Ghost Hunting for Beginners

If you are interested in becoming a ghost hunter, the most important aspect of your investigations of real haunted places is your ghost hunting equipment and the other tools that will assist in your discovering proof of ghosts. Ghost investigators that take the time to explore locations that are associated with real life ghost stories should ensure that they have the ghost hunting equipment that will allow them to capture true ghost video, real photographs of ghosts, ghost sounds, ghost voices, and other proof of ghosts. If you play close attention to professional ghost investigators like those on the Ghost Hunters TV Show, you will find that they use a wide array of ghost hunting equipment and tools to assist them in their paranormal investigations. Here, you will learn the best equipment and tools to have on hand.

Ghost Software

One of the newest types of ghost hunting equipment that more and more individuals that conduct paranormal investigations have on hand is ghost software. This type of software is highly effective in organizing a paranormal investigation of real haunted places. Many ghost investigators have a challenging time keeping track of and organizing their ghost hunting equipment and the information that they obtain from their investigations. With ghost software, ghost investigators that visit real places such as haunted hotels, haunted hospitals, haunted prisons, and other points of interest where strange and unusual phenomenon occurs may effectively track the interviews that they conduct, the EVPs that they obtain, the photographs of ghosts, ghost voices, and real ghosts caught on camera. A ghost hunting team should always have ghost software to track their investigations.

Ghost Hunting Photo Equipment

If you are shopping for ghost hunting equipment, it is important to ensure that you have the tools that will allow you to take real photographs of ghosts. Many ghost investigators have pictures that display real ghosts caught on camera. Pictures are a valuable source when it comes to establishing proof of ghosts. If you pay attention to the investigators on the Ghost Hunters TV Show, Ghost Lab, Ghost Adventures, Most Haunted, and Paranormal State, you will find that they have a multitude of ghost hunting photo equipment. You should ensure that you have both a digital camera and a standard 35mm camera on hand during your investigations of unusual phenomenon associated with the paranormal.

When choosing a 35mm camera for ghost hunting, it is important to choose one that will provide high quality ghost pictures. It is always important to incorporate the use of film that is at least 400 speed. Since hunting for ghosts is an activity that takes place a night, the 400 speed film will prove to be highly beneficial in capturing precise images. Many individuals use 800 speed film, but this could be too intense for capturing clear images. You may need to experiment to determine the best 35mm ghost hunting camera as well as the best speed of film to choose from. You may also elect to purchase film that is designed to take infrared pictures. Just remember when you take pictures and have them developed from a 35mm camera that you will be looking for pictures that appear to be "bad". Items such as lighted rods, orbs, and mists could indicate paranormal activity.

When shopping for ghost hunting photo equipment, it is important to ensure that you have a digital camera in addition to your 35mm camera. In today's world, digital cameras include many features that will prove to be highly beneficial to the ghost investigators that are conducting the investigations that will assist them in establishing proof of ghosts. You may purchase digital cameras that have high-powered optical zooming features with wide-angle options, image stabilizers, smart systems that automatically adjust the device for the best pictures, different picture settings such as night pictures and low lighting, various types of shooting modes, noise reduction, high quality image processors, and more. It is essential to ensure that you choose high quality digital cameras with the highest amount of features when you want to capture the best real photographs of ghosts. Not only will a digital camera assist you in documenting your investigations, it will assist in establishing proof of ghosts.

Ghost Hunting Video Equipment

Most ghost hunters use video equipment in order to capture true ghost video or even scary ghost video clips that will assist them in establishing proof of ghosts. While real photographs of ghosts are impressive and a great accomplishment when it comes to the investigations concluded by those that specialize in researching the paranormal, it is important to understand that videos carry a lot of weight in the industry if you are wanting to learn the steps for becoming a ghost hunter. Real ghosts caught on camera are an effective means of establishing your credibility as far as investigations of real haunted places are concerned. When choosing ghost hunting equipment that will establish that there are real ghosts, it is important to ensure that you pinpoint those with the following features:

* It is important to choose camcorders that are portable. When visiting real haunted places such as haunted hotels and other locations, you will need to have the capability to move around easily. Even though some of the larger types of video equipment have a multitude of features and a high level of functionality, it is essential that you focus on those that are functional, come with a variety of features, and offer portability. These will assists in improving your mobility when searching for real ghosts.

* It is important to choose ghost hunting video equipment that offers you the capability to obtain the footage that you take through the means of both a computer and directly through a television set. This will ensure that you have multiple means of obtaining footage that could be vital to the documentation that you use to establish proof of ghosts.

* If you are interested in learning the steps on becoming a ghost hunter, you will quickly find that it is beneficial to always have a backup plan for the real ghost videos that you capture. The video recorder should have an internal memory as well as a memory card. It is always important to ensure that you save the videos that you take on both. If the internal memory malfunctions, you will be able to depend on the memory card. If the memory card malfunctions or becomes full, you will be able to depend on the internal memory.

* Since ghost investigators typically conduct their research in low lighting and at dark, it is important to ensure that the video recorder that you elect to use has night vision, a multi-functional flash feature, and other options such as many different shooting modes so that you are able to obtain high-quality optimal images of apparitions, orbs, rods, ectoplasm, mist, and other characteristics associated with the paranormal.

* When conducting ghost investigations, it is important to know and understand that there are many ghost sounds and ghost voices that may be picked up that could be your only clue that ghosts really do exist. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that you choose video recorders that include a microphone that has a high level of sensitivity. This way, if ghosts do attempt to communicate with you, the ghost video may be able to pick it up. Many times, these ghost sounds are not audible in a manner that allows them to be heard by the human ear. However, many are able to pick them up through the use of video recording equipment and other electronic devices such as digital voice recorders.

* In many instances, ghost wander and lurk in areas that we are unable to easily get to. This is why it is important to ensure that your video recording device has the capability to zoom and reach angles that are otherwise hard to reach.

If you follow these tips in choosing a video recording device, you will be able to find a model that is perfect for ghost hunting investigations and establishing proof of ghosts.

In addition to the ghost hunting equipment covered, there are other types of ghost hunting equipment and tools that will assist you in establishing proof of ghosts. These are as follows:

Ghost Hunting Audio Recording Devices

If you are interested in learning the steps on becoming a ghost hunter, it is important to ensure that you have a audio recording device on hand that will assist you in capturing ghost sounds and ghost voices. Most ghost investigators incorporate the use of digital voice recorders in order to catch what is referred to as EVPs or "Electronic Voice Phenomenon". When choosing digital voice recorders, it is important to choose a device that has multiple functions and has a high level of sensitivity. In some cases, an inexpensive model will be sufficient in ghost hunting, however, if you are serious about establishing proof of ghosts, it could be beneficial in investing a little more so that you ensure that you are able to capture all of the ghost sounds and ghost voices that occur on your investigations.

Ghost Hunting Books, Manuals, and Guides

In addition to the standard ghost hunting equipment such as photography equipment, video equipment, and audio recording devices, you may also benefit from having ghost hunting books, manuals, and guides. As a ghost hunter myself, I have found that how to ghost hunting books, books that cover real haunted places on a national and international basis, and books that cover ghost encounters, real ghost stories, real life haunted houses, haunted places to stay, haunted hotels, haunted hospitals, haunted asylums, haunted prisons, and other types of haunted places are highly beneficial. Not only do they teach you where the ghosts are, they teach you about techniques and other strategies used by ghost hunting professionals in the field.

If you are interested in becoming a ghost hunter, it is important that you gain an in depth understanding of the types of hauntings that you may experience while searching for proof of ghosts. If you watch paranormal shows on television like the Ghost Hunters TV Show, you likely already have a good, basic understanding of the types of hauntings that may be experienced while ghost hunting. In order to understand the spiritual realm, it is absolutely essential to ensure that you learn many basic ghost facts, experiences associated with real life ghost stories, what has happened to individuals throughout history that claim to have had ghost encounters, and information associated with real haunted places.

Residual Hauntings

The most common type of haunting are referred to as residual hauntings. While many consider these hauntings to be unique types of ghosts, they are not actually ghosts at all. The residual haunting is simply a form of energy. Many ghost investigators refer to these hauntings as a "recording". In many cases, apparitions, ghosts, and disembodied voices are nothing more than a type of recording that replays itself consistently as time progresses - forever staying stuck on the height of the emotion and event that occurred. Spirits that are considered to be residual hauntings do not interact or behave in an intelligent manner. They simply act in a repetitive fashion.

Intelligent Hauntings

The next type of haunting that you should become familiar with when learning the steps on becoming a ghost hunter is the intelligent haunting. These are often referred to by ghost investigators as "true hauntings". This stems from the fact that these hauntings are said to possess a form of consciousness that allows them to interact in an intelligent fashion with the living and/or other spirits that are considered to be intelligent. Individuals that experience intelligent hauntings will often find that the spirit attempts to communicate with them, objects move or become hidden, there are interferences with electricity and similar complications.

Demonic Hauntings

Perhaps one of the most frightening hauntings according to ghost investigators are demonic hauntings . In typical hauntings, a spirit may mean well. However, this is simply not the case when it comes to hauntings that are a direct result of demons. Despite popular belief that demonic hauntings may occur as a result of the anger of a human soul or a human spirit that intends to bring harm to others, demons are not at all human. Those that are weak on an emotional or a psychological level are the ones that are most likely to suffer the wrath and evil that these types of hauntings cause.

Poltergeist Hauntings

Ghost investigators are very familiar with hauntings that come as a result of poltergeists. Professional paranormal investigators, such as those on the Ghost Hunters TV Show often express their opinions and experiences with poltergeists, or "Noisy Spirits". If you are learning the steps on becoming a ghost hunter, it is important that you take the time to learn about this type of haunting because it is relatively common - even more common than demonic hauntings. There are many real life ghost stories of individuals and families that have suffered tremendously due to poltergeists.

The poltergeists that affect the living are able to successfully manipulate their surroundings in a physical manner. Individuals that are subjected to these types of hauntings may also be subjected to physical attacks that could result in bodily harm and psychological distress. Based on documented ghost investigations, it has been established that there are certain types of people that are most likely to be affected by poltergeists. These include those that are burdened by psychological chaos and fears, individuals that have a high level of psychic abilities, as well as those that are young. As a matter of fact, it has been established that females that are young seem to be the most common group subjected to poltergeists. Negative and oppressive energy assists in building the strength of poltergeists.

Phantom Hauntings

There are several real life ghost stories that feature phantoms. These are very interesting types of ghosts in that they resemble the living in such an intense fashion that many individuals do not realize that they are not true to life humans until something unusual occurs or strange phenomenon is experienced. Many stories are in circulation that pertains to phantom hauntings. In most cases, these stories are considered to be urban legends. However, for the ghost investigators that have researched ghost facts and ghost encounters with these types of hauntings, they consider them to be relevant and true paranormal phenomenon. Examples of these types of hauntings include the famous phantom hitchhikers and other types of phantom travelers.

Graveyard and Cemetery Shade Hauntings

Graveyard and cemetery shade hauntings are considered to be quite common throughout the United States and other regions of the world. In most cases involving these plots of land, it is established that the shade haunting that occurs is most often associated with an individual that has recently been laid to rest. It is believed that the spirits that classify under this type of haunting are nothing more than etheric based remnants of that individual. Many believe that the spirit of the recently deceased could be coming to terms with their fate or that they are waiting for their acceptance into the spiritual realm from the physical plane.

Crisis Hauntings

There are many real life ghost stories that include crisis hauntings. This type of haunting most often occurs when an individual is in the process of dying or has recently died. The spirits that are typically involved in these hauntings may be friends of the person or relatives that have died previously. In some instances, the spirits that are involved in a crisis haunting may be someone that is directly connected to an individual or individuals that are about to or have suffered through the crisis and/or loss that is occurring. In many instances, the crisis haunting does not last for an extended amount of time.

Object Hauntings

Ghost investigators are often called upon to research physical objects that are believed to be haunted. The objects that may be affected could be natural or they could be manufactured. It is often common to hear of haunted jewelry, haunted collectibles, and even haunted toys such as the famous real life ghost stories surrounding Robert the haunted doll. In most cases, the spirit elects to avoid haunting a person or a specific location. Instead, they anchor in a physical item. Despite the fact that many attempt to eliminate the spirit from the object that it haunts, attempts include many challenges.

Melancholic Hauntings

Throughout the history of ghost hunting and individuals sharing their real life ghost stories, melancholic hauntings have occurred. These are hauntings that come as a direct result of love, sadness, and/or betrayal in life. These types of hauntings are typically female spirits, but male spirits have also been associated with them. The stories that surround a "Gray Lady", "Black Lady", or even a "White Lady" could be melancholic hauntings. In most cases, the actual haunting is residual, but there have been reports by ghost investigators of melancholic hauntings that are considered to be intelligent.

Battleground Hauntings

Many ghost investigators have experienced ghost encounters, heard ghost voices, as well as other ghost sounds in and around known battlegrounds. Not too many of these hauntings interact on an intelligent level. However, there do seem to be some spirits with some level of consciousness associated with battlegrounds. The emotions and energy runs so heavily in battle, that it is believed that energy recordings are created which result in residual based hauntings on battlegrounds around the world.

Animal Hauntings

In addition to human, demonic, and poltergeist hauntings, there are animal hauntings. If you are interested in learning the steps on becoming a ghost hunter, it is absolutely essential that you know and understand that animals have the ability to haunt people, places, and objects. There have been many reports of ghost cats, ghost dogs, ghostly birds, and other types of creatures throughout history. It is important to understand that animal hauntings could be forms of energy as well as intelligent hauntings.

Marian Hauntings

A very interesting type of haunting is referred to as "Marian Hauntings". The individuals that have ghost encounter, real life ghost stories, and other ghost facts pertaining to these hauntings are those that have directly experienced the energy or true conscious haunting of a spiritual or religious ghost. Examples include those that have claimed that they have seen the Virgin Mary as well as deceased popes, ministers, and other types of figures. These are not highly recognized as true hauntings among many and most turn into psychiatric cases as it is believed that the witness to these hauntings may have a mental complication such as schizophrenia or a physiological condition that induces hallucinations.

If you are interested in learning the steps of becoming a ghost hunter, it is absolutely essential that you know and understand that there are many dangers associated with this activity. Ghost investigators that take their hobby seriously understand that the dangers should not be taken lightly. As a matter of fact, they typically take many precautions when investigating ghost encounters and real life ghost stories, ghost voices, and other ghost sounds. It is important that you do as well. This activity could prove to be a hazard to your health. It could affect your psychological well being as well as your physiological well being. Many hauntings have the capability of attaching itself to you when you attempt to interact with it. These hauntings may also assist in breaking down and completely destroying your life and overall health. In addition to this, there are basic dangers that are simply associated with the investigations.

Potential Physical Hazards

When ghost hunting, it is important to understand that there are many potential physical hazards that you may experience while conducting a detailed investigation. This type of ghost study often takes many hours at a time, so many suffer from a general lack of nutrition and hydration as well as rest. Additionally, environmental conditions such as severe weather conditions could affect your overall well being. The investigations that you take part in could be mentally and physically overwhelming. For this reason, it is important to ensure that you have a steady supply of nutrition, water, and even a first aid kit on hand at all times. It is also important to ensure that you have appropriate clothing for severe weather conditions that you may be exposed to.

The Hazards of Hunting Alone

Ghost investigators that work on a professional level such as those on the Ghost Hunters TV Show always stress the fact that individuals that ghost hunt should never do so alone. There are several reasons for this. First, the physical and environmental hazards could result in physical injuries and even sickness. If you are alone, it could be hours before help arrives to assist you with such complications. Second, various types of hauntings have the capability of attaching themselves to individuals that are not working in groups and wreck havoc on their life. If becoming a ghost hunter is something that you would like to accomplish, it is imperative that you avoid ghost hunting for proof of ghosts alone.

Physiological Dangers

Many that expose themselves to hauntings may experience physiological complications. There are many reasons for this. The spirits may take advantage of a person's emotional instability, weakness, and their fears. As a result, the energy that they attempt to pull from those seeking to establish proof of ghosts could result in physical problems. In the same respect, the energy given off by various types of spirits could also cause physical problems. The following represents some of the physiological problems that could be experienced when you are in the presence of spirits:

* Insomnia
* Physical Injuries
* Tremors
* Headaches
* Dizziness
* Nausea
* Weakness
* Fatigue
* Vision Problems
* Gastrointestinal Issues
* Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity
* Fainting

Psychological Dangers

Just as there are many physiological dangers that are associated with ghost hunting, it is important that you understand that there are many psychological dangers associated with ghost investigations. The following represents just a few of the many potentially challenging conditions that could develop as you progress in the field of ghost hunting:

* The Development of Mental Illness
* Becoming Obsessive
* The Onset of Substance Abuse Problems
* Hallucinations
* Night Terrors
* Nightmares
* Suicidal Tendencies
* Personality Changes
* Becoming Antisocial
* Mood Swings
* Depression
* Loss of Motivation
* Apathy

Becoming a ghost hunter is a fun and exciting experience, but it could easily take a turn for the worse. You could experience physical and psychological complications that could affect your professional life, your personal life, your relationships, your social life, and other areas of your life. It is important to know the dangers upfront so that if any complications arise, you are able to cease all ghost hunting investigations until you are able to seek assistance by a licensed doctor and/or mental health specialist.

Spirit Attachment and Possession

One of the scariest issues surrounding ghost hunting is the possibility that the investigator could experience an attachment of a spirit or even become possessed by a demonic haunting or another type of spiritual entity. Spirits that are capable of possessing a ghost hunter conducting a ghost study to establish proof of ghosts typically affect those that are considered to be physical and/or psychologically weak and/or troubled in one way or another. Signs of a demonic possession or a possession from another type of spiritual entity may include but are not limited to the following:

* Drastic Changes in Personality
* Developing New Skills with Little to No Effort
* Changes in Sleep Habits
* Obsessions with Unusual Events, Situations, and People
* Unexplained Fascinations with the Paranormal
* Extreme Mood Swings
* Developing an Abusive Attitude
* Blackouts
* Fainting
* Speaking Differently
* Appearing to Change Expressions in an Unusual Manner
* Changes in Diet
* Changes in Priorities
* Engaging in Risky and Unusual Behaviors

If you travel in a team while ghost hunting and ensure that you have no mental and/or physical weaknesses that could be taken advantage of by a demon or another spiritual entity, you will likely not suffer from this type of ghost hunting danger. If you feel as if you ever are subjected to this type of issue, it is a good idea to seek assistance from religious figures that specialize in blessings and removing evil spirits, a medical professional, and even from advanced level ghost investigators.

As you can see, becoming a ghost hunter is a fun and exciting endeavor. You will have the ability to visit many real haunted places and investigate numerous real life ghost stories. It is important that you learn a few basics to get you started. First, you should ensure that you gather the equipment and tools that will allow you to establish proof of ghosts. Second, you should become familiar with the types of hauntings that you may come across in field investigations. Then, you should ensure that you know the potential risks associated with ghost hunting. If you take the time to learn all of this, you are sure to have an enjoyable experience that will allow you to capture the best of the
paranormal!