Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Dan Aykroyd’s dad Peter has a book out in time for Halloween called A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters. Dan and his dad Peter were on the Today Show this morning and discussed their family history as paranormal researchers. It seems to have started with Dan’s great grandfather, who was friends with a medium at the turn of the century and regularly conducted seances. They say all this in a very matter-of-fact way, and proclaim that they both believe in ghosts, having studied this issue extensively. I’m a non-believer but I found the discussion kind of fascinating anyway. One thing I learned is that Akyroyd’s dad Peter actually inspired the story of Ghostbusters!
Dan explained to Al Roker that he believes in ghosts, but that the book is less about spirits and more about “the empiricists who were studying ghosts at the turn of the century, [including] Arthur Conan Doyle and William James.” He said the “book presents a very balanced view of it and also exposes some of the hoaxes and charlatans that were at it at the turn of the century as well.”
Dan’s dad Peter said that he always believed in ghosts, and that he’s witnessed too many explainable things to discount. “You can’t deny what you see.”
They then showed three photos they claimed were real examples of spirits (below), but they looked entirely bogus to me. Dan said he thinks they’re authentic based on the integrity of the people who produced them, except for the booger one with the photos stuck in it, which he said was iffy.
As for the possibility of a Ghostbusters 3 – Dan said it was probably a go. “Two years ago I’d have to say no. Now it looks pretty good.”
The Today Show website has a segment from the book, and it focuses on Peter’s experience as a child sneaking around to watch his grandfather conduct a seance. Peter later discovers his grandfather’s diaries and personal correspondence while cleaning out his home after his death.
This is interesting and all, but as I said I’m a skeptic. If it leads to another Ghostbusters movie I’m all for it, though.
Thanks to Izzy for the tip!
well the photos don’t do much for their cause, and that bums me out. I’m a big fan of Akryod’s alien-exploits. I didn’t know he believed in ghosts as well. I do, and I’m not here to argue why or what I’ve experienced, but it’s too bad that so many believers come off as so crazy or kooky that we’re just another tool for the skeptics.
I believe in ghosts too.
Those pics are definitely bogus. I read Spook by Mary Roach a few years ago and she has a chapter devoted to these people who did seances back in the day. They were just shysters with elborate schemes that involved hiding fabric on their person to later “bring up.”
Be a skeptic, that’s fine CB but photos from early era (we’re talking turn of the century here) sheister spiritualists are irrelevant.
Spiritualists are well aware of (and well over) the old fraudsters. The new ones too.
You’re manipulating the thread more than a hair with these pictures.
I meant to add a 😉 at the end btw.
My bad.
I see spirits all the time. You all should know, fear not spirits (or ghosts as some silly ones say) but fear humans. It’s human’s who break into homes at night and kill, kidnap, torture. Human’s scare me, spirits are peaceful…..at least for/to me.
Jillian, I read that book too it was so well written; really, really interesting and one of my favorites. I think the pics would require explanation and I can’t listen to the vid right now. I would consider myself a previous skeptic, who’s perspective was very much altered by a really creepy experience. I know it can sound crazy, but IMO ghosts are definitely real.
You should watch the segment, it did lean heavily on the photos, which the Aykroyds seem to suggest were authentic. That’s why I included them. Don’t blame me, though, the Today Show dedicated a large portion of the segment to those pics.
I guess I am silly then!
Aykroyd also thinks he’s been visited/followed around by the Men in Black. The cheese has totally slid off his cracker when it comes to the paranormal.
I would buy the men in black thing before the ghosts, but I hear you guys. I have friends who believe in ghosts, it’s just not something I believe in at this point.
No question in my mind whatsoever; ghosts are most definitely real.
Those pictures are 100% bogus, though. What a shame.
I’m very skeptical of anyone who puts out stuff like this for profit, be it with a book, TV show (I do enjoy Ghost Hunters though), website, etc. I’m also very skeptical of a lot of so called evidence, and have seen a lot discrediting all of these photos from that time period. Photography was relatively new and stuff like photoshop was decades away, so those who were able to modify photos really fooled a lot of people. Nowadays we’re all to aware that things can be altered and doctored to look like whatever you want, but then, not so much.
That said, I’ve had a number of odd experiences and have heard about too many others to not believe that there’s SOMETHING out there beyond our every day world.
Can’t wait to read this book. I saw the interview this morning and as a fan of EVERYTHING paranormal, will be picking up this book.
Skeptics should all go out with a tape recorder to some haunted place and see what turns up on your tape! I think that is the best way to have an experience because it really isn’t hard, and when you’ve recorded voices yourself you can’t discredit the source.
Seriously, I actually asked a question and had something answer me on a tape recorder. It’s crazzzzzyyy.
Plus those pictures are ridiculous, I think it’s pretty obvious that they are just not in the nature of anything truly paranormal.