I have been trained in this field for 7 years now, but those of you who know me know I've been a researcher of it for far longer than that. I grew up in a house that I believe was haunted and my research of the paranormal really started back then, which is now 30 years ago. In that time I've seen quite the evolution of this field. We went from not being able to speak of our experiences, to it becoming a conversation starter and mainstream media. The first few years after I really started doing investigations of various places, there seemed to be a collective curiosity, a need to understand and learn. It felt as if we were all there for the same purpose, the same common goal. We all had some sort of experience and we were all just trying to make sense of it and it was as much about bonding and support as it was finding answers. It saddens me to see what this field is becoming. Groups no longer work together for a common cause and instead they are competing against each other. It has become more about thrill seekers searching for an experience and less about finding the reasons for the experience. We now have public investigations, that, for a price, they will take you into a reportedly haunted place as a large group, tell you scary stories and say that every time a light blinks that it must be a spirit. I've been on some of theses public investigations that fell nothing shy of a three ring circus. It amazes me and saddens me at the same time. People seem to have lost sight of the fact that these "spirits" where real people with real lives and should be treated with the same respect as you would treat anyone else. They should, under no circumstance, be treated as side shows. Ghost hunting is big business now and like everything else in this world, the almighty dollar has blinded the people whom I think started out with good intentions, but lost their morals somewhere along the way. Now I'm not saying all public ghost hunts are bad. There are still a small group of people out there who are doing amazing things. They are using the money raised to save historic buildings and landmarks or give back to charities. I've found that most of these organizations are sincere in what they are doing, because most of them haven't lost sight of why they are doing it.
I enjoying traveling to different places and I tend to look up the haunted history of every place that I go. It is inevitable that you will find at least one public ghost walk or public ghost hunt in just about every major tourist city in the U.S.. This is where I seem to find the most problems. I don't have too much of a problem with ghost walks, these are theatrical by nature and you know they are purely for entertainment purposes. You are simply walking around a historic district while being told the history of the place. The only problem I have with some of them is that they don't always get the history correct. Sometimes it borders on made up. Other than that, they can be quite fascinating and fun to walk around at night in a safe environment. What I am starting to see more and more of are so called paranormal groups who have decided they either no longer want to work their day jobs or they need a side job and this looks like a good way to make a few bucks. Now, done properly and with good intentions, there is nothing wrong with that, but what I have seen is anything but good intentions. They are opening up ghost hunting businesses, where you can come and buy tickets and go on an investigation with them, they'll even provide the equipment for you to use. A lot of times they will have either bought a historic "haunted" house or they will partner with a "haunted" location so that they are the only team allowed to investigate. If you are looking for excitement and entertainment then these are the places for you. If you are looking for ghost, these are not the places to find them. What I found is that these are the groups that only care about how much money they can make. I have been to about 5 of these events across 4 different states and they are all the same. There are generally so many people there that there is no way you would catch any evidence even if there was any and in all cases most of the participants where allowed to consume alcohol. This is another soap box that I won't get up on right now, but it creates a dangerous situation for everyone involved. Remember, most of these buildings are abandoned, without electricity and they all have several floors with dark narrow staircases. That's just one of many scenarios of danger that would require you to be alert, not intoxicated. In every one of the places I went to, on these types of hunts, there were at least two intoxicated individuals and in one case there where four. In one instance we were on the fourth floor of an abandoned warehouse where we were only allowed to stand to one side because the other side had collapsed to the floor beneath us. Two of the intoxicated individuals kept stumbling over to the collapsed side and saying they forgot they couldn't go over there. Not only could they have plunged to their deaths, they could have taken us with them if the whole floor collapsed. Keep in mind when you go on these hunts, they all make you sign a waiver of liability. So you waive your right to sue due to their or someone else's negligence. There were actually four intoxicated people on that tour and it was like trying to herd cats just moving room to room and floor to floor. It was not enjoyable to anyone. The guides that were supposed to be taking care of things where making it worse. The one guy was thoroughly enjoying the drunk girls rubbing all over him and so he didn't bother to do anything about it. Then there is the blatant misuse of the equipment. I have watched time after time, guides manipulating the equipment to go off because it was getting too boring. To the unsuspecting person you would never know, but for someone who knows how the meters work it's easy to spot. I even called them out on it a time or two and usually I get a condescending "oh, you must be part of a team". Although I am disappointed by what things seem to becoming, I will continue to go on public hunts because I do not believe in trespassing and it is the only way to get your foot into the door of some of these places. I do, however, want to send a word of caution to anyone interested in doing a true investigation. They have become few and far between and unfortunately this circus act seems to be becoming the norm. It is unfortunate that the evolution of this field could become "for entertainment purposes only". True, investigating can be boring, it is after all mostly sitting in an empty room talking to something you can't see or hear just hoping for a response. I understand that we are in an era where most people's only exposure to the paranormal is through a television show. Most of the excitement you see on TV is the best compilation of 3 days worth of footage edited down to 30 minutes of show. So naturally, when all you are ever exposed to is what you see on television, then you think all investigations should be that way and conducted in the manner of whoever's group you are watching. So we have come to a place in time where patience no longer exists and if people aren't fed stories and see flashing lights, then they don't think they've gotten their money's worth and they won't return. If you have ever had a true experience then you know that is doesn't happen on cue. It usually happens when you least expect it and at the most random times and as soon as you think you are going to "catch" it, it disappears. There are no guarantees that you will have any kind of experience in any of these places, but when you go in large groups of unruly people, your chances just dropped from slim to none. Find a reputable place that is well organized and has clear rules of conduct. Find out where the proceeds are going and make sure they are going to a good cause. Find a place where the people are volunteers and they are doing it because of their passion for the field or place. Those will be your best bets for a good experience. I will continue to give public hunts a try in hopes that this trend is a fleeting one and it was just a few bad apples and not the whole bunch. So far the three major places that I can honestly recommend as good apples are St. Albans in Radford Va, Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston WVa and Belle Grove Plantaion in King George Va.
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This is a trip that I waited 14 years to make. I have been a fan of the show Ghost Hunters from the very beginning and in 2004 they did a somewhat controversial episode from Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. I was trained by the TAPS Academy so this place held a special place in my heart. I even bought the hat that said "Dude Run" (which I was going to bring and take a picture with but I forgot to pack it). Several other shows have also done investigations there and found many more bits of evidence. Finally I got to go there on June 28, 2018. I did not do an investigation because I was only in Philly for a few hours, so I did the historical tour. This place is massive and absolutely amazing, and if you ever get the chance to go I would highly recommend it. It takes about 2 hours to get through the whole place and that was moving at a pretty good pace. If you took your time and really spent time at each exhibit it could easily take 3-4 hours. I can only imagine what it would be like at night to be in there. I do plan on making another trip to Philadelphia and possibly doing an investigation.
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AuthorLead investigator for Archivees
September 2018
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