Ghost Hunting - Thrills for Some, Frights for Others

Halloween is fast approaching. Spook houses, ghost hunts, haunted corn mazes, and other paranormal activities abound here in the Valley of the Sun this time of year. I spent a good amount of time in my child/teen years creating haunted houses to scare others on Halloween, and I have many paranormal stories that were handed down in my family. Not only do I use my experiences in my books, but ghost hunting is a lot of fun this close to Halloween and I always love the thrill of the chase. But not everyone is excited with possible ghostly activity, especially in their own home, which is why some will call paranormal investigators like me in to help.

While the team I'm with looks forward to each hunt, we have to remember that some people are truly frightened by the activity they're experiencing. Some hope it's real, others don't. I suspect fear is also a reason why some homeowners cancel after requesting an investigation, answering a slew of questions, and finally being accepted, even if it means losing out on a chance to understand what's causing the activity that's scaring them. Sadly, the latest homeowners did just this and backed out of an investigation my paranormal group were supposed to do. It happens more than we like and is disappointing, especially when we've done all the preparations and get a call at the last minute, but we accept it and don't push them into doing something they're not comfortable with.

This makes 3 investigations in a row that were cancelled once I signed on. I'm beginning to wonder if someone in the afterlife is avoiding me. Do I have a reputation as a kick-butt investigator that can send the ghosts packing? While that sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a plot-line for a TV show, I hope not. Ghosts running from me would be bad news, since I'm trying to catch evidence of them. And it would greatly decrease fodder for my books.

This latest cancellation isn't the end-all of ghost hunts for this year, not by far. In fact, now that it's closer to Halloween, things are heating up around here. Local businesses often allow people in to investigate their properties. Sometimes it's just for fun, but sometimes the places have a lot of activity. You just never know what you might find, and I'm not one to skip opportunities.

I'm attending two ghost talks this week, and Halloween weekend I'm participating in a hunt at a local hotel that's purported to be haunted. Then in November I have a much bigger investigation with a member of the Ghost Hunters Academy team, one of the actual Amityville house survivors, and several others who are influential in the paranormal field. That will be a fantastic night. Of course, I'll blog all about these investigations once we're finished, and post photos and any EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) I'm lucky enough to pick up. I'm excited and really hope we get some good stuff.

If you've even been curious about what a ghost hunt is like, I urge you to check out postings in your local area. While most might be for fun and games, you can ask questions and gain experience taking photos and EMF readings. And who knows, you just might get a ghostly surprise when you go over those photos later.

Happy hunting and have a safe and frightfully fun Halloween!