It is a very sad state of affairs when people wish to exploit places such as cemeteries and historical locations. There are many times that individuals, groups and even businesses exploit Bachelors Grove cemetery for personal gain and/or profit. They will lie, cheat and back-stab in order to fulfill their agenda, whatever agenda that may be. Some even go so far as to try and purchase the cemetery with the intention of charging admission to paranormal investigators or anyone else with a interest in the location.These issues bring us to the topic of paranormal fraud, a fraud which plagues Bachelors Grove cemetery, and even the paranormal investigation field in general.

There really is a difference between a “paranormal investigator” and someone generally interested in the paranormal who will call themselves a “ghost hunter,” not that there is anything entirely wrong with either one. But sometimes those with a general interest can become a nuisance and become vandals. Those individuals that become a nuisance and/or a vandal couldn’t even come close to calling themselves paranormal investigators, let alone something as basic as a “ghost hunter.” But there is also a difference between a “paranormal group” and a business, although sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. You sometimes have to try and read between the lines of what the intentions are of the group/individual and how they actually conduct their activities. How do they treat their members and/or clients? Are they looking to make a monetary profit? If so, what are they doing with that money? Do they use historical locations as a means to direct “clients” to their so-called business? Are they trying to imitate some else’s Internet domain name in order to exploit it for recruitment and/or advertising purposes? The list can be fairly long…

Overall, a real paranormal investigator will have a sincere interest in the field of paranormal research. Often, but not always, they start off solo in their activities looking for answers to a experience they may have had. Along the way they may find others who also take a interest in studying the events of paranormal activity, and may have even had a experience or two for themselves. Behind the scenes, however, there is a dark-side. There are those groups and individuals out there that try to exploit the field of paranormal investigations. Some may be in it for the glory of getting themselves in the media. There are even those who will go so far as to form a not-for-profit or non-profit organization in order to make themselves look professional but only a select few will actually benefit from it, usually with monetary profits, and the members never really get much out of it. Some will drop out of the organization, or worse, they get removed as a member for something they probably didn’t do to begin with, while the organization keeps all of their “dues” and there is nothing the victim can do about it. Some organizations, however, are not corrupt and will take the membership fees and apply it directly to what they are doing. Those particular groups are extremely hard to come by but they are out there hidden by the shadows of corruption. It may take more than a nightshot camera and some infrared lights to see into those shadows…

These days it appears you can’t help but run into a con artist while conducting paranormal research at a particular location and Bachelors Grove cemetery is certainly no exception. Given its popularity it is bound to happen. Over the years it has been used as a place to recruit people for membership into paranormal groups. While there is nothing wrong at all to look for other people that may share the same interests, there is something seriously wrong with the intentions of some individuals and so-called groups. There are some wonderful people that visit the cemetery, and if you let go of being nervous and you stop to talk with them you can have a great time while you are out there. Once in a while you will run into a person looking for attention and lie about a experience, which is not so bad at times, but for the real paranormal researcher it can be a complete waste of time. Then, however, you will run into those looking to produce a hoax, which is very bad, and that goes beyond simply looking for attention. When you throw in the fact that the location is a cemetery where families have loved ones buried it becomes something tasteless. Some of those hoaxes make their way onto television, radio and especially the Internet. At times it is done for monetary gain even if the results of their hoax didn’t produce any income. But overall the hoaxes are used as a way to pull in more memberships to a group or to even give someone a social status wherein they can be asked to be a “expert” speaker at some conference while the whole time they are simply a fraud. As for a group, it makes them look like they can produce “results” and it pulls people in. The so-called results can even help get that group into places that others normally can’t, hence it helps to pull in more memberships. And not all hoaxes are produced by using a photograph or through video footage. It can be as simple as trying to make you think that they are psychic and then later on ask for money for a “reading” or tell you that they can help you find a ghost with their self-proclaimed super powers. They even try asking for a “donation” for the readings when really all they are doing is advertising their business. Eventually they will get money out of you one way or another. That is of course if you let them… It doesn’t take too much to figure out that if a group or individual is going to produce hoaxes they are willing to do what ever they can in order to make a living off of you. Some hoaxes, however, are done to ridicule those involved in paranormal research and there are people that have actually admitted to doing this long after they have had their fun. It seems that the whole field of paranormal investigations is becoming a complete circus and has helped put Bachelors Grove cemetery in bad shape in more ways than one.

So next time you are asked to join a group you may want to think about what your personal goals are as far as studying the paranormal. If you are really serious about what you are doing then you shouldn’t have to pay anyone for their “services.” If that group or individual is truly interested in paranormal research then they should not be asking you for money without a VERY valid reason. Paranormal events do take place, psychic activity really does exist, but remember to ask yourself why you are interested in visiting Bachelors Grove cemetery. Is it for the scenic views, historical remembrance or the paranormal events? Whatever your reasons are, while you are trying to enjoy yourself out there do you really want to be taken for a ride by a con artist? It can be hard to filter out the bad seeds, especially if they are composed of several groups that are combining their efforts, feeding off of each other, to reach their separate selfish goals. In the end, you may be safer by staying solo as a paranormal investigator, or at least keep it to a few people you are close to. Don’t feed into the con artist, and don’t be fooled that you need to be a part of some large paranormal investigation group in order to obtain what ever it is you are looking for. A team effort can always achieve much, but in the case of paranormal investigations, if you ever get the chance to step back and take a look at how large teams operate, the last thing you want is 10 to 20 people walking around as it can be virtually impossible to conduct any serious field work. If you end up in a situation like that you would have wasted all of your money if you happen to be paying “membership fees.” Again, it can be extremely hard to find a group that is charging money and isn’t corrupt. It is even harder to find a non-corrupt group that can have 10-20 people on-site all at the same time and conduct themselves in a professional manner that will actually benefit the research.

So be safe and have fun. Remember, this is a cemetery. If you visit Bachelors Grove cemetery looking for paranormal events please conduct yourself the same as if you were visiting a cemetery that your own family is buried in. The cemetery is open for everyone to enjoy and one of the last things the area needs is supporting any more corrupt groups and individuals that will only cause additional trouble to the area through exploitation.