Famed "Ghost Box" Inventor Dies

Are you the proud owner of a "Ghost Box"? If you are, you might want to dig it out, dust it off, and prepare it for Ebay. Your "Ghost Box" just went up in value... exponentially.

Frank Sumption has died from a heart attack. I always wanted to try out a "Ghost Box" myself just to see what it was all about. Unfortunately, I never got the chance.

I wonder if good old Frank will be attempting to find his way through all of the static to reach through to those who bought and believed in his product? I'd like to think that he will definitely give it the good old college try.

Frank Sumption, the inventor behind the paranormal investigating device known as "The Frank's Box" has reportedly died of a heart attack.

The "ghost box" Sumption invented in 2002 was claimed to be an instrumental trans-communication (ITC) device that allowed users to speak to the dead The Others in real-time. The box swept the AM radio band and supposedly the sounds that were being picked up on the constant scan included spirit voices.

Sumption was a fan of electronic voice phenomena, an interest he developed after reading a 1995 Popular Electronics article. Although the Colorado resident did not seek out celebrity for his invention, the "purple princess" (a moniker he picked up after communicating with spirits, who told him he was a female alien from Pleiades) was famous within the paranormal community.

He did not really dedicate himself commercially to selling his devices. Instead, he randomly distributed them to those he and the voices saw fit. A genuine Frank's Box is a sought after novelty in the paranormal community, and his Sumption's creations, of which he made only 180, led to a ghost box/ITC craze.

While his work had its detractors and many claimed the sounds from the device were subjective (and the results untestable), there is no denying the man had an enormous impact on paranormal investigations. A variation of a Frank's Box -- adapted by other researchers and inventors -- can be found in the basic tool kit for most modern ghost hunters.

Does anyone here own a "Ghost Box", or even gotten the chance to try one? I'd love to hear about it.

You can read more here...

www.huffingtonpost.com...

If any disembodied spirit could get through on a Ghost Box... it should be this guy.

Of course, I wish for his soul to rest in peace. But it would be great if he could do an earth-shattering (and well documented) ghost box appearance first.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe


Just shows me how little I know about things, I have never even heard of one before now. Many thanks, I now have new research material. Did a quick google and this is going to be interesting. I didn't know the lone voice of reason was interested in such things.

originally posted by: VegHead
If any disembodied spirit could get through on a Ghost Box... it should be this guy.

Of course, I wish for his soul to rest in peace. But it would be great if he could do an earth-shattering (and well documented) ghost box appearance first.

Many held out similar hopes in Harry Houdini....
stranger dimensions
His reason for making the promise before he died was to show people that spiritualism (popular at the time) was fake.

originally posted by: VegHead
If any disembodied spirit could get through on a Ghost Box... it should be this guy.

Of course, I wish for his soul to rest in peace. But it would be great if he could do an earth-shattering (and well documented) ghost box appearance first.

I couldn't agree more. There's no telling how many folks are going to sit up for marathon listening after this in hopes of him actually being able to break through. I hope they are all recording it so nobody has to say... Pics or it didn't happen.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Just shows me how little I know about things, I have never even heard of one before now. Many thanks, I now have new research material. Did a quick google and this is going to be interesting. I didn't know the lone voice of reason was interested in such things.

Ahh... You make me blush Marlin.

I am firmly entrenched in tons of things paranormal. I might disagree or have different opinions about what EXACTLY may be around us... But I've no doubt that there is absolutely something there. I think we all get glimpses of it all the time. Some folks pay attention, others write it off or don't even notice it.

I hope you enjoy your search into this. It's really an interesting subject. Michael Keaton did a movie along the same lines as the "Ghost Box" called White Noise. It was pretty good too if you ever find yourself bored. Of course, I am not saying it's true, just interesting.

There are also "Ghost Box" knockoffs roaming around out there if you are so inclined.

Wow, just the other day I was following a thread he was posting in on some paranormal website I somehow ended up at. To me, ghost boxes seem like a load of crap but hey, at least the man created something.

I'll tell you a weird story. I bought a ghost box a couple years ago and only tried it once. I haven't done any paranormal investigations for a while and haven't gotten to field test it, so I don't know where I stand on them just yet. It sits in a box on my desk. I have seen them used a lot on TV and was blown away by some of it, but I really need to experience that myself because I don't really believe any evidence that Ghost Adventures or GH find, for the most part. Just thought I'd put it out there. The end.

So let me get this straight- A guy "invents" a box that will quickly scan through radio bands, and is now laid to rest. Did I get this right? Somewhere, Zak Bagans is crying a tear into his beer over a long gone career.

originally posted by: jokerzwild
Wow, just the other day I was following a thread he was posting in on some paranormal website I somehow ended up at. To me, ghost boxes seem like a load of crap but hey, at least the man created something.

I'm not sold on the idea that they work myself, but I would like to see for myself. If nothing else, you could really scare the rap out of yourself just waiting for something... anything to come through.

originally posted by: Fylgje
I'll tell you a weird story. I bought a ghost box a couple years ago and only tried it once. I haven't done any paranormal investigations for a while and haven't gotten to field test it, so I don't know where I stand on them just yet. It sits in a box on my desk. I have seen them used a lot on TV and was blown away by some of it, but I really need to experience that myself because I don't really believe any evidence that Ghost Adventures or GH find, for the most part. Just thought I'd put it out there. The end.

Tinker with it MAN!!! Your self control is like iron. I would have had to play with it more than once in a few years (no that's what she said so moments allowed). Maybe you can break it out in memory of Frank and see if you can pull a rabbit out of your hat??

originally posted by: Tuned Agent
So let me get this straight- A guy "invents" a box that will quickly scan through radio bands, and is now laid to rest. Did I get this right? Somewhere, Zak Bagans is crying a tear into his beer over a long gone career.

That about sums it up Tuned. Only instead of tuning into the Black Eyed Peas, the Ghost Box is supposed to tune in to souls reaching out from beyond the grave. One could argue that those two are almost mutually exclusive.

a reply to: VegHead

I guess he gets to try his own creation out!

Kind of a funny thought although death is always a bummer.
The ghost box is an interesting device.

I've never used one, but seen them on tv and read a bit about them.
Creepy device when it starts talking.
Here is a video that says it debunks the box.

It's actually a pretty good video.

a reply to: Darkblade71

Thanks for the video. I have watched videos proving and disproving "The Box". Of course logically the first thing I want to do is all BS. The more whimsical side of me thinks it would be a field day to get my hands on one and try it out myself because really.... who knows?

I'm so TORN!!

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

I am in the same boat you are.

I always leave open the possibility that something like this might work.
A couple of years ago I tried out a paranormal app for the computer and it did start to do a few things that were strange, but you know, all of these ghost hunting apps, I just don't know if they do what the intended use is for.

I would have to have one and try it out myself in order to see what I though of it.
Would not mind having and trying something like that out though because I do believe that we will find a way to make conscious contact somewhere down the road with people who have crossed over.
These are the beginning stages of testing and trying different things to see if someone stumbles onto a working idea.
Does this one work?
I don't know, I only know that stuff like this could work in the right circumstances.
Just waiting for the right thing to come along,
and maybe it never will.

Certainly am open to these types of projects!

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

i didn't know the man, so i'm not gonna say i'm glad he's dead.

i will, however, say that he was a fraud, and a swindler, and his device is phonier than a 6-dollar bill...

a reply to: FlyersFan

don't you mean to say that you BELIEVE you have always lived in haunted houses?

the odds are much more in favor of it all being in your head, than they are of you living in multiple haunted houses.

there is no scientific proof that ghosts are real.

a reply to: Daedalus


Fraud? You've never used one. The one I ordered wasn't even going to use, because when I waited for it to come I did something with a microphone on a computer and audacity, using a tesla coil youtube video (looping) and a white noise, hour long one, turning down the volume but putting mike near it. And it scared me enough to realize this wasn't my cup of tea. Distinct voices, some elderly scottish woman and young men and one said, "don't help me" and converstations going on. I was a little concerned. I would need to know what the mission is, how to assist them and what others gifted in soul retrievals do so you're not just bringing it in.

So I kept it in my room with some electronics to discover my teenage kids playing with it, and they did this several times. And they got real voices, that gave their names. They hid in a bedroom but I busted them because I could hear it from the hallway distinctly, even them being named, and a name given. I don't want my kids to open a portal and get hooks put in them astrally however. So if they are really interested in this, they would need spiritual shielding and a purpose. Its not just a toy. Now my boys think they want to get into paranormal research. But its something that is dangerous to me so, needs a really strong purpose and group I think.

Now my box is probably not the same type as his. But these things work.

Even a mike on a computer with some sound files running for energy, like white noise and tesla coils, work.


ETA: one of the names given to my sons, was one that my mother mentioned watching over her before. And during one session the boys did, they asked for help. So they may be stuck. I don't know what the mission should be for this kind of communication. That is not clear.

These communictor boxes work, even mikes and white noise work, and anyone who tries them can find that out rather easily, probably first session or two at that. Some voices leap out and some you tweak with audacity, ie raise tempo or pitch or lower, slow down, speed up, things like that. Its not usually just short words like the videos, but if you clear it up, alot more there, with distinct timbers, ages to the voices, etc.

My question is always, why? Define the mission! Many people would like to assist others who need help, but they don't want a spiritual smorg to take place with entities snacking on their aura's. So what is supposed to occur with these. Many of us are way past, 'is there life after death" for example, so this isn't just a toe into the paranormal. Its more about, what can we do to 1. be safe, and 2. help. Go back to 1. Be Safe, that is indeed number 1.

originally posted by: FlyersFan

The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

I have always wanted one. They are a bit expensive. A year ago I started a thread about them HERE . I've always lived in haunted houses and I think it would be awesome to see if anything came up on a spirit voice box.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

I hear you. Strange things abound in my own home, though I am not sure I would want to test something like that here. I would definitely test it elsewhere though.

I would love to know if you ever get to test one yourself as well. You'll have to letme know if you get that lucky!

They're interesting devices. Not sure if it's ghosts, communication from some other dimension, or what. Might be some untapped reservoir of latent conscience for all we know. (Maybe some subconsious effect of the person messing with the device?) But it's interesting what information they manage to scrape from entropic audio. I don't have such a device, but watched plenty of demos on YouTube. Most weren't all that interesting. The one demo I found of most interest wasn't spooky or spirits that claimed to relay anything helpful. Instead it seemed to graft little bits of radio voices and noises into what sounded like a sweary, sarcastic, and onery guy with a New York accent. (Reminded me of how Bumblebee talked in the first Transformers movie with a bit of Jerky Boys thrown in.) Thing was, even though it wasn't always clear until a replay with some filter - it was very much in context to the questions the guy demonstrating the unit would ask. (And the guy doing the demo didn't always interpret it the way I did. What he was claiming to hear wasn't always as rude and funny as what I seemed to hear out of it while watching the video. Perhaps it's acoustic paredolia subject to personal interpretation?)

I might have to try and dig that video up again, but it's going to be tricky to find since it's been so long since I watched it.

a reply to: Unity_99

i don't NEED to actually use one, to know they're bunk.

i am familiar with how they work, i've seen them used by other people, not to mention they use them on EVERY SINGLE ONE of those STUPID friggin' ghost hunter shows.....it's just another fiji mermaid..