What is Evidence in the Paranormal Field

What is evidence, in the paranormal field is something that can provide an explanation supporting a claim or belief. We can capture unexplained activity, but the fundamental purpose for paranormal investigator is to give logical real world explanations for what is being experienced. Not to prove a location is haunted! Begin by documenting everything starting with the claims of activity, interview witnesses then schedule a meeting with the owner to walk around, and photograph the property. It is vital to create an accurate layout of the property including floor plans. Floor plans play a pivotal part in the investigation, and used in pre-investigation briefings, equipment deployment, and most importantly can help debunk evidence. There was a case where we investigated an airplane hangar where every sound from the street to the planes flying overhead reverberated throughout the hanger. Echoes abound, by using a floor plan, and simple formula we determine the distance sound traveled from its source there for proving the voices, and music picked up was indeed an echo from an investigator, and not evidence. By using audio spectrum analysis, we are able to determine if the voice that captured on audio was human, disembodied, or electronic voice phenomena EVP. Phenomena witnessed but was not recorded are considered observations, and are documented as personal experiences not evidence. Any observation of an unexplained nature reported immediately. Since you will never know when or where such phenomena will take place it is your ability to adapt, and change with the activity, and should be the foundation of any investigative strategy. Although experiencing such phenomenon without more than the single witness cannot be, consider reliable evidence, unless a future event supports the original claim.

Debunking seems to be a lost art these days. Everything has an explanation if you look for it. When you cannot find the explanation, you present the evidence for peer review. If it can stand up to scrutiny then it is considered evidence until proven otherwise. You must not think everything is paranormal because it is not. This is the real world, and in the real world, we look for real answers first.

While traveling we like to stay in "supposedly" haunted Hotels. It is another chance to capture activity on our trips. We routinely setup trigger objects, cameras, and voice recorders in our rooms during our stay. Just by chance, the camera in room 11 at the Gold Hill Hotel pointed at a door leading out into the hallway from the room. At 2:30 am the door to room 11 opened, and closed? Since the door did not open wide enough to see anything, or anyone, and there was no camera on the other side of the door. We threw it out as a part of our internal review process. Two years later two guests that were staying in room 11 experienced the same activity. They were standing right beside the door when it opened, and closed. They opened the door and stepped out into the hall to find no one! This shows how future evidence can support the original claim of activity.

The biggest challenge for investigators; although widely ignored are the mental disorders that account for most claims of paranormal activity. The most common are Sleep Paralysis: Awake but still asleep people often report encountering apparition-like entities or other worldly beings, Anxiety Disorders: Post-traumatic stress caused by a recent bereavement or traumatic experience, and Mental Illness: Psychotic disorders that can alter perception. I have often seen investigators prescribe metaphysical remedies in response to spiritual claims that can only end up doing more harm than good. There are unsuspected dangers when it comes to the human mind you should never take the place of a health care professional. Our memories during times of grief or illness are at their strongest. A simple act can trigger memories that can take you to a time when you envision what you expect to see, even if what you are envisioning is no longer there. Then other times it is a matter of assuming what is mistaken for what seen. It is normal for your brain to fabricate a mental representation for a substituted reality. How our brain deals with processes sensory input, comprises how we perceives the world around us, and a lot of the time that perception is wrong. We see the world around us as stable, even though our sensory input is incomplete, and rapidly changing.

Critical thinking in part based on self-correcting concepts, and principles that give consideration to standardize, and establish forms of methodology. These are fundamental in logical and plausible reasoning, and are void of assumption, or predetermined conclusions. It is important when following methods and procedures to be consistent when collecting evidence. Consistency will help ensure the evidence credibility whenever drawn into question. I have seen teams including members of my own team announce before all the evidence is gathered, analyzed, and reviewed. That they have made contact with, or have determent that! Believe you me my team knows better than to run around screaming Ghost! Do not make snap judgments, because without the preponderance of the evidence there can be no conclusion.

When investigating a location that is linked to an unsolved crime, and uncover physical evidence that might be linked to the case. Never touch potential evidence you can photograph, and document its location. Then contact local authorities, and let them decide what to do with that information. Never provide unsolicited evidence to the friends, and families of the victims. You should always turn over evidence suspected to be involved in a crime over to the proper authorities.

Control Shots, are used in part with both videography and digital photography as a process to document locations. Proper documentation can establish the precise location and relationship of objects and evidence. A control shot is a duplicate shot of a scene from which video evidence is recording, or where photographic evidence is in question. It is the purpose of documentation to record and preserve the location and relationship of discovered evidence as it was when, the documenter was observing it.

The function of scientific and technical photographers is to capture detailed and accurate photographic imagery for site documentation, and evidence reconstruction. All photographs and videography can be geo-referenced which means to establish a reference in a physical space. This enables the researcher to prepare diagrams, digitally created models, and event reconstruction. It is with the understanding that in any field of research must be taken critically before taken seriously.

Types of photography used for documenting the location. The optimal of which are 360 spherical video, 360 spherical still photographs, and high-resolution digital still photography.

Preserving the Evidence:

1. Reports and note-taking (including audio)

2. Photographs (documenting location)

3. Videography (static and mobile)

4. Floor Plans (sketching and mapping)

5. Ambient Temperature Readings

6. Accurate Measurements (static audio to reflective surfaces)

It is human nature, not all people in this world are honest, hardworking and forthcoming about their intentions. Beware of hidden agendas. I have investigated businesses that wanted to use our evidence to promote their haunt. It was only after the evidence reveal that the truth was known. They even wanted to profit off our evidence by reselling our DVD. That is why it is important to have the client sign a waiver over all rights to your work, remember your providing a service FREE. As originator of all created video by said owner under copyright law considered the work's author and the owner of its copyright, and possess the legal right to determine whether, and or how the video is used, and the participants duly releases all legal rights over all recorded materials, and by allowing you to be recorded. You release all legal rights to your image, and likeness. We had had Homeowners reporting haunts to provide them, and their friends with entertainment. Again releases, waver, confidentiality agreements. Remember contracts, and liability wavers are used to protect yourself, your members, and your property. You should always make it clear that you reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Think of all the legalities as the price of providing a service for FREE.

If you can hear it, or see it then you can record it. The only problem is that you never know when or where it is going to occur unless you have enough equipment to cover every room. Remember human beings make very poor recorders. If you want more than personal experiences then a large investment in data, logging equipment is in order. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what the picture is not telling you makes a world of difference. Video tells more of a complete story, and history of events. Where a picture is a fixed point in time, and can lead everyone’s mind to wander.