THINGS TO DO (and Not to Do) WHEN
GHOSTHUNTING
Loyd
Auerbach
,
MS
More
and more people seem to be interested in ghosthunting. There’s a lot of good and bad information out
there on the Internet and on TV, which is where most people tend to get their
education on the subject. Investigating reports
of ghostly phenomena can be easy or hard, depending on the case and on what the
goal of the investigation actually is.
Most
amateur ghosthunters can actually be placed in the category of
“thrill-seekers.” They’re out there with
cameras, audio recorders and other gizmos to try to get an orb or vortex
picture or a voice on tape. They head
for spooky old buildings and cemeteries, and come back with all sorts of
pictures and recordings. Unfortunately,
that’s all they usually get, and their interpretations that they have captured
“proof” of spirits are misguided, usually by paying attention to other
misguided sources. Their photos and
recordings are taken at face value, often with little understanding of all but
the most obvious non-paranormal causes of what they’ve “gotten.” They also have gotten
their “proof” at locations that often prove to have had no actual experiences
or encounters with apparitions or hauntings. While there are a few ghost encounters on record in graveyards, they are
extremely few and far between (if you were a ghost, would you hang out in a cemetery?).
Unfortunately,
the thrill-seekers have missed the most exciting parts of such
investigating: the experiences of
witnesses (the ghost story) and the
potential to have one’s own experience. That plus the often satisfying, sometimes frustrating, mystery that can
come with the situation.
So,
I thought I’d provide the readers of the Psychic
Reader with some tips I’ve learned over the last quarter century of my own
investigating and the more than 100 years of investigations by other
parapsychologists and field researchers. These tips are adapted from my forthcoming book GHOST HUNTING: How to Investigate the Paranormal (Ronin Publishing,
fall 2003). But first, a few basic
definitions so we’re all on the same page.
Apparition: An apparition is our personality (or spirit,
soul, consciousness, mind or whatever you want to call it) surviving the death
of the body, and capable of interaction with
the living (and presumably other apparitions). This is the true definition of a ghost.
Haunting: A location (or object) holds/records
information about its history. Our own
psychic abilities allow us to pick up certain play-backs of this history,
including sightings of people. However,
these are recordings, not conscious beings. Referred to as “place memory,” “psychic imprints” and “residual
hauntings.”
Poltergeist:
Physical effects, such as moving objects, in a situation caused by the
subconscious mind of a living agent,
generally someone in the household undergoing emotional and/or psychological stress. Effects are caused by psychokinesis (PK), or
mind over matter.
GHOST
HUNTING: TO DO
1. Do learn some basics of what parapsychologists and psychical researchers
have learned about apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists. While some of the
amateurs dismiss parapsychologists and their literature with a “well what have
they learned with their methods over the last 100 years…it’s time to make a
change” attitude, there is actually quite a lot to learn from the existing
literature. If nothing else, one can
read accounts of a variety of people’s experiences and the investigative
techniques applied to the cases. There
are good ghost stories here, but more than that, there are descriptions of
techniques that can actually help resolve the problems people often have with
such experiences.
2. Do learn about psychic experience and abilities. The very basic model of ghosts requires that
some form of psychic communication and perception is happening. Hauntings may rely on some form of
clairvoyance (besides some new explanations of how the human brain may pick up
on imprints). Poltergeist cases (and any
ghost cases involving physical effects) cry out for an understanding of
psychokinesis.
Understanding ESP and PK means again going back to the
research literature of parapsychologists. Ignoring what has been learned in Parapsychology can mean wasting time
rediscovering what is already known or could mean heading down the path of
misunderstanding of the phenomena.
3. Do learn about the concepts of physics if you’re going to buy into some
amateur’s pronouncements that spirits exist in other dimensions or that Science
has even proven parallel universes exist or there is proof that there are other
dimensions where beings live who can cross into ours. It is speculation, since nothing of the
sort’s been proven. Understanding
physics (including quantum physics) can help sort through the morass of bad
information presented as fact.
Speculation
is fine, as long as it’s stated that’s what it is. Hypothetical models and theories are fine, as
long as they’re not presented as facts. For example, the definitions presented above are a consensus accepted by
most parapsychologists and paranormal investigators (and many psychics), but
they’re only working definitions. They
might change as we gain further understanding.
4. Do learn about what technology’s place in an investigation is. Learn how to actually use the technology ghosthunters so like to trot out these days
(myself included). Learn what the
devices are designed to detect (it’s not ghosts), and learn the
limitations of the technology. Learn
about false readings. Learn what sorts
of things can give you unusual (non-paranormal) images on film and digital
media when taking photos and video. Learn what sorts of things might cause
unusual sounds on audiotape.
Also
take the time to think through what the readings, photos and recordings
actually represent. Because you have an
anomalous “something” doesn’t lead to any sort of definite conclusion that it’s
a spirit, or something from some other dimensional plane.
Remember
that using Technology does not mean one is doing Science or even proceeding
from a Scientific model. Technology is
tools. Chimps can use tools, even be
taught to take pictures (though maybe not good pictures, though what’s “good”
is a quality judgment).
5. Do learn interviewing skills so you can question the witnesses
appropriately. The very definition of
apparitions and hauntings requires the experience and observation of the phenomena by a
human being. Therefore, you need to focus your attention on the perceptions and
experiences of the witnesses in the situation. Getting information out of people can require the best interviewing
skills you can muster.
6. Do look for non-paranormal explanations for both the overall case you
investigate and the individual events reported by the witnesses. Question everything. Look
around carefully. Be observant. Keep in mind that cases are rarely so cut and
dried that everything reported or experienced is either paranormal or normal.
Often the witnesses get so freaked out by an encounter that they become
suggestible or may misinterpret normally caused noises and movements in their
homes that they simply didn’t notice or learned to ignore (like learning to
ignore road noise).
Learn about how human perception
works, and a bit about the psychology of suggestion and deception. Perhaps pick up a book on sleight of hand
magic and stage illusions (and on optical illusions) to learn how people’s
perceptions can be misled and their attention misdirected, leading to them
making incorrect assumptions about what they experienced.
7. Do realize that some explanations can be rather bizarre without being
paranormal. Look for unusual and rarely
seen “normal” explanations. Of course,
before being able to do that, you’ll need to read up on such unusual
explanations. Parapsychological field
and lab researchers have found old and uncovered new unusual explanations, such
as the impact of magnetic fields on the brain (causing hallucinations) and the
affect of low frequency sound (causing uneasy feelings and things seen out of
the corner of the eye). The more you
know about what it isn’t, the better skilled you are at determining what it
might be.
8. Do take note of people’s experiences and perceptions. Consider working with psychics or sensitives,
as long as they are “team players” and are willing to be questioned about what
they experience. In other words, work
with psychics who can admit they are not always right, and who are willing to
discuss their perceptions. It doesn’t
hurt to ask the psychics if they can perceive any non-paranormal causes for
individual events or even for an overall case.
9. Do pay attention to what you experience
yourself, but always look for alternative explanations. Once you start considering your own
experiences, you also need to consider your expectations. If you get too lost in your own experience,
especially if you desire to encounter something psychic or spiritual, you may
find yourself misinterpreting what’s really going on. Take your perceptions apart, and don’t
immediate label a perception or experience…take the time jot it down, and then
go over it later in context with everything else going on.
10. Do take special note of instances
when the technology
AND the humans are
perceiving something out of the ordinary at the same time. Technology can support the experiences of the
witnesses (and psychics), as one looks for correlations between unusual
readings, photos and recordings and the anomalous experiences of people.
11. Do combine all data from technology with the experiential reports of the
witnesses and any perceptions of psychics/sensitives, your teammates and
yourself before making a final judgment or pronouncement of what’s going on,
and how much is/isn’t paranormal.
12. Do consider that cases can be mixed. In other words, a number of cases I’ve had included hauntings (imprints)
and an apparition, sometimes related to each other. I’ve had poltergeist cases in which the
stress that caused the PK was in turn caused by the experience of a haunting or
an encounter with an apparition. I
recently had a case with an apparition visiting in a house with a pretty strong
imprint of a past inhabitant, causing lots of stress that led to PK
(poltergeist) activity.In all cases where
something paranormal is occurring, I find some misinterpreted normally-caused
events (sometimes a lot).
13. Do ask lots of questions and be
observant.
14.
Do respect the people in the location you investigate. Most of the cases involving private homes
revolve around the family need to “get rid” of the phenomena. If you are called in to help, do not leave
without providing them some kind of help, even if only referrals to other
qualified individuals or groups. Spend
some time educating the family about psychic experience and apparitions,
hauntings and poltergeists. Put their needs above your need to “get
something.”
In public settings, while you are certainly freer to simply gather data
and make assessments, do respect the owners and do respect the witnesses. Consider that while most people in such
settings may have no fear, a few might have been affected adversely by what’s
going on. Offer them information and
referrals.
GHOST
HUNTING: NOT TO DO
1. Don’t go to any location without full permission of the owner/person(s)
leasing or renting and inhabitants. Don’t “investigate” a public location (restaurant, museum, or hotel, for
example) without permission.
Don’t
trespass in cemeteries (or anyplace else for that matter; you might get thrown
in jail).
2. Don’t go alone. There are two
factors here: Observations and
Danger.
As
for the first, having a second person (or more) with you will provide you with
different viewpoints, perceptions and another set of eyes to look for causes of
the experiences and phenomena.From the danger
perspective, this has less to do with the paranormal or the dead than concerns
about the living. There’s little the
paranormal can do to someone in the physical world who doesn’t allow something
to happen. We have our own psychic
defense mechanisms, and ghosts or hauntings can’t affect us if we remember that
– although one can still be affected emotionally by the experience. Poltergeist phenomena, while physical in
nature, have so rarely been directed at people other than the agent (the agent
often harms himself) that it’s almost not worth mentioning except for the
following: Never duck into the path of a flying object.Remember, though,
that your cases involve living people. Sometimes, while they may seem okay to begin with, they might turn out
to be emotionally or psychologically disturbed. Remember that ghosts don’t carry guns and knives, but living people do!
Finally, consider the
physical location and any dangers associated with it. Rats, snakes, rotting timbers, and the like
may figure in to some investigations.
3. Don’t jump to conclusions. Always
consider all possibilities, normal and paranormal, before coming to your
conclusion about what’s happening.
4. Don’t believe technology over human perceptions (DO remember that none
of the tech has been designed to detect “ghosts” or anything else paranormal). This may be repetitive, but it’s VERY
important, given the heavy importance given to tech by so many amateur
groups. Again, you may get something
anomalous, but don’t jump to the conclusion that a reading or photo relates to
a spirit simply because you can’t
think of any other explanation.
5. Don’t scare people with pronouncements of ghosts unless a) you’re sure
of what’s going on and b) they can handle such news. You could be exacerbating an already bad
situation, leaving the folks to find someone else to help them, and leaving a
more psychologically disturbed group for the next investigator.
6. Don’t leave the
situation and the people without some kind of resolution or referral for
further help. Don’t leave without giving
them good information about psychic phenomena.
7. Don’t involve the Media without discussing all that encompasses with the
people involved at the location. You
don’t want to be at the center of a media situation that only causes the folks
more stress.
8. Don’t tell them you can get “rid” of the ghost or haunting or
poltergeist for sure. You can provide
possible resolution, a likely understanding of what’s going on, and certainly
referrals and information, but no one can guarantee the removal of
paranormal phenomena.
I
hope this has been helpful to potential investigators and to people who may
consider bringing in a ghosthunter.
One last point for
anyone seeking to consult with other paranormal investigators or
parapsychologists:
Check their
credentials, especially if they claim to have a Ph.D. in Parapsychology
(only a
couple of individuals
with such degrees even exist from accredited
universities).
Visit the website of the
Parapsychological Association (www.parapsych.org)
for their membership list
and send off an email to them to check out anyone not
on the list.
Also check with the
Paranormal Research Organization (www.paranormal-research.org)
or with one of the other reputable research centers such as the
Rhine Research Center (www.rhine.org),
the Institute of Noetic Sciences (www.ions.org) or the Parapsychology Foundation
(www.parapsychology.org).
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