Doing Your Own GHost Hunting
Almost every day I get letters and e-mails from
people -- nearly always young people -- who ask where they can do their
own ghost hunting.
They rarely ask how they should do it, and they never ask if they
should.
While many of these young folks strike me as sincere searchers after
knowledge, just as many come across as thrill seekers with little or no
consideration for people's privacy or private property.
My advice on doing your own ghost hunting is: DON'T unless you are very
experienced or are with someone very experienced. And experienced,
mature paranormal investigators are about as common as snowflakes in Key
West.
Don't be one of the feral ghost hunters, as I call them!
Here are some reasons why ghost hunting is a bad idea for 99.9% of the
population.
1) YOU CAN MAKE MATTERS WORSE
In a "haunted house" that has residents, there almost always are
pathological or domestic issues, or both, that are feeding the
paranormal phenomena. Inexperienced investigators who pay attention only
to the phenomena are not only neglecting the residents' needs but could
make the whole scene worse by creating more psychic disharmony. That's
especially true if they use seances, Ouija boards and other bombshells
that only serve to open more doors in space-time.
And if you start "investigating" a house in which the house or land
actually have no problems but the people do (psychologically), you can
stimulate their neuroses or psychoses, creating big problems.
2) IT CAN HARM YOU
In paranormal situations or at troubled places, you have to keep a level
head and know exactly how to handle the stimuli that come your way. This
is supremely true with my theoretical "parasitical entities," whose only
interest is feeding on your energy and who know just what "buttons" to
push to do so.
In addition, I've time and again seen inexperienced people start
investigating sites only to have their imaginations run wild, to the
point that they were convinced that entities had followed them home or
that they were being terrorized by demons. On several occasions, many
years ago when I was doing graduate work in abnormal psychology, I
encountered several people who had to be institutionalized because of
what we referred to at the time as "demonopathic hysteria."
Conversely, I often encounter people who love all things paranormal to
the point of obsession, usually because it can bring them attention,
provide an escape from a boring life or, worst of all, create a sense of
power over others. Many people, including me, are fascinated by the
paranormal, but there comes a point at which any interest can become
unhealthy, especially when many of the objects of that interest see you
as nothing more than a hot lunch.
As if that weren't enough, if you are very sensitive or psychic and
don't know how to handle it, the stimuli at many of these sites can
overwhelm you.
3) YOU CAN CREATE A NUISANCE
Whenever they feel like it, many paranormal devotees form impromptu
groups and go bumbling off to cemeteries and other outdoor sites that
have paranormal reputations. While curiosity-seekers have been doing
this since time out of mind, that doesn't mean it's right.
Trespassing is a crime, and cemeteries deserve respect.
So, by all means, read up on the paranormal and enjoy lectures and
movies on the subject.
If that's not enough, take up soccer.
Copyright 2000 by Paul F. Eno. All rights reserved.