1) Not all "orbs" are paranormal! As I mention on our Definitions page,orb just means a round anomaly. Most are dust, moisture, and other reflective particles. When you're taking a photo, keep it off to the side of you and look in front of the flash. When it goes off you can see all of the lit up particles. We recommend doing studies with your personal camera (seasonal AND dust studies) so you can learn to tell the difference between normal and paranormal. If you want to learn about dust studies and how to conduct them, feel free to email us at GhoulsNightOut.PI@hotmail.com
This orb, for example, is moisture or a drop of rain. It was captured with Sheila's camera at Westlawn. Many, many, many of these were captured that night because it decided to spit rain.
2) When you're using a recorder, set it down and sit or stand close to it. If you keep it in your hand, you'll be able to hear yourself better, but you won't hear anything else. There tends to be a lot of static if the recorders are held. Of course, it depends on your recorder, but this has been our experience. If you're farther away from it, your voice might not be picked up, and there could be an echo. Sit close.
Also, don't move around a lot. Your recorder will pick up more than you realize. If everyone is still, it's so much easier to go over.
3) Audio is hard to go over because you can't see what's going on. "Did I say that? Did she?" Limiting EVP sessions to two investigators makes it so much easier when you're listening. Even adding that last third person makes it 120% tougher. If there is more than two people near the recorder, we recommend two people going over the audio together. And remember to tag! If there's a car on the back road, make a note of it out loud.
4) You don't need horridly expensive equipment to start to conduct your own investigation. Get a cheap digital recorder and a camera. If you want to continue to improve your investigations, start saving and buy something recommended by a friend or relative.
5) Find someone you have good chemistry with to be your investigation buddy. Collecting and then going over evidence takes a while so you don't want to be with someone you don't like. Also, when asking questions during an EVP session, a good partner or team member will be able to build on your ideas and improve them. Shoot for someone who shares your beliefs and is interested in your theories.
6) You never know what will work until you try it. This goes for new technology, techniques, and even questions. Try to be as scientific as possible when trying new techniques or technology. When speaking to energy and asking questions during an EVP session, ask a wide variety of questions. You don't know what someone will respond to. Try asking why they're there, if they were married, what religion they were, if people come to visit often, etc. Energies might ignore questions that don't apply to them, so try to cover everything. If you're getting responses like knocking, try to play the knocking game, because that might be the only way they can communicate. One knock for no, two for yes. If you're trying out dowsing rods, stay still and explain to the energies around you that you want them to cross the rods for a 'yes.'
7) At the beginning of an investigation, introduce yourself. Explain what your equipment does. Let everyone know you're just there to communicate and you mean no harm. If you have a mission (for example, ours is to find out what happens to the human soul/spirit after the death of our bodies; some people's is to connect with lost loved ones) tell them what it is. If a random person came to your house you'd want to know why they were there, right?
