Chris Moon was the first investigator to use the celebrated device known as the ghost box to facilitate real-time two-way communication with the spirit world. In Ghost Box, Chris shares the extraordinary spiritual contacts he’s made with the box during investigations of famous haunted locations such as the Sallie House and the The Lizzie Borden House, and when using the box to communicate with Abraham Lincoln and JFK, shadow people, UFOs, and spirits that want to talk during his frequent gallery readings.
Based on Thomas Edison’s designs for the “Telephone to the Dead,” the ghost box—also called Frank’s Box after it’s designer Frank Sumption—has been used to communicate with an incredible variety of spirits and astral beings. This book shares the fascinating story of how Frank’s Box came to be and explores the startling truths behind the spirit world’s plans and techniques for fostering contact with paranormal investigators, psychics, and people from all walks of life.
Ghost Box is Chris Moon's collection of paranormal investigations that he has conducted using electronic voice phenomena (EVP) and his own intuitive skills.
There is little to no science presented in this book so if you're interested in the tech-side of paranormal investigation, you'll have to keep looking.
Readers who want concrete information about the afterlife may grow a tad frustrated with this book. The majority of Moon's investigations are conducted through feelings and feedback from the people he's interacting with.
That's not to say that he doesn't have some solid hits. Occasionally, the information that he receives through his "ghost box" is absolutely spot on. It gave me the chills.
I watched a documentary once about Mario Bacci, an Italian man who has been receiving other worldly voices through an old radio for years. He has a group of devoted followers that gathers around him to hear his sessions with his own "ghost box". They claim to hear their deceased family members through Bacci's radio.
That documentary convinced me that this phenomena is real because of how the people reacted when they heard the noises coming through the radio.
Moon had his doubts at first too. When he first receives the box, he doesn't think it will work. But, through using it and the evidence it provides, he becomes convinced that it is the real deal too.
"The machine facilitates real-time two-way communication with the spirit world and, as soon as my dad and I experienced it in action, we knew it would revolutionize the paranormal investigation field." loc 95, ebook.
He receives this machine from Frank Sumption- an electrical tech who claims to have completed Thomas Edison's 'Telephone to the Dead.'
I didn't even know that was a thing. "Apparently, Edison's mother was a Spiritualist and he was very close to her. After her death, Edison started to re-examine his views on the afterlife. He realized that since energy could neither be created nor destroyed and that it could only change form, we humans (being energy) had to go somewhere." loc 224. Fascinating.
The rest of the book, including aliens speaking through the ghost box and sightings of shadow people, I didn't connect with as much. But, if you're interested in that type of information, Moon's book might be something that you'd really enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for a free digital copy of this book. Reminder: the brief quotations that I pulled for this review may change in the final printed version.
Ghost Box is hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s hilarious because the claims stated within the book are so over the top, so outrageous, so out of this world that it’s hard to take anything the author says (or the authors say, considering this book is written by two authors, a mom and son duo), seriously. At the same time it’s heartbreaking because these authors host sessions that supposedly connect people with their deceased loved ones, through a device that can scarcely accomplish such a thing, and through wild interpretations of what the device says.
So the ghost box, the number one topic of this book, was created by Frank Sumption, which is why it’s often called “Frank’s Box”. The ghost box is based upon a model created by Thomas Edison, the famous scientist’s “telephone to the dead” (which by all accounts and as far as I can tell based on my research) was never even a concept Edison worked on. Anyway, Frank supposedly created this device and by flipping through random radio channels and frequencies, ghosts can pick a frequency and then somehow communicate with ghosts. I’m no scientist, but I wouldn’t have minded a more thorough explanation of how the device works. We do get a few pictures of the ghost box version 1, 2, 3 and so on, but no clear explanation of what exactly the device does and how it operates.
Chris and Paulette Moon and their team are wholeheartedly convinced the ghost box communicates with the dead. They travel across the USA trying to share that vision. They often do readings in public for large groups, and then also do private readings that some internet research told me are rather pricey. I understand having to cover costs and a wage for oneself to live on, but if you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart, then you shouldn’t charge exorbitant prices. Just my opinion. I hope for the people who connected with their loved ones through this device that they in fact did connect with the people they loved, and that this isn’t some kind of scam.
Moving on, the ghost box I’m willing to accept up to some degree. I don’t know how it works, the way explained to me in the book I’m quite skeptical off, but whatever, I’m no scientist and no medium so I’m giving the author the benefit of the doubt there. Not so much on all his other claims.
The author uses the ghost box to connect with famous people who’ve passed away. Lizzie Borden in the Lizzie Borden house, for example. The ghost of Sallie in the Sallie House (well, not that famous but most paranormal investigators have heard of this case). Two girls who were murdered in what is now an inn. And… don’t fall of your chair. JFK. John F. Kenny. The late president. And Thomas Edison himself. And JFK’s wife too, by the way.
As you can imagine, my skepticism grew with every chapter. JFK revealed his murder was a conspiracy right after the author had a hunch the murder didn’t happen the way it was shown in a museum near the murder location. Lizzie Borden never said if she did or didn’t kill her parents, and the author apparently didn’t even ask – he was too busy having a shouting match with Lizzie’s father. Thomas Edison showed him how to improve the ghost box.
Oh, did I mention the aliens? He was able to communicate with aliens using the ghost box. So either those aliens are on the same frequency as the deceased, or NASA should buy a ghost box. Like, right now.
Each story got more and more sensational, and I grew more and more skeptical. In the end, I was just rolling my eyes. It’s these sensational stories that make me question if the ghost box works at all. I would’ve been far more eager to believe it did had the sensationalism been cast aside, but it’s quite obvious the author wants to use this book to become famous and book more readings rather than actually help people with deceased loved ones.
I did some research and found an article online about someone who went to one of Chris Moon’s readings and saw the ghost box in action, and was rather dissapointed by its use. The box was just babbling things, and Chris Moon was apparently the only one who could make out what the spirits were saying. The spirits didn’t act very credible either, not in the way you’d expect spirits to act.
I’ve seen other paranormal investigators use the ghost box, admist other tools like EVP, heat cameras, the flashlight test, and so on, where the results are mixed. As you can expect in any paranormal investigation, sometimes the ghost box does seem to allow people to talk to sentient beings (possibly spirits) and sometimes it’s just gibberish. Just like those other tests sometimes work and sometimes don’t work. Ghosts aren’t always ready to play.
While the book didn’t change my opinion of the ghost box, and I also feel like I don’t know much more about it, I’m more than a little skeptical about ghost boxes now.
I really enjoyed this book. I like the fact that the authors rely on their intuition and personal feelings. I honestly don't think everything in life can be explained. I enjoyed the locations that Moon did his sessions in, some of them famous, some new to me. I really liked the fact that the book was never boring and had a variety of experiences. I am looking forward to more by these authors. I am excited to learn more about Chris and his mother's experiences.
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is amazing. So many things happen that totally makes you think about the afterlife. Definitely interesting information that you really would not think is possible. Makes me think about my abilities and what is possible. If you like a book that has famous spirits, car chases and murdered woman that have finally found peace with their murder. READ THIS BOOK!!!
This book has fascinating premise, Edison's "ghostbox," allowing users to speak to the dead, but the writing is amateurish and misses many opportunities to draw the reader in. If you buy the premise of speaking to the dead, and you visit the Lizzie Borden house, wouldn't the most salient question be: Did you kill your parents? Or did Lizzie really kill you? Neither question is answered. Again and again, tantalizing situations are presented, only to become ho hum as they unfold because of lack of detail or lack of answers to obvious questions. A professional writer and editing would probably have helped here.
Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
I enjoy nonfiction ghost stories and was excited to learn more about this Ghost Box. The book starts off on the right foot, exciting stories and descriptions of these new tool but it quickly looses itself in sensationalism and commercialism. When an inventor finally brings Thomas Eddison's Telephone to the Dead to life, paranormal investigator Chris Moon uses this new tool to communicate in real time with the spirits. He investigates haunted houses across the US and does readings for bereaved parents (for a fee).The Ghost Box gives investigators a new tool for their research. This is the book's main flaw. It reads nothing like research. The author assumes readers already now spirit orbs and ectoplasm and doesn't explain the evidence of research he finds at his locations. New readers must take his word at face value and probably confused. Despite the plethora of evidence he claims to have, only one story includes photos or physical representation of this research. The one area that the author did well was showing us the many different models of the Ghost Box and how it evolved through out years of use. The first few chapters bring in you in and most of these chapters are quite believable. It's when the reader gets to the end of the Lizzie Borden chapter that the tales become questionable. The chapter ends with a Ghost Box session that makes a dark accusation but gives no clear exploitation about what happened from the house. From there my skepticism grew. While I want to believe and believe that people have truly had paranormal experiences, these stories of Moon's adventures left a bad taste in my mom. As the book progresses the stories progress they get more and more sensational each story trying to out do the last. I lost interest as the author boats about the number of tickets sales and having to add to more night to his presentations and rolled my eyes when he claims to have solved the mystery of a presidential assignation. But that assassination isn't the only conspiracy the author has become involved in; he happens to have spoken to alien spirits and claims that these communications are being hindered by an outside source. Without specific evidence and the manner in which the book is written it's hard to believe most of Moon's tales. While I truly believe he and his mother have had experiences with the paranormal, I am inclined to believe this book wasn't intended as an actual representation of paranormal investigation and more a way to earn revenue and get his name out. I do look forward to seeing what stories and evidence he presents in the many upcoming books he discusses with in this one. I received a copy from Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.
Chris Moon and his mother, Paulette, have been giving readings and lectures for Ghost Hunters University classes for years. This is the story of The Ghost Box though - which is now the basis for MANY devices paranormal investigators use now. Based on Thomas Edison's Telephone for the dead concept, the box was originally named Frank's box after the inventor, who worked with Chris (and his 'spirit technicians' to develop and improve it over the years.
Chris has lots of interesting tales of lectures and hunts and so on over the years which are quite enjoyable and how the box has contributed to his work to share messages from the dead with people.
Easy to read and fun with a bit of scary in there too.
This is the authors' relation of their experiments with a 'ghost box', literally a box that works like a radio transmitter to pick up the voices of ghosts. Spooky! But that's what attracted me to the book.
It requires a big leap of faith. Apparently much of the activity happens on a psychic level so you're basically taking the word of the author that anything was heard at all, although some recordings apparently produced voices. Putting belief aside, I found the book interesting. The incidents mentioned in relation to a few high profile historic deaths made for good reading, scepticism or not.
I did find the suggestion that the box picks up alien voices as well a stretch. It started ticking too many woowoo boxes at that point and I found it more difficult to suspend disbelief. I keep an open mind about spiritual activity, but this pushed it a little too far for me and I found myself reading with more scepticism after that part.
Despite this, some of the stories related towards the end appeared to be corroborated by real world evidence, if you take the author's word for it. I decided that belief is subjective and on the bottom line, I enjoyed reading the book. It was well written and provided some interesting food for thought. Would I try the spirit box if given a chance? Definitely. Like some of the other sceptical people who came into contact with the authors, I would ask questions that only the person I was contacting would know, but I would not hesitate to give it a go and see what happened.
The only thing missing was any information whatsoever about how it supposedly works. Maybe the authors will include that in their next book.
Ghost Box: Voices from Spirits, Ets, Shadow People & Other Astral Beings by Chris Moon, Paulette Moon I love books involving the paranormal. I really love books that are more investigation then story. This book is about the investigations of Chris Moon and his Ghost box. The Ghost Box is basically a radio that picks up voices through white noise.
Chris Moon takes us along on his past investigations where he uses not only the box but his own intuitive skills. He listens to his feelings, thought, and the ghost box.
The places he has investigated and the EVP's he picks up are astonishing. I really enjoyed this book and would love to go along with Chris on his investigations and see the ghost box in action.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.
DNF - The usual garbage filled with lies, incorrect historical information, and ridiculous theories and stories. You can tell it's an older book because of the Sallie house the Kansas version of the Amityville house hoax. This book has Sallie as the tragic child ghost but after real research that disproved the Sallie story changed her into more of a demon. Reading his account of this story shows that this author doesn't care about the truth nor does he do any real research. To make things worse the author uses this magic box to rewrite versions of history for the different places he goes to. Of course this information cannot be verified which is very convenient for him since it means it can't actually be disproven. All of this and the rest of the garbage like aliens makes this book inreadble garbage.
This book is extremely intriguing to not only amateur paranormal interested readers, experienced paranormal readers, but also everyday readers! It not only opens up others minds to the out of the normal things that one can experience but it also gives certain history on some places. I not only enjoyed learning more on the places but more in depth on how Chris Moon began his journey into his abilities and "Frank's box." I'd highly recommend this book to anyone of any age! Two thumbs up to Christopher Moon and Paulette Moon on a great book and a great story told in every chapter of this book! One I'll most definitely read again!
Very well written and at times, very emotionally charged. Kind of lost me briefly when he was talking about extra terrestrials, but that is just because that is not an area of the paranormal that really interests me, however; it was informative with good insight on the subject matter.
Powers of description were done very well and was able to envision the scene clearly. Great work! Finished it in less than 24 hours!
For a book called Ghost Box I expected a lot more mention of the actual EVPs. I wanted more transcripts and pictures. There was actually only one transcript in the book, supposedly between Chris Moon and his team with JFK and his wife, and that was very short and odd. I liked reading about the impact Chris Moon and his team have had with one-on-one sessions and even getting details to solve murders. That was cool.
I have always been interested in the paranormal and especially those who have stories of encountering the unknown. I did enjoy reading this but at times I found I lost interest and at other times it seemed a bit advertised. Other than that, I did enjoy reading the various stories about the author's experiences with the Ghost Box.
Not a book for everyone but an entertaining book for people who are interested in the paranormal. Like everything, take this with a grain of salt. I would like to see him at one of his group sessions to see what he does in person.
I found myself wanting more information in general, the author assumed I knew more than I actually did. However, the stories were very interesting, I was totally hooked.
The book is nteresting but it only skims the surface of the paranormal experiences. The book is good at introducing the reader to the various beings that are in this dimension. I am looking foward to more in depth information on their experiences.