Unusual Equipment Used for Paranormal Investigations

While it is true that there are some people who would consider any equipment used during a paranormal investigation to be "unnatural" there is indeed a list of equipment that most investigators would agree are "standard."

As paranormal investigators we tend to be creative in using equipment that has a normal everyday use and applying it to how it can be used to support some of our many theories. There are very few items currently made specifically (or in part) for helping to locate paranormal activity. Not all items used are technological in nature and some are in fact quite ordinary.

If you were to talk to a paranormal investigator and ask them what they use on almost every investigation you would get a list that probably goes something like this:

Flashlight

EMF meter (of some sort)

Thermometer (again, or some sort)

Motion Detectors

Camcorder

Camera

A voice recorder (generally there is more than one)

Even though I can practically hear some investigators reminding me of several other pieces of equipment, all will most likely agree that the above list consists of items that can be found in many paranormal investigators equipment cases. Each item listed above does have a use and some have several. With the field constantly receiving new theories and learning new non-paranormal causes for some happenings it is important to try and keep your equipment bags up to date with items that can detect other things.

As I am continually researching the paranormal and all that it entails I have come across several things that the majority of investigators I know do not currently use during investigations. While these items are common enough for their intended purpose, once again paranormal investigators have found a way to utilize them during their investigations. Results vary, as they always do, but from what I have found and what I have read these items can help all investigators.

The first item that I did not personally have in my equipment case until about a year ago is a compass. Not one of those flimsy Dollar Store brands, but a decent compass that cost a little money. I admit that when I first heard of a group bringing along compasses to investigations I thought, "Umm... why?" After hearing the explanation I literally could have slapped my own forehead. The explanation is this: Most paranormal investigators use EMF (electro magnetic frequency) detectors. While those are all well and good they can give off false positives, especially in homes and buildings.

True, there is the coveted Tri-Field Natural EM meter, but it isn't cheap and not all groups can afford it. A compass does not react the same way an EMF meter does to a false positive. A compass will stay steady. On the other hand, if you are sitting in the middle of a room with your compass and EMF meter and they both start reacting you know that something is disturbing the electromagnetic field around you. In both of those ways the compass is used as a back up device. Much like when an EVP is recorded on two recorders at the same time instead of just one. Watching a compass start to spin for seemingly no reason is definitely something that every paranormal investigator should experience.

Another item that is not always used on investigations (and may have never been tried by many paranormal investigators) is the use of a simple coin. As a trigger object they are ideal as they are lightweight and easy to push. Coins are also easy to trace by pushing down in the center. The value of the coin doesn't really matter (unless there is a specificity to the case) but quarters tend to work well due to their size and being able to easily tell if it moved out of its circle.

One item that very few of my paranormal friends include in their equipment bags is a bottle of powder. Simple baby powder works fine but just about any brand will do (be careful of scents, if you are also investigating a certain smell try using corn starch instead of powder; keep in mind that neither work well if they get wet). Powder works very similar to dust.

It's hard to walk into a room with a dust covered floor and not leave a footprint, it is also hard to cross a threshold into a room with a powder dusted floor and walk away without leaving footprints. If a particular item tends to be disturbed a lot sprinkling powder around the item can and does leave any telltale fingerprints. Obviously when powder is used during an investigation the precaution of taping down black plastic first can be used.

This next item may seem completely out of place on a paranormal investigation but it actually has a few uses. In cases where cold, warm or hot drafts are reported to come "from nowhere" a helium balloon that is anchored to something is a great tool. If you have closed off a room that has reports of this the balloon can be set in that room with the camcorder and any drafts detected will immediately move the balloon.

The balloon is also a great tool for checking leaky windows if no air can be felt on an investigators hand. It can be very interesting to watch a balloon "dance" when there is no air movement felt by those around it. A balloon is also light enough for some spirits to be able to move it, so asking if they can knock it around a bit might be worth your time.

One more item that seems to just be starting (I'd say within the last year) to make it into the equipment bags of paranormal investigators is a carbon monoxide detector. If you just glanced to where yours is located in your home you are correct. The very same detector that many houses have begun installing in their homes in the last five years is now starting to be carried around by paranormal investigators. At certain levels CO gas can cause hallucinations, confusion, cause you to see blurry spots and even at times cause the brain to react in ways that may appear to a person as though they are seeing balls of light.

There are some places that can have higher levels of CO gas, for example homes with unfinished basements, or heavy smokers in the residence, even space heaters or blocked up chimneys can be the culprit. Because of all of those possibilities ruling out a very natural cause for seemingly paranormal activity can save not only your team from hours of sitting around, but can also potentially help identify a health hazard for your clients.

As you can see, paranormal equipment isn't always (and very nearly never is) from a ghost hunting supply store. Until more equipment is made to help specifically look for ghosts we have to make due using items that in theory can help show and prove activity. As the field continues to develop, new items will find a use in searching for the paranormal. Until we have something that we can use just for finding proof of the Other Side we will more than likely continue with modifying current items to suit our needs.