Want to do your own ghost hunt?

Be aware of your surroundings Check out the area in daylight so you are familiar with the area. Look for dangerous places and obstacles that you will not be able to see in the dark. Make sure this is somewhere you won't mind spending half a night in the dark investigating.

Make sure you are not trespassing If you are on private property you are risking getting a ticket or arrested in some areas. You should always make sure you have permission to be on someone's property. No matter how tempting it is to investigate an abandoned house or cemetary in the middle of the night, we need to make sure we are respectful and always have permission first.

Never go alone Always make sure you have another person with you in case something happens. Bring along a first aid kit also.

The best times are from 9pm to 6am, these are the psychic hours, but anytime can produce results. Photos have historically been better in the dark but don't let that discourage you from taking them during the day.

Do a little history on your location first Find out all you can about the history of the place you're investigating. Newspapers, town historians, and books can be helpful finding folklore or hard facts about the site.

Prayer of Protection Some investigators like to say a "Prayer of Protection" before they start. That is up to you, but if you choose to, you can say something like, "I am divinely protected and guided. Any spirits that I encounter will remain bound to the confines of the cemetery/house/location." You tend to attract the kind of energy you put out. So be sure to go in with good positve energy and with a team you can trust.

Here is a handy Ghost Handing GuideClick Here!

Ghost Hunting Equipment - Some things you may need to bring along.

* Dress sensibly- Remember in will cool off at night, and you may have no heat or air conditioning since we usually turn off all electricity.

* Digital Camera - Not only do they allow you to see instantly if you have a positive photo, they can also take photos in limited infrared range of light.

* Flashlight w/ spare batteries - Remember to bring spare batteries for everything. Spirits often use the energy of our batteries and equipment, resulting in battery drain. I recommend using a red lens flash light to help preserve your night vision.

* First aid kit - just in case. You will be walking around in the dark and accidents happen.

* Notebook w/ pens and pencils- you need to write and log in everything that happens. Two investigators notes might match, for example, one investigator might hear an EVP while the other captures an anomoly. So if the reports match, then that just helps the investigators to know that the evidence is credible.

* Hand held recorders- this is another option instead of or along with the paper and pens. Not only can you state where you are and what time it is, but you can also record anything that isn't paranormal. For example, "I coughed at 10pm" or "car drove by and made noise at 12:12." That will make your investigation all the more credible and help you with your evalution of the investigation later. The best part of having a recorder though is obviously picking up EVP's. This is my personal favorite part of any investigation. Make sure you use your tools in unison also, for example, put your EMF reader next to where you are trying to record EVPS. It is really exciting to see the EMF light up at the same time you catch an EVP. It just makes it more credible that you are really capturing something paranormal. Again remember to bring extra batteries. Also remember to say if you feel different. Many times when confronted with paranormal activity you will become chilled or have goosebumps and just get an over all electrically charged feeling.

* Watch - so you can log in the times of events and your arrival and departure.

* Video camera (optional tripod) - Video cameras are an important instrument for an investigation. Unlike still cameras they provide us with constant visual and audio surveillance for review and observation. Some video cameras use infrared capability or night vision so you can record in the dark if anything is happening. With video any phenomena occurring can be documented in its entirety. This will show the length of time the phenomena occurs, what is happening, the conditions surrounding the phenomena, and possibly even the cause of the phenomena. You can use these on tripods or walk around with them. You should also invest in an infrared light extender which will help your camera see in the darkest places and make the quality of the video better.

* EMF Detector - The Electromagnetic Field Detector, also known as an EMF, is the modern day ghost researcher's tracking device, a very important piece of equipment. With this instrument it is possible to locate and track energy sources. It will detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields and low strength moving EMF fields that have no source. It is a common theory that spirits disrupt this field in such a way that you can tell one is present by higher than normal readings with this meter. Before using the EMF as a ghost research tool on an investigation be sure to walk around the area and take initial readings around energy sources such as light poles or electrical outlets to be sure of the readings you receive while scanning the area during the investigation. Most units when purchased come with a manual describing most household and major appliances and their corresponding electromagnetic reading. When using the EMF as a tracking device look for fluctuations of 2.0 to 7.0, this usually indicates spirit presence. Anything higher or lower is normally has a natural source.

* Cell phone and walkie talkies- if you have one it can come in handy in case of an emergency. With walkie talkies, you can keep track of where everyone is or let a team member know if you are in trouble or experiencing any activity.

* A Compass- it's a useful instrument to an investigator due to its compact size and low cost price. When used on an investigation this will indicate spirit presence when the needle cannot come to a precise heading or spins/moves erratically. This works on the same principle as a EMF meter.

* Motion Detectors- these can be used to sense movements by often unseen forces or spirits.

* Thermal Scanner- Infrared non contact thermometers are a great instrument to have. When used on an investigation this will aid as a detection system for spirit presence. Rapid temperature drop of 10 degrees of more could indicate spirit presence.

To look at different ghost hunting equipment and investigation software Click Here!



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* Make sure you do taped or noted interviews ahead of time with the property owners or whoever asked you to do the investigation. Try to verify any information they tell you with historic facts or records if you can.

* Have your team meet at the location of the investigation. Usually there will be a team leader, and someone assigned to different equipment. Put a couple people in charge of setting up and organize a small plan or outline of what you expect to cover for the night.

* Before you enter the site, say a prayer of protection that you remain safe from any evil spirits or demons and that any earthbounds stay where there are and not try to follow anyone home. Put your self in a positive frame of mind.

* Walk around the location and set up equipment and get a feel for the environment. Take notes or message on the recorder if you get any unusual feelings in any area or if anything looks potentially dangerous. Make sure to do a sweep with the EMF meter to get base readings so you know where wires may be or anything that could cause a fluctuation in EMF readings that is natural.

* Now it's time for the fun part, the actual investigation itself. Be sure to write down or record anything unusual that happens especially meter and temperature readings, visual sightings and strange sounds. Also make notes of any feelings or emotions you feel that may be odd or out of place. Often you will feel dizzy or get an electrically charged feeling when in contact with something paranormal. Some believe they can use our energy or our equipements energy to try to manifest or communicate, so make sure you note if you feel drained or your equipment batteries start draining. You can compare notes after the hunt and look for similarities in readings and feeling in certain areas or at certain times.

*Rotate the crew's positions a couple times so everyone gets a chance to see all the different areas. Then compare notes to see if anyone caught the same activity in the same locations.

*When the night comes to an end and the investigation is over, make sure you double check your equipement list. Make sure you are not leaving anything behind. The cost can really add up if losing equipement.

* When you are done have everyone meet in one spot and ask the spirits here not to follow you home and to remain here. Tell the others they must remain here in the name of God (or other good deities).

* Go home and get some rest. When you are rested up you can start going through and analyzing what you found on your investigation. It will take a couple people to go through all the hours of audio recordings and view the video tapes. Sometimes you might want to have two sets of eyes on everything just to make sure nothing was missed. Compare video to audio. Many times you will catch an EVP at the same time as capturing something on the video camera or the EMF reader.

*There are some great software programs you can download on your computer to help you keep track of your investigations, download your EVPS, and pictures and can save and generate reports for you. Good luck in your ventures! To see some downloadable ghost hunting software Click Here!

*A great way to share what you have found in your investigations is to create a blog or website. Can't wait to see what you've found! Here is my blog http://midwestparanormalactivity.blogspot.com/. please check it out!

Amplified E-Pod 3 Color Static Field Proximity Range Detection

Sima SL-20LX Ultra Bright Video Light
(Black)

Bell+Howell DNV900HD Night Vision 1080p High Definition Digital Video Camcorder with 3.0 Inch Touchscreen LCD

RT-EVP Digital Voice Recorder And Spirit Box Combo Device

K-II EMF Meter for Ghost Hunting

Starter Ghost Hunting Kit with "Ghost Tech"

P-SB7 Spirit Box ITC Research Device

Vivitar Mini DV Camcorder
(DVR-510) with 2GB Internal Storage, Night Vision
Black