As we enter Late Fall (Halloween time... the time of compiling this...) and head towards Winter (and Christmas,) I thought it might be time to answer one of the more burning questions asked by the media 'round these seasons...
"Do people experience more things during Halloween then other times?"
...and working on the Winter season...
"Do you find more people experience things during spiritual festivals or family gatherings?"
Usually, I give an honest (but truly un-researched) answer of "No"... but un-researched no more!
I decided to do a reasonable count, using my e-mail database, and find out how many reports we had come in per month since 2005. Now, my control data is not 100% flawless, but at least I can grab information from an "at-hand" source of all the reports and experiences sent in to Torontoghosts, Ontarioghosts, ParaResearchers, and PSICAN (proper) about ghosts and hauntings (or related experiences) during these seasons and come up with some handy (and honest) stats about what "we" have heard of and when.
Take this as fairly accurate, but not perfect... still, a good guideline.
The breakdown is as follows...
- How many reports (since 2005) have we received from this month? How many, on average is this per day?
- How many of these are "current to the month" reports... meaning they are from experiences happening (or happened) in the month in question. Year was not important here, just if you wrote to us in January about an experience last January, we wanted to know how many "experiences" happened that month that we heard of. (Please note, however, this is a "seasonal" study and as such, I grouped Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall together... rather than exact monthly totals...)
- How many were not related to any month or season OR how many were spread out over months and seasons?
- How many were back reports from previous seasons... Think in terms of reports starting with, "Last Summer, my family and I..." and things like that.
So, without further adieu, the highly unscientific, but still interesting data will now follow!
JANUARY(s)
In the month(s) of January, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 187 reports. This is an average of roughly 1 per day.
Of these, 43 were "current" to the month of January. Of these, only 8 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
65 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
57 happened in either June, July, August, or September
20 happened in either October, November, or December.
2 happened in either February, March, April, or May.
FEBRUARY(s)
In the month(s) of February, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 173 reports. This is an average of roughly 0.97 per day.
Of these, 12 were "current" to the month of February. Of these, only 5 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
63 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
64 happened in either June, July, August, or September
21 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
13 happened in either March, April, or May.
MARCH(s)
In the month(s) of March, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 189 reports. This is an average of roughly 0.98 per day.
Of these, 55 were "current" to the month of March. Of these, only 17 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
44 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
71 happened in either June, July, August, or September
10 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
9 happened in either February, April, or May.
APRIL(s)
In the month(s) of April, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 201 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.12 per day.
Of these, 32 were "current" to the month of April. Of these, only 6 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
59 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
88 happened in either June, July, August, or September
17 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
5 happened in either February, March or May.
MAY(s)
In the month(s) of May, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 247 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.33 per day.
Of these, 75 were "current" to the month of May. Of these, only 22 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
71 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
76 happened in either June, July, August, or September
23 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
2 happened in either February, March or April.
JUNE(s)
In the month(s) of June, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 302 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.68 per day.
Of these, 70 were "current" to the month of June. Of these, only 7 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
121 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
69 happened in either July, August, or September
32 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
10 happened in either February, March, April, or May.
JULY(s)
In the month(s) of July, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 357 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.92 per day.
Of these, 127 were "current" to the month of July. Of these, only 24 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
99 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
72 happened in either June, August, or September
46 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
26 happened in either February, March, April, or May.
AUGUST(s)
In the month(s) of August, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 403 reports. This is an average of roughly 2.17 per day.
Of these, 241 were "current" to the month of August. Of these, only 32 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
63 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
80 happened in either June, July, or September
15 happened in either October, November, December, or January.
3 happened in either February, March, April, or May.
SEPTEMBER(s)
In the month(s) of September, since 2005, we've received to the above group a total of 427 reports. This is an average of roughly 2.30 per day.
Of these, 227 were "current" to the month of September. Of these, only 19 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
104 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
84 happened in either June, July, and August
8 happened in either October, November, December, and January.
4 happened in either February, March, April, and May.
OCTOBER(s)
In the month(s) of October, since 2005, (but not including any 2011 data as it's still being collected,) we've received to the above group a total of 278 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.79 per day.
Of these, 86 were "current" to the month of October. Of these, only 10 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
93 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
72 happened in either June, July, August, and September.
15 happened in either November, December, and January.
12 happened in either February, March, April, and May.
OF NOTE: Despite the lack of reports (looking at the per day average,) October is BY FAR the busiest e-mail and request month... but that's for another article another day...
NOVEMBER(s)
In the month(s) of November, since 2005, (but obviously not including 2011 data) we've received to the above group a total of 177 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.18 per day.
Of these, 45 were "current" to the month of November. Of these, only 5 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
47 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
42 happened in either June, July, August, and September.
35 happened in either October, December, and January. (NOTE: October made up 21 of these...)
8 happened in either February, March, April, and May.
DECEMBER(s)
In the month(s) of December, since 2005, (but obviously not including 2011 data) we've received to the above group a total of 162 reports. This is an average of roughly 1.05 per day.
Of these, 27 were "current" to the month of December. Of these, only 3 were reported "as they happened" and not from years past.
55 were not "date specific", unsure, or happened in more than one month/season.
50 happened in either June, July, August, or September.
23 happened in either October, November, or January. (NOTE: October made up 17 of these...)
7 happened in either February, March, April, or May.
NOW... take all this as you will... but it does seem that Summer months are definitely when people seem to want to discuss and apparently are experiencing things "ghostly"... although October and Halloween give the months of June, July, August, and September a weak bit of a run for their money, it's still not truly (to our data,) a perfect month for things ghostly.
As a quick note about the mail influx in October, that does seem to be speaking requests, media requests, student requests, tourist requests, and people seeking information only (not reporting a sighting as such,) which, I believe (but cannot back up) is because of the media attention the season brings to this study.
One should also take into account popular media and culture (not just with Halloween and even the "Spirits of Christmas", but the release of more teen/kid friendly movies,) and also during "vacation months" (Summer months,) most people are travelling and staying in odd or at least "new" surroundings and more likely to be tweaked by odd noises and strange (to home) sounds... and therefore, more observant.
Still, I am only tossing you some numbers to consider... I'll leave the "Hows" and "Whys" up to anyone interested...
Why is Halloween NOT really the biggest time?
Why is the festive season (Christmas and that time,) not a time when spirits come visiting as thought so often in old?
Why does the Summer seem to hold the most experiences?
We're open to ideas and suggestions...