Paranormal Investigations: Waiting For The Spirits To Show
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Personally I’m a fan of good old fashioned placed objects, with a secure locked off camera to rule out tampering, and recently have had some minor ‘success’ with an Egely Wheel. But I’ve many friends and fellow hunters that love their high tech equipment, scoffing at those, like me, who favor the low tech approach. There’s no denying that these investigators seem to reel in some great unexplainable captures with their gadgetry, but we’re all after the same thing, so maybe there’s room for both – the low and the high tech approaches.
What equipment should you pack for a night of spook busting?
Headlamp
There’s a great deal of speculation as to why night investigations appear to produce the best results. Our senses are certainly heightened once darkness falls, and there’s a theory that ghosts can tap into the energy that’s produced as a result. It could be that adrenaline has some effect on magnetic energy – there is less than minimal research linking these two fields. Or it could just be that there are fewer distractions from traffic or people and therefore we’re more focused.
However, although ghosts may favor the dark, the living need to see where we’re putting our feet. Some venues are falling apart at the seams and without a light for guidance, can become very dangerous places. Headlamps are the best choice in most people’s opinions as they leave your hands free for checking equipment and holding meters (and snacks). So a decent headlamp, with a long battery life, is a basic necessity.
Cameras
It makes sense to have locked off, or fixed, surveillance cameras set at the locations with the most activity, or reported activity, and it’s sensible to get these up and running during the day, ready for the night ahead.
If you can, video cameras feeding live to your hub work well, especially if these can be reviewed in situ, and any findings acted upon.
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EMF Meter
Digital Recorder
Every investigation should include at least one digital recorder. With the ability to detect sub-frequencies, they can often record sounds inaudible to the human ear, and if you strike it lucky, EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) in response to questions. Sometimes full sentences have been captured, but the jury is still out as to whether these are actual proof of the supernatural.
Spirit Box
Some people love ’em, some hate ’em, but spirit boxes have produced some impressive results. By using a fast sweep wave, the box isolates electromagnetic waves, and eliminates any competing radio waves. Linking the box to an audio software programme which can describe the wave forms, makes any anomalies easier to spot, especially if you are looking for responses to questions.
But it must be stressed whatever your equipment – test, retest and triple test all your equipment, making sure you have extra battery packs, as we’ve all experienced inexplicably sudden power shortages.