16 years is a long time to spend your money and time on anything. In this article, Jake drops some wisdom and regrets from his ghost hunting career (if you can have a career in ghost hunting that is). Get the scoop after the jump.

I can’t believe I started ghost hunting over 16 years ago! 16 years!

That’s a lot of time pursuing barely audible whispers, shadowy figures and blinking lights on gizmos. I’ve sunk thousands of dollars into gadgets and travel in pursuit of dead people, and, in retrospect, I’d do things differently. So, with that said, here’s 10 things I’ve learned about ghost hunting. I hope you find them useful. If not, you can roast me in the Comments section. I got a thick skin and IP banning functionality at hand.

It’s A Hobby

Many of us (me included) become obsessed with paranormal investigation. We plan our lives around the next haunt, the next gadget, the next trip to Waverly …

This stuff costs a lot of money, and, at some point, you have to decide if the investment is worth it.

Personally, I’ve dropped tens-of-thousands-of-dollars on travel, custom investigations and gadgets. And did I get any more evidence than I would normally? Not really. Did I become a famous, in-demand celebrity paranormal investigator? Nope, not at all.

At some point, you have to make the calculation on the money earned versus money spent on ghosty things. To me, it’s the value of a hobby, not a side hustle or full-time job.

What I’d Do Over

This is the hardest thing for me to realize. Ghost hunting doesn’t pay the bills unless you own a tour company, star on a show, or sell books on the subject. Even then, it’s not a high-paying job.

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t take it so seriously and spend so much money on it. To me, if you can’t pay the rent by doing it, then don’t invest so much time and resources toward it. My gadget addiction is my personal paranormal demon. I have cut back but then this little bell thingy came out and I need it for the next investigation at ….

Seriously, only 0.1% of ghost hunters can do this for a living. Keep your day job, and ghost hunt on the weekends.

Most Gadgets Are Utter Bullshit

I’ll be real with you: Most of this shtuff is cheaply made, malfunctions often, and can never prove a ghost is standing in front of you. In fact, most of it is so sensitive, it triggers on any anomaly. If it triggers that often, then anything could be a ghost. So, why bother with it?

What I’d Do Over

This was the second hardest thing for me to realize: The gadgets aren’t really made for ghost hunting, and you don’t need as many as you think. I need to scale back on what I bring on ghost hunts. To be frank, most of the gadgets made for ghost hunting just reinforce confirmation bias. That means any blip in an allegedly haunted place is in fact a ghost. Spoiler alert: It’s not.

Nowadays, I just bring my cameras and mics to field, and let others use the gadgets. If you want my opinion (as a ghost gadget guy), just use something that takes good video, records good audio, and provides something to engage with. Really, that’s all you need.

I need continuing therapy to get over my gadget addiction …

Make It Fun!

Paranormal investigators needs to lighten up. Don’t forget you have the wondrous opportunity to speak to ghosts. This is the chance of a lifetime to capture a ghost on film or record a creepy voice. Each experiment you run could lead to a magical encounter.

I think too many people get freaked out or get scared. I never do because I understand that a demon isn’t coming for my soul, nor is a poltergeist going to throw a knife at me. The worst that happens is a cold touch or some nausea. Plus, it’s a hobby. I don’t keep up with hobbies that aren’t fun.

What I’d Do Over

I used to be super serious about investigating. Now, I’ve lightened up in my old age. Think about it this way: If you go to a party and meet new people, would you be so serious and standoff-ish that no one wants to hang with you? Ghosts were people, too. Once I stopped the professional, buttoned-up persona, I got better results.

Don’t get me wrong: You need to be professional because you have clients that expect it. I’m saying this, let the spirits know you’re a real person, too. You can still be ‘work casual’ to get good evidence and ghostly voices.

Conducting EVP Sessions

Many people ask the same questions over-and-over. Basic stuff like what’s your name/age/height/weight/gender/socialsecuritynumber, etc. If I were a ghost, I wouldn’t talk to you either. That’s not communicating with a spirit: It’s filling out an auto loan form.

I like to do my research and understand the haunted place, the people who lived there, and why they want to stick around. It also helps to say some words in their native language if they came from elsewhere. It helps you better relate to them. And be kind. No one wants to talk to a dick.

What I’d Do Over

This is a big change: I wouldn’t directly ask questions to the suspected ghost about themselves. I’ve had better results just talking about the haunt’s history, people who lived or died there, and have a bit more fun. Ghosts were people, too. It’s better to have a lively discussion than interrogate a ghost. Just pause to let the EVP come through. Keep it light. Joke around. Have a good time with the spirit.

Nobody Wants To Debunk

I’m going to bitch a little about this: I’ve seen ghost hunters ignore gadgets obviously malfunctioning because … it’s a ghost. They’d give me death stares like how I could even question that it’s not a ghost (when I have the exact same gadgets and I test them to see how they malfunction). I’ve seen others flip out when the pipes or HVAC system start creaking like a door opening, because … it’s a ghost. I’ve even had people claim they’re getting DVP when a meth head is outside doing what meth heads do. Don’t get me started on the orbs…

This is a chronic problem specifically with ghost hunting. No one wants their evidence challenged. It destroys the fantasy. I guess I subscribe too much to the Scooby Doo method of ghost hunting, which means it’s not a ghost 9 times out of 10.

What I’d Do Over

Well, I stopped calling it out to be frank. Why bother? Now, I just find the humor in it, post all the evidence I collect on this here blog, and let it be. I think that’s the best advice for you, too. If you have something you think can hold up to scrutiny, go on and put it out there. Just develop a thick skin. The comments are gonna hurt from time-to-time. In those cases, you can reply with show me your evidence for review, and 19-of-20 times, that commenter has jackshit to show.

Fear Living Humans, Not Dead Ones

You will have more problems with living people versus ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, dark entities, and demons. Full stop. Read that again. If you think a demon is after you, then you need to spend more time with druggies, petty criminals, and con men. The dead ain’t got nothing on them.

Be wary of any invite to investigate a haunt, especially a private residence or abandoned building.

What I’d Do Over

I don’t need to do it over – I no longer investigate private residences. I haven’t in a long time. You can ready why I stopped private residence investigation.

Reality Ghost Hunting Shows Are Not Reality

I think we knew this already, eh? These shows are constructed entertainment, which means they have to deliver on jump scares, spookiness and thrilling encounters with the unknown. The editing also slices out 90% of the ghost hunting because ghost hunting is boring to watch.

I’ll fess up to this: I got into ghost hunting because I liked watching the shows back in 2007-2009. There’s nothing wrong with starting a hobby because you like a show. Just keep in mind that it’s on TV for a reason.

What I’d Do Over

There’s not much to do over on this part. I probably wouldn’t believe every place is haunted and put so much faith in what I see on TV. That’s pretty much common sense.

I really love paranormal TV. It’s one reason I became a documentarian, but now I can spot the setup on the show, and I understand how powerful editing is. It’s changed my perceptions since I know the insider production stuff now. So, when I watch, I look for physical evidence and gadgets (the shows use BS gadgets), ‘cuz I love a bullshit gadget. For the most part, the ghost hunting is real ghost hunting. Then it gets heavily produced in post to make it entertaining.

Vet People For Your Team Or The Team You Want To Join

You have to be wary of whom you let join you on ghost hunts. I only let friends join me on ghost hunts. Not co-workers. Not acquaintances. I have to know them. It’s not that I think they’re going to roll me or anything like that. I just want to feel comfortable to conduct the ghost hunting business.

As for joining a team, I’d look at how many active members they have. If it’s more than 6, that’s a lot of people. Their ghost hunting adventures would be more like paranormal tourism (like a ghost hunting tour you’d buy online). You can’t really investigate with 20 people running around. I wouldn’t take a team that big seriously.

What I’d Do Over

I’d pay more attention to my BS meter. If you join a team and pay dues, then it’s a professional outfit. That means the management team needs to give an accounting how the money gets spent. It should be a non-profit so all the cash goes into the team. There should be new gear purchased, trips planned, blahblahblah. If management can’t do that, then get out of there. You’re getting scammed.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Solo Investigations

If you can gain access to a public haunt, like a museum, then go for it. I wouldn’t do solo investigations for private residences (as noted earlier). You may have to plan out your investigation in greater detail and stick to a schedule, but solo ghost hunts are just as rewarding. I mean, evidence is evidence, and you don’t have to worry about contamination from untrained investigators.

As a solo investigator, you have to do everything by yourself. That means you need discipline to review all the evidence.

Read this article on solo ghost hunting.

What I’d Do Over

Oh, I should have gone back to this sooner. I started as a solo ghost hunter. Then I extended an invite to my BFF after we marathon watched Ghost Hunters. We were the Ghostly Activities Duo until I moved to the West Coast for a job. This was the ideal size for us. It was like Mulder and Scully on the case, and it was my happiest time as a ghost hunter.

Start A Ghost Club Over A Ghost Hunting Team

Clubs are much more fun that having a team. There’s no pressure to get evidence, get into a never-before-investigated location, or have the latest gadget. Also, you don’t have to collect dues, manage investigators, manage money, or try to have the biggest dick in the paranormal world.

You can sit back, talk shit, eat chips, and plan nothing more than a casual trip to a ghost conference.

There’s no application involved and no vetting because the members are your friends. Really, isn’t this the ideal situation? It sure is for me.

What I’d Do Over

There’s nothing to do over. It’s what I’m doing now. I just want to enjoy ghost hunting and paranormal events with my friends. Maybe you could call me a paranormal enthusiast now (that may make a good topic for my next article)?

I like to hang out, read ghost stories, make paranormal podcasts, watch the shows, and call bullshit.

I still go out and film stuff, but it’s because I have fun filming weird stuff. I’m just going to live my best paranormal life and put my money into my 401(k) instead.

One Last Thing …

My interests in the paranormal have changed over the years. There’s one thing I’ve really been interested in, but I haven’t pursued like ghosts. That’s cryptozoology, well, I should say monster hunting. Ghosts would fall under that. I’d love to dive in a loch and hunt for Nessie, or hike the hills around my house looking for Batsquatch.

And I think I’ll start doing that more often. Maybe in a club fashion instead of a hardcore investigation team. I want it to be fun, and I’ve been neglecting my other site, GhostsAndMonsters.com, which covers this stuff.

Aso, I’m not giving up documenting ghostly activity: I love paranormal production too much for that. I’m just shifting my personal interests to focus on monsters. Yep, I think I’ll do just that.

Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by Jacob Rice