A Ghost Hunting License? Excuse Me Sir, Is That an Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator on Your Back?

In the old hit movie Ghostbusters, the team ultimatelywalkie talkie and says, "Turn off the microwave
got shut down for their usage of unlicensed nuclearantennae and the radio and lets get down to business."
devices. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need toI mean seriously, there are probably as many
license nuclear devices because people would policeapproaches to doing investigations as there are teams
themselves and be responsible. In our world, there is adoing them. We met with a local writer, well known
definite need to track nuclear devices of all sorts. Wechap with a newspaper column and all that, and we
wouldn't want people inappropriately trapping innocentgot along famously. He nodded as we explained our
ectoplasm, now would we?equipment and our code of conduct and praised our
Seriously though, the subject of having some sort ofprofessionalism. "But", he said, "at the end of the day,
certificate has come up in some paranormal circlesyou really just need to put all that stuff away and trust
and well it should, but what would that mean and really,your gut feelings." That doesn't get you any displayable
how could you set standards and implement it? Afterproof.
a lifetime of interest and a few years of conductingWe've all had the investigations where various
investigations, I have come to the conclusion that theremembers of the group say things like the hair on their
can be no real standards for what we do, unless theyneck stood up in a certain area, or they felt a coldness
are ethical standards.pass over them, but unless the measurements are
A skeptic, a medium and a psychic walk into acaptured somehow what do you have? Some teams
supposedly haunted house. The psychic says, "Thisare satisfied with reporting their personal experiences
place has a lot of energy." The medium says, "I canat a property and some home and business owners
hear the voices from the past." The skeptic keys hisare content with that, but others want 'proof.