| Conducting an Investigation: What you need, What to do |
 |
| It has been said that in order to be a "professional" paranormal researcher and investigator, it is always best to have professional equipment. While we are not knocking those who have the means to own such high-end equipment (and we do give them alot of credit for their work, time and huge expense in obtaining such equipment), it is our humble opinion that the novice paranormal investigator can achieve very good results with low cost items. |
| Since we have been investigating for many years, we don't consider ourselves to be novices, but we do understand that some people just cannot afford expensive equipment...and neither can we. As to the argument of whether or not it's best to use high end equipment while researching, whether it's best to use a digital or 35mm camera, etc etc., we say "To Each His Own". We have obtained the same results when using both digital and 35mm cameras, and low cost recording equipment. Our equipment consists of the following: Digital camera and/or 35mm: we have recieved photos from people of actual spirit captures, using a cheap throwaway camera too. Some researchers believe it is best to take photos with a 35mm so that proof of spirit captures are evident on negatives. We have never been asked for proof, we also have nothing to hide, so again, we say "to each his own". We have not been using our 35mm anymore because we enjoy the fact that we can download the pictures from our digital camera right to the internet, immediately after returning from a field investigation. Tape Recording devices: (with attached external microphone. Internal mikes often pick up the sound of the tape recorder motor running.) Handheld recorders are good, as well as the cassette type sold in Walmart or Radio Shack, etc. use a new, clean cassette tape. By "clean", we mean nothing that has been previously recorded on it, or you will get feedback that you'll swear is a ghost talking to you. We have been using a small handheld RCA digital voice recorder. These are low in price and files may be deleted after loading onto the computer. Temperature Gauge: We use an outdoor type of thermometer that also has a heat sensor in it, to sense immediate nearby temperature changes. Video Camera: We beleive it is up to the investigator whether or not they want to bring a video cam with them. We don't bring one often unless we do inside investigations. Research and Investigation: It seems that cemeteries are popular places to conduct research and investigations, of course! While there is no law (that we know of) against taking photos, tape recording or videotaping in cemeteries, there ARE laws against entering a cemetery at night. Believe me, you don't want to do that unless you have permission from the local authorites (like the police), and they still might not agree to late night excursions, even if you're investigating and researching with a group, or alone. Our favorite cemetery in Massachusetts was faithfully watched over both night and day by a neighbor, who took great delight in calling the police if he saw anyone enter that cemetery, even at dusk, (which was allowed since it wasn't dark yet). If you feel that you absolutely must investigate a cemetery at night, ask the police department first. The worst thing they can say is "No". By the way, in alot of cemeteries, especially the very old ones, Grave Rubbings are often frowned upon, because the peper and pressure of rubbing can ruin the stones. We have never done rubbings ourselves, so it's best not to do that unless you're in a historical society group that does such things and knows what they're doing. We have brought up this subject here because some investigators like to create rubbings. Do not smoke cigarettes (or anything else) during a field investigation, nor should you drink anything alcoholic. You want to focus your mind totally on your efforts, and you can't do that if you've got a buzz on, or if anyone with you is acting foolish. As far as smoking is concerned, the smoke could get in the way of the camera lens and you could obtain a nice-looking picture of something that you think is a ghost or ectoplasm, when it's really not. Conduct your investigations when the weather is clear, not raining or snowing since a raindrop or snowflake on the camera lens can be mistaken for an orb, or something else. When we lived in the North, we did not do outside investigations when it was very cold, because vapors from our breath would show up on film. Wind factors alot as well, not only blowing around dirt and dust particles, but the microphone on your tape recorder will pick up the sound of wind. Alot of investigators bring along notebooks and take extensive notes, such as the date, time, location of the field investigation, weather conditions and temperature...as well as observations seen, heard, or felt. Before you enter the cemetery (or place of investigation), make sure you have all the equipment you plan to use. Make sure your camera lens is clean, capped or covered until you take photos. Dust, pollen or dirt particles can adhere to the lens when you're taking photos. When we enter a cemetery, we like to pause for a minute and speak out loud, introducing ourselves, explaining why we are there. We turn on our tape recorder and usually say something like this: "Hello, my name is Mina, I am here with my partner Luna (and anyone else who is with us during our investigations). We come here in a friendly, loving manner and would like your permission to take photographs and make tape recordings while we are here. We are also here to help you, so if you feel you have anything to say that we may tell the living world, or would like to be photographed, please feel free to do so. We thank you for allowing us to come and visit you today." We feel it is best to be polite to the spirits who make their resting place in these cemeteries, and because we are polite and remind them that we come to them in a friendly nature, we have often had good results because of this. Once you enter the cemetery and have introduced yourselves in the above manner, feel free to begin taking photos of gravestones or the areas within the cemetery. (Don't forget to remove the lens cap!). Also take random, candid photos. Walk around the tombstones, read the names and inscriptions. Talk to them, call them by name. Tell them "Hello, good day, whom am I speaking with today?" Speak clearly and slowly while the tape is running so that they can understand you. Since they are considered to be in another dimension, our words can sometimes seem garbled to them if we talk fast. Ask questions such as "How do you feel today? Are you lonely? Is there something that you're sad about? How did you die? Is there anything you would like to tell me?" Use your imagination while asking questions. Alot of times the spirits of the departed do have things they want to say, and some welcome our questions. Be sure to pause after each question, to give them time to answer. Of course you won't hear them answer you, but the tape recording will pick it up, should they speak. Before you move onto another grave, thank them for chatting with you. Ask them if they would like you to come back another time to visit with them. When leaving the cemetery, it is often good to say something like "We thank you for allowing us to visit you today. We hope that we will find that you have talked to us and have shown yourself on film. Please do not follow us from this cemetery or your resting place. You belong here, but if you like, we will come back to visit you again soon." Children at Investigations: In our experience, it's not a good idea to bring children with you during your field investigations, unless they know how to behave or be quiet during your research. We have recieved many tapes from people who claimed they have heard ghostly voices, when in actuality it was kids screaming in the distance, talking loud, or whispering in the background. You would be surprised at what a tape recorder can pick up when it comes to background noises! We once made the mistake of bringing Luna's young daughter with us to our favorite cemetery in Massachusetts. I discovered her following behind me, whispering out loud, inviting spirits to 'come and follow us home"...which actually did happen, despite my request for the spirits to stay where they were. And that's the last time she ever accompanied us on our trips, until she learned how to keep quiet. After the Investigation: When you are at home and can access your photos (especially if you use a digital camera), take your time and look over every photo that you've taken. If you've done reading up on orbs, and can tell the difference between a real orb or a dust/dirt/rain/pollen particle, you know what to look for. Even if you can't tell the difference, save the photo to show an experienced investigator for their opinion. (Be choosy, there are those who scoff at orbs, while others take a serious interest in them). Don't push yourself to 'strain' to see if you can find something unusual in your photos. Sometimes you will think you see something that's not really there. It is not a guarantee that every single field investigation will result in something captured on film or tape. WE have done several where we've had absolutely no success on film or on tape. If you feel that you can't find anything in your photos, put them aside and look at them another time. It is often that people don't see things the first time they examine their photos because they expect too much. Have someone with an open mind look at them to get their opinion, if you like. Label al photos with the date, time and place of your research site. If you use a 35mm camera, label and file all negatives. A Note on 35mm film processing: It's best to bring your films to be developed by a professional place that will print your pictures to your preference. In other words, tell them you do not want them retouching or 'fixing' photos, do not discard dark or black photos, etc. Some Walmart stores are infamous for doing this to film processing, even if you tell them to leave the photos the way they turn out...black, whited out, or anything else...which is yet another reason why we prefer digital cameras. If you do use a digital camera, a good pixel count would make a world of difference. 5 and above is the best for pixel, as the photos are much more clearer and sharp. Then again, we have had excellent results with a pixel count of 2. Listening to your Tapes: When you are listening to your tape playbacks, it is best to do this when there are no other background noises in the room (TV, music, people talking). Wear headphones or good earphones while listening to your tapes. It's good if your tape recorder has a counter on it, so if you hear something you think might be unusual, you can note down the counter number and return to it later. You may hear nothing at all. Sometimes spirits are shy and don't want to talk. Other times you might hear loud clear voices, soft gentle voices, muffled sounds or fast garbled chatter. We once heard something that sounded like a whistling sound, but when we later played it back after transferring it onto our computer, we discovered it was a voice whispering a name. If you are able to transfer your recordings onto your computer, it is best do that since there are many audio programs available that can clear up sounds, slow them down, or let you know if there actually are voices on your tape. Don't try to 'dub' the voice recording onto another tape, this can distort or deaden the sound, making it harder to decipher easily. Mark each tape with the time, date and location of your investigation. Managing Audio files on your computer: We have recently started using Audacity when we have EVP's that have excessive background noise and need to clean them up for better listening. It's a simple program, easy to use, and free! While some EVP noise simply cannot be cleaned or completely muted, this program does help somewhat. Audacity website for free download: http://audacity.sourceforge.net We hope this information has been helpful to you. Feel free to write us if you have additional questions. Good luck !! Mina and Luna Email us here Main page 2000-2006 Texas Hauntings Society/Massachusetts Hauntings Society all rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of website contents are not permitted without express permission of the site owners. |