Ghost Hunting Question Options

Okay so I was thinking about going on some "ghost hunting" trips here this year and thought I would throw the idea out here first. The thing is that even though I practice reaching out to various entities and such I don't generally get the best or most reliable results at all. Certainly nothing evocation wise, but that's because I don't do it. Anyway I was thinking it might be easier to work in the right direction if I could practice communication in some way with ghosts and such. I see this as sort of trying to learn to operate a cell phone (ie magic) but not knowing if I am dialing right because even when I do dial right no one is at the other end. So why not go where someone might pick up?

Anyway Ohio is home to a bunch of supposedly haunted places and I'm sure I could do this with friends (who are in no way interested with magic at all but would go anyway I'm sure). So I am wondering has anyone else done anything like this? Any advice, comments, or thoughts?

I have no idea where this would take place yet but if I plan now this could easily become a reality for the upcoming summer.



EDIT: oh and I hope I posted this in the right area...

This post has been edited by ☞Tomber☜: Jan 17 2011, 10:41 PM

Moved to the proper forum.

Okay so I was thinking about going on some "ghost hunting" trips here this year and thought I would throw the idea out here first. The thing is that even though I practice reaching out to various entities and such I don't generally get the best or most reliable results at all. Certainly nothing evocation wise, but that's because I don't do it. Anyway I was thinking it might be easier to work in the right direction if I could practice communication in some way with ghosts and such. I see this as sort of trying to learn to operate a cell phone (ie magic) but not knowing if I am dialing right because even when I do dial right no one is at the other end. So why not go where someone might pick up?

Anyway Ohio is home to a bunch of supposedly haunted places and I'm sure I could do this with friends (who are in no way interested with magic at all but would go anyway I'm sure). So I am wondering has anyone else done anything like this? Any advice, comments, or thoughts?

I have no idea where this would take place yet but if I plan now this could easily become a reality for the upcoming summer.
EDIT: oh and I hope I posted this in the right area...

Ghost hunting...fun stuff. Probably the first thing to do would be to find a place that has a high probability of being haunted. Then, if you can arrange it, spend some time in that place alone with a tape recorder; I've heard more than once that the easiest way of collecting evidence of "ghosts" is by using a tape recorder.

I've actually done this at a haunted location, and even picked up a voice. It shatters your sense of reality to personally collect that kind of data, even if you continue to remain skeptical.

You can use a tape recorder to pick up voices sometimes in ceremonial magick too, by the way. Ultimately one is supposed to get good enough at working on the astral plane that one doesn't need extra technology. But there's nothing like summoning an entity and having an audio file of it roaring at you to back up the experience.

^ the tape recorder idea is great, I hadn't thought of it (even though I'm sure I've seen it on tv a thousand times). Was the voice you got responding to something you were doing or was it more just that you were in the right place at the right time?

^ the tape recorder idea is great, I hadn't thought of it (even though I'm sure I've seen it on tv a thousand times). Was the voice you got responding to something you were doing or was it more just that you were in the right place at the right time?

In the case of the ghost...it appeared to be responding to something in the environment. There were several pet birds in the house, and the voice said "do you hear the birdies?" It had long been thought that the ghost of a young child was in the house.

In the case of the...malefic spirit...who knows why it was screaming.

...nice to see you around here again, btw...

My advice... don't be a redneck about it. People invite investigators into their personal homes for them solve a problem, not to aggravate the situation. Be respectful of the wishes of the property owner, if they don't want you to do magic, don't. Don't leave the people hanging if you find something. Learn how to perform some kind of a cleansing and do it before you leave. If your group can't do these simple things, then you shouldn't be ghost hunting.

Thanks Monkman it's good to be back (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

@plainsight: I assume there are bunch of historic places to visit which are publicly or semi-publicly without having to bother homeowners. I am not sure what I would do but I was going to start a list and go from there. As for the cleansing, I'm going to be looking for ghost contaminated areas so I'll probably leave it way I found it. Really I don't know what to expect but if I can get anything to help me see what works and what doesn't then that would be great. Ghost hunting is sort of glamorized but that's not really what I'm going for, so it will be kept on the down low ha.

This post has been edited by ☞Tomber☜: Jan 19 2011, 09:45 AM

I think that using a tape recorder is a good way of gathering information. Years ago, even before I had ever heard of electronic voice phenomena I happened to have a tape recorder turned on and expected to just hear white noise if anything. But I heard voices. It was difficult to understand the words, but hearing disembodied voices freaked me out at the time. The voice was asking questions like where are you and where was he. I haven't used tape recorders when looking into hauntings but it sounds like a good idea. I know that there have been TV shows on the subject but have never watched them. I can see how the use of tape recorders would be natural in that sort of show situation.

If you are going to be doing this in someone's house where they are living, they will expect some results, such as laying the ghost. This would mean you have to know what you are doing. I would suggest you begin at someplace that is abandoned or uninhabited initially until you work out your system. You kinda have to have some method of sensing a ghost's presence or if they are gone. Then you will know if your banishment or laying of the ghost has been effective. I've worked with two groups doing this over the years. The last time was about a week ago. We always have a group leader who has done this before and knows what they are doing. We have a basic plan of what we are doing even before we begin. We try to ascertain that there actually is a ghost or spirit in the house beforehand. I remember one person who requested our help. Initially one of us made suggestions for her to do something about it herself, then when that wasn't successful we went in and investigated. We didn't find anything but upon talking with the house owner we realized that she was suffering from delusions. We suggested that she go back on her medication--which of course pissed her off royally. The other thing to remember is afterwards we check to make sure that the spirit has left. Generally you can go by the feeling of the energy in the house.

With the first group I was with we tied to talk to the spirit and convince it to pass over. It seemed to work the few times we did it but was a bit time consuming. The coven I'm with now uses a banishing ritual and sealing the house afterwards with an elemental ritual. We also clear out the energy of the house at the same time.

I've never gone out of my way to do investigations, but we have had requests from folks to help get rid of a ghostly presence, consequently it has been irregular. We've done two this year. Previously I'd say we did one a year for the past five or six years. With another group we did three or four over a period of several years. I don't think that I'm an expert, but now I believe that if I needed to do it myself or lead with a few assistants I could manage.

Well, first i'd like to say hi, it's nice to be back, i've been very busy so haven't had time (or a working computer) for a while.

Secondly, what do you really want out of this experience? because my guess is that you actually want all your friends to get really scared, see stuff, hear stuff and for the occasional flying cup to smash on the wall.
If that is the case (which their is nothing to be ashamed about) then i suggest you be quite up-front about it so you can set the rules for the encounter.
Spirits an ghosts are often very unlikely to play unless you give them the go-ahead, they might be too competent to scare people for sustenance, they might be royally jinxed by a skeptic or simply have no motive for it
This is how i would do it.. if that's what you want..
Before the encounter visulise or feel a nice big aura around you, then let your perception encompass the rest of your surroundings, then incorporate your intention.
Your intention should be something along the lines of; protect the spirits identity (stop the observations of others an yourself from actually sensing it's presence),
To allow the spirit to use your raised energy as a complimentary tool for playing with, essentially allowing the spirit to channel with your aura,
Set the rules i.e. 'scare everyone witless! but don't hurt us or make us hurt eachover' .
Lastly, emotions power stuff like this and since your friends will be interacting with this aura before the ghost dose it would be quite prudent to wip your friends up into a powerful state of anticipation beforehand.
Make the intentions energy quite happy, social an a bit funny for your friends or they just won't interact with it.

Basically, making weird stuff happens, putting on a show, is expensive, treat the ghost as the host of a party, bring a bottle, keep conversation headed in the right direction etc..
Even if you an the ghost are the only one's seeing the funny side, remember that's the whole point! it's got to be entertaining for them!

Obviously ghost aren't really spirits and might not see the funny side or might be really traumatic or otherwise in need of help, in that case, do what you can, have compassion.

I've never done this btw, just an educated guess as to what your after, I've got plenty ghost stories already.