Ghost Hunting as a Hobby

Aug 10, 2010
Penny Pislaan

Orbs are Thought to be Evidence of Ghosts - Art Pislaan

With all of the ghost hunting shows on TV these days, is it any wonder that this phenomena has become so popular?

What constitutes a haunting? Is it the spirit of a person who has passed away but refuses to pass on? Or is it more like a video recording of something that has happened and just keeps playing over and over again? The American Heritage Dictionary describes a haunting as "to inhabit, visit, or appear in the form of a ghost or spirit."

Types of Ghosts

As a basic rule, there are two types of ghosts or spirits. The first was human at one time. It may not realize it is dead or it may be hanging around to finish something it did not get a chance to finish in life. It's death may have been tragic or violent and it is bound to earth by this traumatic event. These spirits tend to have the good or bad personalities they had in life. The second type was never human. Some people do not believe that evil spirits exist but others believe that where there is good there must be evil. Evil spirits or demons are dangerous and no attempt to contact them should ever be made. There is little chance of actually encountering one but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Types of Hauntings

Just as there are two types of ghosts, there are two types of hauntings. Residual hauntings are an event, sometimes traumatic in nature, stuck in time. It repeats itself, without variation, whether anyone is there to see it or not. Any spirits involved in a residual haunting are not aware of anyone around them because they themselves are not there -- only their energy. With an intelligent haunting the spirits are aware of their surroundings and are able to communicate in some way with those around them.

Possible Evidence of a Haunting

Like the proverbial "things that go bump in the night," there are certain unexplainable phenomena that can be construed as evidence of ghosts. Actual evidence, however, is subjective -- what may be evidence to one person may be open to conjecture for another. A lot depends on a person's individual beliefs and open-mindedness. Here are some examples of what may be ghosts:

Footsteps – The sound of someone walking around when no one else is there.
Doors or windows – Opening and closing by themselves, again when no one else is there.
Strong scents – The smell of flowers, perfume, cigars, etc. where there shouldn't be any. This can either come and go quickly or linger for awhile.
Flashes of light – These are often seen on camera after the picture is taken.
Cold spots – An area where the air is very cold while the surrounding air is warm.
Objects moving – Chairs sliding across the floor, pictures flying off the walls.
Objects disappearing – Someone sets something down in a specific spot only to find it gone. It may reappear in the same spot minutes, hours, days later or maybe not at all. Or it can show up somewhere else.
Orbs – There is a common belief that the presence of orbs in pictures or on video are evidence of apparitions. Since dust and other factors can look like orbs on camera, this type of evidence is open for debate.

Amateur Ghost Hunters

There are a few things to remember when beginning a ghost hunting career.

Never go alone – If something happens, someone needs to be able to call for help.
Always bring spare batteries for any equipment – Batteries have a tendency to go dead, especially while ghost hunting.
Bring several cameras – A 35mm, with either 400 or 800 speed film, and a digital camera work well.
A good flashlight is a necessity – Also with spare batteries.
Document everything that happens in either a notebook or with a tape recorder – Even if something seems inconsequential at the time, make note of it.

Some places are more likely to be haunted than others. The age of the structures themselves do not matter as much as how long it has been since the surrounding area was established. A new building can be just as haunted as one that has been around for 150 years -- if something has happened in the past on the land. It's a good idea to conduct historic research on a place before beginning a ghost hunt just to be sure there might be something to it.

There is no guarantee that these suggestions will produce evidence of ghosts and there is no 100% solid proof that ghosts actually do exist. However, there is no proof positive that they do not either. There are a lot of things that happen in our world that have no plausible explanation. Could ghosts or spirits be the cause? No one knows for sure -- yet, but one day actual proof may be found.

Sources:

Ghosthunting101.com, "The Shadowlands Presents: Ghost Hunting 101." (accessed Aug. 10, 2010).

Ghost-mysteries.com, "Ghost Hunter's Field Guide: A Guide to Finding Evidence of Ghosts." (accessed Aug. 10, 2010).

Penny Pislaan - I am new to Suite 101 and very excited to be writing articles here. I have been writing since I was about 10 years old. I love to write ...