How to Research the Paranormal
The paranormal is a spellbinding subject, and parapsychologists are scientists who study this area, often dedicating their lives to analyzing paranormal phenomena. Researching this subject, however, is easier for an amateur and can be exciting. You can research the topics at home or venture out into potentially haunted places to further research evidence of the paranormal.
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Instructions
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Researching at Home
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Search for descriptions of the paranormal area you're most interested in on the Internet. Examples of websites that provide comprehensive information on the paranormal include unexplained-mysteries.com and ghostvillage.com.
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Ask your local librarian to find you volumes on the paranormal, either comprehensive books or by individual subject (i.e., demons, ghosts, vampires). You can also check out folklore while there, which will give you the historical cultural background of how people have perceived and written about the paranormal over time.
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Watch documentaries on the paranormal to see experts at work and learn what their jobs entail. The television show "Paranormal State" is an excellent look at the field of parapsychology. "Paranormal Destinations" and "Hauntings in America" show examples of paranormal occurrences. The History Channel's "Haunted Histories" provides a historical look at the supernatural.
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Use an Ouija board to try and communicate with spirits around you.
Researching in the Field
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Find a place near you that may be the site of paranormal phenomena. This could be an abandoned house, a graveyard, a school, a hospital -- anywhere suspicious activity has occurred and that locals consider potentially haunted.
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Research the history of the place online or at the library. This might reveal old stories on deaths or other strange activity at the location.
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Conduct interviews of anyone who has a story about the place to gather more information and to be prepared.
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Find a psychic or other supernatural medium to visit the location and give you a sense of what kind of paranormal entity you may be dealing with.
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Perform an overnight visit. You probably won't have the advanced equipment many parapsychologists have, but be sure to bring a camera and some sort of recording device, such as a videocamera or tape recorder, in order to capture any phenomena that might occur. Night vision goggles and a flashlight will help you with the dark, and a thermometer will let you know of any sudden drops in temperature, which may indicate the supernatural.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure not to endanger yourself or others. If any danger is present in your field mission, it's best to avoid the situation entirely.
