Night vision scopes are a relatively new technology being applied to paranormal research and ghost hunting. Simply because this technology is new and not fully understood in it's application to ghost hunting does not mean we should totally dismiss NV scopes as being reliable OR unreliable devices. As researchers, we are obligated to (1) explore what such scopes have to offer the ghost hunting community, (2) learn to identify any problems we may encounter with them and (3) learn to identify any supernatural phenomena we may encounter with them.

The first question one must ask is: "What qualifies any specific ghost hunting device as being reliable versus unreliable?" Well, the fact is that, when it comes to investigating the paranormal, nothing is 100% reliable. All devices we have already come to use and widely accept for ghost hunting purposes all have their problems. Just as electromagnetic field detectors will detect natural sources and how cameras can capture natural anomalies on film, night vision scopes will also yield natural phenomena. Therefore, if you were to totally dismiss using night vision scopes because of potentially obtaining a natural anomaly, you might as well throw away every other piece of equipment you own. Every device we use has the same potential. Of course, it would be totally ludicrous to toss all our equipment into the nearest trash bucket. After all, much time and dedication has been put into identifying the natural sources such devices often yield. An equal amount of time has been given to comparing natural sources to supernatural ones. And this is what must be done with night vision scopes.

Other than your own experiments, a worthy approach to identifying natural sources is to place a phone call to a reputable manufacturer of night vision scopes/goggles. They can provide valuable information concerning some of the naturally occurring anomalies you may view through your scope. Of course the one thing you must keep in mind is that their experience is only with the natural, and not the supernatural. Although this is a valuable asset in your research, their input will assist you in identifying only natural sources. So don't make the mistake of stopping there. Now armed with such information, it is up to you to field test your night vision scope. Having heard of, as compared to actually viewing, natural phenomena through night vision can be a totally different experience. As an investigator of paranormal activity, you must now identify, with your own eyes, any anomalies that may come your way. This is the ghost researcher's responsibility as we are the only ones to apply new technologies to ghostly phenomena. This is the same approach taken with EMF detectors when they were first introduced to ghost hunting so why should night scopes be treated any differently?

Before I address the natural anomalies we are familiar with, and explain common sense ways of identifying them, I need to explain the purpose and function of the night vision scope itself. The key ingredient to a night vision scope is it's illumination screen. This light sensitive optic enhancement will magnify available light by 10,000 to 15,000 times normal. ("Normal" being derived from our own eye sight as all optics are based upon.) This special screen will allow someone to see in a place that would otherwise not be visible due to darkness. Regardless of the cost of your night vision scope (ranging anywhere from $200-$5,000), the illumination screen, provided there is at least some available light to amplify, will brighten the area and visually make it appear green.

Because total darkness would have no available light to amplify, it would seemingly be impossible to see, even with a night vision scope. By itself, a night vision scope is useless in total darkness. But, because the illumination screen is light sensitive, and infrared is within the light spectrum, I would highly suggest when purchasing a night vision scope, to be sure it comes equipped with an infrared attachment. I'll explain: Infrared (IR) light, although unseen by the naked eye, is perceived by the light sensitive illumination screen within the scope, and is then converted by the screen to light we can now see through the scope. In this respect, one can actually see, through night vision technology, into an otherwise invisible spectrum of light. This can easily be demonstrated with a television remote control. Remote controls communicate information to appliances using infrared technology. To demonstrate, first take your remote control into your bathroom or any other room you can make significantly dark (nighttime conditions are a must). Turn out the lights and close all the blinds so that it is very dark. While in darkness, look at the end of your remote (the end you point at the television) and press any button. Although it is in operation, you will see nothing. Next, point the remote at the mirror and press any button. Still, you will not see anything with the naked eye. This is again because IR light is not within the human perception of visible light. Next, repeat the same scenario while viewing through your night vision scope. At such close range it'll be blurry, but you can see the infrared beam with the night vision optics. Therefore, we are able to see, through night vision technology, into another spectrum of light otherwise not seen by the naked eye.

Next I will address natural anomalies that can occur with a night vision scope and explain how to identify them. Much of what I have to say is common sense that can easily be overlooked. Still though, the fact remains that this information is very important to know. One such natural anomaly encountered with night vision is lens reflections. Reflections are a threat to a ghost hunter who is inexperienced with night vision. The fact does remain that, with experience, one can easily tell the difference. First, one must identify the sources of potential reflections. One situation would obviously be from a natural light source. If the light source were angled slightly, an estimated 5-25 degrees in any direction from an investigator's actual field of view, a reflection would likely occur. This happens while an investigator is panning the area with his/her scope. The solution?: Each time something is seen through the scope, immediately reverse the direction you are panning. If the light source is stationary, the reflection effect will be duplicated and can be attributed to natural cause.

A second natural source differing from the one mentioned above is motor vehicle headlights. The problem with these sources lies in that they are not stationary and do not provide the opportunity of identical duplication of lens reflection. There is much comfort in that investigations are rarely conducted near moving vehicles. Should there be moving vehicles nearby, an experienced investigator should always attempt to have them to his/her back.

Thirdly, the infrared beam from other night vision scopes in the area can be detected. In all instances, another scope's infrared beam is easily decipherable as a natural source. Whether the infrared beam is pointed toward or away from your night scope has no significance. Due to the intense effect infrared has on the illumination screen, both instances are very recognizable. Sometimes your own infrared beam can illuminate reflective surfaces. Again, this is easily recognized. One absolute recommendation I do have is that no one use cameras equipped with infrared. The infrared used for cameras is designed for focusing under nighttime conditions. It creates a concentrated target for the camera to focus on. The target is so focused that it can closely resemble a spirit orb through night vision.

One other natural source that should also be given mention is flying insects. Although they are recognizable to someone experienced with night vision, they could pose a threat to an inexperienced ghost hunter who tends to jump to conclusions. It should also be mentioned that insects differ from orbs in several different ways. One, their overall appearance is significantly different. Two, insects tend to demonstrate a more erratic flight pattern. Three, insects lack the ability to pass through solid objects. And four, insects do not respond to verbal communication from, or intelligently interact with, investigators.

Lastly, I must address the moon and night vision. Even when there is a full moon, we have never encountered reflection resulting from it. Unless, of course, someone is actually foolish enough to look directly at the moon with their night scope. I would not recommend looking directly at something as bright as the moon with your night vision scope. Such bright light can cause damage to your illumination screen.

At this point, it would be reasonable to ask: "Can I actually see spirit entities through night vision?" The answer is yes! I can best relate this to you through PGHA member experiences. At our second Fort Mifflin investigation we had some interesting results under circumstances which eliminated the possibility of natural phenomena. One particular building located within the fort is called the Powder Magazine. This structure consists of one chamber that is completely shielded under a mountain of soil. There are obviously no windows and light has no direct path in which to enter the inner chamber. The only entrance consists of two 90 degree turns before you reach the actual room. The first turn is left. The second turn is right. The hall separating each turn is 15-20 feet in length. During our investigation, the one and only light within the Magazine was extinguished for night vision purposes.

While investigating, two distinguished members of our group had the pleasure of witnessing, through night vision, an orb passing in and out of walls and hovering about the chamber. (read the reports at Fort Mifflin Report (Bob), Fort Mifflin Report (Andy)) They had only one night scope between the two of them. With only one night scope, no reflective surfaces and absolutely no light, there was no chance of reflection as a possibility of natural phenomena. A flying insect was ruled out as a natural cause for obvious reasons (passing through walls). The experience was so exhilarating for the one member who did not own his own night scope, the next day he went out and purchased the same exact model.

Another experience which suggests that night vision scopes are a valid application in ghost hunting happened only recently (10/24/98). During a ghost hunt, an investigator of mine had the pleasure of witnessing an orb through his $200 night scope. He had told me that he watched it pass under a bridge, only to reappear on the other side. As it drew a little closer, he lowered his scope and raised his 35 mm camera. He snapped only one photograph in the general direction he had witnessed the orb. (view photo here) Of an entire roll of film containing 24 exposures, that one photo he took contained the only anomaly. Specifically, an orb of light. During the same investigation, I was able to witness an orb pass between two of the people who attended the workshop. As it passed between these two individuals, it was obscured from my view by the person nearest me, only to emerge on the other side of him. Based on these and similar experiences, as well as supportive photographic evidence, I am inclined to believe that spirits are witnessed through night vision scopes.

Another reasonable question to ask is: "Why would I be able to see a spirit through night vision?" This is a legitimate question that has a viable explanation that pertains to our ability to capture anomalies with our cameras. When it comes to ghost photography, we can easily derive that a spirit's energy has reflective properties. (Click here for photographic evidence.) After all, traditional film only records light reflected off the object(s) being photographed, therefore producing a latent image in need of development. Although a spirit may be present and unseen by the naked eye, they can, however, sometimes be seen within a cameras flash or with a strobe light.

Infrared, although on a higher wavelength than visible light, is still light. It conforms to all properties of visible light. Therefore it possesses all the reflection capabilities of visible light. During our investigations, rarely have we seen orbs of light through night vision without the use of infrared. We have found that infrared light is reflected off of spirit energy, just as the visible light from our cameras is known to do, then transformed into light we can perceive through night vision illumination optics. This is how we see spirit orbs through night vision scopes.

Next, you may ask: "How much should I spend for a night vision scope?" Some of you may be under the illusion that more expensive is better. Well, put simply, this does not appear to be the case. All infrared scopes and goggles I have seen are equipped with illuminating screens that give everything a greenish appearance. This includes expensive military issue goggles that cost thousands of dollars. We have two members who actively use military issue night vision goggles of this caliber at every investigation. Four other members, including myself, have $200-$400 night vision scopes. In all instances, the green appearance is constant whether you are using infrared or not. As I had suggested above, the common property enabling investigators to see orbs through night vision is infrared beams reflecting off spirit energy. It is the infrared, combined with night vision's illumination optics, that allows us to see into another wavelength of the light spectrum through such scopes. Although later models, which translates into more expensive models, are more refined, especially in visual clarity, they all achieve the same thing.

If I may, I would like to direct you to an example that may help you to finalize your decision. I had mentioned above that, of the six night vision scopes we incorporate at investigations, two of them are military issue Third Generation scopes (their market value is somewhere around $3500 each). During our second Fort Mifflin investigation, two members with night vision were able to simultaneously witness an orb follow two other investigators out of the Powder Magazine. (Visit Fort Mifflin Report (Kenny), Fort Mifflin Report (Bob), and Fort Mifflin Report (Andy) for more information.) This orb was seen by two separate investigators, who were at separate locations, using two different night vision scopes. One scope was a Third Generation military issue goggles. The other scope was a $200 Second Generation monocular scope. This would suggest that, with infrared capabilities, night scopes of lesser cost and earlier generation are almost as, if not just as, effective as third generation models.

As you may be seeing at this point, although the application of night vision in ghost hunting is still in it's infancy, we have routinely applied, and continue to thoroughly test, this technology for ghost hunting purposes. We incorporate night vision into every investigation and hold at least two investigations per month. We have identified potential problems that can manifest while using night vision and cited remedies for them. But lastly, we have also gained enough experience to rule out such natural phenomena while still experiencing true anomalies through night vision. Ultimately, over time, we have gathered much evidence in support of night vision being used in the field of ghost hunting. But, don't take our word for it. A true investigator would find out for himself.

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