Ghost Hunting: A BAD IDEA

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Dozens of times, from diverse sources, I’ve been advised not to go looking for things best left alone. Because you might just find them.

I know that TV and YouTube ghost hunters make ghost hunters look glamorous, but you will, inevitably, see something faked, or, more often, not see something edited from the final cut that should be food for thought, or rethinking what you are considering. And this time of year, ghost hunters, from beginners to veteran players, amp up their interest in the subject. And it’s just not advisable. There are some cardinal rules to this kind of misadventure, and all of them are routinely disregarded. Let’s begin with the basics.

THE HAZARDS

First rule: NEVER GO ALONE

This is for the exact same reason cavers, urbexers and hunters of game shouldn’t sally forth on their own: you’re risking your life. And if no one knows where your destination is, search parties won’t know where to look. Your name gets added to the missing persons statistics sheet and that’s it.

Are you trespassing? Before hunting in private forests, you must secure permission by the owner. Most will make you sign a waiver or hold harmless agreement. It leaves you responsible for anything and everything you do. That’s a tight place to be. Even bank anglers face the risk of trespassing and personal injury. Get permission. Taking fish or game from private property is poaching.

The worst offenders are urban explorers. An “abandoned” factory may still be owned by someone who has electronic and roving guard security. You’re going to be caught, fined or shot. That’s the dumbest risk I think I’ve ever seen. YouTube should ban such misadventures. They encourage others. They’re influencers.

Next up is your team. Can’t just be a bunch of testosterone-pumped alpha males; you have to choose a team. This must consist of a person trained in, at the very least, basic emergency first aid. Trips, falls, cuts, eye injuries and broken bones have happened. Deaths have resulted. If first-aid is not rendered on-scene and medics called in, serious consequences may be involved. A leg wound can turn gangrenous, and you know what that means. A head injury may seem slight but end in death.

Your field medic should carry a canvas bag with shoulder straps and include sutures, a collapsible cane, large and small field dressings, emergency blankets, adhesive bandages, sulfa, iodine and BZK swabs, hemostats, gauze rolls, tourniquet, BP cuff, aspirin, stethoscope, pen light for checking pupils, splints with cravats, insect sting relief, burn gel, two large bottles of eye wash, oval eye patches, atropine and anakit and an emergency channel radio. A flare gun is essential. Serious injuries are a race against time. Never be so isolated that help is too far away.

Hazardous substances like old, flaking asbestos fibers or residual hazardous materials may be present. Protective gear must be worn. It may consist of a full hazmat suit, or a hard hat and filter mask with cannister filters. Safety glasses. A suit to protect your clothing from dragging out insects, asbestos and deteriorated fiberglass. Once finished, you use the buddy system to sweep each other off before shedding the suit.

A gas meter must be carried by one member and monitored by someone who’s been trained. It should usually be calibrated for flammables but poisons can be present as well. Remember that these meters are unable to register a spectrum of material and first you need to research to see what might be present.

A person trained for spiritual warfare. If confronted by evil entities, they’ll scare you, and could even attack. Prayer before you begin and a spiritual warrior can help you escape with no demons following you home.

Even the TAPS team has experienced demonic attachment and had trouble at home. Therefore:

Do not challenge, insult or provoke spirits during your investigation. Never. You may get away with it for so long that you lose your perspective and worse, respect for things you’ll never understand. Ghost hunting is not instructional. It’s just dangerous.

Never have a spirit session, the circle. Never use a spirit or ouija board. Never call on anything to appear to you. Again, you can get away with it a hundred times, but keep it up and one day you’ll regret it. This is not always the case, but when it is the case, what happens next is life-changing and never for the better.

Screen members of your team. Anyone who suffered from trauma, has depression or problems with phobias shouldn’t go. Demonic entities feed on their raw, unguarded emotions and confusion or fear. That is not the ideal situation.

Stay away from ghost tours. Those guides typically lie and you don’t get to investigate anyway.

Never, ever, go alone. Even your team must carry extra batteries, cell phones with manual crank chargers. Walkie talkies, and two monitors outside at all times.

Avoid old sanitariums and hospitals. There’s never anything good there. The environment is nasty if not dangerous, and demons probably will be there.

Never investigate cemeteries. Especially at night! Legend-tripping or ghost hunting in a graveyard is a pretty arrogant thing to do. You’re on ground consecrated to the dead and anything that moves will be a problem at least, a danger at most. Besides. What do you think you’re going to find?

In prayer, join hands and ask God for help. Ask for permission. If you don’t know, don’t go. Playing games with your life isn’t a thing I suspect He takes lightly. In that case, crosses, rosaries and holy water won’t help you. You will have to proceed without help. Testing God is a grave sin.

Consider staying home or having a get-together with your friends. Nothing beats Pizza, buttered popcorn or something to snack on and a scary movie.

A ghost hunt is not worth risking environmental damage to your health, bodily harm, or your life. It’s just a bad idea, and you may not be the one, or the only one, to pay the price.