by Alex Matsuo
Cold Reading
As you decide whether you trust the medium you are working with, you will want to be familiar with the process of cold reading. Cold reading refers to a strategy that con artists use to gain your trust and present themselves as psychic. The name is a little misleading because you would think to have the person read you “cold” is how they test their abilities. But this phrase is used to describe the methods people use to sound like they know more than they do.
In cold readings, the “psychic” starts with a vague comment that would fit anyone. Something like, “There’s an older woman around you.” Typically, people respond with who it is, but if they don’t, the reader may ask directly, or say something that applies to everyone like, “It’s a mother figure… perhaps an aunt or a grandmother.” They are watching the person’s face while they do this, and unless the recipient is being extremely careful not to, their face will make small changes as they respond to individual words from the reader.
To succeed in this field, you will want to become well-versed in the strategies of the cold read so you can recognize it.
By contrast, I have had mediums read me with clear specificity. One situation stands out where the person asked about the man following me, and she then described my grandfather's physical appearance in clear detail, including his favorite tie. She would have had no way to know those details from any other source. And she did not ask vague or leading questions first.
Sources of Information
Whenever considering a psychic’s abilities, it’s important to consider what sources of information are available to them. For example, when a psychic medium is reading a popular location, I have a hard time taking them seriously. Why? Because most likely they were able to research that location before the ghost hunt. Anytime a psychic medium reads a well-known location, I just can't believe they got that information through their abilities, and this will remove any sort of credibility. Most people today are perfectly capable of using the computer and finding that information on their own. However, I do have one thing that will impress me -- if the medium is able to tell me what kind of experiences I personally had during my previous investigation at that location, then I will definitely lift an ear and give them credit.
Instilling Fear
I have also encountered psychic mediums who purposefully create fear in order to get people to believe them more. These tactics remind me of the ways some religions use fear of the afterlife to get people to comply. Some people might opt to follow a religion "just in case" there really is a place we know as hell. I find that this can happen with people who claim to have some sort of abilities. One of the obvious signs of this strategy is the psychic saying that something dark and evil is inhabiting a place, like a demon or the energies of a murder. This, of course, builds tension in the group and creates an environment where people want to stick with the person who seems to be "in the know" so that they can avoid dealing with any unwelcome interaction with a spirit.
I will be honest and say that I can't respect a psychic medium that instills fear into someone else in order to get what they want. This is highly manipulative and usually results in some sort of sales pitch where the psychic will want to charge you for your services. This reminds me heavily of gypsy psychics who will claim that there is a curse placed on you from a previous life, and you'll be asked to pay hundreds, or even thousands, for the gypsy's services.
I Do Like Mediums
From what you've previously read, you may think that I'm not a fan of using psychic mediums at all. In all honesty, I really appreciate mediums and others with unique abilities. But the truly talented -- both with their gifts and with sharing information with people involved -- are few and far between. Once I find a psychic medium I can trust and can work with, I usually hang on tightly to them and hope that they will be willing to continue working with me in the future. Over the years I have developed a way to work with mediums that seems to flow smoothly. I don't put all of my clout into what a medium says. I will also make my expectations and process very clear. Granted, this is when I'm in control of the investigation and I have a hand in the process.
For a public ghost hunt, I have to go with the flow. I don't want to come across as a jerk, especially in front of other people. (Nothing puts someone more on the defensive than being called out in front of others.) When someone starts giving a reading, I listen respectfully and see what they are doing with the information around them. Only if they reach a point where I think they may cause harm to others will I step in and request that they validate their reading and describe how they came to their conclusions.
A common behavior I encounter that I really don’t like is when people tell one another that they have abilities. I am not sure why this is such a popular interaction, but I hear it often. I'm about as psychic as a brick, and I'll still get told that I have abilities. I suppose I could be empathic, but I credit that to my theatre training because it gives me the ability to read people. In theatre, I studied human nature a lot, and continue to do so today when working on character development. However, that is not being psychic. That is just having relevant training that helps me assess a situation. I guess you could say one of my “gifts” is to tell when people are exaggerating their psychic abilities.
Permission to Read
Occasionally, you might have someone with abilities approaching you at these investigations and tell you that a long lost family member has a message for you. Some people don't mind and will be really receptive, but I find this practice to be very intrusive. It's an invasion of privacy. Being read by a medium, or any person with abilities, is a very private experience. It's not something you should be experiencing on a ghost hunt or even in the middle of a grocery store. When a medium reads you, you're inviting them to get a glimpse of your life, and it's not just the good parts. They may see the bad parts as well; like the mistakes you made, that time you cheated on a test or told your parents you hated them, etc. Also, if the person actually doesn't have any abilities at all and they're just shooting blanks into the wind, I find that terribly insulting as well. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, always ask for permission if you are a medium. If you're on the other side of this experience, don't let yourself get railroaded and read without your consent. Say something.
The Real Deal
In my experience, mediums who are “the real deal” behave very differently than the ones you might know from TV or trade shows. The mediums I work with have earned my trust because they have consistently been accurate with their paranormal readings and supportive with our clients.
More often than not, the mediums who have genuine abilities are very down to earth. Most tell me they keep their gifts private for several reasons: fear of being called crazy, worries that people will believe they are evil, worries that people will overwhelm them with requests for readings. Many legitimate mediums say they are self-conscious over their abilities and not willing to show them off right away. They may sneak that bit of information during the investigation with a phrase like, "Oh yeah, I sometimes sense things." That's where my interests are piqued, and I'll hang around to learn more.
Another important trait of good mediums is that the ones who are truly the real deal are open to being wrong. They look to you for confirmation and validation, not the other way around. I'm sure that the confirmed mediums who have been around for a while have more confidence 20 years later than they did when they first started.
I'm not sure if this chapter was more about how to find a legitimate medium or how to deal with the snake oil salesman that comes around once in a while. Either way, I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect if you have a medium in your investigation group and how to work with them in a way that is the most productive for your investigation.
Your Own Abilities
If you are someone who believes they possess abilities to see the unknown, whether it's being psychic, an empath, a clairvoyant, or a medium, you want to decide if you want
to hone in on these abilities. I'm not anyone who possesses abilities myself, but I've worked with people with abilities for years. Deciding to embrace your gifts is just the first step. Interacting with other mediums would be a good idea, especially with those who are more seasoned than you.
Many people who have gifts don't want them. I would suggest getting in touch with someone with expertise in this area and reaching out to them. You can normally find them online in a social media group. Another good place to start is getting in touch with another friend with abilities and see where they can point you. If you try to hold back or bury your abilities, you may find yourself stressed out or unable to concentrate. I've seen people develop physical ailments like injuries and illnesses because they tried to bury their gifts. Once they let their gifts out and started using them more, then their ailments decreased, if not completely went away. However, I know that not everyone wants to have abilities, and you have a right to relinquish them. The important thing is to do so safely and with guidance from experts in these areas.
On the other side of the coin, we have people who pray and beg the universe to have abilities. I'm not sure how often these requests are granted, but I've met a decent amount of people who shared with me that they asked for their gifts.
Is Everyone Psychic?
I've encountered several studies throughout my research that indicates that we all possess some sort of psy-like ability. Some call it intuition, being an empath, etc. I've read articles indicating that these gifts might explain the reason why we have so many who suffer from mental illness. I find this mindset to be a bit dangerous because it indicates that the cure for something like schizophrenia might be to embrace your abilities.
I believe that the thought of every person possessing abilities comes from the belief that we can all see ghosts as children. I've even met a very religious man who believes that children have an easier time seeing heaven and angels because they were just recently there and therefore, can connect to it easier than an adult.
Not only does it seem that children have an easier time seeing spirits, but also those who are close to the end of their life. Is it possible that the closer a person is to the veil, whether it's their birth or an upcoming death, they have an enhanced ability to see ghosts?
The skeptic in me wants to describe a child's experience as just a wily imagination. But then again, I've seen young children point out a deceased relative that they never met and say that it was their imaginary friend. I've also seen a family member on their deathbed accurately describe an out of body experience to a location that they have never visited.
I don't consider myself as a person who has abilities. I wanted to say that I was an empath for the longest time after being told I had the gift of discernment. However, I don't know if these abilities came from my years of study in theatre and psychology. It could be that I can read people very well from a scientific and creative perspective. Given that I've had to study human nature as part of my career path, it's not crazy to think that this gave me the ability to tell if someone is lying to me, how they're feeling, and what their body language is telling me.
If having abilities is something you want for your path, then I suggest that you practice. Start out reading photos of people and locations and see if your assessment of the photo is accurate. From this simple exercise, you can learn to trust certain vibrations and know which ones to ignore.
CHAPTER Thirteen:
tech
Tech is often spotlighted as one of the most important aspects of a modern-day ghost hunt. People have taken out loans, refinanced their homes, worked extra shifts, and borrowed money so that they can buy some of the most expensive and impressive-looking gear out there. It's no joke that ghost hunting can be an expensive hobby. But noticed that I used the words, "can be." Personally, I'm not someone who wants to spend a ton of money on equipment because most of it isn't even proven to detect a ghost. Remember, we don't actually know what a ghost is, let alone be able to measure it and find out what it's made of. The equipment that I use is more for detecting changes in this environment. This is often interpreted as paranormal activity, which is treading the line of misinterpretation. Could ghosts change the environment? According to experiences and lore, yes. Do we know exactly how they do this? Well, no.
But before we talk about the available technology and how to use it, let’s start with whether you need it. Can you really go ghost hunting without tech? The answer is yes. I find that some of the tech vs non-tech question comes down to whether you’re trying to gather evidence to show other people. If you are ghost hunting for your own personal experience, then you won’t need to record the experience, and you can probably accomplish quite a bit with a notebook and pen to record your perceptions and feelings. But if your goal is to convince others of the existence of the paranormal, you will need technology to record your evidence.
For the purposes of this book, we are reviewing all your ghost-hunting options. So, this chapter is about the technology-based approach. I encourage you, though, if you’re not interested in the tech side of things, be sure to bring a pen and paper. You will be surprised at how much richer your experience will be if you write down your thoughts as you go.
As I talk about paranormal tech, I have to note that by mentioning these gadgets, I am not making an endorsement that they work. Ultimately, they are used for entertainment. You can purchase and use at your own discretion. This chapter will be merely for informational purposes as well as my own opinion on the gadgets mentioned.
Before we can talk about tech, it's important to know and consider the evolution of our modern-day technology. In the early days of modern-day ghost hunting, mainly around the time, the television shows were premiering and about 30 years before that, ghost hunters were taking everyday objects and modifying them. For example, with the "shack hack" radio, it meant clipping the mute feature on a radio so that it didn't go silent when you sweep through the different radio stations. It meant using a K2 meter not just for detecting EMF levels but looking at it as evidence of paranormal activity. Cassette players were enhanced with external microphones, cameras were getting lenses and filters added on and making them able to shoot in night vision. Ghost hunting around this time meant you were taking electronics and rebuilding them to suit your needs. Nothing was made for actual ghost hunting. Granted, when the 1984 movie, "Ghostbusters" was released, it introduced us to the idea that there were special gadgets for finding and containing ghosts. While this was a work of fiction, it gave people inspiration to create their own gear for ghost hunting. Dan Aykroyd actually comes from a long line of paranormal researchers, which inspired him to create the movie.
Today, we are able to buy equipment that is marketed for the ghost hunter. One of the most popular items on the market is enhanced toys, like the BooBuddy, which was created by Shawn Porter. He is also the founder of GhostStop, which is one of the more popular retailers of ghost hunting equipment. The BooBuddy is able to register motion, temperature, and EMF. If there's a drop in temperature, the bear says, "It's cold in here!" If something touches the bear, it says, "That tickles!" BooBuddy also lights up in addition to its voice-activated commands. I have heard of ghost hunters turning off the voice feature. BooBuddy would be considered as a trigger object, especially if you were investigating a location that is known for having ghost children. I would even dare to assume that a more mature spirit might be interested in engaging with the BooBuddy. It sells for over $150 with online stores like GhostStop. As I mentioned before, ghost hunting isn't cheap these days.
Porter also developed the laser grid, which gives you the ability to look at changes in the physical environment. The grid can change settings, but most people prefer the still dots all over the wall. If someone or something moves on the grid, you can see it because the dots move. This one tends to be a little cheaper and more affordable by many.
Now, one more thing before we go any further: I don't recommend that you use your phone for any sort of dat
a collecting. Your phone will reduce the quality of any sort of photo, video, or audio you capture with it. Your phone probably has a lot going on with it with apps, social media, texts, and more. You don't want an hour-long investigation to take up that much room on your phone. Not to mention, the other apps on your phone can be a distraction when the investigation hits a lull, and you may miss a breakthrough. I will go more into the limitations of phones as investigation tech in the next chapter. So, let's go ahead and dive into the world of technology.
Audio
First and foremost, I recommend an audio recorder. In a pinch, you can use your phone, but the quality will certainly vary. Many different kinds of audio recorders are out there. I started out with an Olympus recorder. I know of some investigators who still use the old fashioned tape recorder because they believe the quality is purer and more untainted.
You will want to find a recorder that will record in an uncompressed digital format. Any compression -- making files smaller-- will affect the quality of your recording. Think of sound compression as the equivalent of taking a picture of a beautiful park but using a camera with a small number of pixels. The quality of the photo would be nothing like the actual scenery. You want to find a recorder that will not diminish the audio quality it captures.
According to Jim Brown of Jim's Destinations, he also recommends that the recorder records in stereo, or at least be able to record in multiple tracks. Also, if you want to get into ghost hunting as a serious hobby, then consider looking into a recorder that can take on external microphones. Jim recommends that the microphones be placed about 30 inches apart.
Here's an audio term you will want to know as you dive into the world of sound, and that is KBPS, which means, "kilobits per second." I have to continue to credit Jim for my audio knowledge since I learned this from him. He recommends that your audio recorder has a sample rate of at least 96 KBPS. Why this way? The quality of your audio will be better, and it will capture the most subtle changes in speech like inflections, pronunciation, and a flick of the tongue. You will also get minimal distortion and audio issues.