8 Common Ghost Hunting Mistakes – What NOT to Do
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Do you make these 8 ghost hunting mistakes?
1. Trespassing.
Always get permission before investigating private property. Several years ago, there was a news story about a ghost hunter who trespassed on private property to investigate a haunted house. The person who lived in the house thought the ghost hunter was a burglar, pulled out a gun, and shot him. (Fortunately, the ghost hunter was OK.) This is NOT a situation that you want to experience, so always get permission before exploring private homes.
If you are exploring a cemetery, be sure to follow the cemetery rules. If the cemetery is closed after dark, abide by the rules, unless you have received permission to break them. You do not want to be fined (or arrested) for breaking the law.
2. Being fearful of ghosts.
There's no need to be fearful of ghosts. Ghosts cannot hurt you (with the exception of poltergeists who could possibly throw things at you). Ghosts are just people living in another dimension, or perhaps on another plane. They have no superhuman powers (with the possible exception of enhanced telepathy). They cannot "curse" you or physically harm you. In most situations, ghosts will not follow you home (unless you purposely invite them to).
Ghosts haunt a location, particularly cemeteries, for a reason. If they could leave, they wouldn't be at the cemetery (or house, or battlefield) in the first place. Usually, ghosts remain on Earth because they're fighting reality, and want to change an event from the past. In other cases, they may have a message to pass on, or a small task to accomplish. Other ghosts are emotionally attached to a particular person or place, and have a hard time releasing this attachment.
It's important to remember that ghosts do not exist to cause destruction, harm and evil. Unfortunately, Hollywood portrays ghosts as harmful creatures—which causes people to irrationally fear ghosts. You should be far more concerned with the human beings you might encounter when ghost hunting (i.e. a group of deer hunters who do not want you around), than with the ghosts you might encounter. An irrational fear of ghosts will prevent you from experiencing amazing things, and learning more about the paranormal.
3. Ghost Hunting Alone.
Never ghost hunt alone. Some haunted locations are secluded—so you should always take precautions. An ideal ghost hunting group is a team of 3-6 people. At the very minimum, make sure you have one other person with you. What would happen if you fell, twisted an ankle, and there was no one available to help you?
4. Investigating a haunted location without telling someone where you are headed.
Always make sure someone at home (or at work) knows where you are headed. This way, in case something happens, your friend knows where to find you. What could possibly happen? I know one ghost hunter who was investigating an abandoned house, and he fell through a hole in the floor (rotten flooring). Fortunately, he had a team of people with him, and his friend called for help. Another smart idea—bring a cell phone in case you need to contact someone.
5. Drinking, smoking, or starting a fire at the ghost hunting location.
A ghost hunt is no place for cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, or fire. Cigarette smoke can look like ghostly apparitions in photographs, and alcohol can distort your senses. Also, stay away from lit barbeques and open campfires. You do not want to accidentally set something on fire, or give mischievous ghosts something dangerous to play with (flames).
6. Taking pictures while facing the sun or moon (or at a right angle to the sun or moon).
Avoid taking pictures while facing the sun or the moon. The light can flare off the camera lens and create a false anomaly. A bright or full moon can cause flares too. For best results, try to have light sources behind you when snapping a photo. Be very careful when shooting pictures indoors. Many objects can reflect off your flash, creating orbs or ghostly apparitions. Windows, TV's, metal items, glass, polished furniture, and polished floors can all reflect off your flash.
7. Daring or threatening spirits/ghosts to appear.
Never dare or threaten spirits to appear. You might get your wish, and spirits aren't always friendly if you have threatened them. Always show respect for others around you – this includes ghosts/spirits, and property owners.
8. Ignoring your intuition or gut feelings.
Don't ignore your intuition when ghost hunting. If you think you should explore a certain area, follow your intuition. If you feel upset or disturbed in a particular room, there's probably a reason for it. Investigate. This does not mean that everything you feel is true. However, following your inner guidance can help you in certain situations.
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Comments on 8 Common Ghost Hunting Mistakes – What NOT to Do
Have you heard much about the Mansfield Ohio State Reformatory, being haunted? or any places in Columbus, Ohio that is worth investigating
Hi Leetina. Yes, the Mansfield Ohio State Reformatory is well-known for its paranormal activity. The "Forgotten Ohio" website can help you find haunted locations in Columbus (or any part of Ohio). http://www.forgottenoh.com/Counties/Franklin/franklincounty.html
http://www.forgottenoh.com/Counties/Franklin/franklincounty.html This link does not work.
Hi Rick. Thanks for letting me know. The Forgotten Ohio website is no longer working for me either. Maybe they're having server problems, or the site is offline temporarily.
If you're looking for haunted places in Ohio, you can always use The Shadowlands Directory, which can be found here: http://theshadowlands.net/places/ohio.htm
Hey,
Im from Suny Fredonia in New York. We were part of the underground railroad and we have had alot of "activity" here over the years. Just recently some friends of mine were hosting man hunt in the woods outside the campus and alot of them came bak with stories. I myself have had only a supposed happening. How do I hunt? Give me some tips. Anything, I am really interested.
Thanks.
I am glad you mentioned these things. I had a question that relates to one of these common mistakes. Can fearing the ghost affect the investigation? I had a personal experience with a ghost when I was a child and of course it was built up to be a scary thing, along with growing up watching all the horror movies about ghosts. I wouldn't say I have a huge fear since I am VERY interested in ghost hunting. I just recently went on a trip where a big group got to investigate with Jason and Grant from TAPS, Patrick Burns from 'Haunting Evidence' and Chris Fleming from "Dead Famous. We all investigated the Stanley Hotel! It was awesome! But we found while investigating nothing would happen. We didn't see or hear anything personally and through our evidence (which I know can be common). But the groups that were in the spots we were investigating before us said they were experiencing activity the whole night and our group seemed to be the dud group. I found myself at times, just being scared about being scared, not wanting something to happen but then at the same time wanting something to happen. I am VERY interested in continuing to ghost hunt and possibly start a group with my husband but I don't want the way I feel to get in the way. I'm thinking it was just because it was my first time EVER investigating and I was a bit uneasy anyway. Do you have any suggestions or words of encouragement? I find I am always nervous the first time I do anything. :P
Don't think you're the only one that feels this way. Most investigators can relate with being scared at different points in their careers. It's something that will diminish with time and experience. As far as it affecting an investigation, it is definitely a possibility that a high emotional state would "push back" spirits, but keep in mind that is just a theory. Don't worry too much about it. Stick with it! Try not to anticipate anything. Anticipation can create anxiety which can be VERY fatiguing on an investigation. Good luck and Good hunting!
Hi Sarah. Glad to hear you had the opportunity to investigate with Jason & Grant, Patrick Burns, and Chris Fleming. That's great. Capturing evidence can be hit-or-miss sometimes, so don't feel bad that your group wasn't able to catch anything. Sometimes it takes multiple visits to a certain location to capture any solid evidence. Your feelings are totally normal (especially if this was your first time)—and like Lycanthrope said—they will diminish with time.
Keep at it, and let us know how things go for you!
We did a ghost hunt this week-end in Johannesburg South Africa. We caught some orbs after I had asked a direct question, also we had an experience where in a certain spot all of a sudden we feel a very icy cold start going through us from the shoulders down. We were using a thermometer, and at the same time, the temp went from 20 degrees to 30 degrees and then after that the temp went to normal, and it is winter now. Logic says that the temp should have dropped, am I correct in this? Also we used a compass, which at the same time just froze, and then went back to normal. I am sure we have paranormal activity. Am I correct in this?
Hi Tracey. Glad to hear you're investigating. Yes, typically if you enter a cold spot, the temperature drops. It's difficult to say what would cause the temperature to rise. It does seem odd that the temperature suddenly increased, and at the same time, the compass froze. I would try to gather more evidence. Based on what you've told me, it's probably not enough evidence to claim it's paranormal (in my opinion). It does seem odd, though.
Let us know what you discover.
Hi all. Just wanted to say I find your website very informative and interesting. I've just moved back to Johannesburg, South Africa after being in the UK, where I did investigations. Glad to hear there are investigations in Jo'burg too… will definately be back…
Hi Sharon. Thanks for the kind words. Glad you're enjoying the website. Tracey and her group are located in South Africa — so you are certainly not alone!
Yeah, I'm not a ghost hunter, they sorta find me, I've been like this since young. I was working in the graveyard bright daytime cleaning stones with my son who was running around, he was 6 then. I said come back here to momma and looked over and a little boy ran up to me about 3 feet then stopped, I could see through him. I said where's your momma he pionted to upper field and said over there and went into a little stone. We leave him toys now on holidays. He looked more scared of me than me of him, but as a mom I felt a sad feeling, he looked so confused.
I have seen a few ghosts, and used to do the Ouija board a lot, I was never hurt or anything, but have got some scares. People I do the Ouija board with have never been disappointed.
Hello, I'm from orlando fl, have you heard of anything around here? I saw where st aug, fl was a very haunted place. Have you heard anything about it?
thanks,
carl
P.S. your site is GREAT!!
Thanks Carl. Glad you're enjoying the site. The Shadowlands website maintains a directory of haunted places worldwide. I'd check there first. For more haunted places, you can try Google-ing for "haunted places Florida."
I saw a ghost here in Zimbabwe 5 metres from me. All dressed in white, floating instead of walking. I felt like an electric shock or field around me. I ran away, but looking back I saw the thing go into A BUSH. The following morning I looked into the bush, I saw a grave. It's still there today.
Hello everyone, I have several ghosts in my house and me and a couple of ghost hunter friends have been very successful at getting pics and E.V.P`s. I started doing this by myself in my own house a couple of years ago and was successful. Then I met some ghost hunters and brought them into it. They have showed me a lot of things, and they asked me to join their team. They tell me that I am a ghost magnet, and fortunately I am. I learned a lot on my own and now we share our secrets. We make a hell of a team and are successful most of the time.
I am new to ghost hunting and have just found these mistakes. Tonight, in a few minutes, I am going to a graveyard that is extremely dark, and has the feeling of wanting to get out. For example, say if you enter somewhere and you feel that it isn't right. My uncle told me that he has been there and he felt that feeling. Unfortuneatly, this ties in with mistake #2. I am scared. I need some tips.
I have always had a "feeling" of being able to connect to the paranormal. Its so hard to describe to someone unless you have went through it. I cant really describe how the feeling is, but I have had experiences that have touched me to the quick. I have been able to tell people things about themselves and their lives that I never otherwise would have known. I dont know how to control this, and sometimes its scary. I want to be able to talk more to the paranormal, but am afraid to get evil ones. Is there a way to stop and start and pick and choose who you talk to??
I always had these 'senses' of something around me, I even hear weird noises. Every time I slept alone I've had nightmares of people's death; I don't have them when I have someone sleeping next to me or fall asleep to the TV. Sometimes I would wake up in the position of the person that died. My mom told me, when I was younger (like 3yrs old)that I've always wanted to go into a cemetery. Always when we passed one, I would go "mommy mommy can we go, I wanna go to the cemetery."
I dont get it really. I've had deep interest in the paranormal but what does it all mean? Does it even mean anything at all?
My ghost hunting team hasn't investigated a haunted house or a haunted building yet, we investigate cemeteries and roads that are said to be haunted in a local 5 mile radius from where we live. But there's a reason for this: there have been numerous murders of different people by different killers(not tied together), and there have been numerous car accidents on local roads, so we have a large area to cover for ghost hunting. In addition, there are 3 local cemeteries that are said to be haunted. We also believe that just because no paranormal activity is present on one night, doesn't rule out a particular place as being free of paranormal activity altogether. We contact cemetery personnel for authorization to do night investigations, and we also alert the local police to our activity.
Believe it or not, but after the local police department became aware of our activities,and viewed our photos, they became willing to assist us and even suggested a few local outdoor areas they thought we might want to investigate. We aren't afraid of ghosts. It may sound off-the-wall to some people, but when we investigate we act as if there's an unseen "someone" present. We can't see them, but ever since we started doing this, and showing respect to that unseen "someone", we've been increasing the number of our photos showing paranormal activity. We don't ghost hunt alone, we do it as a team or we don't do it. It's as simple as that. When we're out "on the field" ghost hunting, we go with good intentions and clear heads(no intoxicants of any kind). I'm our team photographer. Before I go out "on the field" I always make sure that my camera battery is always fully charged, because I don't want to miss out on taking as many photographs as I can.
I prefer to use a digital camera because a digital camera can see into the infrared spectrum of light. Ghosts, disembodied spirits, whatever you choose to call them, are composed of pure energy. Since the digital camera can see into the infrared spectrum, and I can't, the camera is able to see ghosts even though I may not see them with my own eyes. Here's a test: get a TV remote control and press any of the buttons on it, if the remote control is working properly, and the digital camera is working properly, and you're looking at the end of the remote control through your digital camera LCD screen, you'll see a pink light coming out of your remote. That proves that your digital camera can see the infrared spectrum of light.
I never point my camera at the sun or the moon. I prefer to take ghost hunting photos in the dark-the darker the better. We NEVER dare spirits to appear while we're out on the field-that is disrespectful to them. I don't like being dared to do something, I'm not sure about you, but I don't believe that ghosts appreciate it either. I've managed to take my fair share of ghost photos, photos that a few Paranormal Societies have said were apparently authentic. Before I took these photos, I asked the unseen "someone" if they wanted to have their photo taken. When I've done this, I've been successful most of the time. It's that simple.
Lastly, as far as intuition goes, that's how my team operates. If any member of my team has a "feeling" that something is going on somewhere, we go and take 10 photos in the dark right off the bat. I smoke and so does another member in our 3 member team. What we do is take a 5 minute smoke break, and then we wait an additional 3 minutes for the smoke to dissipate, and then we walk slowly around taking photos. Another thing that I do when I take photos while ghost hunting is I hold my camera at a full arms length away from my face with both hands and push the shutter release, while aiming the camera in front of me. In addition, I've developed the habit of holding my breath while taking photos. In this way, I am assured that my breath isn't photographed.
Breath photographed in the cold can appear like ghostly mist in a photo, but a trained eye can tell the difference when looking at a photo. I can and that's why I don't do it, because if I capture an image with my camera I want it to be the real thing. I'm not into playing games, and playing games when I'm trying to take ghost photos can only ruin my credibility. Trained eyes can tell the difference, and I take my job as a paranormal photographer very seriously. I hope this helps you, my friends. I've written alot of comment here, but I've been in this field for awhile, and we're all on the same team-the paranormal team, so any experience that I have is something that I like to pass on to others who might benefit by it.
I keep seeing a lady dressed in black walking around my house. One day I was going down to the basement to get something and I felt a little push on my back and I fell down the stairs but good thing I grabed the railing. Another thing that happened one morning is I was getting up really early because I was not feeling well and I saw the woman standing in my doorway and when I walked through her it felt like I had just gotten lifted up off the ground! After that I was downstars for some time watching T.V. late at night and I heard whispering in my ear then I saw people walking around and I got so creeped out that I didn't want to go down there ever again.And once I was too afraid to sleep in my room for two weeks.This lady always follows me around, and yet not my parents! It would be very helpful if someone gave me tips about how to catch any EVP or video or even my own thing just to try to communicate with her it would be very helpful. Thanks!
Hello Rebecca, It's important to realize that not all spirits(ghosts) are evil. In fact, many experts in the field of parapsychology will tell you that spirits have the same emotions as living people. The only difference between living people and spirits is spirits are dead. Some spirits are afraid to go into the light because they fear what's on the other side. Some spirits are attached to a particular place or thing and just can't bear to part.
Your question:How do you capture EVP? Any simple and inexpensive recorder is capable of capturing EVP, but digital audio recorders seem to work the best, as do digital cameras and digital camcorders. If you have a recorder and you want to try to capture EVP here's some good advice:Ask very simple questions such as 1)What is your name? 2)How old are you? 3)Have you been here for a long time? When you ask questions wait about 30 seconds between each question. Rebecca, I realize that you might be fearfull of ghosts, but just remember that ghosts were once living people just like you and me. Hollywood movies portray ghosts as evil creatures, but they're not all evil. The movie that portrayed ghosts as they actually are was the movie "GHOST" starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopie Goldberg. I hope that this helps you.
I have started investigating a catholic cemetery in Norman Oklahoma, It is Saint Joseph Cemetery, and there are some very old markers in this cemetery. I was around some of the older markers and got a really odd feeling that I was being watched, sort of freaked me out.. Do you have anything on this particular cemetery in your records? Or does anyone else on here have anything on "creepy old cemeteries"
I live in Moore and am looking for people to investigate with. As far as the cemetary I don't know if it is haunted or not. I guess that's what we would have to find out!
The advice given in this post are very useful and should be followed by those new to ghost hunting. Ghosts aren't the only things which may decide to take a special interest in you. In countries like the Philippines, elementals or nature spirits, which are often mistaken as ghosts, can become agitated with all the activity and cause harm to the ghost hunters. Respect, given a place to ghost-hunt, is always important. An interesting image of what may be a child-like elemental (local brownie or boggart?) caught in a photo can be seen at my website. It was seen briefly when a flashlight beam was aimed at the area. A photo of the spot was immediately taken and can be seen @ the link underneath my name.
Hi, my friend and i are planning our first investigation in a few days. We both are young and fairly scared of ghosts, to be honest. Expecially since our location is outside in a wooded area, and there is not expected to be much moonlight. Any tips on how we can prepare for the hunt or keep a positive attitude once we've begun? Thanks. Great site, by the way.
We recently went to Point Lookout in Southern Maryland. We went to the lighthouse, fort, campground and cemetary. I took many pictures and recordings. This was my first time investigating and I recorded my first evp and something on film at the same spot. I was not disappointed and can't wait to go back. Thanks for all the tips to help get me started.
Very nice article…great job. I am always sure to tell new members of my paranormal research team to always try their best to stay calm when experiencing their first ghost. In many years of investigating, the only injuries I have witnessed during investigations have not been caused by a ghost, but rather by the persons reaction to it.
Hi, believe it or not, I'm 13 and I have so many true ghost stories. I believe that I can see ghosts. Well, it's true. my family and I have just moved into a new house in Washington. The house in California, where we last lived at, was haunted. There was a man in my closet, and a little Indian girl at the stair case. I tried everything to get them to leave, but they were so stubborn. In one case, we were giving my dog a bath with my big sister. Her dog, Mayzee, was growling inside my room. We had to keep checking up on her to see what the issue was. About 5 mins later, we heard her crying out. My sister and I ran to my room and looked all over for Mayzee. We found her, shivering with fright, under my bed, refusing to come out. But nowadays, in my new home, I have a feeling of being watched. And this is a house that was newly built. About four or five nights later, I was lying down on the couch, staring at the window. I sorta felt drawn to it. Then, out of nowhere, I saw a shadow move across the window. Well, I didn't see it at the window, but I saw the shadow of whatever it was in the moonlit night on the carpet. It looked like a man, but I was never sure of it. A few weeks ago, when I was taking out the trash, in which the garbage bin is right underneath the very same window, I noticed that the window was too high up for even a really tall man to be seen. It scares me because nothing from my previous houses (we move around a lot – dad's in the military) followed me before then. What do I do???
About a week ago a photo was taken in my house – by my son – just playing with my cellphone. The next day I wanted to clear some of the crap he had taken and was very amazed at what was captured. An orb with a childs face in it can be clearly seen and in the same picture on the couch. you can also see 2 ghost like children lying next to one another, the one childs arm over the other one. My son has asked me on a few occasions, when sitting in the TV room, to please tell the child that he doesn't wanna play with him now. Never bothered me until now. Can you please give me a contact detail of somebody you might know – Potchefstroom, South Africa.
If you investigate a place and one particular entity feels dangerous or evil, should you return??
I enjoyed your article. I have been seeing ghost/spirits ever since I was small, way before it was popular to see them. This week on the 19th and 20th I am going to stay at the Historic Ott hotel in Liberty, TX. It is supposed to be really haunted. I cannot wait to see what appears. As a kid I was forbidden to talk about anything I saw or felt. I actually was told that it was demons by my parents. To be honest I never ran into an "evil" spirit. I have ran into a few that like to play tricks and try to scare me. I ran into some with nasty "personalities", but that is how they were when they were human. If I get any good evps or pictures, I will let you all know.
Love this. I've been hunting info like crazy for a book I'm writing.
I wanted to ask, though… You said ghosts rarely follow someone home. If it did happen, what (at least in your opinion) would be the reason for doing so? What sort of decision would that be?
All your stories are great! I've actually made contact with a ghost when I was 10 years old, and it still haunts me from this day. Here's the story…I was asleep in my bedroom. I woke up late at night, maybe at dawn. I looked around the room, and I saw something unusual. It look like a tall skinny figure dressed in all black and had a hood on. I thought it was my brother, trying to scare me like always. But, I was wrong.
I kicked it, until I realized my foot went straight though the body. It was just like touching smoke. I was paralyzed — and stood still in my bed the entire time until morning. When I heard my family awake, I hurried crying to them. Some of them believe me, but not everyone. My dad said it was his mom, my grandmother. But I know that was NOT my grandmother.
I LOVE ghost stories. I'd love to have the nerve to visit a cemetery at night. When a person investigates a cemetery at night, would there be a problem with snakes? As snakes are nocturnal hunters, I'd be more afraid of a sneaky snake than a ghost. Any comments?
7. Daring or threatening spirits/ghosts to appear…
Makes perfect sense to me that this would be a dangerous practice. There is one well known ghost hunter on television (who I actually like and admire) who does this all the time and it makes me cringe every time I see him do it.
Should I investigate Bobby Mackey's in Wilder, Kentucky? My friend invited me to go with her.
Bobby Mackey's is a dangerous place to investigate. Most the spirits are evil and could harm you. So if you go, be very careful.