Tips for Doing a Paranormal Investigation

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Carol Matsumoto, author of the new Ghosts of Captain Grant’s Inn.

I own Captain Grant’s 1754, a haunted inn in Connecticut. We have a cemetery across the street and one dating to the mid 1600s behind the inn. There isn’t a month that goes by without ghost hunters calling and asking to do paranormal investigations. We have seen all types of groups: the experienced, the novices, and everything in between. Here are some thoughts I have on how to—or not to do—an investigation.

1. Do not bring a large group with you. While more is usually the merrier, you will have almost no chance of getting anything paranormal on your equipment. I suggest three to five people maximum. Be quiet and respectful to the spirits that you are trying to contact. They were alive at one time.
2. Do consider all tools that are available. Do not dismiss something, even if you believe it to be ineffective. Instead, consider all that is out there to consider, and don’t leave any idea at the door. You may be surprised by what you are able to find. I had one guest say that divining rods were “phony,” and he refused to even consider seeing them in action. Well, they have been working for centuries and are the oldest tool that we have.
3. Don’t anticipate seeing paranormal phenomena on a tour. Ghost tours are definitely fun and informative, but the chances of seeing an apparition or other phenomena are slim. Instead, go for the experience and enjoy yourself.
4. Don’t believe there is inactivity if your investigation fails to yield evidence. I had a man who left the Inn quite angrily, stating, “You have no spirits here. It’s all hype.” Well, we have only one spirit that likes to talk to men; his name is Liam and he is a gay man from the 1700s. He pinches men’s rears and likes to lay on top of them. Apparently he did not like this man and so did not appear.
5. Don’t charge for your investigations. You might think your investigation is doing the owners a service, but, if we’re honest, the investigation is for your satisfaction and knowledge. It is the last frontier and you want to be there. You could come across as naive and inexperienced.

This is truly a new frontier. We need more investigators to take a scientific approach to the world beyond life. There are many areas to explore, from angels and spirits to apparitions and poltergeists. We need your knowledge! Together we will find the truth.

Our thanks to Carol for her guest post! For more from Carol Matsumoto, read her article, “6 Myths About Ghosts.”