Private Residences
Independent investigators should deal with clients as though they are interviewing witnesses to an accident. Although many levelheaded people claim to have seen ghosts, the investigator should rule out all other possibilities and find out exactly what they saw or heard, but maintain their own sense of professionalism.
For example, Chicago area psychic researcher Norman Basile became involved in a mission to cleanse a haunted house in the suburb of St. Charles. After interviewing the residents of the house, Basile became personally affected by the sense of gloom that seemed to cling to the house and worried he was falling victim to the subject's delusions. He felt he had lost his sense of objectivity.
Taking photographs of the exterior of the house with infrared film, he noticed that faces appeared in the windows. “One showed a mysterious mist hanging over the whole house,” he said.
According to author and psychic investigator Brad Steiger, increasing numbers of people have reported the appearance of Native American ghosts. Some have theorized that the manifestation of these spirits is a reflection of the collective guilt present-day Americans may feel over the shameful treatment of Native Americans. Others claim the experiences are due to the vandalizing of ancestral burial sites.
Basile investigated the history of the house and found the site had been inhabited by Mound Builder Indians, a Midwestern tribe who buried their dead in earthen mounds. Through his research, Basile identified several mounded areas that might have served as burial sites. He suspected that restless spirits resented the presence of the house.
Basile arranged for a cleansing ritual performed by Evelyn Pagalini, a practicing Wiccan. Unfortunately, the owners of the home didn't fully cooperate with the terms of the ritual and the ghostly activity began anew.
