The phenomena of ghosts and hauntings are very real experiences that more and more people are encountering every day. It is their true cause and nature that is the ongoing mystery. In Paranormal Investigations, author Chad Stambaugh discusses the process of trying to find that one piece of evidence that could prove, without a doubt, that ghosts are real.
Paranormal Investigations shows both the beginner and the professional when and how to correctly operate the different types of equipment integral to a paranormal investigation—cameras, camcorders, voice recorders, digital video recorders, EMF detectors, dowsing rods, pendulums, and more. In addition, Chad breaks down, step by step, the correct procedures for conducting both public and private investigations, including how to deal with clients, what to look for, how to look for it, and how to document an investigation.
Through this detailed guide, Chad works toward creating paranormal unity among those who research the events or phenomena that science can’t or won’t explain.
Paranormal Investigations
The Proper Procedures and Protocols of Investigation for the Beginner to the ProBy Chad StambaughiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2013 Chad Stambaugh
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4759-7163-7Contents
Preface...........................................................................ixAcknowledgments...................................................................xiiiIntroduction......................................................................xvChapter 1 What Is a Ghost?........................................................1Chapter 2 Basic Tools: Pen, Paper, Flashlight, Watch, and You.....................3Chapter 3 Equipment...............................................................5Chapter 4 The Camera..............................................................9Chapter 5 The Camcorder...........................................................17Chapter 6 Dowsing Rods and Pendulums..............................................21Chapter 7 The EMF Detector........................................................25Chapter 8 Digital Video Recorder (DVR) System.....................................31Chapter 9 The Famous EVP..........................................................35Chapter 10 EM Pump................................................................41Chapter 11 Thermometers...........................................................43Chapter 12 The Ovilus.............................................................47Chapter 13 Trigger Objects: A Valid Investigation Technique?......................49Chapter 14 Types of Spirits.......................................................51Chapter 15 ITC, or Instrumental Transcommunication................................57Chapter 16 Your Basic Investigation...............................................61Chapter 17 Paranormal Activity Level..............................................65Chapter 18 Initial Contact........................................................69Chapter 19 Preliminary Interview..................................................73Chapter 20 The Actual Investigation...............................................77Chapter 21 Using a Medium.........................................................83Chapter 22 Historical Site Research...............................................89Chapter 23 The Evidence Review....................................................93Chapter 24 A Client's Point of View...............................................97Chapter 25 Closing Remarks........................................................101Resources.........................................................................103
Chapter One
What Is a Ghost?
What are ghosts? I'll give you the answer straight out: no one knows for certain. There are, however, many theories to explain the thousands of experiences that people around the world have had. I think ghosts and spirits are a common part of the so-called human experience. There also appear to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory might be needed to explain them all.
The traditional view of a ghost is that it is the spirit of a dead person who for some reason is stuck between this world and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. I believe that some of these earthbound spirits don't know they are dead. Others know they are dead but remain because they are attached to someone, something, or some place. These ghosts/spirits are what I believe to be an "intelligent haunt." These ghosts exist in a kind of limbo state in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. I often think that these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living, and on occasion they can even materialize. As an investigator, I try to communicate with them in hopes of a response.
On the other hand, some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed: A soldier is seen on repeated occasions staring out a window where he once stood watch. A child's laughter is heard in a hallway where the child once played. There are even cases of ghost trains that can still be heard and sometimes seen, even though the tracks they ran on are long gone. These types of ghosts do not interact with or seem to be aware of the living as much as an intelligent ghost. Their appearance and actions seem to always be the same. To me it's like a spirit-level recording, or residual energy, which replays over and over again, as if in a loop. We call these "residual" ghosts/spirits.
One of my theories concerning a residual haunt is that these entities are actually what have been called a "thought form." I think that some of the most famous ghosts are commonly referred to as residual hauntings and are suspected to be a "thought-form" ghost. These ghosts were created by some sort of emotional disturbance, such as a suicide, a war, or even a natural death, and grew through the energy of people believing in them and adding their thoughts and energy, which in turn provide an ongoing source of power for them. When such hauntings occur, is there a way to find out if the ghost is a thought form? I think one way of finding out is to do some research. While researching the location, if you find out that nothing has been documented to support the claims but the story of the ghost has been passed down through the generations, then you may have a thought-form entity. As paranormal investigators, these are conclusions that we try to reach.
Are there such things as ghosts? The phenomena of ghosts and hauntings are very real experiences that more and more people are experiencing every day. It is their true cause and nature that is the ongoing mystery. This is what keeps me and many others investigating more and more places: trying to find that one piece of evidence that will finally prove, without any doubt, that ghosts are real.
Okay, let's finally begin our education into the world of investigating. The first thing we are going to look at is what we need to actually do an investigation. The next chapter starts out with the basics, and we'll build from there.
Chapter Two
Basic Tools: Pen, Paper, Flashlight, Watch, and You
Most ghost hunters think you need a lot of cool tools and gadgets to get started in the field of paranormal investigating, but that is simply not true. The most important tools to have with you on an investigation are a pen, some paper, a flashlight, a watch, and your own eyes and ears. You might be saying to yourself, "How can that be?" Well, let me break it down for you. During an investigation, you should keep a log of everything. This is where the pen, paper, and watch come in. These logs should include investigation, time, weather, any experiences that you might have, photos, EMF/temperature baselines (if you have the necessary tools), and anything else you think is relevant. A description of a few of those logs is as follows:
Investigation (timetable) is used to document things such as what time you arrived at the location, what time you started investigating, who investigated and where (and at what times), where each investigator was constantly, what equipment you used, etc. This log will help you keep track of the investigation and assist with review process.
Weather is used to document the weather conditions at the time of the investigation. We also recommend you check the moon cycles. We use this information to track weather conditions on the day of an investigation if data is captured so we can compare it to other similar events in other...
