Category: Safety Issues

When should you avoid ghost hunting? Why – at certain times – could your safety (and sanity) be at risk?

At almost every large ghost hunting event, I’ve seen someone put themselves in harm’s way.

I’m sympathetic, and though it’s understandable, the person isn’t thinking clearly.

They’ve suffered a tragic loss. Someone they cared deeply about is gone.

The person decides that, through ghost hunting, they might reconnect with the deceased.

I have never seen a positive outcome to that… not the kind that involves certain contact with the other (deceased) person, or full closure to their grief.

Worse, it puts the grieving person at risk. They may be so eager to communicate with the lost loved one, he becomes vulnerable to dark or malicious entities.

(Yes, some dangerous and demonic entities seem to masquerade as lost friends and family.)

Or, the person may be victimized by charlatans masquerading as ghost hunting professionals.

Online or in person, sleazy people can steal the grieving person’s money, or even their identity.

At the other extreme, when someone is involved in paranormal research with a single, self-serving goal, it’s easy for them to distract their team members.

For example, the person may wander off by himself, thinking he saw something that reminded him of the person who died.

Then, the investigation has to be halted while everyone searches for the missing team member.  In many cases, that adds up to a frustrating, wasted research session.

(This is why I recommend a careful interview before accepting anyone new on a critical investigation. Be sure you know the person’s motivation for ghost research.)

Finally, ghost hunting may prevent the person from completing the grieving process. They won’t let go of the past. They’re still trying to hold onto the person who’s gone.

Really, at almost every ghost hunting event, by late in the evening, I’ve found someone sobbing in a corner, absolutely distraught.

In every case, the person was still mourning a lost loved one. And, during that event, the person realized that ghost hunting wasn’t going to bring back their loved one.

Grief and ghost hunting don’t mix.

My advice is: Cherish the memories. Allow yourself to grieve. Give yourself as much time as you need.  (I’ve always admired the Jewish tradition of “sitting shiva.” I think many of those traditions could help people of other faiths – including Atheists – as well.)

Seek professional counseling if you need it. Don’t feel embarrassed to reach out to those who can help.

After that, if you’re still interested in ghost hunting – out of curiosity, or a spiritual or scientific interest – get involved.

Meanwhile, you put yourself at risk if you leap into ghost hunting with the goal of reconnecting with a lost loved one.

There are many great reasons to become a paranormal investigator and pursue ghost hunting. Be honest with yourself – and your team mates – about why you’re there.

We need more bright, interested ghost researchers. I hope you are (or will be) one of them… but only when the time is right for you.

Many ghost hunters have sensed ghosts, seen them, or even sensed messages from them. So, in a way, we’ve sometimes been “mediums.” That doesn’t mean we’re evil, or witches, or even making up stories from our imaginations.

It only means that we’re sensitive to “ghostly” energy.

Maybe that comes naturally to us. Maybe it’s something we acquire after many encounters with ghosts.

Either way, it’s normal.

This is important

A medium is someone who acts as the go-between.  You’re in the middle, acting as the conduit between the ghosts’ world and ours.  Most mediums seem to be psychic, but not all psychics are mediums.

In general, ghosts and spirits can’t take over a person without his/her permission.

Even misguided ghosts aren’t that powerful.

Really.

I’m not talking about demons or malicious spirits. That’s another topic. I’m seeing increased reports of demons and malicious entities, but it’s still a very small issue in ghost hunting.

When someone is dealing with a demon or possessions, I refer them to professionals.

Find out more here: If You’re Frightened and Need Help.

However, there are times when a medium — or someone developing his or her psychic gifts — feels an unwanted presence in their field of energy, or even in their mind.

Whether or not you’re psychic, always know where your boundaries are… and when they’ve been crossed.

Begin by studying how you feel without the influence of others, including spirits.

Start your day with a reality check

First, see how you feel when you start the day. I’ve talked about this in other articles, notably Baseline… Yourself.

Here’s a quick summary:

When you wake up each morning, pause before getting out of bed and do a reality check. I mean that literally:

• Check your emotions. Are you cheerful or grumpy? Calm or anxious?
• See how you feel, physically… healthy, allergies, etc. Do you feel energized, or is it especially difficult to get out of bed today?

After completing that “baseline” check, it’s time to look ahead.  I like the phrase, “pave the road.”  That is, visualize how your day is likely to go, and how you’ll feel as you accomplish items (specific items) that you intend to complete.

During the day, pause regularly to see if you’ve accepted energy or emotions from people or the environment around you.

During each ghost hunt, pause regularly. See if you’ve been gradually accepting impressions from spirits. It’s best to notice this before it becomes a problem.

As you’re ghost hunting, if you feel imposed upon by spirits, re-center yourself.

• Revisit those morning feelings and emotions. Use them as as your reference point.
• Remember how you felt then, and do your best to re-experience those feelings.

Creative visualizations

Some psychics and ghost hunters use creative visualizations to protect their personal space. Here’s one way to do that.

• Imagine a real, physical room in the “psychic space” where spirits contact you.

1. 1. Create a visual sense of boundaries… physical walls with windows and a door. Imagine your perfect room in your perfect house, with perfect views out windows on at least three sides of the room.
   2. Make this very clear and very specific. Write it down, if that helps. Or, use a photo from a decorating magazine, or a place where you’ve lived or visited.
   3. Decide that you are the only person who can enter the room through the door. Perhaps its similar to a door in Star Trek, and only responds to your voice. The door always works. You can always leave the room and return to your own world easily and immediately.
   4. As a psychic, imagine that you’re opening only one of those windows (with a screen) to talk with the spirits. If, at any point, you want to close the window, you can. Or, you can turn your back on that window, and look out at least two other windows with happier views. Spirits cannot enter this room, but only communicate through the window. Make the screen electrically charged, if that helps. Imagine a line of salt along the window ledge, since — in folklore — ghosts generally can’t cross salt. (So far, that’s worked well for me.)
   5. Make sure the room seems real to you. It’s your spiritual haven in a “between-worlds” space. Mentally visit it every morning, and remind yourself of its decor, and how restful and safe it feels.
   6. Use this imagery whenever you are preparing to contact (or open to) spirits. Treat it very seriously; this space is as real as you make it. It is

Rely on spiritual protection if you need it.

As long as you’re dealing with ghosts — not demons — the following methods have been successful.

• Use tried-and-true spiritual protections, including crosses, pentacles, stars of David, holy water, sage smudges, and so on… they work.
• Sea salt seems to work well, too. According to stories, it’s a line that ghosts can’t cross. (Interestingly, some people report take kelp daily to reduce or prevent anxiety attacks. I use it myself when I’m stressed. Kelp’s composition is similar to salt’s.)
• If you say to a spirit, “I banish you from my presence in the name of [deity],” they usually go away.

You may need to repeat whatever you’re using regularly until the spirit/s get the point. Like persistent suitors who won’t take no for an answer, some spirits need to be told steadily and firmly that they are not welcomed.

Warning: If you try any of those remedies and the situation becomes dramatically, frighteningly worse, stop immediately. Leave the site immediately and seek help if you’re feeling anxious. Do not go online and ask for help. Instead, find a trusted, mainstream spiritual professional – a religious minister – and tell them what’s happened.

When you’re dealing with ghosts, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Keep in mind that, along with psychic gifts, people are also given psychic protection.

It’s mostly a matter of activating it.

Whether you choose a spiritual protection from your religion, or use creative visualization to keep spirits from intruding, there is little to fear as long as you remain alert and keep your boundaries in place.

Ghosts can be bullies, but ghosts aren’t dangerous. (Other entities can be, but that’s not what I’m talking about, here.)

Most spirits respond to what you say, out loud. As silly as it may seem, it’s helpful to say “Leave me alone,” or “Step back, you’re in my space,” if you need to.

Say it loudly and clearly, and be firm about it.

Most ghosts do not follow anyone home from ghost hunts. If they could leave the location that they’re haunting… well, they’d have left it long ago.  Something is holding them there, and it’s usually a self-imposed limit.

Daily “reality checks” will help you discern how you feel, and more quickly recognize external influences from the spirits.

Remember, if you reassert your personal boundaries when the problem is small, it’s easier to keep spirits from intruding where they shouldn’t go.