| So you want to be a paranormal researcher? You want to know what to expect and how to get involved? Alright, here's the low-down on what to expect. Just remember, you asked. Contrary to popular opinion, paranormal research is not a glamorous or exciting thing. It involves many hours of sitting in dark rooms or tromping through mosquito-infested forests, and many more hours of being hunched over a computer screen or wearing headphones until your ears feel like they're about to fall off. It is definately not something that appeals to thrill-seekers. But then there's that moment when you see something moving on video when you know darned well that there was nothing in that room. There's the tingle and shiver when you hear a recording of your voice asking a question and a another voice answers, even though no one else was around at the time. Those all-too-rare moments make up for those long hours with room to spare. You will find list of lists of Do's and Don'ts on many websites (we'll spare you the repitition), but few truly try to prepare you for the discipline, tedium, excitement, and occasional heartbreak involved. So we'll try that here. Keep these things in mind when you think about going ghosthunting with your buddies. #1) Be willing to dedicate a lot of time. You may go through a dozen cases and hundred of hours of data before you find anything remotely interesting. And much of that may be shadowy picutres and gibberish audio. Don't get discouraged. There are many many researchers who have never caught anything personally, but they are still out there trying, and they still make big contributions to the field. #2) Don't be afraid to learn something new, or try a new approach. This field is so young, and technologies developing so fast, that there's no way any one person can know everything. We had EMF sensors for decades before anybody thought to use them in ghosthunting. Now they are almost considered a standard. Be creative! And take that course on photogaphy or electronics at the local community college. There's no such thing as wasted knowledge. #3) Listen to what other researchers tell you. They may be 90% full of poo, but that 10% will be a goldmine of information. There is one researcher in particular (no names, please) that I disagree with almost everything he says. His methods are sloppy, his conclusions are suspect, and he makes so many assumptions that, if I had a nickle for every one... well, you get the point. But he's a brilliant tech and has come up with some electronics that may very well revolutionize how we handle the equipment side of paranormal investigation. You have to learn how to filter the diamonds out of the coal. And always remember that a few years from now, you may very well be the one who is proven to be 90% poo. #4) Always keep discipline. Chasing ghosts can be a scary thing when you finally catch up to one. Nothing really prepares you for it. One instant you're just walking through yet another house asking for a sign of their presence, and then next thing you know there's a lamp floating in the air in front of you. Have the courage not to run away screaming like a schoolgirl. You may have a client on the edge of her wits, ready to burn down the house and flee for the hills because a demon is living in her attic. Don't let the client (or other team members) get you freaked out. Keep a clear head and stay focused on the facts. #5) Grow a thick skin. You are likely to be subjected to ridicule, made fun of, laughed at, insulted, threatened, and a whole host of other disharmonious behaviors. Just feel lucky. If you lived in Japan, you'd likely be disowned by your family and cast out of society. Just grow a thick skin and try not to take it too seriously. After all, the one's giving you hard time are usually the type that think a fun weekend is getting drunk and watching the bug zapper do it's work. (PS - if you are in Japan or anywhere with a strong Shinto culture, DO NOT tell anyone you are considering doing this sort of research. Seriously, keep it your little secret. It's not worth the family trouble.) #6) There's a part of doing investigations that not many people talk about. Many researchers have given up and walked away for good after this type of experience. There may come a time when you are listening to your recordings in the comfort of your home. You heard nothing on the investigation, and saw no signs of activity. But as you listen, you start to hear a child's voice answer you. Some little girl's voice, sounding like she's all of five years old or thereabout, will be calling for you. "Would you play with me," she'll say, or maybe "Have you seen mommy?" If you're really unlucky, the voice will say something like, "I'm scared. Please help me." You will feel a mixture of emotions; anger, guilt, helplessness, and so on. Logically, there's no way you could have known it was happening or do anything about it but, emotionally, it will feel like you've been punched in the heart. Be prepared, Still Here? Still Interested? Outstanding! Read On! If you are really willing to go through all that, you're a rare person. Once you've made your decision, there are four main routes you can go... Option #1 ) join an existing group Option #2 ) start your own group Option #3 ) conduct independent research Option #4 ) start doing consultant research for other groups. #1 : Join an Existing Group There are hundred... thousands... maybe tens of thousands of groups out there nowdays. Sadly, a majority exist to give their members a quick thrill or a feeling of being "special" and "unique." They have no real interest in the paranormal except as an excuse to scare each other with fancy gadgets. Avoid these at all costs. But there are many, many groups that pursue paranormal research with more responsibility. Curiosity is their driving force, and they adopt a wide variety of methods in this pursuit. Some take a critical or skeptical approach, while others pursue a more pre-supposed approach. Some try to prove hauntings while others try to disprove them. Some use only hard sciences while others depend almost entirely on intuition and metaphysics. And for every extreme, there are dozens than fall somewhere in between. Don't just jump in. Shop around. Meet a few people for lunch. Maybe go along on an investigation (if they allow it). Find a group that you are comfortable with (prople-wise and method-wise). And don;t get in a hurry. The ghosts will still be there when you make up your mind. SJP's policy on this is simple; your reasons are your own. As long as you are willing to conform to group procedures and maintain a minimum level of professionalism while in the field, then your motivations are entirely your own concern. But be warned; we have a very low tolerance for "special people" or social crusaders. SJP is a paranormal research group, not a socio-political action committee. #2 : Start your own group Sure, this sounds like a good choice. Build it the way you want it, no need to conform to others' preconceptions, and all that. But the down-side is that it's a lot of work, a very large expense, and you will find yourself having to build your reputation from the ground up. Don't underestimate this. A group's reputation in the community is a vital part of the work, and you will find that few people are willing to allow strangers into their home unless they have heard good things about you. There is also a lack of experience to consider. If you are just starting out, you won't have the first-hand knowledge that members of existing groups have. You will not know what the little details are and where to look for them. But relax. All that will come in time. You will have to find people that your trust completely. You wil have to get along with them very VERY well. This is vital in a young group, as personality conflicts can destroy your efforts before you even really get started. You will have to become very good at managing people. You're not just an enthusiast anymore. You're also a lawyer, diplomat, manager, and secretary. That having been said, the results can be marvelous if you succeed. The rewards are definately worth the effort, and those efforts get easier over time. After a year or two, you'll hardly notice it. But you'll remember the "Firsts." The first time someone comes to you for help, the first time another group asks for assistance, the first time you go through the entire investigation like a well-oiled machine ... well, you get the idea. #3 : Conduct independent research A lot of people follow this path, especially with the flood of thrill-seeker groups springing up recently. They operate by themselves, occasionally comparing notes with others, but making paranormal research a personal quest rather than a collective effort. There are some advantages to this; you don't have to worry about personality conflicts or poor leadership, you can work on your own time and at your own pace, and so on. The down-side is that you do not have different points of view when examining data, you have to bear the burden of the equipment and maintenance yourself, and you have to face the limits of your own knowledge and experience. But if you can handle all that, then there are certainly many benefits to this approach. #4 : Start doing consultant research for other groups. Seriously, this is not a bad way to go. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can communicate with researchers all over the globe and share data at the touch of a button. And consider this data for a moment; let's say a group does a six-hour investigation using four audio recorders, two camcorders, five cameras, and three IR webcams. That's 84 hours of data that has to be reviewed, often two or three times. That's a lot of man-hours, especially for people who do this during their spare time and still have jobs, families, and other interests to maintain. And lets face facts; data analysis is one of the most tedious and boring parts of this field. If you can show that you have a rational and objective mind, many groups will happily share data for you to examine. Many see a benefit in a non-connected point of view rather than using the same people who collected the data to begin with. And all it really requires is a computer, some special software (much of which is FREE), an e-mail address that can handle large attachmnts, and time. In exchange, you get to build a good working relationship with other groups, you get a lot of experience with field data, and you can get deeply involved without laying out a huge investment. On the other hand, this gives you no vital field training or experinece dealing with the human side of paranormal research (a very important part of the field, BTW). But regardless of the option(s) you choose, sooner or later you will need to know how the equipment works and how it's used in the investigations. And eventually you'll want to start putting together your own gear. When that wonderous day comes, you'll need to know what the heck you're doing. And that can be found [HERE]. But a lot of people operate on a tight budget, and can't afford fifty thousand dollars in special gear. But fear not! You can still be effective on investigations. And [HERE] is how it can happen. Onward! To the Gadgets! Back to the Q&A pages Back to the Front Page |
 |
 |
| Hook me up! I wanna do this too!! |