Ghosts - meaning a disembodied soul; especially, the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness

Paranormal - meaning "beyond-normal"
But what is "normal"?
Normal is defined as phenomena that can be explained by known physical laws of nature. Most people fear the unknown and what they don't understand which is why many fear the paranormal.

Ghost, hauntings and things that go bump in the night have been talked about since the beginning of time. Early Hebrew scriptures talk of the living trying to contact the dead.
Belief in an afterlife or the paranormal is an important part of every culture through out the generations. In the 1st Century (A.D.) The first ghost stories where written. In years past ghosts were left to mediums, occultist and psychics to deal with. Today many have taken it upon themselves to research and explore te many reported as real haunted locations around the world. But I am always ask daily is there any special equipment needed to hunt for real ghost in the 21st century.

Top Ten Ghost Hunting Tools Of The Trade

1. EMF Meter - Used to detect fluctuations in the electro magnectic field. Many believe that these fluctuations could be the result of paranormal activity. The Northern Kentucky Paranormal Group uses two types of these; the Tri-Field meter, which is one of the more popular models. And the K2 which uses LED lights and is very sensitive.

2. Thermal Scanner - Uses an IR laser to detect the air temperature. Used to detect "cold spots" which are believed to be spirits drawing the energy of their surroundings in order to manifest.

3. Digital Recorder with Microphone - Used to pick up EVP's, disembodied vocies heard on the recording that were not heard during an investigation.

4. Camera - Both 35mm, digital and camcorders are used. Helps document the area of an investigation and to try and provide proof of the paranorma.

5. Pen and paper - Used to document everything that happens in the investigation, from the research to the actual on site hunting.

6. Dowsing Rods - Used like the EMF meter

7. Motion Dector - Used to detect motion that we wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

8. Flashlight- A team from University College London finds that when we gaze around in a poorly-lit context, it can fool our brains into seeing things that are not really there.

9. Two Way Radios - Two Way Radios are recommended if the investigation involves splitting in to teams. This way you can easily communicate with the other team. Check that all radios are communicating on the same channel.

10. Batteries - Often batteries mysteriously lose their charge at an investigation. We recommend you bring at least one extra set of batteries for each piece of equipment that requires them.

This equipment is what is used by single ghost hunters and a group, often gear will vary from group to group. Remember my personal rule of thumb, it is better to investigate a Haunted location more then once. 3- 5 times is best. Sometimes Ghosts will not show themselves or speak until they become familar with you at their location. Otherwise they just look at you as a strange ghosts haunting them and tend to run the other way.

A few ghost hunting tips and some basic rules.

Never go out looking for haunted cemeteries or houses by yourself. We all should know by now ghost hunting alone is dangerous. Always let someone know where you will be.
And always carry an id.

And always use common Sence when acting on your own or in a Paranormal Investigation Group.

Get Permission:
Before you embark on any investigation, be sure you are not trespassing on private property. Many hotels, cemeteries, battlefields and prisons are said to be haunted. Always get permission before going onto private property or to be in a cemetery ghost hunting even if it is not just for after hours. Ghosts are often seen where pain and suffering occurred for certain individuals. Many ghosts tend to haunt places where their pain was said to be the greatest.

It is wise to survey the area in which you will be conducting your investigation. Familiarize yourself with the environment and possible hazards during daylight hours. Ghosts tend to hide in places that once were theirs and they consider these places to have painful memories. It appears as though ghosts just want to tell a story. Ghost hunters tend to visit places that are haunted because they know that they may be able to catch a glimpse of a ghost on film or audio. The ghost hunter is well aware of the fact that a ghost is making movement because they are upset about something or they just want to make their presence known. Research the location thouroghly. If you are going ghost hunting after dark, you should check it out during daylight hours. Make note of any dangers such as holes, broken glass, loose boards, nails etc.

Always allow yourself some extra time to spend on site, before the investigation. This provides ghosts the chance to familiarize themselves with you. Most ghosts tend to make their presence known as the way they were before they died. They want people to see them as who they once were and they tend to hold onto past memories. Many ghosts can materialize themselves in physical form.

Psychics and ghost hunters alike usually speak of a haunted place as an environment of pain and torture. I rarely hear any psychic or ghost hunter say that a ghost is appearing because they are happy. It is usually because a ghost feels frightened or because they are trying to get their story across. The next time that you encounter a ghost haunting, make sure you jot down the feeling that you get when you are experiencing this unexplained phenomena. It will allow you to open up your eyes to the unknown. You may also be keeping a journal for later scientific research.

Don't smoke near where you will be investigating. Make a designated spot for smoking. You don't want to photograph smoke and think it is an ecto mist or spirit.

When trying to record evps never whisper. Talk in a normal voice. You won't scare the ghosts if you talk. And you don't want to mistake a human whisper for a spirit.
Always use new tapes in the recorder. Have extra batteries and make sure all equipment is fully charged.

Wear a watch so you can note times of events. Or your Cell Phone, This you should set to vibrate as to not alarm others Ghost hunting in the distance or to be picked up as a musicl EVP.

Don't wear perfume or cologne while ghost hunting. If using an insect repellent make sure it is unscented. Some have noticed scents or smells when there is reported ghost activity. Perfumes or Colognes may mask these scents or often confuse others into believe they have smeeled a real ghosts presence.

Remove your extra long or short camera straps or be aware where they are at all times when taking a photo at a haunted location. Many times your camera strap has a habit of getting in the picture and can be mistaken for a vortex, ecto, moving orb and ghosts.

Look for things in the way like spiderwebs, wire, ropes, tree limbs. They can appear on photos as something very strange or paranormal when they are in close range of the camera lens. It's often good to go back during daylight hours and take photos in the exact locations to see what happenes or what is in your range of vision.

Always clean your camera lenses. Lint, dust specks, smudges and fingerprints can look like ecto mist, orbs, and other ghostly anomalies.

Be aware of the temperature when photographing outdoors or in an unheated building. Hold your breath while taking a photo and for several seconds afterward. Remember, if you can see it so can the camera.

Be objective of your findings. Rule out any natural causes that may have caused anomalies such as insects, lights in the distance, spider webs, reflections.

Some believe in saying a closing prayer of protection according to your own personal religious beliefs.

I usually say something like this ...."In the name of all that is sacred and most holy. Do not follow me ome --- stay here!"

GINA LANIER is a New Orleans native who has studied paranormal activities, the occult and haunting's for nearly thirty years. She has participated in and conducted large-scale location haunting's and recently has shifted her focus to include the investigation and study of haunted toys such as dolls, toy furniture, games and other hallmarks of childhood

Gina’s paranormal studies stem from several childhood experiences with the unknown including witnessing full body apparitions and clairaudient encounters with deceased relatives. These experiences continued beyond childhood and this is when Gina resolved to learn as much as possible about psychic and paranormal phenomenon to determine what, exactly, was making contact with her and with others who claimed to have been contacted from the Other Side.

Gina owns and operates a construction and refurbishment company in the Greater New Orleans area and this has afforded her exposure to many allegedly haunted locations and people over the years; several of these clients welcomed Gina’s expertise and insight when it came to documenting and investigating their haunted homes and businesses.

Gina Lanier has been selected by Haunted America Tours as one of the lead investigators for its soon-to-be-launched Ghost Hunters Of America. If you would like to contact Gina, please submit your request and as much information as possible about your situation to her care of her web site Email: