How My Approach to the Paranormal Evolves

I have believed in “ghosts” since I was a little girl. However, my experiences during paranormal investigations have gradually changed how I approach and understand this concept.

I showed up to my first investigation with nothing but a pair of dowsing rods, my phone for photos and videos, skepticism, and hope. My early investigations were heavily focused on gadgets and methods that seemed a bit exaggerated and groundless. At the time, I was bemused by the confidence with which words, sounds, and lights produced by the equipment were often interpreted.

However, after my fourth investigation, I was starting to become more open to the idea that, with proper use and discernment, there could be some plausibility behind the paranormal investigating gear I was being exposed to. I immersed myself in topics such as electromagnetism, energetics, acoustics, and optics to better understand the theories and principles often discussed in relation to these investigative tools. It wasn’t long before I filled up a gear bag with an EMF meter, spirit balls, a REM-POD, amplifying headphones, and more.

Within my first year of investigating, I was noticing that I would occasionally sense things within my physical environment that felt immediate and matter-of-fact. These happenings led me to explore a range of hypotheses surrounding brain states, chakras, frequencies, and expanded consciousness. As I explored these ideas further, I began embracing intuitive awareness more intentionally through practices like meditation, dowsing, tarot, energy healing, and became a Reiki practitioner in 2024. 

I began paying closer attention to those impressions alongside the information produced by investigative equipment, and sometimes those observations appeared to align. For example, an EMF spike following what felt like a shift in the room, a flashlight responding while a nearby REM-POD activated, or an apparent Spirit Box response occurring as I used dowsing rods. I don’t treat these as proof of anything specific, but they continue to raise questions for me about timing, perception, and environmental influence. Wanting to document them as accurately as possible, I invested in higher-quality audio and video equipment.

During some Reiki sessions, as a practitioner and recipient, I felt that my and others’ loved ones who had passed away were dropping in. I became curious about the relationship between these perceptions and those that I was experiencing in the paranormal field. So, beginning in the spring of 2025, I started training as an evidential medium to better understand how these experiences might relate to one another.

As I started participating in practice groups, I was astonished by the imperfect details that other students could relay about those I knew who are deceased. I listened intently when other mediums shared their stories of departed loved ones playing with the lights, making tapping noises, or creating a breeze when being thought of or talked about. Not long after I started my mediumship development, I began wondering if these experiences and what I have been investigating might represent the same underlying phenomenon.

Shortly after making this assumption, I participated in a large group paranormal investigation where I distinctly perceived what appeared to be a shadow-like figure. Other investigators reported experiencing something at the same time. That moment reminded me that I don’t seek out these opportunities as a way to confirm a conclusion. These moments give me pause to reflect on how much I don’t fully understand.

As I move forward with my work, I’ve learned that this isn’t about proving whether or not “ghosts” are real. It’s about carefully observing anomalous occurrences in real-world settings, documenting them honestly, and remaining open to where the evidence and the experience lead. Each investigation leaves me with more questions than conclusions, and I’ve come to see that as part of the value of the work.