What Is A Haunted Hobbyist? Finding My Place In The Paranormal
Right now, I’m sitting in front of my computer, digging through a bunch of Reddit threads, newspaper archives, some YouTube videos, and (online) genealogical records trying to learn more about the Tokeland Hotel and its ghosts.
I take screen captures, download files, and outline what a spooky road trip might look like. Which rooms might have something spooky going on in them? Then, think about gadgets that might do the best job collecting ghostly activities.
I use my phone to contact a few members of the Ghostly Club. Who might be down for an adventure (or maybe it’s an expedition)?
And, as I lean back on my stool, I think to myself: What do I call someone who keeps investigating the paranormal, but doesn’t consider himself a professional?
The label, haunted hobbyist, hit me like a sack filled with bricks.
What Is A Haunted Hobbyist?
I’ve got to look at this as it applies to myself. This isn’t exactly a term used widely across paranormal investigation teams.
When I think about being a haunted hobbyist, these habits popped out:
- I pursue paranormal subjects because they fascinate me.
- I take part consistently, rather than only following the subject as a fan.
- I don’t claim professional status or special authority.
- I’m happy to keep learning as I go.
There’s also something fun about using haunted as part of the label: Haunted can mean ghost hunting and ghost stories. Just keeping things spooky (or spooky adjacent). But it also lends itself to my brain. Haunted can be something of an obsession.
And, believe me, I’m totally obsessed with ghosts, hauntings, folklore and gadgets.
Being A Haunted Hobbyist In Practice
So, I just detailed my motivations for spooky stuff, but what activities does a haunted hobbyist actually do? I noodled on that for a bit, and this is what I do often:
- Visiting reportedly haunted locations
- Researching their history and the stories attached to them
- Interviewing people and documenting experiences
- Trying investigation equipment
- Reviewing recordings and observations afterward
- Writing case files, field reports, and ghost stories
One thing that really stands out to me is that you can be a hobbyist and be as thoughtful, rigorous, sustained and careful as a professional. Well, professional is a loaded word. I’m not sure if there are professional paranormal investigators unless they work for a government agency or run a tour company.
All Those Roles To Call Yourself
I’ve called myself a lot of things over the years I’ve been exploring the haunted world. People like to categorize things. It helps them understand what you’re doing when you chase after dead things in an old house.
I find bits and pieces that apply to what I’m doing, but I wouldn’t say any of these labels nail it. Let’s have a look, eh?
| Role | What applies | Why it doesn’t apply |
| Ghost Hunter | Investigating haunted places | More about jump scares and getting “evidence” |
| Paranormal Investigator | Methodical in research and documentation | I’m not that formal, although I really like the documentation bit. PI’s tend to kill fun. I like fun. |
| Tech Manager | Collects and maintains gadgets | Ok, we’re soulmates here |
| Evidence Analyst | Methodically reviews data collected at haunts | We could be kissing cousins but I don’t want to listen to 6 hours of recordings 4x |
| Case Manager | Organizes investigations | Well, I don’t have clients |
| Paranormal Researcher | Studies ghostly phenomena | Ok, we’re soulmates |
| Documentarian | Tells a good story about what happened | This completely applies to me |
| Historian | Finds what really happened back in the day | So … I only care about what applies to the ghostly activity at a haunt |
| Paranormal Enthusiast | Super fan of spooky stuff | Me too … but I’m way more consistent with my spooky obsession |
| Folklorist | Studies why ghost stories and hauntings originate | I’m not that academic |
| Demonologist | Studies demons from Hell | Just stop with this bullshit |
When I look at all these roles, and how specialized they are, I just don’t fit into any single one. My approach and functions are scattered across most of them. I’m a hodgepodge practitioner. I take the parts that I enjoy and apply to what I’m doing … and skip the rest.
Really, I think of myself as the dog dad next door with a morbid hobby. A haunted hobbyist label certainly seems to fit with that in mind. I’ve called myself a cozy ghost hunter, too. Can’t forget about that.
Dispelling Some Myths
Just because I call myself a hobbyist doesn’t mean the ghost hunting rigor goes away.
- I don’t accept every claim as legit ghostly activity: I need to check it out first.
- I don’t accept every blip on a gadget as proof of a ghost: I need to review it first.
- Just because I write a blog, produce a podcast, and make videos, it doesn’t mean I want to be a professional ghost hunter: I like my dayjob, and it pays really well. Ghost hunting? Not so much.
To me, this is what works best:
- I check out the history as it applies to the reported ghostly activity.
- I consider normal reasons for said activity first.
- I record everything I experience because reporting and documentation matters.
- I try to explain what happened as simply and accurately as possible. And I’m not going to dumb it down. I hate dumb.
- I’ll call the claims or experience as it is. Sometimes that means folklore, eyewitness reports, personal experience, gadget weirdness, and/or horse hockey (a.k.a. bullshit).
Haunted Hobbyist Seems Pretty Broad
Calling myself a haunted hobbyist probably applies to a lot of readers, eh? I know plenty of readers who like a spooky story and creepy investigation.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
And a lot of solo ghost hunters fall into this label, too. After all, you’ve got to be a paranormal jack-of-all-trades. You dip your toes into a lot of haunted aspects. Maybe you specialize in a few areas like I do (gadgets, research and documentation). That’s pretty broad.
I think the big takeaway is a haunted hobbyist looks at ghosts and hauntings with a lot of love, doesn’t need adoration for collecting ‘evidence,’ is comfortable staying in the background and sleuthing around, and sticks to it.
It’s a hobby after all. People have fun and love their hobbies. Otherwise, why do it in the first place?
Oh jeez! Now that I’ve called myself a haunted hobbyist, I gotta make a few site updates. Let me get on that.
Thanks for reading this post about haunted hobbyists. Would you call yourself a hobbyist or something else? Let me know in the comments below. Much appreciated and take care!
