CPI CPI Witness Psychology & Debunking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is infrasound, and how can it contribute to false paranormal reports?
- High-pitched sounds above 20 kHz that only animals can hear
- Sound frequencies below 20 Hz that humans cannot consciously hear but can cause feelings of unease, dread, or visual disturbances (Correct answer)
- Background white noise from HVAC systems
- The sound produced by electromagnetic fields
Correct answer: Sound frequencies below 20 Hz that humans cannot consciously hear but can cause feelings of unease, dread, or visual disturbances
Infrasound (below 20 Hz) is inaudible to conscious hearing but can cause feelings of dread, unease, and even visual disturbances in eyeball resonance, leading people to believe locations are haunted.
Question 2: Which debunking step should an investigator perform when a client reports cold spots in a specific room?
- Immediately classify the cold spot as a paranormal energy drain
- Check for drafts, HVAC vents, window gaps, and use a thermal camera to map temperature distribution before attributing it to paranormal causes (Correct answer)
- Seal the room and perform an EVP session
- Ask the client to leave and not return to the room
Correct answer: Check for drafts, HVAC vents, window gaps, and use a thermal camera to map temperature distribution before attributing it to paranormal causes
Cold spots should first be investigated for mundane sources such as HVAC vents, drafts, or thermal bridging using a thermal camera before any paranormal attribution is considered.
Question 3: What role does 'sleep paralysis' play in some paranormal witness reports?
- It causes witnesses to sleepwalk and activate investigation equipment
- It is a neurological state where a person is conscious but cannot move, often accompanied by vivid hallucinations of figures or presences, which can be misinterpreted as paranormal encounters (Correct answer)
- It is a form of mediumship that trained investigators can enter
- It describes the inability to recall paranormal events after they occur
Correct answer: It is a neurological state where a person is conscious but cannot move, often accompanied by vivid hallucinations of figures or presences, which can be misinterpreted as paranormal encounters
Sleep paralysis is a neurological state in which the body remains immobilized upon waking while the mind is conscious, frequently producing vivid hallucinations that witnesses may interpret as paranormal entities.
Question 4: A client reports lights flickering and believes it is a paranormal sign. What should an investigator do first?
- Set up a full camera array and begin an EVP session immediately
- Inspect the electrical system, check for loose connections, aging wiring, or a failing ballast before considering paranormal causes (Correct answer)
- Tell the client to replace all bulbs with LED lights
- Document it as confirmed paranormal activity
Correct answer: Inspect the electrical system, check for loose connections, aging wiring, or a failing ballast before considering paranormal causes
Flickering lights should first be evaluated for electrical causes such as loose connections, aging wiring, or failing bulb ballasts before any paranormal interpretation is entertained.
Question 5: What is the 'Texas sharpshooter fallacy' and how might it affect paranormal evidence analysis?
- Overestimating the range of audio recording equipment
- The tendency to identify patterns in random data after the fact and attribute significance to them, such as selecting only the best-seeming EVPs while ignoring hundreds of unremarkable recordings (Correct answer)
- A technique for triangulating the source of anomalous sounds
- A method for testing thermal imaging cameras outdoors
Correct answer: The tendency to identify patterns in random data after the fact and attribute significance to them, such as selecting only the best-seeming EVPs while ignoring hundreds of unremarkable recordings
The Texas sharpshooter fallacy occurs when investigators cherry-pick compelling anomalies from large data sets while ignoring the vast number of unremarkable recordings, inflating the apparent significance of findings.
Question 6: Which best practice helps ensure witness accounts are not contaminated before an investigation begins?
- Give the client a detailed list of common paranormal phenomena to watch for
- Interview all witnesses separately and before they can discuss experiences with each other (Correct answer)
- Share previous investigation reports with the client to set expectations
- Post about the investigation on social media to recruit more witnesses
Correct answer: Interview all witnesses separately and before they can discuss experiences with each other
Interviewing witnesses separately before they compare stories prevents cross-contamination of accounts through social suggestion and preserves the independence of each testimony.
CPI CPI Witness Psychology & Debunking 2
What is infrasound, and how can it contribute to false paranormal reports?