Pointers for an Investigation
Many people ask us are your investigations like Most Haunted we always say NO this is because on Most Haunted something happens at every location that they visit and in real investigations that we conduct 7 times out of 10 very little happens but when it does it is normally very intriguing.
In fact we always say it's like fishing 1 day you can sit on a river bank and catch masses of fish so you go back the next day in the very same spot and sit there all day and not get 1 fish this is how Ghost Hunting works. Over time, we have developed standard routines which we follow during all of our investigations. Most are common sense procedures and others have been learned through trial and error. In our opinion, here are the most important methods which should be used in all paranormal investigations.
NEVER TRESPASS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ALWAYS OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE
PROPERTY OWNER OR APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES BEFORE ENTERING PRIVATE PROPERTY!
Keep proper identification with you at all times
Never investigate alone! You'll need help if you are injured or confronted, and you'll also need a witness if you experience a paranormal event.
Look at each investigation site during daylight hours if possible and make a note of hazards such as holes, fences, etc. which might cause injuries in the dark. Turn off all mobile phones before starting an investigation and leave them outside the investigation area if possible. They can produce false readings from EMF meters.
Use fresh batteries in all equipment and carry spare batteries with you to replace any which become drained during an investigation. Wear a watch and keep a log of all paranormal events which occur during an investigation. Note the time of the event, a brief description, witnesses present, your feelings, etc. This can be an audio log or a written log.
Don't drink before or during an investigation. Alcohol and paranormal experiences do not mix well.
Don't wear perfume or cologne during an investigation. They can interfere with the perception of true paranormal scents. Investigate each location with a positive attitude, an open mind and a healthy amount of scepticism. Try to recreate all reported paranormal events and eliminate all possible natural explanations before reaching a final conclusion.
Taking Photos during an Investigation
Don't take photos in adverse weather conditions such as rain, fog or snow or in windy or dusty conditions. Camera flash reflections in these conditions will sometimes produce false positives in photos. Don't take photos through glass surfaces such as windows. Camera flashes reflected from glass surfaces will sometimes produce false positives in photos.
Don't take photos when a light source such as the sun is directly in front of you. Refraction caused by the sun's rays striking your camera's lens will sometimes produce false positives in photos.Keep your camera strap wrapped around your wrist or remove it when taking photos. A camera's flash reflected off the strap will sometimes produce a false positive in photos which can easily be mistaken for a vortex (a light anomaly which looks like a column of light).
Keep all hair pulled or tied back so it won't fall in front of the camera lens. A camera's flash reflected from a single strand of hair will sometimes produce a false positive in photos which can be easily mistaken for a vortex (a light anomaly which looks like a column of light). Don't smoke during an investigation and ask others not to smoke either. Cigarette or cigar smoke will sometimes produce false positives in photos which can easily be mistaken for a psychic energy mist (a light anomaly which looks like a mist or fog).
Recording Audio and Video during an Investigation
For analogue recorders, use new "brand name" audio tapes and only record on one side to eliminate the possibility of noise bleed-through. Normal bias analogue audio tapes yield excellent results. After recording, break off or slide recording tabs to the "safe" position to safeguard your recordings.
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