, I found Ms Ramsland's critique of the subject of ghost hunting a very objective one, far more so than I would have expected. Since I'd love to write ghost stories (fictional) myself, I found her discussion of the equipment very interesting and useful (I've bookmarked some of these pages for future use!)

A very intelligent and gifted lady. Probably someone it would be fun to know.

For THOSE WRITING PAPERS in literature, history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, physics: this book would make a fun resource and starting point. One might, for instance, write a paper on how this type of book bridges the gap between narrative and expository prose. Is this a "story" or a research paper? What aspects of both give it an arresting character. How does history become folklorized by tales of ghosts and hauntings? What function does the ghost story have for group cohesion, for reinforcing group values, etc. How might one explain ghosts as a social or a psychological phenomenon? Why do even people who "don't believe in ghosts" often still have difficulty with cemeteries, haunted houses, and the like? Is there something evolutionarily beneficial to a fear of or veneration of the dead? The author mentions the Skeptical Enquirer, a journal dedicated to debunking beliefs in ghosts, extra terrestrials, and other phenomenon. Read an issue and discuss the subject of science and myth/folk beliefs. Is this journal as much a "soap box" for its readers as ghost societies are for their constituency? What can be said of both? Some of the equipment mentioned as useful in detecting ghosts seemed plausible, how would physics support or refute the use of them in this way?

A chilling tale
Katherine Ramsland writes in both worlds -fiction and nonfiction- and she's equally riveting and frightening in both. GHOSTS is a quick-paced, chilling tale that stimulates the brain of the reader at the same time it tingles the nerve endings. A terrific book with a great ending. Highly recommended.