Your First Investigation: Be Curious and Have Fun

There’s really no right way to conduct a paranormal investigation. Your approach depends on your goals and tools available to you. You don’t need expensive equipment, special abilities, or even a particular belief about ghosts to participate in a paranormal investigation. What matters most is being attentive, curious, and willing to question what you experience.

Paranormal investigating is an enjoyable opportunity to explore somewhere unfamiliar or a familiar place in a new light. It opens up the possibility to learn something new about the paranormal, yourself, or even about those who tag along with you. Investigating can be an occasion to meet and spend time with other curious people. Some may prefer to experience an investigation in quiet observation on their own, while others like asking questions, sharing experiences, and discussing possibilities. Participate in an investigation in a way that is most enjoyable for you.

Approaching an investigation with a little skepticism is encouraged; showing up with an open mind is an added bonus. We’re naturally drawn to things we don’t understand, but our first impression isn’t always the full story. Ask questions to yourself or others about something you heard, saw, or felt. A strange sound can be interesting without immediately being paranormal. A shadow deserves a closer look before being labeled an apparition. Skepticism doesn’t mean dismissing every experience. It means being willing to consider multiple explanations, rather than deciding what something is or isn’t, before examining it.

I want to share a little secret with you though. I don’t walk into every paranormal investigation with a plan or specific things that I want to test. On occasion, I walk into an investigation with the intention to have fun. Oftentimes when I do this, I notice more, I experience more simultaneous events, and my equipment seems to be triggered more often. I can’t say with certainty, but it’s almost as if my positive energy helps to amplify the environment. I’m not pausing in the moment to debunk, I’m just rolling with it to see what happens next. It’s ok to finish an investigation without any evidence or answers.

It’s exciting to purchase and use new investigation tools. Just make sure you know how it works before you tote it around; you don’t want to spend your precious investigating hours troubleshooting a piece of equipment and potentially miss out on an experience. Having access to expensive, dedicated investigation gear isn’t a requirement. A flashlight, camera, and audio recorder, or just a notebook and pen, are enough to get you started. If you have a smart phone, its camera and recording apps may be all you need to document your experience.

Regardless of your intentions for a paranormal investigation, always respect the location, the people, and the process. Only enter areas where you have permission to be. Don’t trespass, enter unsafe areas, or put yourself or others at risk for the sake of an experience. Acknowledge the location’s rules. Communicate with the owners, your group, or someone off-site so they know where you are going. Be aware of your surroundings, taking care to not damage property or interfere with others’ experiences. Bring along appropriate lighting and wear clothing and footwear suitable for the environment.

You don’t need the latest equipment, a dramatic encounter, or a definitive piece of evidence to make an investigation worthwhile. Stay curious, be open to what you or others experience, and be honest about what you find. The goal isn’t always to find something paranormal, but to explore what we don’t yet understand.