Book Shelf

Here are just some of the books on my book shelf:

A Paranormal Casebook by Loyd Auerbach
Parapsychologist Loyd Auerbach discusses some of his more exciting and perplexing investigations, including more extensive cases of the USS hornet and the Moss Beach Distillery.    

Aliens Above, Ghosts Below by Dr. Barry Taff
Parapsychologist Dr. Barry E. Taff describes a bold new world where the paranormal becomes "normal". From ghost and poltergeists to aliens and spacecraft, Dr. Taff covers it all.

*The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer
Psychologist and science historian Michael Shermer  explains how the brain finds patterns and infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once formed, we subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence to reinforce those beliefs.   Shermer provides real-world examples, including the paranormal.  He demonstrate why science is the best tool to determine whether beliefs match reality.

Creepy Corners: Searching for Truth in Paranormal Claims by Carolyn Dougherty
Yes, I am shamelessly plugging my own book.  Topics include the basics of ghost hunting, pros and cons of equipment used on ghost hunts, common misperceptions and misidentifications to be aware of, brief history behind ghostly lore and beliefs, reality shows vs. reality, and more.

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
"A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference... A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity."  - The Sciences

Eyewitness Testimony by Elizabeth  Loftus
Loftus makes the psychological case against the eyewitness. Beginning with the basics of eyewitness fallibility, such as poor viewing conditions, brief exposure, and stress, Loftus moves to more subtle factors, such as expectations, biases, and personal stereotypes, all of which can intervene to create erroneous reports. Loftus also shows that eyewitness memory is chronically inaccurate in surprising ways. An ingenious series of experiments reveals that memory can be radically altered by the way an eyewitness is questioned after the fact. New memories can be implanted and old ones unconsciously altered under interrogation.

Fifty Beliefs that People Think are True by Guy P. Harrison
The author applies critical thinking to popular beliefs, including the paranormal.  From the intro:  "Some people think of skeptics as cynical, negative people with closed minds.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Skepticism is really nothing more than a fancy name for trying to think clearly and thoroughly before making a decision about believing, buying or joining something.  It's about sorting out reality from lies and misperceptions."

Ghost Hunter's Research Guide by Elizabeth Eagon-Cox
The author provides resources for ghost hunters to research information, such as when and where a person died, locating graves and cemeteries, how to get facts about a "haunted" location, ownership records of locations, and more.

Ghost Research 101 by Dave Juliano
Dave Juliano is the creator of the Shadowlands: Ghosts and Haunting website and director of the South Jersey Ghost Research. Geared toward the ghost hunter just starting to investigate private homes, the book covers the basics of ghost hunting based on the author's own experience in the field.

Ghosts:  Appearances of the Dead and Cultural Transformation by Nevill Drury
Throughout history, people have reported seeing ghosts.  But if we compare a Victorian apparition with a Classical Greek ghosts, we will find they are very different phenomena.  The author, a professional historian,  surveys reports from ancient Greece to the twentieth century.  He examines differences in the function and intention of ghosts and how changing general beliefs change the perceptions of ghosts.

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks
While hallucinations are often linked to the insane, much more commonly, they are linked to sensory deprivation, intoxication, illness or injury.  Dr. Sacks (professor of neurology at NYU School of Medicine) illuminates what hallucinations tell us about the organization and structure of our brains, how they have influenced every culture's folklore, and whey the potential for hallucination is present in us all.

Paranormal America by Christopher D. Bader, F. Carson Mencken and Joseph O. Baker
Professors of sociology, the authors provide a portrait of Americans who believe in or have experienced paranormal phenomena.  This book doesn't focus on proving or disproving the paranormal, but rather on understanding the people who believe and how those beliefs shape their lives.  

Parapsychology: A Concise History by John Beloff
John Beloff is an honorary fellow in the department of psychology at the University of Edinburgh.  He discusses parapsychology's history of and scope of study including ESP, psychokenesis, remote viewing, etc.

Parapsychology, The Controversial Science by Richard Broughton, Ph.D.
The author, a parapsychologist (Ph.D from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland), makes his case for the field of parapsychology.  Topics include telekenesis, ESP, psychics and ghost hunting - including damaging information against the infamous Amityville case.

Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium by Mark Edward
In his book, professional psychic Mark Edward relates how he performed cold readings and convinced people of his psychic insights and the ability to commune with the the dead.  

Pub Paranormal by Patrick H. T. Doyle
In what I think is an entertaining and unique concept among paranormal themed books, the author examines common paranormal topics such as orbs, EVPs, EMF spikes and accompanies each one with a recipe for a tasty alcoholic beverage.  With this book, you really can find spirits!

*Orbs or Dust: A Practical Guide to False Positives by Kenneth Biddle
Professional photographer and skeptical investigator Kenny Biddle provides sound explanations of orbs and other photographic "anomalies" by explaining how various cameras work, what conditions can affect them, and what false positives they can create.  He shows readers how these false positives are recreated so they can conduct their own experiments to verify the results for themselves.  

*The Science of Ghosts by Joe Nickell
Joe Nickell has been billed as the world's only full-time professional, science-based paranormal investigator.  This book engages serious investigation into examining case studies. The author visits sites around the world, examining the actual evidence, from eyewitness accounts, ghost-detection phenomena and even CSI-type trace evidence.  Using his skills as a stage magician, private detective, folklorist and forensic science writer, Nickell solves the perplexing mysteries of hauntings.

*Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unsolved Mysteries, by Benjamin Radford
Benjamin Radford has pursued “unexplained” phenomena for over twelve years – not just read or written about them, but actually gone out to see what’s there. He applies scientific methods and principles to real-life mysteries, coming up with explanations when it seems none are possible.  For the millions who have an interest in the paranormal but who are not necessarily familiar with what skeptics are or what they do, this book provides an understanding of skepticism and how science can be applied to modern mysteries and the paranormal.

Strange Frequencies by Craig Telesha
The author provides information on various technology - including false positives they can generate -used for ghost hunting.  

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Mary Roach explores the ongoing quest for proof of an afterlife by examining historical cases and contemporary research.  With a bit of dark humor, the author takes a closer look at topics including Electronic Voice Phenomena, Electromagnetic Fields and the brain, psychics, the weight of a soul, and more.   

Ultimate Ghost Tech by Vince Wilson
Vince Wilson balances parapsychology with the modern day "ghost-hunting fad" in this new update to his classic paranormal book Ghost Tech. He discusses history, science and technology of paranormal research.

The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts, Apparitions, Spirits... by Raymond Buckland
From phantoms of the battlefield to biblical ghosts to poltergeists, the author takes readers on a journey across time and cultures, from the everyday to the extraordinary.  True life accounts merge with mystical legends like the Will-o'-the Wisp.  

* These are the books I most often recommend to those who are interested in becoming paranormal investigators.






I started my spooky book collection as a kid.





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