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Someone asked me the other day, “So you like to hunt ghosts. Have you ever had any experiences?”
“Yes.”
“Really? What kind of equipment did you use? Did you capture it at all?”
“I’m not that kind of ghost hunter. I’m what I refer to as a Haunt Jaunter.”
“A Haunt Whater?”
I went on to try and explain the difference, but I could see they didn’t get it. (This particular person wasn’t really into ghosts. I think they mostly just asked me about it to be polite because they’d seen the signature line in my emails and some notes about it on my personal Facebook page.)
However, it gave me a good blog idea. Because it’s not the first time I’ve run into this sort of question.
I decided to make a list of both the differences and similarities between ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters. Here’s what I came up with:
- Both ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters like to seek out and explore haunted places.
- Ghost hunters conduct formal investigations of haunted places. They hope to find evidence. Haunt Jaunters do not. They simply like to take in the atmosphere, be that spending the night there, eating there, checking out the history, etc.
- Both ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters hope to have paranormal experiences, though, and purposely seek them out by traveling to and visiting haunted places.
- Both use equipment, but it may be for different purposes. This sort of goes back to #2. Ghost hunters are more apt to use fancy gadgets like EMF detectors, K2 meters, cameras and video cameras with night vision, thermal imagers, motion detectors, etc. in order to document evidence. Haunt Jaunters often have digital cameras, maybe even a video camera or voice recorder, and they may use some of their fancier gadgets out of curiosity, but they’re not really trying to capture evidence. Mostly they’d be trying to enhance their experiences.
- Ghost hunters often, but not always, belong to paranormal investigation groups. Haunt Jaunters either haunt hunt alone, or, like me, con their loved ones into turning family getaways into excuses to stay in haunted hotels, eat at eerie eateries, or visit historic sites with haunted histories.
- It’s not uncommon for both ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters to enjoy researching haunted places and to have lists of places they’d like to visit.
- Both ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters like ghost tours, but ghosts hunters would be more likely to be a ghost tour guide whereas Haunt Jaunters would be more likely to just be a ghost tour goer. (Not always. Plenty of regular ol’ non-ghost hunting ghost enthusiasts run ghost tours.)
- Both ghost hunters and Haunt Jaunters enjoy paranormal conferences.
- Haunt Jaunters may not put the latest investigation techniques into practice, but like ghost hunters they enjoy watching TV shows about ghosts, ghost stories, and/or ghost hunting.
- Halloween is likely to be named the favorite holiday of both ghost hunters and Haunter Jaunters.
Based on the above, which would you classify yourself as: a ghost hunter or a Haunt Jaunter?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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You might call yourself a ghost experiencer. I’ve met a lot of folks who like to have ghostly encounters but don’t feel the need to weigh, measure, or gather evidence. Sometimes, I go to haunted places just to have experiences and as a hunter that can be anxiety producing because when something happens you want to share it, but then some of the best experiences aren’t when you’re chasing them..it’s when it’s chasing you.
I’m a little bit of both but mostly a haunt jaunter. I like the experience and usually come armed with a digital camera and video camera. But who knows, if I keep hanging around Autumnforest, I just may become a ghost hunter.
Last August I went to several of the paranormal panels at Dragon*Con in Altlanta. At one of the panels, with some very well known paranormal investigators, the moderator asked the audience if we belonged to or wanted to join a ghost hunting group. Honestly, I think I was the only person who did not raise their hand.
You have summed up my interest in hauntings and given me a label to drop the next time someone corners me about not belonging to and having no desire to join a team of investigators. This sounds so much better than claiming I’m a fan.
I like it… its perfect and really hits the nail on the head!! Great Job.
Ghost experiencer or ghost explorer are both viable too, Autumnforest, but I’m definitely a Haunt Jaunter.
Although, Paige, these are 2 other monikers you might also want to keep in mind when describing yourself. Also, ghost enthusiast always works.
Julie, you were the first one to come to mind as I was thinking about people who could definitely be both. I’ll be curious to see if in time you’ll become more a ghost hunter though like you pointed out could happen, esp. if Autumnforest and you keep having groovy adventures! (Oh, Page, there’s yet another option: ghost adventurer!)
MarZel, why THANK YOU! I appreciate both you stopping by AND the compliment. 😉