Do It Yourself Ghost Hunting: Volume 2-Setting Up an Investigation

Do It Yourself Ghost Hunting: Volume 2-Setting Up an Investigation

Last time we talked about getting set to get ready to go on your first ghost investigation. Whether with yourself and some friends or with a professional group, you’re set and ready to journey into the darkness. But how can we go about getting an investigation all ready and set? And what about some steps to go through before you do your first ghost hunt? Well, here’s some hints:

1. It doesn’t hurt to ask around. Maybe you have a friend or a relative or a coworker that has a haunted residence. Those are the easiest to get, so try that first. I said last time you could try a cemetery, but if the person in charge says no, don’t be discouraged. There’s lots of cruel people out there who disrespect the sites. You may not do a thing like that, but they have to take precautions just incase. This may seem crazy to some, but I believe that just because someone is deceased doesn’t mean that they don’t have feelings, so if someone trashes their grave site, of course their feelings may become hurt. If not, then their families feelings will be hurt.

2. Set up a date and a time. Usually when NEPI goes, we set up to go there between 7 or 8 p.m. This isn’t required by any ghost hunting law (I don’t even think those exist), but set a time that’s convenient for everyone (client and team together.) We all have lives, so sometimes we need to collaborate on when’s the best time for everyone. The bigger the residence, the bigger the need for more people. The smaller the residence, the less need for more people. Make sure to tell those interested though, because something may come up.

3. History is THE most important information piece to gather before entering a residence. Get names of past owners, if there’s been any kind of death, and remember this one important lesson: History repeats itself even in death.

4. Before you leave, make sure you have all your equipment. Like I said last time, you don’t need to go all out and buy the most expensive equipment. You can start out simple: audio recorder, digital camera, and flashlights are basically all you need. Flashlights are always important, because most of the investigating takes place in the dark.

5. When you get there, have the client take you through a tour of the residence and have them tell you what goes on there. Have your audio recorders handy, because when going over evidence later, this will be key, because what if someone says, “The old owner who died here is name (so and so)”, then you hear someone saying that name on your EVP, then you will know you got something. I have a terrible memory, so that’s what I do.

Some questions may come up like “How much do I charge?” It’s great to get money from doing an investigation, but most respectable ghost hunters do not charge for their services. Remember, most people do this as a hobby and not to get money from it. Charging for services is actually frowned upon in the ghost hunting community. Donations are acceptable though. We’ve even gotten a gourmet (well, almost) meal out of an investigation or two.

Okay, so you’ve gone through the whole details of what happens in the house, now it’s time for the fun part…investigating! But we’ll talk about that on the next edition, so make sure to bring some flashlights with you, because things are going to go pitch black! Until next time, this has been Scared Sheetless, happy haunting and keep it scary!

James Paradie is a paranormal columnist as well as a paranormal investigator who has been seen in such newspapers as the Northcountry News, Littleton Record, the White Mountain Shopper, and the Trendy Times. His stories can also been seen on paranormalnews.com and mostlyghosts.com where he is a regular contributor.