The Ghost Hunter's Handbook
By Troy and Amy Taylor
Copyright © 1997 Troy and Amy TaylorThe Investigation
What to do before you get there
Now that we have talked about where to look for ghosts and what kind of equipment to
take with you when you go and what to do with that equipment when you get there….
let’s talk about the investigation itself.
Let’s say that you have made it public knowledge that you are interested in
hearing about haunted houses in your area and if you do this, eventually you are going to
get calls from people. One of the most important conversations that you are going to have
will be the very first one. It is going to allow you to establish the nature of the
situation. To do this, I have listed a few things that it is important to find out before
proceeding with the investigation.
- Determine, if you can over the telephone, if there could be some sort of normal
explanation. This will be hard to do in a telephone conversation but try suggesting
non-paranormal reasons for the activity they are telling you about and see how the witness
replies.
- Also, find out why the person called. Are they simply curious about a possible ghost? Do
they expect you to make the activity stop?
- Try to decide if there is a need for an on-site investigation. Find out how often things
happen; if there are other witnesses involved; and whether or not these witnesses might be
available.
After talking to the witness, try and contact anyone else involved with the case who
might be able to provide further information and then consider whether you plan to go to
the location or not.
This may not be necessary. I often get calls from people whose "ghost" is
easily solved over the telephone as a natural event, or perhaps they have activity that
has only occurred one time and never repeated itself. In a situation like this, it is best
for you to suggest that the witness keeps a "journal" or a "logbook"
of any activity. Then, they can call you back and keep you updated of any new events.
Often, the witness will realize that there is natural explanation for what seemed like
something frightening after committing the event to paper. In other cases, you have a
written account of any events that took place prior to your involvement in the case.
Try to be an open-minded skeptic when dealing with witnesses, as mentioned earlier.
Depending on the person, they may be looking for reassurance that they are not
"crazy" and that their experiences are normal. You must start out by trying to
prove that the situation is not a ghost…don’t listen to their story and
jump to the conclusion that it is! People who are scared will usually misinterpret natural
events as supernatural ones and you have to be careful not to encourage the witness until
you have actually investigated the location in a thorough manner.
