If you are into the paranormal them most likely, you have seen movies such as Amityville and The Haunting. These type of movies are just that, movies from Hollywood to make a fortune scaring the audience and giving the impression that haunted houses are filled with all types of dangers. Spectacular clichés from houses shaking to their vary foundation to ghastly manifestations chasing the inhabitants out into the night screaming in terror. Leaving Hollywood behind is best when dealing with true hauntings. If we are to truly understand what a haunting is and how to investigate them then we need to start off with some basics.
What is a haunting? While it is true that some hauntings have such similarities with a horror movie, it isn’t to such a degree as one sees in a film. The Hollywood haunting is mainly the poltergeist “noisy ghost”. People report seeing things being thrown about or hearing loud noises throughout the setting. The theory is this is linked to troubled young female residents in the effected location. Another type of haunting is residual. A residual haunting is like watching a video replay itself in an unending loop. Spirits caught doing some form of task repeatedly without any rest. They are unaware of those around them and are unable to interact with the living. Finally, there are intelligent hauntings. When there are intelligent hauntings, the spirits are able to interact and communicate with the living. Sometimes answering questions such as their name to what year they believe it to be. There are more types, but I think this is good for now.
When there is reason to believe that a location is haunted, there are some types of equipment a paranormal investigator will use in an attempt to uncover some evidence toward supporting such a belief and to maintain safety of those involved .
1. A digital recorder/tape recorder-Personal preference will dictate which is better for an investigation. While some believe it is better to use tape for archival purposes, most investigators use digital then copy files to a computer. The recorder is used for what is known as EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). Which I will cover later in this article.
2. A digital camera/35 mm camera-Once again personal preference will decide what an investigator will likely end up using.
3. A video camera-It is best to use a video camera that has night vision capabilities with an additional IR attachment to boost the effect. An investigator can use this to capture video without any visible light source when investigating in complete darkness.
4. An EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detector /cell censor-It is believed that spirits disrupt the magnetic field causing readings higher than what is normally seen with natural energy sources such as outlets and appliances. If one cannot afford such a piece of equipment than a compass would work just as well. I will cover this and the correct way to use the meters later.
5. Digital Thermometers/infrared non-contact thermometers-This is needed to gauge the temperature when there is a sudden drop or rise in the atmosphere and there is no rational explanation for such occurrences.
6. Flashlights-This comes in handy to safely maneuver around locations at night when this is your only light source.
7. Spare batteries-Makes sure to have plenty of these on hand. Ghost hunting can drain these resources in more ways then one.
8. Notebook/pens-It is a good idea to write down everything that is experienced to aid in distinguishing between any evidence that is captured and human activity.
9. First aid kit-This is great to have just incase one is hurt in outdoor investigations or an indoor misshape.
10. There are many more common sense items that can be left to the discretion of the investigator.
How does one go about investigating paranormal activity?
The first thing to keep in mind is do not attempt to investigate alone. It is wise to join or start a group that focuses on paranormal investigations. When attempting to do this alone, not only do you put yourself at peril, but you run the risk of contaminating any evidence that you might obtain. There is no one to keep you accountable for maintaining a correct procedure on the investigation. In addition, it is best to have other people present just in case you are lured out under false pretenses.
Then when the group is in place and a location is found; do research. Find out everything that can be learned about the location, history and the activity that is or was taking place. When all information is gathered, scout out the area. It is common that the leader or the one who found the site goes to the supposedly haunted location with two or more investigators to gather personal accounts while getting the general outline of the area. Interviews are conducted from the owners/renters of the locations while other investigators are taking readings and pictures for what is known as a pre-investigation. This sets the stage for what later becomes the full investigation with the whole team or partial team, depending on the size of the group and location.
When the investigation starts, it is best for the investigators that have never been inside to get acquainted with the area. To make sure they know where everything is and where to set up their equipment. Then a general sweep of the location with EMF detectors/thermometers is used to gather a base reading to establish a normal setting. When these results are noted then during the investigation, any irregularities from the norm can be further examined by what is commonly believed to be the result of a haunting. Such as the rapid drop in temperature of ten degrees or a flux of 2.0 to 7.0 on the EMF meter. When that is finished then some groups prefer to start off by taking pictures. My personal preference is to take at least two back to back before moving on, but it is not mandatory. If an anomaly is present in one photo, yet missing in another the chances of it being paranormal is significantly higher. If there is only one photo where the anomaly is present, especially at a great distance from the photographer, then there is a chance for dispute. Then the group does what is known as an EVP session. It usually starts off with one investigator asking a multitude of questions, giving a ten second pause between each one to give the spirit a chance to answer. Also, it is common for the individuals in the group to take turns asking a particular question they might have. During an EVP session, usually nothing out of the ordinary is heard, but sometimes certain investigators can hear sounds that may be unexplained. When the recordings are played back and there are any sounds/voices that are unknown or have an unknown origin they are further examined by special software. However, an investigator should be able to distinguish what is normal and what is an anomaly by listening to the audio. When a considerable time has passed, usually six to eight hours, it is time to breakdown the equipment and head home to examine what may or may not have been captured.
When examining the possible evidence that has been captured it is best to look closely at all photos/videos and thoroughly listen to any audio that was captured during the investigation. The software I mention for EVPs is needed to verify the Hertz (Hz) level. Anything below 300 Hz is commonly believed to be paranormal. The software used can be chosen by personal preference.
When examining EVP recordings, it should be pointed out that there are three classes to distinguish between certain anomalies. There is class A, B and C.
Class A-This class is the most difficult to obtain. It is the most clear and profound of the three. When playing back a recording and an unknown voice/sound is clearly understood by all that listen, this is considered a class A EVP.
Class B-This is a slightly less undisputed anomaly that is heard, yet it is unclear as to what is being said by all who listen. Some may hear one word, while others hear another. Such as one person might hear “help” while another person might hear the word “hell”.
Class C-This class is the lowest of the three. The anomaly in this class is undistinguishable. No one can understand what the sound/voice is that has been captured. There are no certain words that can be understood or sounds that can be definite.
When examining photos and videos, look for anything out of the ordinary and use logic. Try to rule out all natural explanations, such as bugs, normal shadows and the like when looking over your possible evidence. Sometimes the simplest answer can explain what appears to be an anomaly. If after thoroughly examining the photos/videos and all possible explanations is exhausted without a clear answer then you might have caught something paranormal! Great job and continue investigating the unknown answers left after death.
This concludes the basic introduction to the paranormal 101 page that I am writing. I will go in length more on these topics and more at later dates. I hope you have enjoyed reading this and I will be back soon with more Paranormal 101!
Written by Jason Montgomery Paranormal columnist for Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators
