Today a majority of parnormal investigators accept the hypothesis that paranormal activity is associated with fluctuations of various forms of environmental energy, and these fluctuations can be measured with common environmental monitoring tools that are not only highly accurate, but relatively inexpensive. The most widely used monitoring devices include Electro-Magnetic Field detectors, thermocouple thermometers, and infrared surface thermometers. In order to use these tools effectively, it is absolutely critical for paranormal investigators to understand the limitations their equipment, because none of these devices were invented for paranormal investigation. Investigators not well versed in their intended use can can inadvertantly be misled by false positives. Arm-chair investigators (i.e. cynical skeptics as opposed to scientifically minded skeptics) could dismiss all alleged paranormal activity documented with environmental monitoring devices as natural environmental fluctuations unique to a particular location, but field observations by credible paranormal groups seem to indicate otherwise.

Without a doubt, the most common tool used in the field is an EMF detector. Researchers widely believe that paranormal activity somehow influences the environmental EMF in a given location, and these fluctuations are what our EMF detectors pick up during investigations. This is a rather simplistic view of the EMF spectrum, and it is troubling that most investigaors embrace this "theory" without question. EMF detectors  have narrow calibration ranges, but the actual environmental EMF spectrum found in a modern home is quite massive. EMF ranges from long radio waves through microwaves to ultraviolet, visible and infrared light into X-rays and gamma rays. Obviously, unless we employ tools that can detect energy fluctuations throughout the entire spectrum, we're missing the big picture; much like the three blind men examining an elephant trying to describe it.

Background radiation surrounds us at all times. It rises and falls with the solar cycles and periodic fluctuations in the geophysical environment. A Geiger counter can detect these subtle changes in background radiation only if it is calibrated to do so. The big clunky Cold War era devices you can buy on E-Bay are useless for paranormal investigation, because they are not sensitive enough to detect the subtle changes in background radiation levels that might indicate possible paranormal activity. We use a Quarta; it reads changes as small as .01 micro sieverts per hour, and takes readings every ten seconds. Through experimentation and research we have determined it is best used in conjunction with an EMF detector. Both types of devices detect changes in ambient energy levels that may indicate paranormal activity. The most common observation has been a noticeable drop in the background radiation level that appears to correlate with a potentially paranormal event, such as an EVP capture or a documented personal experience. So it does not appear that paranormal entities give off detectable radiation, but instead draw energy from the available background radiation.