You can always tell a paranormal newbie from an experienced veteran of the field. If you ask the vet about equipment, they might spit off something about an ionic detector or the latest infrared doodad. If you ask the newcomer, you will hear, “Well, I got my EMF detector.”
It is true; the electromagnetic (EMF) detector is the most recognized and prized possession that any new ghost hunter can have. It is not easy to find in stores and unless you have an electrician in the house, the only reason that you should have one is for ghost hunting. It is a status symbol.
One of the most startling realizations about this field is that the EMF detector is one of the most underused piece of equipment that will ever be in your case. Even if you get a strange reading, you have not much to go on for a lead!
Everything in today’s world gives off an EMF field; televisions, computers, and even your cell phone.
The whole theory behind EMF detectors is that ghosts are energy and if they are energy, they can manipulate the equipment. If you can detect magnetic, radio, and electrical fields, you have a pretty broad spectrum to ask the spirit to communicate with.
Since almost everything is electrical, the thought is that ghosts can draw and manipulate energies in the area to manifest and perform actions like throwing forks. The support evidence for this theory lies within the reported activity of cold and hot spots in a location that are often reported with paranormal activity. The experience of batteries draining in a haunted location also helps to support this theory.
We know that by drawing energy out of an object, the atoms start to slow down and become cooler as there are fewer collisions. This works much like a refrigerator. By putting it back into the air and dispersing it, it will speed up the atoms and create friction which creates heat. The area gets warmer.
A lot has to be researched to know for sure if EMFs play a large part in ghostly activity but until someone completely tosses this theory off its hinges, every new ghost hunter will be carrying around an EMF detector.