 We have learned a lot since we started our investigations into the paranormal here in Hamilton and the surrounding area. We also learned a lot from our resident psychic, Julie. She has provided us with a lot of information in regards to paranormal investigations. Below are some tips that we and Julie have put together for making your own investigation into the paranormal the best it can be. 1. Location Never go alone to a location that you wish to investigate. It's always a good idea to have a friend with you to verify what you may see, but for safety reasons as well. Once you arrive at the location you are about to investigate, don't just jump in and start snapping pictures right away. Linger around and get a feel of the place for about 20 minutes before doing any work with equipment and such. This is so that the spirits can get used to your presence and for you to get used to them. Spirits are afraid of us as much as we are afraid of them. It takes a bit of time to get acquainted with one another, just like when we go to meet new people for the first time. 2. Protection It is always a good idea to seek protection from a higher source before beginning any investigation. Here is a good prayer to use if you don't already have your own. Opening prayer for your investigation..... Saint Michael the Archangel, Defend us in battle Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil May God rebuke him, we humbly pray And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, By the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits Who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen After you have completed your investigation I am sure you don't want hitch hikers going home with you from the other dimension. So use this closing prayer before you leave. "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all human spirits to be bound to the confines of this (location???). I command all inhuman spirits to go where Jesus Christ tells you to go, for it is He who commands you." Amen 3. Lots of batteries ..... Always bring a lot of batteries as part of your investigation equipment. Spirits can drain the batteries in your camera or any other electronic equipment that you may have brought with you. Spirits go for even the least bit of energy so they can energize themselves. This is why a lot of folks that conduct an investigation get what is called equipment failure. 4. Best time to go Ghost hunting.... As a rule of thumb, the best time to start any investigation into the paranormal would be just before dark and just before dawn. It seems that spirits are most active during these time frames. Please keep in mind that if the spirits are around, you may catch some activity at any time, including during the day but this is rare. Another good time is the night of the full moon, as this is a time that the earth regenerates just like a season's change. A week before and a week after the full moon is also noted as a good time to conduct an investigation. Another great time to catch something is just before a storm because of all the electrical energy that mother nature provides. The spirits use this energy as well. Never take pictures in the rain, but just before the storm unleashes its fury, snap away...... 5. Going on a ghost hunt??? When organizing a ghost hunt with your friends I would not go with any more than five people, for these reasons below.... ( A ) The less people present, the more you can get done and not have to watch what they may be doing. When you take someone on a ghost hunt, you are responsible if they get hurt (or lost if you happen to be in a large area). Also if you have a small group and someone finds something or senses something, you can see them for the most part and you can get to them quickly..... It's also a good idea to have walkie talkies with you just in case someone strays you can get in contact with each other. ( B ) Also the less people you have the less likely the spirits will stay away. Spirits feel threatened when there are a lot of people just like we do, remember no one likes a big audience.... ( C ) If you are conducting an investigation in a house keep the number there low as well. You will be unable to get things done with people over you and underneath you. Have one for taking pictures, and one for writing things down, and one for outside the area. This would be plenty to have on hand.... ( D ) Do not limit yourself to an area where someone senses something, (or in the case of a house inside). For a example, a cemetery is not the only activity. The outside of the cemetery is just as active, maybe more so. Same goes for a house. Just because one may capture an orb or ecto mist inside a house does NOT mean it's haunted. The outside of the house could have some paranormal activity as well. A picture of one ORB does not mean a place is haunted...... ( E ) If you do get multiple ORBS or Ecto Mists in your pictures, always go back a second time and see what you can get. It may have just been active at the time. But if you get more of the same things on film on a second visit then check out the history of the place and you may be surprised what you may find that will make sense of why this place has paranormal activity..... ( F ) If you have a good psychic or know of one, use them the best way you can. It may be the only tool you may have. But please do not rely on them for everything, as they are limited too, to a point. Make sure that a psychic you do use can sense things and provide proper information. Our resident psychic, Julie, undergoes testing all the time by the university she works for..... ( G ) One of the most important things is, when you got your pictures in hand, make sure you have something to blow up the picture to see what you may have caught on film. Julie, as well as us, have made this mistake in the past. We did not see much in a picture and just passed it off as something minor, only to discover later that there was more to the picture then we had first thought. A good rule of thumb is...don't expect anything, but don't count anything out either...... ( H ) Take a flashlight with you when you are planning on taking night time pictures. Shine the light up into the night sky to see if you can see any bugs or dust particles in the air or if there is a fog present. DO NOT SMOKE while taking pictures. Remove the strap from your camera. Also note the weather. Don't take pictures when it is raining. If it is cold out, make sure you don't catch your breath in the picture. Take every precaution before taking pictures at night..... If there are lights in the place you are investigating make sure you take pictures away from the light if at all possible. If not, then write down where the lights might appear in the photo so you will know what to expect. Watch how you take a picture near a light. If you're going to aim the camera just to the side of the light, you might get the glare from the light giving a ring effect or glare. They can sometimes appear as a rainbow. This also applies to sunlight. Be aware of sun spots , light reflections, or glares in your pictures...... ( I )If taking a picture of a mirror, which is always a good idea never point the camera directly at the mirror..... 6. Equipment Julie had submitted her thoughts on the use of equipment that most ghost clubs use.... Equipment-Lots of ghost clubs and people in general use a lot of equipment. That's fine to a point. But you`ll get a lot of false readings for one reason or another. Emf meters are good, but too many times I`ve seen a pic of a spirit or someone who got an orb by using the meter, only to see where it was pointed at. If it's by anything electrical, you're going to get a good reading. Stereos, phones, T.V`s, outlets. Outside it could be an electrical tower close by. And of course they're drawn to anything electrical. You will get an orb or two, but may not be there the next time. It may have been just one needing that extra charge. I hate it when people take a pic where they get a reading and an orb shows up, and they say, well see we used the meter and caught this orb. Well of course you did, it's by something electrical. But that does not mean it's a haunting. People use the term haunting too lightly. One or two orbs does not mean anything or everything. Some use what is called a thermal instrument for measuring hot and cold spots, which is ok too. But again you can get false readings with this too. It might just be a fan is on, or a draft, or someone passing by, a slight wind. All I can say is don't rely on equipment for everything. Use your sensing. If you feel something isn't right take a pic. If you feel someone is watching you, snap away. If you see something that Just doesn't look right, take a pic. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has the ability to sense. They may not as of yet know how to use or develop it, but they have it. I myself never needed any equipment, but not all can do that. But for the most part you don't need all the equipment. What did ghost hunters do before all the new ghost busting equipment came into effect????? The best tools to have on hand are your feelings, your instincts, but most of all rely on yourself. All this does not apply for inside hunting. There are different things to do and not do on the inside of a building and/or house. A lot of people will use Motion devices. They're ok too, to a point. But they can also give false readings. Equipment is good, but not great. It will give you a general idea of what to look for. If you're going to use the equipment, when using a motion detector, don`t snap right where the motion detector is, as they move fast. Go to the left or right of it. Same for cold spots if you're getting a reading, go past where your getting the reading, as they have moved by then. If you're using a tape recorder, this could be good, but hard to prove as you are the only one who will know for sure that you have something. You can't prove a voice per say. It can be altered. Put the tape speed on slow because they talk slower than us most of the time. Get one that filters noise, and limits wind noise. When taking a pic don't always snap at the ground. Most are at least three feet above the ground, but not always. Just do as much of an area as you can. I try and do all fours ways, in each direction. Our opinions We at Hamilton Paranormal agree with our resident psychic, Julie, on her following statement...... If anyone charges you to go on a ghost hunt, look someplace else. If anyone charges you to belong to a club, look someplace else. Spirits don't charge you to do anything, so why should you get charged for anything related to the paranormal. Same for a psychic, if they charge you anything, be wary of it. It`s a gift , so do it freely.     |