BUILDING A PARANORMAL TEAM-REALLY.....IT'S THE BEST OF THE BEST THAT WILL GO SIT IN THE DARK WITH YOU IN AN OLD ABANDON PITCH BLACK CEMETERY.

Before I ever start this week's topic let me say..... I have THE BEST group of people that go with me to places that few would ever dream of going in the dead of the night!  I guess they are just as crazy as me, right??? LOL

Come on....anyone that would go in here at
night with you....they ROCK!!!

Again, how creepy.

Getting together a group of people that you can rely on and know that they got "your back" just like you have theirs....well it's not as easy as it sounds.  Not EVERYONE is willing to go up against a ghost for ya!!!  Pictured are the BEST group of people I could ever ask for!!!  Thanks to every one of you:

Craig Deacon, Karen and Kevin Stapleton, Tammy Hightower, Alison Hightower, CaLisa and Chris Anderson, Ruth Vickers, Mark and Belynda DiCiaccio, Kaleb DiCiaccio,  Naomi Robledo, and Dakota Nykoruk.

OK OK....enough mushy stuff LOL.  Back to business.  With all the publicity that our field is receiving these days anyone came snap off a couple of pics, catch a couple of EVP's and claim to be a GHOST HUNTER.  The difference between a....hhuuummm......how do I say this nice....."a jumping on the band wagon" ghost hunter and a TRUE GHOST HUNTER is HEART(Hunting Evidence And Researching Truth....I just made that up but I LIKE it!!! hahaa ) TRUE Ghost Hunters or the more formal term..... Paranormal Investigators are in this field because we are driven by the desire to understand and search for TRUE evidence that there is an afterlife and we can still contact spirits or our loved ones after they have passed.  Another reason we stand apart is because we know that our strength of character, honesty, courage, an objectivity for the paranormal last longer than a few fleeting months.  For me, I have said before, that studying the paranormal is as much a part of me as breathing!!!  It is in my heart and soul, and a passion that few ever get to experience!  Thank you Nan.

When you start a group you need to have a goal in mind....what is it you are looking for, how are you going to go about finding it and how are you going to present it.  You need to set a few rules and guidelines.  I have a handbook that explains how to conduct an interview, research the location, what is expected as far as conduct is concerned etc.  This just helps things run smoother when people know what is expected of them. You know me....I've got to say it in BECK TERMS......it's kinda like driving down the highway....with the dotted lines down the middle....everyone knows which side of the lines to drive on....if you didn't have the lines...well.....might make things more difficult for people to know which side is theirs.  Anyway.....make sure everyone understand the basic theories behind paranormal anomalies.  You want to chose people that can put their ego's aside.  You don't want someone that tries to "be in everyone's business" so to speak or tries to constantly be judging someone's evidence or the way they are conducting their investigation.  Remember....you can eat a cookie with your left hand or you can eat a cookie with your right hand.....either way....once it gets in your mouth......uuuuuummmm it taste GREAT so see one isn't better than the other.  LOL  You get point.... :)  Another example, a better one maybe...is....I do not conduct my investigations the same way that Zak from Ghost Adventures does.  He is very much into taunting and I am not!  Now I am not bad mouthing Zak..... it's just that I do NOT want someone talking to my loved that way so I chose to speak to the spirits in a more respectful manner.

I personally feel that EVERYONE needs room to grow and develop their OWN style of investigating that works best for them and you, the lead investigator, and the team as a whole.  I also believe that IF you give people the chance, they will develop their own "six sense" so that they are able to pick up of feelings, smells, sounds etc. and be more in tune with their surrounds.  This does nothing but BETTER your team.  And if you can, keep your team small or if you have a larger group, make sure that you separate them into smaller groups, it just seems to flow easier that way.

When someone request to be a member in your group, I suggest that you let them attend a couple of investigations first.  This way you can see if they are serious or just curious.  Come up with your own question and answer form BEFORE you invite them in to see why they are interested in the paranormal. 

Communication is KEY!!!!  If you have to drag information out of someone because they don't want to share their photos, or EVP's with the group(sometimes, people feel THEY won't get credit....you know how that goes) chances are good they'll withhold critical information while on assignment or during an evidence review.

Once you feel comfortable they are in the field for the same reasons you are and their character seems to be what you and the other team members are looking for....then invite them into this crazy world of ours.  Don't forget that all your team members should approach each investigation with skepticism until other wise proven differently.  You don't want someone that every little noise, spot on a picture or sound is paranormal activity.

I will probably have an additional post on this subject down the road because there are still things I would like to suggest, but for tonight, that's enough.

Now, go out.....have some fun.....and do what you do best.....FIND GHOSTS!!!!!!!!!

I will be happy to provide my forms and handbook to any one that would like to use them as a template if you are considering starting up a group.  Just email me at becksghosthunters@yahoo.com

Until next Tuesday, say safe in this bad weather.  We are just starting to thaw out here in Texas. :)


 

CAN GHOSTS REALLY BE HAPPY???

Can ghosts be happy?  Huuummmm In my opinion......yes, some can.  One of the reasons a spirit haunts a location is because of a strong emotional tie.  In a residual haunting, there are no emotions.  Just a faint memory(so to speak) that just plays over and over with know interaction with us, the living.  But in an intelligent haunting, that's another story. In an intelligent haunting, I believe some spirits can be happy, even in their current situation of being caught in the middle.....you know....being stuck between the NOW world and heaven  or wherever their FINAL destination may be.

Have you heard of people that are visited by their loved ones that say they were reminded of something they really enjoyed that their loved one used to do?  Picture this......you sitting at your kitchen table, drinking your morning coffee or in my case, my chocolate milk, missing your grandmother and wishing you could just watch her baking cookies like she did so many times....in the kitchen and smell those....oh so good chocolate chip cookies again.  All the sudden, you smell cookies....and you can't help it, it makes YOU smile. Did grandma KNOW you were missing her so she was able to manifest the chocolate chip cookies smell??? I believe she did!!!  Now, do you think grandma is HAPPY about that??? Now have a great BIG SMILE on your face. You better KNOW she is!!!  You kinda' dismiss the smell even though it makes you smile.  You walk over to the cabinet to get out a bowl for cereal when as many times you have opened your cabinet you never really noticed THAT bowl way in the back.  Wait?  Isn't that the bowl grandma used to use when I was little?  So, sure enough, it is a small red bowl that your grandmother used to make your cereal in when you were young.  So, you get it out and use it.  Now, you are really HAPPY  enjoying your morning breakfast "with" grandma making HER very happy to!!!   See, even though our loved ones are gone physically, I think they still are able to "hang around" and be there for us when they need to.  And I don't think they find this some kind of burden, I think it brings them the same kind of happiness that we feel in our hearts.  So, yes....THEY can be happy.

Original photo taken in Decatur, Ill 

I watched these TWO people come down the stairs because they
said they heard a voice.  There are THREE people in this picture???

I added a heat sensor to the picture to make sure I really did see something here!!!  I think whoever was here at the Lincoln Theater in Decatur, Ill is here because they loved this place.  They stay here because it is a place that made them happy.  I was glad they decided to show their self to me. :))))  That made ME very happy. LOL

 Now, I don't think ALL spirits are content with the way things are.  Some are angry, some are sad, and some.....well....they just don't know what has happened to cause their situation.  And make KNOW mistake...I do feel if we can help a spirit cross over that we what we need to do!  Even though a spirit may be happy and content it is NOT where they belong.  There journey is NOT yet complete.  See, spirits get attached to things, people, places and objects just like we do.  You can bet....after I am gone...(and yes, I mean dead.lol) I will be back to watch you guys looking for me!  And if you think THAT won't make me happy......well....enough said!!! LOL

I feel that God knows there are certain things that make us happy here on earth.....cooking for the family, the outdoors, sewing, rocking in our favorite chair, dancing, playing the piano, anyway you get the point.  And I think HE still lets us enjoy these things...the best way he can.  So yes, ghosts can be happy and when you think about it......isn't  that what we really want for them...... to be happy......:)  Love to hear from you guys....do you think they can be happy or is there just no emotion that can be attached with a spirit?