Podcast time!

The sound echoes really bad, and I am not sure why. I tried different microphones, but got the same effect or they didn't pick up my voice at all. 

So if you have questions, please ask thanks.

Happy hunting!

What to do when you experience phenomena

I mentioned in a previous post that I would post about what you should do when you experience certain types of phenomena, specifically noises and apparitions. 


Noises:
If you are investigating and you hear a noise you should stop for a moment and see if it reoccurs. Whether it reoccurs or not, try to find out where it come from and go to this spot. While at this spot do all you can to figure out what caused the noise. First check any equipment that might have also heard the noise. The begin to check the room for fallen objects and look around the room for things that seem out of place, if you are working with a team ask if they were in the area when you heard the noise. If you still do not know what caused the noise, try to recreate it. You can try dropping objects on the floor, stomping on the ground, or opening and closing doors. 
If you cannot recreate or find a cause for the noise you have experienced paranormal phenomena.*


Shadows/Apparitions:
If you see a shadow or an apparition stop and ask out loud if someone is around. If you get no response, try to think about what could have form what you just saw. Shadows can be causes by lights coming in through windows, or even off equipment that has lights. Like with what you would do when you hear a noise, try to recreate the image. This is easier if you have someone with you**. See if shining a light at a certain angle creates a form or analyze objects and see if they look similar to what you saw. 
If you cannot recreate the image then you may have seen a ghost.*


* If you do not have it caught on equipment it is nothing but a story. Your ears and eyes can play tricks on you.
** For safety and the recreation of images I suggest always investigating with someone else. 

How to conduct a paranormal investigation

In this post I will list the steps one should go through when investigating a haunted house. This post will not be covering the things one would need to do to set up an investigation, what to do when you experience phenomena, or what to do after your investigation. I will look at these in another post. The steps and ideas are the same for buildings or parks/outdoor areas. 


Before beginning an investigation walk around the home with the lights on so that you get a general feel for the house and make sure the house is clear of people and pets. While doing your initial walkthrough get a temperature reading so that you can recognize any “cold spots” you may have during your investigation. Be sure to turn off all light such as TVs or computers.


The investigation:


1. Walk into an area which the owner(s) claims to have experience phenomena and take a few pictures of the room.


2. Turn your video camera on and announce that you are not there to harass or cause harm and you expect the same for yourself and everyone with you.


3. Begin asking questions for signs of the paranormal to reveal that it exists.


4. While listening carefully look around the room with the video camera


5. Continue steps 3 and 4 for as long as you feel necessary, if you feel that a room is not haunted move on to the next until you have investigated the entire home. 


If you have questions please feel free to ask in the comments area and I will reply as soon as possible. 


Happy hunting!

Interview with Long Island Paranormal investigator Rob

Interview with Rob from Long Island Paranormal Investigators

Me- How did you start investigating?

Rob- My friend Mike and I started our organization 9 years ago. We began by checking out local urban legends to see if we could find any truth to them. When we first started everything was new and there weren't television shows on the subject. We read a lot of
books and information on websites. We then tested out theories that others presented in books and the internet to see what we would discover and what to believe.

Me- What equipment do you suggest for beginners?

Rob- We generally tell beginners to the field to ignore all the new, fancy gadgets on television and get grounded on things that are more substantial and have been used for a while. Starting out you should have a basic EMF meter, audio recorder, and a camera. Make sure to study and learn the specs of the individual item thoroughly. Once you master what you have, then consider expanding what you have.

Me- What is your mentality when going into an investigation?

Rob- When we enter into a case we go in as open-minded skeptics. We believe in being open to possibilities, but that you shouldn't go in expecting something paranormal to happen. When you get something you must eliminate all other answers before you call it paranormal. Your evidence must hold up to scrutiny if you want others to take you seriously. 

Me-  If there is one piece of advice you would give to beginners, what would it be?

Rob- One piece of advice I give to new people is to remember television is for entertainment. I just say to take things at times with a grain of salt.

Equipment

Science and technology have come a long way. The paranormal is not back up strongly by science, but technology can help you gain evidence that will make your investigation more credible. Equipment is very broad in the paranormal field, but a few pieces of equipment are necessities. These are;

• Flashlight(s),
• Digital camera(s),
• Audio recorder(s),
• Digital thermometer(s), and
• Electromagnetic field detector(s).

These five items are good to have if you are just starting out, but there are other items that can be used.

Many investigators use;

• Video camera(s),
• Thermal Camera(s),
• Motion Censor(s),
• DVR System(s), and
• Computer Program(s).

I will warn you that the five items above can be expensive. That is why I am telling you what you should definitely consider having when investigating and what you may want to check out. Some websites you can find equipment at are;

• Ghost Shop.com 
• Less EMF.com
• Prairie Ghosts.com
• My Ghost Gear.com
• The Ghost Hunter Store.com
• Paranormal Research Tools.com
• Ghost Mart.com

GhostStop.com has the biggest selection but they are the most expensive out of the five I have listed. I found GhostMart.com has the best prices out of any paranormal equipment store. 

Another thing about many of these items is that you can find them in stores other than paranormal equipment stores. If you seem to be having a hard time finding a piece of equipment that fits your budget try Walmart or Home Depot.

Remember that you do not have to buy all this equipment, remember to use what you feel comfortable using and what you can pay for.