Paranormal Investigator Magazine Issue I | Page 18

Paranormal Investigator Magazine
Let’s draw a distinction between types of paranormal investigators. Most paranormal groups
will not admit it, but they are performing investigations primarily for fun and entertainment. There
is usually no money involved and they rarely
provide a practical service. In these cases, there
is probably little harm done to the participants
by spending a spooky evening with friends and
indulging in a bit of fantasy. However, there may
be a great deal of harm done to the occupants.
They may be living in fear where unsubstantiated conclusions can only validate their fears unnecessarily.

Most paranormal groups will not
admit it, but they are performing
investigations primarily for fun
and entertainment.

The key here is to approach each investigation
as a non-believer and do everything you can to
find legitimate causes for each unusual event.
You must also understand your own psychological shortcomings. When the dust settles and
things still don’t have viable explanations, allow
others outside the group an opportunity to analyze the data. Once you have dissected the
evidence without finding a rational explanation,
then you may have something truly remarkable.
Plus, it will stand up to the scrutiny of others.
Paranormal research is like treasure hunting.
If you find a chunk of metal covered with dirt
and mud, you don’t announce you have found
a Spanish doubloon until you have thoroughly
cleaned it. It could be just an old button. However, many in the paranormal community would
rather place that chunk of dirt in a display case
and just believe it’s gold.

On the other side, investigators and researchers
that are delving into this for academic or personal discovery should take steps to avoid the pitfalls that skew their conclusions. Many of these
steps are simple but require self-control for all
participants. In essence, this would be the scientific method.
Investigators should limit conversation or discussing events during the session. You may
have faith in yourself, but psychological studies
and tests consistently show that all of us are
subject to suggestion. If someone says a sound
was a voice, you may stop your internal analysis
and agree. Alternatively, take notes and compare them well after the investigation. If everyone agrees they heard the same thing, then it is
better to reach that conclusion individually and
without peer pressure.
The same thing holds true for recorded evidence. Individuals, not groups should review
photos and audio files and not discuss opinions
with others. Something like suggesting there is a
face in a window will prime other viewer’s mind
to be looking for a face. Ghost box sessions will
probably produce fewer confirmed voices if participants take notes rather than blurting out what
they think they heard.
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BIO for Dave Mace
Dave Mace is a paranormal
researcher
and hosts “Outside
the Veil”, a podcast
about true ghost stories. He has a profound interest in anything paranormal and
has since he was five.
In his adult life, he has been able to merge
this with eighteen-years of law enforcement experience, computer expertise and
knowledge of photography to develop a
no-nonsense approach to paranormal research. He accepts that the world is full of
wonderful and unusual events, but views
most sightings as misinterpreted facts or
self-delusion. Dave believes that through
critical thinking skills and the application
of analytical standards we can discover
the truth about the unknown.