Here is another article that I`ve picked out that serves as a practical guides to my team members and also to our readers that would like to try a bit of ghost hunting themselves.
- History - Its important to find out all you can about the history of the location. You can check historical records, newspapers, books and articles; the Internet is often a good place to begin. Finding out about the history can be helpful in finding hard facts or folklore about the place.(You could also talk to the neighbours or resident that have been living in the area . Having in mind a certain folklore helps the hunt be more organize and systemic. It helps explains certain things on the ground. This can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to the hunt.A pro being that you don`t see everything as spiritual doings, a con being that your mind tends to lean toward the theme in particular relation)
- Evidence - Where possible gather as much evidence as you can about the haunting. If possible interview witnesses or local residents. In many cases the investigation will be guided by the witnesses' statements and testimony.( As mentioned above scout around and you`ll get a rough idea of the locality and situation of the area)
- Prepare - When carrying out an interview be prepared for it before you conduct it. Remember to be open-minded and considerate of feelings and comfort of the person or people you are interviewing at all times. You must always allow the person to tell their story without interruption and hold off any questions until they have finished. ( Here i would like to just add planning is as essential in the initial stage as it can get, the rough outlay of the an area, lights, recorders, cameras and etc. Last thing you want is to not know the exit or get lost in the dark)
- Questions - Its important when questioning a person that you make sure your questions are not leading questions. For example: Leading Questions: Did you see a ghost? Were you frightened? Use open questions, Open Questions: What did you see? How did you feel?( Ask yourself questions and your members as well when on ground. What you may seem to interpret from one thing may actually be interpreted differently from another member/person)
- Privacy - When you gathering information for your investigation it is vital that you respect the privacy of the residents in the area. An overnight investigation may be the final course of action rather than the first. Its important you have done some preliminary research first as a simple explanation may be found early on in the investigation for the reported haunting from researching the history and through interviews.(This also applies to no destruction of properties and also vandalism.Remember we are there to explore not to destroy.Disrespecting religious monuments and belief always goes against our team`s principles. What you don`t believe doesn`t make you have the right to disrespect)
- Permission - You must always get permission from the owners or residents before going onto private property even if the property looks abandoned. If the location is a public space like a school or hospital you will need permission from the caretakers or site owners before you begin. If you are going to be taking pictures in a public place, like graveyards, in the early hours of the morning it is advisable to notify the police that you are going to be there and at what times.(Point to note in Singapore it is considered trespassing to go into any property without permission by the police but imagine going up to your local neighbourhood Police station saying "hi there officer morning, just to inform you that my team and I would be going into that abandon house later in the evening.Thank you" hahaha I`ve never tried it but who knows it might work. I`m not promoting or asking people to trespass but just be weary and I can't emphasize enough on initial planning, scouting & research)
- ID - It is important that carry ID with you so that if you are questioned by anyone you can prove who you are.(You`ll be asking for it not to carry you IC (Identity card) around.)
- Never Go Alone - This is common sense. If you fall over or hurt yourself or if you get scared out of your wits you will need someone else there. Always make sure someone knows where you are going, for how long, and when you will be back, in case of emergency.( Well that's why we are a team but for initial scouting stages more or less for an experience investigator like Yat, he has done several scouts alone. The general thumb rule of 2 are usually the best. Too many would make your movement noticeable and dampens the atmosphere going alone well the above paragraph explains it. We are a team of investigators not going out there to prove we are reckless and fearless)
- The Best Time - Between the hours of 9pm and 6am is best time to investigate, as these are the hours most associated with hauntings. However, results can also be produced during daylight hours also.(day time investigation due yield results as well, it doesn't have to happen only in the night)
- Check Out - Its important to always check out the area during daylight before you go there at night so you are familiar with it that way you can look out for dangerous objects and obstacles that you might not be able to see in the dark, make a note of where they are an make sure the rest of your team are informed.(These are some points already covered in some of the above paragraph, yet again emphasizing planning)
- No - Smoking, alcohol or drugs at an investigation for obvious reasons. ( Logical enough, last thing you would want is getting attention not from entities but from the police)
- Don't - On both indoor and outdoor investigations do not ware anything with a scent, such as, perfume, cologne or anything else with a noticeable scent. This is to ensure that someone else does not mistake the smell for a paranormal occurrence. It is said that Spirits use scents and smells to get our attention.( I think almost everyone in Singapore can relate to the theory of the Pontianak scent.Also sometimes perfumes do tend to attract insects or animals and you wouldn't know what kind of poisonous insects or animals are lurking round the corner during your investigation. It also to be noted do NOT provoke animals if come across any during your investigation 1. It is obviously dangerous e.g snakes 2.It might seem like an animal but it maybe something else in an animal form)
- Record- Do not rely on you ability to recall information and details later, as the smallest thing can be of vital importance when evidencing your findings later so always remember to take pens and paper with you and record everything.(This is something for my team, record with pen and paper well maybe just rough notes and sketches, together with the audio and video recording. It may be prove to be a useful tool for the investigation)
These are basically some of the steps that the team does before we stake out.(The final step not to be forgotten are reviewing the evidence and recapping the events and occurrences.)
h|d|R
Adapted from: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hazel_Ford
- History - Its important to find out all you can about the history of the location. You can check historical records, newspapers, books and articles; the Internet is often a good place to begin. Finding out about the history can be helpful in finding hard facts or folklore about the place.(You could also talk to the neighbours or resident that have been living in the area . Having in mind a certain folklore helps the hunt be more organize and systemic. It helps explains certain things on the ground. This can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to the hunt.A pro being that you don`t see everything as spiritual doings, a con being that your mind tends to lean toward the theme in particular relation)
- Evidence - Where possible gather as much evidence as you can about the haunting. If possible interview witnesses or local residents. In many cases the investigation will be guided by the witnesses' statements and testimony.( As mentioned above scout around and you`ll get a rough idea of the locality and situation of the area)
- Prepare - When carrying out an interview be prepared for it before you conduct it. Remember to be open-minded and considerate of feelings and comfort of the person or people you are interviewing at all times. You must always allow the person to tell their story without interruption and hold off any questions until they have finished. ( Here i would like to just add planning is as essential in the initial stage as it can get, the rough outlay of the an area, lights, recorders, cameras and etc. Last thing you want is to not know the exit or get lost in the dark)
- Questions - Its important when questioning a person that you make sure your questions are not leading questions. For example: Leading Questions: Did you see a ghost? Were you frightened? Use open questions, Open Questions: What did you see? How did you feel?( Ask yourself questions and your members as well when on ground. What you may seem to interpret from one thing may actually be interpreted differently from another member/person)
- Privacy - When you gathering information for your investigation it is vital that you respect the privacy of the residents in the area. An overnight investigation may be the final course of action rather than the first. Its important you have done some preliminary research first as a simple explanation may be found early on in the investigation for the reported haunting from researching the history and through interviews.(This also applies to no destruction of properties and also vandalism.Remember we are there to explore not to destroy.Disrespecting religious monuments and belief always goes against our team`s principles. What you don`t believe doesn`t make you have the right to disrespect)
- Permission - You must always get permission from the owners or residents before going onto private property even if the property looks abandoned. If the location is a public space like a school or hospital you will need permission from the caretakers or site owners before you begin. If you are going to be taking pictures in a public place, like graveyards, in the early hours of the morning it is advisable to notify the police that you are going to be there and at what times.(Point to note in Singapore it is considered trespassing to go into any property without permission by the police but imagine going up to your local neighbourhood Police station saying "hi there officer morning, just to inform you that my team and I would be going into that abandon house later in the evening.Thank you" hahaha I`ve never tried it but who knows it might work. I`m not promoting or asking people to trespass but just be weary and I can't emphasize enough on initial planning, scouting & research)
- ID - It is important that carry ID with you so that if you are questioned by anyone you can prove who you are.(You`ll be asking for it not to carry you IC (Identity card) around.)
- Never Go Alone - This is common sense. If you fall over or hurt yourself or if you get scared out of your wits you will need someone else there. Always make sure someone knows where you are going, for how long, and when you will be back, in case of emergency.( Well that's why we are a team but for initial scouting stages more or less for an experience investigator like Yat, he has done several scouts alone. The general thumb rule of 2 are usually the best. Too many would make your movement noticeable and dampens the atmosphere going alone well the above paragraph explains it. We are a team of investigators not going out there to prove we are reckless and fearless)
- The Best Time - Between the hours of 9pm and 6am is best time to investigate, as these are the hours most associated with hauntings. However, results can also be produced during daylight hours also.(day time investigation due yield results as well, it doesn't have to happen only in the night)
- Check Out - Its important to always check out the area during daylight before you go there at night so you are familiar with it that way you can look out for dangerous objects and obstacles that you might not be able to see in the dark, make a note of where they are an make sure the rest of your team are informed.(These are some points already covered in some of the above paragraph, yet again emphasizing planning)
- No - Smoking, alcohol or drugs at an investigation for obvious reasons. ( Logical enough, last thing you would want is getting attention not from entities but from the police)
- Don't - On both indoor and outdoor investigations do not ware anything with a scent, such as, perfume, cologne or anything else with a noticeable scent. This is to ensure that someone else does not mistake the smell for a paranormal occurrence. It is said that Spirits use scents and smells to get our attention.( I think almost everyone in Singapore can relate to the theory of the Pontianak scent.Also sometimes perfumes do tend to attract insects or animals and you wouldn't know what kind of poisonous insects or animals are lurking round the corner during your investigation. It also to be noted do NOT provoke animals if come across any during your investigation 1. It is obviously dangerous e.g snakes 2.It might seem like an animal but it maybe something else in an animal form)
- Record- Do not rely on you ability to recall information and details later, as the smallest thing can be of vital importance when evidencing your findings later so always remember to take pens and paper with you and record everything.(This is something for my team, record with pen and paper well maybe just rough notes and sketches, together with the audio and video recording. It may be prove to be a useful tool for the investigation)
These are basically some of the steps that the team does before we stake out.(The final step not to be forgotten are reviewing the evidence and recapping the events and occurrences.)
h|d|R
Adapted from: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hazel_Ford
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