We Are Born with Our Own Ghost Hunting Equipment

We are all born with our own ghost hunting equipment. 

I don't mean we pop out of the womb with our very own EMF detector and REM pod (as cool as that would be). I mean that we already have everything we need to experience the paranormal. We are born with five incredible tools: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Long before ghost hunting gadgets (and long before Aaron Goodwin was being locked in a basement alone), humans had ways of experiencing the unknown.

Maybe our greatest paranormal equipment has been with us all along. 

Sight

If we block out all the distractions and slow our minds, we may be able to see a world that exists just on the edge of our own. Even now, while TVs are used as background noise, social media videos are blaring, and the world is blurring around us, we sometimes see something just at the corners of our vision. Imagine what we could see if we focused just a little on that. 

Today, our attention is constantly pulled in a hundred different directions. Phones buzz with notifications while televisions and social media fill every quiet moment. We spend so much time looking down at screens that we rarely take the time to simply look around. Yet, even amid all that noise, many people still report catching something out of the corner of their eye. Imagine what we might notice if we intentionally slowed down.

I often wonder how often spirits are desperately trying to catch our attention. Patiently waiting for us to notice them. When we spend time in nature or in simple silence, we are more aware of our surroundings. This makes us more open to experiencing something we would otherwise miss. 

Hearing

Sometimes I imagine that ghosts are screaming at us. 

Not out of anger or fear, but out of sheer frustration. They don't understand why we don't look up. Why we don't see them. Hear them. Feel them. 

Children often report hearing voices, whispers, or experiencing things adults simply can't see or hear. Even adults may report a passing whisper or hearing their name being called. However, how many times has this happened just for the person to shrug and look back at the endless loop of videos on their screen? I heard someone say once that people used to report hauntings more in the past and now you don't hear about it as much. I wonder if that's because we're too distracted. 

Perhaps we aren't losing the ability to hear. We're drowning it out.

Touch

Touch is one of the most deeply personal experiences one can have with the paranormal. It can come in the form of a gentle touch on the shoulder, feeling that someone is sitting beside you, or an ice-cold brush against the arm. Touch can also be experienced on a broader level, such as an unexpected pocket of cold air in an otherwise warm room. 

Whether these sensations come from loved ones, residual energy, or something else, there is nothing like feeling that connection with the other side. Unlike a photograph or an EVP, a physical sensation is something that leaves a deeply ingrained emotional and physical impression. 

Smell

Have you ever caught the unmistakable smell of a loved one's perfume or cigarette smoke where it shouldn't be? 

Our sense of smell is strongly tied to memory, which is why those experiences can feel so powerful. Many people report smelling familiar or out-of-place scents with no obvious explanation. I would have to say that unexplained smells are one of the most commonly reported phenomena. Strangely enough, many paranormal researchers have documented cases where multiple people have experienced the same unexplained scent. Some investigators believe this could suggest that certain unexplained scents are connected to the presence of a spirit rather than simply existing as personal memories.

Taste

I know what you're thinking. Where could she possibly be going with this? Are we supposed to be tasting ghosts somehow? I imagine they would taste a little like old coffee. 

No, I'm kidding. But did you know that many cultures leave food and drink as offerings to their ancestors? Even today, certain foods and tastes can trigger memories of loved ones, making us feel as though they are standing right beside us. Could preparing family recipes or cooking a loved one's favorite meal be another way of feeling connected to them? I like to think so.

I firmly believe that when you honor your loved ones by eating the foods they loved and created, it's a way to channel their spirit from beyond. It could be one of the strongest ways to evoke a paranormal experience if food is a strong earthly tie for a spirit. 

What does this all mean?

Technology may have provided us with some amazing paranormal tools, but I believe that nothing can replace the senses we were born with. Even using one or two can be a much more reliable tool than any piece of equipment you may have seen on a paranormal show. 

Before you get your credit card and buy the newest ghost gadget, take a minute to sit quietly, listen, look, feel, and breathe. 

You may be the greatest ghost hunting tool you'll ever need. 

Ghost Hunting Season

Like other types of hunters, paranormal investigators seem to have their own "season."

I know what you're thinking: October, right? 

We've all been told that the veil between the living and the dead thins a little bit every day until Halloween night when it comes down for 24 hours. 

Sounds amazing, right? 

I always thought so. 

I remember growing up thinking that ghosts were just sitting on the other side of the veil, waiting to be released into the mortal world. Clawing and scraping against the invisible barrier until the clock struck midnight on Halloween. 

That doesn't make much sense, though. 

Do they respect time zones? 

Are East coast ghosts released first? 

How does that work? 

As I've gotten older and spent more time investigating, I've started questioning that idea. In my own experience, I haven't noticed paranormal activity increasing around Halloween. To be honest, I've not gotten a single EVP or paranormal photograph ever on Halloween night. 

I wonder why that is?

I've been investigating the paranormal since I was 8 years old. I hate to admit this, but that means I have 28 years of experience. In all of that time, I've not noticed that paranormal events seem to escalate around October. 

Strangely enough, ghostly activity hits a lull around August and doesn't ramp back up until January. I know everyone will have different experiences, but this has been consistent throughout the years. October is my slow season. 

I've often wondered why these patterns occur and what they mean. 

I'm still researching, I'll always be "still researching", but I have a theory. 

Have you ever noticed how chaotic things are around October? 

Everyone is busy getting ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and December holidays. Temporary paranormal blindness keeps us from seeing what's right in front of us. What's always right in front of us.

We can't see past our holiday plans and Amazon shopping lists. 

I'm guilty of this, as well.

Paranormal activity seems to reemerge after the holiday chaos around January. So what does that mean?

When our lives are chaotic and busy, we're oftentimes blind to our surroundings. When things slow down, and our brains relax, we focus on those events that were ignored during our busy season. 

A relaxed mind naturally opens to accept new information. This information can come in the form of an entity that's been trying to get our attention or a poltergeist that is simply bored and passing through.

This is why paranormal activity picks up in January and again in the summer.

 I don't fully support the idea of a veil between the living and the dead. 

It's a fun theory, but it doesn't hold much water. 

I think the idea of a veil has been repeated so often that many investigators simply accept it without ever questioning it. 

"Ghost hunting season" is different for everyone. 

It occurs when you slow down, open your mind, remove distractions, and focus on what's always been right in front of you.

The Age of Paranormal Blindness

As time passes by, and technology absorbs every spare moment, I've noticed something slightly alarming. Kids don't seem to believe in ghosts anymore. 

They simply don't see them. 

They don't allow their minds to rest enough to see those things peeking at them from the dark. Phones and tablets consume every ounce of visual energy, and aside from a poltergeist knocking a device out of their hands, they refuse to see beyond them. 

I've always believed that you can't fully experience the paranormal until you accept that there's more to this world than what you can see and touch. Some non-believers have moments of poltergeist activity, but never a lasting relationship with the beyond. 

Of course, not everyone wants a relationship with paranormal beings, and I can't blame them for that. It's not for everyone. I worry, though, that this age of digital domination has led to an age of paranormal blindness. 

Paranormal blindness is the inability or unwillingness to see beyond the tactile. If someone can't see or touch it, it doesn't exist. 

As kids grow in a digital atmosphere where their world is entirely based within a 6-inch screen, the chance for experiencing the paranormal becomes slim. This does not solely affect children, however, as more adults live within their devices. 

The paranormal world now rarely gets the attention it craves, and people wonder why haunting reports have declined in recent years.

The one true tragedy that will inevitably arise from this new age is the lack of paranormal research.

Without an interest in the paranormal world, the next generation will be less likely to attempt to rip down the veil between the dead and the living. 

Paranormal science is in danger of extinction. 

With paranormal programs only focusing on the jump-scares and never the science, kids (and adults) only see the entertainment value hauntings. True paranormal researchers are left in the shadows with very little funding and a general lack of respect. 

In this age of paranormal blindness, I think we should highlight our scientists and the research that has moved them forward. Paranormal websites and reality tv shows only focus on groups of uneducated "hunters" who spend an hour scaring themselves. 

I'm not saying there's no place for that- entertainment is entertainment. 

I would just like to see more shows documenting real scientists as they research the paranormal. If we bring awareness to the science behind the scares, there is hope that a new generation of paranormal scientists will begin to emerge. 

I, for one, would love to see what they discover. 

The Haunting Hour

I've always been baffled by the idea of a specific time of night when ghosts emerge. It's widely believed that if you want the best chance of capturing evidence, you have to conduct your investigation in the dead of night.

Why?

Do hauntings only occur from midnight to 3:00 a.m.?

I don't think so.

I've experienced unexplained activity in broad daylight and in the early hours of the morning. So why do so many investigators choose midnight to wander around abandoned hospitals in search of a ghost willing to play the game?

I have a theory.

For starters, I think most ghost hunters, whether they want to admit it or not, enjoy the adrenaline rush. And honestly, who can blame them? What scenario is scarier than walking through a reportedly haunted building at midnight? Add in the fact that you can barely see the room around you, and you've got enough adrenaline to restart a heart.

Sounds fun, right?

It is.

I just don't think it does much for the investigation. Unless, of course, you're researching the effects of fear on the body.

Some investigators believe the sky, and the room for some reason, have to be pitch black before you'll capture that million-dollar piece of evidence.

I've never understood that.

Do ghosts hide from the light?

Why would they?

Take a second and really think about it. If ghosts exist, what reason would they have to disappear during the day? I've never believed paranormal activity keeps office hours.

So why do we wait until the "haunting hour?"

Personally, I think it has more to do with us than it does with ghosts.

Night investigations have become the standard because that's what we've always been taught. People will tell you their equipment works better at night, and in some cases that's true. Night vision cameras, infrared lights, and other equipment were designed with darkness in mind.

Pro tip.

You don't need most of it.

So when is the best time to investigate?

There isn't one.

It depends entirely on the location.

If a homeowner tells you footsteps happen every afternoon around three o'clock, why would you show up at midnight?

That doesn't make much sense to me.

One of the first questions I ask isn't just what happened.

It's when it happened.

More often than not, you'll start noticing patterns.

And patterns are everything.

Once you've established when activity is most commonly reported, you can plan your investigation around that instead of around a clock.

Remember to keep your crew small, avoid whispering, and conduct your EVP sessions while everyone is sitting still.

Those little things matter.

At the end of the day, ghost hunting isn't about proving a place is haunted.

It's about ruling out every normal explanation you can think of.

In my experience, you'll probably explain away 95 to 99 percent of what you find.

That last one percent...

That's the part that keeps me coming back.

Evidence Contamination

Evidence contamination is one of the most frustrating things you can discover after an investigation.

It renders any evidence you may have collected completely useless. Once you realize one piece of evidence is contaminated, you start questioning everything else. As painful as it is, sometimes the only option is to throw it all out and start over.

I know exactly how that feels.

I once drove more than ten hours to investigate a location, only to discover later that noise interference had ruined every second of audio I recorded. It almost hurts to delete something you know you may never be able to replace.

Learn from my mistake.

Here are a few ways to avoid contaminating your hard-earned evidence.

Tip #1: Keep your group small.

I know it's tempting to bring everyone along for the adventure, but resist the urge.

The more people you have with you, the less control you have over the investigation. More people means more talking, more footsteps, and more opportunities to mistake your own group for paranormal activity.

One of the biggest culprits is whispering.

A whispered conversation can sound surprisingly similar to an EVP during playback. Before you know it, you've spent an hour getting excited over your own teammate.

If you need to speak, speak clearly and loudly enough that everyone knows it's a living person talking.

Personally, I think three or four investigators is the sweet spot.

Tip #2: Sit still during EVP sessions.

Modern digital recorders are incredibly sensitive.

They'll happily record every shuffle, jacket zipper, cough, stomach growl, and squeaky floorboard in the room.

Find a place to sit, get comfortable, and stay as still as possible.

Before you begin recording, announce where you are, the date and time, and who's present. That way, if someone does speak, you'll have a much easier time identifying who it was later.

Tip #3: Know your surroundings.

Is there a highway nearby?

An airport?

Train tracks?

A neighborhood full of barking dogs?

These little details seem insignificant until you're reviewing evidence at two in the morning wondering why someone keeps whispering "whoooo."

The most valuable tool an investigator has isn't an EMF detector.

It's skepticism.

Finding something you can't immediately explain is exciting.

Ruling out every ordinary explanation first is even more exciting.

That's when you know you're onto something worth paying attention to.

Tip #4: Leave your photos alone.

This one is simple.

Don't use filters.

Don't brighten them until faces magically appear.

Don't add contrast hoping an orb becomes more interesting.

If your photograph genuinely contains something unusual, it should stand on its own.

The moment you start editing, you've also given skeptics a perfectly reasonable explanation for dismissing it.

It's just not worth it.

Tip #5: Be skeptical of the location.

This might be the hardest one.

You've been looking forward to this investigation all week.

You've heard the stories.

You've watched the videos.

You've convinced yourself this place has to be haunted.

That's exactly when you need to slow yourself down.

If you're already on edge before you walk through the door, every creak, cold draft, and shadow starts feeling paranormal.

Whether you believe your body can sense something unusual or not, it's difficult to trust your instincts if you've already convinced yourself you're about to experience a haunting.

Go into every investigation expecting to debunk it.

Look for the natural explanation first.

Once you've peeled away everything ordinary, whatever remains becomes much more interesting.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from investigating.

Quite the opposite.

I simply hope more investigators put aside the need for excitement and focus instead on finding the truth, whatever that truth happens to be.

To me, that's what makes paranormal investigation fascinating.

Not proving a place is haunted.

Discovering whether it is.

I'm Skeptical of Your Lack of Skepticism

It's a dark and stormy night, and you've been invited to tag along with a local ghost hunting team. Every crack of thunder makes you jump, and every flash of lightning casts strange shadows along the walls. Each one seems to be reaching for you.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

You slowly make your way down one of the maze-like hallways of an abandoned asylum, gripping the flashlight someone handed you earlier. As you pass a doorway, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye.

You freeze.

You take a slow breath and notice something else.

When did it get so cold?

You exhale, and your eyes widen as you watch your breath drift through the beam of your flashlight.

This is it.

Your first ghost.

You take one more deep breath, summon every ounce of courage you have, and swing your flashlight toward the doorway.

Something launches straight at your face.

You scream.

Your flashlight goes flying.

The beam bounces wildly off the walls while you desperately try to fight off your ghostly attacker.

It's...kind of furry.

You weren't expecting a furry ghost, but this is your first investigation, so who are you to judge?

The creature bounces off you and disappears down the hallway just as the rest of the team comes running.

"What happened?"

You explain your terrifying encounter while trying to catch your breath.

Everyone cautiously enters the room.

Immediately, someone notices the broken window.

That explains the sudden cold air.

The room is searched from top to bottom, but there's no sign of your furry ghost.

As everyone starts to leave...

...your attacker comes flying past the doorway again.

A squirrel.

Your terrifying paranormal encounter has officially been reduced to a broken window and an angry squirrel.

It happens more often than you'd think.

Not the squirrel.

The assumptions.

One of the biggest mistakes a paranormal investigator can make is walking into a location already convinced it's haunted. Once you've decided every creak, shadow, cold spot, or strange noise must be paranormal, your brain starts connecting dots that were never connected in the first place.

To me, skepticism is the single most important piece of equipment you can carry into an investigation.

If someone asks you to investigate their home, your first job isn't to prove it's haunted.

Your job is to prove it isn't.

Rule out the draft from the broken window.

Rule out the squirrel in the attic.

Rule out the pipes, the wiring, the neighbors, the settling house, and every other explanation you can think of.

Only after you've exhausted the ordinary should you start considering the extraordinary.

That's how you build credibility.

Ghost hunting has never really been about owning the newest REM Pod or carrying the most expensive equipment. It's about observation. Asking questions. Testing theories. Looking for answers, even when those answers aren't paranormal.

You're not just a ghost hunter.

You're a detective.

One last piece of advice.

If you're looking for a paranormal team, pay attention to how they investigate.

If they seem too excited that your house is haunted...

If they're provoking every room they walk into...

If they're trying to create activity instead of understand it...

Find another team.

A good investigation is about uncovering the truth, whatever that truth happens to be.

Your team should be investigating...

...not instigating.

The Menger Hotel-San Antonio

           

            It took us 7 hours to drive from Rockwall to San Antonio but the windshield time was well worth it. As we drove up to the historic hotel, you could feel the incredible weight of the paranormal wrap itself around you like a hungry snake; willing you inside to take a tour of the 138 year old hotel. The energy seeped from the building and seemed to encase the surrounding streets like a fog. With with the Alamo across the street, the energy was overwhelming.

          We drove into the valet which appeared like any other and hauled our baggage to the front desk while looking around in awed fascination. Haunting aside, this place was gorgeous. There's no other way to put that. Antiques and elegant furniture were scattered around like a perfectly choreographed dance. It absolutely transports you to another time. It took us a moment to reenter 2017 and realize that we had to check in to get any further within the hotel. The staff was incredibly courteous, much like any other hotel of this caliber, apart from one glaring difference. They clearly wore the energy of the hotel like a scarf. You could almost see them shifting it around as they moved, transferring the weight around their bodies. Did it get heavier the longer they stayed within these walls? I wondered, absently, if they were able to unwind it from their necks after a long day of hauling it around. I imagine it's something learned- something that becomes easier over time.

        When we got our key cards and directions to the room, the real adventure began. Up the ancient elevator and down the hallways that appeared to be cut and paste straight from The Shining. Or was it the other way around? Even if you weren't aware of the long history of this hotel, you could feel it. You could feel it in the way the sweet smell of a soap long forgotten hit your face, and in the way the floors creaked beneath your feet as if telling you over a 100 years of secrets.
       
        We made it to our room around 5:30pm and were pretty excited to see we had a pool view and a balcony. This trip wasn't all business, after all. We  set our bags down and took a quick tour of the room before heading down to the River Walk to spend time with friends until our midnight walk-through. If you haven't been to the River Walk or The Alamo at night, you are seriously missing out. San Antonio has such a fun atmosphere and the Alamo surrounded by darkness is the perfect combination of haunting and amazing. Seeing it in the daylight is nothing compared to the sheer beauty of it sitting in the moonlight with spotlights dancing up the walls. If you happen to be in San Antonio, make a nighttime visit to see it. You won't be disappointed.

       After we said our goodbyes to our friends, we toured the River Walk once more to enjoy the twinkling lights surrounding the river and kill a little more time before our midnight tour of The Menger Hotel. The strong feeling of the paranormal leaves you a little as you're walking through the crowds by the river but engulfs you once more as soon as you ascend the stairs back to the street. Our walk back to the hotel had a hint of foreboding but it's something we fully anticipated. The Menger isn't listed as one of the country's most haunted hotels for nothing. We knew what we were getting ourselves into and as we would come to find out, it wouldn't disappoint.



                                                                   Midnight

          Just before midnight, we loaded up our equipment (which consisted simply of cameras and recorders) and stepped into the hallway of the third floor. We left our throng of ghost hunting equipment behind in favor of a simpler form of investigation. If any place called for it, it was The Menger. The hallway was completely empty of guests which suited our needs nicely. We had no doubt we would run into a midnight straggler or two but for the moment, we were alone.

          The hallways were like mazes and very disorienting if you've never traveled them before. We gave ourselves a little bit of exploring time to get our bearings before getting down to the business of the night. One of the first things I noticed was how the spooky feeling of the place didn't change from day to night. There have been dozens of locations we've scouted during the day where we felt absolutely nothing only to return at night and have intense fear hit us like a wave. This place didn't change with the setting of the sun. You felt it's paranormal power with the sun just as much as with the moon. That's very unusual. I knew we were in for an interesting night.

       After scouting a bit, I turned on Facebook live (which was poorer quality than I had hoped) and we officially started our journey through The Menger. Mind you, we hadn't hit any floors but our own at this point. We only pinpointed the stairs and elevators to make things run a bit smoother. Anything beyond that, we discovered live with those watching the feed. We began on the third floor and simply recorded our surroundings and soaked in the energy. Right away we both felt the heaviness of the 138 year old history. As if each year lay on top of us like a blanket.

          We pushed through the atmosphere and crept down the hallway so as not to disturb the other guests or a cranky ghost. Each door we passed was closed to the hallway apart from the intensely loud area that housed the ice and soda machines. They sounded much louder on the live feed than in person-sorry about that, ya'll. I didn't realize how deafening the noise was or I would have passed by much quicker. As we made our way down the seemingly unending hallways, we came upon the Victorian Lobby. This is probably one of the most photographed places of the entire hotel. It's oval and surrounded by gorgeously detailed columns and if you gaze straight up through it, you see one of the most amazing skylights I've ever seen. I think we kept circling back to this area, visiting it both on the second and third floors that night, just to keep looking at it.

          Walking around the third floor of the hotel gave us no solid evidence of a haunting other than the energy that started to wrap it's tentacles around us. We ignored the tightening grip and ascended to the fourth floor in search of paranormal proof. As we wandered around the halls we took notice of the the suites named for The Menger's most famous guests. At one point we heard what sounded like a child but being that there were other guests in the hotel, there's no way to tell if it was made by someone corporeal or something more ethereal.

          Moving a bit further down the hallway and through the twists and dead ends, we started to let our guard down a little and just soaked in the beauty of it all. As we rounded a corner just past a soda machine, a door opening and slamming to my right had us jumping out of our skin. I turned to look at the door but noticed something unnerving. The door directly to my right (and every other door in the hallway for that matter) was closed. Absolutely no door in the entire hallway had opened, let alone the one just a foot from me. That was easily one of the most startling things to happen on the fourth floor but certainly not the most startling thing to happen that night.

        When we had circled the fourth floor at least twice, we decided to make our way up the very top floor, the fifth. As we made our way up the stairs, the air started to get increasingly hotter with each step. As we approached the top, it felt like we had just been thrust into an oven. Both of us actually broke out into a sweat before we made it to the end of even one hallway. The heat aside, it felt very unwelcoming- as if we had just stepped into someone's home unannounced. The longer we stayed, the worse it felt. We kept walking anyway, both noticeably sweaty and just turning down hallways at random.

          Nearing the end of our journey around the fifth floor, we rounded a corner and stumbled into a dead end. Having decided to make this hallway our last, it definitely seemed like a sign that our tour had come to an end. As we turned around to make our way back down to our own floor, I felt an intense rush of fear. It was as if someone was walking up quickly and aggressively behind us. There were no footsteps, only that hair-raising feeling that someone was about to tackle you from behind. I gasped and turned only to see no one. I fully expected there to be someone, alive or not, behind us. The hallway behind us was as silent as a...and just as empty. We quickened our pace just a bit and found the stairs. Down we went until we made it to our own room on the third floor. And that would end our brush with the paranormal at The Menger. Or so we thought.

       We got ready for bed, turned out the lights, and slipped into our beds after an exhaustively long day. I'm pretty sure we both fell asleep instantly but I certainly didn't stay that way. Sometime around 3am, I was awoken by someone whispering directly into my ear. "Hey," the voice said. My brain barely registered that I was being spoken. "Hey!, "they said again. Much louder and more urgent. My eyes shot open and I sat straight up. This was not a voice I recognized. I looked around as much as I could in the pitch black without my glasses and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The room was still and very much asleep. I sat watching for a moment before sleep pulled me back to the bed and back into oblivion.


                                                                       The Next Day

          The next day, we reluctantly packed up our things and took the ancient elevator down to the lobby to check out. We took one last look around at the closest thing we will ever come to a time portal and walked out to the valet. We still felt the weight of the time that passed within the hotel and the energy that engulfed the entire surrounding area. I looked around at all the tourists who were lazily enjoying their day around this historic part of town and wondered if they felt it too. That hilt in your stomach that told you more happened here than we can ever imagine. That tiny tap on the back of your shoulder from a soldier gone too soon. Were they wandering around the streets, seeing a different version of San Antonio than we were? Was the battle raging around us while we stopped to buy a snow cone? I guess that's one thing we'll never know.

       We got in the car and started our 7 hour trip back home that included a quick pit stop at The Czech Stop (of course).  I can honestly say that I can't wait for another visit to The Menger. The weight of time weighed heavily on us while we were there but for every mile we drove, the weight lifted, pound by pound. Every ounce was worth the time spent there. We're already planning a repeat trip in the next few months and this time we're bringing more equipment and spending a bit more time. If you decide to visit this ghostly hotel, tell them we'll be back soon.