Often, ghost hunters ask me how to ask spirits to appear.  It’s a common challenge for investigators.

If it’s a residual energy haunting, that’s a matter of timing.  If you’re in the right place at the right time, you may see the shadows of ghosts, note an increase in spectral energy (as EMF, dowsing rod or pendulum activity), and even capture chilling EVP recordings.

However,  the challenges are greater if you want to meet an actual ghost.

Ghosts may be “dead” but they’re still people, and many of them are as difficult as petulant children and cranky adults.

Keep the following points in mind if you hope to summon — and encounter  — real ghosts.

GHOSTS ARE PEOPLE

Remember that ghosts are people.  They aren’t there to entertain you, and they aren’t your servants.  Generally, you can’t order them around.

Treat ghosts with the same respect and patience you’d use with any other stranger.

Expect ghosts to have the same characteristics as the living.  Some will be shy.  Others will be friendly.  Many of them are angry — that’s why they’re still here — and some may be belligerent or threatening.

CONSIDER THEIR BELIEFS AND CULTURE

Remember the history, politics, spiritual beliefs, folklore and culture that formed the ideas and attitudes of each ghost.

Treat them like visitors from a distant, perhaps primitive, country.  Be polite and respect their beliefs and standards.

Your clothing or language may shock or confuse them.  Your attitudes may baffle them.  They may refuse to communicate with you until “properly” introduced.

Some male ghosts  ignore female ghost investigators or are hostile towards them.  Some female ghosts worry that it’s “too forward” to communicate with male investigators, especially single ones.

Most ghosts resent being treated as a sideshow or given orders as if they’re servants or actors.

(That said, if they were servants or actors, they may respond well to commands or direction.)

EXPECT TO WAIT

In most cases, wait patiently if you are certain that the location is haunted.  Remember that most one-hour TV shows about ghost hunting took two or three full nights to film.

Keep your attention on the environment while you wait.  That is, don’t bring a book or video games, and don’t ignore the ghosts.

(However, a few ghosts have responded when I gave up and took out a book to read, or a sketch pad to draw.  Apparently, those ghosts were indignant that I had anything better to do than wait for them.)

Ghost hunters rarely encounter one spirit after another in a short period of time.  If you experience one manifestation during a two-hour investigation, that’s good.

ENCOURAGE THEM

In many haunted locations, especially if it’s my first visit, I simply walk around and wait for the first ten or 20 minutes.

After that, I usually announce myself out loud.  I’ll introduce myself and my team.

I wait, and — because I am psychic — I’ll see what energy I sense.  If the site feels haunted, I’ll see if I can contact the spirits.

Usually, I’ll focus on just one ghost.  I try to establish rapport.  This can include telepathic contact or speaking out loud.

I’m clairsentient (I sense energy by touching objects), so I’ll usually put my hand on furniture, walls, gravestones… whatever’s in the area.

And then, I wait some more.

If the psychic approach isn’t productive, I’ll take out my ghost hunting tools.  Generally, I use dowsing rods, cameras (digital and film) and EMF meters.  I’ll use them to narrow my focus so I stand in the midst of the most intense energy.

When I’m taking a photo, I’ll usually explain what I’m doing.  Depending on the ghosts, I may flippantly say, “Smile for the photo.”

And then, I try again: I speak out loud to the ghosts.  I see if I sense anything, psychically.

After that, I wait some more.

SOME PEOPLE ARE GHOST MAGNETS. OTHERS REPEL THEM.

After years of working with a variety of ghost enthusiasts, I’ve learned that some people attract ghosts, and some seem to drive them away.

Sometimes, the people who perceive ghosts easily are the same people who drive them away.  It can be necessary to have a “ghost magnet” or two on the team, to offset the (good) researchers who repel ghosts.

So, just because someone is psychic doesn’t mean that they attract ghosts.  Likewise, someone who attracts ghosts may not perceive them very well.

Generally, my best advice is to observe your team members carefully to evaluate their skills.  Then, try to keep a balanced team at each investigation.

After that, it’s mostly a matter of being in a genuinely haunted place and having a lot of patience.

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