Lou’s View – Oct. 9, 2014
How to Choose a Ghost Hunter
by Lou Bernard
So, you think your house is haunted. Obviously, you’re going to want to get a paranormal investigator in there. You’ll need to know for sure if there’s a ghost, so you can claim it as a dependent on your taxes. (Legally, I now have to state that I was kidding about this. The preceding statement was a joke. As far as the IRS knows.)
Being a paranormal investigator myself, a member of the Lock Haven Paranormal Seekers (Like us on Facebook!) I can tell you that you want to make sure you get someone reputable. There are a lot of flakes out there—Teams who only want to get on TV; people who assume everything is supernatural, including sunrise; individuals who inform you that you have fifteen ghosts because “They can sense these things.”
How to make the correct choice? Fear not, persons currently being haunted! I can guide you.
First ask about their rates. If they have any, forget it. You’re going to want someone reputable and scientific—Reputable people will tend to be volunteers, interested in investigating for the science of it. If you ask how much they charge, and the answer is more than zero, forget them.
Ask about previous investigations. A reliable paranormal investigator will keep a confidence—If the homeowner prefers to keep things quiet, the investigator will never talk about it. Based on the previous investigations he is able to talk about, however, you can learn a lot.
Listen closely—Are the investigations all places he went on a whim, or was he invited? A reputable ghost hunter will never trespass—He will go places when asked to, or only with permission. If the ghost hunter is telling stories of breaking into abandoned houses or sneaking into cemeteries late at night, you don’t want him.
Know who will be involved. Whether an individual or a team, investigators will let you know beforehand exactly how many people will be there. Ghost hunting is a popular thing, and I am constantly bombarded with requests to take someone along on an investigation. A reputable ghost hunter isn’t going to bring a bunch of buddies along—How would you feel about a plumber who brought three of his friends to your house because they’re “really into that”? Same with paranormal investigation. You don’t want someone who brings in a whole bunch of uninvited people. After all …
It’s your house. I’ve known some ghost-hunting teams who make ridiculous requests of the homeowners. Some teams will ask the owners to leave for the duration of the investigation. As a homeowner myself, I wouldn’t do this. I’d be highly suspicious of any team that didn’t want me in my own home.
One team told their client that she had to dispose of her dead son’s ashes, sitting on the mantel, if she wanted the ghost to go away. This is outrageous—All ghost-hunting is highly theoretical. There was no proof that the ashes were having any effect on anything, and yet, they told the poor woman to destroy something special that may have been a comfort to her.
Are they providing scientific, measurable results? What do you think is more important: Having specific evidence, such as recordings, photos, and documents, that you can show to people? Or having someone walk around your house and tell you about any stray thought that crosses their mind?
A good investigator will be looking for something measurable and provable. They will provide you with a copy of any evidence they have, such as a whisper on a recording, or an odd photo. They are likely to research the history of a building, and provide you with a copy of the documents. If they can document who lived and died in the building, and show something that you can show to other people, they are probably good. If they walk around, placing their hands against their head dramatically, and saying things like,”I sense….A person. Mark? Matthew? Is there a Matthew here? Sarah?” then you probably want to get rid of them. Which brings me to….
A good paranormal investigator is not looking for the paranormal. This sounds backward, doesn’t it? It’s not. Scientifically, you can’t find out the truth if you already think you know what it will be. If you have a door that opens on its own, a good investigator will not take one look and say,”Yep. Ghost.” A good investigator will check to see if the floor is level, if there are any drafts, and all other explanations before suggesting that something is supernatural. If they insist that everything is a ghost, they’re not a good investigator. They’re a drama queen.
Paranormal investigation is interesting, and it’s a lot of fun. But it shouldn’t be dramatic and wild. Professional and scientific is what you want—If you’re looking for drama, skip the investigation and just throw a murder mystery dinner.
