Research content
Potentially case studies and reports.
Welcome to our research content archive — this will be populated by published material posts from across our history to a central location. Some pieces of content have previously been posted as Articles, Projects such as long term activities such as Project Albion currently exist solely as a page for instance.
Archive Note: We are currently pulling our published research post items together from across our Article entries into this dedicated location. Some legacy materials and off-topic posts will be present while we refine our categories and site hierarchy. Soon this will be solely populated by Research and data content. Then will likely merge and align in the not to distant future with our Research and Publications Hub available in our Members Area.
What is different about a haunted place? What makes it special compared to any other place? This question is central to the whole idea of ghosts. The quick answer is that people consistently report unusual experiences in such places.
Of course, once a place has a reputation for being haunted, many subsequent 'experiences' may be put down mostly (or even entirely) to suggestion. But sometimes there is good evidence of witnesses experiencing the same thing at the same place without prior knowledge of what to expect. There must clearly be some sort of stimulus to such experiences.
One important cause of haunting reports is misperceptions. Another recently discovered possibility is the effect that certain magnetic fields have on a section of the population (see MADS for more details). And, of course, there are many other causes, some so far unknown or unidentified. Identifying these causes is the challenge of haunting research in the twenty-first century.
The idea that reports of hauntings have multiple causes is well-known to serious researchers. However, this rarely seems to filter through to the popular media. So why are such disparate phenomena still lumped together as hauntings? What unites them is the pervasive cultural 'explanation' that ghosts are spirits. The same is true of ufology where many different explanations have been found for real UFO cases but the media only ever seems interested in the idea that they are alien spacecraft.
ASSAP does not go 'ghost hunting', as such. Ghost 'hunting' suggests a desire merely to witness the phenomenon. While most, if not all, our members would love to see a ghost, that is not the main point of what we do. Instead we are seeking scientific explanations for why people see ghosts and what causes that experience.
If you hear a creaking sound late at night in your house do you know for sure what it is? To some people it might be the sound of floorboards contracting as the heat from the heating subsides. For others it might be ghostly footsteps. If you were sitting in a front room at night with the curtains open, you might see a mysterious pool of light crawling across the wall—some people may guess it is car headlights, while to others it could be a ghostly light.
These are examples of sights, sounds, smells, and touches that could be interpreted in a number of different ways. Eliminating such misperceptions is critical during investigations.
Science Applied to Paranormal Research
"The primary aim of ASSAP investigations is to discover the underlying cause of reported anomalous experiences using repeatable, scientific methods rather than relying on subjective impression." — Maurice Townsend, ASSAP Investigations
Unused art and video assets of Seriously Strange 2026
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