This Teddy Bear is a Real Paranormal Investigator

Most people are afraid of bears. Most people are afraid of ghosts. Most people are afraid of haunted dolls. Put them all together. Would you be afraid of a bear doll that hunts for ghosts in haunted houses? Could that be a real thing? It turns out there really is such a thing as a ghost hunting teddy bear and, if you are a ghost hunter looking to exchange one of your Christmas gifts for something more useful, this could be it.

“The BooBuddy is a ghost-hunting teddy bear designed to accompany ghost hunters on their investigations. It is used as a trigger object to entice spirits to interact during a paranormal investigation. Its hidden, onboard electronic equipment collects information about the environment around the bear.”

The Travel Channel, home to a number of paranormal and ghost hunting television series, decided to remind last-minute Christmas shoppers about the BooBuddy – a playful and clever alternative to the usual tools of the amateur or professional ghost hunter. The headline, which claims “This Teddy Bear Can Tell You If Your House Is Haunted”, begs the question: then why hire a paranormal investigator? The Travel Channel site tones the rhetoric down a bit with its explanation that the BooBuddy is designed to accompany ghost hunters on their investigations as a “trigger object to entice spirits to interact during a paranormal investigation.” What does that mean?

“This boo bear’s mission is to investigate the paranormal with us, by promoting positive responses and informing us when the environment changes. BooBuddy asks EVP questions in order to trigger a response. If there’s an effect (EMF, motion, temperature) BooBuddy will respond appropriately — with flashing lights or an adorable voice — indicating that we may not be alone. Just set BooBuddy down and turn it on to detect environmental changes and start the interview process. Make sure to set a voice recorder or camcorder near the doll to document any potential responses.”

BooBuddy is “custom built” by the fine folks at GhostStop, a ghost hunting equipment store and manufacturer which opened in 2006 because its own paranormal investigation team was dissatisfied with the equipment and ghost hunting gear available to them in the paranormal marketplace. As a result, the company knows what investigators need and is its own testing department. With that kind of research and development behind it, one would expect GhostStop’s BooBuddy to be more than a stuffed bear with an EMS meter inside of it. In fact, it’s hard to believe there is room for the stuffing. According to GameStop, the BooBuddy contains equipment to do all of the following:

• Detects EMF and responds with lights in the arms when spikes arise
• Detects movement, vibration and temperature and responds with voice
• Conducts baseline readings in the room when you turn the unit on (first 30 seconds)
• Asks a series of EVP questions so you can watch for potential responses or leave it in a room on its own
• All electronics are completely hidden from view within the bear

That’s right – the BooBuddy not only lets you know when it detects something, it has a directory of nearly 40 questions and voice responses, such as:

• EVP Questions, like “Do you want to be my friend?”
• When the Bear is Moved: “Hehehe. That Tickles.”
• Temperature Decreases: “Brrrrr. It’s cold in here.”

BooBuddy is said to be programmable – its questions and responses can be preset for a specific environment or type of spirit. It also senses vibrations and lights up if it detects any shifts from the baseline environment. (Watch a video of a BooBuddy in action here.) When you put all of this together, you can see why GhostStop claims BooBuddy is fully equipped to be a “paranormal investigation partner.” In fact, it might e better than some paranormal investigation partners – it is rechargeable via a USB port and has a battery life of over 36 hours … far longer than many investigators can stay awake.

• Hi, I'm BooBuddy. Whats your name?
• How old are you?
• Can you make a noise for me?
• Is this your house?
• Can you make it warmer for me?

OK, so BooBuddy is more than an EMF meter with a voice. Does it really perform well enough  to be considered a mechanical non-human ghost hunter? The website lists a number of recent positive reviews – some using their real names.

We were at the Yorktown memorial hospital in Texas and this little boobuddy help our alot. We got some extraordinary evps and movement loud noises and THIS BOOBUDDY HELPED WITH 75% OF INVESTIGATION

BooBuddy has been with our group for a short while. We love the bear, as we can leave it in a room by itself and it will ask questions, tells the temp, and notice if something touches it. This is perfect, as our group is small and allows us to cover more ground. It is the perfect tool it there are spirits of child present.

I've taken BooBuddy with me to several different haunted locations and every time it does get responses. The most recent place, Eureka, NV it asked what was your favorite food and a child spirit is recorded answering it.

Having just finished a 48 Lockdown at Davidstow Airfield we had the pleasure of being accompanied by Boo Buddy on the investigation. We locked him down in a room with a locked off camera and voice recorder for company, for 2 hours. Surprisingly we seemed to capture what looks like a small child interacting with the bear during this period although haven't fully reviewed all the footage as yet. We left him running most of the weekend and was amazed to see the same 3 standard AA batteries managed to last almost 2 days non-stop. Excellent device, highly recommended!

The reviews on Amazon are not as glowing and point out some areas of concern for potential BooBuddy investigation partners:

This bear talks constantly, it does not react to touch and sound.

This little bear talks up a storm! Now I need some kind of recorder to see if spirit is answering boo bears questions.

The talking could be a problem if an investigator prefers a quiet environment. On the other hand, it seems a handy all-in-one kit of ghost detecting equipment with the added benefit of having a vocabulary that could trick a ghost into responding, and a battery that allows it to run for a long time in what might a hostile (too cold, too scary) environment for a human. Popular Mechanics calls it “One of the most sophisticated pieces of ghost-hunting equipment” and warns that this Teddy bear “isn't for snuggling.” On the other hand, Forbes in its review suggests another purpose for BooBuddy: “This product is highly recommended for those wanting to give a gift that will terrify a child, forever.” Before you wonder what kind of person would give a child something that could potentially summon responses from spirits, remember … that is how the Ouija board got started.

Would you take a BooBuddy on a paranormal investigation? This article is not a review nor a recommendation, but it definitely sounds like it could liven up an overnight ghost hunting expedition. Or make a great gift for a ghost hunting friend.