While it’s become both an instantly iconic trademark and inspired a film franchise that continues to this day,Ghostbustersreached an unprecedented level of success when it first hit theaters in 1984. Combining the industry’s interest in science fiction adventure films in the post-Star Warsera with the ripe comedic talents fromSaturday Night Live,Ivan Reitman’s original masterpiece combines heart, humor, and a dash of horror into one of the quintessential summer blockbusters of all-time. AlthoughGhosbusterscertainlydoesn’t lean away from its horror influences, the original film was notable because of the predominant role that scientists play in saving the day and becoming heroes. Although the films’ certainly have a deep mythology that is entirely original,much ofGhostbusters’ depiction of parapsychology is based on actual real world practices.
Ghostbusters
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
What ‘Ghostbusters’ Gets Right About Parapsychology
Ghosbustersfollows the parapsychology professors Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykryod), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) as they begin a series of unusual experiments meant to test the level of paranormal activity in New York City. Although their employers at Columbia University are unwilling to invest in their research,the trio of scientists decide to form their own paranormal investigationunit named the “Ghostbusters,” eventually recruiting the secretary Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz) and new member Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) to join their team. Whileconducting the preliminary research for the film’s story,Aykroyd drew inspiration from his own family’s experience with paranormal activity.Aykroyd’s grandfather, Samuel,conducted a series of seancesin an attempt to breach communication with ghostly spirits.
While the film obviously takesa more comedic approach to paranormal research,parapsychology is a real field of studythat is practiced by working professionals.While many leading scientific journals havedismissed the subject as “pseudoscience,”research into thecognitive phenomenon known as “extrasensory perception”has been ongoing since the late 19th century. Often seen as a more formal way of determining unusual behavioral patterns than traditional spiritualism, parapsychology grew in estimation across academic facilities throughout the early 20th century. The American parapsychologistJ.B. Rhineconducted a series of groundbreaking studiesin the 1930s at the Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, delivering into “supernatural phenomenon” such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
Although the characters inGhostbustersfound their own independent business after the initial proposal is rejected,parapsychology is considered a legitimate field of studyin some formal educational institutions. Some schools, like California’s Saybrook University, allow accredited PhD and Masters students to design their own parapsychology courses based on what is relevant to their field of study. The University of West Georgia even offers preliminary courses in the history and applied practice of parapsychology to undergraduate students, who are free to use them in developing a thesis. The University of California, Santa Barbra developed a laboratory dedicated to the study of Theoretical and Applied NeuroCausality that somewhatmirrors the iconic firehouse in the original film.
Are Any of the ‘Ghostbusters’ Tech Real?
One of the more amusing moments in the originalGhosbustersis the film’s introduction to Venkman, who uses ESP Zener cards to experiment on his students. While it’s a showcase forMurray’s talents as a comic actorthat reveals Venkman’s flirtatious side,Zener cardshave been used in scientific experiments since the 1930s.First developed by the perceptual psychologistKarl Zener, the game was designed to record participants’ memory when questioned about the symbol on the back of a card. As Venkman alludes to in the film, participants who guess an inordinate number of symbols correctly may haveheightened levels of extrasensory perception.
One of the other key tools used by theGhostbustersteam is the PKE meter, a device used to detect extreme levels of Psychokinetic energy. While it’s a fictional gadget created for the film,the PKE meter is based on thereal EMF meters used by investigators to detect electromagnetic fields.Although they vary in the wavelengths that they can capture,EMF meters are usedto test the influence of electronic power lines, solar energy, and radiation from electronic devices. Paranormal researchers commonly use EMF meters to test supposedly “haunted” areas for the presence of unexplained energy forces. The belief that one’s electromagnetic energy can emerge after their death remains a fundamental belief within parapsychology.
‘Ghostbusters’ Is a Pro-Science Franchise
Whileit’s first and foremost a “feel good” classic,Ghostbustershas led to a greater public interest in parapsychology and inspired many real world investigators.Real parapsychologists have citedthe film’s emphasis on logical reasoning and applied elemental procedures as influential within their decision to pick up a similar craft. While Venkman, Ray, and Egon all certainly have their humorous characteristics, they’re not buffoons; each of their experiments is conducted with respect to the scientific procedure. The notion that using standard scientific protocols within the study of the paranormal was very inspirational for those that hadavoided the field due to its long-standing association with fraudulent claimsand incidental evidence.
It’s also evident thatthe originalGhosbustersshows the difficulty that scientists face when confronted with skeptical governmental and bureaucratic forces. Despite understanding that existential threat thatthe villainous Gozer presents to New York City, Venkman and his team are forced to deal with men like Environmental Protection Agency inspector Walter Peck (William Atherton), who have no respect for their studies. The notion of a group of well-meaning scientists being ignored by the ignorant powers that be is perhaps even more relevant today than it was in 1984.
Althoughfans have been more dividedin their responses to the most recent installments in the franchise, bothGhostbusters: Answer the CallandGhostbusters: Afterlifeemphasizethe importance of passing knowledge to a new generation. The newer installments have showed how the emergence of new technology has reconfigured the very notion of parapsychology The incorporation of new perspectives within an emerging field isn’t just important inGhostbusters, but within the scientific community as a whole. Hopefully this tradition will continue on to the newest installment in the franchise,Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Ghostbustersis available to rent on Amazon, andGhostbusters: Frozen Empirecomes to theaters June 10, 2025 in the U.S.
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