Free course – sign up now!
Hollow Hill’s founder, Fiona Broome, has created a free, four-part course, Introduction to Ghost Hunting.
This free course is for beginners who want to learn the basics. It will prepare you to join a ghost hunting team and conduct your own paranormal research.
Sign up using the form below. Your first lesson will be sent to you immediately after you confirm your registration.
After that, you will receive a new lesson about once a week for a total of four lessons.
At the conclusion of the course, you can download a certificate of completion for your personal use. This course is entirely free, but you must sign up to receive your lessons with a certificate.
We will never spam you, we will never share your email address outside of Hollow Hill, and you can opt-out of this free course at any time.
If you’d rather follow the lessons without signing up, you can. It’s free! Learn more at Bigger, better free ghost hunting course or just start the course, here.
Not a beginner?
If you’re looking for Intermediate Level training, visit the Books section of this website, linked at the top of this page.
Unlike others who charge up to $225 for information that you can find all over the Internet, Fiona’s books are original and include insider tips that can improve your research results, right away.
Or, listen to some of Fiona’s instructional podcasts. (See the Podcasts link, above.)
Or, just read any of over 500 articles at this website, for a better understanding of ghosts and ghost hunting.
No related posts. Use the Contact form (above) to ask Fiona for more info.
Completed week one readings and assignments, and have a couple of questions.
Do you think reading/researching about ghosts makes a presence more likely to manifest itself to you, i.e. will spirits sense you are more open to believing in their presence, and reveal, because you’re attuned?
A friend told me she’d seen a documentary that revealed there is a pitch that the human ear can’t hear, but the body can sense or feel, that brings on feelings people associate with a ghostly presence: raises the hair on your arm, makes you feel like you are being watched/not alone. Do you know anything about this?
When on a hunt, how do you cope with fear? I thought the question about, decide how frightened you are willing to be, was a good one. I’m not sure what the answer is; I think emotion (feeling the lingering of sadness or anger from a presence, not my own fear) overwhelms me and my instinct is to get away, fast.
Here is the information on Infrasound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l6LfUKym6w&NR=1
And a wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound
Thoughts?
Thanks, those are good questions, and I’ll probably write some articles about them! Here are some quick replies in the meantime.
I think that ghosts respond to people who are likely to acknowledge them. In my opinion, they can tell when someone’s going to ignore them, and experienced ghosts don’t bother attempting contact. (Or, if they do, it may involve a prank.)
There have been studies in the U.K. indicating that a resonance from underground water (streams, springs, etc.) can affect people. The frequency is outside what most people notice.
People who are affected seem to be predisposed to experiencing ‘paranormal’ phenomena at those locations. The question is, are they simply disoriented and misinterpreting their experiences? Does the disorientation enable people to be more open to paranormal events? Or, in the context of unified field studies, does the frequency unsettle our universe just enough to permit interaction with a parallel world… the one where the ghosts seem to be?
Obviously, there are many unanswered questions. Ghost research is an exciting field that provides many opportunities for speculation.
Regarding fear: When I’m afraid — which is rare — I leave. That’s what I suggest to anyone who is ghost hunting. With experience, your courage will build and you’ll be better able to distinguish between your own fear and the ghosts’, and between startling situations and those where danger is real.
Until you have more experience, it’s better to err on the side of caution. If you feel afraid, leave immediately. Don’t try to rationalize it. Just get away from there.
i live in virginia, and have been in many places, that have made me feel sad or happy. i have taken your classes fiona, and have learned alot off of it. we go around to different places to investigate. i love it!!! don’t get me wrong, i got scared one time, and i did leave, me and two others that heared it. and right fast too! i was told after, that i should have went up the stairs to see what was making the noise. even though all lights were out, and everyone was out of the house, and i “felt” i should get out. i felt like a chicken after that, but also felt like i did the right thing.
Dear Fiona.
I just signed up for your course today and received the first lesson. My neice signed up a couple days ago and asked if I could go out with her as part as a team. I am thrilled that she asked me. I told her that I do beleive in ghosts good and bad. Before going out on a serious hunt I need to know more what we are looking for, not just in pics but physical. She took some great pics at Heaven Of Rest cemetery. I beleave you’ve seen that pic.
My question is when on a hunt if we get questioned by authorities, do we tell them we are “Ghost Hunters”? even though we have no proof?
Rich.
I have completed week one and awaiting this weeks. My question for ghost hunting thus far is this. I have read, and seen the “provoking during evp”. Is this a smart move? I know the reason is to try and create a communication but I would think that agitating a spirit or a paranormal entity would not be the way to go about it. I mean if someone agitates me I tend to walk away. I would like your thoughts on this. Thanks.
I think that it’s important to remember that spirits are the same as us… they just don’t have bodies that we can see. (Well, not usually, anyway.)
There are some people in life — and afterwards — who enjoy a good argument. They thrive on the crackle in the air when people are in heated disagreement.
I’m not one of those people. I go out of my way to establish rapport with the spirits first, because I appreciate that in real life, as well.
I agree with you: If someone irks me, I may give them a quick retort, but then I walk away. I’m not sure why I’d deliberately agitate a ghost.
To me, provoking spirits doesn’t seem productive, not in the long run, anyway.
If all else fails, I might try to annoy them into responding, but that’d be an extreme case. Frankly, I can’t remember a single case where I’ve done that. I’d rather return several times and keep working on rapport, encouraging the spirits to respond.
As far as I’m concerned, the place that the spirit haunts is his or her “home.” It’s simply rude to annoy someone — living or in the spirit world — in their own home.
Thanks for your questions, Rich.
We’re rarely questioned by authorities. At Hollow Hill, we emphasize the importance of visiting locations that are open to the public, and only during the hours that they’re open.
So, there’s not usually any reason for us to be questioned. Rarely, someone reports us as “suspicious” and the police arrive to ask us what we’re doing there.
We never say that we’re “Ghost Hunters” in a way that’d suggest we’re connected with the TV show, Ghost Hunters. (That said, I know Jason and Grant well, and respect their research.)
In fact, saying who we are… that always sounds grandiose to me. So, I usually talk about what we’re doing. After all, that’s what the police usually ask: What we’re doing there.
I’ll hold up my camera and say, “We’re just taking photos. This is such a beautiful place for pictures…,” and so on.
A lot of people like taking pictures of cemeteries. They may or may not be interested in ghosts; they’re simply interested in the carvings on the stones, and the drama of the setting.
But, wherever we are, there’s usually very little reason for the police to question us. We’re either invited by the people who own the site, or it’s a public place (park, cemetery, etc.) that anyone can visit without permission.
If we are questioned, just answer the question. I’ve learned that it’s not helpful to tell them anything more than they actually ask about. And, the question is usually, “What are you doing here?”
So, I stick with “doing” type answers: We’re taking pictures. We’re recording sounds for an audio project. (That’d be EVP, but I don’t usually say that.) We’re checking the geology of the area, especially magnetic ore and underground streams. (That’d be EMF, or work with something like dowsing rods.)
On formal investigations with measuring devices, we generally focus on one kind of phenomena at a time. So, we all have cameras, or we all have EMF meters or dowsing rods, or… well, you get the idea.
On the other hand, if I sense that the guard or police officer is actually intrigued by what we’re doing — as opposed to just filing a report or wanting us to leave — I’ll ask, “Do you know any ghost stories about this place?” That opens the door to a friendly and often very helpful conversation in which we may learn new facts about the site.
I never assume that the authorities are adversaries. In fact, they’re usually my best sources of reliable ghost reports.
But, I always start out by answering their exact questions, and that’s all. I’m cordial or even friendly, never defensive, but I don’t offer more information than they ask for.
Just received the first installment of the free course, which is interesting so far. I have some friends who are involved in ghost hunting, we are all relative newbies (not many hunts under our belts.) The question I have deals with our goals in ghost hunting. I realize that the presence of paranormal activity can be documented, and thus in some instances “proven” to be paranormal; but what exactly are we trying to prove? Given the nature of the “ghost” and all of it’s associated unknowns, what do you think is the best case scenario with regard to an end result. For example, my mother believes all such manifestations/entities are in fact “demons,” and not simply humans that have passed on…how would we ever presume to prove otherwise?
Hello, I saw this website and it looked very interesting.
I was wondering how is it that a person can obtain a certificate that isn’t really a certified subject?
If the subject is the paranormal how is it that there is a definite answer that can be taught to someone on how a ghost can be found?
Also, if a place is haunted who has the expertise to tell the ghost to cross over except the experienced exorcists.
I can understand your reasoning in how to sharpen a perspective or courses on using a tape recorder, but to have a certification seems rather pointless to an subject that isn’t known.
I do not mean to offend, but only hope that you can help me understand your logic in the certification. I would hope that you are trying to help someone or help the “ghosts” but the first course, level one is to find a haunted place. I thought that the first thing that should be mentioned is that a you are there to help those who are asking for an investigation or even, that the paranormal isn’t a game like TV shows. That ghost investigation is a serious matter.
thank you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate it.
Sincerely,
CL
P.s. I like the fine print at the bottom that says “never ghost hunt on private and/or posted property without permission”, when this is a crucial point that should be mentioned in your first lesson too.
Thanks for your questions, CL.
A certificate is just that… a certificate. It’s a piece of paper (or a digital certificate) that indicates something, usually that the person has completed a project or course of some kind.
So, anyone can be “certified” if we’re talking about earning a certificate. That’s different from being officially licensed, or claiming to be officially licensed when there is no agreed-upon licensing board.
I offer certificates of completion with my courses. If the person chooses to say that they’re “certified,” that’s is correct. However, your comments are evidence of the confusing nature of this terminology.
I suppose that anyone can claim to be a “certified ghost hunter” if they have some training and earned a certificate. However, when it’s said in a way that indicates some official board of licensing and certification… that doesn’t exist in the paranormal field. Until our studies can be quantified and expertise determined in a truly scientific setting, there won’t be any way to license or broadly certify someone’s skills as a ghost hunter.
Can anyone earn a certificate for completing studies in this field? Yes. Can they say that they’re “certified”? Technically, yes. Does that mean they’ve achieved a standardized level of competence and are professionally certified by a licensing board of examiners? No.
In spiritual fields, we’re often dealing with subjects that — for the present — are unable to be quantified, weighed or measured. Legally speaking, someone is an “ordained minister” whether they printed out their certificate from the Universal Life Church or graduated from Harvard Divinity School. I’ve met devout spiritual people with certificates from the former, and nasty cynics who’ve abandoned their beliefs after graduating from Harvard.
We’re not in a field where we have annual licensing reviews, or we’re required to complete X number of hours of continuing education or in-service training.
This is one reason why I’m so eager for more people to become active researchers in paranormal fields. The sooner we have more definitive answers to what we call “ghosts” and “hauntings,” the sooner some standardization will be possible.
(By contrast, I doubt that there will ever be a similar measure in pure spirituality. But, I maintain that we will find proof of ghosts and hauntings that can be proved, scientifically. That’s the difference.)
Regarding your next question:
At this point, there is no way to say with 100% confidence that a ghost can be found, period. That said, in this field we tend to use the word “ghost” when we actually mean “phenomena that many people believe may be caused by the spirit of someone who once lived.”
It’s just easier to say, “ghost” and most people know what we’re talking about.
You mentioned exorcists. That’s an area that many people don’t fully understand. Some exorcists may help a spirit “cross over.” In most cases, exorcists I’ve spoken with are dealing with demons, not ghosts. They don’t care if the demon “crosses over” or crosses the street, as long as it leaves people alone. So, I believe that many exorcists would not say that they’re qualified to get a ghost to “cross over.”
From my experience, getting a ghost to cross over involves empathy, patience, a strong sense of spirituality, and — above all — time. Those are skills best acquired through education and a lot of experience in the field.
In a beginning ghost hunting course, I think the first step is to find a haunted place and determine for yourself if (a) you believe in any of this, and (b) what your specific interest are, if you continue past the point of confirming that something is going on at haunted places.
For some, this will be a scientific pursuit, and have nothing to do with “helping” the ghosts. For others, it may be entertaining like a game show, as in, “How many famous ghosts can you witness?” but on a personal level.
That’s not my call. I present the course so that people can learn enough basics to determine what (if anything) they want to do, after they’ve visited a few haunted places and decided if this is — or isn’t — real.
Regarding the “never ghost hunt on private and/or posted property without permission” line, that appears at the foot of every page of HollowHill.com, and in my ghost hunting rules/guidelines. It’s also common sense and the law.
I’m trying to keep the course concise, and I mention the private property issue in the course. I like to think that most of my students are bright enough not to need it said yet again, when they want to read something new and different as they begin my four-part course.
(Frankly, I think that most of my students are as bright as you are, and — like you — they read everything on the page, including the caveat about private property.)
I have read your letters and feel there is a lot of sceptic in these people. I don’t know where to begain and not real sure I want to pursue being a “ghost Hunter” they hunt me. I feel them everywhere but not all the time. Both me and my daughter are given a gift for her it scares her for me Im not afraid. I have seen and felt heard them for 40+ years. No Im not a kook I don’t know why but I am one of those chosen to comunicate with them. I would say I am interested in this feild maybe as a hobby but it happens to me wether I want it too on not. I can sense them and they are everywhere. They only come into contact or cross over to our side occationally and that is the time we see them. “Haunted house” let me tell you they are all haunted some in a more intense degree. My daughters has this same ability and it scares her she is now 23 and too it started with her at a young age. We are the chosen by them to hear them and I sure that we are not alone in this, but to read these letters and hear the sceptics have I got news for you. Be open to them most are very desent spirits. Beware fo the trouble makers.
Thanks for commenting, Tracy. Since you and your daughter don’t have too much choice about experiencing ghostly phenomena, it’s probably wise to learn as much as you can about this field. Once you have a good understanding of what works — and doesn’t — for others like you, you may find some peace of mind… and perhaps the ways that your gifts can be used to help others.
i am interested in your free course, I have my own ghost hunting business and never too old to learn. Thank you.