Investigating Urban Legends And Haunted Sites

After more than 14 years of being an investigator certain trends start to form when it comes to the paranormal. Sure there are a lot of questions floating out there and no real structure to the community as a whole but logic should never be in question.

Investigating the unknown may well be a hobby to some and a profession to others but it is not just about the tech-toys and wandering around in the dark. This is research afterall and research tends to result in hypothesis and discovery. There is a goal even if you're being an objective participant observer. There is a goal.

So, when we receive contacts from potental sites and clients we roll through the traditional process of interviews and permission to be on site and record on site and so  on. These are the usual things that come out of professionalism and that desire to be above reproach when conducting research.

However, there is a rather unusual trend we've noticed over the years whether it comes from people we're talking with or come in from an email we hear the same thing.

"I used to live at this place and it was really creepy growing up. I don't know who owns it now but you should totally check it out and let me know..."

There are multiple reasons why this is a REALLY bad thing. The second variant of this even more concerning than that.

"I've heard that this place is really haunted, so me and some friends went up there to check it out. We heard some crazy stuff and got some orb photos....you really should check it out and let me know when you're going and I can show you where it all happened..."

When you're investigating the paranormal or tracking down local urban legends there are many times when you come across a reportedly haunted site where things may have happened. Now with public sites like along a road at night or a bridge or tunnel or even a place like Split Rock Quarry these are public sites. It means you can poke around to your heart's content. You just have to be aware of the dangers.

• Traffic - If it is a public space such as a road, tunnel, bridge etc you need to be concerned about traffic. 
• Environmental Hazards - At night you would not be able to see if there is a wild animal nearby or a sharp drop off or if a surface is wet. This could lead to injury or worse especially if it's a bridge.
• Police - The Police are very interesting when it comes to the paranormal, they may tell you stories or tell you that it's too dangerous and you should move on. At the very least you will be detained and questioned about what you're doing.

If the site in question is not a public site but a building or property of some sort. A derelict hospital or say a house that has long been rumored to be haunted many assume that it is possible to investigate because that's what they do.

Lets be clear....

YOU NEED PERMISSSION

You need to identify who has control over the site. Whether it's a private owner or company or even government (in the case of state parks) you need to identify who owns and controls the site. They are who you contact and ask permission from.

Even if you do obtain permission to investigate the site, you will still need to inform the local authorities that you will be investigating the site.

If you fail to do these things you will be detained and potentially arrested. Doubt it? Just ask the C.O.T. GhostBusters who were all arrested and charged for criminal tresspassing. Or the North Texas Ghost Hunters.

We always welcome stories and urban legends and would love to investigate but please be aware of these facts when you ask a paranormal reasearch group to investigate. If you would like to investigate along with us at the site you suggest then by all means obtain permission or know how to get permission for the site. Without permission it make the entire field look bad and will inevitibly lead to your arrest.