Conduct a Ghost Hunt

You're down in that good old forest with your friend Sally and then suddenly you both start to feel uncomfortable. Sally said she heard a sound like a crunch of leaves and a crunch of a stick. You both run out of there but you both know that you must go back and solve the mystery. Sounds to me like you caught a ghost! Or possibly insects! Maybe it is raining! Now you should know how to hunt it!

Steps

  1. Have full permission for use of the property. You could get sued for being on private property, and that can be quite an expensive cost. Or the owner could call the cops and you could get sent to jail. Can't conduct ghost hunts in jail now can you?
  2. Know what you may encounter. There are generally two types of spirits that you may encounter. One was a human at one time and it has remained on this level (Earth) for some reason. It may not know it's dead or it may be held here by unfinished business, guilt, revenge, etc. These spirits are like the person was when they were alive, so they could be good or bad, just like the living, but not normally dangerous. This human spirit 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. The other type of spirit you may encounter was never human and is generally bad news. You must be aware of this type but not be obsessed with them, because the chances that you will encounter them in a regular ghost hunt are slim.
  3. Know your definitions.
    • Ghost Hunt - going to a place were there have been no sightings of ghosts and trying to catch some on film (video and photos), sounds (audiotape), eyewitness (human), etc. (graveyards are the number one place to start, churches, schools and older buildings too. That's a lot of number one places.)
    • Ghost Investigation - going to a known haunted place and recording data (video, photos, audio, temperatures), notes, interviews and other evidence to prove/disprove the haunting and to assist the owners and the spirits in moving on and leaving the place if they want that. The assistance can be either you directly assisting the owner with the situation or putting them in contact with experienced groups or individuals that will try to resolve the situation. Your assistance can be something as simple as educating them on what is going on and their options.
  4. Have the basics.
    • 35mm Camera - Nothing fancy with at least 400 speed film. 800 speed film is also good at night but you'll have to test your cameras flash strength to see which speed works best for you. Even those single use 35mm cameras have gotten good results. If you are a more experienced photographer you may want to try infrared film. You can try Polaroids, too, but it's best to do it along with a 35 mm camera so you can compare the results. When you develop them you don't need to go to a camera shop. The local drugstore or department store is fine. Let them know you want all the pictures developed so that you get the pictures that they might think are bad ones. These "bad ones" are normally your best ectoplasm mist photos.
    • Digital Camera - Regardless of what you've heard digital cameras are great tools for ghost researchers. Once upon a time they had their limitations and problems but that is no longer the case. Not only do they allow you to see instantly if you have a positive photo, they can also take photos in limited infrared range of light.
    • Flashlight w/ spare batteries - a common sense item. Remember to bring spare batteries for everything, even things that don't take batteries. Due to spirit activity, batteries often run down very fast and you don't want to miss anything because of dead batteries. Spirits eat electricity to make them strong. Try using a red lens flash light to help preserve your night vision.
    • First aid kit - just in case, it's very easy to trip in the dark and get cut.
    • Notepad - you need to write and log everything that happens. If you don't then you really don't have much research information. An example of this is one investigator that's high gets an EMF reading and never writes it down. Another investigator takes a picture of the same area but is not aware of the reading and gets an anomalous image. Without that EMF reading the picture may be good evidence, but with a report noting the reading, the picture greatly increases in evidence value. Many investigators use a pocket tape recorder instead and that is fine, just make sure you have spare batteries and tapes.
    • Jackets or weather appropriate clothes - if you are cold you are not at your best and your observation skill could suffer, this would be pretty common sense for most other people.
    • Wristwatch or pocket watch - so you can log in the times of events and your arrival and departure.
  6. Advanced and Optional
    • Video camera (optional tripod) - Video cameras are an important instrument for an investigation. Unlike still cameras they provide us with constant visual and audio surveillance for review and observation. Hence the name "video camera". The video cameras we use are equipped with infrared capability and this is the mode we use. With video any phenomenon occurring can be documented in its entirety. This will show the length of time the phenomenon occurs, what is happening, the conditions surrounding the phenomenon, and possibly even the cause of the phenomenon. You may have noticed this in any videos, movies, or television programs you have watched. The Sony line of camcorders has an infrared night shot feature that enables you to video tape in complete darkness and see beyond what the human eye can see. You can use these on tripods or walk around with them. You should also invest in an infrared light extender which will help your camera see in the darkest places and make the quality of the video better.
    • Tape recorder w/ external microphone and high grade tapes - recorders or digital voice recorders are without a doubt one of the most important pieces of equipment that you should have in your investigator's toolbox. Audio recorders are used for many different purposes throughout an investigation. Recorders are used for interviews, spontaneous thoughts, your notes and electronic voice phenomena (EVP). You have to use an external microphone when recording electronic voice phenomenon (ghosts voices). If you rely on the internal microphone you will also be recording the internal gears and motors and this will make your tape worthless. Any sound you hear on the tape could not be used as evidence because of this, so use the external mic, they are pretty inexpensive. The type of tape that is most often recommended is high bias tapes or metal tapes.
    • Digital audio recorders - This recorder is small and easy to carry. You can also use the voice activation feature so there is less audio to review. Most units record the time of the recording as well which is very useful. When using audio recorders be sure to state the location, time of investigation, and investigators names. When recording investigators' names it would be wise to have each individual present state their own name, which will make it easier for distinction amongst voices heard on the tape during review. Voice activation mode should be deactivated on tape recorders during use when electronic voice phenomena is trying to be achieved due to the fact that it usually cuts off beginnings of words, sentences, and phrases. This is not necessary with digital recorders and they actually seem to work better in voice activation mode.
    • EMF Detector - The Electromagnetic Field Detector, also known as an EMF, is the modern day ghost researchers' tracking device, a very important piece of equipment. With this instrument it is possible to locate and track energy sources. It will detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields and low strength moving EMF fields that have no visible source. It is a common theory that spirits disrupt this field in such a way that you can tell one is present by higher than normal readings with this meter. Spirits enjoy nothing more than to fool around with electricity and/or magnets. Before using the EMF as a ghost research tool on an investigation be sure to walk around the area and take initial readings around energy sources such as light poles or electrical outlets to be sure of the readings you receive while scanning the area during the investigation. Most units when purchased come with a manual describing most household and major appliances and their corresponding electromagnetic reading. When using the EMF as a tracking device look for fluctuations of 2.0 to 7.0 in whatever units you feel like using. This usually indicates spirit presence. Anything higher or lower normally has a natural source.
    • Cellular phone - if you have one it can come in handy in case of an emergency.
    • A Compass - it's a useful instrument to an investigator due to its compact size and low cost price. (Gravel or small pebbles are even better in this respect.) When used on an investigation this will indicate spirit presence when the needle cannot come to a precise heading or spins/moves erratically. This works on the same principle as an EMF meter. Except that compasses don't detect electric fields, they detect magnetic fields.
    • Candles & matches - batteries often run low during hunts so you may run out of them and still need a light source. Another good idea is a camping lantern that runs on lamp oil. Be careful using the candles around motion detectors, they will set them off. Also try to avoid setting yourself or one of your fellow investigators on fire, as that can ruin a perfectly good video.
    • Motion Detectors - these can be used to sense movements by often unseen forces or spirits. You can get battery operated ones for about 20 dollars and they are great for inside but can be used successfully outdoors as well; just watch the placement. You don't want a tree branch or squirrel setting it off.
    • Thermometer or Thermal Scanner - a thermometers is an instrument that is also very useful. It is a device that can be used to sense and detect the level of temperature, as well as any thermal fluctuations that may occur due to spirit activity. There are two types used: regular digital thermometers and infrared non contact thermometers. When used on an investigation this will aid as a detection system for spirit presence. Rapid temperature drop of 10 degrees or more could indicate spirit presence. Try using the infrared non contact thermometers because they react in less than a second to a temperature drop and you can scan a large area quickly.
    • Hand Held Radios or Walkie-Talkies are very useful in a large outdoor area and a building with groups spread out in various rooms. These work on the same principle as the cell phone, but do not usually require a credit check. They could be great in emergency situations or just to rotate groups. Be sure to be aware they could interfere with your EVP recording though. Not sure what you might do about that, but be aware that you may be screwing up and have no way to avoid it.

Step by Step Procedures

  1. Here's a condensed version of the most popular procedures for conducting outdoor ghost hunts:
  2. 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, Priests, Alien Visitors, Park Rangers, etc.)
  3. Enter the site and either privately or as a group ask for blessing or protection for the duration of the hunt. Or for longer than that if you are enjoying your life so far. You can use this time to put yourself in a positive frame of mind and/or to take a precautionary pee. It does not have to be a religious thing so everyone can do this in some way. 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 or making sure you are in a positive frame of mind you can safely go about your business without worrying about them. These may be evil spirits, but they are grotesquely incompetent evil spirits who can be defeated by thinking positive. An experienced demonologist will tell you that by doing this in the name of God or Brahma or Coyote or Odin or Amaterasu Omikami or Chuck Norris 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. Spirits believe in all gods, even the extremely silly ones, and are very afraid of them.
  4. Walk around the area to get a feel for the surroundings and allow the spirits to get a feel for you. If you are especially concerned about putting the spirits at ease, take off your clothes. Spirits cannot wear clothes and are nervous around people who can. 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.
  5. 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.
    • Whether you stake out a spot or you walk around try to give everyone the opportunity to try everything and be everywhere. This keeps every one fresh and at attention. Rotate a few times during the investigation.
  6. Ask the human spirits here not to follow you home and to remain here when you are done. Tell the others they must remain here and STAY here in the name of God or Jesus Christ or Baal or the Great Spirit or Ishtar or L. Ron Hubbard or Vishnu or Osiris (or other good deities). Again this takes 4 or 7 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 or 17 seconds of your time. If we are right about them, you saved yourself from a lot of problems and grief.
  7. Take some pictures.
    • For 35mm cameras: Open your film and load your camera after walking around the location for about 20 minutes first. Make sure to expose it all to plenty of light before loading it, to "prime" the film.
    • For 35mm cameras: Use at least 400 speed 35 mm film. 400 and 800 speeds work the best. Black and White film also works well.
    • For 35mm cameras: If you are an experienced photographer, you may want to try infrared film which also has had excellent results in the past.
    • Make sure you note any other lights in the area so when you view your developed pictures you will not think a street light or some guy mooning you is an orb. This could be very embarrassing.
    • Make sure you clean your camera's lens regularly.
    • No smoking at the location, this can appear like mist on the photos, and you don't want to contaminate your evidence. Also see above about setting people on fire.
    • Watch for dust or dirt being stirred up in the area you are photographing. They can give false positive pictures. Unless they're pictures of dirt or dust, in which case they would be true positives.
    • All long hair should be tied back or under a hat, again this is to eliminate any false positive pictures and to give the skeptics less ammunition. Nobody believes hippies or women.
    • Remove or tie up any camera straps so you don't take a picture of that, it looks like a vortex when photographed if you've taken a lot of mushrooms.
    • Don't bother with your camera's viewfinder. Hold the camera out in front of you and aim at the area you want to take a picture of. Many newer digital cameras do not even come with view finders. This also helps in cold weather by keeping your camera away from your breath.
    • Watch for reflective surfaces and make notes of them. The flash reflected off shiny surfaces such as windows, polished tombstones, mirrors, eyeglasses, discarded beer bottles, etc. can look like an orb or other anomaly. Make note of street lights and any other light source that may appear on the film. Take pictures of them for comparison purposes.
    • Let fellow investigators know when you are taking a photo so that you don't get double flashes and the night scope operators can look away. If you think you have a double flash photo or any other false positive, log the picture number so you can exclude that photo from the batch when they are developed. Night scope operators can get eye damage if they are looking at a flash through the scope so this is important.
    • In cold weather be conscious of your breath so you don't photograph that, it'll look like ectoplasm mist. If you think you may have, log that picture number and discard it when you develop the pictures.
    • Many people like to ask the spirit if they can take their picture, it can't hurt. If the spirit doesn't answer, leave a few twenties in a tree to thank the spirit for their cooperation.
    • Take pictures anywhere and everywhere. If you feel something or someone else does, take a picture. Do you think you saw something? Take a picture. Take photos whenever you get positive readings on any piece of equipment.
    • Sometimes you will see an orb, mist or sparkles in your flash or others flashes. Take more pictures right there, you may be near a spirit.
    • You may only get about one or two pictures for every 50 you take. That's about the average, so don't get discouraged.
    • Don't pay for fancy developing. You can get photos developed anywhere. Just let them developers know to process and print every photo.
  8. Know where to look. These are some places you can start your ghost hunting at. These are suggestions and you should not limit yourself to just these -- spirits can be anywhere. Don't let the age of a building or area fool you. Also, remember, do not trespass.
    • Cemeteries - The age of the cemetery doesn't matter but the older it is, the more time it has had to accumulate restless spirits. Nonetheless, the age of the cemetery doesn't matter. Why cemeteries? Well there are theories such as they are portals to the other side or that some spirits are drawn to their former bodies.
    • Schools - Schools and former sites of schools may have the build up of psychic energies and imprints of all the highly emotional events that have transpired there.
    • Theaters - The actors have run the gamut of human emotions inside the walls of a theater, plus many have interesting haunt stories attached to them. The ones that don't are not going to be haunted.&nbsp&nbsp
    • Battlefields - These are great locations simply because of their nature. Many violent deaths in one area will always hold some spirits and psychic energy there.
    • Churches - There is a long history of the faithful returning to the church they worshipped at. They may be looking for the salvation they were promised and cannot find. Try between the seat cushions or in the Lost & Found box in the nave.
    • Hotels/Motels/Boarding houses - Many dark dealing and highly emotional events take places in these rooms.
    • Historic Locations - Many historic buildings, because of their age, have had more time to have spirits attach to them. These buildings are often open to the public and can give you an easy place to start. Many even have known histories of being haunted and you may be able to gain access to the building after hours after speaking with the caretakers or just by breaking in.
    • Books on Local Haunted Places - They let an author publish the fact the place is haunted so there is a chance they may allow you in to take a look.

Tips

  • Make sure you let someone know where you will be so they will know in case of emergency.
  • Never go alone. This is just common sense. If you get hurt, who will get help? If you are alone, there is usually no one else with you, so you would have to go get help for yourself.
  • Look for no trespassing signs. Make sure you are not trespassing. If you are on private property you are risking getting a ticket or arrested or shot in some areas. You can get permission from many owners and or caretakers. We will often notify the local Police that we will be in a graveyard "taking pictures" so they are aware of our presence. If you are asked to leave, do so immediately. You will not win this argument and you make other investigators look bad if you make a scene.
  • Make sure you bring your ID. (drivers license, passport, Junior Ghost Hunter badge, etc.) so if you are questioned by the police you can prove who you are.
  • No whispering, it can taint your recording results. No talking at all, actually.
  • The best times are from 9pm to 6am, these are the psychic hours, and also they are at night in the Western Hemisphere, but anytime can produce results. Photos have historically been better in the dark as cameras work poorly in well-lit environments but don't let that discourage you from taking them during the day.
  • No smoking, alcohol or drugs at an investigation for mostly obvious reasons. Unless you really want to.
  • Be skeptical, look for causes for any phenomenon such as natural or man made causes. As an investigator you have to make sure your final evidence will stand up to scrutiny. By eliminating all other explanations, your evidence becomes stronger proof.
  • Always take a digital recorder so you can talk to the ghost or spirit.
  • Find out all you can about the history of the locale. Newspapers, town historians, WWW and books can be helpful finding folklore or hard facts about the site. The books and web pages dealing with this type of info is enormous. If the books is too big, read it outside where it won't bump into walls.
  • Do not wear perfume, cologne or anything else with a very noticeable scent. This is so someone does not mistake the smell for a supernatural occurrence. You have no idea how many times people have confused Old Spice with demonic possession. Spirits often use scents and smells to get our attention. Ghosts are especially partial to Chanel No. 5, while poltergeists prefer muskier scents.
  • Check out the area in daylight so you are familiar with the area. Look for dangerous places and obstacles that you will not be able to see in the dark.
  • If it is is raining, snowing or foggy and you are scheduled to do an outdoor ghost hunt, reschedule it. You cannot conduct a proper investigation in these conditions. You'll catch your death of cold. Put on a sweater dear.
  • The Tax Assessors Office can give you historical info on many locations you visit. Call (720) 880-8470 for further information on obtaining these records.
  • Keep an open mind. Any negative feelings may drive the spirits away. If you've just been through a bad breakup or been fired from yet another job, the spirits will pick up on this and shun you. Be respectful of the locations and the dead.
  • Make sure you have proof if you caught something and show someone and see if it is real or fake.
  • Get a full spectrum camera, these can usually range from 100-400 dollars depending where you buy it.
  • If someone is helping you then make sure that they always know everything about the ghost and you do not throw them off.

Warnings

  • Act like you would in your great grandparents house! Remember, a ghost calls this place home because he/she likes it or can't leave. Don't destroy it!

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