KEY POINTS:
Getting into the spirit
How are ghosts hunted? For starters, it should be done in the dark because whether due to shyness or some kind of UV intolerance, spirits mostly make their presence known after bedtime. This means your chances of seeing anything darker than the classic
floating sheet are remote, so most teams now use infrared cameras. Strange Occurrences and Phoen-X Paranormal had four which were linked to a single monitor for live viewing and a hard drive which recorded everything.
But ghosts can also be sought via other means. EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors are very popular and, like the cameras, can be ordered on the internet. As their name suggests, they show electrical activity - anything from internal wiring, lights and televisions to the undead (on the basis that they are made of energy rather than matter). But to be of any use you must first scour every room and build up a picture of what their normal readings are. You then look for unusual readings: spikes or drops away from normal.
There is a simple rule for hunting in the dark - always work in pairs. This is important for safety reasons, but it's also good to have some backup for any outrageous claims as well as a hand to grab when things get gnarly. Each team should ideally have a torch, an EMF detector, along with a copy of the initial readings, and a digital thermometer to catch temperature changes. Digital cameras are useful to take shots of dark corners and, if nothing else, will show up some cool orbs.
Once in a good spot, especially where you're getting odd EMF or temperature fluctuations, it's standard to wait for a while and use all your senses soak up the vibe. Individual responses differ, one person's nausea is another's prickly heat. You can try talking to the room, called an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) session, and asking for a sign that something is there or whatever else comes to mind. Apparently responses aren't necessarily audible which is why digital recorders, the E in EVP, are used.
The groups involved in the Inverlochy House search can be found at www.strange-occurrences.com and www.phoenixparanormal.co.nz.
The US ghostbusters, TAPS, can be found at www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com while a critique of their activities can be found at www.skepticalanalysis.com.