Ghost Hunters Equipment
Equipment
Electromagnetic Field Detectors - are used to get readings of the electromagnetic field in an area being investigated. Unusually high spikes in the detector can (sometimes) verify the magnetic signatures of ghosts.
Digital Thermometer - Uses a laser light to acquire an accurate temperature reading from distances of up to 20 ft. Used in hard to get at areas (drops in temperature 10-40 degrees can be caused by paranormal activity).A more expensive alternative to the digital thermometer, the thermal scanner uses infrared technology to instantly detect temperature differences at a distance. You can expect to spend about $200 for a good one. This too is an awesome tool.
slightly less luxurious
thermocouple based digital
indoor/outdoor thermometer
can do the trick.
If you have the need to go flashlight-free for a bit, then no problem. night
vision goggles can take care of
this. They feature a sonic super
ear as well, for help with hearing
the smallest little noises clearly.
detects a temperature anomaly directly in front of your team. Thermal Imaging Scopes will allow you the luxury of actually seeing what your thermal scanner sees. Using infrared technology, you can actually see the shape and size of that cold spot. The fire departments use this to see "hot spots" in house fires that they have extinguished. These are awesome tools, but very, very expensive.
Originally a tool to detector intruders and activity in a control area, the motion detector has become a tool in the ghost investigator's toolbox. Infrared radiation detects the motion of warm bodies.
The portable Motion Sensor uses advanced technology to detect intruders and activity in a controlled area: 110° horizontal view, 20° vertical view up to 30 feet from unit. Completely self-contained and portable, the Portable Motion Sensor operates on 2 standard AA batteries. The motion detector can be mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling, or simply placed on a tabletop.
Motion detectors can alert you to movement in an area where there should be none. Easily, an entire room or hallway can be monitored with just one device. This is a great indoor tool that doesn't need monitoring. Usually you can set these up and go about your business. If something sets the alarm off you can them come back to that area and investigate further.
Audio Recorders
editing program such as shown,
are also very handy for storing
results, as well as cleaning up
possible EVP files on your
recorder. These are also not
exactly necessities, but becoming
them very quickly these days.
Ghost hunters have come to know that ghosts are able to leave little tidbits of their existence called EVP's on audio tape. Otherwise known as electronic voice phenomena or EVP. We personally use a digital voice recorder. It takes the same kind of memory card that our digital cameras have. And when we want to render the audio on to our computer, it's just plug and play. Software such as GoldWave can then be used to filter out the noise and render our EVP's audible to the human ear. As a side note, an external microphone is recommended. Reason being, the gears inside the taping device can be heard during EVP capture. This just adds to the other noises that need to be filtered out. It's best to just avoid that by using an external mic.
Infrared illuminated can be used indoors or outdoor during a ghost investigation. It is used in combination with a camera in low-light or complete darkness. They are best used mounted on a tripod for easy movement. Some units can cover an area of up to 98 feet and come with a power on and off switch. When using outside, be sure to use a suitable outdoor power supply.
One of the first lessons which seem to escape many ghost investigators is to ask permission before approaching a spirit. This sign of respect suggest that the entity has some measure of control over the circumstances. It seems to make a difference. When we are ready to take a picture with a digital camera, we have some degree of infrared for the digital camera only sees into the "near infrared" realm. This is the portion of the spectrum closest to visible light.
Infrared radiation has a longer wavelength (lower frequency) and lower energy than light from the visual light spectrum. We can photograph the spectral range from 700 to 1350 nanometers, but conventional cameras are limited to the range of approximately 700 to 925 nanometers. Its name comes from the Latin, infrared, meaning below red. It has wavelengths between 750 NM and 1 mm. In an infrared camera, infrared filters and sometimes-infrared blockers capture the near-infrared spectrum. You can take good ghost pictures, with or without a flash. We must consider the resulting flares caused by the flash when anomalies on our photographs appear.
A good system is to have the shooter say "flash" before taking a picture to warn other photographers of the forthcoming flash of his camera. These flares emanate from white or reflective objects and can be mistaken for ghostly images. Raindrops, fog or dust that is close to the camera lens also reflects light.
Avoid taking a flash picture when others are taking pictures for it will give some strange optical effects. Cigarette smoke is death anywhere near a ghost investigation for that will also leave strange mists or fogs. Even one's breath in cold weather can leave unusual results which is mistaken for something paranormal in nature.
Most ghost investigators believe that the manifesting of a ghost depends on the electrostatic charge in the area. Following this train of thought, anything that will break up the natural electrical bonds, putting ions into the air, should increase the ghost's ability to materialize. An ion generator will provide the building blocks on which a spirit can climb in order to manifest. This machine is only for indoor use for it only affects a confined space. It may not create new activity but it may heighten any activity already taking place.
For two of the best generators to use if you are in the market are the Van de Graf and the Winshurst/Boetti machines. When placed in a suspected haunted area, each of them pours hundreds of thousands of volts into the air. An ion counter measures the positive and the negative ions in the air. The presence of ghosts will produce a higher number of positive ions because of the electromagnetic discharges they produce.
For those interested in the technical aspects of these generators, the Van de Graaff is a metal ball that rests on top of an insulted base. A belt runs inside and builds up positive charges that emanate from the ball. The Winshurst/Bonetti is the better of the two because it produces more power. By attaching a metal nail or needle to the electrodes, it facilitates the easy in which the ions pour into the air. They move easily from a sharp point. Using a dehumidifier in a room before an investigation draws the moisture out of the air and allows the ion to produce more effectively rather than escape into the air's moisture. Remember, the stronger the field, the drier the air and the better the condition for a manifestation.
Using a Compass
Compass
Using a common, inexpensive hiking compass will work until you get an EMF meter. Ghost hunting can be an expensive or inexpensive endeavor. EMF levels seem to actually pull the compass needle away from magnetic true North. A needle deviance of more than 30 degrees usually indicates a "hot" or anomalous spot for other world, ghostly or spirit manifestations. Simply put when a ghost is near, the compass arrow spins around and can't find north.
It may seem like a small item, but a compass serves multiple purposes. Of course it may be used to find your way, but it may also be used to detect odd magnetic fields. If you experience an area with activity, look for magnetic fields in the area to zero in on the disturbance. For those who cannot afford the electronic devices immediately, the compass can be purchased in any sporting goods department in your area. They can range in price from as little as $10.00 to $100.00 It is commonly believed that carrying one of these devices into a haunted location will direct you to the ghost or energy field and then spin while the field is present.
A compass can make an inexpensive alternative to the EMF detector. A ghostly anomaly will turn the needle at least 30-35* away from magnetic North. Again, you must rule out the possibility of an electrical source. The downfall to using this device is that it has no light and you must always be aware of the direction of magnetic North.
Video Camera - Monitor
Video cameras are great to filming complete investigation which can be reexamined any time the need arises. If lucky enough, a video is great documentation of the visual sighting of a ghost.
Video camera, because they use a CCD makes them sensitive to the near infrared realm. Some video cameras are better than others, the Sony Digital Handycam for one.
For best result, increase the chances of capturing a ghost on film and get a video that also has night vision. This will allow the film to go deeper into the infrared realm. All video’s have this capability but in many cases, the manufacturer puts a filter over the lens to make sure the imagery seen by the human eye is not distorted. Some cameras have a switch that controls this factor.
IVI
Another not so well known use for the video camera is to film an I VI, Infinite Video Imaging. Although a bet controversial, it is worth a try. All it requires is a video came, television and a VCR and a haunted location.
Hook up the video camera ‘s audio- video output into the andio-video input on the back of the television. Connect the video camera’s output to the VCR's input. What ever you point the camera to will appear on the television screen.
Once done, turn the camera toward the television screen which will show a screen of color, designs and abstract imagery. Once the video recorder is on and the record button activated, the video captures an infinite image.
Let it play for a few minutes, then stop the camera and watch the footage. Try running it in slow motion.
There is no explanation for why or how this works except that it creates a portal, the same type of portal obtained by using two mirrors.
Strobe Light
A strobe light is a tool used in ghost investigating which simulates the shutter of a camera. The strobe light allows seeing things that usually would be moving too fast for the mind to perceive. Most believe manifesting apparition function on a much higher vibration than those on the physical plane.
The faster the strobe light, the more effectively it works in ghost investigations. Researchers are leading toward the opinion that the strobe exercises the eyes and make them more capable of seeing an apparition. This is particularly true when seeing “shadow people” only seen with peripheral vision seen out of the corner of the eye.
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When conducted an outside investigation especially in a cemetery or out in the woods, electricity is not always available to run investigating equipment. Electrical converters come in several sizes and are easy to transport. It converts the car’s electricity to the AC 110-volt needed to run our electrical equipment.
Facemasks are always a good thing to keep in your ghost investigating tool chest. More than once you will find yourself in a dirty, spider web covered basement walls and ceiling and with several people moving about on dusty floors, the air quickly becomes dust filled and unhealthy to breath.
Mask also come in handy when conducting an outdoor investigate, especially in the desert states where a dust storm can come up in a minute making the air, dangerous to breath.
A facemask is always handy when stuck in a closed area with someone who is coming down with a bad cold or the flu. They don’t cost much and don’t take up much room.
Attending to scrapes and cuts received while climbing in and out of windows and scrambling around the cactii for those who live in the desert, all require an occasional first aid treatment. A well stock first aid kit should be within easy reach. Choose containers for your kits that are roomy, durable, easy to carry, and simple to open. Plastic tackle boxes or containers for storing art supplies are ideal, since they're lightweight, have handles, and offer a lot of space.
- First-aid manual
- Sterile gauze
- Adhesive tape
- Adhesive bandages in several sizes
- Elastic bandage
- Antiseptic wipes
- Soap
- Antibiotic cream (triple-antibiotic ointment)
- Antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
- Hydrocortisone cream (1%)
- Acetaminophen and ibuprofen
- Tweezers
- Sharp scissors
- Safety pins
- Disposable instant cold packs
- Calamine lotion
- Alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Plastic gloves (at least 2 pairs)
- Mouthpiece for administering CPR (can be obtained from your local Red Cross)
- Emergency phone numbers
- Blanket (stored nearby)
Staying in touch during an investigation is vital and using a head set for communication works better than the two way radio because they allow you to keep your hand free for other tasks. Headsets cost between 30-80 and some work up to 100 yards, perfect for investigations.
When operating as a team of three or more people, headset communicators are useful for staying in contact when spread out. Headset communicators, unlike their counterpart the walkie talkie allow the user to have their hands free to use other equipment such as cameras.
Unconventional Methods
How to use a Pendulum?
CRYSTAL PENDULUM DIVINATION
Pendulum Power
A pendulum is good not only for decision making but for locating mislaid objects or to identify problems in a confined space, such as your car engine if you are trying to locate the source of an oil leak or lack of power.
By a process called remote dowsing you can also scribble a diagram of an area or use a map and hold the pendulum over the map to find where it vibrates to locate water, pipes or even a lost cat that may be hiding in the place identified on the map. Finding the target in actuality is then relatively easy, using your dowsing rods as you walk round the identified area.
Choosing and using a pendulum
The most popular form of pendulum is cylindrical clear crystal quartz rounded or pointed at one end. Amethyst is good for earth energies work and rose quartz for health related questions or for protection when following ghost paths.
Smaller crystals or wooden weights of a diamond shape attached to a chain or cylindrical metal pendulums can be used for physical dowsing to discover lost items or underground water or archaeological treasures.
Also you can use a key on a string or a favorite pendant with the chain twisted.
How should you hold a pendulum?
The chain should be held between the thumb and forefinger, using the hand you write with, though some practitioners believe the other hand is better. Try and see. There are no definitive rights or wrongs.
Wind any extra chain round the index finger of the same hand.
Recommended chain lengths vary from about nine inches (23 cm) to as long as feels comfortable so the pendulum becomes an extension of your arm. Some people prefer an even shorter pendulum chain. Experiment till it feels right.
For outdoor dowsing, earth energy or ghost work indoors around fifteen inches (38 cm) is ideal.
Making decisions using a pendulum
Establishing the pendulum’s responses
The yes/no response is good for deciding between two options or answering a question.
If you are new to pendulum work, you need to establish your pendulum’s yes/no response.
An easy way is to deliberately move the pendulum clockwise in circles and ask the pendulum to always indicate a yes or a positive response with that movement. You can then select an appropriate negative or no response, for example an anti clockwise movement and ask the pendulum to use that.
However if you prefer you can discover the pendulum’s own natural movements.:
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Gently set your pendulum in motion.
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To find your personal ‘Yes’ response visualize a very happy or successful moment in your life.
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The pendulum will respond to the recalled positive emotion with its ‘Yes’ response, usually a clockwise circle or ellipse
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A ‘No’ pendulum movement is generally the mirror image of the ‘Yes’ response; for example, an anti-clockwise circle or ellipse.
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To discover your personal pendulum’s ‘No’ response concentrate on a time when you felt disappointed
Decision –making with pendulums
Asking the right questions
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Write down your initial question or say it out loud.
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Ask the question and then let your mind go blank by visualizing a night sky with the stars going out one by one leaving inky blackness.
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If you hold the pendulum in a static position it will begin to move after a pause. The stronger the circling or speed of response the more definite the yes or no
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For more information after the yes or no, transfer the pendulum to your other hand and using a pen and pad of paper write down anything that comes in your mind, a technique called automatic writing.
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Ask another question if you wish and write afterwards, continuing till you have no more questions
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Read what your unconscious mind or maybe your Guardian Angel or Spirit dictated and you will understand the answer quite clearly.
Dowsing Rods
The rods used in ghost research and investigations are a "knock off" of the old dowsing rods or divining sticks used in the days of old to find water.
How do the rods work?
No one really knows for sure but many dowsers feel there is a psychic thread that connects the dowser to the earth and everything in-between. This is due to the energy field that surrounds all things, both living and inanimate. Using concentration, the dowser is able to translate the energy or the vibration of that being sought as it moves through the rods and into their hands. The rod strictly acts as an amplifier or antenna which highlights the energy field.
Can anyone use the rods and make them work?
Anyone can use the rods and like all other psychic abilities, it intensifies with practice. The rods can tell which direction should be taken to find an object or a spirit energy. The rods can answer "Yes" and "No" questions such as " Is this the vitamin I should be taking", or "show me which are of this cemetery is most active." When an answer is received, it is like an electrical signal received and transmitted through the stick and into the hands of the dowser, not unlike a lie detector used by law enforcement agencies. The difference is that the dowser taps into powerful intuition which everyone possesses rather than electrical charges. The results can be the same. A pendulum works on the same premise.
Using the right concentration, the right intent and focus will bring a right response. It is by using it that skill is acquired. When muscles become attuned with the rods, the body and the rods will work together with great accuracy and great speed.
What will rods help me find?
Rods can be used to find water, minerals, lost items, unseen energies, metals including pipes, electrical courses and unmarked graves, among other things.
What can the rods tell me?
Rods can reveal whether the body in an unmarked grave is male or female.Rods can answer any question that can be done with a yes or no answer. If the dowser is well versed in the use of their rods, various systems can be employed to answer any type of question from giving numbers and giving names, dates, etc. The rods can tells us the right way to turn when looking for directions.
Where can one find rods?
Rods are found on E-Bay or they can easily be made out of a coat hanger or any type of metal rod. It was once believed that the rods had to be brass but experience has taught us that any form of metal can be used successfully.
Tell me how to make the dowsing rods. After cutting off the hanger hook, cut all remaining three side in halves. This will require three cuts. The shorter of the pieces will be the handle. For each piece into an L-shape. This will make three rods, one extra to lend to a friend.
To form the sleeves on the handles, a plastic tube used in toilets can be found inexpensively in the plumbing department. Cut them to fit. A plastic straw can be used although they don't hold up as well. After putting on the sleeves, use a vice to make an L-shape on the bottom of the handle to prevent the sleeve from falling off. Using a sleeve insures that the rods will turn without being touched by the dowser.
Does size matter?
Size has no barring on the accuracy of the rods. Small rods do have the benefit of being easier to carry or slip through a belt loop and easily fit into a purse.
Now that I have the rods, what do I do?
The answer to this question is to use them. Holding the rods as you would a six-shooter, hold the rods comfortably from the waist. Hold them loosely and allow the rods to move freely. Realize that the wind and air-conditioning can move the rods. They may move because of electrical currents and underground pipes.
Work with your rods to establish a "yes" answer and then asking them to show you a "no" answer. They way the rods work may vary from person to person. "Yes" may be that the rods cross and "no" may be that the rods open up.
Taking a page from the Spiritualist, always ask the rods for permission to ask questions whenever dealing with spirit no matter what device you choose to use. It may be that the questions we ask, are questions that we have a right to ask and the answer may be "none of our business".
Where do the answers come from?
The answer to this question is one that may never get answered scientifically. Some feel we use our intuition and that all answers come from our "Higher Self". Others feel it is the energy and electricity that produce electrical impulses which manifest as thoughts in our mind.
When will the rods not work? When greed is involved, the rods will not co-operate. We much have proper intent and motivation for success. If the rods act in an unusual way, it is time to reconsider our questions or perhaps the answer is not a "yes" or "no" question.
History of the rods.
Tracing the history of the rods takes us back to the time of Moses and his divining rod. In China, the rods were used to discern and avoid negative energies in the environment, both above and below the ground. Today this has been taken a step further and called the practice of Feng Shui. Dowsers have been a part of the States since the early days of the pioneers as finding water was vital to their survival.
Experience ghost investigators will tell you that a lot of spiritual activity takes place around mirrors, especially where two mirrors face each other. Experts feel it is because the mirrors reflect electromagnetic energy and that they create a highly pinpointed ray of energies that enable a ghost to appear. It is my personal opinion that although this is possible, there is another possibility that when the mirrors face each other they create an infinity mirror which is the bouncing back and forth of its own reflection which recreates a tunnel of light which is an electromagnetic energy. Since light and ghosts are made of the same electromagnetic energy, it creates a vortex, a tunnel though which ghosts can enter our material dimension. Two 9" x 12" mirrors are easy to carry and will work fine in creating the vortex.
Bell protect again evil and their ringing sends the negative vibrations or spirits away, if only momentarily.
Keeping with the protection numbers use 5, 7, or 9 small silver bells. Using incense, charge the bells with your spiritual petition, remembering "Harm None". Pass the bells though the smoke of the incense as you petition the bells to protect you and all those present from anything that is not for your Higher Good, keeping you from all negative entities. Hang the bells around the area you are investigating. If the bell should ring, it must be recharged before reused and will serve to tell you that a negative vibration has been encountered.
There are many ways a control item can be set up but this one is the easiest and it is most likely you have everything in your ghost investigating kit already. Take a coin of any size and trace it on a piece of white paper. Leave it somewhere where it will not be disturbed. Examine it when you are packed up and ready to leave to see if the coin has been moved.
Take 4 or 5 pencils and lay them in a row, erasers all pointing in the same direction. Leave them somewhere where it will not be disturbed. Examine it
This can be a bit messy but it is a way to capture the “fingerprints or footsteps of a ghost. Using a black plastic bag and cutting it into a square and sprinkling flour or some type of baby powder or talcum powder and placing it into a secluded area and asking the ghost to leave its mark.
Check before you leave the investigation to see if the powder or flour is disturbed. Just make sure everyone knows where the experiment is so no one accidentally steps on it.
Candles and matches are always good for a back up for it is a well-known fact among ghost investigators that batteries are drained, even new ones, when used in an area suspected of being haunted. Just make sure to use a candle container that will be safe and self-contained. A lantern with a wick would be a good selection
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Tips for a Quick Ghost Hunt
First, a ghost hunting kit must be assembled. This includes flashlights (of course); a camera and notepad to record your findings and evidence of the paranormal. Also needed is a tape recorder to record any sounds "they" may make, and two-way radios or cell phones if your group decides to split up.
Now that you have all the necessary equipment, you have to find a place to hunt, check out the area where you live and you will find a Spooky spot.
There are many places in every state to find ghosts.
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