What to do if you Encounter a Ghost

by: Dr. Mark Farley

There is no formal training to become a paranormal investigator.  Most investigators learn through experience, self-study, or trial and error.   Since there is no formal training or curriculum of study, there are no set methods or standards to govern how paranormal investigations are conducted.   So when it comes to the paranormal, who’s doing it right and who's doing it wrong is a matter of opinion.  Unfortunately, without standardized practices, the academic community will never accept the paranormal community as a legitimate science or field of study. With that said, what could a layman do if they encountered a ghost?

          Being an experienced paranormal investigator, this is what I would like to see a layman do when encountering something paranormal for the first time.  First, everyone has a smartphone; immediately after your encounter, take photographs of the area.   You never know; the spirit may not have left the area, and you may be lucky enough to capture a digital image of the ghost.

Second, start video recording the area of the encounter.  While you are filming, state the time and date of the encounter, and while everything is still fresh in your memory, start describing the encounter.  Describe the appearance of the entity and what you were doing at the time of the encounter.  State how you felt and what you sensed.  Did it try to communicate?  Were there any physical manifestations of the spirit, like objects moving?  Who was with you at the time?  What were they doing?   Record any information you may feel is pertinent.  Do not skimp when divulging this information.  State every single detail you can remember.  If you don’t have your smartphone or any other recording device handy, write everything down.

     The reason for this is that the resident or occupant of the house is the primary source of information.  They are the ones who will encounter and witness the spirit the most.  Every time you encounter the spirit, do the same thing: document every possible detail you can think of while it is still fresh in your memory.   You never know what bit/s of information will help an investigator solve what is going on in your home.

  If you can document enough information, a pattern may emerge.  Uncovering a pattern in paranormal events is the holy grail of an investigation.  If a pattern is discovered, it will go a long way in either debunking what is happening or proving that a spirit is in your home.