Paranormal Investigation Methodology

1. Paranormal Investigation Methodology As used by the Paranormal Investigation Society of Tennessee

2. Phases of Investigation • Phase 1: Arrival and Walk-through • Phase 2: Set-up • Phase 3: Investigation • Phase 4: Post-Evidence Review

3. Phase 1: Arrival and Walkthrough • Arrival and initial analysis- Arrive at location and conduct cursory exploration. • Unload- Determine a good location for “base,” unload equipment, check batteries. • Walkthrough- Explore the location in the daylight (investigations can be conducted in the day as long as there’s not a lot of contamination agents). • Baseline Analysis- Take baseline readings of environmental electromagnetic fields and thermal temperatures. Also note any areas where audio or visual contamination may occur (Example: a window with access to a busy street) • Note Areas of Interest- Using anecdotal evidence or experience(s) during the initial walkthrough, note any areas of focus.

4. Phase 2: Set-up • Base- Set up the base. • Static Equipment- Set up any static (stationary) cameras or other pieces of static equipment you plan to use. • Team-up- Determine initial teams for EVP/investigations. • At least two- must be teams of at least two for initial investigations for safety and validation of experiences; as the investigation goes on, members may decide to try isolation sessions, but they’re not recommended at the outset of an investigation • Smaller Location?- For smaller locations, plan limit the number of investigators on the floor to avoid contamination of evidence

5. Phase 3: Investigation • Conduct Investigation- Pick a spot within the location and begin investigating • Stationary EVP Sessions- It’s best to lay the recorder down to avoid contaminating the audio with shuffling

6. Phase 3: Investigation Continued • Determine Tone & Methodology- determine the tone and methods you want to use for EVP session; options include: • Question and Answer • General Conversation among investigators sometimes yields compelling evidence • Role Play (e.g. pretending to be a doctor and nurse in an abandoned hospital) • Silence • Tip: We generally avoid provocation out of respect and in the interest of safety • Beginning the Session- Begin by stating your name, the names of investigators with you, and where you are within the overall location. • Can also include time or other identifying details

7. Phase 3: Investigation Continued • Call Out- As you investigate, call out anyexplained, clearly non-paranormal noises you make or hear so that you will know upon review that they’re not paranormal • Photographing- If photographing the session, take at least three photos per angle; this will aid analysis if anomalous photographs are taken.

8. Phase 3: Investigation Continued • ExperienceUnusual Activity?- If you experience something highly unusual and compelling (e.g. full body apparition), don’t describe it in detail immediately. Instead….. • Verify that the others “saw something” but offer no other details • Seek an impartial investigator who was not present and describe what you saw separately to avoid influencing each other

9. Phase 3: Investigation Continued • Live Review- It’s recommended that you conduct some sort of live review during or immediately after the session to determine if the spot within the location should be revisited or the session continued. • Ending the Session- It’s recommended that you end the session by thanking the “entities” for his/her time.

10. Phase 4: Evidence Review • Reserve Time- Set aside time shortly after the investigation to review evidence. • Be Prompt- Review evidence promptly after the investigation. • Be Analytical- Use a critical eye as you’re reviewing evidence. Attempt to debunk whenever possible. Remember, more often than not, there is a rational explanation. • Find Anomaly?- If you find something anomalous, email it to the group so that we can analyze it together.

11. Conclusion • Now that you have the basics, you’re ready to get started! As you investigate more, you’ll learn things not in this lecture, but we hope this is enough to get you started. As always, happy hunting!