Many people assume that you just show up and do what you see done on TV. This is a great way to never be asked back. Below are some simple tips to success.
Whether you are working in an established group, starting your own or stomping a graveyard with a couple of friends to see how the whole thing works, there are some easy guidelines to follow.
DO
- Know your equipment. If it makes a noise, find out how to turn the sounds off. Know what sort of batteries it requires, what tapes it takes, how long it will run for unattended or how long it takes to charge the flash.
- Get permission to be at the location you plan to investigate. Trespassing is a great way to ruin your reputation. Being arrested for trespassing is even worse.
- Have a plan before you show up. This cuts down the amount of time it takes to set your equipment up.
- Work as a team. There should be at least three of you and working together will help make things like taking baseline readings run smoothly.
- Document what you do, when you did it and what you experienced. You can do this with cameras and audio recorders but a pencil and notepad never suffer from battery drain or run out of tape.
- Treat the location with respect. After all, you may want to go back.
- Map the location and mark the placement of equipment. Even a rough map will do, because it will help you debunk on the night and may help during evidence review.
- Bring spare batteries, video tapes, camera film, audio tapes - if your equipment uses it, have two spare sets of everything. You never know when you will need it.
- Interview witnesses. If anyone is willing to talk, record their experiences. This may give you good ideas where you need to put equipment.
- Reinvestigate, especially if you come up with anything interesting. Ghosts rarely perform on command.
DON’T
- Eat, drink or smoke on site. If you must take a break for a cigarette or munchies, or grab a coffee, do it well away from where your fellow investigators are working.
- Drink alcohol, or take any other perception altering substance (including some prescription drugs) before or during the investigation.
- Fail to show up. If you have been asked to investigate a location, be there when you said you would.
- Run or scream, no matter how spooked you get. Leave the location if you become startled or uncomfortable, but do so as calmly as possible.
- Bring absolutely all your kit. Work out ahead of time what you'll need and make sure you aren't overburdened with equipment.
- Put off doing evidence review. Otherwise it just mounts up.
- Behave unprofessionally in front of the client or site owners. They need a reason to trust that you aren't a bunch of tourists out for a night in a scary place.
Lastly
Hunting ghosts can be a lot of fun, but the key to being a successful ghost hunter is building a reputation for taking it seriously, being professional and behaving responsibly. That reputation is what will get you into buildings and locations that no one else gets access to and earn the respect of other teams and groups across the country.
The copyright of the article The Dos and Don'ts of Ghost Hunting in Ghosts & Hauntings is owned by David Webb. Permission to republish The Dos and Don'ts of Ghost Hunting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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