When to Research

All investigators know that research is part of the job.
You've got to know what you are looking for and how to
deal with it once you have found it. The real question, when
it comes to research, is WHEN to do it.
If you are simply ghost hunting, you need to do research in
order to know where to go and when. But if you are on an
investigation, then you need to do your research
afterwards. Here are a few reasons why:

- When you visit a house you want to start off with a clean
slate. You don't want to let the stories about the home limit
what you feel there. For instance, if you read that a little girl
was killed in the home 100 years ago, you'll subconsciously
have that little girl in the back of your mind, and it will taint
your investigation. This forces you to be true to your
feelings, therefore being true to the homeowner.

- If you log every event and detail for later study, you can
then compare those notes with what you find when
researching the history of the home. Not only is your mind
free of predeterminations but you get the satisfying reward
of having your theories match closely with fact. This is a
good way to determine how advanced your sensing
capabilities are coming along.

- You may overlook additional paranormal events because
your mind is closed to them and only open to the events
you read about in your research. For instance, if you know a
man died in a certain closet, you'll probably focus your
investigation in that closet rather than searching the entire
home and finding one other room is WAY more active than
the closet you had read about.

These are perfect reasons not to do research before hand.
When investigating someone's home, make sure to
research a bit about their lives (without prying too much) so
that you can determine if the problem is in their home or
just with them, independantly of their home.

If you're not sure this method is the best, give it a try. It has
made all the difference in what I sense on a case and more
than doubles the reward of an investigation when you find
out that your theory was correct.

Give it a try, and as always, rock on.

- Grant