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Paranormal Safety
by Buck Bannister
It seems sometimes that paranormal groups become so focused on the
paranormal that they neglect the physical. I have
read dozens of articles about how paranormal investigators should
"protect" themselves from ne'er do well spirits. People
have espoused everything from prayers and rosaries to visualizing
psychic energy "bubbles."
However, what I don't see very often are articles reminding paranormal
groups to protect themselves physically during investigations.
To me, the threat of physical injury from unsafe practices is
much greater than that of a ghost "attaching" itself to you
and following you home!
What steps can investigators take to protect themselves during an
investigation and even before setting out for one?
Here are some simple things you can do to make sure you do not come to
harm during an investigation.
Know your fellow investigators! Know with whom
you are setting off on the adventure. With the
popularity of "meetup" sites, there are hundreds of
"paranormal groups" who are collections of fans of TV shows
who want to jump into the field. Many have little or
no training. In such situations, you are putting
yourself in potential danger because you are going to be out with
strangers or near strangers at night and often in isolated areas.
Obviously, you can see the problems in that scenario.
I strongly advise those wanting to get into the field to join a
well-respected and established group. You are much
safer because the people know one another well and there are no
"wild cards" that might show up that someone has never seen
before. Established groups also tend to be much more
respectful of the law and property rights. This
brings me to my next point...
Do not break the Law! Private property is just
that, private. You do not have a free ticket into any
site, building, or ruin because you are calling yourself a "ghost
hunter" or "paranormal investigator". Just
recently, a group of young "ghost hunters" was prosecuted for
breaking into an abandoned amusement park to "investigate"
there.
Likewise, because land is considered "public" that does not
mean you have free reign. National and State Parks
have set hours. You may not enter them after the
posted times without permission. The stories of
groups who have scaled walls or jumped fences to investigate a closed
state or national park sound impressive. While these
feats conjure images of the paranormal equivalent of Indiana Jones, each
was an act of trespassing and had they been caught, particularly on
National Park property they would have faced federal prosecution
involving fines and imprisonment!
Be aware also that some people perceive cemeteries as "public
property." They are not public. Almost
all cemeteries are privately owned or owned by a city or church.
You do not have permission to go into them and conduct an
investigation just because you can get through the gate. The
same holds true of abandoned property. You must
always ask permission. If you do not know who to ask
you need to learn one of the most basic functions of an investigator -
research. Learn to find the property's owner and how
to contact them. If they give you permission, you're
all set. If, on the other hand, they tell you no,
then graciously accept that decision and stay away.
If you are given permission, never do anything on their property that is
illegal or could cause them liability. I don't care
if your "cleansing ritual" calls for you to swig alcohol and
blow fire or something. Don't do it. Likewise,
and I hope no decent investigator would ever do it, do not show up
intoxicated or with alcohol or other drugs in you or on you.
However, going back to the first point, if you do not know who is
accompanying you, you never know what they may be doing!
Watch your step! When investigating old
buildings it is imperative that you be careful of where you step.
Always be sure you know the layout and the location of any
potential hazards. Never go "lights out"
before the entire area has been checked for safety hazards and everyone
clearly instructed on where they are. Better yet,
mark those hazards if possible!
Never work alone! There are two very good
reasons for this rule. The first is it helps
eliminate the potential for fraud by making sure everyone is accounted
for at all times. More importantly, however, it works
as a safety rule. Should one person be injured or
become ill there is another person available to get help immediately.
Watch the cords! Larger groups will run a lot
of cable during an investigation for the remote cameras. These
cords should be taped down if possible (be careful of floors and carpets
though). Make sure you watch where they are and avoid
stepping on them if possible so you don't trip!
Be aware of your surroundings! Always have
someone watching the area when you are working in isolated areas or
outdoors. You never know what kind of people will be
drawn to the activity. Be aware of vagrants in the
area, kids looking for trouble and when working in abandoned areas -
drug dealers and other unsavory types. It is rare
that you will run into problems but it does happen. Be
sure you know where all your people are at all times and don't hesitate
to get help if needed from law enforcement!
Make sure you have a cell phone and it has service in the area where
you are! Everyone these days carries a cell phone
but when you are working in outlying areas be sure you have service!
It will do you no good to need police or an ambulance and not be
able to call 911!
Cut out the Horseplay! As the night wears on
it is tempting to get a little silly on those investigations where
nothing happens. This is especially true of young or
inexperienced groups and investigators. However,
don't give in to the temptation to horse around by trying to scare
others. Do not hide behind doors and jump out or put
bugs down someone's shirt. The reason is quite
simple, suppose you jump out from behind a door and he person you scare
leaps back and trips down some stairs. Would the joke
be funny then? It's best to leave the joking around
until after the investigation is wrapped up.
Use Common Sense! Sure, you really want to get
that camera on top of an old shelf but don't have a step ladder.
What do you do? Do you find another spot to
place it or do you climb on top of the pile of old lumber on the floor
and hope you do not slide off? I hope that you will
use common sense, find another placement, and learn that a step stool is
not a bad thing to put in your kit.
Using common sense will keep you out of a lot of trouble. Think
before you do things and remember that no investigation is ever worth a
trip to the hospital or worse. After all, you are
there to hunt ghosts, not join their ranks because you fell off a table
and broke your neck!
Please be careful out there and remember, you will face a lot more
threats from every day objects than you ever will from ghosts so please
be aware of your physical safety as much as your spiritual safety!
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