Because ultimately there’s nothing, and everything we and our loved ones once were cruelly goes away, many of us spend time desperately trying to prove that there’s something beyond. This can’t be it. While it’s not a self-fulfilling prophecy, it sure does pass the time.

At Vice’s “Broadly” section, Zing Tsjeng interviews British paranormal investigator Jayne Harris, who specializes in haunted dolls, which look almost like people, almost alive. The opening:

Question:

Can you tell me a little about what brought you to this industry?

Jayne Harris:

My parents were very interested in the paranormal so I heard lots of stories from them. When I was about 16, I started going to various spiritualist churches and seeing psychic mediums. Then my cousin died in a car accident when I was 17. That was the catalyst for me. It sparked more than a curiosity— I really wanted to reach out and maybe find some evidence that there was something more.

Question:

How often do you genuinely find a haunted object or doll in someone’s house?

Jayne Harris:

In our experience, when we get called to people’s homes, we can explain the activity through normal explanations in about seven out of 10 cases. If someone feels that they’re hearing knocking noises, we’ll examine everything from pipework to spaces in the attic where you might get mice. If the lights are flickering, it often needs rewiring. You’re trying to rule out all of the possibilities so that what you’re left with is the true case of what is going on.•