The Ghost Hunter
« Back to Derren Brown Investigates
Derren Brown investigates the world of Lou Gentile, a top American ghost hunter who for the last 20 years has been helping the haunted and possessed of America.
He believes he can photograph and take recorded messages from ghosts and that the power of ghosts can even kill you. Derren has always claimed he does not have paranormal powers but instead uses magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship in his work. However, Lou publically claims that he has evidence to support the existence of the paranormal.
Derren Brown goes on a surprising, truly bizarre and disturbing journey to find out if things really do go bump in the night…
They do .. they do bump in the night. But .. if you do not have the latest gadget implanted .. this receiving device, let’s call it a g-pad, you wont here them. Makes sense .. you wont here a record either without a record player.
The question should be .. why don’t we hear them all. Is it a disturbance of the brain .. or are there things not all of us will hear or see? We know lots of animals see stuff different than us, or even see things we can’t see, smell or hear. So if you think of that … why shouldn’t there be a few mutants around humans? Or some with more primal structures still intact and operating?
Ghost can kill you … it’s the same system (psychological) as with voodoo .. your own powers are immense ..
Next time .. let’s research ourselves .. our powers.
Ah, he claims that he has evidence? Hm … apparently not that good then huh? But let’s wait for that .. let’s watch the documentary. It’s probably nothing more than a very commercial and greedy guy .. I’d send the haunted and possesed to another type of medium .. the ones that dont claim to have it from the other side but from books .. (not always so good either but hey ..).
I do look forward, I will manage to see these documentaries. I will … I will … (NLP’ing myself now ..)
Anthropocentricism – the tendency to see ourselves in everything. The universe is vast and complex. We made god in our image, and we also make ghosts in our image. I would be astounded if the universe was constructed in such a way as to allow our spirits/souls/energy/ whatever to carry on existing. We have only existed for a fraction of the time the universe has existed.
It is very unlikely that we ‘carry on’, unless you believe in a creator or in a creative force that has awareness, in which case they may have ‘designed’ the universe to allow us to ‘carry on’.
However –
maybe life is a process of refining and consolidating the energetic matrix of our souls? The more we become ‘at one’, the more chance we will carry a coherent energetic matrix into the next realm.
Or maybe not.
Sorry, anthropocentrism. Oops.
Hi Derren,
I can’t wait for this, i intended setting up a “serious” ghost club last year and it didn’t come off. People who go looking for ghosts will find ghosts. Dust particles become “orbs” every creak and noise is activity, couple this with some “medium” saying John’s coming through and there’s your evidence. The sad thing is that any genuine phenomena will have probably been over looked by someone wishing to emulate one certain “paranormal” tv show in particular.
Cheers
Andrew.
@Rob – I just don’t get it either. Heaven is just Earth, but all nice and fluffy. A man made idea, a (almost) utopia. Like the ‘heaven’ in Ancienct Egypt etc. Hell, probably from a huge volcanic eruption, hence the fire down below. The heaven from Kenny’s eyes in South Park is just as realistic. Sure we see what we want to see when we die, that is why those that ‘come back’ experience reinforcement of their initial beliefs. Derren could do a show on brain cells dying and being sapped back open.
I think that if Derren had wanted to he could have became the new “Jesus” and started a religion more powerful than christianity, Phew lets just thank (the idea of)God that he’s on our side
and why did that shitty t.v. show called the mentalist have to brand mentalism with such a cheesy shitness
now I cant say I want to be a mentalist to people and then wait for the “what’s a mentalist” reply
Hi Derren,
I am finding your series interesting and really look forward to the show on the ghost hunter. I myself am part of several research groups and run my own website that tries to put forward both paranormal and natural reasoning to each event and story.
I like the way you think and how you can put forward ideas that I may not have come across or thought of. Like you, I want to believe in the paranormal, but want to debunk all the rubbish that is falsely leading people astray. This show seems to be doing just that and I am very impressed.
Keep up the good work and performing your amazing illusions
Regards
Jason
Was just looking up info about Lou Gentile in preparation for next week’s show, and it seems like he sadly died of cancer after the show was recorded. It’s a shame, as the trailers make him sound like a genuine and likeable person who himself was convinced about paranormal activity, unlike the frauds in the previous two episodes. Looking forward to part three, anyway! Keep up the good work, DB. It’s a shame that your Bristol shows sell out so quickly, as I’d love to be able to catch you in the flesh one day.
When is the ghosthunter one coming on? Million pound drop is on the schedules next week…
Does anyone know when this show will broadcast?
@Richard C, I too wasn’t aware of Lou’s passing last year until I looked him up again for this show. I first became aware of him after reading the excellent book ‘Will Storr Vs. The Supernatural’ in which he appeared. He did indeed come across as a likeable person, a kind of a straight talking takes no bull guy, and I was looking forward to catching up with him now and seeing how he got on with Derren and if they did indeed come up with any ‘evidence’. It should make for an interesting show.
Would love to see Derren appear as a celebrity guest on “Most Haunted” and subject them to some serious scrutiny. The outcome would be fascinating either way! However ,would Yvette and co submit to some real objective scrutiny?
Just wanted to agree with the previous post. Roger’s right you should do Most Haunted. Although, sadly i don’t think they’d welcome you. I think they’re only interested in one thing; the route of all evil, which is scary.
“Does anyone know when this show will broadcast?”
on the 31st.
Hi Derren
So glad you’re doing these documentaries.
As an unpaid natural (unwilling and terrified for years) public psychic medium, I’m also interested in the cross over between your work and mine. I wonder what makes you so sure you’re not at all psychic? It may be an unrealised tool in your work?? Not that I have a clue how you do your work. When I saw you do a v g pretend demonstration of mediumship it really disturbed me.
I’ve always been a healthy sceptic about how mediumship is done, along with the integrity and gullibility of all concerned. I just wish you’d chosen a stronger contender than the dodgey egoist in the first episode!!!
How about Sally Morgan? She may give you a run for your money.
Hope to see more x much love to all mind benders with big hearts
Ghosts, people claiming to have powers and visual phenomenon. Its all perceived in the mind, the mind manipulates and dictates our personal experience of reality, in an era where cash, media and egoism, its easy to get lost so people tend to look for a comfort of something that breaks from the chains of reality, the unexplained, this helps people believe theres more to life than work, sleep and socialising. The only thing that sets us apart from an animal searching for scraps is the ability to question, which gives us insight into the possibilities of what can and cant happen, we have a vast amount of facts thats pretty much explain everything we need to know, but with the media warping the minds of society, people actually drag themselves into a fantasy of ghosts and psychics etc…
We are waiting a reply to when Episode 3 will be broadcast as it is not on this Monday at 10pm !
Regards
Dr Rob.
Msg from Abeo: 31st May
I hope Derren finds somebody who seems genuine. Just because it’s possible to fake an experience (like when Harry met Sally) that doesn’t mean there aren’t any real ones… does it?
It never ceases to amaze me how many people still think Derren is genuine (by which I mean actually psychic), or partly genuine, or genuine without knowing it. Similarly, it amazes me how his blog attracts so many believers in alternative medicine.
By no means do I want to discourage using this as an area for discussion, but I just wonder if people know how much of a skeptic Derren really is, and how he feels about alternative medicine, phycics and pseudo-science in general. Check out the Recommended Reading section why don’t you:
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural
The Skeptic’s Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions
to name a few!
@Will Hames: There are no such things as real ghosts!! Do you never watch Scooby Doo?
cant wait for this episode
I had a personal experience where there was stomping on the second story of a 3 story house while watching my friend’s two boys. We all heard it and I urged the boys to stay downstairs until it had passed. The stomping was about 12 seconds, back and forth, and didn’t sound heavy like a human being.
I recited this to the parents and the conversation turned to a beautiful wrapped deck of playing cards on their kitchen table. This was mentioned that it was a gift for a diseased friend who died the same day that I was babysitting.
This story was passed onto the wife of the diseased friend. The story then became a ghost story. That this was somehow her dead husband who was coming back to visit and that the gift attracted him on his B-Day.
How freaking convenient! That’s so not true.
@Rob – Just like when people have comments about Darren. That gets me and I don’t even know the guy (as in Derren). Science is always learning ways of the brain and it’s capablities. Not sure if believers are convinced.
Documentary series like this one should be broadcasted repeatedly all over the world untill people will learn to question what they hear and what they see
“And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you pesky psychological illusionist…”
where can i watch this? its not on 4od for some reason ans i missed it??? xx
Msg from Abeo: It’s on the 31st May 10pm Ch4
its on next Monday, I was really looking forward to it then realised it wasn’t even on
cults.
derren, read the holy quran u’ll find all about earth & space, heaven & hell
it was the perfect science in there
umar: please, youve been brainwashed. the quran holds tons of inaccurate “scientific” statements.
First, J-P, it’s common curtosy not to comment just to knock back someone’s scientific beliefs. Religion, exorcism, science… It’s all about belief, somewhere down the line.
Now, the clip… Hmm, I’m going to have to hunt down a television tommorrow! *shakes fist as university dorms with no TV license* That was fascinating, in it’s length, but I’d love to see more. I’m not convinced -I- personally believe in possession etc, or well, that someone can exorcise them… I’m not even sure how to put my thoughts down into words. But I -would- like to see how their ‘proof’ turns out. Thanks for posting, Derren/Coop/whoever!
The scientific claims of the Quran have been debunked by many people! Just google “debunk quran scientific” just more propaganda! If it was so smart, why didn’t it explain germ theory?
Scan the guys brain and……modern science combined with psychology will show you that this guy is most likely suffering from a mental illness.
I think Derrens work is amazing. If he had come out claiming to be a ‘physchic’ (which he easily could have) he would have just blendid in with the rest of them in the world..but the fact he practicly tells you how he does it is what amazes me, and how, by doing this and using his different approach, he is very successful. Whether there is paranormal activiy in the world or not, there will always be people there to question it, and people like Derren to prove it wrong (or right).
When I was younger, at school, I thought I saw two ghosts, very vivid, in Victorian costume. I was quite convinced for a while.
However, maybe only a year later, if that, I realise that, yes, I probably did see something… in my mind.
It was a very hot day, and towards the end of double maths, in a science lab (whilst the maths and languages wing was being rebuilt, lessons were moved about), and it’s quite possible that maybe one of the gas taps were leaking.
I put it down to being very tired. Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations (after two days awake, the magnolia walls began to look purple, and were moving… I decided to sleep after that!! haha)
most of you act as if derren is some form of deitey !!! he isnt he is embarking on a quest to debunk some questionable people !!!! this however does not prove that that there isnt genuine people out there who do have a gift of mediumship etc!!!! in all this posturing we do on these web sites we are overlooking one fundamental fact science religion what ever camp you are in you cant prove one iota if there is life after death or not ! on a personal level i think there is!!!! but this is my opinion !!!
Oh, this looks good… I don’t believe in ghosts at all, but did once have the experience of waking up to see an old man walking across the room in a friends house, no doubt I was still half asleep and imagined it – but it was fairly creepy. Bit sad that this is the last one – these have been really fascinating to watch (ie: more please!)
@geoff You can’t prove Derren is not some form of deity !!!!!
Very good point, geoff. The programmes are brilliant, and it’s important to have things like them around, but one (appallingly) fake medium does not prove that all psychics and mediums are therefore fakes. And even if they are, that does not mean there is no life after death. However, there’s one thing we can be sure of…Derren IS God
Oh dear. One of this ghosthunter’s best specimens is a middle aged woman called Judy, who has a pierced lip, six cats, and a house full of ghost-related tat like a neon sign saying “Evil”, toy skeletons and toy ghosts. Wonderful. She’s not a crank, then. Derren must have been hugely unimpressed by this goon.
That made me laugh, “its wrong to make them say cheese” Well nothing I have seen has made me believe there are ghosts. I do think he thinks he is actually talking and seeing them.
Looks like largely a repeat of last week, with a crank getting angry and foul mouthed when not in the company of an all-believing sycophant telling him how special he is. At least Joe Power was putting on a bit of a show: this ghosthuter guy is just delusional. Oh, and re. the priest with a “piece of Jesus’s cross” – you could build a fleet of wooden battleships with the number of Holy cross fragments doing the rounds. I hope Derren finds someone more convincing next week – shouldn’t be hard!
Goes to show how many people will explain things with an irrational idea rather than a rational one. There are many ways to explain sounds while you’re lying in bed, so to immediately assume it’s a “ghost” makes no sense to me. Kind of like assuming God did everything, before resorting to concrete facts.
Also, digital photographs proof exactly nothing. Finding shapes in smoke, steam or fog is a natural human instinct, and the example put forward was utterly laughable. This guy is trawling through his “evidence”, trying desperately to explain it with paranormal notions rather than things like JPEG compression, reflections, static interference and medical conditions. I’m only glad he doesn’t charge thousands of pounds.
RIP Lou, but you didn’t convince me, or Derren. Great episode.
Tonight’s show was really fantastic Derren!
Shocked to see that Lou died though
Great episode, unlike the others I really felt for this guy, he really seemed to believe in what he was doing and yes, okay, I think he was totally misguided and very selective in how he interpreted his ‘evidence’- but he was a very different character to those who were just out to con people.
Sad to hear he passed away, seemed like a nice bloke.
Oh, also – I did laugh a lot at the priest exorcising the demons and inviting the angels in, fairly bizzare, how on earth did DB keep a straight face???
Good show, wekll put together, Sad that Lou died of cancer in 2009. – Did he get to see a pre-aired copy of the show?
I have to agree with Derren, it all sounded just like static to me on the EVPs. Maybe Derren you should try contacting Lou by EVP … purely out of fairnes and research
If Lou answers you in the static it would be good 
and possible proof.
Sadly I dont believe in ghosts and once your gone your gone….
@geoff It is a question of proof not belief. We can belive anything we wish but to convince other you must have proof. Irrifutable, indelible, tested, proof. In the three areas Derren has choosen to highlight there is NO proof of any kind. And he has endevoured to offer alternative explanations for the “phenomenons”. If you geoff has this extraordinary proof then please share it. I suspect you don’t as you say in your post. If there is no offered proof for something then it is reasonable to dismiss it without thought. If there is proof, or an offering off proof, then it must be examined thouroughly to remove doubt.
In terms of ghosts, the afterlife, or an spiritual activities this proof is very lacking
This episode was very different from the previous episodes – I got the impression that Lou believed in the spirits he talked about. He certainly wasn’t trying to con anyone. He was also quite a likeable guy.
Sad to hear that he died soon after filming.
Whereas I didn’t believe in the ‘evidence’ that Lou (RIP) came up with here, I’ve heard of too many stories etc, for me to be convinced that there isn’t spirit activity anywhere. If that makes me suggestible or gullible then so be it.
My brother-in-law’s previous house was haunted and him & my sister set up a night-vision camera that WAS reacting to their voices when they asked the ‘spirit’ questions. I’ve seen it and it makes fascinating viewing. They’ve also seen actual ghost apparitions too.
But that’s just my side of it, other people will probably have explanations for it all. I, for one, would love to hear them.
Love the show Derren, as always you’re as impartial as you can be given the circumstances. Really would love some more similar shows in the future.
LC x
Yep, no evidence whatsoever that could convince me ghosts exist, but at least this guy was quite genuine and not a con artist living off other peoples misery like the ones in the last 2 shows, I think he sincerely beleived he recorded and photographed ghosts, even though it was just static and shadows. I think the sad part is that he perpetuated the myth of ghosts because of his unshakable faith in them, and that can be just as harmful as ripping people off.
I forgot to say…brillaint series. Hope to see more of DBb Investigates in the future.
I will be going to be DB in Enigma in Manchester soon and can’t wait!
One more thing @geoff Exclamation marks are only to be used in there individual state!!!!!!
I noticed that Derren did say thet LOU NEVER CHARGED A PENNY for the service he offered..
I enjoyed tonights show.
Lou seemed very very passionate about what he was doing but I believe that he was just too focused on what he WANTED to hear/see or EXPECTED to hear/see that he made those wants and expectations fit the footage or recordings that he captured.
That’s the problem with all paranormal stuff.
-Too many people working on it can cause extra noise, coughing, objects knocking, unexpected stuff around, animals, the buildings, natural sounds
-Humans seems to want or expect something and fit that to anything they find.
-Equipment as shown can cause interferance or alter any findings like adding brighter areas on footage, extra sounds, all sorts.
I’m not saying I am 100% not a believer as I would be if I had absolute solid proof.
Thanks.
Actually, Darren advised that this guy charged no money from the people he “helped”, so no harm, no foul as far as I am concerned.
Placebos don’t just have to be medicinal you know. If someone is convince they are possessed / haunted, etc, they will obviously believe an exorcism / blessing will remove said demons.
The power of Christ doesn’t compel them, but the power of their own mind.
This man obviously assisted in these affected people getting some form of positive help and that can only be a good thing.
Unlike the mental groinal channeling “the blind shall see” fraudsters (in my opinion) and the charlatan “medium” Joe Power (again, in my opinion) , Lou Gentile seemed, whilst deluded, to have his heart in the right place.
RIP Lou Gentile.
LOL. Sorry, Derren. The spellchecker on your own website doesn’t like your name.
Insisted I call you Darren.
Have a word with the tech bod.
Ooooh – Actually, I’m blaming psychic interference coming through and changing it automatically.
Msg from Abeo: We don’t have a spell checker, that will be the browser you are using
What amazes me the most, is that it’s SO obvious that they’re self-delusional,they desperately want to believe.
I’m very skeptical about the paranormal,but I don’t dismiss things without first listening to their cases, otherwise that would be close-minded.
But after years & years, & so many experiments, studies etc, there’s just no convincing evidence for ANY of this, it seems blatantly obvious, the only one’s who can’t see this are the one’s who have a desperate need to believe – they dismiss the evidence from the ‘skeptics’ and/or scientists, their beliefs are so concrete that nothing would convince them otherwise. Especially the people who have dedicated (wasted) a large portion of their lives doing this sort of thing.
Who could actually see or hear any of those images/sounds?Anyone?
…Ran out of characters – I also wanted to say I really enjoyed the show and think you are doing a brilliant job, great to see shows like this on mainstream tv. Hope there are more to come
To be honest, on the image that Lou said was his favourite, I could quite clearly see the face that Lou was referring too and did spot it pretty quickly.
Whether the red ircle was there when I saw it or not, I’m not too sure.
I did think that that face was pretty prominent than the others I noticed that I sort of made up or made myself see such as the ones highlighted by Derren.
Oh dear. Poor evidence. Instead of looking for alternative explanations to disproove, the guy looked desperately for evidence to support/defend his belief. This makes any investigation extremely bias & not proof worthy. However he brought comfort to those who believed they needed help, and I respect what he did for them. D needs a little smacked botty for his continual joking around (Although I did laugh at the part when the priest said he was going to Christen the bathroom). It’s easy to be critical when self assured in your own understanding of things. I think this debate will be going on for some time, but what does constitute as evidence? If your senses can no longer be trusted, nor electrical gadgitry for such reasons as shifts in states of mind, interference etc,…
@Lamia – with respect to your above post which reads: “First, J-P, it’s common curtosy not to comment just to knock back someone’s scientific beliefs. Religion, exorcism, science… It’s all about belief, somewhere down the line.”
Firstly, you seem to be confused as to what science actually is. Science is not about believing. Irrespective of my “belief” my computer will still obey the laws of physics when i turn it on. Therefore it is not possible to “knock back someones scientific beliefs” – that just does not make any sense.
Secondly, @umar wants derren to learn science from the quran. A person reading that comment might be tempted to do the same. Before that person does decide to do that it is only “courteous” that other people be allowed to suggest why doing so would be a big mistake.
Hmmm, didn’t Lou die in June? What better evidence of a ghost than to film one in a graveyard in Occtober…….
I think Lou’s impressive display of vocabulary on the way back from the audio analyst contributed to Derren not challenging him any further in addition to the reasons given
As with the other shows, it was all discredited almost too quickly. The little “be afraid” stickers and accessories annoyed me though, I hope they won’t leave any lasting suggestions, I already have enough spiders scratching on my posters and rats rummaging in the cellar at night.
If derren brown seen a ghost for himself likely his first plan of action would be to look for the rational explanation. It’s us that’s the ghosts we all haunt eachother. Image sound memory
I really enjoyed the last documentary Derren and although Lou seemed deluded, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that you thought his belief had sprung from a childhood experience. Clearly, his belief was ‘so’ strong that any explanation other than “the paranormal” would have fallen on deaf ears. He desperately wanted it all to be true. Lou seemed like a nice guy and it’s sad he passed so young. Hope we can see some more docs soon……Is it true that Derren is allergic to pussy cats or was he trying to draw our attention to the fact that ‘all pets’ should have been moved before the ghost hunting started lol ?
Oh…I’ve just had a thought….that pussy cat thing was a ‘ruse’…what about “kitty in the box with the big red button” lol
Lamia, if Umar chooses to promote their religious beliefs publicly, them we have the right to questions them publicly. Religious belief shouldn\’t be untouchable, especially as it is so damaging! Personally, I think all religion was just made up in order to make people pay taxes! \”Pay tax or you\’ll go to hell!\”
Great show, Derren, and good on you for not pressuring the guy. He was just genuinely deluded. Anyone notice how that women who looked like Mortisha Adams had a bat tattoo on her arm? She WANTED there to be a spirit in her house! She loved the Occult!
How did that man die on last nights show? I really need to know!!!!!! ???????????????????
I am a very down to earth person believing in science not fiction.
But these things can be enough prove for others.
However a few weeks ago something strange happened. I was in Germany with my parents me and my mom were sitting in the hotel room chatting she got up went to the bathroom. She came back and said: “Someone grabbed me by the shoulder I turned around thinking it was you but no-one was there.” (calm)
I joked and said: When you are here give us a sign. 2 seconds later the lamp flickered, I laughed at the coincidence and again said: When that is you do it again. Sure enough it flickered again. Now it could be a double coincidence but it was very funny. It would be the kinda stuff you see on GHI convincing us that there are ghosts. It couldn’t provoke it to doing it again though
Great show Derren. Really interesting guy.
When I used to care for the elderly, we used Validation Therapy. This means that if they think it is 1966 and Elvis is alive, you just agree nicely and carry on.
There is no use challenging the fantasies of senile dementia. It only causes distress and a lack of ‘self-trust’ they start to become paranoid and nothing ‘seems real’.
However, when people do not have a degenerative neurological condition, we have a responsibility to tell them the truth.
I say this, because like many i wonder if the pretense is valid as a form of therapy. Could exorcism be a form of ‘re-programming’, like CBT (yay!) or NLP (uuurgh).
Whatever works for you, but IMHO it would be more ethical with an acknowledgement that it is ‘theatre’.
But maybe less effective?
I have to say how much i loved this series, and I’d love to see more.
Derren made a great point last night on the Ghost Hunting one, about how the persons own beliefs alter how they approach the subject and how data is perceived.
I have seen this before, when I was interested in UFOs – before the x-files ruined it
– genuinly interested in finding out more about the phenomena. The biggest problem was that those who believed in aliens went looking for them, rather than looking at the evidence scientifically.
I looked into one for a lady who had seen low lights in the sky, and I concluded it was an Air UK plane practising approaches – I spoke to the captain and ATC who independently confirmed it. However if this same info was given to a ‘true believer’ it came back as alien spacecraft.
While I don’t believe in Ghosts or an afterlife in the traditional sense, it’s becoming clear that science is much stranger than any religion or paranormal belief anyway. There is proof that time does not ‘flow’ as we experience it, and it is likely that the time we occupy is never destroyed, but actually exists just as places exist. (Einstein said: “Now he (Michele Besso) has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion…. When gazing into the profoundly moving beauty of the eternal, life and death flow into one another. There is neither evolution nor eternity, only Being.”) … to say nothing of parallel universes!
Very good show.
Rest in peace, Lou. He seemed like a nice guy, and I hope his family’s beliefs are of consolation to them.
Well to say the conclusion was that Derren didn’t think there was any evidence for the existence of ghosts, the producers certainly made the programme disconcerting and scary, and I don’t usually scare easily. Loved the recognition of a slug in the picture! Haha! Great shows. More would be very welcome.
I noticed that whenever Lou was recording something Derren, or someone in his team made some easily distinguishable noise, like sneezing or dropping a coin. Very clever.
Most enjoyable show.
It is amazing how often you see what you want when looking in photographs.
I remember an episode of That’s Incredible from many moons ago when someone took a photo of a burning building with what they claimed was Jesus Christ holding up a doorway and wouldn’t you know it, after the fire, the doorway was the only thing left standing. Metal frame anyone?
Anyway, great series concept Derren, but I can’t believe you held on to this for 18 months!!!!
Lou died in July 2009…you were visiting on Halloween….2008!!!
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!
Awww….I can’t stay mad at you.
Good show, very interesting. The guy seemed very nice but I worry about people like that. Unlike Joe Power and the Bronokovs, he didn\’t seem intentionally manipulative of people or spiteful; like other people have said I think he genuinely believed in what he was doing.
I wonder why Derren didn\’t challenge the guy at the end though like he did in the previous episodes? My theory is that they cut that bit out after they found out he had died as they didn\’t want to upset him family or seem disrespectful.. any other thoughts?
I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this one the most….I was right! I thought I was going to miss it as I was at my Aunty’s for a bbq but fortunately we stayed really late and me and my cousin snuck up to watch it on his HUGE TV! Then mum and sis joined in and ignored dad when he said it was time to go, HAHA!
I thought this episode was more…..fun? Derren, you made me smile quite a few times. I don’t know…it was like you were more you in this one….if that makes sense. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Derren,
Thanks for making these shows. I hope it prompts others to rationalise their surroundings more. I myself have had numerous ‘ghostly’ experiences; i have woken in the night and felt a pressure on the side of the bed like someone sitting. I’ve felt footsteps on my bed, like it was my cat (who is no longer with me), i’ve seen a man by my bed holding an axe and I’ve felt a pressure on my chest. Although I always find it stressful and disturbing, I know I am dreaming. This rational has begun to filter into these semi-lucid dreams, which appear very real, so that now I kick and flail my arms in the dream until I suddenly wake up. I test if I am still dreaming by trying to turn my light on, if the light stays off i try to wake up again until I actually do. The light then works
The EVP bit was quite interesting and as a geek I’m a bit disappointed it wasn’t pushed further. The most I could see was that he was doing some post-processing of some kind, and that he was cutting them up into MP3 snippets.
I suspect that he was recording into a fairly heavily compressed MP3 format, and that after editing recompressed them.
MP3 is pretty famous for the “underwater metallic” sound produced by multiple compressions. MP3 works on frequencies, and white noise has a lot of different frequencies going simultaneously. The MP3 encoder makes the file smaller by chucking out frequencies. Compress it again and it chucks out more. You get left with a more rounded sound, like bubbles in a radiator or talking in a steel box, even if you start with noise.
After time to reflect on all 3 episodes I can honestly say what a thouroughly decent man Derren is. He could very easily have humilitated all three of the subjects of the documentries but instead was very respectful and pleasent. Only the very unpleasent Joe Power and that Russian deserved to have been pressed more, and in Powers case completely humilited. However Lou Gentile was just a nice guy who believed in what he was doing and at the end of the day wanted to help people. RIP Lou.
Loved the programme. The scientist in me preferred this to the others, but for gratuitous entertainment, the Joe Power episode trumped it (the arrogant, deluded, prat!) I am curious though (and sceptical of the production team – sorry, it’s in my nature) but Derren seemed to go easy on Lou at the end. Why is that? Did he go for the jugular, but out of respect afterwards, was it edited out of respect? Lou did need that ‘intervention’, and we, as viewers should have seen how Lou dealt with the conclusions that Derren came to. Or was it because Lou was different to the other subjects seen so far, insofar as he truly believed in what he did, and wasn’t a charlatan? Would it be like picking on a mentally ill person? It came across that Derren was worried, and decided not to be confrontational.
As a huge fan of Penn & Teller’s ‘Bullshit’ series over the years, Derren’s series is a marked contrast. Because he doesn’t attack and Belittle the subjects like Penn does, it has a more rational and scientific approach. Ok, it may not be as funny, but it comes from a different angle, and I enjoy that. As a sceptic, I groan when programmes show ‘easy targets’ as their subjects as I want the important, ‘credible’ charlatans exposed, but then I have come to realise, that there are none. They are all deluded! It also annoys me when the examiners fail to play devils advocate with their own theories as it undermines their conclusions. Thankfully, Derren doesn’t do this, unlike Penn, but then playing devils advocate
the ‘Bullshit’ series is going more for entertainment value.
Found this programme very helpful because (many years ago) I joined a religious group who performed quite a few exorcisms of the sort shown to Derren in the video (that he suggest could be related to epilepsy). I have since felt deep misgivings about what I saw, and disassociated myself from them.
That is not to say that this documentary totally debunks demonology (and other related -ologies or religious beliefs), but I am glad that it injects a healthy measure of scepticism. I, like many others, felt compelled to buy into the fear and uncertainty induced by the experience because another rational explanation wasn’t presented or available.
Great comedy show, Derren.
Doubt if the photograph with the face would be of
sufficient quality or structure, to be included in Ink Blot Test images.
Lou was convinced and asked for nothing.
How much does an exorcism cost, with such an important relic.
Hate the acronym, but have to LOL here.
More please.
I’m just wondering if Lou had been in touch with Derren since he passed over? If not then the late Mr Gentile is really missing an opportunity
I don’t believe in any of the nonsense presented by these so called psycics or ghost hunters but in regards to the former I am torn between wanting to scream at them and show what frauds they all are and the genuine comfort they seem to bring. I know I would want to know the truth (That there is no afterlife) but do they?
I am in the position of being both a skeptic and someone who has heard much more convincing EVP recorded on a non- voice activated machine. I have also heard many very strange noises in the house in which I live, such as footsteps running up the stairs when everyone was sitting around the dinner table and doors banging shut when there are none open in the middle of the night. I always question so called evidence and often wonder why the really dramatic things they say they have witnessed, when in the business of recording such things, are never caught on tape. A lot of the photographic evidence can easily be explained by the fact that our brains are wired to find faces in the most random swirls.
Condolences to Mr Gentiles family
I love your style Derren, keep it up.
The last was the best yet. Thanks everyone involved, much appreciated for the useful insights and new understandings. Who knew sneezes could be so funny? Nice utilization 8). Sad that Lou had such a powerful mind but never understood how to use it properly.
So I’m guessing DVB thinks the first 2 are genuine frauds? Hmmm, I thought Joe was an unconscious fraud also.
Hello Derren:
I believe Lou died of a broken heart. I believe he had so much respect for you and was so eager to provide the ‘proof’ you needed, that when he was ‘debunked’ , his belief system could not tolerate it.
You were kind and respectful to him, which I was happy to see. He was a genuine guy who had constructed a world that helped him validate all his early life experiences with the paranormal. He needed answers, but I am not sure he ever got them.
His soul will go on to do other work, no doubt.
Best wishes to you Derren and keep those ‘sceptic shades’ firmly on your nose. We in the world of rationality are grateful to you.
M
It’s not on 4oD! This sucks!
when he showed the pictures of ghost he found, and there was the one where there was like cloud or smoke everywhere and there was a face…well it looked like the face from skellig book cover…
I’m so happy that Derren and his team decided not to challenge Lou’s beliefs. I was relieved to hear that. Lou would just have been hurt and angry. Even if his ghost-stories really arn’t true. Lou would see that as an attack against him. He has build up his whole life around this, and I’m relieved that Derren understood that. He would. I think it would be different if Lou himself would seek out the truth and wanted to truly investigate his findings from a scientific point of view. But it wasn’t about that for him. He seemed to be a nice guy.
What most of you guys are saying is actually funny to me, you have no clue what your talking about. Yes, all of you can have your own opinions and beliefs, but before you start judging on my father who is deceased, you truly don’t know one thing about him. What do you know about HIM? absolutely nothing. No he wasn’t greedy, selfish, full of shit, he was a MAN who loved his family and put them first before his work. Let me tell you, he has more proof of the paranormal then you would ever know. Also, he died of cancer, he had it for 3 years without knowing until it became aggressive, not of a “broken heart” so get your facts straight before you start assuming. I appreciate everyone who likes his work, and for you skeptics, good luck in life believing in nothing, it won’t get you very far.
Stacie, I’m sure your father was a wonderful man, and the fact that I don’t share his beliefs does not take anything away from that. But on this topic, I’ve only seen one person call him greedy (probably before even watching the documentary) — most people seem to be glad that Derren didn’t outright challenge him, and sad for your loss.
I must say though, that believing in what I’ve seen sufficient evidence of (which isn’t nothing — it would be hard to truly believe in ‘nothing’, unless you mean believing nothing at face value) hasn’t hindered me in life. I have my friends and family, my job, my hobbies, my pets and my home — presumably just like you. There’s no need for our two sides of the coin to be impolite to each other, is there?
@Stacie Gentile – I offer my condolances for the loss of your father. – In this blog entry there are a huge percentage of compliments saying your father seemed kind and came over as warm-hearted on the show. This belief was made mostly by strangers who watched the episode. When I saw it I felt a concern for people being told a little white lie. Something that probably wouldn’t hurt but a lie is a lie! Because I disagree with your father’s belief it does not mean I want to offend anyone. My so-called faith rests in the power we have created ourselves in scientific technology and animal medical research. I hope you have not experienced anything paranormal since his departing but I imagine if you believe in another side then you have. Enjoy your memories. All the best, Emma.