Ok, so you want to know the top secrets to success on a paranormal investigation?
Ok, here they are:
1. Treat the Ghosts Like the Humans They Are.
Simple, right? Then why aren’t more people doing it? The tendency is to treat these unfortunate people as if they are trained ponies, “Move the chair or I’m leaving”, “Just move something will ya?”. If some stranger came into a room and started bossing you around, how inclined would you be to follow their orders? It is more likely you’ll just leave.
Most people are good and rational. The more polite and considerate you are to people, the more they will listen to you or at least consider what you have to say. I have countless stories of resolving people’s paranormal problems by simply working out an arrangement with a dead human. That sounds weird, but it’s simple. For example, there was a case where a couple was experiencing an entity. When the husband was away on business the entity would warn the wife of intruders, open doors for her, and otherwise help her feel comforted and protected. When the husband was home, the entity was protective of her and would slam doors on him, loom over him while he slept, etc. If the entity was there full time, he would be uncomfortable in his own home. If the entity left full time, then his wife wouldn’t have that sense of protection while her husband was away. So, we convinced him to work out an arrangement. The husband was firm and told the entity that this was the husband’s house. He said that it was nice of the entity to keep his wife safe. If the entity wanted to stay, he could, but when the husband was home, the entity had to back off. It worked and has worked for over a decade.
2. Speak their Language
If you suppose you are talking to an entity from the 1700’s, saying “What up dog?” won’t compute. Speak simply and in a language they can understand; “How are you doing?”.
I was once doing an EVP/K2 session with a bunch of other investigators and we were having amazing feedback with the K2. We were, in theory, talking with a 19 year old male soldier from the revolutionary war. A woman asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”, the K2 response signified, “Yes”. Then she asked, “Is she OK?”, the K2 response signified, “No”. Of course, everyone was heartbroken. Then, I settled everyone down and asked, “Is your sweetheart doing well?”, to which the K2 signified, “Yes”. You see, the entity from the 1700’s didn’t understand the term “OK”. We proceeded to teach him what OK meant and we were able to use it in conversation from then on.
3. Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep
Many folks roll into a brand new one-night investigation and make promises to the entity that they simply cannot keep. Don’t become selfish and offer them the world so that they will make a little noise that you can oo and ah over. It’s dishonest and rude, and quite frankly, you probably aren’t the first person to try that with them.
Be straightforward and honest with them. Tell them that you want to have an experience, that you want to know they are there, that you traveled a great distance just to meet them, etc. just don’t lie to them so that you can get a brief adrenaline high.
4. Create a Comfortable Environment
Unless the energy is residual, ghosts usually use doors to enter rooms, just like we do. Why? Because, they are human. How many of you regularly try to walk through a wall? (on second though, don’t answer that…) Therefore, don’t crowd around the doors. Give a significant amount of space between the door and you. This will create a non-threatening environment for them to enter. In between the door and yourself is the ideal place to set up your equipment. That way they can manipulate the equipment from a comfortable distance without feeling threatened by you.
5. Search for the Truth
If your goal is to see a ghost, then you’ll eventually burn out as an investigator. You’ll develop bad habits and techniques. You have to make finding the truth your goal. You will find equal success as an investigator whether you find the cause to be bad plumbing or something paranormal.
Those are my “big secrets” to the paranormal. There are hundreds upon hundreds of finer points, but these five will get you in the right mindset and on the right track.
Rock on!
