How to determine you are dealing with a demonic entity

Is it a demon or not?

This topic seems to become more and more glamorized with the onslaught of Hollywood movies that distort our understanding of demonic hauntings. Now, I enjoy horror movies like many others, and I can even accept some of the Hollywood exaggerations that come with it. However, the reason I am somewhat tolerant of it is because I know better. Studying the signs of a demonic presence requires acumen beyond that of a arm-chair enthusiast of paranormal movies & TV shows. Unless you have fallen victim to a demonic haunting there is no way you can truly know all that can entail its wrath. That is, by chance as a paranormal investigator, you happen to cross paths with one by means of your involvement in a case taken on by you or your team. But, how do you determine that what you are dealing with, in fact, is a demon? The process in doing so can be very arduous while taking its toll on each & every person involved. If you ever suspect you are up against a demonic spirit you better be ready for the long haul and bring your “A” game. It is not for the weak of heart.

Looking at this from a broad scope will best prepare you for the different beliefs, encounters, approach, and methods that have been applied for many millennia. Scores of religions and ancient people have formed their own beliefs / understandings of these entities and their experiences with them.  With this comes many names and a plethora of “demons”, some of which are: Jinn, Se’irim, Shedim, Shedu, Asmodai, Haggadah, Samael, Shayātīn, Iblis, Vetalas, Yakshas, Bhūta, and Pishachas. Knowledge is key to identifying a demon sooner than later. The more you know, the better you are armed for whatever it may throw at you.

Signs of demonic hauntings can be, but not limited to:

• Unexplainable noises knocks, bangs, crashing, growls, and / or guttural sounds.
• Physical manipulation of objects, from being thrown around or at you, to an area being “trashed”.
• Electrical issues such as: repeated faulting lights and appliances, as well as fuses blowing or lights popping.
• Animals may begin to act in abnormally. Growling, barking incessantly, having “accidents”, and subjugating to an invisible force.
• Feelings of oppression, intense anger and disturbing thoughts while in the home or on the property. However, once you leave this area, you immediately “normalize”.
• Photo or video anomalies where photos & video frames prior to and post of the anomaly where light is absorbed and darkness is the background with images of some being in it.
• Foul or unpleasant smells that you cannot determine where it is originating or does not stay in the same area
• Attacks from an unseen force that leaves bruises and scratches on your body for which you cannot explain.
• Visibly seeing an apparition in the form of a human, but has deformed characteristics such as a missing eyes, warped face, and animal parts in the place of where human parts would be, just to name a few.
• Negative reactions to religious / holy artifacts and / or paraphernalia like that mentioned above.

If the majority of these traits are found, it would most definitely indicate that you are dealing with a demonic entity. Now the real work begins…getting rid of it. I will cover the steps you should take with my follow up article called “Dealing with and ousting a demon” in the near future, so stay tuned!

 

Important Tips Regarding Paranormal Research / Investigating

Important Tips Regarding Paranormal Research / Investigating

1.  First and foremost, always get written permission to search the premises. Verbal permission is not sufficient. I would highly recommend creating an “Investigation Permission Form” that should be completely filled out and signed by the owner / manager / authorized personnel as well as a member of your team / organization as this serves as a temporary but written contract granting permission to be on the site to perform a paranormal investigation.

2.  Always carry identification. This is mainly common sense, but it’s mainly for the reasons that if you’re on a investigation which could be an abandoned building to a grave yard and you or your team are approached by a local law official. The officer can then verify with the site owners that you are with said team / organization and have permission to be on the site. Refer to the above written agreement with the owner / manager/ authorized personnel.

3.  Never go alone. Things could get dangerous. Not just in a spiritual sense, but if you’re investigating an old & decrepit building for example, it could be a structural hazard. In some scenarios, it may be deemed precautionary for each person to have a cell phone on their person. In normal situations it is always good for investigators to leave cell phones off. It should only be used in an emergency and only if the Two-way radio cannot reach back to the intended recipient. Remember also, the living comes first. Never put yourself or anyone else in danger.

4.  Make sure that your equipment is always clean. This procedure will rule out some of the possibilities of a “false artifacts” and ruining your credentials when reporting your findings / evidence back to your team. Your ability to effectively investigate, review and build a strong dependable rapport starts first within the organization you represent. From there, as a group you can stand unified in the same abilities when presenting your evidence to your clients and possibly the world.

5.  Promote positive energy and always be respectful of the deceased. Spirits / ghosts are more likely to manifest themselves or communicate if you don’t pose a threat to them. Sometimes using provocation is a necessary tactic and can be employed when an investigator deems it worthwhile to elicit a specific reaction.

6.  Interview witnesses and try to get the full story. Be objective; try to find a natural cause to the claims or events. Try to debunk the situation in a professional and respectful manner. Remember, these folks want to know why their home / business or property has activity / strange happenings and are generally concerned about it. Especially if they have children. It is not your place to be condescending, but it is your place to be analytical.

7.  Cigarettes, alcohol or drugs do NOT belong on the site. Cigarette smoke is one of the main causes of a false artifacts and drinking will ruin the credibility and professional image that your organization wants to uphold. If you are a smoker, designate a safe area or time for you to smoke so as not to corrupt any investigation site being worked. Even if the owner / manager/ authorized personnel tells you it is ok, you must still (for the sake of paranormal research) respectfully stay the course.

8.  If the recording device you are using utilizes a tape media, then it is essential that you always use fresh / new audio and video tapes. This ensures a clean and quality recording and keeps things from being cross-contaminated from previous recordings.

9.  Every member and guest(s) on the investigation should audibly “tag” what they see and hear. If someone sneezes or mist forms in front of you, then it needs to be audibly pointed out. Try to determine what was the origin of the sound or at the least that you acknowledge it. That way, at the end of each investigation, it can speed up the review process so you’re not wasting time & resources on false artifacts.

10.  Never wear perfume, cologne or any distinct scent; because a lot of experiences are from a spirit letting you know that it’s there by using some sort of fragrance. Prior studies have shown an association of pleasant scent suggests a pleasant spirit. A sudden foul odor usually has suggested that it is possibly malevolent.

11.  Keep plenty of batteries with you is smart as you may find someone or something else stealing power from the batteries in your equipment. Also, if you have all the necessary tools and equipment you are ready for most anything that you may come across. Being ready means you have more time to investigate and not spending it running back & forth for supplies or gear.

12.  Never come to a conclusion on site. It’s best to weigh in all the evidence collected and compare notes before coming to a conclusion. Reserve any on site conclusions or personal opinion until all photos, videos, and audio have been studied / reviewed. If asked for an opinion, a suggested response (and really your honest frame of thinking as well) should be, “We’ll try to find out what’s making this happen.” It’s not good to say it’s paranormal until the case has been completed and time for the reveal of evidence to the client. You may find that additional follow up investigations are necessary in order to really get a full understanding of what may or may not be going on. So keep that in mind as well.

Tips for capturing E.V.P.’s

1.  Set the recording device down on a level plane, this will rule out vibrations, shuffling and movement on the devices’ body from an unsteady hand.

2.  Speak clearly, never whisper. Whispering is a nightmare to differentiate during the analysis phase.

3.  Audibly note any sound heard or anomaly seen.

4.  Do NOT wear or carry noisy items. (i.e.: jewelry, change, loud clothing or shoes, etc.)

5.  Always state time, date, physical location and who’s present (living that is) when you begin recording.

6.  Always record in short sessions. This way it will be easier to review.

7.  Ask simple questions and allow approximately 20 seconds for an answer.

Example questions to ask…

·         Anyone here that would like to answer some questions?

·         Are you male or female?

·         What is your name?

·         Are you married?

·         Can you make a noise for me/us?

·         Can we take a picture of you?

·         Do you want us to leave?

·         Do you know you’re dead?

·         What year is it?

·         Why do you like it here?

·         Do you want to leave this place?

·         How did you die?

·         Would you like for us to pass a message along to someone?

These are just a few tips for catching a really good EVP. Remember, friendly spirits are more willing to communicate if you give off positive energy. Try to team up male / female and take turns answering questions. Sometimes spirits will most likely respond to one sex more than the other. Yelling or threatening a spirit is a gamble, because even if they’re friendly they can become agitated and could possibly pose harm.  It may be that they are frightened or intimidated and in turn decide not to commune with you. In the event you are dealing with something darker or potentially malevolent, this may be the it needed to take things to the next level. A level you or your team may not want or be prepared for. That’s why it’s better to ask short and simple questions. Stray away from long and thoughtful ones. Less is more.

Tips for photo / video recording

1.  Avoid taking video or stills during any kind of weather conditions (rain, snow, hail, sand storm) or where smoke is visible.

2.  Hold your breath when taking stills on a cold night.

3.  Hold the camera still. Movement will distort the photo.

4.  Avoid taking photos of shiny or reflective things.

5.  Learn and know what your equipment can and cannot do. Test it out before going on a hunt.

6.  Never take a photo or anything towards a light. It will create a glare and destroy any possible evidence you may or may not have.

So, there you have it. These tips will really help you keep focused on what you set out to do while making things easier for you & your team in the long run. Think smarter, not harder.

 

Best practice when contacting potential clients via email

Something I always try to pound into my team is best practices. Always putting forth your best effort is the right thing to do when you are proactively working a potential case or with an existing client. Why, you ask. Simple…don’t be just any ole “ghost hunter”. In these days & times, ghost hunters come a dime a dozen. What makes you any different or worthwhile of a your potential clients time when considering having you or your team (strangers) in their home or business? Professionalism. This encompasses a lot, but none the less what you are striving for is some of the core fundamentals that are essential to winning a client over and proving you are different than Pacho’s Paranormal Posse. You want to come across educated, poised / confident, respectful, and sincere. Not like a high school drop out who smokes weed all day and watches Jerry Springer. To many folks out there claim providing a professional atmosphere but come across through their emails like a monkey punching a keyboard. Ok, so enough about that, lets just get into it.

The first step when contacting a potential client is to conduct an email (keeping it as sweet and short as possible, as you don’t want to bore, overwhelm and / or discourage them from reading the email) which is:

1. Professional (spelling, grammar, etc.)
2. Introduces you and / or your organization
3. Show the potential client you’ve studied their home / building / property by giving details and / or compliments about it specifically
4. Outlines what you’d like to do while visiting / investigating
5. Offer to talk more about your team doing an investigation further via email or phone (leaving the next method of communication up them) and touch on the fact the you’ll cover more details at that point
6. Make sure to include your phone # or if your organization has main line, give that as well

You see, it doesn’t have to be labor intensive or exhausting for them to read. It merely needs to get to the nuts & bolts of who you are, why you are contacting them and your interests.  Now, there will be some scenarios where calling them is more ideal. The reason I like for my team to email first is that it gives them an opportunity to think about it, where as a phone call comes across a little more aggressive (think about your experiences with phone solicitors). In most of these scenarios, you are contacting them as the party interested in doing an investigation at their home / building / property because it is known for being haunted or seems ideal for an investigation. You have no way to know for sure if they are currently interested or even open to paranormal investigations for many reasons that are unknown to you. Additionally, it might be timing. If you catch them at a bad time you might just get a brash reaction followed with the proverbial hang-up “click”.

*Note: None of this guarantees you will secure the case, but it sure will help you stick out differently than so many other groups who lack tact and common sense.

Preparedness…what does it mean & how does it affect your clients?

As the Founder of a paranormal group, I am always trying to tighten down and close gaps. It my belief that a well oiled machine is a well used machine. As our organization grows it will continue to add to the dynamics of how we operate as a team and how we perform during each case. Each case and each phase of it (which P.O.R.T. has 8 Phases that each new case must go through) requires that we are prepared. I would like to open a virtual round table discussion right now on what you think, as a paranormal investigator, you need to do to make sure your are best prepared for a case. The exercise, I am confident, you will find useful as it gets the cogs turning in our heads to think through how a new case should be approached when trying to use investigative techniques as well as a scientific angle. From those who have been doing it for awhile to those who haven’t, you should gain a more broadened aspect. It is always fascinating to see what each person comes up with for answers, while at the same time seeing what angles each of us approach these questions from. Add your answer(s) via your own comment to this post . Thanks!

1. What do you think is needed to be prepared for a Walkthrough?
2. What kind of questions do you think are crucial to the Research phase?
3. Where do you look for information / history on a person?
4. Where do you look for information / history on a home, building, or piece of land?
5. On cases where we use our Psychic / Medium (Tera), what information do you think she needs to know about the case?
6. What should you be thinking about in regards of what to bring with you to an investigation?
7. What should you know about the case the day of the investigation?
8. How does preparedness affect our clients?