Researching a Suspected Haunted Area
In this chapter, Southall details a four-phase approach to an investigation:
- Interview eyewitnesses, paying close attention to body language.
- Get independent information, including researching the area's history.
- Investigating the haunted area, which in turn includes seven specific steps, from determining the right time to investigate to following up on all leads.
- Concluding the investigation - deciding whether a ghost, spirit or poltergeist is involved.
Paranormal Photography
You have no doubt seen many examples of "ghost photos" (check out our own Gallery and Classic Photos) in books and on the web. After presenting a brief history of paranormal photography, Southall examines the various common types, including orbs, vortices and vapors - and how to tell an authentic from a fake or hoaxed photo.
Electronic Voice Phenomena
The intriguing world of electronic voice phenomena, or EVP, is next discussed. Southall was at first skeptical about this phenomena, but changed his mind when investigating a farmhouse that was said to be haunted by the spirit of a little girl. Clearly heard on his tape recorder was the voice of a small girl calling for her "mama."
He then explains how you too can experiment with EVP, and how it might aid in an investigation.
Your Ghost-Hunting Kit
A ghost hunter needs some equipment. And it needn't be exotic or expensive. Basically, a ghost hunter's toolkit consists of a decent camera (film or digital), a tape recorder, a microwave radiation or electromagnetic detector, pad of paper and pen, compass, a watch or stopwatch, flour, thread and, optionally, a laptop computer. Thoughtfully, Southall provides price ranges for each of these items so you can budget and plan for your kit.
Forming a Paranormal Group
If there's not already a paranormal investigative organization in your area to join, Southall suggests starting one. Different people will bring varying skills and differing points of view to an investigation, and such a group can be well worth establishing. He warns, however, that if you are the one running the group, it can become a time-consuming undertaking.
Thankfully, Southall takes a level-headed, practical approach throughout the book, advising readers to "be cautious, not gullible" when conducting paranormal investigations. "Don't jump to conclusions," he warns. "Investigate. In other words, keep your head!"
Readers will truly appreciate the book's appendices, where Southall provides actual forms and questionnaires that you can copy and use in your own investigations. These include:
- Permission to investigate form
- Questionnaire for paranormal encounters - interview questions
- Research questions
- Ghost hunter's checklist
- Documentation of paranormal events
These forms alone are worth the price of the book.
One question that the book does not address is one that I see occasionally in my own e-mail from people who are interested in becoming ghost hunters: Can I do this for a living? The answer is: probably not. Virtually all ghost hunters do their investigations as a sideline to their regular job - and on a voluntary, nonpaying basis; they do not charge people to "ghostbust" their homes. Experienced ghost hunters can, however, earn some money through lectures, community courses and, like Southall, good books.
