Ghost hunting – the real stuff!

Real ghost hunting

Ghost hunting – 4 lessons: Lesson No. 1: Don’t believe what you see on TV. Ghost hunting is boring. There is no traipsing loudly through cemeteries. No spooky séances. No startling at every sound. FULL ARTICLE: Real ghost hunting – not that fake stuff on TV

Real ghost hunting requires hours of sitting in silence and a skeptical mind, explains Jan Gregory, founder of Vancouver Paranormal, to her students. They have gathered in a dark house on a Thursday evening for a four-hour crash course on the basics of tracking and detecting paranormal activity. Ms. Gregory has little regard for ghost-hunting television shows in which paranormal investigators holler for ghosts to show themselves and raise alarm at any strange noise for dramatic effect. But the popularity of shows such as Most Haunted, Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Trackers has proven to be a double-edged sword for real-life ghost hunters. Vancouver Paranormal, which considers itself one of Canada’s largest paranormal investigative groups, began offering courses this month, covering everything from ghost-hunting etiquette to recording EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena). The lessons take place at the purportedly haunted home of senior Vancouver Paranormal investigator Marlena Fairbourne. Situated in a suburban neighbourhood of Richmond, B.C., her house has been remodelled to look like a medieval lair – gothic antiques everywhere, stained glass on all the windows. It seems an apt location for discussions about otherworldly phenomena. Lesson No. 2: Ninety-eight per cent of things that go bump in the night can be fixed with a hammer or a screwdriver. A good ghost hunter explores all possible rational explanations for strange occurrences: rusty hinges, faulty electrical wiring, even mental illness and alcohol- or drug-induced hallucinations. “We’re not doing anyone any favours going around saying everything’s a ghost,” Ms. Gregory says. In one case, the group’s investigators failed in repeated attempts at photographing a child’s handprint that could nevertheless be plainly seen on the ceiling of a new apartment complex in Delta, B.C. On another investigation, members of the group watched as a stool followed an eight-year-old girl around the kitchen in her Chilliwack, B.C., home “like a dog,” Ms. Gregory says. Lesson No. 3: Never go alone on a ghost hunt. Having company makes good safety sense, Ms. Gregory says, since ghost hunting often requires walking through cemeteries and empty properties at night. It also means there will be multiple witnesses to corroborate your story. Vancouver neuroscientist Nina, 31, may have to hunt solo. She asked to withhold her full name for fear of mockery from her colleagues. She enrolled in the $100 class because she was intrigued by Vancouver Paranormal’s reserved and methodical approach. “I’m very open-minded. I want to bring some legitimacy to this field,” Nina says, adding that she has been interested in the paranormal ever since she was a child. Nina says she used to play Ouija with her father but has learned that trying to summon spirits is a no-no. Lesson No. 4: Ghost hunting is passive. Although séances and Ouija are commonly shown on television, Vancouver Paranormal discourages them, lest they disturb unknown forces, Ms. Gregory says. Similarly, she adds, “It’s never okay to challenge or dare a spirit. Be polite at all times.” As the tutorial draws to a close and the shadows in Ms. Fairbourne’s house grow eerier, Ms. Gregory reminds the class of one of the most important lessons of good ghost hunting. “Take everything with a grain of salt,” she says, “including what I say.” OUIJA + PSYCHIC TOOLS: Psychic Readings | Psychic Medium | Virtual Ouija Board Pagan | | Tarot Readings | Play an Ouija Game

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