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So you have decided to become a ghost hunter...Great!
Here are some generalized procedures and protocols for getting the most out of your ghost hunts.
The Beginner
If you have just opened the door to the huge world of the paranormal, then your mind is swimming with hundreds
of questions, thoughts and ideas about how you will go about your ghost hunting adventures. The first thing you need to do
if you aren't in a paranormal group already is to browse the internet for a listing of groups in your local area. Joining
a group that is already established will help you get your feet wet and is the best way to get some experience under your
belt. Many ghost hunting related websites have listings for each state and links to their individual websites as well.
If you already have some experience behind you and have gone on some ghost hunting excursions, then you know it isn't a
simple as they make it look at times on Ghost Hunters It isn't as exciting as many people would imagine either!
Finding The Hot Spots
The number one talked about place for ghost hunting seems to be cemeteries. They are well known for being creepy
places, associated with Halloween, ghosts, and goblins. Investigating at cemeteries can bring fantastic results, depending
on which cemetery you are investigating and more importantly, the history behind it, the land, previous burials, etc. Cemeteries
can be a good starting point because you don't have to worry about dealing with home owners or anyone who is afraid of paranormal
activity they may be experiencing in their homes. Always get permission before you and your group (or even
just friends) go snooping around a cemetery at night. Most cemeteries close at dusk and you can be ticketed by your local
police after dark if they consider you to be trespassing. A good starting point for getting permission is the police department
for the city where the cemetery resides. They can then point you in the right direction as far as who owns the cemetery, and
who to ask for permission.
Once you get your feet wet for a while investigating cemeteries, you can move on to bigger and better things such as homes,
historical sites and businesses.
Some Basics
You don't need fancy equipment to get started as a ghost hunter. Some basics that you can use are cameras and audio recorders.
You can use both 35 mm and digital cameras, and both are used by seasoned investigators. Cassette recorders and digital audio
recorders are a very useful tool for capturing evps during investigations. Other great tools include paper and pen, for logging weather-related information such as
temperature, humidity and moon phases, flashlights, extra batteries, and a carrying-case or fanny pack for putting your equipment
in. You have to start somewhere, so don't worry about that fancy equipment just yet! The basic equipment can be just as effective
when doing your research.
Research
It's always good to research the land, building or home that you are investigating. Spirits can be attached to the land
just as much as they can be attached to homes or objects. Start out by doing some online searches on the land or building
in Google or another search engine and see what you can dig up. If you need to do more extensive research, you can try genealogy
websites like Rootsweb or Ancestry-they can be a wealth of valuable information.
Ghost hunting, like anything else, is something you learn by doing. You will make mistakes and learn as you go along. Each
paranormal investigation that you take part in will help you become a better researcher, which will in turn help out the people
you investigate for.
Types of investigators and groups
Individuals engaged in ghost hunting and paranormal investigation have varying motives for their activities.
- Some ghost hunters consider themselves hobbyists whose primary motivation is the excitement of the hunt and the thrill of possibly experiencing something supernatural. Many of these individuals enjoy spending significant time pursuing their hobby.
- Others consider themselves serious researchers who follow a number of scientific protocols and share documentation of
their research with other groups in an effort to discover proof that ghosts exist. They often go about their pursuit in a
prescribed manner in order to gather evidence of paranormal activity at a given location, or debunk "false positive" reports of hauntings. Many established groups fall into this category.
- Still others consider themselves to be providing a service, and focus their investigation on offering comfort and assistance
to individuals who feel they are experiencing unexplained or paranormal activity at a home or other location. These investigators
approach a location with the goal of alleviating the fear and discomfort of the occupants by listening to their experiences
and providing advice and reassurance.
Typically, ghost hunting groups are a mix of these differing outlooks.[12] Most advertise their services online, the majority not charging for investigations in hopes of finding new and interesting
places to explore.
A note of caution must be added that there exist so-called paranormal groups whose methodology mimics that of a traditional
ghost/demon hunting team; however, their primary goal is to frighten the homeowner/client into a belief that they are in danger
and that immediate action to "cleanse" the home is imperative. These groups will act quickly to confuse the homeowner/client
by pointing to certain items in the home as being "possessed" and will then offer to remove said items to make the home safe.
Typically, these items are antiques, relics, or family heirlooms that will later be put on display in a paranormal museum
hosted by said group where a charge is incurred for admission to view such articles.
Summarized by other groups there are 4 basic classifications of ghost hunters, where as there are many groups who can fall
into 1 or more categories but are mainly defined by the functional purpose of the group.
1- Scientific, where people generally associated with this group are out to either prove or disprove paranormal phenomena
such as ghosts, through the use of scientific protocols.
2- Interactive, where people associated within this group use both science and practiced beliefs as a basis to form an
answer pertaining to phenomena. This group can include a multitude of groups such as cryptzoology, UFO's, conspiracists, etc.
3- Chasers/Busters, where people associated within this group are avid believers and are out to prove by any means that
phenomena does exist, regardless of evidence sometimes.
4- Religious/Spiritual, these are believers who specialize in religious beliefs or occult beliefs and who fight against
the practices of negative forces. Such as demons and evil presences. Spiritual believers are those that specialize in aspects
of the paranormal where religion is not necessary, ie: demonologists, occultists, etc.
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