You know all about the basics of ghost hunting and paranormal investigations and want to polish your new skillset. There are a few things that experienced investigators and ghost hunters keep for themselves, but we are about to share some juicy tips for you.
In this article, you get tips on how to ghost hunt as a beginner. Many things, such as psychic attacks or demonic possession, could make your trip a disaster. I created a list of things never to do on a ghost hunt. Let’s get started; there is no time to waste!
If you are new to ghost hunting and paranormal investigations and want to learn the basics, read the article below.
How to hunt ghosts: A beginner’s guide
Learn the basics of ghost hunting
#1: Never do solo investigations as a beginner
It is not recommended to do solo investigations as a beginner. Many things can go wrong, and without a team member, you can easily find yourself in a scary situation.
It is not uncommon to trip and fall during investigations. The most common injury is not demonic attacks – it is falling when walking about. Many sites are dangerous – old stairs, old flooring, old everything. Always tell your family where you are heading when you go ghost hunting, even if you are in a team.
Psychic attacks can leave you tired, exhausted, and lose track of time and location. It is not a great thing if you are alone, that is for sure. Even if it is scarce, demonic attacks are hazardous. Always be safe than sorry.
#2: Never go ghost hunting when sick
Never go on a ghost hunt or conduct a paranormal investigation when you are feeling sick. If you have weaknesses, you might be targeted by negative energies. Always make sure that everyone on the team feels physically and mentally sound.
It is better to postpone a ghost hunt or stay at home if you are not feeling 100% ok. It is not worth the risk. Always make sure that safety is the focus – not expectations and thrills.
#3: Never investigate intoxicated
Never investigate or go on a ghost hunt when intoxicated. It is like leaving the front door open for psychic attacks. Please ensure everyone on the team is sober and not under the influence of medications that might make them weak.
I, for example, have epilepsy. I never go on a ghost hunt or investigation if I am not feeling ok. My medications also impact my abilities, so I must be cautious. I know how frustrating it can be to about a mission at the last minute – but you have to.
#4: Never summon the demonic
Never summon the demonic. It is no kid’s game, I can tell you. Only approach human spirits or spirits of the light.
It can be thrilling to get a powerful response when on a ghost hunt or searching for proof of the paranormal. It is just not worth it, I promise you. Have patience and stay safe.
It seems like everyday practice to summon the demonic when you watch paranormal TV shows. But that is not reality (in most cases).
#5: Never use a Ouija board
If you feel tempted to bring a Ouija into a haunted house, don’t. Never play with the Ouija in a haunted location. It can quickly get over your head and this fast. If you want to learn more about the dangers of Ouija, read the article below.
Demon Zozo: Dangers and warning signs when using Ouija
The demon Zozo is thought to be the demon of the Ouija. He uses the board to access humans to possess them. You should never use Ouija if you are not fully trained.
#6: Never go unprepared
You must done your research before going on a ghost hunt or investigation. It is recommended to research the site’s history to get an understanding of the alleged haunting.
Visit the site during the daytime to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and potential dangers. It is not uncommon for hunters and investigators to trip and fall when moving about in the darkness. Give yourself the best chance of success by doing your research.
Never go on a ghost hunt on a whim. Always ensure you have all the gear prepared, have permission from the owners, and are not breaking any laws by entering the premises. If you are unsure what you need to bring on-site, you can read about it here.
If you feel the site’s haunting might be too dark for you at your level of experience and knowledge, leave it on the bucket list for later. It is better to feel confident than in a state of fear. Fear is a weakness that will leave you more prone to psychic attacks.
#7: Never ignore your gut feeling
It is easy to start ignoring your gut feeling with all screens, monitors, and tools measuring things all around you. It is important to remember that the most advanced tool we have is our senses and intuition.
When doing sweeps, rely on your intuition and verify it with your gadgets. Not the other way around. If you never use your intuition, you will not develop it into the fantastic tool it is.
#8: Never leave a mess behind
When you leave a site, never leave a mess behind. It is rude and not professional. If you do this, your reputation will drop like a stone. I promise. Always ensure the site looks the same as it did on arrival. If sloppy investigators from previous sessions left a mess behind, pick it up. It is ok to give them the evil eye next time you meet.
#9: Never treat the spirits badly
Never mistreat the spirits or entities by harassing them, threatening them, or being a jerk. If you will have a fruitful conversation where you gain access to valuable information, being nasty to the spirits is not the way.
In some paranormal TV shows, they do a sport out of harassing and attacking the spirits to get a powerful display of force. This is to get scary TV, not to gain insights into the world beyond. Never copy their actions, be more significant than that. Never forget that spirits were humans once too.
#10: Never smoke when on a ghost hunt
Smoking is never good, especially not when conducting a paranormal investigation. The smoke from the cigarette might ruin the evidence. The smoke might appear as a false positive – showing an apparition
where there is none.
There are many occurrences where smoke has been mistaken for a ghostly appearance. Optical illusions can create evidence that is not there. So ban cigarettes or vapes from the site of the investigation.
#11: Never underestimate negative energies
Never underestimate the power of the demonic. Whatever you do, never challenge or threaten the wicked in the hope of getting mind-blowing photo or video evidence. It is not worth it. The demonic is no joke.
It is not uncommon to see paranormal investigators challenge the dark forces. It is not something that is recommended whatsoever. They do it to get great numbers, that’s all. Stay safe, always. Don’t act foolishly.
#12: Never shame or blame your team
It is never a great idea to shame or blame fellow investigators for aborting a night of investigations because they feel sick or weak. It is a mature thing to do. Never expose your team to unnecessary dangers or hazards.
It is better to call off a mission than for someone to get hurt. Negative entities target weakness, and it is like inviting problems to proceed. Encourage people to stay home if they feel sick or low.
This applies to psychological aspects too. Stay home if you feel low, sad, mad, out of balance, moody, depressed, anxious, or afraid.
#13: Never skip having a team leader
It is not a good idea to skip a team leader if you are several on your team of investigators. The team leader has the final say and calls the shots. The team leader ensures that everyone understands the rules, knows what to do, and assigns tasks.
#14: Never think things are all or nothing
It is easy to think in black and white about ghost hunting and the paranormal. Either it exists, or it doesn’t. The same goes for evidence – whether it’s there or not. It is important to remember that many things regarding the paranormal are gray. We don’t know the whole picture. This makes it hard to debunk or approve evidence at times.
It is possible to say “maybe.” It is also allowed to conclude that something “might” be there. It is ok to don’t know for sure. No one knows for sure, not even the most famous investigators.
#15: Never ignore the weather conditions
Always check and make a note of the weather conditions during an investigation. It is believed that weather conditions might impact paranormal activity.
In some cases, paranormal activity only occurs when the barometric pressure is at a set value, it rains, or the humidity is a certain percentage. By securing the information, we might start to see interesting patterns. We still have much to learn about the impact of weather, temperature, magnetism, barometric pressure, etc.
#16: Never rule out natural causes
It is easy to think that strange events during an investigation must be caused by paranormal activity. Don’t let your desire to capture evidence muddy your judgment. Constantly challenge your evidence and be a skeptic.
Most believe paranormal activity has natural causes. Only revert to the supernatural if there is no other option available.
#17: Never trust witnesses or stories
Never believe everything you hear. There are records of witnesses lying to get attention. Be sure to keep an open mind when interviewing witnesses or reading witness reports.
Not everything you read in books (or on the internet) is accurate, either. Make sure to question things and never shy away from doing some digging yourself. There are investigators not being fully transparent as well. The excitement of being famous can sometimes leave people to sweeten the stories.
A good investigator constantly questions the information at hand. Researching the site yourself is always a good idea. Never rely on existing data. Ghostlore is also something that might interfere with the truth. Get a historian to help if you are not familiar with the research.
#18: Never think you know it all
It is easy to forget that we don’t know the paranormal or if it even exists. The supernatural is science we don’t know of yet, nothing magical. We know very little about metaphysical mechanics, but that will change with time. No one knows what the paranormal is. Not you, not the “experts” or the “famous investigators.”
With this said, never think you know what is true and false. Exploring the paranormal to come to hasty conclusions is of no service. Keep an open mind and constantly challenge the “proof.”
Always strive to learn and explore new viewpoints. It is never a great idea to fixate on one solution or “truth.”
Final thoughts
The most important thing to remember is never to conduct solo investigations or summon dark spirits. It is easy to get caught up in the drama of paranormal TV shows. The real world is a lot different than pictured on TV.
Zak Bagans writes about encounters with the demonic in his book Ghost-Hunting for Dummies. He had experienced himself, which left him scared for life (Affiliate link – Amazon). Hans Holzer also encouraged paranormal investigators to stay away from the demonic. Let the demonologist take care of that segment of the paranormal field. Back off if you experience anything that could be demonic.
In the Handbook of Parapsychology introduction, Hans Holzer refers to the supernatural as science yet to be discovered (affiliate link – Amazon). This means that even if it seems magical or unnatural – it follows the laws of nature as it happens here on Earth. It is a mirror of the happenings in the supernatural world.
It might be easier to bridge this knowledge using psychic abilities than scientific measuring tools. The tricky part is that psychic powers are not yet recognized as scientific. That said, combining psychic and scientific methods is always a great idea. In the future, we might be able to make more sense of psychic information. Keep all records – scientific as psychic for future records.
