Apparitions in the Night: Ghost Hunting Tips for Beginners

Please enjoy this guest contribution from H. Davis.

Have you ever driven on the road and spotted an abandoned, creepy, old building – whether it’s an old factory, hospital, or house – and remember hearing rumors that it was haunted by the
people who once lived there? Well, in some places you’ll find that there are still quite a few of these buildings around — some being used as historical locations while others are being used as
a functioning house. But when it all comes down to ghost and spirits, people, of course, have different opinions and beliefs on the subject.

Some people, for example, say that ghosts don’t exist and are just used to scare people, especially around Halloween, while other people strongly believe in life after death and provide scientific evidence to back up their claims. Then there are individuals who just aren’t sure what to believe when it comes to paranormal science. So, if you’re investigating the paranormal, you can be as high or low tech as you want – depending on what your goal is.

With that in mind, this article will help you get started with a few basic ideas when it comes to ghost hunting for beginners. Remember: You don’t have to spend all your life savings or try and have the same gear as the big-time investigators to find what you’re looking for. So whether you’re looking for a great scare by exploring places like The Valley Hunt, 1 of 10 Vancouver haunted houses, or wanting to explore the world of paranormal science here are some great ways you can investigate specific locations and track down apparitions just by using the knowledge you already have:

Decide on a Location

Sometimes choosing the right location can be as hard as choosing a place to go treasure hunting – which is essentially what you and your team are doing, hunting for
paranormal treasure. The good news is, spirits can be found in almost any location. That’s why it’s important for you to decide which type of spirits you’d like to investigate. Some spirits, for instance, are lost souls looking for a way out, while others are victims of heinous crimes – making their presence unwelcoming; make sure you pick a location that caters to the type of
spirits you’re looking for.

Do Your Research on the Property

Once you’ve chosen a location to investigate, conduct your own research on the property. Conducting your own research won’t only help you determine whether or not the property is haunted, it will also help you determine which type of equipment you’ll need, which type of investigators you’ll have to bring – like mediums or psychics – and whose permission you’ll need beforehand. By the time you approach the location, you should know just about everything there is to know about the property. That way, if you do find evidence of paranormal activity, you’ll know things like which spirit you’re communicating with, where they appear, and where they have been spotted by others. It’s important that you rule out all the logical explanations so you and your team aren’t wasting your time investigating a case that carries no truth to it. After all, nothing would annoy your team more than unloading all their equipment out the van only to find out it’s a hoax.

Safety

Whenever you’re investigating a haunted location it’s important to remember that your safety is the most important thing. That’s why most paranormal groups conduct their investigation during the day, so they can pinpoint emergency exits and evacuate safely in they need to. If for some reason, however, your investigation takes you to a remote area in the wilderness, traveling with a buddy is just one of three ways to keep yourself prepared for an emergency while gathering evidence. In addition, you should also carry the following items:

• First-aid kit
• Water and food
• Mobile phones
• Extra clothes

Equipment

If you believe that you’ve experienced some sort of paranormal activity, you’re going to need proof. That means having the right equipment on deck to do the job. Always make sure that you have a camera nearby to capture any unusual activity going on and a video recorder in case you witness something supernatural. Batteries are also important since spirits are known to use them as an energy source. So make sure you plenty of backups.

A pen and paper can also be useful for documenting abnormal changes in body temperature, doors slamming, and unexplained noises. It’s worth noting that the better the equipment is, the better your results will be. If you’re up for the challenge, you can try using a recorder to capture EVP (electronic voice phenomena) with a detachable microphone to get better results, or you can use your phone. Asking generic questions like is there anyone here? Would you like to say anything? Or what is your name? You never know, you might get you some results. In this case, you should learn to trust your sixth sense. In other words, if you think there’s something supernatural there, get your equipment out and documenting.

Get Permission Beforehand

Have you found a location you’re interested in? Did you reach out to anyone to see if you had permission to investigate ahead of time? If not, you should. That’s because if you and your team are investigating on private property, you’ll need permission from the homeowner or caretaker; otherwise, you’re trespassing, and this could result in all of you getting arrested, fined, or held responsible for anything damaged on the property.

That said, be extremely cautious when entering old buildings. If there are certain areas that are blocked off, it’s probably because the foundation is unsafe and could collapse if you walk in that particular area – causing serious harm to you and anyone else nearby. So, if you’re new to this, consider starting your first investigation in a public area — one where apparitions and ghosts have been sighted. Whatever you do, just make you and your team are considerate of your surroundings. Once the investigation is done and you’ve got everything you need, make sure you gathered all your belongings – trash included – and didn’t cause damage to any public property.

The only thing left to do at this point is going out and finding your next location.

Happy hunting!
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Thanks for the read! Did I miss anything important? What are some other things beginners should know about before going ghost hunting? Feel free to leave a comment below.

About H. Davis

H. Davis enjoys exploring the outdoors and reading up on ghost stories. If you can’t find him online, you might be able to catch him at the gym or watching sports (Go, Broncos!). Follow him on Twitter at @Davis241. Thanks!