Collaboration: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Collaboration. The idea of working together for a specific goal. It seems like it would be a no brainer and would probably push the field further than by just doing it alone doesn't it? Well the main component of collaboration is bringing people together and in today's world that is a mean feat. There are a lot of components to consider when you collaborate with a free lance investigator or another paranormal team, you can't just jump into it with no forethought.

First, not everyone has similar goals. While this is probably the excuse or example given by many either side of the debate, it is an important subject to ponder. If you are in the field of paranormal investigation simply to experience paranormal phenomena and you have no interest in documenting any variables, working with a team that does document everything may not be in your wheelhouse or in your best interest. Does the free lance investigator or team create documentaries or do lives? Not everyone is interested in publicizing themselves. Some do quiet research happy with nerding out on EMF spikes, building IR lights, or just focusing on collecting EVP in controlled settings. Despite what you tell yourself not everyone is in it for the same reasons or goals, and not everyone goes about their "study" in a fashion that works for every investigator. If you want to branch out to doing more or different things in the paranormal field, be prepared for what that may look like.

Second, are they authentic? Let's be honest about this one thing, I have met and interacted with some of the worst human beings in this field. Like the spirits who latch on an destroy lives, these people feed off of creating chaos and pushing buttons. Narcissism, personality disorders, dishonestly, fakes, frauds, and generally horrible people riddle the field and you may not know if they are one until you are chin deep in their vitriol. You really have to vet who you work with and unfortunately the worst ones use "paranormal unity" as their blanket excuse for why you are required to work with everyone. Beware the folks that create cliques and cult-like groups who gather well known paranormal "celebs" to create their backdrop of high school popularity to maintain a reputation of "good people". This happens more than you know and there are a lot of snakes out there.

Third, are they honest? This kind of goes hand in hand with authentic, but it also delves into the idea that they are only using you for one goal, a stepping stone. I'm not going to sugar coat it, I personally have spent almost 15 years working my ass off for my paranormal team to have the reputation that it does. The things you see me post on this page is my intellectual property. I have sacrificed a lot of family and friend time in order to focus on a field of study that I am passionate about. I give most of this information freely. I have had people take my blogs, website pages, historical research, photos, and other intellectual property to use as their own. These are people I have trusted and collaborated with. It gives you a bad taste in your mouth when you give freely only to be slapped in the face.

Fourth, your house or ours? Collaboration should mean that each party brings a set of skills or tools to round out the research. Whether it is material things like location or equipment, knowledge like work experience or seasoned investigators, and/ or psychic abilities. There should always be a give and take with collaboration with each party filling in the other parties shortcomings. (Note: This is going to be different with a mentorship to a team or individual.)

In conclusion, not everyone is the same and not everyone is trustworthy. Choose wisely and go to nose to the ground working on your individual goals, then supplement with others when location or case needs another level of research. Find people who are authentic, honest, have similar goals, are motivated, and are willing to do the work.

Rebecca Boyer

Co-Founder/ Case Manager

Antietam Paranormal Society