Introduction to Ghost Hunting
(c)2009 by Fiona Broome, founder of HollowHill.com
Tools
for beginning ghost hunters
As
we've often said, it's not necessary to use any tools during a ghost
hunt. In an earlier lesson, we recommended carrying some symbol of
spiritual protection, but even that is optional.
Many
people like to shield themselves spiritually before entering a haunted
site. You may say a prayer. You might envision yourself protected by a
pink bubble of loving energy. You may prefer to think of
yourself shielded by a vivid blue light shining down from the heavens
above.
Different
people like to use different images or spiritual protections.
Especially for beginners, unless your belief system is vehemently
opposed to anything connected with Deity, we recommend some simple
prayer, routine or spiritual ritual before beginning a ghost investigation.
During your first two or three ghost hunts, whether or not you use any
tools, spend most of your time observing. You're looking for two things.
- First,
notice what's going on around you. You're listening for odd
noises (or odd silences).
You're watching for strange lights, shadows or figures, especially in
dark corners and reflective surfaces. (Mirrors, window panes, and shiny
surfaces can sometimes reflect ghostly images.)
All of your senses should be on alert. Some people hear ghosts, some
people see them, some people can feel them (breath on their faces,
necks, arms). Other people feel changes in movement; the "wading
through molasses" feeling at NH’s Gilson Road cemetery is an
example.
- Then, notice how you feel, internally, and if that's different from usual.
Are you feeling energized and excited, or a little drained
of energy… or both? Are your emotions significantly
different from you felt that morning, or before you arrived at the
site? (This is where your baseline checks are important.)
Observations such as these are the core of ghost hunting.
That’s very important! Tools such as cameras, EMF
meters, etc., only confirm that something oddis going on at haunted
sites.
However, many investigators rely on ghost hunting tools… and
not just for documenting paranormal events.
Tools
for a sense of comfort
Whether you use a camera, video or audio recorder, EMF meter or hiking
compass, an Ovilus or Puck, or other tools: They serve a dual purpose.
Of course, it's exciting to confirm your perceptions with physical,
scientific evidence. It's thrilling when an EMF spike occurs seconds
after you felt a chill. If a photo shows a strange shadow
where people often see a ghostly figure, that indicates something
unexplained at the site.
However, many ghost hunters use these tools for a second purpose.
When you place your attention on something very real and physical, it
can be a relief – a temporary break – from the
almost overwhelming feeling that something's going on…
something that you can't explain, can't really identify, and can't
control.
I'm talking about a comforting step back into the "real" world of
camera settings, counters on audio records, and EMF meters that usually
behave as predicted.
But, I'm also talking about the camera that stops working, the cell
phone that abruptly loses a connection, or the EMF meter that's
flashing or beeping for no apparent reason. It's a distraction. It
shifts your attention to something that's still very physical and part
of our "normal" world, even when the paranormal affects it.
Anything that gives you a few minutes' focus on something other than
ghosts… it can be a necessary break. When you encounter
ghosts – especially when they're very different from what you
expected – you can experience a profound and frightening
sense of vulnerability.
The only times ghost hunting tools can be problems are:
- when
they distract other team members, or
- when
you rely on them too much, or
- when
ghosts (or other entities) use them to frighten you or others.
Tools:
Personal differences and choices
Whenever professional ghost hunters gather, conversations almost always
lead to the topic of tools and measuring devices.
What's interesting is that different tools work for different ghost
hunters… and some of them won't work at all.
A ghost hunter may get great results with photos but nothing in EVP
recordings. Or, she may do well with dowsing rods and not with a
pendulum.
(In our experience, very few people achieve reliable answers
with a pendulum. We admire those who can use a pendulum well.)
We’ve seen an Ovilus talk and talk to one person, and go
totally silent in the hands of someone else.
Similarly, some ghost hunters hear ghosts, yet others see them,
physically or psychically.
At present, nobody's sure why these differences occur, but it's important to note
them.
Just
because someone else is getting great results with a particular tool -- or
perceiving something (even dramatically) that you -- don't think that it means anything
about your abilities or your skills.
It simply
indicates that, like every other ghost hunter, you are unique and the
spirits react differently (or affect people and things differently)
around you.
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introduction to ghost hunting, part 3
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Photo credit: Gracey Stinson (dark photo with clock, candle and flowers)
