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Do you have an unexplained event occuring in your neighborhood? Or are you interested in tracking down reports of ghosts or spirits? With preperation and study you can join the few real Ghostbusters who are determined to learn more about this mystery. Ghost hunting takes persistence and a lot of patience, but it is not without its rewards. As a ghost hunter you will be investigating into a phenomenon of great importance that is often overlooked. Adhere to the following guidelines and you will be chasing ghosts within a short time.
Step 1: Join An Organization
Perhaps the best organization that deals with the paranormal is the:
Society for Psychical Research (SPR)
49 Marloes Road
Kensington, London W8 6 LA
England
The SPR was founded in 1882 ´to examine without prejudice or prepossesion and in a scientific spirit those faculties of man, real or supposed, which appear to be unexplainable on any generally recognized hypothesis.´ The SPR published a journal and a newsletter, it holds conferences, and has a unique library that is open to its members.
Another organization similare to the SPR is the:
American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR)
5 West 73rd Street
New York, NY 10023
USA
The ASPR publishes the quarterly ´Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research,´ and the ASPR newsletter. Although this association pays scant attention to hauntings and apparitions, it is interested in out-of-body and near-death experiences. The ASPR maintains one of the largest parapsychological libraries in the world.
Write to these organizations for membership information, and also check the ´Encyclopedia of Associations´ at your local library for more organizations that deal with parapsychology and the unexplained.
Step 2: Search Other Sources
Subscribe to magazines like Fate and Fortean Times for additional information on ghosts and the paranormal. Check out books from the library and conduct internet searches using keywords like ´ghosts,´ ´parapsychology,´ ´spirits,´ ´ghost hunters,´ ´paranormal,´ etc. And don't count out word of mouth contact. Because one in every ten people claim to have had some sort of paranormal experience it is likely that you can find a case simply by asking around.
Step 3: Get the Right Equipment
Now that you have sources which can lead you to ghosts and hauntings you will need to have the proper equipment for your investigations.
In a small backpack, duffel bag, or briefcase keep a flashlight with extra batteries, a tape recorder, a camera, and a notepad and pens. Also wear a luminous watch.
At the haunting location record everything with your tape recorder, even if you can't hear anything. Often unexplained noises, and sometimes voices, which can't be heard with the human ear are picked up in the background of the tape. Take pictures frequently, even if nothing unusual can be seen with the naked eye. Keep meticulous notes of Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
Some ghost hunters use a geiger counter to measure electromagnetic energy at a ´hot-spot,´ and others use infrared goggles because they claim that it helps them to see ghostly energy.
Whatever you do don't forget to bring Loyd Aurbach's book ´ESP Hauntings and Poltergeists: A Parapsychologists Handbook´ (Warner Books, 1986), which has scores of information about ghosts and what to do if you find them.
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