What to do when things go bump in the night.
By Fiona Wagner
• Bankrate.com
Who you gonna call?
If this seems too much to handle or the activity is increasing in intensity, it might be time to call in a team of paranormal investigators. They'll be able to help you determine what kind of an entity or haunting you're dealing with and help choose the best course of action.
Is it a residual haunting whereby an apparition repeats the same activity over and over without realizing you are there? Or is it an intelligent haunting where the ghost is aware of his or her surroundings and may try to communicate with you? Loud noises, rapping or lights turning on and off could be signs of poltergeist activity.
Finding an investigator is as easy as typing "ghost haunting" or "paranormal investigation" into an online search engine. You can also check out the comprehensive links and resources page at TorontoGhosts.org. The tricky part is distinguishing the good investigators from the bad.
"Ask for their credentials and verify them," says Darroch. "Do not assume just because someone has been on TV or in the paper they are reputable. Do not open your wallet to people who have made a for-profit business out of ghost-busting."
Take a look at their website and see how long they've
been investigating. Check out what kind of equipment they use --
it can be everything from cameras, voice recorders, camcorders and
thermometers (for measuring temperature variations) to electromagnetic
field (EMF) detectors, night-vision cameras and thermal imaging
equipment. Remember, the tools aren't the important part -- it's
how they're used.
Read up on how they conduct their investigations, then look at their case histories to see what kinds of situations they've dealt with. Contact several investigators and be sure to ask lots of questions. If any of them ask for money, walk away.
"If they're a good investigator, they should be able to go into the home completely unbiased as to what they're going to find," says Morgan Knudsen, co-founder of Entityseeker, an Edmonton-based paranormal researcher and investigator. "They should have a good array of equipment to monitor the environment and they should be able to formulate a plan to figure out a solution no matter what you want."
The last thing you want is for a team to come into your home, explain what's going on and then leave. A good investigator can help you find ways to cope with the stress of having your home turned upside down and then devise an effective eviction plan.
And yet sometimes, says Knudsen, it's best to leave your unseen houseguests alone.
"I've got a ghost in my place right now and he's fine -- you'd never know he was there," says Knudsen. "He shows his face from time doing things around the house but there's such a healthy respect between the two of us, there's no issue." She adds, "It's a balanced situation -- you can live with these spirits."
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