Brad’s Tips
Welcome to our tips section, where you will find information about causes for paranormal activity and also give people who are investigating the paranormal further ideas on what you need to look out for. There is enough information to fill a book on the subject, so I am only covering the very basics here. Most paranormal events have a logical explanation, so before we head out and go on a good old ghost hunt, there are some things you should remember. I am a very firm believer in the paranormal, but before we can deliver the evidence to our clients and media, we need to make sure we cover as much as we can.
Leave your emotions at home, don’t get over excited and expect that you will find anything, the biggest mistake people make is that if it’s old it must be haunted, or how many people might have passed away there, not true, a lot of it could have to do with the environment, and location. You can not conduct a scientific investigation if you run around making statements (I have a bad feeling about this) – don’t laugh I have seen it happen numerous times and it can effect the outcome, fear is your worst problem facing your investigation, but this can be controlled with time and practice.
Making statements to the general public can be a paranormal investigators biggest downfall. Before you decide to go public with your findings, make sure that you have covered all your basics, because you will be ripped apart by experts and sceptics in the media if there is any doubt on any evidence that you find. Sometimes it takes just more than one visit to a location, sometimes to do an effective job you may need to spend a couple of nights at a location and have your team carry out everything possible in covering the premises.
As far as equipment, you don’t need the latest and the most expensive that money can buy, to get started all you need is a Pen, note book, Cheap Camera and some basic knowledge, but when you are new to paranormal investigation make sure you attach yourself with someone or a team that has had at least a couple of years experience within the field and can take control of matters if something goes wrong. Trust me, more often than not, something will go wrong and if your leader can’t handle the situation then you could be in hot water, a fun night out investigating can turn in something that will leave you scarred. Sorry if this sounds like doom and gloom, but I don’t think most people fully understand or have any comprehension on what could happen to a fellow team member or client if you lost control of the investigation.
Health and Safety, take a first aid kit and have someone with you who has at least basic first aid training, I myself trained whilst in the Armed Forces and one other member of my team has a first aid certificate. Also take the time to get to know your surroundings, where the exits are just in case there is a fire, trip hazards, spill hazards, etc. Some older buildings have asbestos issues (this is a silicate mineral with long thin fibrous crystals) and long exposure to this is called pneumoconiosis and it will kill you, so PPE – Personal Protective Equipment is a must and an investigation should not be carried out unless you want to put yourself and your team at risk.
Time - you have plenty of it, so take your time and check every little nook and cranny to find answers to paranormal issues, it could be very easily solved, remember there is a very big difference between a paranormal event and a genuine haunting.
OK so now that we have touched on the basics that you should take into consideration, lets have a look at some of the other events that can occur whilst carrying out an investigation.
Investigating a building or structure