How to Conduct a Paranormal Investigation

By Pearl Blackthorn
From Darkside Magazine July 2014

Perhaps you know of a building near you that is reputedly haunted, or a local cemetery where strange sightings have occurred. If you have a fascination for the paranormal and are intrigued by legends of hauntings you may want to check out the location for yourself and conduct a paranormal investigation. Before you do, there are a few things you need to consider, such as what equipment you may need, who to take along with you and how to research the location.

Paranormal investigations are becoming increasingly popular these days particularly in the light of televisions shows such as “Most Haunted,” and “Ghost Hunters.” Whether you are considering taking it up as a hobby or getting more seriously involved paranormal investigation can be a fascinating endeavor as well as a lot of fun. There are certain things you need to know before you embark and the first rule of thumb is always get permission before you start to explore any haunted site. Even if the building has been abandoned for quite some time, you need to find out who owns it and tell them what you have in mind; otherwise you can and will be arrested for trespassing on private property. The best place to find out information about the location you wish to investigate is your local courthouse.

Secondly, it is wise to take some one else along with you so that you have a witness of any paranormal activity, as well as some company in case you get the jitters. Always be respectful of other people’s property and their points of view. Although you don’t have to believe in ghosts to conduct an investigation, and there’s nothing wrong with a healthy skepticism, keep an open mind. The next thing you need to take into account is your ghost hunting equipment.

Equipment

Most paranormal researchers have a standard set of equipment to help them detect any unusual presence at their investigation site. Not only do these items help them to detect any paranormal activity, they also help them to record data and take it away from the site for analysis later. If you’re just starting out you may not have or need all this equipment, but bear in mind, the more you have, the more evidence of paranormal activity you will be able to collect.

Electro-magnetic Field Detector

This is currently one of the most popular pieces of equipment in the paranormal investigator’s kit. An EMF detector can pick up variations in electric and magnetic fields over quite a wide range of frequencies. Most are set to be highly sensitive to fields varying at 60 Hz. Tri-axial models are much better than single axis models. If you have a Single axis model and you rotate it from its axis even slightly during an investigation, your readings will change because of the different angles to the fields. To combat this you will have to fix it in place otherwise you will be unable to compare earlier readings with subsequent ones. It is believed that paranormal activity usually causes disruptions in the electromagnetic fields, causing sudden surges which can be measured on the EMF detector. Some investigators use the EMF detector as a means to communicate with the presence, by asking simple questions and allowing the manifestation to utilize the energy to respond  ‘yes or no’ by flashing the lights on the detector.

Infrared Thermometer

This type of thermometer is used to accurately pinpoint cold spots. It is believed that these are created when a ghost is present because it draws the heat from the surrounding area to create enough energy for it to manifest. Infrared probe thermometers are good for use indoors and outside. They are also very accurate at picking up very sudden temperature changes or very extreme temperature anomalies.

Digital Voice Recorder

Digital voice recorders are now an essential part of any investigators equipment and are used in haunted locations to record background noise, sometimes while the investigator asks a series of questions. The recordings are analyzed later, off site, usually with specialized, sound sensitive software to check for electronic voice phenomena. It is believed that, although inaudible to the naked ear, the voices of those beyond the grave can be made audible by interacting with other devices that rely on electrical fields, such as televisions, tape recorders and radios. EVP messages are usually brief, most last no longer than two or three seconds and contain only three to five words, often spoken rapidly and sometimes repeated.

Motion Sensor

These devices are used to detect movement in large areas such as a hallway or room. These enable the investigator to know if something is moving around in one area while another area is being examined. There is some debate as to whether a ghost itself can set off a motion sensor, but a ghost can set objects moving about, some investigators do consider them to be a valuable piece of equipment. The best type for this sort of project is a small wireless detector that can be wall mounted

Camcorder

Camcorders are a valuable tool because they can either be carried around the location or set on a tripod to record a specific area over time. You will need a digital camcorder with a night shot feature which will allow recording in total darkness. Adding a light extended will increase the night shooting distance by up to ten times.

Night Vision Goggles

Night vision goggles and scopes are a relatively new technology to paranormal investigations.  They can be very useful if you are investigating an outdoor location, as long as you use goggles or a scope equipped with an infrared attachment. This will enable you to use the equipment to recognize certain types of manifestations such as spirit orbs. It is believed that this is possible due to the reflection of infrared light from the orbs.

Flashlights and Spare Batteries

Bright flashlights are essential because a lot f ghost hunting is done at night in and around dark places. Many investigators also like to use headlamps because they provide good hands-free light. Always carry spare batteries just in case.

Dowsing Rods

Dowsing rods are one of the oldest ghost detecting devices in existence and though low tech, some paranormal investigators still use them today. For this purpose, most dowsers recommend using two L-shaped rods, made from brass or some other light-weight metal. The rods are usually about two feet in length and bent at one third, with the shortest length the hands. They should be held loosely so that they are able to swing back and forth freely in the hands. Experienced dowsers say that when they begin walking through a location with their rods, as they encounter an anomaly, the rods will begin to vibrate and will slowly cross over each other. Some investigators use dowsing rods to communicate with ghosts.

A Note Pad and Pencil

These are essential items for noting down times and places that activity occur during the investigation. Other things that you may want to take not of during your adventure are specific feelings or sensations that you feel throughout the exploration such as emotions or physical sensations and also and mental images that occur to you or any names that may spontaneously arise in your mind that you may later find are significant.

Trigger Objects

Investigators may sometimes use trigger objects at the site of the haunting. These are usually objects from the site that have a history of being moved by the ghost. Trigger objects can range from pictures, to coins. The purpose of a trigger object is to create a focal point from which to measure events such as movement or temperature change.

Digital Camera

A digital camera is much more versatile than a standard camera; they are generally more infrared sensitive. They also enable faster results. Digital camera technology has advanced rapidly over the last few years and any digital camera with five mega pixels or more, particularly if it is capable of taking night vision shots, is now considered by experts to be as good as, if not superior to a traditional 35mm camera. Another advantage of newer digital cameras is that they also store raw data files which contain uncompressed and unprocessed images; such data including the time and date when the picture was taken, if a flash was used and the ISO settings is all embedded in the image. This means that if the image is manipulated this data is also stored so when the picture is analyzed it is easy to see if it is authentic; it almost like having a form of digital negative.

Capturing a ghostly image

Capturing visual evidence of a haunting can be time consuming. When an anomaly is detected, such as a temperature fluctuation or a movement, investigators will begin taking pictures of that specific location, in the hope that something will show up on the images that is not visible to the naked eye. There are three general categories of ghostly manifestations orbs, vortexes and complete manifestations.

Orbs

Orbs are balls of light, of varying size that appear unexpectedly in photographs. They have also been captured on video moving rapidly across a room. They are generally bluish white in color and opaque. Some paranormal investigators believe that orbs are manifestations of pure energy that signifies an early manifestation of a ghost.

Vortexes

Vortexes (or vortices) are slightly less common than orbs. They can appear in a picture as a swirling column of light, or more substantially as a wispy, cloud. A vortex is often believed to be a ghostly energy that is passing beyond the orb stage. Sometimes vortexes appear to be forming human features such as limbs or facial features.

Complete Manifestations

Complete or full body manifestations are extremely sought after but seldom achieved. In these images a complete human or animal is seen in the picture. The figure is often transparent. When complete manifestations do occur, they often show up in very unusual places within the picture such as the background of a painting or superimposed upon another object.

 How to Examine a Haunted Location

 Location Research

Once you have chosen your location one member of your team should conduct as much research into the site as possible. Don’t forget to look at any available plans of buildings and land plots, interview witnesses and Useful sources are local libraries and museums, tax and church records and genealogical databases. The researcher should keep this information from the rest of the team until after the investigation to avoid influencing the other members.

Investigation

The investigation should begin with a preliminary tour, during which a number of base-line readings will be taken to asses the average temperature and EMF at various points throughout the location. The preliminary tour also gives you an opportunity to sketch out a plan of the location. The investigation should proceed immediately after the tour, usually during the darkness because this makes it easier to detect light anomalies, and it is also usually quieter, making it easier to detect unusual noises. Both static and mobile vigils are usually conducted throughout an investigation at a series of chosen locations.

Filming and Photography

Numerous photographs should be taken throughout the location. If you are not using a digital camera you should make notes of the location and time of each picture. Video filming can be used to pick up on any missed photographic opportunities.

Noting Details

Notes should be taken throughout the investigation so that they can be cross-referenced later with any photographs, voice recordings, sightings, or thoughts, ideas or feelings picked up by the sensitives throughout the vigils.

Collecting Evidence

You should try to collect evidence to support any theories of paranormal activities. One way of doing this is to use trigger objects. Place a trigger object on a piece of paper and draw round the edges and leave it in a significant location. The point of this is to see if the trigger object is moved. It is a good idea to have the object covered by a motion sensor and a video camera.

 Debrief

Once the investigation has been completed the team should debrief as soon as possible. To avoid team members influencing each other you may want to each write your experiences down in private and put them into an envelope. All photographs, video footage, tape recordings and notes made during the investigation should be analyzed at during the debrief.

Evaluation and Conclusion

Once all the evidence has been gathered and analyzed the team should come together and evaluate the investigative material along with the researcher’s material and discuss their findings. A rational assessment should be made of the evidence and an attempt should be made to debunk any anomalies if possible. It may be deemed necessary to re-visit the site to gather more information or to re-evaluate the situation.

Tapping into the Earth Energies – the Art of Dowsing

By Pearl Blackthorn

From Darkside Magazine May 2014

Dowsing, also known as water witching, diving, or rhabdomancy is known to have been practiced for at least 7000 years. Images of dowsing forks are portrayed in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and it is believed that the Egyptians used the instruments to find water. Similarly, ancient Chinese cultures used dowsing techniques to locate underground water channels and also minerals. Later, the Celtic druids used the same methods to discover not only water, metals and minerals but also to find ley lines—electromagnetic lines believed to intersect many ancient archeological sites (such as henges and burial mounds).

During the Middle Ages, Europeans frequently used dowsing to search for water and metal. In the 15^th century it became a popular tool for German and English miners who were seeking coal, though Martin Luther, whose own father was a miner who employed dowsing, condemned the practice as “the work of the Devil”, and the subject gradually sank into obscurity. Interest in dowsing was revived during Victorian times, partly due to a relaxing of the church’s attitude and a growing scientific interest in the practice. During the following decades, a number of prominent people, including Albert Einstein had some positive results in experiments using dowsing.

How Dowsing Works

Each dowser has their own slight variation on how the process works, though most proponents believe that dowsing rods or a pendulum may act as antennas that are able to receive information in the form of energy waves from people, places, objects and sometimes even thoughts. Albert Einstein believed that dowsing was connected to electromagnetic waves and that dowsers use their tools to follow this energy in the same way that birds use electromagnetic waves to follow their migratory paths. Some dowsers refer to their art as ‘divining’ because they believe that they are channeling a divine force, or accessing divine knowledge through the pendulum or dowsing rods. Others believe that the dowsing tools are merely visual aids that show us what our body is already aware of.

To locate underground sources, dowsers hold the rods loosely in their fists with their arms stretched away from their body at 90 degree angles, elbows at their sides. They walk slowly around the area that they are examining, as they cross a boundary line the rods will slowly cross over each other. As they move away from the boundary line the rods will slowly move apart again. Dowsers often say they can feel a gentle vibrating movement in the rods as they move, as though a subtle energy is flowing through them. A wooden, forked dowsing stick is held gently with one end of the fork in each hand, pointing slightly upwards. It is said to vibrate slightly and to point downwards to signify a positive response.

When using a pendulum, dowsers hold the end of the string or chain gently in their fingers, so that their grip will not influence the direction of the swing. They will ask the pendulum to show how it will indicate a ‘yes’ response. If the pendulum rotates clockwise, then an anti-clockwise rotation will signify a negative response, and vice versa.

Sometimes the dowser does not travel physically to a specific location but may merely use a pendulum with a map. In this instance the dowser will hold the pendulum over the section of the map which they are investigating to obtain results.

Finding Water

Dowsing has been used throughout history for finding water. Many pioneers used the method to figure out where to dig their wells, and dowsing is still use throughout the world to find water sources today. The results of a German, government sponsored program to test and apply dowsing methods for locating water sources in arid regions were presented in the Journal of Scientific Exploration in 1995. This was the most ambitious dowsing experiment ever to be undertaken, and achieved a striking 96 percent success rate by dowsers in Sri Lanka. Based on previous geological experience in that area, a success rate of only 30-50 percent would have been expected from conventional methods. Even more remarkable, it was reported that the dowsers were also able to accurately predict the depth of the water source and the yield of the well to within 15-20 percent.

Once an underground water source is located, the depth is measured by first marking off the edge of the source above ground. At this starting point the dowser asks how deep below the surface the source is located. The point at which the rods cross again are then measured with a tape measure. The reading gives an estimate of how deep the source is. The results are said to vary depending on the experience and skill of the dowser.

Dowsing and the Military

During the Vietnam war, it is reported that U.S. marines were taught how to use a dowsing pendulum to locate the Viet Cong’s underground tunnels and mines. Apparently the men in the field came to rely on the dowsing marines because their methods were far more accurate even than the sophisticated apparatus that was already at their disposal.

During the Second World War, Colonel Kenneth Merrylees, a well known water diviner, worked successfully as a bomb-disposal expert, using his dowsing talents to find bombs with delayed action fuses which were buried deep underground.

The Chinese Army has been utilizing dowsing techniques for decades to train advance troops to scout the terrain and locate enemy targets and optimum sites for encampment. Both the Czechoslovakian Army and the Canadian Army Engineers also have permanent corps of dowsers.  On home ground, at USMC Camp Pendleton on Southern California, young enlistees have been screened for their dowsing ability. It is reported that one out of five is found to have a natural ability to dowse.


Dowsing in Archeology

Many archeologists believe that dowsing can be a valuable tool if it is used systematically and accurately. It is sometimes used when other instruments are impractical, for example, under churches or buildings that are still in use. In these cases, dowsing may be the only means of accessing below-ground information. Carl Etheridge, Historic Preservationist and Cemetery Preservation Consultant from Cartersville, Georgia, often finds uses for dowsing in his fieldwork. When surveying possible grave sites Carl will often use his personally made copper dowsing rods to locate unmarked graves that have been hidden by undergrowth and the ravages of time. He explains that sometimes a ground probe will not work because “over time graves subside as the coffin deteriorates and the ground sinks. As the family tends a grave they will often fill in the depression, bringing the grave back up to ground level. Once it’s packed in good and tight over the years a probe rod won’t penetrate it.” When Carl walks the site with his dowsing rods however, their gentle movements will show him where the exact boundaries of the grave sites are and often even whether the coffin is a rectangle shape or the old hexagonal shape. This enables him to record the locations of the burial sites and conduct research in the historical archives.

Accurate dowsing can enable the location of archeological features without running the risk of damaging any evidence even though excavation will be required later. Dowsing may also be used to suggest dates for artifacts and buildings that can be confirmed later with traditional methods. Though non-dowers often deny the validity of the method, some archeologists claim that dowsing can bring new understanding to the field’s relationship to the ancient energies of early buildings and megalithic features. The use of dowsing in archeology ins becoming more widespread in Britain, in countries such as Russia it has been widely accepted as a science for some years and is taught in colleges at graduate and post graduate levels.

Communicating with the Dead

Sarah Harrison of the Ashville Paranormal Society, North Carolina, is a sensitive to spirits of the deceased. She uses dowsing to communicate with spirits of the dead when she and her team travel round the U.S. investigating haunted sites. She recently investigated Noonday Baptist Church Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. The site is also known as Devil’s Turnaround because of its reputation for paranormal activity. Although she did not experience any of the negative activity that is told of in local folklore, such as mysterious appearing scratches and bruises, howling sounds and a ghostly dog, she did take a number of photographs which revealed orbs and was able to contact an adult male and an eight year old boy, using dowsing rods.

Sarah explains that using dowsing rods to communicate with spirits is a fairly simple process. She asks the spirit a simple question and then asks it to cross the rods if the answer is yes, and to open them if the answer is no. Names are received by going through each letter of the alphabet. During her visit to Noonday Cemetery, Sarah communicated with the spirit of a young boy who told her his name was Sam. Interestingly, Sarah later found a grave at the site, marked with the name Samuel Barnes, though it was only inscribed with the date of his death so she does not yet know how old he was when he died. She is currently making further investigations.

Dowsing and Medicine

In France, doctors have actually been using dowsing pendulums since the 1930s to diagnose illness. This practice is known throughout Europe as Radiesthesia. The pendulum has been used to detect a range of ailments including allergies, to locate areas of and causes of disease and to determine the sex, and even the due date of unborn babies. Some chiropractors prefer to use dowsing methods on their patients rather than x-rays. Dentists have even been reported to use dowsing to find cavities in their patient’s teeth.

In the U.S. many holistic healers believe that dowsing can be a very versatile tool because it can be used for a wide range of purposes beginning with highlighting imbalances within a patient’s body, from there, it may be used to indicate how the patient may make adjustments in her diet or lifestyle, with the aim of regulating the flow of energy, chi or prana throughout the body.

Dowsing Controversy

The history of dowsing is not without its share of controversy however. One of its most notorious characters was Verne Cameron. Cameron became noted for his dowsing talents in the late 1920s, by which time he had discovered numerous water well sites and springs for his neighbors. He achieved international fame in the 1950s for developing the Cameron Aurameter, also known as a “water compass” which incorporated five different devices able to detect water. Tens of thousands of these devices were used throughout the world by professional dowsers. During the Cold War, in the 1960s he was invited by the South African government to use his pendulum to help them locate their precious natural resources. The U.S. government denied him a passport due to the fact that some years earlier, he had demonstrated his dowsing prowess to the U.S. Navy, by map dowsing and successfully locating every submarine in the Navy's fleet. He also successfully located every Russian submarine throughout the in the world’s oceans. The CIA subsequently determined that Cameron was a risk to national security, and he was forbidden to leave the country.

What the Skeptics Say

Though the argument for dowsing may be compelling, skeptics claim that all dowsers will ultimately fail when properly tested. If you ask them why dowsing works at all they will probably explain that it is due to the “ideomotor effect.” The ideomotor effect is a sudden and involuntary body movement which is stimulated by a conscious or subconscious thought, rather than any external stimuli. In other words, according to the skeptic, the dowser is unknowingly moving the rods or pendulum herself. While this does seem to explain the failures, it does not seem to satisfactorily account for the extraordinary number of successes. Other skeptics explain dowsing successes as the result of visual cues, visually imperceptible shifts in the levels of the ground that move the rods and prior knowledge of the area

How to make your own dowsing tools

If you want to put it to the test yourself you can quite easily equip yourself with the essential tools. A dowsing pendulum is simple to make as you merely need a weighted object on the end of a string or chain. Favored objects include rings and crystals.

Dowsing rods may be made of several different materials. Metal ones are commonly made of copper, though some of them are also made from brass. Many people have also made simple dowsing rods from metal coat hangers. The rods are bent into an L-shape, with the smallest part of the angle being the part you hold in your hand and the dowsing end itself usually being about three times the length of the handle. You can make variations on these dimensions based on what works for you and what you feel comfortable with. You can also use a single L-shaped rod or a single U-shaped rod which functions on the same principle. Some people use an L-shape rod with a fine wire loop in the middle of the bar, which bobs up and down when it detects a source. Early divining rods were made from forked wooden branches. Many dowsers are still in favor of these types today. A forked piece of rowan, hazel or willow wood are the most traditional dowsing instruments. With a little practice you may even be able to design your own style rod that is even more sensitive than the ones described above.