So you Want To Be A Ghosthunter, Eh?

  First before I get to the subject of this entry I feel compelled to make an introduction.  My name is Rick Hale and I live in the decidely unparanormal suburb of Fox Lake, Illinois a far northern burb of Chicago.   I have been a paranormal researcher since the age of eight years old, that was the first time I witnessed a ghost in my grandparents apartment on the north side of Chicago, since then I have become a virtual lighting rod for all things strange and unusual.  As A paranormal researcher I believe in a more objective scientific approach to investigating claims of the paranormal because only hardcore evidence will convince the skeptics, or player haters as I prefer to call them, that life and intelligence continues after the body expires.  And that is what this post is about objectivity and Critical thinking.  Okeedoke, on with the show.

  Is it just me or does it appear that being into ghosts and the supernatural is all of a sudden hip and trendy?  It seems that you can’t turn your television on without finding at least ten channels dealing with claims of the paranormal.  I mean, don’t get me wrong some of these programs are great.  A few programs not only seek to investigate the paranormal but they educate the viewer as well and that is what this posting is about educating people on what it takes to go out in the field and attempt to prove that although your body turns to worm food in the grave, a humans intelligence lives on.

  The first thing you must understand, and this is key, not all ghosts are made the same.  It is a popular misconception that a ghost is a ghost and this is not so there are actually four classifications on what type of spiritual entity you may be dealing with.  First off the most common classification of a haunting is the Residual Haunt.  With a residual the ghost in question is completely unaware of it’s surroundings.  Most people who report a residual type of haunting remark that at a certain time and on a certain and in a certain place they witness the ghost going about it’s business they have attempted to communicate with the ghost but it just acts as if it is ignorning them.  The ghost is not ignoring them what happens is is that some great tragedy or some other kind of stressful situation that led to the person’s demise has caused that event to be recorded somehow on the environment.  Many hauntings in the British Isles appear to be this kind of haunting because, as some researchers theorize, many of the old castles or manor homes were built out of sandstone and the sandstone acts a recorder that traps that moment in time.  Can a person rid themselves of a residual haunt?  Absolutely, but only if you tear down the structure.  However another theory states that a residual ghost may not be attached to the house itself but rather to the land and that would make ridding yourself of this type of haunting all the more diffucult.

  Unlike the residual haunt this next classification of ghost is able to communicate and interact with the witness or witnesses.  The Intelligent or true haunting is considered by some researchers to be far less common than it’s residual kin.  The intelligent ghost is the spirit of a person who has died at the location and for whatever reason their spirit has become trapped in this plane of existence and they are unable to move on.  Those who experience an intelligent haunt claim that the spirit at their location makes many attempts to try and communicate with them by such means as manifesting and speaking to the witness.  The Intelligent haunt is known for moving small objects, tapping on walls and generally scaring the pants off the witness.  When dealing with an intelligent type haunt it is key to remember that the spirit was once a human being and needs help basically because it needs assistance in moving on and is unable to do so.  They don’t really want to scare you per se, they are just seeking your help.

  We already dealt with the Poltergeist in a previous entry, however it begs revisiting.  A Poltergeist, as many theorize is not a ghost at all but the latent psychic ability of a person usually an adolescent who is going through some stressful times.  Those who experience a poltergeist oftentimes comment that the activity was so random and brainless it was almost as if a child was throwing a temper tantrum that got way out of hand.  That is exactly what it is a psychic temper tantrum.  Also those experience this kind of haunting state that just as it began it comes to an end suddenly.  One day it is happening and the next day poof gone.  Many researchers theorize that the reason for the cessation of the phenomenon is because the person, or focus, has ceased going through the stressful situation and if the phenomenon can be attributed to a female going through the turmoil of puberty it is probably because she has reached womanhood by having her first menstrual cycle.

  The fourth classification of hauntings is perhaps the most terrifying of all types of haunting, the Inhuman spirit or Demonic.  Some researchers who subscribe to a more religious ideology will tell you that all hauntings are caused by one of the minions of the prince of darkness.  Those who experience an Inhuman witness many of the same activities involved in an intelligent or poltergeist haunt however the activity appears to be much more diabolical.  Those who experience this kind of haunting witness the desecration of holy objects such as turning crosses upside down, the ripping apart of bibles and other Holy texts and many claim that dark shadowy entities that give off an air of absolute evil are witnessed.  Although I am not a religious person I would suggest to the people who experience this kind of haunting to get a holy man such as a minister, priest or Rabbi who can banish their home from this evil invading force.  Most religions have some kind of ritual to combat an evil force such as the Catholic rite of Exorcism.  The Inhuman is a very rare type of haunting and many researchers go their whole career, and lives, without ever having to face this type of haunting but if you do contact a church or whatever religion your client subscribes to, allow that person to deal with the demonic they are specially trained.

  Ok, so now you know the different classifications of ghosts and what to expect when you come across them and you may question are their tools of the trade that can be used to gather evidence and prove a haunting?  Absolutely, just like James Bond and Batman we have our toys and thanks to many of the shows on television you may already be familiar with them.  First off get your self a good digital recorder to capture EVPs or Electronic Voice Phenomenon.  EVPs are disembodied voices captured on type that you may not have heard with your own ears during an investigation. 

  When investigating a haunting and taking EVP recordings ask the entity questions if it is an intelligent haunt it may respond.  Ask such questions as can you tell me your name, did you once live in this house, do you know that you have passed away?  I have heard many great recordings over the years and have taken some myself but remember if a location is reported to be haunted the spirit or spirits may not want to interact with you oftentimes they just want to be left alone. They were once human and may not take kindly to being commanded to do something they don’t want.

  We live in a very digital age and pretty much everybody owns a digital camera which is why I suggest when documenting a haunting you should use a 35MM camera.  Sure 35MM can be doctored and images can be placed on film that is suspicious or faked however with a digital camera it is far easier to doctor and hoax a haunting thanks to such great programs such as photoshop.  However if you catch a full bodied apparition on camera and can prove that it is the real deal, awesome because you just may be the one who proves life after death.  Just remember you are not helping the field by faking a photo or evidence for that matter, so don’t be a douchebag just be honest.

  The last two tools of the trade are gaining ground in the investigation of claims of the paranormal, the Electromagnetic Field Detector and the digital thermometer.  The EMF detector detects fluctuations in the electromagnetic field.  Most researchers theorize that ghosts are energy and are capable of manipulating the EM field so they can manifest.  The main problem when using an EMF detector is that all electronic gizmos such as lights can cause a false positive on an EMF detector so when documenting EMF fluctuations make sure that all lights and whatever else uses in electricity in a location is off so you can get proper readings.

  The digital thermometer is key when documenting cold spots in a haunting.  Many reasearchers theorize that when a spirit is attempting to manifest it sucks the energy out of the environment including heat which subsequently causes the coldspot.  Make sure when documenting a coldspot that it is moving and not stationary.  Sometimes the human mind can and does play tricks a stationary coldspot could be caused something as innocent as a draft coming from a window, however if the coldspot is moving freely it may mean that a spirit is moving about.

  And finally the most important tool when investigating and documenting a haunting is your brain.  Critical thinking is key when on an investigation.  As I said above the human senses are infamous for playing tricks and if you get a nervous person who believes their house is haunted they may think that something as innocent as a cold draft is a ghost.  Certain areas may have seismic activity that you don’t know about and this may be causing things to rattle or shake and not a ghost as suspected.  When you objectively investigate a location and you are able to completely rule out any natural phenomeon that they may be causing the activity then you may have paranormal phenomenon. 

  And lastly feelings and the subjective impressions of a psychic are not going to cut it with the skeptics.  It’s not that I don’t acknowledge psychic abilities it’s that skeptics, and they are numerous will not be convinced with a psychic impression they require hardcore, balls to the wall, fist in your face evidence.  If you use a psychic in your investigation just make sure you have the tools and toys to back it up.  Ghost Hunting, or Paranormal Research as I prefer to call it can be an interesting thing to get into however just reading a few books and watching a few shows does not a paranormal researcher make.  It takes a serious mind and years of research and investigation to truly call yourself a researcher.  And just remember there are no experts in this field paranormal phenomenon is so varied and hard to pin down no human being can claim to have it all figured out.  You can not call yourself an expert only a Supreme Being is able to do that.

  Happy Hunting

                                                                                                                Rick E. Hale