Early civilisations - Many ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptians and the Greeks, believed in ghosts and spirits. They performed rituals to communicate with the dead and protect themselves from evil spirits.
19th century - In the 19th century, interest in ghosts and the paranormal grew with the rise of spiritualism. Mediums claimed to communicate with the dead and hold séances to contact spirits.
1930s - The first modern ghost hunting group, the Ghost Club, was formed in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. It was a group of enthusiasts for the paranormal that inspected haunted locales and kept records of what they noticed.
1940s-1950s - During World War II, the US military used psychics to try and gain an advantage in the war effort. In the 1950s, parapsychology became an area of scientific study, with researchers conducting experiments to try and prove the existence of ghosts and psychic abilities.
1960s-1970s - Ghost hunting gained popularity in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of television shows and books on the subject. In 1972, Hans Holzer, a famous paranormal investigator, published “Ghosts: True Encounters with the World Beyond”.
1980s-1990s - In the 1980s and 1990s, ghost hunting became more mainstream with the release of popular movies such as “Ghostbusters” and “Poltergeist”. Many people became interested in the paranormal and formed their own ghost hunting groups.
2000s - With the rise of the internet, ghost hunting became more accessible and popular than ever before. People could share their experiences and findings online and connect with other paranormal enthusiasts. Television shows such as “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Adventures” became hugely popular.
Today - Ghost hunting continues to be a popular hobby and area of scientific study. People attempt to capture evidence of supernatural activity by employing devices such as EMF meters, thermal cameras, and audio recorders. However, sceptics continue to question the validity of such evidence, and the existence of ghosts remains a topic of debate.
Ghost hunting has a long and fascinating history, and will probably continue to captivate people’s imaginations for many years to come.