Ghost Hunting Methods

Be sure to see our Ghost Hunting Tips page for advice

on using any of the following ghost hunting methods.

The methods listed first are some of the current methods we are using in our ghost research. We are constantly trying new things and adding new equipment, so we will update this page as time permits.

Click Here For A Current List Of Our Equipment And Specifications

Why Take Photos?

No one really knows for sure just how ghosts end up on film, but the camera has become one of the most important tools that a ghost hunter uses in every investigation. Science tells us that the human eye does not see the world as it realy is. Our brain processes the information from our eyes and presents it to our conscious mind in a way that we can understand. Perhaps the brain simply doesn't allow us to see ghosts, except on rare occasions when the spirits somehow slip past the brain's screening process. Another theory suggests that spirit energy is made up of a different spectrum of light, a spectrum the human eye can’t see but which the camera picks up. There are countless theories as to why it works, but no one seems to know exactly how. They just know that it does.

Video Recording

Why Record Video?

As with photos, there are countless theories as to why it works, but no one seems to know exactly how. They just know that it does.

Regarding Night Vision

The military developed light-intensifying lenses for night surveillance. With their stark, green-glowing image field, these units will not work in absolute darkness but will electronically amplify minute levels of available light (such as moonlight, starlight or IR emitters) to provide a functional image where unaided eyesight or photography would be useless. This allows late-night surveillance in a haunted house without having to turn the lights on. Some ghostly phenomena are reported to be more active at night, and the use of artificial lighting might inhibit a paranormal event. Night vision devices have also allowed investigators to film misty or vaporous manifestations that would have appeared washed-out or invisible under illuminated conditions.

EVP Recordings

(Electronic Voice Phenomenon)

Why Take EVP Recordings?

Just the same as photographs and video recording, spirit voices have been known to appear when using audio recording equipment, where otherwise they may have been inaudible to the naked ear. No one knows exactly why.

EMF Metering

(Electro-magnetic Field Metering)

Why Monitor EMF?

As with cold/hot spot monitoring and other types of monitoring, when we find unexplainable, erratic fluctuations in the electro-magnetic field (especially between 0 - 1 milligauss), this is when we concentrate our photography, video and EVP recordings on a targeted area.

Anomalous electromagnetic field readings are often recorded in haunted areas. Varying levels of electromagnetism are normal, generated by electric appliances, wiring, overhead powerlines, and the like. Normal electromagnetic fields need to be isolated and ruled out -- though it should be noted that some researchers, including William Roll, believe that strong artificial sources of EMF can induce or aggravate poltergeist activity.

Paranormal EMFs are untraceable, fluctuate in intensity, and typically move from one spot to another. They often occupy specifically defined areas of isolated, suspended space, as opposed to emanating from a structural surface. The locations of these pockets may correspond to the exact areas where a psychic claims to see an apparition. Their location and intensity can both be logged by hand-held magnetometers.

Strong EMFs can also affect magnetic videotape, causing interference bands and resulting in strange glowing or fogged images on tape that were invisible to the naked eye. Similar sound distortions, as well as strange voices (EVP, or electronic voice phenomena), can show up on magnetic audio tracks.

Cold/Hot Spot Monitoring

Why Monitor For Cold/Hot Spots?

Thermometers help us identify cold/hot spots in an area. Usually if spirits are present, the area will be dramatically hotter or colder than other surrounding areas. If there is no reason for the sudden change in tempature in the surrounding area, spirits may be present. As with EMF and other types of monitoring, when we find these indicators, this is when we concentrate our photography, video and EVP recordings on a targeted area.

Short of using expensive thermal imaging units, the best way to document a paranormal cold spot is with a rapid-reading electronic thermometer. (Forget the old mercury-filled tubes). The best type will give a constant background reading of the room and have an external probe that can be directly inserted into a cold spot. Many units will record and store data continuously, and some can be programmed to sound an alarm if the temperature drops or rises beyond set parameters.

Motion Detection

Why Use Motion Detectors?

Some theories suggest that spirits give off infrared energy which is detected by infrared detectors. If this is the case, then it is possible for paranormal activity to set off the alarm of the infrared detector. This is one other step toward possibly proving that spirits are infrared. In any case, these devices are good for sensing movement when there should be none. One sensor can easily monitor an entire hallway or room. it is an ideal tool for indoor investigations.

Infrared motion detectors sample the infrared light in front of the detector and convert it into an electrical signal which is then monitored by the internal circuits for changes in the signal. When something moves in front of the infrared detector, the infrared signature will change. This new signature is read by the detector, if there is enough of a change in the converted eletrical signal, the detector will set of an alarm or chime to notify the user that something has changed the infrared light in front of the device, ie, it detected motion.

Solar/Moon Phase Data

Whenever possible we prefer to conduct our ghost hunts during new or full moons and when a M, X, or Mega Flare has occurred, and/or the Geomagnetic Field reads Unsettled or Storm, to better our chances of capturing spirit activity.

Why Monitor Solar Data And Moon Phases?

See our Solar Data Page for more information.

Other Ghost Hunting Methods And Tools

(Not Currently In Use By Us)

Radiation Meters

Abnormally high readings of gamma radiation have been detected at some haunted locations. In some cases, Geiger counter probes have recorded significant localized increases in ionizing radiation where a psychic claims to see a ghost.

Thermal Imaging

Thermal imaging cameras, developed for the medical and manufacturing fields, record and display images of objects based on their heat output, as opposed to their ability to reflect light. Using a false-color imaging template, colder areas show up as darker colors and warm areas as lighter colors, registering temperature variations as small as one degree Fahrenheit.
Investigators first used thermal cameras in haunted houses to record the anomalous cold spots that they often encountered. An unexpected development has been the detection and filming of unexplained hot spots, both stationary (on a structural surface) and freefloating. As with EMF and ionizing radiation fields, these hot spots often correspond with the exact location a psychic will see or sense an apparition.

Air Ion Counter

This device measures positive and negative ions in the air. Ghosts can cause a lot of positive ions because they give off high amounts of electro-magnetic discharges.

Barometer

Ghost hunters have used barometers to look for paranormal activity. Some people believe that the paranormal activity can affect barometric pressure.

A Definitive Answer?

While we have yet to come up with a piece of equipment that can prove the existence of a ghost (just what is a ghost?), we can detect and document the unexplained environmental changes that occur in haunted locations. We have made more discoveries and compiled more evidence in the past 16 years than in the entire history of organized ghost research. As science and technology continue to advance, it is not unreasonable to hope that within our lifetime we will be able to define, categorize, and positively establish the existence of ghosts.