Conducting Cemetery and Haunted House Ghost Hunts

Arrive early with your necessary ghost hunting equipment and give yourself plenty of time to set everything up. Here is a quick list of some equipment you may wish to use: a video camera, EMF detectors, 35 mm cameras loaded with brand new film and thermometers. Always remember to bring along plenty of flashlights. Don't forget to bring along some patience. Conducting a ghost hunt is a lot like fishing. You have to use patience.

Start by selecting a private room or a general location for a main base of operations. This base is where all monitoring should be done. It should not be an area where ghost activity is high. After the base has been selected, do a complete walkthrough of the general area. Check out every room, and in graveyards, walk around the tombstones in a 50-yard radius. Videotape the walkthrough if you are using video cameras. Make sure that you know the layout before you begin the ghost hunt. Get used to the location. The ghost hunt will go much better if everyone feels comfortable with the surroundings.

Use the EMF detectors to search for anything out of the ordinary. If you do pick up EMF distortions or if you feel that there is an unearthly presence nearby, take more photos. Just be aware that in cemeteries smooth glossy tombstone faces will reflect light from the flashlights or the camera flash that could create strange light patterns in the pictures. Glass objects and mirrors will reflect light inside houses.

During the initial walkthrough or at any other time during the ghost hunt, try not to unnecessarily touch or move objects. You should leave the natural environment alone. As you are doing the walkthrough in haunted houses, hang up ghost catchers in doorways, between rooms, or on staircases. If a ghost passes near the ghost catcher, they will chime alerting anyone nearby. A lightweight wind chime will suffice.

If there are objects or pieces of furniture that have been reported to move, put a chalk line or sticker on the floor next to these objects. That way, if the objects happen to move, you have a marker to judge and measure the exact distance.

Everyone participating in a ghost hunt should always know where everyone else is to avoid confusion and misinterpretations. Sometimes handheld or headset radio communicators are good devices to stay in contact with the other ghost hunting members.

Always log every event that seems out of the ordinary, (doors that lock, electrical problems, swaying chandeliers, strange lights, etc). Videotape everything for proof.

You can attach glow-in-the-dark or reflective tape to objects to help you with the layout and to mark special locations. The tape will make it much easier to see dangerous objects in the dark. You don't need to turn off the lights inside of the haunted house to have ghosts appear unless it is vital to the appearance of that particular ghost. Even then, leave some lights on for personal safety. Always have a couple of mini spotlights ready for outside ghost hunts in case something happens and you need light fast.

Do not be afraid to experiment on ghost hunts. Ask the ghosts to appear. Put the video cameras on different settings. Try the EVP audio taping methods. Use anything that you think might have an effect on the ghosts. If nothing seems to be happening, you might try to shake things up by playing religious or music that would be familiar to the ghost.

On any ghost hunt, make sure to have packed plenty of snacks, drinks, and maybe a board game. Ghost hunts can be long and tedious. You may have to spend several weeks inside at a haunted location before you experience anything strange.

Simple Ghost Hunting Techniques

Here are a few simple ghost-hunting techniques that can be used to uncover the work of a fraud. These methods can also be used to help prove that someone is not falsely creating the haunting activity. Many of these techniques are easy to perform and the materials are cheap.

...Continued in the Book...