Sally Richards, Author of Ghosthunting Southern California, Talks About Negative Ions
You’ve heard the stories that begin, “It was a dark and stormy night,” right? Apparently there’s a reason that rain and lightning—not the night—are believed to be scientifically responsible for the increase in paranormal activity. One of the theories about ghosts appearing during storms at or near locations with bodies of water, is that ghosts feed off negative ions.
In a single cubic centimeter of inland office air, there are about 100 negative ions. Normal outdoor fair-weather ion concentrations are between 200 and 800 negative ions per cubic centimeter. At the beach, however, you’ll find more than 5,000 negative ions in that same amount of space.
The natural movement of the churning ocean and wind creates negative ions and provides an electrical power source of sorts. Negative ions are made through a process similar to how static electricity is produced through friction. When an event such as water passing through air occurs, the friction detaches an electron from a neutral molecule (atom) and becomes a positive ion, and the molecule gaining the electron becomes a negative ion. This is why an abundance of negatively charged ions are found near the ocean. Thunderstorms also create negative ions via the friction caused by clouds heavy with moisture moving through the atmosphere.
When humans experience high counts of negative ions, they yield biochemical reactions that increase the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin (which seems to dispel normal levels of the blues and calm stress). If you believe the theory of negative ions increasing paranormal activity, you can see why it’s easier to make contact in an environment filled with a natural electrical feed.
A comparison of the environmental factors of paranormal activity gathered on successful investigations versus less productive ones seems to give credence to the theory of negative ions. I own a battery-operated negative-ion pet brush that creates trillions of negative ions per second. It’s mobile and soundless, but you have to be willing to brush your hair at an investigation. Mini negative-ion generators are also available with a USB plug, and there are bracelets that are said to create negative ions using light and natural minerals (but I have found nothing in these products that would actually cause them to do so), and even a mobile wall unit that plugs in and is only a few inches in size. If you use an EM Pump and a negative-ion generator, the negative-ion generator naturally negates most EMF.
Just to test this theory, I invite you all to start keeping a journal of the paranormal activity you do (and don’t) get and start writing down things like weather temperature and barometric pressure. There are also small devices to count negative ions. Add them to your ghosthunting tool kit and see what kinds of trends you find.
In Ghosthunting Southern California, author Sally Richards takes readers on an eerie journey through the region on a series of paranormal investigations to historic locations marred by tragedy and unfortunate happenstance that have caused the dead to rise. This Halloween, join her if you dare!
About the author: Sally Richards is a historian, paranormal investigator, and spiritualist medium. She brings history alive as she investigates locations alongside high-profile experts and others who share a similar curiosity of the paranormal, bringing you the latest on “haunted” locations throughout Southern California.