Category: Investigating

Ghost Hunting without Equipment

This is one of the first of my re-issued Hollow Hill podcasts.

Ghost Hunting podcast - Hollow HillIn this 16-minute podcast from November 2009, I talked about using your five (or six) senses to investigate haunted places. I also shared other ghost hunting tips.

Some things have changed in the eight years since I recorded this. (Okay, a lot has changed, but the info in this podcast is still valid, with a few notable exceptions.)

For example, as of 2017, the K-II isn’t the only good EMF meter.

EMF Ghost MeterIn fact, right now (late 2017) I like the Ghost Meter better than the K-II. (Also, the Ghost Meter costs about half as much as a K-II meter.) In “seance mode,” the Ghost Meter been surprisingly accurate for yes/no responses.

(That’s one in a photo on the right. Mine has a clear case, not black. And yes, it is an “as seen on TV” product. Despite that, it seems to work as a real-time communication device. I’d trust it far more than, say, a loosened flashlight/torch.)

Also, the Ovilus is available again. It’s far more sophisticated than it was in 2009. As of 2017, I’m testing its accuracy in a variety of on-site and remote experiments. So far, I can confirm that the Ovilus III can work remotely, with about 30% accuracy.

Other than that, most of this 2009 recording is still good information.

Yes, I still experience frustration when people miss seeing apparitions and other ghostly phenomena. But, since 2009, I’ve learned to accept that some researchers are going to hyper-focus on their ghost hunting equipment… and miss real hauntings.

Maybe this podcast will help. (It’s from HollowHillPodcasts.com.)

First, I talked about the importance of looking around and listening. I described the kinds of evidence you might see and hear.

Then, I shared an easy way to make your hands more sensitive to “cold spots” and exactly how to find them.

I also described the best ways to use dowsing rods, and whether or not you should investigate “lights out” at indoor locations. (In most cases, there’s not much reason to work in the dark, but there are exceptions.)

Related Links

Homemade Dowsing Rods – My article about how to make and use your own dowsing rods.

Joey Korn’s Dowsers.com – The only professional-grade dowsing rods I use.

Podcast by: Fiona Broome, the founder of HollowHill.com
Music: Zombie by Devin Anderson

A Fresh Approach to a Haunted Building’s History

This week, I was charmed by a CBS video about informal, modern-day archaeology.

Then I realized we could do this in many haunted locations, especially private homes and businesses, where the owners ask, “Who is that ghost?”

The video is less than three minutes long. I think it’s worth viewing if you’re actively involved in private investigations.

Though this kind of dig may not confirm anything, it might give you more clues about the history of the site. That could suggest a context for the haunting.

As I see it, this is a fresh research approach. It uses a little “informal archaeology” and it’s something almost anyone can do. You can include the site owners in this project, as well. (It might mean a lot to them, even more than it does to you.)

Since this kind of research is limited to areas like closets, it won’t disfigure the more visible parts of the home or business. That’s important.

(If you can’t watch that video, here’s a link to the related article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/childrens-workshop-school-students-dig-up-treasures-from-closets-nyc/ )

Until I saw this video, I never realized how many historical clues could — literally — fall through the cracks.

If you try this (or have, in the past), I hope you’ll share results and insights. I’m very interested in whether this could be useful.

The site in the video is about 100 years old. So, this kind of dig — with permission, of course — could be useful at sites from the mid-20th century and earlier.

When to Go Ghost Hunting

Ghost hunting with a pocket watch.When is the best time to go ghost hunting?

Many researchers prefer to investigate after dark.

Are ghosts more active at night? I’m not sure. Maybe the darkness makes it easier for us to notice them. After all, in the dark, we have fewer visual distractions.

For me, it’s more important to investigate at anniversaries. They’re the dates when someone at that site died, or married, or something significant happened. (Birthdays can be surprisingly good days for ghost hunting, too.)

This video shares more about the best times — days and hours — for ghost hunting.

Of course, your results may be different. If you have suggestions, I hope you’ll share them with Hollow Hill readers. Leave your comments (and questions) at this site.

https://youtu.be/YREpXYp8jKo

I’ve created a When to Go Ghost Hunting Worksheet, as well as an instruction sheet for using it.

The worksheet includes more than just times and days. I’ve also added lines for possible triggers that may improve your research results.

The worksheet instructions feature even more suggestions related to research, era cues, and other ways to enhance your investigations, specific to each location.

Here are the PDF links (on Google Drive):

When to Go Ghost Hunting – Worksheet / https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_HSWKNTnx8bFmS7r7lFNtAz9YJH9Izh0

When to Go Ghost Hunting – Worksheet Instructions / https://drive.google.com/open?id=111_cv7Xzo0CaH2TI2NEzYpvp9jMpPZfp

Mental Work, PK, and Poltergeist Activity

ghostbatPoltergeist activity… is it ghostly?

Four theories are popular:

  1. A ghost causes the objects to move.
  2. A ghost works in tandem with a living (and somewhat emotional) person. Their combined efforts remotely move objects.
  3. It’s a psychological issue, and PK (psychokinesis) probably comes from a living person.
  4. Poltergeist activity doesn’t exist, and it’s always a prank. (I’ve witnessed enough dramatic poltergeist activity to laugh at that idea.)
Mental Work?

In the near future, a research project called Mental Work may tell us more.

Here’s a YouTube video about it.

I prefer the explanation (and demonstration) in the Euronews report: http://www.euronews.com/2017/10/24/public-invited-to-show-off-the-power-of-their-minds

You can participate in this experiment in Switzerland. They’re hiring: Mental Work.

What this means to ghost hunters

Psychokinesis (PK) – also known as telekinesis – could explain some ghost phenomena.

  • Someone could cause poltergeist activity. (Most people connected with poltergeist activity have no idea they’re part of it.)
  • When we ask the ghost to move the child’s toy, knock on a wall, or slam a door, maybe someone living controls it.
  • Is some form of electromagnetic energy involved? That could trigger EMF spikes and affect devices such as the Ovilus.
  • Likewise, a living individual could create the on-off “communications” we attempt with loosened contacts in flashlights.

Of course, these “could” possibilities are more theory than hard science.

Meanwhile, avoid skeptics’ mistake of insisting that anything that can be faked (or explained in normal terms), always is.

I’m not sure where these studies will lead us. But, anything that clarifies what the mind can do – among the living or the dead – can help us better understand haunted places.

Halloween Ghost Hunting Tips and Checklist

Halloween ghost hunting - jack o' lanternHalloween ghost hunting is legendary. It’s the one night of the year when almost everyone expects ghosts.

Many of us want to prepare ahead of time, for the best ghost hunting experience, ever.

But then, between back-to-school, plus sporting events, and the change of seasons… well, it’s easy to wake up one day and realize it’s already Halloween.

Don’t panic. It’s not too late to organize your Halloween plans for ghost hunting success.

In the following video, Halloween Ghost Hunting Tips, I explain the steps my team and I follow to get the most from ghost hunting on Halloween.

https://youtu.be/bi6RZMseGJA

Some of the most important points:

  • Plan ahead. Decide on at least one backup location, in case your first choice is closed or too crowded.
  • Verify each location ahead of time, in person.
  • Print maps, in case your GPS fails. (Especially during Halloween ghost investigations, never rely on anything electronic.)
  • Check the weather forecast, and dress accordingly… and bring any “just in case” items you might need.
  • Allow extra travel time for Halloween traffic and trick-or-treaters.
  • The night before Halloween, get a good night’s sleep. You may need it.
  • Expect surprises and (perhaps) more scares than usual. But, if the ghosts don’t cooperate at your Plan A location, it may be time for Plan B.
  • Also, you can read what happened to me in 1999, at a “not very haunted” cemetery: Ghostly Mischief on Halloween Night. I was glad I had a Plan B location in mind. And, after that, I learned to be prepared.

If you’d like to download a free Halloween ghost hunting checklist that includes all the points in the video, click here. (It’s a PDF at Google Drive.)

Also, if you’re a new ghost hunter, you’ll find additional Halloween insights at my Ghosts101.com article, Is Halloween the best time for ghost hunting?

Do you have additional tips for ghost hunting at Halloween? Share them in the comments section of this HollowHill.com article.

Photo credits:

  • DepositPhotos.com
  • Storyboards.com
  • FreeImages.com: Eric Nelson (Gettysburg), Daryl Chan (clouds), nvision88 (traffic), Title & credits page: old-manor-1231905