Gerhard Mayer ---- A Sample Phenomenology of the Ghost Hunting Scene in the USA and in Germany

Abstract.  –  Over the past few years, Ghost Hunting Groups (GHGs) were founded, particularly in the United States, which have committed themselves to the investigation of haunted sites. This article will focus on the analysis of this movement and its remarkable development, which results from three major factors: (1) the presence of ghost-hunting-related themes in the media, such as on television and in movies, (2) the popularization of the internet and the possibilities that emerge in the area of information access, general exchange and networking, as well as (3) easy availability and manageability of high-tech equipment along with the simplification of data processing due to data digitalization. First, this article will dimensionalize the field of GHGs according to various criteria. Subsequently, an attempt is made to reconstruct the emergence of the movement. Next, the most important methodological approaches (equipment, procedures) will be outlined. And finally, the main part of the text will focus on the situation in the United States. It is based on self-portrayals of the GHGs on their webpages, the analysis of the Ghost Hunters TV series that plays an important role in the emergence of the movement and is closely linked to the GHG The Atlantic Paranomal Society (TAPS), as well as on the few scientific studies that exist on the movement. In a second step, the paper will look at GHGs in Germany, which adopt the American model on the one hand, but in many cases use a different culture-dependent framing, on the other. The article concludes by highlighting problems this form of non-professional research pose to scientific anomalistics.