When do things go
bump? In the darkness of night. Where does the bogeyman hide? In the
dark closet or the darkness under your bed. When do the majority of
ghost sightings seem to occur? At night or in the dark. When do most
paranormal investigators investigate? At night, naturally. But, is it
necessary.
Mark Nesbitt, the
best selling author and creator of the original Ghost of Gettysburg
Candlelight Walking tours, has said many times that paranormal
investigators do not need to do investigations in the dark. If a
location is haunted, it is haunted no matter the lighting conditions.
Mark, a very experienced ghost hunter who has gathered a lot of
fantastic evidence, is absolutely right.
So why do most
investigations take place at night? There are several reasons.
First, most
investigators have jobs. There are many amateur ghost hunting groups
around the world but very few who do it professionally, so evenings
just happen to be the most convenient time for most investigations to
take place. Also, the home owners or businesses that call in ghost
hunters generally have jobs or want the investigation to be done
after hours. Business also happens to be one of the factors in the
second reason that ghost hunter do it in the dark.
Second, nighttime
investigating drastically reduces background noise, light pollution,
distractions, and many other variables that can hinder investigators'
concentration and ruin evidence.
There is less
traffic on the roads, fewer people on the streets, and generally less
going on outside of the investigation area that could interfere with
the investigation. Nothing is worse than listening to an audio
recording for EVPs or watching video from an investigation and
hearing lots of traffic in the background, talking from outside, or
seeing headlights passing in every window. A lot of great evidence
could be lost or ruined if there is too much going on the background
to verify what is being seen or heard.
Also, for mediums
and investigators, it is easier to focus on the immediate area with
fewer outside distractions. Good mediums and intuitive hunters will
be able to pick up on energy and/or spirits regardless of the
conditions, but most would probably agree that they are more
confident with their findings the fewer the distractions.
Lastly, for this
article anyway, investigating in the dark offers the best environment
to see or catch on video a spirit's energy.
Orbs, apparitions,
and ghosts in general are made of energy, which is why they are able
to manipulate most electrical systems at the location they are
haunting. It is also why they are easier to see in the dark. Most
investigators have experienced what we at Team CPI refer to as a
light show. Unfortunately, these light shows are rarely picked up by
our cameras.
Catching an
apparition on film has more to do with lighting conditions than time
of day. For some reason, cameras using infrared light have produced
more images than those in regular lighting conditions. It is an
argument akin to the age old chicken and egg; does infrared light
produce more evidence because most investigations are at night or
does infrared light actually pick up the energy of spirits better
than other lights on the spectrum? Either way, most full blown
apparitions captured on camera have been caught using infrared light.
So, Mark is
absolutely right that ghost hunting does not have to be done in the
dark. If you are investigating a place that is fairly well insulated
from outside interference you will be able to capture evidence
regardless of the time of day. Farmhouses, basements, abandoned
buildings, or any of the places off the beaten track that Team CPI
has investigated have all produced paranormal events before
nightfall. However, many of the locations we investigate require the
insulation of night to conduct a thorough investigation. When
deciding when to investigate, or to have a team come in to a
location, consider all the factors that may hinder a thorough,
conclusive investigation.
Thank you to all
those who have wished us well and prayed for us, it is working!
My mother is home
and recovering well. She has a lot more energy now and there is a
brighter outlook for this holiday season.
Rob is also feeling
better. He has been out doing cases and was able to spend 2 hours at
the store the other day with little knee pain, though now that mom is
feeling better it may not be necessary again.
Also during the last
month, I decided that we did not have enough going on and hit a deer
while riding my motorcycle. Thankfully the deer was small and I was
not going that fast, relatively. God was with me that night and I
came out with a broken scapula and little damage otherwise.
Again, a sincere
thank you to all of our fans, friends, and family for helping us
through this difficult year. You have all proven the power of prayer
and the goodness of God. We wish all of you happiness, protection,
and good health. God bless you.