Paranormal Equipment 

What equipment is used in the world of the “Paranormal Investigator” and why do we use them? After all nothing you can purchase today is said to be able to prove outright the existence of ghosts, Because we are always told ghosts don’t exist, Right? 

Firstly whether you are a believer or sceptic we should always think rationally of what could cause the unexplained noises, sightings and strange goings on that are reported at locations, and some of the equipment used is to rule out other possibilities or as the television programmes like to call it debunk! While other equipment allows us to collect evidence of events.           

So let’s look at what equipment is used by an investigator and why? And what does EMF, EVP and White Noise all mean?

Let’s start with Meters and the EMF Meter:

EMF stands for Electromagnetic Field, which an invisible, physical field is created by electrically charged objects; all electrical devices such as appliances, mobile phones, power lines will generate EMF, and is often present, even when the device is switched off.

The theory behind EMF’s and paranormal activity is that a high and unexplained EMF reading could be an indicator that something is going on that cannot be explained, such as paranormal activity.

It is believed that when a spirit is manifesting it draws energy from the available electrical fields around it. By drawing on external electrical fields, that spirit would then register its own detectable EMF. These fields would of course then be measured using an EMF meter.

For an EMF reading to be considered a potential indicator of paranormal activity it needs to be unexplained -meaning it didn’t come from wiring, nearby appliances or another explainable reason.

The most common EMF meters used today are the K2 meter and Trifield

The K2 uses lights as an indication of a change in the electromagnetic field, ranging from Green to Red in colour as the field becomes stronger, whereas the Trifield Meter uses a needle, called Trifield as it can measure and detect 3 different types of fields, 1) Magnetic, 2) Electrical, and 3) Radio/Microwave   The meter is typically used for measuring EMF pollution such as poorly earthed wiring, microwave ovens, power lines, TVs, computers and other electronic equipment, high EMF readings can affect our health and result in paranoia, sleep disorders, dizziness, heart palpitations, vision problems, headaches, high blood pressure and a general feeling of uneasiness, which are some of the things that can be experienced during an investigation, so the Trifield meter is a very useful tool to pinpoint sources of EMF and its levels.    It is important on any investigation to first take base line readings at the location; this is to measure EMF, Temperature, and levels of Radiation prior to the investigation, so we can readily differentiate anomalous readings during the investigation.    

A compass could also be used during an investigation as they are affected by magnetic fields, in theory if a ghost gives off electro-magnetic fields this could cause the needle of the compass to change direction or spin.

Other meters you may come across in Paranormal Investigations are:

Air Ion Counter Large concentrations of air ions of both positive and negative charges have been at some locations where paranormal activity has been reported. Charged Ions have been linked to unusual lights and glows.

Geiger Counters, which monitor radiation levels as its thought that ghosts may give off radiation.

The E-Pod is designed to detect static electricity. Static electricity is the build up of electrical charges on the surface of an object or material and can consist of extremely high voltage. People often comment on feeling the hair standing up on their arms or the back of their neck and this product aims to detect the invisible E-Fields that can be a cause this sensation.

Digital thermometers play an important role in paranormal investigations, used for base lines reports to record a standard temperature before investigation, and during, as in theory the presence of a ghost or spirits can be detected based on their manipulation of the temperature in the room, and when a spirit decides to manifest itself, it must generate or draw the energy from the environment around it, and when it does it leaves behind an absence of heat , also referred to as a "cold spot" it is also very useful for finding sources of temperature changes such as gaps in skirting boards or around door frames, which could explain drafts and temperature differences.

Data Loggers are a great little device for capturing data on temperature, humidity and dew over a period of time, connected to a PC later where the data can be graphed and exported to other applications, normally not seen as they are generally put in place by the team setting up the equipment prior to the investigation. 

What about Sound and what is EVP?

EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena, which is an electronically generated noise/ voice that is mainly captured on a digital or analogue recorders, the voices or sounds are not heard at the time of recording, as the theory is that ghosts and spirits communicate with us on a different frequency wave than our ears and brain can detect, it is only when the recording is played back that the voices are heard.

Most people choose to use a digital recorder as they can be quickly connected to a pc and files exported to a software package where they can be played or edited to highlight certain parts of the audio file, you are also able to mark reference points on digital recorders, they are much quieter than the analogue recorders which require tapes, which will give 30/45 or 60 minutes recording time per tape, where the digital recorder will generally give 10 hours plus, plenty enough for a nights investigation and the sound quality will be much better with digital.

For me this is easily one of the most invaluable pieces of equipment as a paranormal investigator, not only have I captured some unexplained EVP’s but it makes the reports I write after each investigation so much easier when you can reference back to what was heard at what time etc.    

I said EVP is mainly captured on some type of audio recorders, but there are some devices available Which claim to be able to generate EVP as a result of EMF/Temperature changes and white noise. 

What’s White Noise? In essence, white noise is produced by combining sounds of all audible frequencies to the human ear together at the same time and the same density, resulting in a smooth wash of sound with no distinguishing patterns or features, think of an analogue radio or television when it doesn’t have a signal, you have that hissing sound and snowy effect on the screen, that itself is white noise, a classic example of that would be in the 1982 film “Poltergeist” where the little girl is staring at the TV screen, white noise is said to actually attract and draw in paranormal spirits, who then manipulate it into forming words.

One of the devices available which works on the white noise theory is Franks Box originally created by Frank Sumption, also known as a Ghost Box, Spirit Box or a Broken Radio.

The ghost box is a modified digital radio, modified in a way that it continuously scans radio signals without stopping at any stations, hopefully picking out words as it scans the radio frequencies, there are 2 theories about the voices or sounds that can be heard, firstly the spirit is picking out words and sounds from radio stations and attempts to create audible responses to our questions, the second theory is that the white noise it generates allows the ghost to communicate through the device in their own voice.

Another device in the “sound” category of Paranormal equipment is the Ovilus, which is a device that works by measuring changes in the environmental energy fields around it through a combination of EMF and Temperature changes. 

It modifies the energy changes and calculates it to a number; that number is then referenced to a database of words built into the device and presents it as audible speech using a synthesizer chip.

The database can vary depending on its model, the original model had 500 words in its database following models and other variations of the Ovilus such as the Puc or Ovilus X would allow for 2,000 words in its database, it also have other modes such as Phonetic , where there are no programmed words.

Videos & Photography

It’s probably everybody’s wish to come aware from an investigation capturing something on video or in a photo, and some do so it’s very important to remember that the investigation itself is only Part 1 of the whole experience, Part 2 is the actually analysis of audio/video footage where you often hear or see things that you didn’t realise at the time.

You don’t need to splash the cash and purchase high end DSLR’s, any compact camera with more than 3 million pixels will do an equally fine job, and they needn’t be digital cameras, a 35mm camera using negative film is actually better if you do capture something, as the original negative cannot be manipulated or altered in the way a digital image can on a pc.       

BUT Please! Please!  Stop and think where you are when taking photos, you are in a dark location and the flash on the camera will go off, so please warn other people around you that you are taking a photograph and just say “eyes” which will allow them to close or shield their eyes and not get blinded.

The camcorder, a great invention and used by many Paranormal Investigation Teams, not only can they record events of the evening but during playback you might be surprised to have captured light anomalies.

Favoured camcorders by Paranormal Investigators are ”Sony” as many of the older models have Nightshot or Nightshot Plus features which allow you to record in total darkness using Infrared technology, if your camcorder doesn’t have this feature it will not record or be able to focus in total darkness.

There is a measure on camcorders as to how much low light sensitivity it can record called (Lux (lumens per square metre) the lower the Lux rating your camcorder has, the better it will cope in low light situations, so a rating of 0 would be better than a rating of 5 and might be capable of recoding at dusk in available light, but even 0 Lux won’t record in darkness, it needs to have the Nightshot feature. 

Camcorders come in various recording formats, Tape, DVD-R and Hard Drive, personally I would choose the hard drive version, it’s quieter in operation, can record for longer and easier to transfer the footage to PC.   

 The Nightshot feature on the Sony camcorders is great, but has a limited distance of about 6-8ft and won’t be able to focus beyond that. Additional I.R or Infrared lights can be used to extend that but many manufacturers branded ones will rely on using the camcorders own power source, and can quickly drain your batteries. 

Another Infrared light can be used which uses is own rechargeable lithium batteries, but again expect to get about 60mins before they need recharging. 

I great little device you no doubt see more of on the investigations is a Laser Grid Pen, works like a kaleidoscope, by adjusting the end cap you can create different patterns to project on a wall, this is particularly useful for capturing shadow movements, perhaps in cellars or stairwells, anything that passes between the pen and the wall/stairs will disrupt the pattern and could be recorded on video.  

Thermal Imaging Camera On every investigators wish list, you won’t see many around because of how expensive these are to buy, but I know a team member has one, so let’s see what it does: Despite the implication of the name, a thermal imaging camera does not actually see temperature. Instead, it shows the infrared energy difference between objects, in which a hotter object appears brighter and a cooler object appears darker.

As the thermal imaging cameras capture energy, not light, they can easily be used in total darkness.

It has the ability to capture and indicate that a spirit may be present that would otherwise go undetected by the naked eye.

Motion Sensors A motion sensor or detector is an electronic device that contains a physical trigger mechanism or electronic sensor t that can alert the user of the presence of a moving object within the field of view, or magnetic influence, the Infrared and PIR type systems often used in homes and businesses for security and have been adopted by paranormal groups for investigations, these all work well in rooms not currently being used during an investigation.  

Infrared Motion Detectors uses a beam of Infrared light from a transmitter to a receiver, if the beam is broken an audio, visual light will alert it has been triggered.

Passive Infrared Sensors (PIR) currently used in most homes and business for their security.

The sensor is able to recognize a thermal infrared image, which usually starts the transmission of an alarm signal back to the unit’s receiver.

Quite a new device that has come on the market is the Ultra-Sonic Pyramid Motion Detector .The motion detector is able to use sound energy in order to detect movement either side of it.  

The ultrasonic sound energy is emitted in waves, when the sensor detects movement, the sound waves are disrupted, which triggers the sensor, works on the same principle as reversing sensors on your car bumper, this device also highlights the closeness of the movement and which direction it is coming from.

A geophone measures the slightest vibrations, so can be useful in detecting footsteps, knocking sounds.

You can also use it as a way to communicate with the spirit by having them tap or knock and light up the lights

Non-Electronic/Digital Devices

Not all the tools used by Paranormal Investigations are electronic and digital gadgets, so let’s look at what else is used.

 As simple as it may seem, if there is only item you could take with you, it’s your notepad and pen, making notes during the investigations, and timings of when something happened whether it is a noise or just somebody sensing a name, write it down, you may not be the only ones who pick up on these, and any sounds, visual lights can be referenced back to the audio/video that is recording throughout the investigation.

Dowsing Rods One rod is held lightly in each hand, while walking, the rods will pull one way or the other, one should follow in the direction it is pointing to and the rods will cross in the presence of paranormal activity (or a water source). It is believed that spirits hold an electric currency and the rods are attracted to that.

Glass Divination is similar to the Ouija Board except there are no letters or numbers involved.

A Glass Divination experiment can be conducted with probably a minimum of 4 people around a table with an upturned glass; all participants put one finger on the glass and call out to any spirits that are present in the room to move the glass.

Séances usually held in complete darkness or by a low light. The sitters sit in a circle around a table with their hands placed flat on the table with each little finger touching the next person, or alternatively people can stand in a circle holding hands, either way this circle creates collective energy and this is said to attract ghosts to the room, ghosts can use this energy to create paranormal energy. A participant then asks out for a spirit to come forward and make themself known, various things can happen when a séance is being held, knocks, bangs, voices, cold spots.

Table Tipping A team is asked to sit or stand around a table with their hands placed flat on the table with each little finger touching the next person to form a complete circle

The spirit is then asked to move the table and show the team how much energy it has, by moving and tipping the table.

Mirror Scrying Scrying involves seeing spiritual faces and energy in a mirror, one person needs to stand or sit facing the mirror in candlelight, staring into the mirror it is believed that the person's face will change.

Ouija Board, pronounced wee-ja

Quite a few stories relating to its origin, some believe it was Invented by a coffin maker in the 1800s calling it Ouija thinking it was Egyptian for luck! Others claim it was invented in Europe taking its name from the French word oui meaning “yes” and German ja also meaning “yes”, other stories links its origin with the Chinese and in the USA.

The board consists of the letters of the Alphabet, Numbers 0-9, Yes/No and Hello/Goodbye   Tales of the Ouija Board have caused many to fear it. Some believe that evil spirits will come through and harm or even possess the user, opening portals or gateways to other realms; others believe that its usage may invite harmful ghosts to haunt one's house, or that bad luck may ensue after using the Ouija Board.

Have to admit this isn’t something I have used myself and have no intention of doing so, while similar to glass divination, there you are in control of the reaction you will get, as you ask yes/no questions and the glass will perhaps move accordingly, with the Ouija Board the spirit can spell out anything it desires.

And finally if there is one thing that is essential on any investigation, make sure you take a good torch, you will be walking from one area to another in total darkness, and the ground may be uneven and have steps.