ghost-huntingLearn the Steps to Becoming a Ghost Hunter
By: EMILY (on behalf of Suite101)

If you’re serious about hunting for ghosts, there are classes you can take to learn how to become a paranormal investigator. While many are free, others do charge. However, there are so many other resources available that you shouldn’t have to pay to take a class. There are countless theories regarding the realm of the paranormal, so it’s certainly possible to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. In order to become a paranormal investigator, here are some important steps to take.

Decide Whether You’re Ready for Paranormal Investigating
Most importantly, a fascination with the paranormal doesn’t always equate to an ability to investigate. To discover whether the investigative environment is a comfortable setting for you, do a test run. Take another person and go somewhere local. Go to this location during the daytime and go there at night. Don’t take anything elaborate. Take a notepad, a pencil, a digital camera, a simple voice recorder and lots of batteries.

Go to your location more than once. Research the location’s history. Write down everything that happens. If you feel comfortable doing all this, then you know you can take more steps to become an investigator. If you were totally scared, however, maybe that’s a sign you shouldn’t go any further. You don’t want to put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable. You need to be able to think, interact and react to all events, paranormal or not, rationally.

Respect the location. You’re there to observe and listen. Acquire permission to investigate a location if necessary and leave the location in the same condition you found it.

Another factor to recognize when you first start out is your level of patience. Did you find yourself getting intensely bored? Ghosts don’t jump out screaming, “Here I am!” as soon as you walk into a location. Some investigations go on for hours and hours before something ever happens – if anything happens at all. Plenty of investigations never turn up any evidence so patience is key. If you don’t have an abundance of patience, then paranormal investigation might not be the right fit for you.

Join a Local Paranormal Group
Next step – join a group. There are paranormal groups in most areas. Ask to go along on an investigation so you can get a feel for how that particular group works. You may have to test out several groups before you find one that fits. Some groups are small while other groups have lots of members.

Depending on the group you join, you’ll likely have to undergo some kind of training process. When testing out a paranormal group or organization, be sure to monitor the group’s professionalism and seriousness toward the field. If you’re serious about investigating the supernatural, then you’ll want to be surrounded by like-minded people.

Rather than spend money on equipment by yourself, see what your local paranormal group already has. You’ll probably come into contact with various equipment used by the group and you’ll learn from others how everything works. Once you establish some preferences and acquire knowledge of the equipment, you can start buying your own.

Research the Paranormal Field
Lastly, make it a habit to read and research. There are many books that discuss first-account paranormal experiences, investigative techniques and theories of the field. While no one set of beliefs or techniques can be correctly labeled true at this point in time, there are many commonly held theories and beliefs that you’ll want to know. Steer clear of stuff that you can’t take seriously. Paranormal topics are easy to sensationalize. If you want to be an investigator, read material that takes the subject seriously.

Ask questions of other investigators. Listen to other investigators and people that research paranormal topics. There are several good radio shows where different people involved in the field are interviewed weekly. Stay up-to-date on the latest research, theories and events. You can also do this by attending paranormal conferences.

Sources:
Southall, Richard. How to be a Ghost Hunter. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota. 2005.