Ghost Radar (iPhone/Android App)

danom8

I am a practicing medium and have always been very interested in the paranormal. Ever since I can remember I have always encountered unexplainable things. I'm 21 now and for the past few years I've been involved in a lot of spiritual groups and have been practicing medium ship and giving readings.

About a year ago I downloaded the iPhone application 'Ghost Radar'.

This is a quick rundown of how the application supposedly works;

"Ghost Radar attempts to detect paranormal activity by using various sensors on the device on which it is running. Like traditional paranormal detecting equipment Ghost Radar employs sensors that measure electromagnetic fields, vibrations, and sounds."

http://spudpickles.com/node/34

I'm always skeptical about gimmicks and that's what I took this application to be when I first downloaded it, however I remember using it last year and some of the words it came back with were very accurate. It really was surprising. I even had skeptics in the room at the time who it seemed to come through with messages for from their loved ones who had passed.

I decided to download the app again today and all I can say is that it as accurate as ever. When I first turned it on it came up with the name George (that would be my uncle who passed 4 years ago). Then it immediately came up with Thomas (his brother who passed last month. My Grandfather who passed four years ago also had the same name. It then came up with older, they were all in their late 60's and over. Finally it came up with skilled cook. My grandfather was a skilled cook as were my uncles in their day apparently.

I'm not suggesting that this app is genuine because I really don't know. I think it's great entertainment, especially at this time of year. I do find it stage however, that when I Google forums on the application, most of the posters seem to have found it strangely accurate. As I'm typing this it came up with the word Canal (I live right beside the Canal). It also came up with Mexico and travel. I know it's not Mexico but I'm traveling to Brazil in a weeks time so that was even close.

Has anybody else used this application and if so what were your experiences with it?

Riamfada

Are you serious ?

danom8

Absolutely, I'm very serious. I'd hardly go out of my way to make this up, why?

Oryx

What did it come up with that didnt fit?

danom8

It also came up with Paid, Course. This is also very accurate as my brother literally just paid off his college course a couple of days ago.

The only thing that wasn't necessarily spot on was the word cup. Although the bleep on the radar was in the same place as the cup press in the kitchen in my apartment. It may not have been related to anything paranormal but it was a funny coincidence.

The other words it came up with were Arm and Rough. I'm sure anyone could place them as they rather generic but other than that everything else was spot on.

I was wondering if anyone else has used this app and what were your findings? I'm certainly not proclaiming it to be actually contacting spirit but based on my own experience and other people's it's certainly making me think twice.

Oryx

I could make everything fit, if I tried. Your just allowing it all to fit, Mexico, arm, rough, cup were all misses, but you are bending or ignoring them.

danom8

I disagree, Thomas and George are the names of the only two deceased people I've known in life. They are the only names that came through. Canal is strange because the word Canal is in my address. Course and Paid are very relevant because my brother only told me that he paid for his college course last night.

Mexico and Travel were close, I'm not bending them to fit at all. It's just that I am traveling to South America on Friday so I'm certainly not dismissing it. It may be just a coincidence but considering the names that had just come through I said I'd let it slide.

Rough, Arm and Cups I can take as I'm sure anyone can. My partner broke his arm in Brazil in the last year. Rough doesn't necessarily apply but it was a rough fall that caused it. Again I'm sure anyone can take this but it was funny. There was no random words that were totally out of place. Some were simply common words, others precise names and addresses.

I just thought I'd post here to see other people's experiences, I have absolutely no interest in trying impress people. I am a medium and I know my beliefs, I just found this interesting.

Maybe I was wrong for asking, sorry about that...

Oryx

Sorry if you think I am coming across as harsh. I just don't see that theres anything spooky going on. This app might be fun, but it is just a random word generator. Its not precise, its just a bit of a novelty. The names and words are simply very common. It's the same with 'real' mediumship, people tend to take the hits and ignore the misses.

A good medium should always ask 'is this good information or could it apply to anyone?' I think this app, in mimicing what mediumship does, weakens the perception of what a 'proper' medium is supposed to do. As in, look - its so easy to make something sound accurate, a phone game can do it!

I'm not anti mediumship, far from it. But I do think this app shows how easy it is to kid someone. And taken from that it also shows how much better a real spirit connection needs to be to prevent people saying its all just random guesswork.

iPlop

I downloaded the app after reading this thread, and the words that came out of it was; washing, aunt, tired, sleepy, die, sleep, aunt, dried!?!, I was sleepy on the couch when I had it running, but it's a computer program that has algorithms in the iPhone, that when used in the right way can make the right choices of words, ie: silence=sleepy ,no movement etc...

Riamfada

It just throws out random words and beeps randomly not to mention the "radar" aspect of the device. This type of thing is downloaded for its kitch value then usually gets deleted. Anyone who actually uses this on an investigation is a serious idiot.

The mind boggles.

kylith

I think that if anything this app helps to show how a person can take a random series of words, in this case suggested by nothing but a mindless algorithm, and make it fit their lives and experiences. If an app can make people think it's psychic what does that say about people who claim to be psychic?

Riamfada

I know people have an apple fetish but if there were a device that could a)play angry birds b) hold your Coldplay collection and c) not only receive messages from the dead but also pin point their direction and range from your position then I doubt it would be on sale in your local dixons despite its overpriced value.

Plus it should also be noted that while these devices have emf detectors they are also going to give us all massive head tumours in future years due to the level of emf they generate themselves.

I own an iPhone 4 an Ipad2 a Htc cha cha, wildfire, desire s, smart and a galaxy s II and I have played with the ghost radar on them all.

Fuzzy Clam

Ghosts must be pissing themselves over all this.:)

Oryx

Fuzzy clam. Stop thread spoiling with idiot comments.

Ziycon

Just wanted to add, I'm involved in the 'programming world' and this app is just a few lines of could generating random words as said before, sure the interface with ghosts hasn't been released yet, its still in beta!

squonk

danom8 wrote: »

I am a practicing medium and have always been very interested in the paranormal. Ever since I can remember I have always encountered unexplainable things. I'm 21 now and for the past few years I've been involved in a lot of spiritual groups and have been practicing medium ship and giving readings.

About a year ago I downloaded the iPhone application 'Ghost Radar'.

This is a quick rundown of how the application supposedly works;

"Ghost Radar attempts to detect paranormal activity by using various sensors on the device on which it is running. Like traditional paranormal detecting equipment Ghost Radar employs sensors that measure electromagnetic fields, vibrations, and sounds."

http://spudpickles.com/node/34

I'm always skeptical about gimmicks and that's what I took this application to be when I first downloaded it, however I remember using it last year and some of the words it came back with were very accurate. It really was surprising. I even had skeptics in the room at the time who it seemed to come through with messages for from their loved ones who had passed.

I decided to download the app again today and all I can say is that it as accurate as ever. When I first turned it on it came up with the name George (that would be my uncle who passed 4 years ago). Then it immediately came up with Thomas (his brother who passed last month. My Grandfather who passed four years ago also had the same name. It then came up with older, they were all in their late 60's and over. Finally it came up with skilled cook. My grandfather was a skilled cook as were my uncles in their day apparently.

I'm not suggesting that this app is genuine because I really don't know. I think it's great entertainment, especially at this time of year. I do find it stage however, that when I Google forums on the application, most of the posters seem to have found it strangely accurate. As I'm typing this it came up with the word Canal (I live right beside the Canal). It also came up with Mexico and travel. I know it's not Mexico but I'm traveling to Brazil in a weeks time so that was even close.

Has anybody else used this application and if so what were your experiences with it?

You're an idiot! I'm involved in software development also and can definitely tell you, like the other poster Ziycom I think their name was, that this is just a random number generator with an index into a dictionary, so it basically just spouts random words. All the rest is window dressing. Just because the device has a magnetometer and a few other sensors doesn't automatically make it a detection device, and as for the code, as was said, the API hasn't been publised yet! It's a toy and nothing more. All this does is highlight why scientifically minded people scoff at things of a paranormal nature because it's inexact and while that's maybe not such a problem in itself, it's the willingness of those that follow to attach meaning to anything that suits them that's the problem. A rigorous test would take into account all the words generated and their applicability to actual known facts. You can attach a meaning to any word if you try hard enough, like Car being taken to mean a car accident happening. We all know people who have been in accidents or even died.

La_Gordy

Absolute baws, it doesn't even have an entertainment value.

dib

Oryx wrote: »

Fuzzy clam. Stop thread spoiling with idiot comments.

Seriously?! Oryx is the one you're calling out for thread spoiling?!!?!?! The mind boggles.

Riamfada

dib wrote: »

Seriously?! Oryx is the one you're calling out for thread spoiling?!!?!?! The mind boggles.

I think that was Oryx calling Fuzzy Clam on the spoiling. These early mornings seem to be breaking your brain Dib.

TheMilkyPirate

Downloaded this the other night, It's great fun a bit freaky too. Me and a few mates were standing at the back door and loads of dots came up on the screen and then the dog ran in we were all messin about and laughing at it and then the word excitement came up on the screen, Obviously sensed the phone moving and maybe uses the mic too.

Sitting on the sofa then about an hour later and out it comes with my name, Nothing else just my name. Deleted it then. Fuck that.

danom8

Just reading back over this thread and remembering why I don't post here any more. I was just trying to share a strange experience I had with the app. In a thread just two pages long one Mod tells a user to stop posting idiotic comments. A few posts later another user comes onto my thread and directly calls me an idiot with no ramifications.

Meanwhile a Mod sarcastically asks me if I'm serious for asking about a ghost hunting app in a paranormal forum where I'm expected to be open minded before I reply to others.

Think I'm due a huge apology here. If not this forum is a joke.

Riamfada

danom8 wrote: »

Just reading back over this thread and remembering why I don't post here any more. I was just trying to share a strange experience I had with the app. In a thread just two pages long one Mod tells a user to stop posting idiotic comments. A few posts later another user comes onto my thread and directly calls me an idiot with no ramifications.

Meanwhile a Mod sarcastically asks me if I'm serious for asking about a ghost hunting app in a paranormal forum where I'm expected to be open minded before I reply to others.

Think I'm due a huge apology here. If not this forum is a joke.

In all fairness nobody can possibly believe that a phone application can be in any way paranormal? There is being open minded and then there is being open minded

danom8

Riamfada wrote: »

In all fairness nobody can possibly believe that a phone application can be in any way paranormal? There is being open minded and then there is being open minded

Why not? I'm not closed minded enough to dismiss the possibility. Plenty of people believe that radios and TVs can be used to communicate with the spirit world. Heck the Ouji Board started as a board game and there's plenty of threads here about people who are too afraid to use them. Why is it that I get ridiculed then?

Maybe Ghost Radar is just a huge algorithm of randomly generated words but then again maybe spirit can in fact influence what words are spoken? Maybe not, I don't know. I just wanted to explore the idea. Besides all that, you as a Moderator should be more open minded before dismissing something just because you find it silly. Especially in the Paranormal Forum. Don't think I'm just gonna back of cause you're a Mod. You're still in the wrong for dismissing me the way you did and you of all posters should know better about letting people have their say.

Oryx

danom8 wrote: »

Just reading back over this thread and remembering why I don't post here any more. I was just trying to share a strange experience I had with the app. In a thread just two pages long one Mod tells a user to stop posting idiotic comments. A few posts later another user comes onto my thread and directly calls me an idiot with no ramifications.

Meanwhile a Mod sarcastically asks me if I'm serious for asking about a ghost hunting app in a paranormal forum where I'm expected to be open minded before I reply to others.

Think I'm due a huge apology here. If not this forum is a joke.

Squonk was red carded for his comment. If you're going to criticise the system, at least know how the system works.

By posting here you will get opinion on why it could work and why it probably doesn't. That's because the nature of this forum is to look at both sides. I've been on other sites where all experiences are taken as bone fide, and to be honest, I think that achieves nothing, because real world explanations are not taken into account. Its important to do that or you fall into the trap of seeing things the way you want to rather than how they are.

I'm not saying you AREN'T getting spirit communication, but you need to rule out the chance that its a random algorithm that got lucky.

Gumbi

danom8 wrote: »

Why not? I'm not closed minded enough to dismiss the possibility. Plenty of people believe that radios and TVs can be used to communicate with the spirit world. Heck the Ouji Board started as a board game and there's plenty of threads here about people who are too afraid to use them. Why is it that I get ridiculed then?

Maybe Ghost Radar is just a huge algorithm of randomly generated words but then again maybe spirit can in fact influence what words are spoken? Maybe not, I don't know. I just wanted to explore the idea. Besides all that, you as a Moderator should be more open minded before dismissing something just because you find it silly. Especially in the Paranormal Forum. Don't think I'm just gonna back of cause you're a Mod. You're still in the wrong for dismissing me the way you did and you of all posters should know better about letting people have their say.

No, it is a random word generator. You should really research what kind of a programme does this kind of thing before jumping to conclusions. This says a lot about people who are "open-minded" to the paranormal - an inability to apply critical thinking, falling into the usual traps, confirmation bias, etc etc.