How to become a ghost hunter, first steps to becoming a ghost hunter

Ghost hunting is an increasingly popular activity, perhaps thanks to the many TV shows about it. But if you think being a ghost hunter means walking around with a proton pack on your back to force ghosts into a trap, then this guide is not for you. 🙂

The ghost hunter is often associated with science-fiction films or TV shows of dubious taste, but in reality it is a very serious activity: not everyone can improvise as a ghost hunter. If you want to become a ghost hunter, I suggest you start by reading this introductory guide to the world of researching and documenting ghosts and other entities. Pay close attention, because every point is extremely important.

What does a ghost hunter do?

A ghost hunter carries out research in the paranormal field: specifically, they go to places considered haunted to study them and gather evidence that a supernatural entity is actually there. This research is done with specific equipment designed to pick up signals the human eye cannot see; examples are thermal cameras or infrared cameras.

Before venturing into the world of the paranormal, though, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, you need to know what you are looking for. Entities are not all the same, and before becoming a ghost hunter you need to know their differences.

Once you have these basics, you will need to choose a geographical area and pick a haunted place. A simple legend heard second-hand is not enough. Ideally you should focus on cases documented by several sources.

After identifying the place to investigate, you will need to check whether it is private property and, if so, ask the owner for permission to carry out your research. Please don’t skip this step, because it could cost you at the very least a complaint to the police and a fine. Once you have the necessary permissions, prepare your equipment and begin your paranormal investigation.

Why many would-be ghost hunters fail

Many people like the idea of being a ghost hunter: going into abandoned places, documenting ghosts, perhaps in a single afternoon, making a documentary about it and maybe getting rich from TV appearances. Their efforts to become ghost hunters are limited to:

1. Hearing that there are ghosts in an abandoned place, perhaps right in their own town.
2. Going to that abandoned place without researching it and without any training or precautions.
3. Shooting a video on their smartphone and taking a few photos.
4. Finding nothing unusual in the photos or videos.
5. Posting the photos on Facebook, pointing to a reflection as a clear paranormal presence, and opening a YouTube channel.
6. Getting excited about their friends’ likes.
7. Being disappointed because nobody else follows their posts or subscribes to or visits the channel.
8. Giving up their ghost-hunting “career”.

Obviously anyone who starts out like this is bound to fail. And that’s a real shame, because ghost hunting can be a rewarding activity that can certainly attract a good audience of people interested in the genre.

So how do you become a ghost hunter?

There are a few things a person who wants to become a ghost hunter must have:

• passion
• knowledge
• equipment
• common sense

If you lack even one of these, your path to ghost hunting will be short-lived.

If you are reading this guide, you probably already have the passion. That, more often than not, is there from birth. But passion does not automatically mean knowledge. That’s why, before devoting yourself to any activity away from home, you should focus on what you are doing. What are you looking for? And how do you plan to do it?

To answer the first question you should know at least the main types of entities. For that I recommend some reading (the links are to Italian editions):

• The Spirits’ Book – Allan Kardec
• Apparitions and Ghosts – Andrew MacKenzie
• Parapsicologia come scienza – J. Gaither Pratt

Ghost hunter equipment

You can’t expect to become a ghost hunter without the right equipment. I’m not saying you need cutting-edge technology costing thousands of euros to get started, but at least the basic equipment is a must. Here is the equipment no ghost hunter should be without:

• Thermal camera
• Electromagnetic field (EMF) detector
• A camera modified to see IR and UV (be careful not to just put a filter in front of the lens: modify the camera itself so that it lets IR and UV through)
• Portable video camera (ideally with night vision)
• A radio to pick up sounds inaudible to humans
• And of course a computer to review audio and video.

This is the basic equipment, fine for beginners who don’t want to spend a fortune.

Common sense

As for common sense, you always need it, both in ghost hunting and in life. It’s also important to have a healthy dose of scepticism and not believe every “ghost photo” passed off to us on the web. That’s why I also recommend this “sceptical” read, which I hope will open your eyes a bit more and help you spot hoaxes: Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There – Richard Wiseman.

Useful things to take on your outings

As well as the equipment for picking up any entities, don’t forget the gear to take with you on your paranormal research outings. Whether you are in a group or want to go ghost hunting alone, these are the things you should always have with you:

• torches and spare batteries for all your equipment
• walkie-talkies to communicate with the other members of your team
• a mobile phone so you can be reached or call someone if needed
• suitable footwear and clothing, especially when going into woods or rough terrain
• a first-aid kit

Safety comes first. So remember, especially if you decide to do research alone, to tell someone where you are going and how long you expect to stay. If anything happens to you, there will be someone who can help.

Finally, inform yourself: read, read and read again. You never stop learning, and the more you read the more expertise you will gain in the field.

If you liked this guide, share it on your social networks, and if you would like to read a more complete guide, comment below.