There are two types of people: One hides under the bedcovers every time they hear a creepy noise echo throughout their home. The other stays up all night hoping to hear the noise so they can investigate. If you live for a good scare, then ghost hunting might be the perfect hobby for you. Paranormal investigation is a thrilling adventure. We’re here to teach you the basics of ghost hunting, providing you with tips, techniques, and more! Whether you want to explore your own home or an infamous location nearby, this blog will help beginners get their ghost-hunting experience started.
Ghost Hunting Tips
Be Prepared:
Make sure you have the proper equipment. Beginners can get the job done with a smartphone, but be sure your phone has the following features before embarking on your paranormal adventure:
- Camera – To capture everything you see (or can’t see).
- Flashlight app – Because who goes ghost hunting during the day?
- Voice memos app (or preferred voice recorder) – So you can describe what’s happening and capture any suspicious noises.
- Clock app – Important for logging your experience.
If you don’t have a smartphone, you can still ghost hunt. Just make sure you have the following supplies:
- A pen.
- A notepad.
- A flashlight (with plenty of batteries).
- A disposable camera (with flash).
- Access to a telephone – In case of emergency.
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure you dress appropriately. Wear comfy shoes, bring a jacket, and don’t overdress.
Put Together an Investigation Team:
Safety is key. In case of emergency, it’s important to ghost hunt with a team. Ghost hunting is usually done at night and accidents can happen. Plus, the hunt is more fun with others! You don’t want to be the person who tells a ghost story without any evidence or witnesses, do you?
Research the Location:
Understanding the history of the location you’re exploring is important because you need to know what to look for, when the most ghost activity goes down, etc. Whether you’re exploring your own home or a legendary local ghost hotspot, looking into the location’s past is a must. You never know what you could find!
Ghost Hunting Techniques
Encourage Spirits to Show Themselves:
Ask the spirit if it’s willing to communicate with you. Use a gentle, inviting tone. It’s important to make it clear that you are a friend and that you aren’t there to hurt them. Pose a series of “yes” or “no” questions to the spirit without being too demanding. Be clear about how you’d like them to communicate the answers. For example, ask them to knock once for “no” and knock twice for “yes.” As long as you are open, inviting, and honest, the ghost will trust you and possibly provide some amazing content!
Take Pictures (With Flash):
Pictures can serve as great evidence of supernatural activity. Using your kindest ghost hunter voice, encourage the spirits to show themselves. Take pictures wherever you see fit (and make sure flash is on). When you’re finished exploring, begin analyzing the images. You’ll be surprised at some of the creepy things you’ll find! Ghosts can appear as fog or different shapes of light in an image. Always keep an eye out for ghost orbs (aka spirit orbs) in your photos. These are round, bright circles that show up in images that are taken in heavily populated paranormal locations. If you see ghost orbs in a picture, you were probably in the presence of a spirit.
Record Everything:
A true ghost hunter records EVERYTHING. Start a recording in your voice memos app (or on your preferred voice recorder) and leave it in a room while you try to make contact with a spirit. Even if you don’t get an answer from a ghost right away, continue the recording. Ghosts may wait for you to leave the room or shift your attention to something else before making noise. Once you finish exploring, analyze the recording and see if anything came through.
*NOTE: Always get permission before the hunt. Trespassing is illegal and can be dangerous. *
Helpful Hints:
Spirits draw energy from battery-powered devices. This means that if your phone or recorder dies in the middle of a ghost hunt, you could be in the presence of a spirit. Cold spots are another thing to note. When a spirit passes through someone, it can give them a serious chill. Lastly, it’s important to avoid getting discouraged. Just because you aren’t witnessing anything firsthand doesn’t mean that the ghosts aren’t there. That’s why we take photos, record audio, etc. Taunting spirits is not recommended, as they will not show themselves if they think you are a threat.
More Ghostly Content
Check out the Spirit Halloween blog for tons of ghost stories, urban legends, and more! We’ve got the goosebump-inducing content that you crave.
