When asked, ASUP’s co-founder and veteran researcher, Rick Moran replies, “When someone asks me why I am involved in paranormal investigations, I always hesitate, because it all seems so obvious to me.  “I think that ever rational human since Adam has questioned what happens after death. We are not willing to accept the idea that once you die, the lights go out and that is all. Everyone wants to believe that there is something more. When I am in the field, I am trying to find the answer to that question. If ghosts exist, if there is such a thing as a haunted place, then there has to be life after death.  By working to prove that such things exist, I am simply agreeing with Wm. Shakespeare, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy!’” 

When asked about the lack of support from some scientists and even opposition from many fundamentalist church leaders, Moran explains, “I think that as far as the scientists go, it is more a fear of ridicule than lack of interest. They are simply afraid that someone will attack them on any study of the unexplained. In the end, they are throwing the baby out with the bath water. They have, for the most part, abandoned the study of what appears to me to be a major part of our universe!”

“As for the church, not all organized religious communities are against what we do, in fact some openly support us, while others take a wait and see attitude.  Only certain fundamentalist groups reject our research, which I find interesting, given their own faith depends so much upon the metaphysical.”  Interest in the supernatural has not diminished over the last century. The last few years have seen a surge in paranormal TV themes, including such popular dramas as "Medium," and the even more popular “Ghost Whisperer”
and reality-themed shows featuring professional mediums or paranormal investigators, while paranormal organizations, schools for mediums and practicing psychics seem to be flourishing.  What has diminished is the interest of academic researchers on a par with James and his colleagues — and, correspondingly, the quality of the science.

While groups like the ASUP and some other paranormal investigators use modern technology to hunt for cold spots of ghosts or the energy of a spectral communication and (EVP) electronic voice phenomena, funding to help keep up with the available tools of their trade is lacking. While there are a few accomplished university scientists exploring the supernatural, although often covertly, there's nothing as sophisticated, at least in design, as the Victorian Era work of James.  This raises an interesting question. While interest in the paranormal is increasing and technology seems to be making the tools necessary to advance studies, why are there no funded programs to deal wiith real field research?  It was recently noted that Victorian scholars ran an international survey of reported ghost sightings, particularly those tied to the death of a relative or friend. Tens of thousands of people in multiple countries were interviewed; hundreds of volunteers sifted through the reports, rejecting those that lacked independent witnesses or documentation. They concluded that "death visitants" occurred more than 400 times above chance. And of course, we have the work of Charles Forte, possibly the most prolific compiler of unexplained phenomenon in the 20th century, while today, such reporting is at best haphazard, with virtually no central compilations in existence in a nation that is still obsessed with such topics. 

Upon the occasion of his 59th birthday,” Rick Moran recalls. “When asked what he would like to have as a present on that day, he responded that if he could choose, he would ask that for the remainder of his life, he might be able to follow up on case studies, travel as necessary and not have to be bothered with paying the motel bills, airline fares or car rentals and never again have to worry about how to pay for it all. I think we all wish for that, or at least some part of it. You can get funding to study cow flatulence, but not a haunted house!”

To their credit, ASUP and other organizations like it across the world continue to document their findings, in hope, as Moran puts it, “That someday a major university will accept these case studies for everyone to access for research purposes at some time in the future, when the academic world and government find it beneficial to open funding for studies that are not related to the a military effort or industrial outcome. Until then we continue to publish our own case studies and offer them to popular magazines so that the public can see what we are doing.”While some researchers attack the negativity of the scientific community, while defending themselves from religious critics, Moran suggests that such efforts are a waste of time and resources. “I totally understand their positions, I don’t agree with them, but I do understand. It is something like criticizing politicians.  We ask why more competent people don’t run for elected office, but the truth is that most competent individual I know personally, who might do a good job in an elected office, will tell you in confidence that they don’t want to be scrutinized by the media or have their families attacked by the opposition. It just isn’t worth the effort. The politics of science and religion are not all that different. There are many friends out there, who morally support our efforts, but they are not willing to publicly speak out to support us fiscally, for fear of ridicule and attacks from a sometimes rabid conservative element. To them, it is also not worth the effort.”

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