In Tips for organizing ghost investigations, we talked about the most basic decisions you’ll make as a team or organizer.

They include safety and common-sense precautions, who to include in an investigation, and how to dress.

This is another page of notes we’ve made, describing possible ways to organize the equipment, handle psychic research, and deal with ‘contagious’ ghost stories.

• Assign hardware for thorough coverage and reporting, and use a grid – There should be more than one person with a camera or an EMF meter. However, at least one of each piece of equipment, and someone who can competently operate it, should be assigned the task of responsibly covering the entire site.

  Photography: At least one photographer–with a good track record for capturing anomalies–should methodically capture the site on film. That method is often called “the grid approach.”

  Think of the site as being on a grid. You want to cover every part of the site, in an organized fashion.

  In a cemetery, this means stand in one spot, take a photo; move a few feet to the right (or left) and take a picture, and so on. The idea is to use a “search pattern,” or grid, to cover every part of the site.

  If photographers only go with their “gut feelings” to determine where to take a photo, you’ll end up with a disproportionate number of pictures of one area, and perhaps omit another altogether. (Nevertheless, a strong “gut feeling” should be treated seriously, but in addition to the organized photography.)

  Each photo, by frame number, should be noted on a paper when the photos are being taken, so locations can be compared with the EMF readings, and so on.

  EMF data: Like the photographer, one person with an EMF meter should cover every foot of the site in an organized manner.

  It is particularly important that the EMF recorder note his/her location with each reading, even when it’s just a “normal” reading.

  A second person with an EMF meter can wander, following “hot” readings, but this person should also be noting the precise locations of anomalous readings, on paper. A laser or infrared measuring device can be helpful indoors; you just stand and point the device at the walls, and note the various measurements to where the EMF meter was when it rose (or returned to normal).

  Temperature, etc.: Use the same procedure as for recording EMF meter readings.

• Psychics – Some investigators believe that psychics do not belong on a team. We disagree. Sure, an investigation is not the time for a formal seance, and we’re generally opposed to serious reliance on a Ouija board in most settings anyway. (See our article, Ouija Boards and Ghost Hunting for more on this subject.)

  However, a psychic can certainly help determine the nature of a haunting, and provide tips as to who is responsible, and why.

  In our opinion, it’s ideal to have at least two psychics on each investigations. One should use his/her sensitivities to cover the site the same as the photographers, EMF recorders, and so on.

  With a gridded map or floorplan of the site, the psychic should record “hot spots” and impressions on paper as they occur. A psychic who is not willing to do this, probably shouldn’t be involved in formal investigations.

  A second psychic should do a walk-through, and make notes on a map or floorplan as well. Then, you can compare their notes.

  Ideally, you should also include one complementary psychic to the group. That is, if your other two psychics detect only visual imagery, your third psychic should be sensitive to smell, sounds, or some other perception.

  Contagion is discussed below, and it’s particularly important with highly sensitive psychics.

• Contagion – This is another controversial topic. Most investigators agree that no one should discuss what they’re detecting, at least on the first walk-through.

  Detailed grids should be completed before anyone on the team discusses the haunting, except with the team leader.

  The team leader must be good at bluffing. Manifestations and anomalous activity should be reported only to the team leader, at first. Then, he/she can direct the people who are not involved with detailed grid measurements, to further investigate a particular area.

  At no time should investigators share information, until the team leader says it’s okay.

  This should be enough to get your group started on the right foot.

Related articles

1. Investigations and Touching “Touching” occurs at some ghost investigations.  The sensation of touch...