This is a guest contribution from Desmond Rhodes.
You’re a lover of the supernatural, but your job requires you to tone down your excitement for fear of scaring customers or coworkers. That’s okay; not everyone loves to dive into the paranormal. But you’ve been fascinated by it since you could remember. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that when getting home from work, your routine is to watch horror movies and read creepy stories for the rest of the day to satisfy your paranormal interests.
What if I told you that there are ways to expand your inclination to creep yourself and others out, increase your chances of actually seeing a ghost, and make some money as well? Side hustles are nothing new — we have all heard of people making some extra cash on the weekends driving for Uber or renting a spare room out on Airbnb to help out on rent. But there are no jobs in the paranormal field, right?
Wrong. There are actually plenty of side jobs to help channel your fondness of the occult into some cash. Maybe you’ve got student loans or a car to pay off and need a second job to make ends meet. Whatever the case, take a look below to see some ways you can fulfill your passion while making some money on the side.
Writer
When we think of paranormal writing, we usually think of names like Stephen King, Mylo Carbia, and Ramsey Campbell, but you don’t necessarily have to be a novelist or screenwriter to write about your paranormal experiences or inquires. Although, if you do go the novelist route, it is still a booming market. But you can also take to the internet, maybe even Haunt Jaunts, to explore, research, and write about some ghostly subjects.
Ghost Hunter/Paranormal Investigator
Anyone who is interested in spirits has conducted their own mini-investigation, or at the very least follows a ghost hunting show on TV. Ghost hunting and investigating are great side jobs, as most of the hours will be during nighttime — to maximize the creepiness of course. You’ll just have to make sure to maintain a manageable work-life balance while juggling two jobs. However, if you can draw some boundaries between your work and personal life, and handle other issues that can arise while freelancing or working remotely, then this may be the job for you.
Being a paranormal investigator or ghost hunter can be expensive, however. You’ll need night vision cameras, some quality sound equipment, EMF and thermal scanners, etc. Although it might help to know that if you do capture evidence of a ghost, you can be compensated up to a million dollars offered by the James Randi Educational Foundation’s One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge — amongst various other prizes for your evidence of the otherworldly!
As always, you’ll want to be respectful when hunting a potential haunted location. Treasure hunter Michael Bernzweig advises, “(a)lways take note of local and national laws and request permission before hunting private property.” In this case, your treasure is a otherworldly one, but the suggestion still strongly applies. You wouldn’t want your hard work and research to be wasted, only to have your ghost hunting trip shut down by law enforcement, would you?
Ghost Tour Guide
Becoming a tour guide for a location that is known for paranormal activity is your best chance to actually experience contact from the other side. Just think, if you spend more time in a heavily supernatural spot, you’re increasing the possibility to be there when an apparition shows up. Besides getting paid for something you love, you’ll get to learn the history of a haunted location and meet people who are also interested in the paranormal.
Jaunters should know that there are tours of haunted areas all over the globe. So, if you’ve got the time, knowledge, and are willing to go to some of these places at night, consider becoming a haunted tour guide. Who wouldn’t want to become an expert in a haunted area?
Teaching
Ever heard of a parapsychology degree? Parapsychology, according to Judith Hancock, is a little-known branch of psychology that studies paranormal phenomena such as:
- ESP (extra-sensory perception)
- Clairvoyance
- Telepathy
- Precognition/premonition
- Reincarnation
- Out of body experiences
- Near death experiences
- Poltergeist activity
Parapsychology was popular following its conception in the late 17th century, but skeptics have since written it off as a mainstream study. However, some universities do recognize the field of research and offer classes at the graduate level. Degrees to get into parapsychology — while also examining the surface the paranormal — include religion, history, psychology, and various sciences.
Side gigs are not only a great way to make some extra cash, but you can pursue your hobbies as well. In this case, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the supernatural world all while keeping your head on straight with a “normal” job. It’s a win-win
About The Contributor
Desmond Rhodes is a writer out of the Northwest and an entertainer of conspiracy theories who predicted the ending to The Sixth Sense.
Got an idea you’d like to submit? We’re always looking for quality infotaining posts about true crime, horror, and the paranormal –or some blend thereof. Visit our Writers Wanted page for submission details. We’d love to have you join our Skeleton Crew!
P.S.
Yes.
That’s the answer to that question we know you’re wondering about. We do pay. Not a lot. Don’t get excited. But we believe in paying writers for their time and energy. You’ll find complete details on the Writers Wanted page.
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