Identify A Good Location

Identify a Good Location

Why is it that most paranormal groups these days go looking for the most talked about most visited, most done to death locations that have usually been visited by that paranormal ‘entertainment’ program Most Haunted?  It always staggers me! 

If you think about it, and if we go along with the idea for a minute that ghosts/spirits actually exist, why on earth would they keep coming out to play night after night?  I know I’d be pretty fed up with having to answer the same questions over and over especially if the groups asking acted like those on the above mentioned program!  These locations also usually tend to charge the earth and you normally find that because they have been done to death they are as flat as a pancake, either that, or the location itself has been hyped up so much it could never live up to it’s reputation!

There are, however, some excellent locations out there, that have a fabulous history and which have never been investigated before.  This is the kind of location I prefer to go to. The above mentioned ones are ok for training investigations, that is, to see how your team is working, to try new ideas/experiments etc. and you might even gain some good evidence from them but far better and more interesting to investigate a location which has been left alone for the most part.

Where to look?

Museums etc. are an excellent place to start.  These can often be located in some very historical buildings and even if they themselves are not of a paranormal interest then they will usually have some excellent information about other locations in the area which might be.  Libraries too are a good source of information on local places of interest.  The internet is the next port of call and can often give you information that couldn’t be found anywhere else, like personal accounts and so on.

How to Contact

Now once you find a place you think might be of interest the next step is contacting them!  You can do this via email or on the phone but personally I prefer face to face!  This way you can meet them, they can see the kind of person you are, how you conduct yourself and you can also take along some references from past investigations you have done or even an old report so they can see the way you work.  The first thing to do in this instance is to make a few general enquiries, such as asking the staff on the desk etc. if they have ever had any reports of anything odd going on.  I normally find that they are most forthcoming with information and stories, and even if they don’t know anything they are usually interested in what I do and how I do it. 

If the location is one in which the public can visit this is quite easy to do, if not then a phone call is needed.  This makes it a little harder in that it’s not so personal and far easier for them to say no thank you and put the phone down but the best way to tackle this is to have something written down, especially if you are a little lacking in confidence or are new to doing this.  Having something written can help you not only feel more in control but also you will come across as sounding professional in your approach.

The wording needs to be unique to you and your group, but from experience I would advise a small brief about who you are and what you do, followed by your request.  Most people will either, hand you over to someone higher in authority, take your details and say they’ll get back in touch or they will already have a brief themselves to give to such groups.  After doing this a few times you will get used to responses and you’ll eventually understand the right ways in which to approach and also how to persuade!  I once befriended a lady over the course of three months but eventually gained access to her venue, and as a consequence another high security location so sometimes it is worth the time and effort but with practise you’ll know when to and when to quit while you’re ahead.  As a point of interest, that lady is now a very good friend! 

Good luck with your sourcing!

© County Society for Paranormal Investigation and Research - 2008


Last Updated 27/07/2008