Category	Definition	Example from the Text	Why?
Premises – presumptions/normal	Based on a reference group or experience.	‘Cal-Para Research is a paranormal research group based in southern California. We offer FREE consulting and ghost/spirit investigations to help you determine if your location has supernatural activity’	This site is the group or place that you would use for any ghost or weird activity in your home.
Premise Modifiers – Presence – repetition	Saying over and over again	This site continues to stress that there services are free for everyone.	This is so that no one thinks that it is a scam so that people know there not in it to make money.
Arguments sacrifice	Is a result worth some loss?	We’re looking to help homes and businesses increase knowledge and awareness while we explore the Inland Empire and Southern California.	Is the risk of finding something out worth the risk of having this group come?

number 9

Long Island PI: Arguments

Premise Modifier-Presence (Historical):
"The original use of Fort Totten was to protect the East River approach to New York City. Much of the property is now a park and still houses facilities of the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, U.S. Army and the NYC Fire Department Training Academy. " 
They introduce thier case with substantial historical background as if to emphasize the importance of its history and provide significance to the case. 

Succession:
"His audio recorder was on the entire time. As he sat there he started to hear male voices, so he began to do an EVP session. He sat by himself for about 15-20 minutes." He heard male voices SO he tested for EVP. 

Prestige:
"One of the residence believes the spirit of the grandfather may be in the house as he was very close to the younger son who has disabilities." Grandfather was close to the younger son, therefore he must be in the house. 

Normative:
 "Our K2 meters picked up some sporadic results. However the amount of loose wiring and open electrical systems in the theater due to the repair work probably accounted for the readings. None of our other EMF meters had any paranormal readings." Pointing out a potential issue but then qualifying it by what it should mean due to context. 

Prestige: 
"Empathic Report from Empathic Specialist Peter Ferraro" -Used to emphasize the validity of the report. 

Ghosts of Louisiana Perelman

Ghost Website Perelman-http://www.ghostsoflouisiana.com/

Facts/Truths: The website uses the facts/truths premise when it comes to describing the evidence found. Some of the evidence is “concrete” (most of it is just probable).

Loci (Quality): The better the photo, video, or EVP, the more true it is that ghosts exist and are present.

Succession (Propagation): The website uses this mostly when it comes to talking about their more negative hauntings and demons.

Example: In one of the videos, they explain that if something is done a right way, then the ghosts will respond.

California Hauntings Perelman

Example	Perelman	Explanation
Stating the investigations of ghosts and that they may exist several times	Repetition	Trying to embed argument by repeating themselves over and over in order to get the audience to start to think about it more
“God created angels and angels are just manifested as ghosts”	Structure of Reality - Double Hierarchy Qualitative	Arguing that because God made angels there must be ghost, insinuating that there is a clear connection with lack of evidence
“Activity was encountered in the main stage area, the smaller Stage Two, and the costume shop area… as well as curious noises and unexplainable doors closing around the technical areas.”	Presence - Time/Space	They make the idea of activity feel urgent despite the fact that it could be nothing, but it leads the audience to believe that it could also be something

paRaTexAS

Eclipse Paranormal Arguments

Mikhayla Evans

Perelman Arguments for Eclipse Paranormal

Category	Definition	Example from the Text	Why?
Premises – Facts/Truths- Observed	Concrete Data	“Her interests in the paranormal began when she was 5 years old after she had an experience with her grandfather who had passed one week before.”	She is basing her existence of the paranormal from concrete data she experienced in her childhood.
Premise Modifiers – Presence - Amplification	Divide whole into parts	“E.P.R.I. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and research of paranormal occurrences. Through research, investigations, and the documentation of evidence, we seek to broaden our knowledge and understanding of these unexplained events.”	They are dividing their organization into different parts to show they cover a wide variety of areas to give them more credibility. If they show what they do in detail then people will think they are more credible.
Contradiction	Logical incompatibility of propositions	“There's a bit more to this story and it really helped to solidify this strange experience for us, though we don't have proof, so take it however want.”	They contradict themselves by saying it solidified the experience for them, however they say they don’t have proof.
Exception	Act is especially unique	“While on the tour, we decided to keep our recorders going on our phones because we were on vacation, and we had none of our gear with us.”	They make it seem like ghosts are real because they weren’t even trying to capture evidence and they did. So it is an exception in the way of how they weren’t using their gear to capture anything, but they just happened to capture yells and stuff.
Premise Modifiers – Presence – Space	Making it feel close	At one point, the guide was telling us a story about a fire that broke out in an old building back in 1931. It was late, around 9:30pm, and the streets were completely abandoned at this time, except for our group.”	They make it feel close in the way they are describing the scene and laying it out. It makes you imagine the space in your mind making it feel close to you.

Lone Star Spirits Arguments

Page:http://www.lsspi.org/blog/

Values-Specific

Example: Pictures

They devote so much effort towards all of this, but they don’t say it is true, so it is obviously true for them, but they are okay with us having our own opinion.

Enthymeme-

“David witnessed a piece of dinnerware slide from the back of the cupboard, over the lip, and on to the counter. We were not able to verify that the cabinet was properly leveled, however it would have to have been severely off-kilter for the dish to slide past the lip, and it did not appear to be so severely slanted.”

In the blog there are mostly premises stated and not too many claims made about ghosts.

Retort-

 Did they really experience stuff from other than this world, ghosts are never mentioned.

“By the end of the tour, they were pretty sure, that something was there, watching them. By morning, we all had experienced something not of this world, photos, videos and tapes are still being reviewed.”

Unlimited Development-

“Pete Haviland, Nichole Dobrowolski and Katie Phillips spotted it immediatly. Pete made eye-contact with it and felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He, Nichole and Katie immediately left the area. By the time they had reached the street Pete was doubled-over in pain. We left soon afterwards. Pete’s photographs revealed 2 hazy black figures, and they would be posted here but they don’t scan well. He nicknamed them Bob Duckandcover and Bob Jr.”

Evidence is just stacked and doesn’t really prove anything.

Division -

Posts are separate from each other.

Example-Single

“Spring began in the late 1800s as a railroad town. The depot that was once there is gone, but the tracks are still in use. During the 70s the Spring Cafe began serving hamburgers that drew people from Houston and points farther away. Before too long, an enterprising young person got the bright idea to open a gift shop next door to give people something to do during their 1 hour+ wait.”

There are multiple single examples on the ghost blog and tell separate stories of possible ghost sightings.

Perelmans Rhetoric Of Argument

http://pchparanormal.net/

Values		Agreed upon guides to actions	“We DO NOT practice any form of religious ceremonies, perform séances, use psychics or mediums.”	They don’t do anything religious when it comes to paranormal activities. Instead, they stick to their scientific reasoning and use science.
Presence	Space	Making it feel close	“A mysterious hand print appeared on the Flir. During a ECHOVOX session. Jen pictured here sensed something touch her during the session.”	Here, they wrote about one of their cases and how one of their clients appeared to have been touched. This would be an example of making it feel close.
Illustration	Clarity	Event makes a rule clearer	“Intelligent haunting are when it seems that the spirit is aware of its surroundings. These spirits often move small objects, try to talk, touch you, etc. Basically, their main purpose is to try and communicate with you.”	Here it clarifies how “intelligent ghosts” are. It talks about how they are aware of their surroundings and move little objects. It later goes on to say they are basically trying to communicate with you.

Houston, TX paranormal investigation team- Perelman analysis

Import Establishing structure of reality “We do not want to go into an investigation with any preconceived notions.”	The possible event that the crew intends to endeavor towards calls upon the specific moral value that they intend to stand upon when in their actions.
Illustration Establishing structure of reality Video footage	The video content that is given from the first page of the site gives adherence to what exactly the group is intending to reveal their essence as a whole to the audience of the site.
Homogenous Premises “We have been to various types of sites including; residential, some well known and not so well known abandoned locations, and an assortment of graveyards and battlefields.”	The more of the specific variable in this case is better. As the group is attempting to appeal to as many individuals as possible by advocating their methods into fitting of any given type of venue or specific site.
Philosophical Argument types “…that you have to possess an open mind when searching for answers regarding the paranormal.”	The reduction of definitions are compelled over through this crew member’s ability to allocate exactly how his experiences are best fit when at a state of efficiency.

https://www.nightwalkerparanormal.com/team

Windy City Paranormal

Windy City Paranormal: Perelman

Thesis: Our company knows that ghosts probably aren’t real, but we will hunt them for you anyway because it’s cool to believe that they do exist.

 

Home page: http://windycityparanormal.com/index.html

Premises:

Facts/Truths

Supposed Probable Data- They state that they come to investigate the “alleged cases of paranormal or unexplained activity”. They also say that they will investigate whether it’s from “natural causes or it is truly paranormal.”. This is saying that there is not real proof that there are ghosts, but they will investigate just incase they find something awesome.

Premise Modifiers:

            Presence

Repetition- All throughout the home page it repeats a lot about putting the clients mind at ease about things that MIGHT be paranormal activity. It says it in six different ways just on the home page that the cases seem to have natural causes before any alleged paranormal activity.  

Quasi-logical Arguments:

            Autophagia

Retort- They claim to be paranormal investigators… but right there on the home page it says “taking information from the legitimate investigators that have gone before us in this field”. They know they aren’t “legit” and are stating they aren’t right up front. They want to be professional, but they are not doing a very good job at it.

           

Evidence:  http://windycityparanormal.com/evidence.html

Premises:

            Facts/truths

Supposed. Probable Data- All of their data is probable data. It is paranormal things, none of this is concrete. Even they state that it is not an exact science. Everything is based off of things that might be happening, even if it is “caught” on a recording or in a video. Any number of things could have caused sounds and movement, but it’s just fun to that that it was from paranormal things.

Premise Modifiers:

            Presence

Time: making it feel urgent- I feel that all of the things they have recorded and are presenting as probable data is presenting a sense of urgency. Keeping you on edge of what you’re going to see or hear. And it makes you want to watch/listen to all of them.

Interpretation

Interpretive Schemes- I think this is a good example of this modifier. They really do limit the room for interpretation in the evidence presented. Its all weird sounds and things moving in recorded content. So it’s either natural, or paranormal, and the fact that they want you to believe that it is paranormal makes it all the more relevant.

Establishing the Structure of Reality:

            Example

Single- in the recordings presented as evidence, a single noise is said to be useful enough to prove true that there is indeed paranormal activity. Such as the man’s cough in the recording where there are only women present. That cough could have been anyone’s. Or buzzing in an old building. Ever think about bugs? Or a noise coming from outside or down the hall?

PCH Paranormal

Appeal to Authority: “Our intentions are to deliver our clients the truth without filter.”	The author is trying to tell you that they will give you the straight truth. They don’t say that they’ll give it to you with any explanation whatsoever.
Accent: “We enter all locations with skeptical minds to try and answer or disprove a claim of a ghost or haunting before we EVER state that it could be something paranormal.”	I this quote, the word “EVER” is being emphasized to make sure they never think of there being anything paranormal in the first place.
Hasty Generalization: “Members of this team have all had their own personal experiences with the paranormal. From childhood to recent encounters, we all have had things happen to us whether it was physically, verbally, or emotionally that we could not explain.”	In this quote, it talks about the members of this team having their own paranormal experiences but with no evidence. By this, I mean no actual stories of their experiences have been told.
http://pchparanormal.net/about-us/

Paranormal Investigation of NYC: Perelam

Paranormal Investigation of NYC

Perelman’s Rhetoric of Argument

Premises	Presumptions: The normal	Based on a reference group or experience	“Never believe what you see on television about paranormal activity, most of it is made up for entertainment purposes. True activity is rare and subtle and make take years and many investigations to ever witness.”	Don’t believe what tv portrays as ghost hunting, we do the real ghost hunting and we are credible because we have proof from our personal experiences.
	Value: Universal	Not specific: “truth” “justice”	“Remember, when trying to contact the spirit world, there may be no right or wrong way.”	There is no universal rule to follow to contact ghost.
	Loci	The rare and unique is better	“True activity is rare and subtle and make take years and many investigations to ever witness.”	Because paranormal activity is so rare it makes it even better when captured.
Premise Modifiers	Enthymeme	Giving only premises and not the claim	“Ghost Hunting & Paranormal Investigation is part Science, Parapsychology and metaphysics. Remember that proof is only through observation and belief.”	There not many claims made but all of the premises implicitly conclude that ghost are real.
Argument types	Quasi-logical arguments: Contradiction	Logical incompatibility of prepositions.	“First off, I do not consider us Ghost Hunters… Anyway, this is the info on Ghost hunting...” http://www.paranormal-nyc.com/gh.html	The first paragraph under ghost hunting explains how they would rather be called “Paranormal Investigator” but then refer to themselves as ghost hunter… very contradicting
Based on the Structure of Reality	Symbolic Liasons: Double Hierarchy	Two hierarchies so closely related that one can cue the other.	“Contacting the spirit involves prayer and guidance. A spirit will usually only react to the religion it followed in life”	Connecting to God will connect you with the spirts.
Establishing the Structure of Reality	Example	Event/s reveal/s a rule or reality.	“What you are about to listen to is unedited or not in anyway enhanced… Listen closely, after I ask "Would you like us to help you."”	Examples are given with evidence of footage as their proof to show their credibility.