GHOST HUNTING 101 – COPPIR.COM

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Ghost Hunting can be very fun and yet needs to be approached with a bit of professionalism and seriousness. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer, there are some simple guidelines that need to be followed when on a ghost hunt:

1. Do not antagonize the spirits.  No one likes to be disrespected, and that includes those in the spirit world.  When you antagonize or threaten them, be aware that they do still have some power to wreak havoc.  This havoc could be just a little push or trip while you are walking, or they could follow you home and cause annoyances in your life, such as moving and hiding things, or even interfering with your energy and causing you to have a bad day. So please, for everyone’s sake, respect the spirits!

2. Be courteous of the other paranormal investigators. This should go without saying, however it has to be mentioned as there have been a few occasions where people have acted inappropriately. Be courteous to those around you, don’t make snide or rude comments about someone’s beliefs, the way they look/talk/act. We each have our own beliefs, our own personalities and should respect each person’s individuality. Rudeness will not be tolerated. This also goes for the people at locations that we visit (owners, staff, groundskeepers, waiters and waitresses).

3. EVP Work: When doing evp work, it is critical to have a quiet environment, free from unnecessary sounds.  If someone is doing evp work, please do not talk, and be conscious of rustling with your feet, and most of all turn your cell phones on vibrate.  Paranormal investigators spend many hours recording, and then going back and listening to the recordings, and it is very discouraging when most of the recordings are ruined by other people talking in the background.

4. Never, ever trespass!  If you being there requires approval, get approval ahead of time!  If you aren’t sure of whether you should be there, look for posted signs; many outdoor locations close at dusk.  When in doubt, play it safe, and don’t go until you have permission.  Many locations have been closed to ghost hunters due to lack of permission and disrespect. 

5. Respect the location.  Remember that this is someone’s home, place of work, a public domain, whatever the case may be, and that you should treat it with respect.  Don’t litter, don’t touch things that shouldn’t be touched, no horseplay, pick up your trash just be respectful! Be respectful of noise and lights as well, if it’s past 9pm in a residential area, chances are some people are trying to get rest.

6. Try not to wear perfume or cologne, or anything with a strong smell, as it may interfere with your investigation.  As we will talk about in a minute, you may receive smells from spirit as part of your investigation!

7. Perform some sort of protection ritual or prayer before starting the investigation.  Which one you choose depends on your preference, and there are many listed out there on the Internet.  A simple one is visualizing yourself surrounded in a white bubble of light with the intention that only spirits of the highest vibration be allowed to communicate with you.

8. Alcoholic Beverages: I do not recommend that you drink alcohol before or during an investigation for several reasons. The first has to do with respect. When we are drinking we tend to disregard things such as noise level and our actions in respect to other people. The second reason is that when drinking you may tend to attract spirits that also liked to drink and would like to vicariously live through you. These types of Earthbound Spirits are not the kind you want attached to you as they may try to influence you in ways that are not in your best interest. For those of you that are going on investigations with Coppir, we do not allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages or influence of illegal substances before or during an investigation and if we find you to be inebriated, you will be asked to leave.

Let’s move on to what you may experience while on a ghost hunt.  It varies for each person and each site, however the more open you are to all these experiences, the more likely they are to happen!

• Smells and tastes: These smells can seem to come from nowhere, and can develop instantly and disappear just as fast.  These smells can be anything from a displeasing smell of rotting meat to a wonderful smell of gardenias.  The spirit world communicates in many different ways.  I have found that often times when a spirit liked to smoke or drink, I will get a whiff of tobacco or cigar smoke, or alcohol.  I have also smelled the aroma of cooking, usually whatever type of food the spirit liked to cook, or was cooked regularly at that location.  You may also be able to taste these things!  Some of the smells and tastes I have encountered are stew, pancakes, spaghetti, chocolate cake, cheeseburgers and wine.  I also regularly encounter the taste of blood in my mouth when there has been a murder, and especially at battleground sites.

• Apparitions and orbs: Most people will see at least some orbs on an investigation.  You may not see them until you get home and download your pictures, but usually you will get one or two as there are Spirits everywhere!  Orbs can either be spirits, or other-worldy beings such as angels.  In my experience, the orbs that are of different colors are angels or fairies.  Apparitions do appear, but not as regularly as orbs.  Some Spirits appear as barely visible forms, while some become as solid and normal looking as a living person, and their color and appearance vary by Spirit.  Sometimes the apparition only appears for a few seconds, and sometimes they linger for a while. 

• Shadows & Mists : Often fleeting shadows appearing in the corners of the eyes are encountered, only to disappear when you turn to look at it. Or a rolling black mass may appear-if you see a black shadow, please do not assume it is an “evil spirit”, many times it is not.  Ectoplasmic mist is sometimes seen in a whispy form like smoke, and is usually a spirit trying to manifest itself into a more solid form.

• Disembodied voices: The voices of spirit can sometimes be heard with the naked ear (that is without having to catch it on a recorder and hear it during playback later).  Don’t be alarmed, they are just trying to communicate with you! 

• Physical Sensations - Some ghost hunters have been touched, pinched or had their hair pulled by entities. Usually you will encounter the physical sensations of a pleasant kind like just being touched, unless you are antagonizing the spirit, at which point it could progress to pinches and pushes.  There are also some spirits that are angry as they can be somewhat territorial at times, and may revert to these tactics to get you out of their space.  If you ever have the feeling in the pit of your stomach that you shouldn’t be there, I would suggest that you leave (unless you have a medium there with you who can communicate with the spirit and calm them down).  You can always say out loud to the spirit that you are not there to harm them, do not mean any ill-intent, that you would just like to communicate). I frequently get the physical sensations of the hair on my arms standing on end when a spirit is near. And as for spirit interaction, there was one occasion where I had a notebook tied on a string around my neck. The location we were investigating had many spirits of children, and they kept “untying” the string around my neck. I would double knot or triple knot it and they would do it again. It was rather amusing and shows that spirits do like to interact and play. It’s also a way for them to show us that they are there, that they are real.

• Rappings - Scratching - and Knockings: In walls, ceilings and floors. Strange sounds and noises are often heard in haunted locations, as well as hearing what sounds like objects being dropped, or moved in nearby rooms. You can also attempt communication with a spirit by asking them to rapp (knock) on a hard surface. For example you could say out loud “Is your name James? Give us one rapp for yes, two for no”. Sometimes they will do this, sometimes they won’t, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

• Cold spots: Sometimes just before a spirit manifests they draw energy from the surroundings. Often a spot in one area of a room will suddenly become very cold. For example the temperature throughout a room may average 75 degrees but in one corner or area, the temperature will suddenly drop to 50 degrees or even colder. This is a sure sign of a Spirit’s presence or a soon manifestation. And this is one of the reasons that investigators use infrared thermometers. It’s a good idea to take a baseline reading in the are you are at so that you know when the temperature takes a significant dip and then returns to normal, that it in fact was a spirit.

• Power drains and equipment malfunctions: Spirits require energy to manifest themselves and often draw-in nearby energy, which usually comes from batteries in video cameras, and other devices. Often cameras, tape recorders, even lights will suddenly go haywire or stop working all together when a spirit is present. The spirits can also pull from your energy, which is why so many times after an investigation people feel tired.  Make sure to perform a protection ritual before going on any ghost hunt-this ensures that they will be less likely to drain your energy.

There are several different types of “hauntings” you may encounter when on a ghost hunt.  Let’s go over the various types so that you know how to differentiate between them.

1. Earthbound Spirits - The first and most common type is that of an Earthbound Spirit.  These spirits are of those that did not cross “into the light” at death. There are many different reasons why a spirit would not cross over, some died a traumatic event and don’t realize that they are dead.  Some feel they have unfinished business to take care of before they can move on.  Others may be afraid to cross over as they are afraid of judgment or hell.  And some are so attached to a place or thing, they have chosen to stay here.  Many confuse Earthbound spirits with that of an evil spirit, which is understandable as sometimes Earthbounds are frustrated.  Imagine not knowing you’re dead, and everyone you try to talk to completely ignores you!  Rest assured that most Earthbounds do not have ill intent, they are just trying furiously to get your attention.  Many mediums, including myself, will help these Earthbounds to cross into the light when they encounter them, which is the best thing for everyone involved; there is no good reason for a spirit to remain here, as it keeps them from progressing on their spiritual path.

2. Imprints – This happens either when an incident is very traumatic, or it was one of repetition.  The image will replay over and over like a movie.  You can tell the difference between an Earthbound or spirit and an imprint by noticing whether it is the same thing over and over.  For example, there is one house in CA where a woman is seen gliding across the lawn.  She starts and ends in the same place, wearing the same thing and never turns or waivers from the path.  Different people see the same exact thing every time, and this is an imprint because it never changes, it just repeats.  There are also energetic imprints from horrific events in certain places, for example the Trail of Tears; when going through that area, everyone feels the impact because the residual energy is so strong.  In that case, it’s not necessarily that the spirits are still there, but rather you are witnessing or feeling the event as it was so impactful, it is almost etched into that place.  Another example would be the site where JFK was shot, the emotions from that event were so devastating to so many people that the emotions still linger even now.

3. Demonic entities – I myself do not run into these often as I ask my guides and angels to keep them away from me.  I have run into them on several occasions, and they are not something that you want to mess with unless you are trained to do so.  They aren’t the same as spirits, in that you cannot “cross them into the light”, and their intentions are never anything but evil and/or harm.  If you run into this type of entity, I suggest you get out of there, and make sure to say a prayer of protection!

A professional Ghost Hunter or paranormal investigator needs to have the right tools. Here I will explain devices that every ghost hunter or paranormal investigator SHOULD have, if he or she is truly taking the phenomenon as real or as a business, and not as a joke.

• Voice Recorder: It doesn't matter if you use a standard tape recorder or one of the new digital recorders, what does matter is the quality and the ability to use an external microphone. An external microphone is not necessary, but it does improve your EVP results.  Try to get a recorder that is of good quality, and make sure you get one that has a plug in microphone with a cable or cord so the end of the microphone is away from the recorder. The small all-in-one recorders that have the built in microphones, pick up a lot of the hiss and gear noise from the recorder when they are in record mode. I would also suggest that you purchase one that can connect to your PC to download and listen to recordings.  This makes it much easier to work with, as you can then cut the recording to just the EVP and not have to listen to the whole recording once you are done.  It also allows you to more easily upload it to a website or email it.  A recorder is a necessity for recording EVP's, and EVP’s are one of the best forms of proof after life and/or proof of a spirit’s presence. EVP's (electronic voice phenomenon) are a voice or other communication that is heard on a tape or digital recorder during playback, that was not heard when the recorder was recording. Software for this is talked about further down.
  
  2. Camera: Many people suggest using a 35mm film camera, however I use all digital as it is much easier to deal with. There is no waiting and paying for film development, and my favorite part is that you can actually zoom in on orbs and see faces in them, which you can’t do with a film print.  It’s up to you, either type of camera works just as well in my opinion. I would suggest getting a camera that has a night shot option as most of your best pictures will be when it is dark. Here are some tips for taking pictures effectively
  • Make sure you note any other lights in the area so when you view your developed pictures you will not think a street light is an orb. I tend to take several pictures in the same location so you can have a reference point.
  • Make sure you clean your camera's lens regularly. 
  • Smoke can appear like mist on the photos and you don't want to contaminate your evidence, so if you are smoking, smoke away from the group or anyone taking pictures. 
  • Watch for dust or dirt being stirred up in the area you are photographing.  They can give false positive pictures. 
  • All long hair should be tied back or under a hat, again this is to eliminate any false positive pictures and to give the skeptics less ammunition. 
  • Remove or tie up any camera straps so you don't take a picture of that, it looks like a vortex when photographed. 
  • Watch for reflective surfaces and make note of them. The flash reflected off shiny surfaces such as windows, street signs, polished tombstones, etc. can look light an orb or other anomaly.  Make note of street lights and any other light source that may appear on the pictures.
  • Be aware of others’ taking pictures – make sure you are not taking pictures of the same exact spot at the same time or their flash may provide a false positive/something that looks like an orb.
  • When it’s cold outside, be aware that your breath may also look like mist on pictures.
  • Sometimes people like to ask the spirit if they can take their picture, or ask them to appear, if you are comfortable with doing that, feel free to, it can’t hurt!
  • You may only get about 1- 2 pictures for every 50 you take, that's about the average, so don't get discouraged.  I've been at sites where I didn't get any and others where 30% of the ones we took were positive. There are also people who spirits are naturally attracted to such as mediums. I suggest taking pictures of spots nearby these people as often as you can. Also if you “feel” you should take a picture in a certain direction or spot, do so, it may be the spirit nudging you because they are there. And definitely if your equipment is giving you indication there is a spirit, take a picture there.

3. Camcorder: A camera is good, but a camcorder is even better, however I recommend getting one with night vision as most hunts are done at night or in low-lighting.  Most Sony camcorders come with night vision, and you can usually pick up a used one for under $100.  They are especially great at locations where you can leave them on and recording while you are in another location on the grounds.

4. Thermal Imaging & Night Vision scopes or goggles: Thermal Imaging captures the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum, which is emitted as heat by objects instead of simply reflected as light. Hotter objects, such as warm bodies, emit more of this light than cooler objects like trees or buildings. Often spirits that manifest have a temperature in their form that stands out in this spectrum, especially if a spirit is present in a cold location. If the goggles take pictures, that’s wonderful, or you can take a picture when you see the temperature anomaly and you may capture the spirit on film! This is one of the more expensive pieces of equipment, but definitely worth it if you can fit it into your budget!

5. EMF Detector – An EMF detector is a scientific instrument for measuring electromagnetic radiation. When on a ghost hunt, it is a good idea to get baseline readings to make sure that you don’t have electro-magnetic interference from things such as lights, furnaces, etc which may give a false positive.  When the electromagnetic field is disrupted the meter will spike and signal that there has been a change. This will indicate to the ghost hunter to pay attention to this area for other types of ghostly activity that might be displayed.  Many times the spirits will also use it to validate their presence or the information you may be relaying.  For example, when I am speaking with a spirit, my partner will have the EMF meter near us and when I say something out loud, we look and see if the meter spikes. This will be the case many times, so for example, I am communicating with the spirit and the meter is at a normal level and then I say out loud “Okay, your name is John”, and the meter spikes for a couple seconds, then goes back down to normal. Then I say “and you died of pneumonia” and the meter will spike again for a couple seconds and then go back down. So you can use it just as you would when you ask a spirit to make a rapping noise… so you can say if this is correct please indicate so on the meter.  A compass will also work along the same lines as an EMF meter, if the needle cannot stay on a fixed direction it would indicate spirit presence.

6. Flashlight: Flashlights are a must for obvious safety reasons, just be sure to keep the flashlight out of pictures, so that you don’t get a false orb or entity sighting!

7. Walkie Talkies: If you have a group of team members, and you are investigating a large location, walkie talkies are not just a good thing to have, but they can be a life saver at times.

8. Notebook and pencils: Often any electronic, electrical or other devices may fail in a haunted location, so it's very wise to carry along a small notebook and some pencils in case you need to keep some valuable notes.  It is always good to write down the time of the investigation, who is present on investigation, baseline temperature readings and anything you encounter while on the investigation.

9. Thermal Scanner/Thermometer: A hand held thermal scanner (thermometer) uses infrared technology to measure the surface temperature of material without touching it. You simply point at your target, pull the trigger and read the temperature on the lit LCD display. This will help you note any temperature changes in specific areas by performing a baseline reading first, and then noting any spikes during the investigation.

• EVP software for your computer.  Once you have recorded the EVP’s, you will need a way to listen to them and save them as a file.  There are many different solutions out there, and most recorders do come with some form of software.  I personally use Audacity to listen to and save my EVP’s and it can be downloaded for free on the Internet. 

Some other things to mention about hunts that don’t fit in the other categories:

1. Clothing – Make sure that you wear appropriate clothing for the type of investigation you are going on. If it’s cold or the investigation will start in the daytime and run into the evening, make sure you bring a jacket. Obviously the proper shoes are important, ergo high heels are probably never a good option. And don’t wear your favorite pair of shoes either as they may get dirty!

2. First Aid Kit – At least one person in the group should bring a first aid kit. I’ve never had to use one, but it doesn’t hurt to have one around as sometimes we are investigating in brush, trees, etc and if someone gets scratched it would be good to have something for it.

While all this sounds very mechanical and business-like, it does make it a much more productive investigation.  However, in all the rigidity of it, don’t forget to have fun, because that’s what it’s all about!  If you have any questions or comments about this article or anything else paranormal or spiritually related, send me an email.