GhostBusting 101

By J. E. Smith

A beginner's guide to the paranormal, through the eyes of a professional paranormal investigator. If you’ve ever wanted to head out on your very own ghost hunt, but don’t quite know how to get started, this guide will get you on your way. Learn the basic information for a successful ghost investigation, plus a handy reference of vocabulary and investigative forms to use to keep you organized.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Deslise Publications
• Release date: May 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370721573

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Deslisle Publications

GhostBusting 101

A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting

By

J. E. Smith

CLIMAX, SK

CANADA

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The information provided within this book is for general information purposes only. The methods described within this book are the author’s personal thoughts. They are not intended to be a definitive set of instructions. While we try to keep the information up to date and correct, there are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or availability with respect to the information, products, services or related graphics contained in this book for any purposes. Any use of this information is at your own risk.

Copyright 2017 by J. E. Smith

March 2017

Cover Art by Ellie Smith

Produced in Canada

LESSON 1

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PARANORMAL

So, you are fascinated by ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night? You’ve always wanted to hunt ghosts, track Big Foot, or spy the Loch Ness Monster. Maybe becoming a paranormal investigator is just the thing for you.

Before you go off half-cocked on your quest to discover what is really out there, you need some idea of what you are going to do. If you are able to contact an established organization near you and join them on a hunt/investigation, or get some on-the-job training, so to speak, do so. Nothing can replace real, hands-on training. However, if there are no groups in your area, you may end up doing some investigating on your own. DO NOT go out alone, for your own safety. One of the best reasons for never going solo is quite simple: you may get hurt.

In this course, we will tend to lean toward the term paranormal investigator instead of ghost hunter. The term ‘investigator’ sounds more welcoming and true to what we do. ‘Hunter’ does not always carry a nice connotation with it. Keep in mind, we are trying to communicate with the deceased and prove that they exist, not hunt them as one may an animal.

While some people have gone on to have lucrative careers ‘ghost hunting’, the reality is most investigators don’t do it for money, but for fun and to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. You’re not going to get rich but you can find all kinds of personal satisfaction from helping someone understand their experiences.

Lastly, you will receive an overview of the basics of paranormal investigation and a solid base to start your paranormal career. You will learn terminology, types of hauntings, how to collect evidence, and then analyze what you’ve collected. In this lesson we will go over this growing scientific field, how paranormal activities are detected, terminology used, and further academic studies.

No matter what you may hear, no one is born a paranormal investigator. What it takes to get involved in the field of ghost hunting is to:

Have an interest in the afterlife.

Keep an open mind – without it, you’re wasting your time. Sometimes a creak is just a creak and a cold spot is really caused by a breeze. Don’t assume everything is ghostly or paranormal induced.

Find a place you wish to investigate.

Invest in some equipment. At a minimum, a respectable paranormal investigator needs a camera, a notebook, a tape recording device, and a flashlight. More experienced paranormal investigators invest in EMF detectors or meters which pick up disturbances in electric and magnetic fields. You can find many of the basic things, as well as specialty items, at places online, such as Canadian Ghost Hunter Supplies (http://canadianghosthuntersupplies.ca) or Ghost Stop (http://www.ghoststop.com). You can also find many of these things at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Future Shop, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Source, etc.

Spend time practising HOW TO use your tools. As with any job, it is always best to know how to use them properly.

Read everything you can on ghosts, poltergeists, UFO sightings, and any other kind of paranormal activity. Study the investigations of these phenomena to get a sense of how paranormal investigators approach their work. Learn the lingo and the different types of paranormal activity that may be encountered in an investigation.

Join a local paranormal investigation group. Check out online sites for information on groups in your area. If there are no groups in your area, consider attending a paranormal conference out of town, or even starting your own group.

Take a class.

WHY DO SPIRITS REMAIN?

Since each type of haunting is unique, the same can be said for why spirits remain on earth. For those who were human and have died:

Some have unfinished business to attend to (such as seeking justice for a murder), unfulfilled goals or are waiting on a loved one to pass away so they can make the journey together. Then there are those who do not know that they are dead, which is primarily the case for those who died suddenly or tragically.

Others remain in order to say goodbye, these types of visitations occur mostly when people are asleep in the form of dreams. Sometimes, the person dreams of the deceased person before even knowing that that person is dead.

Consoling a loved one is another option, and these spirits will do what they can to make their presence known. The most common way to do this is releasing familiar scents. However, smelling a familiar scent in a home can also have a scientific reason behind it, such as the smell is trapped in the house where the person spent a lot of time and released as the wood in the house expands during certain weather conditions.

Fear of what is on the other side. Think about people who died in prisons, like Eastern State Penitentiary, they may believe that they have more freedom remaining where they are instead of crossing over to be judged. Some may be afraid that the afterlife is not what they expected it to be.

Those who do not know that they are dead are the easiest ones to help cross over. Those who remain to console a loved one and to say goodbye will generally, eventually leave on their own. Which leaves those with unfinished business; what the business is always depends on the person. In matters of property and the like, the spirit may remain around until they feel satisfied that their estate was handled correctly. In other instances, a spirit may wait centuries until they pass on.

For an example of this type of haunting, I cite the case of Adeline Baver, who was murdered, more than likely by someone she knew, while returning home after a party. The murder occurred in the 1800s, yet people still say that they see her spirit at the sight where she was murdered and where she was buried. They say she is waiting for justice for her unsolved murder.

LESSON 2

HAUNTING CLASSIFICATIONS

Residual Haunting

A residual can be best described as a video player playing the same event over and over, with no interaction with the surrounding environment, or people. The phenomenon would occur if you were there, or not. The energy is neither aware of your presence, nor can it interact with you. This is the most commonly reported type of haunting. You may hear screaming or crying if there was violence involved, or you may also hear the sounds of footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways.

There is usually very little you can do about this type of haunting make the family