I'm calling you out, Zak Bagans.

I recently watched an episode of Paranormal Challenge with host, Zak Bagans. Zak is a ghost hunter that I've always respected and for the most part, still do. However, after watching his new show, I was left with a feeling of, "What.the.hell. did I just watch?" Seriously. Is this what ghost hunting has become? A ridiculous challenge of pitting together two very subpar teams and looking for a "winner". None of these teams should be proud of themselves for making a total mockery of an already questioned science. This is not, in any way, a good use of anyone's ghost hunting skills. And for the record, I'm not sure some of these tools have been ghost hunting for more than 5 minutes. In one episode, a group of ghost hunting women (an already rare find) embarrass themselves, and other female hunters, by calling technical equipment "thingy" and "blinky thing." Really? Really?? Do they not screen these people before allowing them on t.v.? This new show is so beyond ridiculous that I almost don't have the words. Hey, thanks, Zak Bagans, for your aid in sinking any validity ghost hunting gained in the last, oh, hundred years or so. I hope this show bites the dust fast and you can focus on actually ghost hunting instead of being the ringleader in your own paranormal circus.

Haunted objects

Can a ghost attach itself to an object? Can an object record powerful events that happened with or around it and replay that event over and over? I believe, in rare circumstances, that a ghost can be fettered to an object. However, in most cases, an object related haunting is the result of a residual haunting. This is when an object absorbs the bioelectric energy of an intense event and then replays it. This can be replayed either randomly or at a certain time, day, or year. Homes can also absorb energy to be replayed. The most common events to be replayed are emotionally charged or violent acts. This is why most battlefields are thought to be haunted but likely it is not an intelligent haunting but a residual. Residual "ghosts" are stuck in their own time and will play their role in the traumatic event over and over, much like an echo.
There are many materials that will absorb energy and two of those are limestone and quartz. These are very dense stones and the denser the stone, the more bioelectric energy it will absorb. This is why many hotels in mountains (ie: The Stanley Hotel) have so much paranormal activity. They are built on and surrounded by dense stones.
If you have a haunting and it seems to just do the same things as of on repeat, you likely have a residual haunting. They are nothing to be frightened of as they don't even know you exist. You may experience sounds, smells, things being moved, etc. Because this type of haunting is not intelligent, there's really nothing that can be done about it. You can try to find the object associated with it (did you recently buy something from a pawn shop? Flea market?) and sell it. However, I find this type of haunting fascinating and because it can not hurt you, it's probably easier to just let it be.

Ghosts were people too.

Just a quick thought for the night. Ghosts were people at some point and in a sense, still are. They will have retained their living personality and traits. What you have to remember is, just like people, there are good ghosts and bad ghosts. Mischievous ghosts and sarcastic ghosts. There are some that you definitely need to beware of but there are also good ghosts as well. I know it can be scary because the world of the dead is still so unknown but if you just remember that it's still a person, it gets a little less scary. Most ghosts aren't going to come floating down your hallway, blood dripping from a mangled stump, and moaning, "My leg, where is my missing leg?!"
I mean, unless they think it's hilarious.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Your house just seems a bit creepier than usual during a storm, doesn't it? The boards creak a little more, shadows seem to bleed from the walls, and you swear you just heard your name being whispered from the closet. It's just the storm creeping you out, right? What if I told you that you have a legitimate reason to have the creeps during thunder storms?
First, let me tell you a little about something called EMF. EMF stands for electromagnetic field and ghosts feed on it in order to gain strength. Some ghost hunters use an EMF pump to push extra EMF into an already haunted location to increase the odds of gaining evidence of a haunting. Ghosts absorb it so an area where a ghost is located will likely have a high EMF reading as a result.
Let's get back to the storm. Lightening actually generates EMF and during storms, the atmosphere is crackling with it. Sometimes I like to sit outside on my balcony during a storm because you really can feel the power in the air. All of this EMF is soaked up by ghosts and thats when paranormal activity is likely to happen. It's a natural EMF pump!
So, next time you're home alone during a storm and you get the feeling that someone is watching you, they likely are.

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Eh

I guess I've been blog slacking the last few days. Probably because no one reads this except me but really, maybe I'm writing this for myself anyway. I love ghost hunting. I love the science, the history, the psychology of it. One of the biggest kicks in the face is having a passion for something that you can never make a career out of. Sure, some "ghost hunters" make money on tv but that's not a reality for me. So, I'm stuck trying to figure out what I want to do as a day job while knowing that nothing I choose will ever make me as happy as ghost hunting. That's life though, right?

Cemetery ghosts

In my experience and studies, I've found that most ghosts who haunt cemeteries are people who were mid-late teens/early 20's when they passed. This is because, as young adults, we are much more likely to be attached to our physical bodies. Whats on the outside is what we feel to be the definition of who we are. Our own vanity keeps us locked to our physical body, even though the two are now separate.

People who were older when they died, have had such a filling life with memories of places and events, that they are less likely to be consumed with their physical self. They are much more likely to move on or haunt a favorite home or location. Who they are is no longer physical, but mental.


Just food for thought while on your next cemetery hunt!

A Few Things I've Learned Along the Way.

You can buy as many ghost hunting books as your bookshelf can hold but nothing will prepare you for ghost hunting like actually getting out in the field. Most books will tell you what equipment to buy and how to use it but usually you're on your own once you step into a haunted location. Here are a few tips to keep you safe and productive along the way.

1.) This one is important. If you decide to ghost hunt a cemetery at midnight, do yourself a favor and contact the local police department and let them know what you're up to. Cops do generally cruise by cemeteries and will assume you are grave robbing or vandalizing if they aren't informed ahead of time. Trust me. Being arrested in a cemetery is not cool. Grave robbing is so 1700.

2.) Don't bring your entourage on your hunt. The more people you drag into that abandoned building, the less evidence you're actually going to get. In my experience, less is more. Ghosts don't want to perform for 15 of your closest friends. They will absolutely not engage in communication if there are too many people. Not only that, the more people you bring, the better the chance for evidence contamination. Did you hear a laugh? It's a lot easier to narrow down where it came from if you have a group of 3-4 or less.

3.) Be Safe. Know the place you are investigating. Don't just randomly decide to go to a location in the middle of the night. Plan ahead. Go to the location during the day and check for any holes in the ground, rusty nails, or any safety hazard that might be harder to see at night. Injuries are a lot easier to avoid if you know what your location looks like during the day.

4.) Know your ghosts. Ask questions of anyone who has had experiences with your targeted ghost/ghosts to gain better insight to how you should communicate. It's a lot easier to communicate if you know who you're dealing with. Provoking might work with a hostile ghost but not with a little old lady. If you're too demanding and too harsh on a timid ghost, you'll likely to hear hours of silence during audio playback.

5.) Have your own basic equipment. You'll probably spread out at least once during your hunt and you'll not want to be without a crucial piece of equipment. Have your own camera, recorder, and flashlight. Other, more expensive, pieces of equipment can be shared but you'll want your own basics.

6.) Have a first aid kit. Nothing kills a hunt faster than an injured hunter. You don't have to carry it around but you will want it close by in case of an accident so you can bandage up and keep going instead of packing up and going home for a bandaid and antiseptic.

7.) Know your team. This one is crucial to your team's credibility. Don't just gather random people from Craigslist or a friend of a friend who "loves those ghost hunting shows." Make sure they know what they are doing and what's expected of them. Go over any rules and standard procedures your team has implemented. Also, make sure they aren't the type to sabotage your evidence. Some people want a place to be haunted so badly that they stage paranormal experiences. Don't let yourself be played as it will quickly ruin your reputation. Make sure you trust every team member.

8.) Be professional. If someone enlists your team to investigate their home/property, they need your help. They're likely shaken from the occurrences in their home and need an answer. If they, or a neighbor, see you or your team screaming and running out of their home, you'll likely cause a lot of damage. Not only to the homeowner, but also to your reputation. Keep your cool. You're there to get an answer and you will not get one if you're running from every noise.

Happy hunting!

My first blog.

I've always wanted to keep a diary/record of everything that has happened to me throughout the years. Today I'll start with the story of seeing my first ghost as it catapulted me into the world of ghost hunting.

When I was 8 years old, my mom, step dad, and I moved into a townhouse in Garland, TX. There was nothing unusual about this townhouse, it was pretty basic. One night, my parents decided to do an extreme makeover on my bedroom. This included new carpet, paint, a new bed, etc. It was truly the most awesome room I'd ever seen in my 8 years of life lol. A few nights later, I woke up to a severe thunderstorm lashing at my bedroom window. I rolled over to get more comfortable and happened to glance at my mirror that was attached to the dresser in my room. In that mirror, I saw something that to this day, remains the clearest entity that I have ever seen. Let me see if I can explain this. It looked like dense smoke and clearly a human shape but with no legs. It was pitch black in my bedroom and yet this ghost emitted a sort of soft light that made it very easy to see. The eyes were just black holes and I could tell it was staring at me. I have to say, I was absolutely terrified. Never had I experienced anything like that before. As I was staring at this ghost through my mirror, my family dog started barking and growling in the direction of the ghost. I took this time to dart into the bathroom that connected my room to my parent's and then dart into their room. I slept on their floor for a good week haha. After that night, I would hear people calling my name and see odd occurrences almost every night. I asked my mom to take me to the store, got a notebook, and kept track of everything and anything that could be paranormal in nature. As the years went on, I got a recorder, EMF detector, digi thermometer, and other ghost hunting equipment. I later enlisted the help of my mom and friends during investiations but sometimes went solo. I believe that ghosts are intimiated by large groups and will be less likely to communicate.

I will be keeping a daily blog, stay tuned for more!