Taking Specialized Classes
Although reading and research can prepare paranormal investigators for the possibilities of ghost hunting, actual classes can better help you grasp subtleties and procedures. They are also useful for learning the technical aspects of the business, such as how to properly operate an EMF meter and how to handle an EVP investigation.
Connecting the Dots
Any class you take should cover the following information:
How to locate haunted sites
How to research the site's history
How to interview eyewitnesses
How to build a ghost hunting kit
How to record EVPs
How to use EMF meters and digital thermometers
How to properly use a digital camera in the investigation
How to form a team or paranormal group
This information should be covered whether you take an online class, a home-study class, or a class at a continuing education institution. Sign up for classes only after you have checked out the credentials of the instructors and institutions.
Double-check all classes, particularly Internet classes. If the quality of the classes or the institution has slipped, you can easily get feedback from other students who may have had unsatisfactory experiences there.
If you live in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts, you may be within easy driving distance of TAPS's one-day seminars and lectures. TAPS is the organization featured on the Sci Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters TV show. Although the cost of their workshops is generally very reasonable ($40 for a one-day seminar), they sell out very quickly.
Online classes vary widely in cost. Classes priced at $100 are at the high end of the scale. Flamel College offers a paranormal investigator certification for $99. This fee includes an EMF meter. Universal Class has a very reasonably priced ($20) online class for beginning investigators, and with certification, it is $45.
The case of the Epworth Rectory Poltergeist is one of the best-known examples of poltergeist activity ever recorded. Because it happened in the home of famous British clergyman John Wesley and was particularly noisy, it became something of a legend. As in the case of most poltergeist activity, there was a teenager in residence.
Fiona Broome is the founder of Hollow Hill, a ghost hunters' website. Hollow Hill offers classes in different levels so students can take classes appropriate to their situation. Her courses are offered on CDs.
Chilling Conferences
In the Pacific Northwest, the Ghost Hunters Getaway Conference might be an option if you have some experience already. It is an annual conference hosted by the paranormal research group Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma (AGHOST). This conference is held over a two-day period, with workshops, ghost tours, paranormal investigations, and media presentations.
