How to Authenticate Ghost Sightings

Ghosts have been a part of human lore and storytelling for as long as people have been able to communicate with each other. There are numerous cases where multiple, independent observers have witnessed seemingly paranormal events that point fairly concretely towards hauntings. It's important to properly authenticate any ghost sighting, so follow these steps to learn how.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Interview witnesses. As with any investigation, interviewing witnesses and involved parties is the most important part of authenticating a ghost sighting. Analyze not just what the witness is saying but how he is saying it. Your intuition and cross-references from other witnesses will go along way toward authenticating the sighting.

2. Investigate any material evidence. The most likely evidence will be recordings, either visual or auditory. It's quite easy to fake a recording, so investigate any material with care and skepticism. Use the materials to try to catch the recording witness in a contradiction or error.

3. Explore the site. One of the best ways to authenticate a ghost sighting is to witness the ghost yourself. To do this you must go to the site as an impartial and even skeptical observer. Look for any clues that might indicate a faked or false sighting and patiently wait to see if any ghosts appear to you.

4. Cross-examine witnesses. Just as importantly as interviewing witnesses initially is the process of coming back to them to see if their stories are consistent over time, with each other and with your own personal observations of the site. Be as impartial as possible with witnesses and ask open-ended questions to see if they proceed in an honest way. Always remember that just because a witness is not lying doesn't mean that she isn't mistaken.