Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Research to do Before a Ghost Investigation

Every ghost hunting team should have at least one member who enjoys doing research. Historical research of a location your team is about to investigate can provide invaluable information.  

This research can include interviewing people, and checking obituaries, finding former owners of property, learning history of area, and learning about history of family or families connected to the property etc.

The best places to find information about property histories are libraries and county offices. The county building will also have land and tax records.  

If you are investigating a home older than 72 years the U.S. Census can be checked to see who lived there. Libraries have many resources to check out names.

City directories, obituaries and newspapers are where you can find former owners and sometimes their stories. Don’t forget to read old newspapers as well; they often reveal information you will not find in other places. 

The history of the city and surrounding area is also important information to include. From this you can often discover what the property was before the building, home etc. was built. Check out the history section of the local library and visit the local historical society to find information about the area and what used to exist there.

You can do some research online but I have found that going to libraries, offices, and talking to people on the phone or in person yields a wealth of information.

Do not neglect to do research connected to geographical factors and environmental concerns. Having information on soil content, mineral deposits, and elevation of area can be very useful. 

Also check to see if there is any seismic activity in the area. This information can be found at the United States Geological survey website at http://www.usgs.gov go to the state section and then city information. 

A big environmental factor that should be researched is carbon monoxide. If there are high levels of carbon monoxide in a area it can bring on hallucinations that can be misconstrued as paranormal in nature.


Besides the items listed above client interviews should be conducted and a walk-through of the property that is going to be investigated should be done. 

This walk-through should if at all possible be done during daylight—so any hazards etc. can be noted. 

I also recommend that you record client interviews so this information can be referenced in the future to help with determinations made after the investigation.

Happy Ghost Hunting!

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