Eight Things They Don't Tell You About Ghost Hunting

Ghost hunting has become such a phenomenon in pop culture that there now exist tons of guides for seeking out spirits and apparitions. You can read all about the legions of scientific tools used to detect the paranormal. Many of these guides provide extremely thorough information on how to conduct amateur (and professional) investigations. But there are indeed some things that amateurs quickly find out...

1. Ghosts are unpredictable.

You may go to your destination assuming that the creepies and crawlies will keep to themselves until "the witching hour." But you can never tell when (or how) a spirit will make itself known.

2. Staying "safe" isn't always easy.

An episode of Animal Planet's "The Haunted" featured a family in which two members of (including pets) suffered from hair loss while living in their haunted abode. Doctors could not pinpoint the exact cause. And once the family was removed from the environment, the hair grew back. Because spirit entities are unpredictable, it is feasible to say that even with all the precautions taken to remain out of harm's way, there are perhaps no real safeguards. While there are some documented cases of spirits physically harming human beings (just watch paranormal reality shows) it is virtually impossible to protect yourself from unforeseen consequences. It's very easy to say what does cause certain physical ailments. But it's not as simple to rule out what doesn't cause them.

3. Much of what you'll document will be feelings.

Some people diving into ghost hunting find that they're documenting emotions or sensations more than actual footage or recorded sound. If you continue to explore supposedly haunted locales, you may find that repeat sensations serve as better clues than the overt evidence you seek.

4. Ghosts and apparitions are not the same.

People use these terms reciprocally. But according to experts, they are simply not the same. Apparitions can be anything that just "appear" out of thin air. They can appear wispy (ghostly, if you will) and quite literally take you by surprise. Ghosts are more "tangible" in that they represent the spirits of people now deceased, demons, or other intelligent entities.

5. Distinguishing between Power of Suggestion and an authentic haunting may be difficult.

It is quite feasible for you to mistake the creepy feeling you have upon entering a place with someone else's power to persuade you into uneasy feelings. For instance, if you've already done a great deal of research into a haunted locale, you may discover that the emotions/experiences you expect are exactly what you get. But they may not be authentic. How is one to make the distinction? Perhaps with a great deal of practice and training oneself in maintaining some level of skepticism.

6. EVPs are often extremely difficult to decipher.

This is because our ears are often trained to hear certain words and phrases. Thus, we subconsciously listen for them during playback. You may not be expecting a spirit to say anything in particular. But what you're actually hearing may be a different language, a word or phrase known only to the deceased individual-or not really speech at all.

7. There might be manifestations you'll overlook, or be unable to capture.

While you're waving your EMF machines and EVP recorders around, you might be overlooking spirit activity in other forms. Some people report receiving ghost calls from the dead; the deceased person's voice can be heard over the static on the line. In many cases, the person affected actually knew the deceased. But other similar occurrences may take place. Much ghost activity is documented by word of mouth-through the accounts of unrelated people who have happened to have strange experiences. This is a common reality in ghost hunting, be it amateur or professional.

8. You may be too scared to continue (or embark upon) your investigation.

Television provides an emotional "cushion"; you can easily turn away when things get too scary. The ghost hunting explorations are tempered with commercials. The ghost hunters work with teams of people responsible for various tasks. There appears to be a façade of safety involved with explorations aired for entertainment. While the concept of ghost hunting is very exciting, some people quickly realize that they simply don't have what it takes to go through with their investigation. The idea of confronting a ghost in a cemetery late at night, and capturing it on film might seem like a dream come true...that is until you are surrounded by little noises that seem to have no source. When the hairs on the back of your neck rise, will you be able to pull it together to accurately observe and report on your findings? Fighting your nerves will perhaps be the biggest affront to your pursuit of ghosts and apparitions.

SOURCES:

The Everything Ghost Hunting Book by Melissa Martin Ellis
www.ghostvillage.com
www.about.com
www.atlparanormal.com