Tag: Safety

How to Stay Safe – For New Ghost Hunters

Every Halloween, people visit haunted places to see what ghost hunting is really like.

Maybe a ghost will appear or do something weird, just like on TV.

But then, starting the day after Halloween, I hear about people who regretted going out that night.

That’s not because they actually encountered a ghost.

The problem was: the living.

At some haunted locations, worry about the living more than the dead

Here’s why the living can be the biggest problem at “haunted” sites…

Haunted places are often badly maintained, and off-the-beaten-path.

At the very least, most people avoid them.

So, those same sites are attractive to people who want to stay off-the-radar of the public, and especially the police.

I can’t even guess how many times I visited Gilson Road Cemetery (before the nearby subdivision was built), and discovered teens enjoying a raucous party in the woods behind the cemetery.

Of course, they wanted us to leave. The sooner, the better.

Ditto the number of abandoned, haunted buildings where my team and I stumbled onto drug deals in progress, and so on.

Can ghosts be dangerous? Yes.

This website is filled with articles about the paranormal dangers of ghosts and ghost hunting.

For example:

At Halloween, let’s remind aspiring ghost hunters that some haunted sites can be dangerous, and not just because of ghosts and other entities.

  • Never go ghost hunting alone.
  • Never leave a friend alone at a haunted site.
  • And always have a Plan B escape route if you find yourself in an awkward or scary situation… regardless of the cause.

spiders

But, if you’re worried about ghosts reading your mind and scaring you…

And read this article: Can a Ghost Read Your Mind?

Dealing with Jokers at Haunted Sites – Especially at Halloween

Halloween can present one big problem for ghost hunters, and that’s dealing with jokers at haunted sites.

I’m about to rant, and – if you’re an experienced ghost hunter – you’ll probably nod in agreement.

Sometimes in autumn – especially around Halloween – when the weather turns cooler and dusk is earlier, jokers visit haunted sites for amusement.

They act as if ghost hunting is funny. As if the actual ghosts are projections of some kind. A special effect, perhaps, by the site owner, to get attention.

I’ve wondered if some people think actually haunted houses (and other sites) are the same as seasonal, staged haunted house attractions.

(Perhaps those jokers really are ignorant. Literally. If they’re among the 35% – 59% who don’t believe in ghosts, they may not realize the harm they’re doing.)

Dealing with jokers at haunted sites - ghosts are not entertainment!

If you encounter jokers like that, here’s my advice.

First, leave the site immediately.

Whether those annoying (and immature) people are acting-out as obnoxious trolls, or they’ve been drinking, or both, they’re looking to get a laugh at someone else’s expense.

Get away from them as fast as you can.

Then, if it looked like they were already vandalizing the site (or seemed about to), call the police.

I mean it. Do not give stupid people an opportunity to cause damage to any site, haunted or not.

Next, go somewhere else (your Plan B) for your investigation.

If your Plan B falls through, The Shadowlands website can provide a few alternatives. However, some of their listings aren’t genuine or accurate. Mostly, use their lists as reminders of other, nearby places with ghostly reputations.

At a different haunted site, start as fresh as you can. Try to shake off the negative energy of the jokers. If you’re distracted by what happened at the previous site, your focus may not be sharp enough to notice important cues and anomalies. Especially if you’re new to ghost hunting, and not sure what to expect, that can put you at risk.

Then, at another time, not necessarily at night, return – with at least one friend – to the location where the jokers had been.

And when you’re there, apologize – out loud – to the spirits.

Acknowledge that the jokers were obnoxious and mean. Let the spirits know that no one should be taunted, teased, or bullied, ever.

Do ghosts hear us? I have no idea. I may be erring on the side of caution, but most ghosts seem to have enough problems, without being tormented by the living as well.

Yes, now and then we encounter belligerent ghosts and sinister spirits. No one should taunt or provoke them without a very good reason. Often they’re acting-out from a place of pain, themselves.

In that case, do not retort, yell at them, or walk off in a rage. Instead, err on the side of kindness. Let them know that you’re different, and you’re there to understand, and to help if you can.

At most genuinely haunted sites, ghost hunters encounter confused, misguided, fearful, or even bewildered ghosts.

Let’s treat them respectfully, and be helpful when we can.