Got Ghosts? You Aren't Gonna Find Out!
REPUTATION
I think one of the most common refusals for investigations is that the location does not want to be known for ghosts or hauntings. Many of these locations already have a certain clientele from which they receive their funding or even an organization that backs their existence, it may be off putting to have it labeled as haunted. This isn't just the location being labeled as "haunted" or having paranormal activity, it also paints the representative/owner in a different light. There are skeptics that think it's weird and off-putting, which in turn would make them lose face or clients. On a more complicated view, some locations do not want the historic preservation or information to be buried beneath the idea that the location is haunted or has paranormal activity. We all can see how it can take over very quickly with multiple teams coming in each week. I will also add that in our current climate of paranormal investigation teams, locations don't want the term DEMON or DEMONIC to be thrown about in regards to their location. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that pretty much none of them even have activity that could even closely be considered demonic, paranormal teams/investigators these days just love to use a hot button word to get attention. Leading us into the potential that the activity could be misrepresented by the team and the client is left picking up the pieces of their reputation. Another reason why I attempt to educate people on how they approach paranormal investigation and forming conclusions. The desire for self-aggrandizement that exists due to social media is astonishing. This includes wedding venues, museums, well known historic locations, short-term accommodations, event complexes, government buildings, police stations, fire halls, stores, etc.
INSURANCE/LIABILITY
Another common reason for locations not allowing investigations is the liability and having to adhere to insurance requirements. Maybe they don't want the risk of having people traipsing through their halls or maybe their insurance doesn't allow for non-members/ employees to be in the location. We do have to take into account we don't own the building and the client is assuming all risk essentially. In our sue happy world no one is a winner.
HAZARDS/ SAFETY
This reason is really similar to an insurance or liability issue. There are many locations that are out there abandoned and have fallen into disrepair. Many people who see an old decrepit building automatically think 'ghosts' but not all clients are willing to let you step foot on the property. And yes, ALWAYS GET PERMISSION. If they say no, don't go. These locations could do you more harm than good and may even be slow killers. Asbestos, questionable floor/stairs/foundation, infestations, dangerous materials, fire hazards, etc. They aren't saying no to be rude, they are protecting you and themselves.
UNWANTED ATTENTION
As with hazards and safety, sometimes owners/representatives don't want the unwanted attention that a paranormal investigation team may give them. While confidentiality agreements would combat this, there is always the potential that the team isn't trustworthy. Would you take that risk? Probably not. Sharing locations in a public manner will always run the risk of unauthorized individuals breaking in, vandalizing, stealing, or being a nuisance. Our team has had people show up uninvited because they saw things on social media, which has prevented us from sharing details of our locations prior to the investigations. It has even made us question whether we want to share them at all! This is one reason I don't share locations we haven't investigated, unless they are pay-to-play. They haven't given me permission to share the details of their particular situation and I don't know the validity of it. I don't give unnecessary attention to places that haven't given express permission for me to do so.
SKEPTICS/ RELIGIOUS BELIEF
As with anything there will always be the detractors. The supposed level-headed people who say there is no such thing as ghosts. We aren't here to convince anyone that ghosts exist, but we are here to validate or debunk experiences the clients have. So when they are hardcore non-believers, it isn't our job to attempt to change their mind. In many of these situations in this blog you may be able to sway people, but in this instance you just have to hang it up. You aren't getting into that location and you don't want to deal with this client. This works similarly to people who have religious beliefs that either don't believe there are ghosts (they are all demons) and the individuals that think you are witches or devil worshipers for doing paranormal investigation. Either way, steer clear of these locations. If I am honest these people will put you on the defensive and possibly make you cynical (as I am being right now). It gets old after a while, so I am a bit bitter about extreme views like these in regards to what I do as a paranormal investigator.
PRESERVATION/ CONSTRUCTION/ CHANGE IN FOCUS
While these two are drastically different things, they are essentially the same when it comes to some historical locations. There are a few locations we have actively investigated through the years that welcomed us and then had to change their policy. On one arm it is heart rending on the other we LOVE it. When it comes to historic preservation there is a lot of requirements for renovation and construction. This means that at some point they may have to change their focus and that is alright. We just enjoy what we have experienced and move on. Sometimes they say no because they have to temporarily shut down the location for the construction and they may allow investigations in the future. I am also going to include that selling a location is included in the change of focus. New owners and organizations may not desire to have paranormal investigations, nor the ability to do so.
INCREASE ACTIVITY
Locations may say no, because they don't want things to get worse. As paranormal investigators, we love a good active investigation, but the owner of the location may not want that. On our forms of agreement to allow us to investigate we do have a clause that states the activity could increase after the investigation. Now this isn't necessarily always the case, but we do have to tell the client it is possible, we don't know the reaction until it happens. We have a location we have been on stand-by for that fits in this category. The owner is interested but shit hits the fan a lot with the paranormal activity and he doesn't want the upheaval. Now there are options to discuss with the client about attempting to find the cause to help, but we cannot guarantee any outcome. You just have to respect that they will deal with what is happening until they can't and hope they call you in to help.
DECREASE ACTIVITY
'I don't want so-and-so to leave.' They want to keep their activity and ghosts just as they are! Just like with increasing activity, our agreement form also states that it could decrease. Again, we don't know what the reaction will be until it happens and we can't guarantee any outcome. Some people like their ghosts and don't want to see them leave or they like the mystery of it all. You can't really prevent any of it from happening.
ALREADY HAVE A TEAM
Some locations already called in a team and they are satisfied with the results. This situation includes teams that have already proven themselves and help with events, public investigations, and private investigations. While it may seem frustrating, I always like to see that locations are being helped in some way with fundraising or getting the location to be noticed. In many cases these teams are spending a lot of time generating that interest and using their own resources to help.
PREVIOUS TEAMS/ INDIVIDUALS RUINED IT
Here's the one that probably boils the blood of everyone who is a morally and ethically upright paranormal investigator/team. A location either calls in a team or a team gets permission to investigate. They do half-assed investigations, don't follow through, horse around, have terrible behavior, bad attitudes, leave messages, damage property, steal, don't follow rules, form questionable conclusions, and/or do questionable rituals. Our team has been called in numerous times to help with clients who have had other teams in that destroyed their confidence, but not every location is willing to allow others to try again. They just accept that being involved with paranormal investigation or ghost hunting is not a good idea. I like to remind everyone that having shoddy practices and using it as their entertainment or fun, can result in the destruction of the reputation of others in the paranormal field. We are all being tarred with the same feather!
Each of these represents something that us as ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, or researchers can work on to help us gain a better reputation. While we can't combat them all, there are little nuggets of information we can learn from to make sure we are making this a safe and validating experience for clients. If they say no, don't go. If they say no, but they seem like they may be interested; you can always attempt to assuage their fears. At the end of the day, they own the property and you are just a guest.
Rebecca Boyer
Co-Founder/ Case Manager
Antietam Paranormal Society
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