A Guide to Getting Started in Paranormal Investigation

As a whole, the paranormal --ghosts, telekinesis, ESP, bigfoot, mediumship, chupacabras, and UFOs -- have arguably never held more mass interest or garnered such cultural attention as right now. If you are interested in the paranormal, and would like to jump on the investigation bandwagon, there's no shortage of information.

However, you should know from the outset that becoming a paranormal investigator is not akin to becoming, say, an electrician-there are no organizational or industrial exams or boards to pass, no standardized protocols. Although there are certifications to be had via online and community-ed style classes, there are no licensures or official standards.

Paranormal investigation is by nature sort of "outside the box." Although this has some drawbacks, it also leaves the door wide open for you to tailor your investigatory path in a way which best suits your interests and aims.

There are some easy things you can do, to ensure you have the best experience possible, in your quest to become a paranormal investigator.

Determine your goals

First, it's important to determine your general reasons for and expectations with becoming a paranormal investigator. For example, do you want to work alone or with a group? Do you want to focus on one aspect of the paranormal, such as ghost hunting, or is your interest in the paranormal more inclusive? Is your interest casual, novel, serious, or even academic? How much time, energy, and money are you willing to invest?

Also, if you have beliefs about the paranormal, it's important to consider those notions as you determine your goals. Within paranormal investigation circles, there are appropriate niches for believers, skeptics, and everything in between.

Considering your general talents and interests also goes a long way here. If you are skilled or interested in writing, managing, philosophizing, traveling, researching, public speaking, blogging, socializing, fieldwork, sociology, psychology, or history, it is probably wise to gear your paranormal work around such notions.

As I stated before, for better or worse, paranormal investigation is not a cut-and-dried, regimented field. This is advantageous in that you can carve your own space and personalize it so it fits with your lifestyle. It may be that you feel joining local ghost hunting group is the thing for you. Or, perhaps you would like to do some armchair research and blog about general paranormal phenomena.

If you are very serious and would like to eventually base a career around the subject, (although there are no "paranormal studies" or parapsychology degrees to be had in the US) you may consider a degree in investigative psychology, religion, history, philosophy, or an interdisciplinary degree in which you combine different fields of study to essentially design your own degree.

Getting started

After you've determined your goals, you are ready for the next step-making it happen. Although as I pointed to above, there are an almost endless number of specialized directions to take, I have narrowed the two generalized paths below, and ways to get started quickly.

Joining or creating groups

If you decide a group situation would suit you, simply do an internet search for existing local groups. You will likely find several local groups; my experience is that most such groups focus on ghost hunting, although it's possible to find groups devoted to bigfoot and cryptozoology, UFOs, and other aspects of the paranormal.

Look over the sites to determine if any may be a good fit with your goals. For example, if you are a skeptic with a firm belief that 'orbs' are nothing more than dust particles, then a site with lots of photographs or literature about the ghostly origin of orbs may be in conflict with your aims.

Once you find a group that looks interesting, find a 'contact us' link, and send a business-style but friendly letter of inquiry about the possibility of sitting in on a meeting, or joining the group.

The website Meetup.com is another resource. If no groups are open or interesting, there are often others on waiting lists-Meetup.com gives you an option of starting your own group with like-minded people.

The Solo Paranormal Investigator

If groups aren't for you, don't let that dash your dreams of paranormal investigation. If, like me, you're not a group person, you likely have a strong DIY inclination. There are lots of ways to use this to your advantage.

If you are interested mainly in research and writing, then your work is cut out for you. Blogs are simple to set up, and there are several sites which fairly easily publish well written articles on the paranormal, such as UFO Digest (although there is a focus on UFOs, there's a wide variety of Fortean and paranormal subjects as well.)

If your investigations are strictly for your own sense of inquiry and adventure, the sky's your limit. I recommend reading widely about the various theories and techniques of whatever area of the paranormal you'd like to start with. You will find a wide array of websites and books detailing techniques and necessary equipment you'll need.
Although documentation, protocols, and organization can be as formal or informal as you'd like, it's probably a good idea to at least keep a basic field book or log of times, dates, places, methods, and findings. This will help keep you on track, and set your investigatory work apart from the mundane.

There is something to keep in mind in solo paranormal investigation work: safety and responsibility. It sounds cliché, but it's important. After viewing television shows such as Ghost Hunters, or Monsterquest, and reading websites and books about paranormal investigatory work, it's easy to get caught up in the spirit of adventure.

Keep in mind that it may be a good idea to take a buddy along with you to any interviews, abandoned buildings, wilderness areas, cemeteries, or any time or place you may be vulnerable alone. Remember that although what you're doing has a purpose, you are still bound by common sense, trespassing laws, and the like.

Having said that, it's my experience that many people are very interested in such things, and permissions and requests of information for all kinds of things are easy to come by with the asking.

One last note: there is somewhat of a riff forming within the ever-evolving paranormal community over issues of ethics. There are issues over and between hobbyist vs. professional investigators and groups, as well as complex arguments over protocols and methodology.

The main thing to keep in mind to avoid problems in this non-regulated field is to never get ahead of yourself, and simply keep your head. It sounds so easy, but believe me when I say there are people who began as science-and-evidence oriented investigators who are now touting themselves as "demonologists," "sensitives," or are otherwise attached to dubious notions of authority and dogmas.

No matter your belief systems, it's a good idea to remember you are interested in investigation-an area in which questions and possibility are central.

So, there you have it. Decide your goals, determine your path as a paranormal investigator, and get busy! Below are some resources for the beginning paranormal investigator. Good Luck!

Find a paranormal group:
Paranormal Meetup page
Large list of paranormal investigatory groups at Ghost Village
More paranormal groups

Recommended Books:
Conducting a Paranormal investigation: A Training Guide, Beth Brown
How to be a Ghost Hunter, Richard Southall

Miscellanea:
Become a Paranormal Investigator ghost hunting equipment recommendations
Distance learning paranormal investigation courses by Lloyd Auerbach