The Ghost Posts ~ Ghost Hunting 101

Since I'm Paranormal Wrangling at the Museum tonight, until midnight (long after you're tucked into bed/passed out drunk), I thought I'd give my 2 cents on the subject.

I've never been part of a ghost hunting group, but I've had several come to the museum hoping to catch our ghosts on camera/voice recorder. I've seen some really professional groups and some really not so professional groups.

Most of the time when people find out that I'm going to an investigation, they imagine it will be like something out of "Ghost Hunters" or "Paranormal State". It never is.

Even though we had a group that came in that had once assisted/filmed with TAPS on an investigation, it's never as exciting as it seems to be on TV. It's a lot of electronics, cables, sitting, and waiting.

The best groups are the ones that emulate TAPS. They are very scientific about it (sometimes a little too much) and record everything, either by video or tape recorder. They set up multiple cameras in multiple areas and even do the lockdown/dead time thing Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters does.

That being said, it's not a science. You're dealing with the sixth sense and recording devices don't always catch something you see/feel/hear because it's on a whole other level than strictly the physical.

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to ghost hunt though. Just a tape recorder (I would highly suggest a digital one) and a video recorder. I'm also a fan of bringing along a tried and tested psychic since you're dealing with something that is so sensory.

Also, don't bring tons of people, but bring enough to cover the building/house/whatever thoroughly. Too many people cause a distraction and too few spreads it too thin.

Record even when you aren't actively hunting. One of the clearest EVPs that I've heard my own voice on was captured when I was just talking to an investigator about something completely off topic of the paranormal.

Listen back to the tape in slow motion and in high volume. There's great voice recording/editing software out there, I'm sure it's much harder to use than I'm capable of.

Anniversaries are the best. If a place is haunted, try investigating on the anniversary of a death or event that might stir up the atmosphere.

Don't expect anything to happen. Full bodied apparitions aren't going to dance the Charleston in front of your camera or recite the Gettysburg Address on your voice recorder.

Even if a place is tremendously haunted, ghost stuff doesn't happen every day. Narrow down the very specific hours that you're actually recording something and the chances to catch anything on tape seems almost impossible.

So how do you get them to appear? Talk to them. Ask them questions, ask for signs of their presence, if you have personal objects of theirs, hold them. Even if you don't physically hear anything, you might have still picked up stuff on tape. Investigate a few nights in a row.

Don't be afraid of the results you find. Remember that there are very few things out there that can actually hurt you.

Good luck and email me if you want a recommendation for an investigative group to come to your house. I know a few that would love to. Best of all, most of these groups do it FOR FREE!!! If I knew that when I was living in the shirtwaist, I definitely would have had them come.

Here are some "professional tips":
Ghost Hunting 101
Guidelines for Ghost Hunters
How To Hunt and Equipment Needed