The Importance of a Preliminary Interview While Investigating the Paranormal

Sometimes it is just easier to take shortcuts. We all know that and at the same time we all know that some shortcuts should never be made. Skipping the preliminary interview and jumping into an investigation with both feet is not only a bad idea, it can end up being dangerous for all involved. In this article I am going to share a few experiences with you that other groups and friends of mine have shared with me. Please believe me when I tell you that if you think none of these could happen to you or your group, they also thought the same before they happened to them.

First let us cover why the preliminary interview is so important. Obviously this is not a standard procedure for the friends you have known for years that finally decide to let you and your group into their home. This should be done for co-workers, strangers, friends of friends, etc. This interview should be fairly relaxed, while keeping professionalism high and friendly. This helps put clients more at ease than talking to them over the phone and helps them to understand how you will go about your investigation. Personally I have found that explaining the process to the client(s) prior to the actual investigation leaves them with a lot less questions to answer during the investigation. This is also a time to get to know the new client a little better.

Who lives in the home, how long have they been there, any known history of the building or area, etc. This way all of the "standard" questions can get asked and out of the way. If at all possible the preliminary interview should be done at the location that the client is interested in having investigated. Be it an abandoned home, museum, or current residence. For obvious reasons, this cannot always be done, but it should be aimed for every prelim. interview. This will allow you/your group the opportunity to just look around and make note of anything special you may need to bring (extra extension cords, extra lighting, folding chairs, a fold out table, etc.).

So you may be asking, "If the preliminary interview is so good and important than why do groups miss some or not do them at all?" To that I would answer, "Many groups do follow through with the prelim, to those groups I would give a round of applause for covering their own backsides. The problem seems to come from impatience more often than not, though I have heard of cases where the prelim wasn't done due to a lack of communication and occasionally it is due to a lie." I'll start at the beginning and work through how those three reasons for no prelim worked out.

Impatience is the bane of many new groups. Often times when activity sounds too good to be true (from the investigator stand point) it probably is. Remember, there are a lot of people out for the entertainment value of bringing in a paranormal group (for free more often than not) and watching them wander around their house for the night. Those people are the exact reason for the prelim interview. If what they are claiming can't stand up to questioning or becomes inconsistent then be weary my friends. The ones out for the entertainment are the same ones who, though you had a pleasant time at their home, will bad mouth you as soon as you leave. Case in point is a group in the Midwest.

They were new at the time and couldn't wait for their first private residence case. They found the client, or should I say the client found them, through their website. After two emails they were raring to go. They arrived with full gear (much of which the group owner bought with a standing loan) and entered the client's home. The client sat on a couch for the six hours the group was there, saying very little. They didn't get anything that they could tell right off the bat and went away looking forward to the review of everything. The client kindly bid them goodnight. The next morning two policemen showed up at the group owner's home. You see, the client that they never really took the time to talk to claimed that they took a digital camera, a voice recorder, a microphone and a camcorder from his bedroom while they were there and he was pressing charges. I don't think I really need to tell you about the battle that ensued, and a costly one at that for the group. They ended up keeping all of the gear that was already theirs, but it could have all been avoided with the prelim as none of his reports of activity held any water under scrutiny.

Lack of communication can happen. It's not great when it does, but it does happen from time to time. Check, check, and triple check all of what someone else tells you about a case before you agree to take it. This experience comes from a group in the south. A friend group of theirs had an emergency and they needed them to take over an investigation. Instead of canceling the investigation date and setting up a prelim (which is their protocol, but as it was from a friend group they blindly accepted what they were told) they went ahead with the investigation. Now, it wasn't that the friend group was trying to give them a bogus case; they were in the midst of an emergency and simply didn't have the time to make sure all of the T's were crossed before handing off the case.

They hadn't actually done the prelim themselves, but forgot that fact when they were handing it over. So, the investigation stayed on course. As the group drove up to the house they admit that they almost drove by and apologized later. They were almost ready to hit the gas when two people came out of the house and waved them in. I saw pictures of this location and I can honestly say that it wasn't so much a home than it was a junkyard. There were no clear paths through the house and garbage bags, cloths, tires (!), car parts, etc, were piled waist high or higher. The two residents themselves thanked them for coming as one had a ghost stuck in her head and they wanted it removed. Needless to say the group stayed for the shortest time possible while trying there hardest to stay polite. One miscommunication and a group of investigators found themselves at what they referred to as, "the loony house".

This last one is a bit tricky, as you don't always know when you are being lied to until it is too late. This experience comes out of America's heartland and I was not only shocked when I heard of it, I was also relieved that everyone made it out alive. Imagine if you will a woman contacting a group about activity in her home. She states up front that her husband is not happy she is contacting a paranormal group. After several in-depth phone interviews and emails the group decides to do the investigation. The woman has a multitude of plausible excuses for not doing a prelim and when asked she assures the group that her husband has consented to let them in their home. The group arrives, has a great investigation and talks with the kind woman after. Her husband was not home at the time of the investigation. Just as the group is about to leave a vehicle pulls in and a man gets out.

The woman stands and tries her best to rush the group from the home. Problem: they have to pass the man to leave. The man is the woman's husband just arriving home drunk from a local bar and none too pleased that there is a group of people in his house when he gets there. The man tries to exchange words with the group who just wants to get out of their as fast as they can. He proceeds to go into the home and walk back out with a shotgun. All stops as the man cocks the gun, points it at the lead investigator and tells them all that they are going nowhere until they find his cat. The cell phones are in the car and the man won't let them near their cars so the group scatters trying to find a cat outside. Eventually the woman client calms the man down enough that he goes inside and she motions for the group to run! Without further prodding they all pile into cars and get the heck out of dodge, staying low in case the fool tries to shoot at them as they leave since they never did find his cat.

Please note that the group names were not used, though I assure you that each of them learned their lesson from the incidents I just shared with you. As you can see, there can be potential fatalities from failing to do a prelim interviews. So when you are next asked why your group does preliminary interviews you can honestly reply that they are a case of life or death.