The Brave Mortal's Guide to Ghost Hunting

by Alex Matsuo

  After a while, though, we weren't getting anything, and I decided to talk about my personal connection with the people who had lived on the ship. My Japanese-American grandfather had served in the US Army during World War II. Given the turbulent history with Imperial Japan in its heyday, I figured if any sailor from the time was on the ship, they would react.

  They did.

  We suddenly saw green lights floating around the sickbay. They were bigger than fireflies, and they emanated their own light. We turned on the room lights temporarily to try to see if we could identify the source of the lights. Nothing. We turned the lights back off and asked the entities to show themselves again, and they didn't disappoint. All this is to say, don't be afraid to talk about yourself.

  On the other hand, we can look at all these experiences from another perspective. Ghosts may be shy, have social anxieties, and might be wary to talk to you. This can be especially true if the ghosts had negative experiences with other ghost hunters in the past.

  Be Creative

  I often find that sitting too long in the dark can get tedious and boring. I have also noticed that people tend to feel more "cold spots" when they're sitting still. Moving is important, and I enjoy getting up and moving whenever possible. But your movement breaks don't have to be in vain or take away from the investigation at hand. Staying static for too long is never good while investigating or ghost hunting, and there is a multitude of ways you can keep moving and create a welcoming environment for communication.

  For example, when my team, Association of Paranormal Study, was on the Battleship North Carolina, a few of us were in period dress from World War II. Already, this established some familiarity with the ghosts on board. We showed that we were respectful and knowledgeable of the time they came from. We tried to keep our language and slang to the time period and didn't do anything that would create separation or isolation. Those of us who dressed up even got up and asked the sailors to dance with us. From this, the participants felt like they were being touched, and our equipment was going off. We found that we got a lot of reaction from flirting with the sailors and even vying for the affections of the officers that were on board. In context, this makes sense because these sailors were on deployments away from their homes, their sweethearts, and they're families. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the eligible bachelors wanted to have a bit of fun. When you think about it, the ghosts on board had probably encountered plenty of other investigators who were asking questions about the war, and I'm sure that gets tedious after a while. It would be like a friend talking to a soldier or sailor while they're home on leave wanting to talk about the war the entire time.

  Perhaps these spirits were more open to talking about the war with other investigators, but not with us. While we are primarily a female-centric team, we had some gentlemen with us to help with giving commands and acting with authority.

  Others who investigated Battleship North Carolina have done other things like bring posters of famous pinup models and asking who the person is. Others have brought alcohol and cigarettes and invited the entities to have a drink and a smoke.

  You might notice that interactions like this are very human. As I keep saying throughout the book, we want to treat ghosts like people and not circus performers or zoo animals. If you wouldn't do or say it in front of a person you just met, then maybe you shouldn't do it. It's more than just asking dry questions and staring into a screen all night. EVP sessions should be a time where you attempt to make a connection with another person, living or dead. Asking the ghost to join you for a drink and a smoke is very similar to asking a living stranger for a light or covering the tab. On that note.

  Look into the Etiquette of the Time Period

  Interacting with a ghost from the Civil War will be very different from talking to a ghost who died in 2010. I often find that if you ignore the standards of the etiquette of the time period, the ghost may not be interested in talking to you. Some people might look at this as a provocation tool, which can be useful as long as you're not too disrespectful. I've seen ghost hunters use the cultural differences as a conversation starter, and their results were a really thoughtful discussion in the group, with the ghost chiming in.

  In the context of the Battleship North Carolina, if I, as a female, had tried to speak like an officer, I don't think I would have gotten a response because it wasn't contextual back then. Today, yes, it might have worked if we were talking to sailors from a more recent time when women were able to become officers. Women were able to serve in World War II, especially as nurses, but you wouldn't find them in a position of authority.

  If you're into ghost hunting for the communication and to connect with different souls, I highly recommend adhering to the etiquette of the deceased. Bringing something familiar to the ghost will create a welcoming environment and improve your interactions. Imagine that you've been in a haze since you died, and these people dressed in funny clothes keep wanting to talk to you with these devices that light up with different colors. You wouldn't know where to start either. But if you were a ghost from the Civil War, and you meet someone wearing similar clothes as you and speaking with words that you recognize, you might be more willing to talk.

  Look Up from the Screen

  The world of ghost hunting has gotten really interesting lately because we have so many options with technology. I'll get into that subject later in this book. Looking at a screen and detecting changes in the environment is often a thrilling experience, especially if we can see a correlation with paranormal activity. But sometimes we can lose ourselves on the screen. We might end up seeing things that aren't actually there, making for a frustrating data review process when you revisit the footage again with rested eyes. But it can also be frustrating for the ghost that is trying to communicate. Talking to a distracted person can be frustrating. You might not hear everything the spirit has to say. What if a ghost is trying to talk to you, and you're looking at a screen, completely focused on something else? You're immediately closing yourself off from communication. Finding a balance between monitoring tech and interacting with a ghost is tricky.

  Gauge Comfort Levels

  Just as living humans can be uncomfortable with interaction, ghosts can feel that same awkwardness. If you push them too hard, they will disengage and your whole reason for being there will be lost. I recall an investigation at Person's Ordinary in Littleton, North Carolina, where the ghost of a boy was scared to talk to us. He kept retreating to the opposite room from where we were standing. One of the people with me kept insisting on barging into whatever room the boy was in. I eventually had to stop them and redirect them. I then asked the boy if it was okay to be in the same room as him. He made it clear through all of our equipment that he didn't want me, or anyone, in the room. So, I proceeded with our EVP session from the parlor while the boy was in the front room. It was like talking to someone across the room, but we got some compelling data. I had never seen a REM-Pod react before despite using one for years on investigations. There is no universal ghost hunting method, and you will need to flexible at times in order to have a conversation. You're visiting the ghosts on their turf, essentially in their home. Even in today's modern etiquette standards, a visitor rarely runs the show or makes the rules under someone else's roof that doesn't involve matters of safety.

  Ask About a Real-Time EVP Recorder

  A real-time EVP recorder is an audio recorder that has a 3-5 second delay. You will need an extra person with headphones whose sole purpose is to listen to the EVP session. The tech is out there, and some of the bigger ghost hunting companies might have it. This will enable you to hear potential replies to your questions. I can't tell you how many times I've gone over audio data and found that there were answers to my questions. But because I couldn't hear it in real-time, I missed out on a chance to have a real conversation. As tech goes, this recorder is not something you need to get right away. But if you have a chance to use one, do it. You might find you have some amazing in
teraction with an unseen presence.

  I’ve given you quite a bit of information, especially if you're new to the world of ghost hunting. You might be thinking, "I only have a few hours in a location with tons of strangers I don't know." My advice would be to make the most of it. Sometimes ghost hunting feels like speed dating. This can be really hard if you're doing a ghost hunt where there are a dozen people present. There are often obstacles in ghost hunts, and I can tell you how to combat it.

  Common Roadblocks

  No investigation is perfect. If someone claims to run the perfect ghost hunt, they are either lying or they aren't really concerned with ghostly interaction. I have been going on ghost hunts for over ten years, and I have run into many of the common hiccups.

  Not Enough Time

  I've mentioned before that public ghost hunts can be congested and crowded. The traditional way to plan a ghost hunt is to separate the big group into smaller groups. Then, groups are dispersed accordingly to a map of the location. The downside of this is that each location only has a certain amount of time. Of course, this is reasonable in order to give everyone a chance to experience each part of the location. However, if your group is having an amazing interaction with the ghost and your time has ended, there isn't much you can do. Sure, you can ask the ghost to follow you or interact with the next group the same way. But if the spirit made a connection with a member of your group, chances are the next group will not get the same amount of interaction.

  Noise Pollution

  With any ghost hunt that either has a lot of people or in a space where sound carries, noise pollution is a real problem. While many people will go by the assumption that a ghost hunt is a quiet and intimate experience, people will still be social at times. And in large groups, I often find at least one person doesn’t pick up on the need for quiet. It's unreasonable to think that people will be quiet for the entire duration of the investigation. No matter how many breaks are scheduled, there are sure to be times during a ghost hunt where there is that ONE group. In this case, you'll have no choice but to tag the noises you can hear. Taking base readings of the noise will give you an idea of what to expect for the rest of the investigation. You'll just have to do your best with what you have. But in all honesty, all of your audio data might have to be thrown out.

  My main piece of advice regarding noise, though, is one you might not expect: never whisper during a ghost hunt. Unless you tag it, you will likely forget that someone whispered and then when you do your audio review, you might think you've got the Holy Grail of ghost hunting. Whispering is all part of noise pollution. If this happens and no one tags it, you'll want to address it for the sake of your review. Should you hear whispering, and it's silent, ask who just whispered so that they can be identified by name. By no means is this meant to be a shaming of any kind. Again, you want to associate the voice to a person.

  Mob Mentality

  When I say, "mob mentality," I don't mean someone going after another person with pitchforks and knives. I mean that when one person starts to experience something, others will follow suit. I don't think the other people are trying to steal any sort of spotlight. But I think the power of suggestion can be quite powerful and influence the people around them.

  I once did an experiment with a large group during an event. The large group was split into three. They each investigated the same spot at different times. With each group, I had a "plant" who would encounter something extraordinary. It wasn't real, but I wanted to see what the common experiences of each group would be. The plant in the first group would claim to be touched. The second group would be hearing a noise. The third group would be seeing shadow play. Can you guess what the most common encounter was with each group? They all went with what the plant said. After I revealed the ruse, some of the attendees weren't happy. We attempted an EVP session right after the ruse reveal, and it was interesting to see that the EVP session wasn't very productive. It could have been because people were paranoid and questioning their experiences at that point.

  The important lesson here is to be mindful of what other people are experiencing and ensure that it doesn't influence you.

  The hiccups I listed would be the most detrimental aspects of your ghost hunt. You may encounter other minor issues, but they are hopefully easier to overcome than what was discussed here.

  The Ghost Talked! Now What?

  This is probably the most exciting aspect of a ghost hunt. You're asking your questions, and then it happens; the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The first thing we all want to do is freak out and relish the moment that a ghost is communicating with us. We might even stop and say, "Did you hear that?" or check all of the tech and see if that special moment was caught. But while we're in the moment of celebration and fear, we’ve left an entity standing off to the side thinking, "I was talking to you!" If we're lucky, the entity will sit and wait while we process what just happened to us. Sometimes, they will give up and walk away.

  Whenever someone tells me they feel cold, they're being touched, or they hear something, I encourage THAT particular person to continue the communication. This is because the ghost has shown an interest in them specifically and is more interested in talking to them than the others. It only makes sense to have that person continue the dialogue. This means that everyone needs to be ready with conversation starters in mind, as well as be prepared and willing to hand the baton off to another person.

  One of the biggest things I implore anyone is to not scream. You won't be doing anyone a favor if you scream and lose control of your emotions. The ghost hunt will then be redirected into calming you down and trying to get you back to normal. Once again, that ghost is sitting to the side wondering what happened to the conversation you are having. Furthermore, if the ghost sees your reaction to being touched or feeling a cold spot, then they may not want to try communicating with other members of your group. Of course, I'm talking about the benevolent spirits. I have also seen mean-spirited ghosts (pun intended) who get their jollies from scaring the bejesus out of anyone.

  If you find that a ghost is interested in speaking with you, continue the conversation. Talk to the ghost as if they were a person who wanted to get to know you. Don't get me wrong, it can be terrifying talking to an unseen entity. But this also gives you the opportunity to make an incredible connection with something supernatural.

  In short, don't freak out. Take a few deep breaths, ground yourself if needed, and stay cool until the conversation is over.

  Story Time: While it doesn't happen often, I've run across some rather eccentric reasons that a ghost might haunt a location, like the situation with Sandra. This could also fall into the category of a ghost not liking change. Not only that but sometimes those who are seeking to interact with ghosts have rather unconventional reasons. At the time this book was written, I've encountered this scenario four times. This mostly happens in historic venues that date back to the Revolutionary War, which is an interesting thing to have in common. Hauntings can be known to happen while the homeowner is renovating their house. This could be something as simple as remodeling or changing the paint job, especially if these changes are completely different from the original floor plan of the house. We had a client in Virginia that was encountering paranormal activity in her historic home for the first time. She had heard creaks and seen shadows since she bought the house in the 1980s, but it was rather stagnant, and she didn't feel threatened. But once she started knocking down the wall, she encountered more aggressive paranormal activity taking place. The client and her family were seeing things fly across the room, they were being touched, and someone was clearly walking around the renovation area in the middle of the night.

  While most of the original furniture and knick-knacks were gone, the client managed to find, of all things, one of those antique vibrators from the early 20th century. This certainly wasn't from the Revolutionary War days, but it had been sitting in the attic for nearly a century. Items like these were often used to c
ure female "hysteria" and were administered by a licensed professional, meaning that husbands were often making appointments for their wives to have regular procedures. The object was an unmentionable heirloom from the descendants of the original homeowners. Luckily, the client had a sense of humor and then decided to put this antique "toy" on the mantle of the fireplace. What was even funnier is that the activity actually ceased completely. It was like someone had gone in with an energy vacuum and got rid of all of the paranormal activity.

  I'm actually quite disappointed that I didn't get a chance to identify the ghosts that were haunting the location. I wanted to know why the ghosts literally left the house once this machine was out. Trust me, it was very much a machine. I thought that there were maybe two scenarios happening. One would be that the ghost wanted to have something that was "theirs" in the home. Or, the machine didn't belong to the ghosts at all, and they were horrified at the idea that this offensive machinery was in their home. I doubt that adult toys would count in the same category as sage, crystals, or deliverances, but if you decide to try to and it works, PLEASE get in touch with me.

  CHAPTER TEN:

  THE GHOST HUNT PROCESS

  You've decided to gather a team, or even some of your closest friends to go ghost hunting. But where do you begin? Starting the ghost hunt can vary depending on what you have found that works for you and your team. The more you can prepare ahead of time, the better off you will be when you arrive at the location. I would recommend that you go on ghost hunts with other groups beforehand and observe how they prepare and set up. If you're feeling brave and want to book your own location, then here are some tips and tricks to prepare and begin your ghost hunt.