How to be a ghost hunter (newcomers guide)

[Randy Tuggle]

Lots of people wonder...what do I have to do to become a ghost hunter
or paranormal investigator? I want to offer some insight into this
question and help those who are interested in paranormal
activity.

First of all, no one is born a "ghost hunter". All it takes to get
involved in the field of ghost hunting is to:

have an interest in the afterlife
believe in ghosts - without it, you're wasting your time!
find a place you wish to investigate
own a camera, tape recorder, or some other device used to record
images or voices
spend time practicing HOW TO use your tools

..and that's about all you need to qualify! The people you hear about,
read about, see on television - are ALL in the same category of
expertise! There are NO people wiser, or smarter at finding ghosts
than YOU. The differences between YOU and ME (and other investigators)
are few - but ONE thing makes a "ghost hunter" better. Experience.

You can be just as experienced as anyone with your ghost stories,
personal sightings and experiences, etc... but the initial 'fear' one
encounters on those first few 'ghost hunts' is the ONE THING to get
used to! You become seasoned and experienced when you go out and
investigate frequently. When you get scared of something, just
remember that what you experience will hardly EVER harm you! More
people get injured during ghost hunts out of fear combined with
stupidity - than be being harmed by anything paranormal.

If you want to become a ghost hunter,contact me for
some tips and advice. I won't take you out on a ghost investigation,
but I will steer you in the right direction.

Cheers!

[James M Wolfe]

What models of the Flir Thermal Imaging cameras are used in ghost hunting/paranormal activities?
Thanks,
Jim Wolfe

[Randy Tuggle]

I've never owned one of those, or seen one in use. Your best bet for getting an answer to your question would be to write to Jason Hawes or Grant Wilson with T.A.P.S.

[EVP]

Lol...a FLIR....can we cough up 10,000 dollars :)

[edward]

i am very interested in ghost hunting but don't know how to get started or if we have any ghost hunters in regina saskatchewan but i would like to get started. so please help me if you can and let me know how to get started in this i am very interested in ghost hunting because i believe in the after life. i will wait to hear from you your friend edward_engel@yahoo .com

[Rhonda Steele]

Don't we all dream of having a thermal camera? sigh...If I could charge $10,000 per lecture, I might be able to afford one.
To form a group, you just have to find friends interested in ghosts. I say "friends" because it is a lot more fun that way. I found my interested friends just by talking. A couple of us were camping one night and started telling ghost stories. Before we knew it, we were taking digital cameras to cemeteries, just to see what we could catch. Then another set of friends (we are all co-workers also) had photos of their vacation and the ghost tour they went on in Savannah. They had some awesome mists. So, we started talking about places we have been, things we have experienced, etc. They like to go to haunted B&Bs. Then another co-worker saw one of us wearing a Got Ghosts shirt, so he told us his interest. We figured with as many people interested, we needed to get together and start a group. So, we did. In the past year and a half, we have been invited to several personal homes in VA and WV, been to some eerie locations, and went to Moundsville, WV. We have found some haunted houses, and debunked a couple. We started with just digital cameras and videos but have since included a K2 meter, several infrared security cameras and DVRs, digital recorders, EMF detectors, laser thermal gun, and decided to throw in some dousing rods, just for fun.
I keep a running blog at
http://www.myspace.com/siofva

and our website is
http://siofva.googlepages.com

[John Curd]

I have an interest in the afterlife
I believe in ghosts, I have always been interested in the afterlife, but afraid to die.
I live In Phoenix, AZ. Born in N.C. lived in Virginia before moving to California then to Phoenix.
I am a historical researcher, I love to do the research.
[e-mail]
John

[george buckner]

what tip do you have

[Salem Paranormal]

this is an excellent post. I do have an odd question do you have any suggestions on choosing a name?. My group is having one small probleam and that is commming up with a name. We have had 3 names so far only to find out that there is already a group going by that name. Does any one have any suggestions on how to choose a mae?

[Randy Tuggle]

A name is anything you want to use. I,personally, try to come up with something that closely matches my taste and personality. A name for a group isn't TRULY necessary unless you wish to build a website that has a matching URL for advertising. Remember, Hans Holzer has no group yet we have all heard of him and his work. :)

Salem Paranormal said:

this is an excellent post. I do have an odd question do you have any suggestions on choosing a name?. My group is having one small probleam and that is commming up with a name. We have had 3 names so far only to find out that there is already a group going by that name. Does any one have any suggestions on how to choose a mae?

[david stephens]

thanks for the tip and i hope to do well on this

[Winona L Durden]

Hi Randy..is the complete kit offered on the site a good one to start out with? I have a Canon Power Shot. Will it work for most activity?
I'm interested in ghost hunting because I believe we are eternal energy beings and that our presence or imprints will always be here somewhere. I do think there are lots of things present, good or bad or indifferent, and I want to see them and hear them. I can already smell them. I'm really looking forward to this.

[brian cooper]

any ghost hunters around pittsburgh pa? i would love to join the hunt