10/15/09

With the onslaught of such paranormal tv shows as "Ghost Hunters," "Paranormal State," and "Destination Truth," has come a renewed interest in the paranormal.

The equipment they utilitze however is very expensive. Here are some less expensive alternatives.

The dowsing rod has been used for centuries primarily for finding water or "water witching."Traditionally made of brass, willow or hazel wood. They can be two separate rods or one configured in a Y shape.

You can make your own dowsing rods by simply cutting two coat hangers, or tree branches. Dowsers can be bought commercially as well.

When using two rods, hold one in each hand by the short end or handle. Allow them to swing loosely to and fro. The idea being that when a "dowser" walks over water, the rods will swing closed and cross, or swing backwards toward the user.

With the Y configuration, take an end in each hand. The third point should be facing outward. When water is found, the front end of the branch will bend down toward the ground.

Now however, dowsers are being used to verifiy spirit activity. It is thought that when an entity is present, this will cause the rods to move as energy from the user is transferred down the rod and is attracted to external energy sources.

Whether you're ghost hunting in the dark and want to see where you're going or perhaps you want to attempt communication with something unseen. You'll want to carry a simple push button flashlight. These can be purchased almost anywhere. Generally under $10. As you can see from the above video, flashlights can be a simple means of communication.

If your hunting other things that go bump in the night you may want an infrared lens. This can easily be made by cutting a circle from an old floppy disc and another from the end of a negative ( clear, no picture). Attach these two circles to the end of your flashlight. You can make a removable lens by fashioning a cardboard cover to fit over the end of your flashlight. Then insert the disk lenses.

The paranormal investigators are in a room and all of a sudden...one of them feels cold. They use their digital thermometer to check temperature readings around the room. Two ghost hunters are walking down a hall and feel something cold pass by them.

Cold Spots are supposedly generated when an entity is trying to manifest. It absorbs the energy around itself thus making the air feel colder.

Wikipedia: EMF or electromagnetic frequency is a field produced by electrically charged objects. It is a combination of electric and magnetic fields.

Low Frequency- radio waves, infrared light

High Frequency - UV light, X-rays

High EMF fields can cause dizziness, pressure, nausea or paranoia.  Some people are more sensitive to these than others regardless of how strong the field is. 

An EMF meter measures AC emf which are emitted from man-made sources such as electrical wiring.

Used commercially to detect eletrical or radiation emissions.

Ghost hunters emf detectors are the same device. They have found that paranormal activity will elicit a reading as well. The device perhaps detects an emf magnetic field. Like the flashlight, it too can be used as a form of communication.

EVP's or electronic voice phenomena is recorded voices heard on playback that have no physical explanation. Recordings are obtained after asking questions, or leaving a device to record in a place suspected of activity.

EVP devices are typical voice recorders. Some can be hooked up to a computer. Using voice enhancement software, the voices are analyzed.

The movie "White Noise" with Michael Keaton demonstrated a different means of communication ( Ghost Box ) with the spirit world. There are paranormal investigators using this method today. Below is a video example.

The "Ghost Box"was designed and created by Frank Sumption.

Ghost boxes can be portable or linked directly to a computer. They are handmade. The one shown below was made with a radio from Radio Shack and a couple of plug-in speakers.

Some investigators who use this device have unwarily invited entities into their homes. Some of those spirits were malicious.

Investigators such as TAPS frown on the "ghost box" for this very reason.

Thermal imaging systems or heat detecting systems, are the most expensive piece of equipment used by investigators. Professional cameras run tens of thousands of dollars. Traditionally utilized by the military and firemen but hand held infrared cameras can also used commercially to detect heat loss in a home.

A thermal or infrared camera detects radiation in the infrared field of the electromagnetic spectrum and produces images of that radiation called thermograms.

This camera can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. But sometimes procurs the most convincing evidence of a haunt.

Destination Truth ventures to the Hoia Baciu Forest in Romania. Close to Transylvania! In the first part of the episode the rent-an-SUV is more like a 4'x4' box which they must cram all of the crew and equipment into.

They attempt to get an aerial view of the forest in an OLD biplane and the roof of the plane literally comes off!

They finally make it to the forest where the fun begins...

Whether you're on location, or in your home trying to capture that ghost, a mini dvr or a spy camera system is what you'll need.

The little spy camera systems can be hooked up to your desktop, laptop, or your vcr to record when your not there.

Have you heard of a place where people hear footsteps only to find no one is there? In one Ghost Hunter's episode, they merely sprinkled flour on the floor where the footsteps occurred and voila, ghostly impressions.

There are a myriad of inexpensive paranormal tracking devices and tricks to use to equip your hunt.

Whether you're going out on the weekend to your favorite haunt spot, or turning a hobby into a business. Ghost hunting can be a very interesting and scary past time.

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