Hollow Hill

How Much Should I Budget for Ghost Hunting Equipment?

Here’s something most TV shows won’t tell you:

You don’t need ANY ghost hunting equipment.

First, make sure this will be a long-term interest, hobby, or profession.

With experience…

You’ll know what kind of ghost hunting you enjoy.
You’ll know how much you’re willing to budget for equipment (if any).
You’ll have seen others’ equipment, and know what works best where you investigate.

But, whether you’re a beginner or a pro, never invest more money than you can afford to lose.

Expensive Mistakes with Ghost Hunting Equipment

trees and moonlight in haunted setting Expensive ghost hunting tools come with risks.

For example:

– People drop things when they’re startled. In the dark, you might not find what you dropped.

(The problem becomes worse if you drop what you’re carrying, and run away in terror.)

– If you drop a sensitive $5k camera or a $2k heat-sensing device, it can break the same as a $40 camera or a $15 digital thermometer.

If you didn’t buy a replacement warranty, or it doesn’t cover that kind of accident, you may have wasted thousands of dollars.

– Electronic equipment can fail in extremely haunted settings. In fact, unexplained equipment failure can indicate intense paranormal activity.

I think EMF spikes are to blame. Most electrical devices will glitch or fail when exposed to intense magnetic energy. That’s reasonable, unless it’s remarkably well shielded.

If your expensive camera or other device won’t work when you’re ghost hunting, you’ve wasted your money. Worse, it can be difficult to return that equipment if it shows any wear, or if you can’t demonstrate how it fails.

Here’s one of my videos about ghost hunting equipment failing at haunted sites.

Instead, focus on just one aspect of ghost hunting.

For example, if you like ghost photography, invest in photographic equipment.

As a New Ghost Hunter on a Budget…

If I were starting fresh, today, I’d probably spend $100 or less. Maybe far less.

– I’d use the camera in my phone. It’s good enough. I wouldn’t bother with a fancy ($$) after-market lens attachment, either.

For many investigations, that’s all you need.

– I’d use the voice recorder on my phone, or buy an inexpensive one at an office supply store or warehouse. (Make sure the microphone is omni-directional, so it picks up sounds all around you, not just in one direction.)

– I’d buy an inexpensive flashlight with a metal case. I’d make sure the light bulb housing unscrews easily. Then, for fun, I could test yes/no responses when the housing is loosened. (Do I take that seriously? Of course not. There are too many normal – and some odd – explanations, so even correct yes/no answers might not be ghostly.)

– I’d carry good surgical-type masks that protect me from toxins, bacteria, and viruses around me. (This was my recommendation long before Covid. Remember, some ghost hunters have died from exposure to toxic fumes, diseases in rat droppings, etc.)

Since Covid, you’ll find lots of good options. For ghost hunting, I like disposable masks, but be certain they’re actually good. (Many free masks at doctors’ offices are designed to contain germs inside the mask… not keep bad things out. Make sure your mask actually protects you.)

– I’d also add a small, inexpensive first aid kit.

– I’d put all of that in a backpack with several pockets or dividers (to find things in complete darkness).

My own backpack is the basic Amazon one. My cameras, Ovilus, etc., go in the big pocket. Maps, pen & a notebook, small first aid kit, etc., in the next largest. Spare batteries in the outside pocket. And so on.

Don’t spread yourself too thin, in terms of learning or financial investment. Set a firm spending limit and do not exceed that.

It’s easy to get carried away. Keep your ghost hunting expenses low.

Above all, don’t let ghost hunting jeopardize other aspects of your personal, professional, or family life.

When you’re a beginner, see how well you enjoy ghost hunting, before you spend much money.

You’re likely to decide that you don’t need the ghost hunting equipment you’ve seen on TV. In fact, the experience… the ambience, might be what you really seek.

Are All Haunted Houses Scary? What Steve Gonsalves Said

Looking for a haunted house? Not sure what to expect, or disappointed when you visited the (supposedly?) haunted house?

In this short (two minute) video, Steve Gonsalves talks about one of his early investigations.

I agree with him completely: Sometimes, there’s nothing scary about a haunted house. In fact, the ghosts can be comforting.

If you’re afraid of ghosts, especially when you’re in or near a haunted house, some of my other articles may help.

Learn more about ghosts and haunted places at my YouTube channel, Ghost Hunting with Fiona Broome.

Christmas Spirits? Ghosts and the Holidays.

Almost everyone associates Halloween with ghosts, but what about Christmas? I don’t mean Dickens’ ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’, but other ghosts as well.

Many important haunted sites are active at specific times of year.

For example, Gettysburg seems more haunted at the anniversary of the battles. Historic homes notice more hauntings at the anniversary of someone’s death. And, on the last nights of October (and April), we say that ‘the veil between the worlds is thinner’.

xmas-candles-illus In fact, several haunted homes report increased activity on the anniversary of a previous resident’s birthday. People hear children singing or playing. Some detect the odor of birthday candles. Chairs might be tipped over, lights turned on and off, and other childlike mischief occurs.

Others notice residual energy hauntings on that anniversary. (“Residual energy hauntings” are evidence of energy — especially emotional energy and intense memories — stored in the physical environment.)

Spirits seem to return at other important anniversaries, too. If we take time to notice, we may find spirits at Christmas.

Whether revisiting from “the other side” or reliving happy, emotionally rich moments, Christmas should be a popular time for spirits to visit our world.

Every year, hundreds of people send me holiday “ghost” photos. Those pictures show orbs around family members… orbs best explained as loving, visiting spirits.

For most of us, this is very reassuring.

You don’t need to be Scrooge to experience spiritual visits and spiritual renewal during the winter holidays.

Whether you’re alone or with others, pause for a few minutes. See if you feel the presence of spirits with happy Christmas memories.

Let’s not ignore them.

May your holiday season bring comfort and joy to you, and to your friends and family… on both sides of the veil.

—

Be sure to read my other articles about holiday ghosts, using tags like Halloween and Christmas.

xmas-greentree-illus

Ghosts – Residual Energy or ‘Real’ Haunted Places?

Sometimes, new ghost hunters ask me if specific hauntings are just residual or “real.”

Since many hauntings seem to be residual energy, it’s important to recognize them. How “real” they are may vary with how much of an impact they have on visitors and investigators.

Let’s start with the words ghost hunters use…

Residual energy

Emotionally charged events leave an imprint- or energy residue – on the physical objects nearby.

What distinguishes residual energy from an active haunting is that the activity repeats, as if on a loop. The energy levels may increase or decrease, but the content remains the same with each manifestation.

By contrast, in an active (or sentient) haunting, the ghost may respond to environmental stimuli and direct contact.

For example…

Residual energy hauntings usually appear the same, over and over again.

There may be an energy spike at a particular time of day, or on the anniversary of the event. (Those events can be happy — such as a birthday party or wedding — or tragic, such as the anniversary of a murder or a battle.)

In some cases, the haunting may draw energy from the investigators, slightly increasing the phenomena.

If there’s EVP, the recordings will sound the same from one visit to the next.
In photos, the manifestations will usually appear the same, as well. That is, the orbs will look alike and appear in the same locations.

Cookie-cutter predictability distinguishes sites with residual energy. Whatever is there, it never interacts with visitors.

But…

Active hauntings — that is, hauntings involving the spirits of people who’ve died — are more rare.

Those spirits may also visit at regular times of day or on specific dates. However, instead of acting in the same way each time, they respond to changes in the environment. They may interact with ghost researchers.

Learn more about residual energy hauntings…

BUT, in some cases, it can be tricky to tell the difference.

One of the best fictional examples is in the 1988 movie, High Spirits, Liam Neeson portrays the ghost of Martin Brogan.

At first, he seems to be a residual energy haunting.

- He repeats the same dialogue.
- His physical movements repeat as well, as he murders his wife again and again.

Then, Brogan is interrupted by an American tourist.

Right away, it’s clear that Brogan is an actual ghost.

The easiest way to tell the difference is to try to interact with it.

Talk out loud to the apparent ghost.
Ask it questions. Make comments.
Stand next to it or block its path.
In extreme cases, you can shout at it, to startle it a little. (That’s not the same thing as “provoking.”)

Your goal is to see if its behavior changes, and if it responds in any way to you and your team.

The ghost may reply.

It may act angry.
It may seem shy or frightened, and vanish.
It may move objects, rap on walls or tables, slam doors, or roll a ball across the floor on command.

The point is: The ghost’s behavior changes with the people around it.

That’s what distinguishes it from residual energy.

Both active and residual energy hauntings are interesting to research.

Both can produce a wide range of phenomena.

So, are residual energy hauntings less real than active hauntings?

NO.

Both are equally ‘real’.

However, to achieve two-way communication with a spirit, you must be sure that an actual spirit is there.

You’re looking for variations.

If the pattern simply repeats, no matter how ‘real’ it may seem, you’re probably witnessing a residual energy haunting.

Halloween and Ghosts – How History & Traditions May Improve Your Ghost Hunting

Halloween and ghosts… what’s the connection?

Most ghost hunters insist that Halloween is the best night of the year for paranormal research.

(I’d add the last night of April as a close second, but Halloween is at the top of my list, too.)

One big reason for Halloween being a “best” night for ghosts, is rooted in Celtic lore.

Whether you’re talking about ghosts, faeries, or anything that “goes bump in the night,” Celtic traditions focus on “between times.”

The Celts — and several other cultures — believed that spirits of all kinds could enter our world during those “betweens.”

In more modern terms, “the veil is thinner” at those between-times.

When are the “between times”?

The between-time can be dawn or dusk; both are between day and night.

It may be midnight, or the “Witching Hour,” because it’s between the calendar days.

Or, at the last day of October, we’re between the end of the harvest and the start of winter. In earlier times when the calendar was based on the agricultural year, the end of the harvest is like New Year’s Eve. The Celtic word for Halloween night is Samhain (pronounced “SAHH-when”).

Keep in mind that, in Celtic history, Samhain wasn’t always Halloween night… the last night of October. It was simply the night when everyone celebrated because the crops were finally harvested, and the agricultural year was over. So, the actual date might vary by days or even weeks.

That between-times (or between-seasons) note is the same reason why the last night of April is good for ghost hunting: Agriculturally, it’s a dramatic change of seasons.

That night is Beltaine in Celtic countries, and Walpurgisnacht in Germany and nearby countries. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring… another “between” time.

For ghost hunters, that night can be nearly as productive as Halloween.

Stack those “betweens” for ghost hunting success.

If you’re going to make the most of those between-times for ghost hunting, you’ll stack several “betweens.”

In other words, you’ll be at the haunted location on Halloween night and you’ll choose a between time for your research: Dusk or midnight, or the following dawn.

However, keep in mind that ghosts aren’t the only entities associated with between-times.

Faeries are also known (or notorious) for appearing then, and sometimes wreaking mischief. So, if you see something odd, don’t immediately assume it’s a ghost; it might be something else.

Because the veil seems thinner on Halloween, you may encounter energy or phenomena that are actually on the other side.

This may sound controversial, but he spirit may not actually be in our world.

This is one reason why EVP results can be better on Halloween, as well as real-time communication with the “other side.” Cameras can produce clearer anomalies, too.

Be prepared for anything!

Remember, the increased EMF levels on Halloween night can drain batteries in your voice recorder, cameras, flashlights, etc.

(That’s one reason to carry a glow-stick as a back-up light source, and even a film camera as a back-up for your phone or digital camera.)

Be prepared for anything to happen on Halloween night. It’s the classic “between” time, and ideal for your most chilling encounters with paranormal phenomena.

Here’s my video, explaining why Halloween may – and may not – be a good night for ghost hunting. (It’s from my Ghosts101.com website, featuring answers to top ghost-related questions.)

https://youtu.be/Z1TTutyEr38

Also, if you’re looking for my Halloween checklist for ghost hunters, see my Halloween ghost hunting tips post.

Ghosts at Greycourt Castle Ruins, MA

Greycourt Castle (or Grey Court Castle) is haunted. VERY haunted.

Long ago, it was the estate home of Charles H. Tenney, his wife Fanny, and their son Daniel G. Tenney.

The castle-style mansion was built in the 1880s and used as a summer home by the Tenney family.

In the 1950s, it was sold and used as a drug rehabilitation facility in the mid-20th century, and largely destroyed by fires from 1974 through 1978. The 1978 fire was the result of arson.

As I explain in my book, Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries, we’re always looking for any of four characteristics of most hauntings:

Money
Power
Drama
Tragedy (sudden or extended)

If I see more than one of these elements, it’s a red flag that suggests the site is worth investigating.

In my earlier article, History of Tenney Gatehouse, I share details Greycourt Castle’s intriguing and tragic past.

From the land’s connections to a Colonial blockhouse, to the fire that destroyed Greycourt in the 1970s, the site’s history contains all four elements – money, power, drama, and tragedy – that make it a prime location for paranormal investigations.

My “gut feeling” is that many ghosts – perhaps many more than we’ve found, so far – continue to lurk around the Greycourt Castle ruins.

I’m also certain that the park-like areas of the Tenney grounds hold additional reasons for ghostly activity.

The nearby Searles site is certainly worth investigating, as well.

My October 2009 investigation

I did not spend time in the area where the monks’ graves were rumored to have been. (The graves were moved when the site stopped being used by the order.)

Earlier in the evening, I’d heard that some people had formed a circle to summon the energy or spirits from any remaining graves.

Unless you know what you’re doing, that can open doors best left closed. Even with the best of intentions, this can create unhealthy dynamics with the spirits.

So, I rushed past that area.

Walking up the path from the gatehouse to Greycourt, I immediately took a photo where I feel intense energy from… well, I think it’s the Gorrill brothers.

(For their story, see my article, Tenney ghosts – Gorrill brothers.)

As I continued to Greycourt Castle, I felt the familiar sense of entering an area with very different energy, as if it were a portal to another time.

The castle feels like something incomplete… in our world. However, I often feel that the stairs leading down from it show more than just a great view of Methuen (albeit blocked by trees).

I feel that it may offer something else, if you have patience, suspend disbelief, and use all of your senses to perceive what’s there.

For example, this is the second time I’ve smelled the vanilla-like aroma of tobacco around the stairway, too. (I describe it as a little like Swisher Sweet cigars.)

During this October 2009 investigation, several other people commented on that aroma as well, even before I mentioned it.

My photos from nearby showed some great lights but nothing paranormal.

One odd photo

tenney-treemist — I have no idea what this is.

One of my next pictures caught an odd, colorful mist. Someone else commented on her own misty photo, taken around the same time.

We both tried to replicate the mist by breathing near the cameras’ lenses as we took additional photos. However, we couldn’t duplicate the effect.

Though this still might be mist (it’s not cigarette smoke), it’s more likely an anomaly.

In the photo, that’s a tree on the right, surrounded by the mist. At the lower left, you can almost see the promontory where the stairs lead, and where I feel that the energy is different from “normal.”

Though city lights interfere with night photos, and there’s nothing obvious there to see… I still feel that’s a location for an in-depth investigation. But, because that could be something frightening, I’d only recommend it for very experienced ghost hunters.

(By “frightening,” I don’t mean that it’s necessarily dangerous. I think that it might be something very different from what we usually encounter at haunted sites like this. Perhaps “startling” might be a better word, but when something radically different happens at haunted places, beginners can interpret it as scary, frightening or dangerous.)

Eerie shadows

Next, I walked along the corridor. None of my photos showed anything unusual. castle-shadowarea However, I kept noticing moving shadows on the columns as I stood and took pictures. The shadows were very crisp and well-defined. It was as if someone was immediately behind me.

Every time I turned to look – at least four or five times – no one was there. Since there were only about four of us at that part of the ruins at the time, I don’t have any explanation for it.

I wasn’t afraid of the shadows, and I don’t think they indicate anything malicious… just odd.

More odd – probably not ghostly – photos

castle-ftn-orb Nearby, the area around the fountain seems very active, but with happier energy. Generally, I connect this with the “flower child” energy that may have resonated with earlier, Spiritualist activities at the site.

Or, it may relate to the ritual energy in a nearby wooded area.

Though the woods feel somber and even creepy to me, the energy around the fountain seems joyous. I wasn’t at all surprised to see an orb in the photo at right. I was amazed that I didn’t have more anomalies in the pictures I took there.

searles-orb On the walk back from the ruins, I was – as usual – intrigued by the Searles’ property and stone buildings. That location also contains very powerful, paranormal energy. That’s the only way I can describe it; it doesn’t feel like anything that’s from this world.

However, my “gut feeling” is that it’s not just the ghost of Mr. Searles. I’d fully expect cryptozoology reports there, because – in addition to something vaguely ghostly – there’s… well, something else.

A second photo included some lines that I’m still studying.

oddlines — Insects? Falling leaves? Pretty but probably not paranormal.

Everything else – full depth of field – is in focus. If the camera moved enough to create those lines, other objects should be blurrier.

Of course, it helps that the area by that stone wall feels unsettling. It’s the kind of site where we often see apparitions.

Yes, this is probably a perfectly normal photo, and it may be falling leaves.

The earlier orb pictures may show insects as well. I’m displaying them because they’re interesting, not necessarily paranormal.

IMPORTANT NOTE

When we look at odd things in photos from haunted places, we’re not suggesting that an orb or blurry shape is an actual ghost. (We’re not sure what anomalies are.)

Instead, we’re asking, “Why does this photograph show insects, dust, or lights in this photo… but they’re not in other photos taken at the same time or place?”

In my opinion, Tenney Gatehouse and Greycourt Castle ruins are worth investigating. And probably investigating them several times before drawing any conclusions.

Summary

For a first-time or casual ghost hunter, Tenney Gatehouse is the ideal place for an investigation.

For an experienced investigator, I think the rest of the Tenney property offers more intriguing energy and anomalies that haven’t been reported yet.

Tenney Gatehouse is maintained by the Methuen Historical Society, 37 Pleasant Street, Methuen, MA. The gatehouse and grounds are open to the public. Please check with the Methuen Historical Society for hours and additional information.

My related report: Tenney Gatehouse ghosts (October 2009)