A question frequently fielded by paranormal investigators (myself included), is “Do the ghosts follow you home?” 

An interesting question indeed…albeit a bit frightening to consider.  I myself cannot consider the idea of every estranged spirit we’ve investigated hopping in the BHAPS vehicle and following us home as a positive experience.  Fortunately, I can say this isn’t the case.  

 Generally speaking, paranormal activity is occurring at a specific location for a reason.  It may be attached to a person, a geographical area, or a building.  The activity tends to remain at the location regardless of occupants/renovations, etc.  There simply seems to be no reason why one would detach from its previous engagement in order to attach itself to the paranormal investigator.

The only instance I can ponder which would warrant a spirit following a paranormal investigator would be if the spirit found relief in the fact that it was able to contact someone from the physical plane (or that the person from the physical plane was willing to listen and had the technology to communicate).  In this instance the energy may cling to it’s only source of communication with the physical plane.  I can’t say that this hasn’t happened in the past.  There are paranormal investigators who have claimed to have been followed by spirits after an investigation.  Most, however, state no such thing has ever occurred.

Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) conducted an interview with Movieweb.com and fielded this question:

Have you ever actually had the feeling that maybe a ghost or some sort of, you know, paranormal entity followed you home after doing one of these expeditions?

Jason Hawes:  The way I look at it is I’ve got five kids. The least thing they want to do is come to my house. But on a serious note, you know, we’ve had some people say that they believe things have followed them back. I’ve never personally experienced it myself. You know, we’re not the kind of people out, you know, blessing ourselves with holy water or doing smudges. That’s not what we’re about. We just feel, you know, your strength comes from inside of you to keep these things away and keep yourself safe.

Grant Wilson: Right, I’ve never - this is Grant. I’ve never had that happen either. I’ve never actually seen it happen. What I have seen is that some people who start investigating them eventually will start to think their house is haunted. And whether that’s just because now they’re in the field, that they’re just kind of going that way and they hear sounds or, you know, it’s hard to say something ever has followed you home. I mean, it’s not like you can even - you’re lucky if you catch a picture of these things, you know, much less identify it well enough to recognize it in a different location (http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/12/27112.php).

So, is the “feeling” of being followed home from a spirit only that, a “feeling”?  How can a paranormal investigator readily identify if a particular spirit has followed him/her to their residence?  As Grant stated, it’s difficult enough to catch evidence of their existence at all…how can we differentiate between spirits?  At this point in my field of experience, I would have to say we can’t (Unless, of course, you’ve got an EVP as distinctive as Sean Connery).

It is an interesting consideration to the paranormal investigator.  It may possibly be a risk of the job.  I know I certainly don’t want every energy we’ve encountered inhabiting my home, and I’m sure every other paranormal investigator out there would identify with that.

After a career of thirty years or more, maybe I’ll change my tune.  But for now, things seem to be quiet.  And that’s a good thing.

‘Til next time…

If you feel that you are experiencing paranormal activity and would like help, please contact BHAPS at:  Help@BHAPS.com or feel free to call us toll-free at: 1-866-510-6130. 

 

I can bet that if you were to survey the general population regarding one place they wouldn’t like to be at three o’clock in the morning, one of the top answers would be cemeteries.

Cemeteries naturally provide dark feelings for most people.  They are the inarguable testament of the finality of our human lives; a snapshot of our ultimate destination.  Not only does the realization of our own mortality cause discomfort, but the stories engraved upon each stone provide images of sadness and loss.  Even the neat lines of headstones and the impeccable gridlines of the dead within a cemetery can make it seem methodically macabre in nature.

At the same time, cemeteries are beautiful in their own, unequaled way.  They are a place of peace, a place of silence, an oasis of rememberence, and in the air floats a feeling of tranquility and serenity. 

Amazing the contrasts we draw, isn’t it?

Many people feel that if there’s a place to find ghosts, it would be in a cemetery.  I can fully understand their hypotheses.  After all, this is a final resting place…a monument where they will always be represented, visited and remembered.  Above all, the physical body (or ashes) lie at this very place.  There must be some sort of spiritual connection to this above all places, right?

Many past investigations in cemeteries have actually pointed towards the opposite.

As with any other subject, if one looks hard enough and does enough investigation, you will certainly find that there are cemeteries throughout the United States and the world which have been highly active with paranormal phenomenon.  Some, but not all of “Haunted Cemeteries” include:  St. Louis Cemetery in New Orleans; Stull Cemetery, Kansas City; Westminster Presbyterian Churchyard, Baltimore ( http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/hauntedcemeteries/toptenhauntedcemeteries/).

However, history has shown that this is the exception to the rule, not the norm. 

Let’s look first at the theories as to why paranormal activity occurs.  

One of the most accepted theories in the paranormal community is that an emotionally-charged event leading to death happened at the location.  Whether it was a violent, unfair, cruel or sudden death may have cause to paranormal activity occuring at a certain location.

In the case of residual hauntings, there may be an outside source which acts like a recording device, having previously “soaked” energy and repeatedly plays itself over and over through time.  Examples of this may include underground water sources, granite or limestone deposits, etc.  Again, as with everything in the field of the paranormal, these are all theories (for more on this, read my blog, “So, What Exactly Are Ghosts?“).  These theories have surfaced for good reason, however.  They have shown to be repeatable, the same criteria being in place on many residual hauntings.  Until we have developed the technology to identify the causes of paranormal activity in a more thorough manner, we are stuck with circumstantial evidence and theories!

Troy Taylor, founder of the American Ghost Society (whom I quote quite often), states, “A few years back, in an earlier edition of the Ghost Hunter’s Guidebook, I wrote some rather scathing comments about the so-called “ghost hunters” who spent their time running about in cemeteries, snapping photographs and calling what they were doing investigations…For the most part, the response for this was positive but many well-established researchers began to criticize me for encouraging people to carry out what they called “useless research.” (The Ghost Hunter’s Guidebook, 3rd Edition, Whitechapel Productions Press, pp. 169 )

Troy has since changed his tune a bit regarding cemetery investigations.  He simply states that he has had problems with how they have been investigated in the past. 

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that investigating in cemeteries is “useless research”.  I would simply state that there’s better places to look.

That is the point of this blog.  Past research of haunted places by paranormal investigators has almost always revolved around the criteria listed earlier in this blog.  Cemeteries do not tend to fall into any of these catagories.  Does this mean there is absolutely no activity in a cemetery?  Of course not.  Who knows, maybe those who have passed on are drawn to the cemetery through the emotional outpouring of visitors…maybe they like to have a little reunion with family buried closely to their plot…there could be the possibility that the spirit seeks the physical body after death…who knows?

My personal recommendation to the paranormal investigator however, is to “stick with what works”.  It may be fun to wander a graveyard and try to randomly gather evidence.  It may be interesting to snap random photos and hope for random evidence.  I’m all for fun.  

-All the while there’s a family somewhere scared out of their minds because their home is being ransacked by some strange, uninvited entity. 

My point here is this:  I firmly believe that cemeteries are inherently quiet regarding paranormal activity.  I believe it is the weaknesses and fears in the human mind which creates an environment of ghostly apparitions around every headstone.  If we really consider what has historically posed the proper criteria for hauntings, graveyards just don’t fit the bill.

I see a cemetery as a place where “the dead rest”.  I resolutely believe that’s what they do there.  Rest.

‘Til next time…

 

 

If you feel that you are experiencing paranormal activity and would like help, please contact BHAPS at:  Help@BHAPS.com or feel free to call us toll-free at: 1-866-510-6130. 

 

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, “How do you go about an investigation?”  I thought in this blog I’d try to explain how exactly an investigation takes place. 

Obviously, the paranormal investigator need a place to investigate.  It is important to get as much information from the party claiming paranormal activity as possible.  Ask questions, and lots of ‘em!  Some questions to consider:  “What have you seen/heard/felt?”, “Who has experienced this?”, “Do you know the history of the dwelling?”, “Any strange smells or sounds?”, “When did this begin?”, etc.  There are a host of questions which need to be asked in order to compile a thorough gathering of information.  There are many more questions to be asked than these listed, far too many to list here.

It is important to obtain as much information about the dwelling being investigated outside of the owners/claimants.  This may include searching for old newspaper articles, questioning former residents/tenants, searching for media or books regarding the area or the specific property, etc.  It is also of interest to the investigator to obtain information about the land the building is on.  Does it have a significant history?  Is there any underground water sources?  What is the makeup of the terrain around the building (granite, limestone, i.e.)?  All of these pre-investigative processes will help ensure a more thorough and knowledgeable investigation.

Once the investigator feels he/she has a well-rounded understanding of the general history/claims at the home, it is time to schedule an investigation.  It is of utmost importance to inform the person who owns the home everything you will be doing.  The last thing you want to do is surprise the homeowner with some form of investigative procedure that they may very well be offended by.  Explain the timeframe you will need, where you will be going, all of the equipment you will be using and how many people will be in the home.  If the homeowner wishes to be home during the investigation, that is their option.  You may wish to discuss some of the guidelines you’d like the homeowner to follow to prevent any tampering or pollution of possible evidence.  The homeowner comes first. 

Make sure you protect the homeowner.  You don’t want the homeowner carrying the onus of knowing that if you’re hurt in their home or you break something, they’ll have to claim it on their insurance.  BHAPS uses no-liability forms which protects the homeowner from any injuries suffered by our investigators, as well as protects them from the unlikely event that we break something.  These little things go a long way in showing your professionalism, as well as gathering the trust of the homeowner.  The last thing they need in their already stressful situation is the worry that someone is going to break something or get hurt!

Once the investigation is about to go underway, there are a few things to consider:

Never conduct an investigation alone.  Not only does it remove a great deal of validity to your claims, it places you in a position of having no witnesses.  It may also place you in danger of being injured with no one around to help!  Remember, these investigations are done in the dark, often stumbling around an unfamiliar area…sounds like a recipe for a broken ankle!

Although somewhat obvious, drinking or smoking must be completely prohibited during an investigation (and of course no drinking prior to an investigation).  The smoke given off by cigarettes can easily taint evidence and produce realistic photographs which look paranormal in nature.  No smoking!

Remember to enter the area in question as a skeptic.  It can be very easy to enter a place of great reputation with the “expectation” that things are going to happen.  It is best for the investigator and for the client to enter such places with the idea of searching for natural causes, not the paranormal.  If something else occurs, well, bonus!

Make sure all of your equipment is in working order, you know how to use it, and of course, with you!  We went on an investigation some time back and were fully into it before I realized we’d forgotten flashlights.  Not good!  Have a checklist and make sure it’s all there.  Most importantly, make sure you’ve got batteries, and lots of ‘em.  It is not uncommon to have batteries drain in high-activity investigations.  The last thing you want is to finally find “The Big One” and find that your Sony is fresh out of juice.

Do an EMF “background” sweep.  Find out which devices and areas of the house are producing naturally-ocurring EMF.  Get a general “EMF feel” for the place.  Is it quiet?  Is it brimming with EMF?  These are important things to know!

Be professional.  The homeowner isn’t going to want his/her house looking like a three-ring circus.  Lay low and go about your business quickly and quietly.  Unless previously arranged and wanted by the homeowner, no media!

Do your best to reconstruct claimed events.  Debunk, debunk, debunk!  The homeowner likely will not be offended if you are able to explain that the “creepy man” walking up and down his/her stairs is simply an HVAC duct banging against the stair risers!  Go the extra mile to find how any claims may not be that of paranormal nature, even if it means an extra hour and some tasks you don’t feel like doing!

If you’re not technically savvy about household appliances/plumbing/electrical, etc.  Ask someone who is.  It may be the difference between you saying “I don’t know” and “It’s just your refrigerator”.

Write down everything of importance.  It may be a valuable reference later when you can’t remember!

After the investigation is when the work starts:  reviewal of evidence.  It takes hours upon hours.  One way to completely throw the entire investigative process out the window is to drag your feet and haphazardly review the evidence.  You are doing yourself and the client a great disservice by not giving the evidence reviewal your complete and uninterrupted attention.  When/if you find something, write it down, along with the time!  I have, in a previous case, failed to write down the time of a rather significant event.  This error on my part amounted to myself having to go through two hours of evidence I had already reviewed, because of my complacency!

Once everything has been reviewed, it is time to reveal to the client what you have or haven’t found.  BHAPS will generally place all of the evidence, including EVP’s, photographs and video on an informational DVD.  This provides the client with a universal, easy to use reference for them to look over.  Go over the findings together, with the client, stating what you believe is occurring.  If you don’t know, say “I don’t know”.  Don’t assume or speculate.  If it’s unclear, make it known to the client that it is unclear.  In the end, the client will appreciate your honesty.

I understand that this a Reader’s Digest version of paranormal investigating.  These are only my suggestions, however they are, for the most part, the standard operating procedures of BHAPS, so I stand by them. 

I thought it would be of interest to those curious about “Ghost Hunting” and what it entails.  There is much more which could be included here, but I don’t want to induce any head-versus-keyboard nodding off here.  I’d be happy to field any more questions people may have regarding going about a ghost hunt.  Just drop a line in the “Comments” box and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

‘Til next time…

 

If you feel that you are experiencing paranormal activity and would like help, please contact BHAPS at:  Help@BHAPS.com or feel free to call us toll-free at: 1-866-510-6130.