Hollow Hill

Baseline Yourself for Ghost Hunting

Let’s say you’re ghost hunting.

Suddenly, you feel uncomfortable, ill, or emotional.

Are you sure that it’s something paranormal?

A simple, baseline check can help you decide what’s really going on.

That’s why I created a worksheet of emotions, with some instructions. It’s a free download, linked at the foot of this article.

The worksheet can be carried with you, so – at a glance – you can tell how you feel before the investigation.

Then, during the investigation, it’s easy to check for (and identify) possible paranormal influences on your emotions.

How to Baseline Yourself Before a Ghost Hunt

Here’s what you’ll do.

First, discover what’s normal for you. Check how you feel when you wake up in the morning.

Note your feelings regularly throughout the day, and then at night when you’re tired.

That gives you an idea of what your normal is.

Then, before each investigation, pause. Check your physical, mental, and emotional state. See if it’s normal for you, or if you might be especially vulnerable during this particular ghost hunt.

Let a team member know, if necessary.

In general, by running a “baseline check” of yourself, you can be more confident when something odd happens at a haunted site.

The chart can help you evaluate external emotions – perhaps coming from a ghost – as well.

That’s essential for sensitives, psychics, and mediums.

Knowing what’s you and what’s not you… that helps you establish boundaries.

Free Download

Here’s the free Baseline Yourself PDF.

Print copies to share with your team members. This approach may not suit everyone, but when it’s useful… it’s really useful.

Download the free PDF instructions and worksheet, here.
[https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0Q4gQP_1SklZHZxelBUeUdVaGc]

Halloween Ghost Hunting Checklist – Free printable PDF

Halloween can be a whirlwind for many ghost hunters. Events, parties, investigations… and then the big night itself. Are you ready?

Ideally, Halloween research plans are prepared far ahead of Halloween night. However, even if you’ve been too busy, it’s not too late to organize your Halloween plans for ghost hunting success.

To help you, I’m sharing my own Halloween checklist. I’ve used some variation of this, every year for the past dozen or so years. I hope it’s useful and helps you make the most of Halloween ghost hunting opportunities.

Click here for the Halloween Ghost Hunting Checklist (PDF)

Guildford Investigation – UK

In “Guildford ghost hunt” (video below), two members of the Ghostfinder Paranormal Society and a media team investigate a Guildford location related to an interesting — and potentially paranormal — photograph. In this 7-minute video, they identify enough odd activity to make this a location worth further research. The historical location makes this site especially intriguing.

—

A few things stand out in that video. Initially, I was intrigued by the Guildford photo because it reminds me of my 2003 “man in blue” photo from near Seattle, Washington (USA). That’s it, on the right.

A second, similar Guildford photo — seen later in the video — raises more questions about the British pictures as well as the site.

However, I was ready to dismiss this ghost video as too amateurish when I saw the K-II meter spike while the non-contact thermometer was nearby. The spikes occurred again when some other equipment, perhaps a voice recorder, seemed very close to the K-II.

I know how easy it is to be so fixated on the K-II (or any other research tool) that you don’t notice the nearby objects that — because they contain batteries and use electricity — can cause EMF spikes. It’s pretty embarrassing when that confusion occurs in front of media representatives.

The camera angle made it difficult to be sure how close the equipment was, but it was enough to raise an eyebrow.

But then, at the 5:17 mark, we see the K-II meter propped next to the voice recorder… and the K-II isn’t reacting to the recorder. So, that may debunk my theory that the K-II spikes were caused by nearby devices.

Another point in favor of the site being active is: The video camera lost all power, though the batteries had been fully charged before the filming. That’s not normal. Though it’s not conclusively paranormal on its own, batteries losing power can indicate a haunted site.

Finally, this video seems authentic because most of the activity appeared to be at a location distant from where the photos were taken. If the researchers had been too suggestible, they’d have discovered “ghostly activity” at or near the photo location. After all, that would have been great TV.

Instead, the activity was in another spot. Was it related to the photo they were investigating? The figure moved from one location to another in the two photos displayed, so the K-II readings and cold sensations could be related to whatever caused those photo images.

Or, it could be something else altogether.

This isn’t a truly unique video, though I liked the suggestion of a noose at the possible “hanging tree.” So, it ranks low in that category. (That’s not necessarily a bad thing. When people get too original with their videos, it sets off the skeptic alarms. Credibility, not creativity, is most important to ghost hunters.)

And, though I was ready to give this a single star for credibility (due to the proximity of the K-II and other handheld devices), the later shot of the K-II (next to the voice recorder) increased the credibility significantly.

Originality

Credibility

Ghost Hunting, Archaeology, and tDAR

Ghost hunting and archaeology Experienced ghost hunters routinely check the history of the areas where they’re investigating.

That’s especially true when a new house seems to be haunted.

Then, we want to know what was there before the house was built.

(For example, the Amityville Horror house isn’t a very old house. Its ghostly reports began in the 20th century.)

Explaining recent haunts in America

In the Americas, we look for really early history, usually Native, early Colonial, battleground, or pioneer records.

If the American haunted site is on or near a hill, its history is likely to include a Native community or a burial ground.

Or, we may find that an early American fort or outpost was there. Its history may include incidents of broad-scale violence at or near the site.

Digging for ancient history in the UK and Ireland

In the UK and Ireland, the history of haunted location may be surprising, as well.

For example…

The Falstaff’s Experience at Tudor World – one of England’s most haunted sites, and the strangest I’ve investigated in the UK – is in a building with a colorful history involving blood, death, and more than one tragedy that spread across England.

However, the land beneath it (and nearby) has an even older history, with additional reasons why Falstaff’s is home to myriad phenomena.

(If you think Stratford-upon-Avon’s ghosts are only related to Shakespeare… you haven’t visited the Falstaff’s Experience after dark.)

For serious ghost hunters, urban legends aren’t enough

Until recently, many of us struggled to find documentation suggesting a haunted history.

Professional researchers like me want solid, factual information.

That’s where archaeology enters the ghost hunting picture.

John Sabol, a professional archaeologist, and Mary Becker impressed me with their startling results in ghost excavation research.

However, many of us don’t have the advantages of a degree in archaeology, as John has.

We need access to archaeological information… at least enough to give us a guess as to what might have been at the location, and what we can rule out.

The tDAR

So, the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) can be among ghost hunters’ most useful resources.

Warning: If academic research puts you to sleep, that website may disappoint you. For the rest of us – an admittedly small group – it’ll make your pulse race.

At tDAR…

You can search for the history of your target location and its surroundings.
At a glance, you can see what time periods have been explored with archaeological digs, what they were looking for and what they found.
Maps can show you whether the reference is related to your location or not.
And, you can focus your database search with exact GPS coordinates.

Though the actual records may not be at the tDAR site, you’ll know exactly what to look for at public and university libraries. In many cases, those libraries have online catalogues, with notations about whether that book or report is in the library, or if it’s been checked out.

Thus is a huge step forward for serious ghost investigators.

Over 30 years ago, when I began my paranormal investigations, I was excited when I noted an odd noise or something weird in a photo.

Today, before I even visit a site, I usually spend a full day with databases and maps. And, with additional time and resources, I’ll study old newspapers, maps, and dusty history books.

Stories and weird, spectral encounters aren’t enough for me.

tDAR is the kind of tool you can use to delve deeply into paranormal research.

As ghost hunters, we need historical resources that take our reports beyond “well, it might be….” to “here’s solid evidence to explain the history of what’s going on here.”

Is the tDAR right for you?

The majority of ghost hunters investigate to confirm activity at a site.

Many homeowners only need to hear, “No, you’re not imagining things. Strange things really are going on, here.”

They’re happy to hear that, and the research team has enough other cases to deal with. We don’t always have the time (or interest) to dig deeply into why the house is haunted.

So, if the homeowner says something about someone dying there, a century ago, or a cemetery that used to be across the street… that may be good enough. You don’t need to conduct more research at or about that site.

On the other hand, if you want far more from ghost hunting and paranormal research, tDAR may be the academic and historical tool you need.

Photographing Ghost Orbs

The following is an edited excerpt from the first edition of Ghost Photography 101, by Fiona Broome. (That edition is now out of print.)

Orbs are probably the most popular evidence of ghosts and hauntings.

Orbs are the easiest for beginners to capture in photos. They can be confused with dust, bugs, pollen, reflections and moisture… but not as often as you might think.

This photo at the lower right shows a typical orb at Pine Hill Cemetery (also called “Blood cemetery”) in Hollis, New Hampshire. The picture was taken near some of the cemetery’s oldest graves. This orb is unusual because it was photographed without a flash.

Daytime orb - Pine Hill 'Blood' Cemetery - Hollis, NH — Arrow points at daytime orb – no flash, no reflection, no lens flare.

About 90% of orbs are photographed using the camera’s flash, which suggests that they have some physical content that reflects the flash’s light.

However, if orbs have a physical form, more people should see them in real life.

In fact, most people don’t see orbs, except in their photos.

Orbs are usually white or pale blue, but they can appear in a variety of colors, both pastels and vivid shades. Some are very faint. Others are bright and almost opaque.

Orbs sometimes seem to include faces, but most are simply translucent circular (or spherical) shapes.

Sometimes, the face closely resembles the person whose ghost is supposed to haunt the site. This is eerily reminiscent of the fake ghost photos of the late 19th century, and it’s baffling.

Some “face” orbs are reported in locations more associated with faeries than with ghosts.

For now, orbs are a mystery and deserve more study. We don’t have many answers, yet.

Orbs often appear close to people. I’ve seen hundreds of orb photos in which the orb is near a baby or a bride. It’s difficult to dismiss them as mere coincidence. Many people are comforted by an orb that represents a loved one who’s crossed over and is visiting our world to celebrate a happy event with his or her family.

Ghost orb over historic home in Katy, TX — Orb over a historic home in Katy, Texas.

Other orbs seem to manifest near haunted objects or specific locations.

The photo on the left shows a solitary orb over a house in Katy, Texas. It’s one of just a few homes that survived the famous Galveston Flood of 1900. The night was cool and dry with no insects and no breezes.

Many people think that the Galveston Flood affected the island of Galveston, and that’s all.

If you research that famous flood, you’ll see that the flood extended into Houston and surrounding areas. (It was comparable to Hurricane Harvey in 2007.)

As a result, there are many rich stories and tragedies from that disaster, some of which may indicate haunted locations.

In the photo at the lower right, orbs hover near the haunted Houmas House in Louisiana. It’s an extraordinary location for ghost photos. Houmas House may look familiar because it’s been featured in movies and TV shows. It was also the home of the man who designed the famous “Stars and Bars” flag of the Civil War. Ghosts of Confederate soldiers have been reported near the house.

I’ve seen two full apparitions at Houmas House. One was in the bedroom where Bette Davis slept while filming “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” at the house.

The other was at the front gate, where I saw an unusually tall black man pacing. At first, I saw him from the “widow’s walk” on top of Houmas House. The apparition looked only slightly translucent. It was a sunny morning, and I saw him very clearly.

Ghost orbs at Houmas House (Louisiana) — Orbs hover at historic (and haunted) Houmas House, LA

I wanted a closer look, so I dashed downstairs and out the front door. The figure was clearly visible until I was about 30 feet from him. He faded quickly. It probably took less than half a second.

After the apparition vanished from sight, I asked Kevin Kelly, the owner of Houmas House, about the ghost. I described the figure in detail, and Mr. Kelly knew exactly which man I was describing.

Mr. Kelly showed me a photograph of the former slave, taken during the man’s lifetime. I recognized the man in the photo right away. His apparition looks almost exactly the same today.

I wish I’d been able to capture his ghostly image in a photo. However, these kinds of encounters indicate locations—such as Louisiana’s Houmas House —where ghost photos are likely.

This is important: Credible ghost photos rarely occur unless other ghostly phenomena are reported, too.

Photographing Ghostly Ectoplasm

The following is an edited excerpt from the first edition of Ghost Photography 101, by Fiona Broome.

Ghostly figures in Portsmouth, NH cemetery — Smoke is the #1 explanation for crisp ‘ecto’ photos, like this one.

In the field, the word ectoplasm is often shortened to “ecto” and it’s considered rare. Ectoplasm is a complex and controversial topic.

Ectoplasm seems to be something physical. People describe it as something that’s visible to the naked eye. “Sparkles” may be small spots of ectoplasm, or they might be something different, since they don’t usually show up in photos.

Orb photos are popular and almost commonplace. Ectoplasm photos are rare and receive little attention.

In fact, many professional ghost hunters seem to dismiss all “ecto” photos as cigarette smoke. Is that fair? From my experiments, the answer is a firm “no.” It’s remarkably difficult to photograph cigarette smoke.

Like orbs, at least 90% of modern ectoplasm pictures have been taken after dark using flash cameras. To confuse matters even more, there are many natural explanations for ecto-like forms in photos.

False ectoplasm in photos

Ectoplasm in photos could be, in order of likelihood:

Smoke.
Breathing, fog or moisture in the air.
An odd, reflected light.
Hair, insects, dust or pollen.
A camera strap.
A light leak in a film camera.
An error during film processing.

Let’s rule those out, if we can.

Film errors are easy to spot. Examine the film closely, looking for scratches, splashes, fingerprints or other surface evidence of mishandling during processing.

A light leak in the camera will usually extend beyond the frame of the photo, into the edges of the film.

Insects, dust and pollen usually look more like orbs. However, hair can be confusing, as can camera straps.

For reflected light to cause an ecto effect, it would have to be very close to the lens… and obvious.

Fog and drifting moisture are usually evident when the photo is taken. You can usually confirm this with a flashlight; the beam of light will highlight bands of damp air that could appear in photos.

Eerie 'ghost' images in breath, Northfield, NH — Yes, this is what breath looks like in a ‘ghost’ photo, but is that all it is?

Breathing is a problem on chilly nights. It’s easily the #1 reason someone might think “ecto” when they look at a misty photo. To rule it out, either don’t breathe (or stand close to anyone who is breathing) or don’t take ghost photos on chilly nights or when the dew point is high.

From my experiments, smoke is not likely to cause “ecto” effects. It’s possible, but not likely. (Those experiments are illustrated in the book.)

As with fog and moisture, you can usually highlight smoke with a bright flashlight, so you can tell if it’s an issue before you take photos. If its light is reflected, the smoke will reflect your camera’s flash, too.

With those factors ruled out, we’re left with another mystery: What are those eerie, misty areas and swirling entities in our photos?

Many professional ghost hunters agree that smoke is the best explanation when we see ethereal, ectoplasmic images in photographs.

Most ghost hunters insist that, even if someone had been smoking 20 minutes earlier, smoke particulate can remain in the air and reflect light, especially light from a flash camera.

If you’re serious about ghost photography and you’ve seen images that look like ectoplasm in your photos, run tests with your own cameras. Rule out normal effects, first.

I recommend testing in a variety of weather conditions, especially varying levels of humidity.

Take test photos of different kinds of smoke, including smoke from:

Cigarettes
Pipes
Incense
Burning wood (like a campfire)
Burning paper
Matches

If you live near a factory that spews minute particles into the air, take after-dark photos near the factory. Airports (and traffic paths of low-flying planes) can also contribute particulate matter in the environment.

It may sound like a mantra at this point, but it’s important: Always know what different normal effects look like, before deciding that you’ve photographed anything paranormal.

For locations with particulate matter in the air, check regional environmental websites. In the United States, you may find helpful information at AirNow.gov and at the EPA website, http://www.epa.gov/air/emissions/where.htm