So You Want To Be A Ghost Hunter Part Deux. I think.

Last night a lady asked how to get onto a paranormal team, into the paranormal, so I thought I'd jot a little on that for others that may have asked themselves the same question.

I couldn't very well offer up my group last night, or SRC for that matter because we're based pretty far away and have a very large group of people from which to draw from already if needed, something I'll touch in in just a moment.
1st things first, if you know like minded folks, band together and make a team. Simple as that. Read like a maniac, study up on the topic. But first ask yourself, "Why would I like to do this?"

If it's to have something to do, it's probably best to start by studying, and to bear in mind that when on a ghost hunt, you are looking for proof of somebody having survived the body, somebody's loved one, somebody that likely had a lot of grief felt, tears shed when they passed away. That is who you're looking to communicate with, and often they have no idea that they, or more accurately, their body, has ceased to exist. Often they can be distraught, or angry, or otherwise unsound in mind. See, most folks who pass and stay here tend to be fearful, of judgement, of leaving an incomplete life, of leaving loved ones behind, of losing a possession. That isn't a terribly healthy emotional state to begin with (and the decision is largely emotion based anyway), so please recognize that, as well as the importance of always being respectful no matter the location or circumstances.
No offense intended, many folks in the field would prefer you not get in the field at the expense of the dead, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

If your answer comes back "So I can score a TV show!" Well, really, just go away. Seriously. I have seen so much of this it makes me want to scream. Folks in it for the exact wrong and cynical reasons really, really, really demean the field and demean the dead. And do consider the odds of this happening are about the same as farting fairy dust on the moon. Ok, maybe a little better, but still.

If your answer comes back as "Because it is (or looks) fun", then look for social contacts to find a good, reputable, informed team to learn from. Meetup.com is a good start, some teams list for positions to be filled on facebook, craigslist, etc. And read, educate yourself.

If your answer comes back "To learn more about the paranormal" or "To help people", look for a team who has that same focus, and read up on the topic.
You're best to get involved with a team which is local to you, and here's why: If you're traveling more than, say, 10 to 25 miles from home, late night return trips home can be hazardous. Many times you will be physically tired, emotionally drained, there will be impaired drivers on the roadways. I frequently travel 100 miles out for hunts and it wears me out.

Also do be sure that on a meetup to meet in a public location, This is for your own protection.I do advise hooking up with a team that does permit you to bring your spouse or significant other along whenever you can bring them. That door should always be open, and here's why. Your returning home occasionally at 4, 5 AM might be ok, but it is entirely possible that your better half will begin to feel resentful, suspicious, neglected if it happens all the time. If a group does not permit spouses etc, ask why not.
Also, ask local groups if you can accompany them on a hunt or two. If they do not permit that, ask yourself why not. Look at the paranormal as a hobby, and if a hobby isn't inclusive it often causes friction.

What equipment do I need? Well, your most important items are you, and your integrity. Beyond that, just start off as we oldsters call "Old School." Nothing wrong with old school at all, I often revert to old school when I feel I need to get my techniques honed, or when I need a change of pace.
Old school is simply using a decent camera and perhaps a voice recorder. Last night David said it, and he was absolutely right, when you become overly dependent on gadgets (some of which work, some of which do not) you begin to loose your innate, intuative skills of detecting when something has changed, or is outright wrong in a room or given situation. Focusing on meters and such can also cause you to walk into things inadvertently, possibly injuring you. As you become more adept at using your camera (and voice recorder) in the dark, then begin adding gadgets to your repretoir, but if they do not add something to your investigation such as better data collection, or better analytical ability, maybe said extra equipment isn't needed. Also consider that if you outlay a ton of money on gadgets and find the paranormal field isn't for you, you now have a lot of useless equipment that is very difficult to re-purpose.

Why would you find the field is not for you? Sleep deprivation, a bad run-in with a dark entity, hours devoted to hunting and not finding anything are valid concerns. It happens.
You'll also find that most of the time ghost hunting is very boring. Hours of tedium waiting for something to happen, and many, many times nothing does happen. In those cases you hope like hell you have a photo with activity, or better still an EVP catch.
This is when the real work begins.
Please, please understand that for every minute of data collected, you are going to spend 1 to 5 minutes examining that minute, if you're truly looking for evidence of life after death. 10 cameras filming for 10 hours? That's 100 hours x 1 to 5 of review. 500 hours? Editing? Saving? Ain't nobody got time for that.
So the key is, keep it simple, unless you have countless hours to spend.

And at all times, do enjoy yourself. I don't mean playing grab ass in the dark, but enjoy the locations, stay positive, enjoy the folks you work with, and do have fun. When a hobby becomes like a job, it is no longer a hobby, it IS a job. A low or non paying job at that.

Why investigate the Oman house? Here are some reasons.

Yes this house has appeared in numerous television shows, so is this reason enough to investigate it? It's one reason, but why has it appeared on so many shows? Because it is extremely active. Here's a break down of things we (Me, Phil from PRT, Jacob from IEGH and Justin) have seen or recorded on video and audio equipment, as well as guest encounters I have been there to witness.

Hard evidence (and sightings, personal experiences).

In the multiple times I have been to the Oman house, there have been many inexplicable instances of activity that can not be explained in strict terrestrial terms.
Hard evidence: The figurines, top floor.
While one particular (Beetlejuice movie) figurine tends to be the apparent target of something unseen, I don't think this figurine is targeted for any particular reason other than it's the easiest to topple. However, this is NOT the only figurine that topples, the 2nd one does too, as has the "Smoking Man" the troll dolls, and the shrunken head man, although far less frequently. On video we have caught all but the trolls and shrunken head guy toppling, the rest have been witnessed.
Quick disclaimer: We have been at this location whole nights were none of the figurines fall, and other nights were they just won't stay standing.



Aftermath of the House at the End of the Drive framed poster floating off the wall. While the stationary cameras did not catch this occurrence (the sole camera on this floor just missed it, out of frame), it was witnessed by several people, and this was documented right after it happened.



Same day as we set up, and well before any guests had arrived. This camera and tripod were locked down and ready to go, already recording. Note that it's being leaned to the tipping point.




Shadow Hat Man.
On this visit, only one person had a hat on, Phil from PRT, and that hat was a form fitting baseball cap. The "Shadow Hat Man" appears to be wearing a steton or some other square crown, large brim hat. I personally shot this picture, in fact felt I HAD to shoot this picture in this direction at the time. About a dozen attempts to disprove this picture by recreating it were made, we were not able to reproduce it.
Original.


Near by where many have described a "vortex." This is a picture Phil took, and Glen Willis and I were present for, there is NOTHING there to reflect light.


There are literally scores of EVPs from so many people, so many of them that I can not possibly post them all for you without writing a dissertation/thesis paper, something I have no stamina for.
There are a whole flock we have posted here. Some may be something, some may not, you decide, and by no means is this all of them, but a small sample.
However I will give you this one
One of the people who perished 200' away in 1969 was (last named) Frykowski. I have a hard time reconciling his name spelling with it's pronunciation, and said so in the bottom floor of this location. This EVP actually says his first name. Nobody was in this, the earthen room.
EVP Name

There is a whole lot more evidence too, but for now let me jump to eyewitness accounts that I was there for, or I personally saw.

Hair stroking, bottom floor.

First visit there, one of the folks kept feeling her hair being stroked. On a subsequent visit, with no knowledge of the hair stroking incident, two other people mentioned they were having their hair stroked in the same room.

Shadow forms.
On one of the early trips we had a very quiet night, not much was happening. While setting up, Justin saw a shadow man watching him in the garage from the road. When he looked up, the shadow man disappeared.
Same night, Phil watched me walk down the stairs from the first floor, and with me he saw a shadow form. I too saw the shadow form next to me.
Later in the night I came up to the first floor, which was vacant, heading to the front door. In the kitchen was a stationary shadow form that dodged back towards the refrigerator when I focused full attention on it.
Upstairs bath.
Unbeknownst to me until a week ago, a little girl a year or two ago saw a dark haired woman with gray skin peering in through the top floor bathroom window, The face then disappeared downwards.
One one of our visits Justin walked into this bath (same night as the street shadow man) and while doing his business saw a shadow form with this bath. On another trip Phil saw the same thing.
Having spoken with Alma Carey, she too saw a shadow form on the second floor (and wearing a hat) walk into the office.
The last one I'm going to relate is a confirmation.
The Ghost Adventures show, Nick is in the bottom bedroom by himself in the dark. He sees a shadow form in the outer room as if watching him.
Two visits ago Jacobs video equipment is clearly and repeatedly showing motion in both the lowest bedroom and the outer room. I walked down to the lowest room solo, in the dark, to check this out.
All was well as I walked through the outer room, sat for a minute or two and asked whatever was there to show up. Nothing happened. I then walked into the adjacent bedroom, stood there for a while looking around in the dark, and when I turned to the open doorway looking into the outer room, a shadow form began assembling into a human shape. I called up to the monitoring station on the walkie talkie and asked Jacob who was in the outer room. He replied that nobody was, and he had a clear view of the whole room.
After maybe 30 seconds the shadow form began do lose integrity, dissolve as I watched. Yeah, I did not hang around for more.

Audible vocalizations.

On the second (the very quiet) trip to the location, we had wrapped up, turned off the cameras and DVR and began collecting the equipment. I went alone to the bottom floor to disconnect and collect the the lowest bedroom camera and tripod. As I walked in the room a gravelly voice said "Azzhole" from directly behind me. I did not break stride, just looked over my shoulder and said "Oh, sure, now you start talking. Too late, you had your chance."
Same room bath, 3 trips later Lilia was in this bath when she heard a gravelly voice say "Steve." This was not living human in origin.

Walking down the stairs from the top to the middle floor, as I stepped from the 3rd to last to the 2nd to last step, a woman giggled over my left shoulder. Nobody else was on the stairs, nobody was on the lower 2 floors, everybody was on the top floor.


Meter activity.

I have measured household current in nearly every corner, every inch of this house, and there are almost no instances of stray EM energy anywhere except for the aquarium ballasts, and the area around the clothes washer, and only when it is running. It's an EM clean environment.

However we have detected, in nearly every part of the accessible house EM pulses with no explanation, and seemingly in response to questions asked. We have traced this phenomena as it has moved from location to location, as it has sporadically presented itself.

Conclusion.
This is an active location, and an exclusive location to visit. Not everybody will ever see the inside of this house, so if you get a chance to visit the David Oman house, do seize it.

You're a ghost hunter? How cool! Well, ok...

"You're a ghost hunter? That's so exciting!" I hear it often, and I'm always astonished. Growing up, waaaaaaay long ago, hunting ghosts was creepy, not cool. Ghost hunting was something you didn't admit to in polite company, it was ghoulish, even if it was a field populated by pretty smart people. The TV shows changed that, they made the paranormal normal.
However, the fact that I'm mostly retired from the field as a paranormal investigator, exciting isn't so much a word that I associate with ghost hunting. Oh sure, the prospect of a new location gets the adrenaline flowing, true, but by and large ghost hunting (paranormal investigating) is rather dull. Ghosts (spirits) are not very much fun, they aren't entertaining, the don't have a lot to say, and they do not scare me. Slightly unsettled is about as far towards fear as I am capable of swinging when it comes to ghosts, so let's face it, ghosts are dullards. Now and again though the hours of tedium are relieved by something spectacular happening, and that sort of balances out the boredom, not entirely, but somewhat.
But more to the point, excluding demons, spirits are people sans their body, people who have stayed behind, people like you and I who have had the unfortunate "life event" of excluding the word "life" from their event. Life as we receive it at any rate.
And that's largely where the field has gone astray.
We, as paranormal investigators must remember that most of the time the spirits were communicating with, or are trying to communicate with, are lost, de-compassed people. The lack a familial structure, or any structure in their existence altogether. Many times they are so very confused. Lost. And it is incumbent on us, those in the field, to maintain a respectful stance at all times, just as we would want to be treated with respect. Not shouting nor berating, not cajoling nor baiting. We must be responsible, and largely the TV shows have muddied that perspective.
Going in a different direction now, I'm working with a couple heads of other teams of forming a team comprised of just these heads of teams, and the naming process I'm not taking very seriously, as you can tell from the image, lol. You see, it really doesn't matter what your team is called, it matters what your team does. It can never be about greed, whether it be monetary or evidence collection greed. It must be about helping people on both sides of the aisle or veil cope and move on, it must be about furthering the goal of expanding research into the paranormal, it must be about giving, and it must lack self and ego, and it must embody responsibility. So many great people I have met who follow exactly this, and for those people I am grateful, and I';m sure those on the other side are too.
End rant.

Why not use Ouija Boards?

Last Saturday at David's house, Ouija boards came up in conversation and a gentleman asked me "Why not use Ouija boards, what's wrong with Ouija boards?" Wow, what a question, one that could easily require an hour long answer. He had his phone camera rolling but held down at belly level, which I thought odd, and ain't no phone (or nobody) got time for an hour long diatribe, so I went with the simplest thing I could think of, the fact that the improper use (opening, closing, cleansing) of Ouija boards and lack of experience with them is more the problem than anything else, but ever then since I've been working on a more concise short answer in the back of my head. Maybe some of you can refine this.
First it's important to know some history of the Ouija (French Oui or Yes and German Ja, or Yes, so "Yes Yes") board, but that is less important than intention and control.
Here's a short answer.

Any attempt at spirit communication, an "esoteric act", is an intention to communicate with a deceased person, an intelligent spirit, and each attempt can potentially draw in a spirit or something much worse, a demon or, as some people call them, a "Dark Energy", and in a way it's about control, or relinquishing control to "something" else. However, when I conduct an EVP session, I am in control, I can start or stop my recorder as I choose. Photography, I can choose to shoot, or not shoot a picture. Meter work, night vision camera work, all these things are external means used in documenting or communicating with that which is not part of our normal 3 dimensional world, our lives of matter and physical laws that we physical beings must obey.
A goofily named Ouija YesYes board, however, utilizes YOU, your body, your energy itself, as well as that of your partners in the esoteric act. (I have known people who use Quija boards solo, and actually become addicted to the experience, much to their detrement, but usually people use the planchette in groups of two or more people.)
So you have intent of communication, and you potentially relinquish control to something you can't see, something you can't sense (if you can sense it, then why do you need the board?), and you have no idea whatsoever who (or what) you may be communication with. Whatever you're going to communicate with us using you and your partners energies to move, manipulate the planchette, the "spirit" isn't physically moving the thing by itself, and the planchette can not move on its own. So in effect you have relinquished, with tacit permission, control.

That's only the tip of the iceberg though, there's more. I have heard so many horror stories of people getting freaked out by whatever a Ouija board has "produced," the people then throw the board out only to have it turn back up in the house again. My own wife had that happen years before I knew her. I have also witnessed people undergo a change after having used one of these things, in one case a hard core Bible believing Baptist girl decided to use one, and within a years time was violating everything she previously believed in.
So in summary, when in doubt, don't, and don't ever give permission, tacit or overt, to anything or anyone to do with you what it will, because it can and will.