Why Should Paranormal Investigations Be Free?
A client reaches out to request our team to do a paranormal investigation of their location. There are claims of disembodied voices, footsteps, doors opening and closing, shadow figures, feelings of unease, and objects disappearing. The team has enough information with a detailed interviews and with the client's goals in mind is able to schedule the investigation Once the investigation was scheduled a team of historic researchers established a detailed outline of deeds dating back to the early 1800s, did extensive genealogy of the associated individuals and families, surveyed maps and geological studies, observed and read texts regarding any historical significance in the area, and attempted to validate client claims. All of this information was gathered through hours of research online, at the library, at a local historical society, and various interviews of knowledgeable individuals. (Note: When doing research my team and I have spent upwards of 20-100 hours to provide the client with a detailed write up of the research gathered.) The case file that began with interview statements, questionnaires, and any communications; will now also include this detailed outline of the history which also includes supporting documents regarding the clients claims. The Case Manager and another team lead will then do a walk through of the location noting any safety concerns, hazards, disrepair, possible debunking efforts, hot spots, taking pictures, documenting the layout, and formulating plans for the investigation set up. Post walk through the investigation plan will be formed to delegate tasks, create a detailed outline of equipment set up, team breakdowns/sessions, objectives and goals, and any rules or guidelines needed for the investigation. As the Case Manager I will be putting the plan in the case file and gathering the necessary documents for the investigation. Our documents include a data log, weather log, team activity log, baseline outline, liability waivers, confidentiality agreement, and pre/post investigation checklists. The night of the investigation we arrive at the location and begin with the client signing forms (unless they were completed at the walk through), a team walk through and debrief prior to set up. The debrief will include the revision of task delegation. (Note: Each member/ investigator has a job and it is outlined in the plan. There are clear tasks for everyone.) Set up begins and is usually completed in 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the location and any issues we may have. Set up includes stationary cameras, stationary recorders, motion sensors, and vibration sensors. Once set up is complete the investigation begins. After the investigation the tear down begins and is completed in 15-20 minutes, the car is packed. We do a final sweep of the location, brief the client and we are on our way home. Post investigation we have to upload all video, audio, and data logged information into our computers. We review all data and put it in an investigation report (each team member is required to run audio, review their audio, and complete an investigation report which is then reviewed again and added to the Final Report done by the case manager.) Note: Investigation review can take anywhere from 50-120 hours, the investigation final report takes about 8-12 hours to complete. The case file for that investigation then is complete. The final report will include baselines, location notes, weather data, moon data, investigator roster, times, locations of team movement, anomalous data, paranormal experiences, debunking efforts, psychic impressions, and the full outline of historical/ geographical information. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. It usually takes more than one investigation.
I know that may have been a lot of information but when you look at those protocols and procedures we have in place, it does seem we do an extensive amount of work in order to help someone in their home or business. So why don't we charge for the service? No matter how much work we do, there is never a guarantee that any of the information we obtain during the investigation is proof of anything. Not only that but there is no guarantee we will get anything at all, spirits aren't trained monkeys. Do we get anomalous data? Yes, does it tell us anything with full clarity? No. We have many synchronicities and correlated results which is hard to deny, but it IS NOT PROVEN!
Let's set the stage for what it means to provide a service at a charge, or basically make paranormal investigation a business. Money has a way of bringing the government into it. When you accept money for a service you may be required to have a business license, tax identifications, insurance, certificates to operate, licenses to provide a service, and more. There can be many laws that require you to fulfill certain obligations once you start taking money. So what if I want to have all of the proper licenses and certifications, then can I charge? Well, remember one valuable thing, when you provide a service; clients expect results. Can you without a doubt give honesty and factual results to the client that will help them and resolve their issues every time? When it comes to paranormal investigation that is an absolute NO. We all can with the best of our ability attempt to help them and provide them with answers, but most of our results are subjective to what we already know. What if you investigate and you get no results? The client could be lying about the entire situation and just wanted their own live action ghost adventures in their home. They could just be interested in the paranormal and decide to make a stink when things don't go their way! (Isn't this the way of things in our society?) This leads to the potential that if you don't get results, will you feel the need to embellish or fabricate results to validate the client? Not everyone is trustworthy or reliable. A perfectly honest team could charge a fee and do everything as I outlined above. Seeing that team charge, a fly-by-night team that doesn't even have the courtesy to share results with the client could charge the same amount without doing any work or anything to help. There could be some serious ethical conundrums in a field that has no database for investigators, a BBB, or a way to protect the naive and vulnerable who are experiencing something terrifying in their home.
What if I want to charge for travel expenses and lodging for clients who are not close to where I live? I honestly recommend teams and investigators leaving those far away investigations for trusted teams in those areas. I always want to remind teams that you may not be helping these individuals by taking money from them, it may put them in an even more difficult place. Additionally if they continue to have issues you may have to return which puts an even greater burden on the client and yourself. I have referred many cases out of the area to trusted teams in the client's area, that have resolved their cases satisfactorily. However, if you are someone they trust and they want you or your team, gather copies of your travel expenses and submit them to the client for reimbursement. Keep records and notes of these transactions with a signed agreement/ disclosure between you and the client. Most of the paranormal community will agree that you shouldn't be making money off of those having issues, but if the client is in agreement to reimburse you, be sure to do the work to the best of your ability to meet the goals of the client.
What about teams charging for ghost hunts or private events? There are many paranormal teams that are brought into historic locations as liaisons for paranormal events and ghost hunts. This is another situation where if the team is accepting money for themselves, they need to have the proper certifications, licenses, etc. to be doing this type of business. If the team is gathering the money, it should be going to the location for preservation and maintenance of the location.
What about locations charging US to investigate? Locations may charge or collect a fee for renting or for use of their building, in most cases they already have a business in place with proper licenses or credentials. There is nothing wrong with an organization that owns a historic building to charge others to use their location. It has become a fantastic way for historic locations to survive to fundraise through paranormal events, creating a new pathway for preservation!
What if we have to pay a location to use their facility, can we charge others to cover that cost? I wasn't going to include this in the blog, but if you gather a group of people together to investigate a building and that organization requires you pay a fee, YES. Anyone attending an investigation that had a rental fee should pay a portion of the cost. HOWEVER, if a team gets the location for free or charges it's members/ investigators a fee or a higher fee than what was required, that is unethical. I saw a paranormal team once that charged it's members to go on private residence investigations, yes. The members paid a yearly fee then paid per investigation regardless if the location required a fee or not. It was reprehensible.
In the end I personally feel that it is best NOT to charge anyone for your team to do a paranormal investigation. Locations that may be out of your area should be referred to a local team. While we do provide a valuable service, we cannot guarantee any outcome for the client. If you plan to make your paranormal team a business remember to follow the proper laws and get the appropriate credentials. Let's make sure that we maintain a field of professional, honest, and motivated researchers who have one goal in mind. To help others with their paranormal needs.
Co-Founder/ Case Manager
Antietam Paranormal Society
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