Ghost Hunting
...101...
The Basics
By Alan L. "Buz" Lowe
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Ghost Hunting ...101... The Basics.
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by Alan Lowe
Getting started can be the hardest part of the hunt. The first
timer can be a bit overwhelmed if not consulting an established investigator.
The one hard and fast bit of advice that I would give to a beginner is to
affiliate with an established group of paranormal investigators. They should be
able to guide you in the right direction before you, the beginner, spends lots
of money, gets in trouble or gets hurt. The following tips should help you get
started.
First some definitions: A ghost hunt is a
planned event where a group of investigators, the Team, go to a place were no
sightings or reports of ghosts have been made. They then attempt to record a
sighting via video photography, still photography or voice recorders. A ghost investigation, on the other hand, is where the same group
of people go to a known haunted place to gather data to support the haunting.
Some of the same equipment used in a ghost hunt will be used in an
investigation. More detailed notes should be kept at an investigation and should
include weather, time of day, date, investigators name, location, equipment
used, brief observations, etc.
There are different types of entities that could be encountered while
on a hunt or investigation. One is a ghost.
The ghost was a human at one time and it has remained on this level for some
reason. The ghost may not know it's dead, it may be held here by unfinished
business. These entities are like the person was when they were alive; they
could be good, bad or mischievous, just like the living, but not normally
dangerous. This type of entity is the type you will encounter 95% of the time.
You could also witness a residual
haunting which is just a playback of a past event. This is
just like watching a video from the past playing over and over. Another
type of entity you may encounter would be a spirit.
These types were never human and are generally bad
news. Be aware that these types exist but the chances that you
will encounter them in a regular ghost hunt are slim. Our team has
experienced all of these hauntings. As long as you are aware of their existence
and protect yourself, you should have no problem.
Now, find a good investigative group and go hunting. Let’s
Get Started
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Have everyone meet near the location and decide who will work each piece of equipment and divide into teams if necessary. Pick a person or leader that will talk to anyone who comes in contact with the group (i.e. Police, Reporters, etc.) Do not load film or tapes yet. |
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Enter the site and either privately or as a group ask for blessing or protection for the duration of the hunt. Everyone should take the 10 seconds this takes and do this. What can it hurt? It's better to be safe than sorry. Many experienced groups believe that there are evil spirits in many areas such as cemeteries, and by saying a 10 second prayer, you can safely go about your business without worrying about them. An experienced demonologist will tell you that by doing this in the name of God, or whatever good deity you worship, you will keep any non-human spirits at bay since they have to leave you alone when told so in this manner. You will not provoke an attack by doing this and it's just as simple as saying your prayers at night. |
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Walk
around the area to get a feel for the surroundings and allow the spirits to
get a feel for you. Do this for about 20 minutes. Log in your start time and
weather conditions and any other relevant information. You can also begin to
set up any stationary equipment like camera on tripods or motion detectors.
Make note of any areas that may cause you to get false readings or false
positive pictures. |
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Now, you can open all your film and tapes and load the cameras and recorders. Then, go out there and get some pictures and recordings. Be sure to note anything unusual that happens - especially meter and temperature readings, visual sightings and strange sounds. Also, make notes of any feelings or emotions you feel that may be odd or out of place. You can compare notes after the hunt and look for similarities in readings and feeling in certain areas or at certain times. |
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Whether
you stake out a spot or you walk around, try to give everyone the
opportunity to try everything and be everywhere. This keeps everyone fresh
and at attention. Rotate a few times during the investigation. |
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When you are done, have everyone meet in one spot and ask the human spirits here not to follow you home and to remain here. Tell the others they must remain here in the name of God (or other good deities). Again this takes 4 seconds, it's simple and it can save you some problems down the road. If we are wrong about these prayers at the beginning and end of the hunt, and they are not necessary, then you wasted 14 seconds of your time. If we are right about them, you saved yourself from a lot of problems and grief. |
Additional
Steps for a House or Building Ghost Hunt / Investigation
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Every investigator or team should keep a log of events / times - everything needs to be logged, not matter how trivial. You sneeze, log it in, it may have sounded like something else to another member elsewhere in the building. |
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All members and clients, if possible, walk through the location. One member maps location noting: air vents, heater, electrical appliances, fuse boxes, computer, etc. Mark down the temperatures in the rooms and any EMF reading you get during this walk through. One member takes 5-10 test photos during the walk through. Do not discuss the details of the case during this walk through. |
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Any witnesses that have not been interviewed before should be interviewed by 1-2 investigators and taped or videoed if it’s ok with the witness. The other members should walk around the location and record any feelings or observations. Only the interviewers will know the location of events and sightings. |
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Make no conclusions. Share no conclusions or opinions with the witnesses or owners until all the reports, photos and tapes are reviewed. You need to see the evidence and correlate it before you can give an educated opinion. |
