Ghost Hunting Tips
Written by Cat
This is Just a quick list of some general tips to know before going on an investigation or hunt.
1) Know Your Surroundings!
- Always get permission from the owners/caretakers/city/etc before going on an investigation. If investigating a public area, always abide by posted hours unless permission has been granted before hand. Should someone unaware of the permission come and ask you to leave (another owner, police, etc.) do so without quarrel. You can always speak with the people who gave you permission later and make sure the others know in the future and reschedule the investigation. This is not worth going to jail!
Check area in lighted (for indoor investigation) or daylight (for outdoor investigation) conditions before any investigation. This way you can be familiar with any physical hazards and obstacles that may not be as visible in the dark.
Make note of windows, vents, lights, reflective surfaces, electrical/electronic devices, power lines, etc. during the lighted walkthrough. This way you will be more sure as to the evidence you collect and reduce the number of false positives. (Windows, lights, reflective surfaces can cause optical anomalies, often looking like orbs or vortexes. Vents and windows can cause temperature anomalies. Electrical devices and power lines can cause EM anomalies.
Never do an outdoor investigation in rain, snow, or high winds. Rain and snow will cause moisture to reflect and show many false positive “orbs.” High winds will move dust around, reflecting, and again cause false positive “orbs.”
2) Know Yourself!
Although this should go without saying, absolutely no alcohol or drugs during an investigation for obvious reasons!
No firearms during an investigation. If you have a CCW or other permits for firearms, leave them in your vehicle during the investigation. People can often get tense and jumpy during investigations and this could lead to an accident. (Yes, this actually happened to another group that I know).
Always be respectful to owners and spirits alike. This is their property/home, etc. Leave it the same way you found it.
Keep your I.D. on you at all times.
Do not wear perfume, cologne, or other noticeable scents during an investigation. Spirits will often leave unusual smells, and wearing a scent can create a false positive for other investigators.
Make sure to tie up all loose ends…meaning, tie back long hair, secure camera straps, etc. Hair and camera straps can often look like vortexes when being photographed.
Wear a watch and take notes. Notes should include any anomalous sensations (smells, sights, sounds, etc.) but should also include anything you do…if you speak, cough, sneeze, etc. These sounds can travel and become distorted to other investigators and recording devices.
When doing an outdoor investigation, if the temperature is cold, make sure to hold your breath before taking any photographs. Breath on cold days photographed can often look like ectoplasm.
If you need to smoke, do it out of the investigation area. Cigarette smoke will look like ectoplasm when photographed. When doing an outdoor investigation, check the direction of the wind before you smoke, to insure that your smoke will not travel into the investigation area.
3) Know Your Equipment!
Make sure camera lenses are clean. Dust, debris and smudges on lenses can appear to be anomalies when photographing or recording.
Always have a flashlight with you, but only turn it on when necessary (if you have done the lighted walkthrough, you should already be aware of any obstacles.) Bright lights can cause your eyes to not be adjusted enough to view things happening beyond the beam of light, or cause temporary “blindness” in which activity may be missed. A way to help prevent some of these issues is to use a red or dark blue filter on your flashlight. These spectrums of light do not cause your eyes to readjust as drastically.
Always have spare batteries for ANY electrical/electronic devises. Often during investigations, batteries will drain during encounters, so be prepared!
If photos are sent to a lab, make sure to write “Print All Negatives” on the package. Photo labs will often pick and choose what prints they will give you, and a picture that they may think is a duplicate, or did not expose, may indeed have an anomaly on it!
4) Know Your Fellow Investigators!
Never investigate alone! Always have a partner with you. There are two reasons for this: One, if you injure yourself there is always someone there; Two, if there are any events (sounds, smells, cold spots, etc.) you can verify with that person as to whether they experienced it as well to correlate evidence.
Try to give warning any time you are going to take a photo with a flash. This will help those around you to close their eyes or look away and avoid temporary flash blindness or seeing spots. It also helps to prevent double flashing in photos, which, when developed, can appear to be anomalies. Myself, I normally just say, “Flash”, before I take the shot.
Silence is Golden! During an investigation, it is necessary to keep as quiet as possible, so as not to miss any audio events. This is not to mean keep entirely silent. If you experience anything (smells, sights, sounds, etc.), please tell those around you and confirm the event. If you are a psychic/intuitive/sensitive, please share any observations with those around you. Also, if you are trying to sample audio responses on a microphone, talk away to the spirits and ask questions! If you must speak, however, speak at full voice and do not whisper. Whispers can come across audio devices as false EVP’s. (Also, Amy may speak all she wants for the documentary…we will have a record on her camera of everything she says to reference anything odd our audio may pick up)
Above all else: USE COMMON SENSE!
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