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Ghost Hunting 101: An Idiot's Guide To Ghost Hunting

 by Gentle Fawn, OSIR Regional Director for the Southeastern U.S.

(Gentlefawn is a member of West Tennessee Ghost Hunters, my other site, and this was posted there in April 2002)

First and most important...make sure to research  the site! I'm going to include some info that is included in a  protocol manual that was put together for a group that I have both trained and worked with ok!  here goes!

 

ALWAYS GET THE OWNERS PERMISSION TO ENTER PROPERTY

 

           

                                Protocols for conducting an investigation

Cemeteries and Haunted Houses
 
Arrive early with your necessary ghost hunting equipment and give yourself plenty of time to set everything up. Some of the equipment that you might want to use is a video camera, EMF detectors, 35 mm cameras loaded with brand new film and thermometers. Always remember to bring along plenty of flashlights. Don't forget to bring along some patience. Conducting a ghost hunt is a lot like fishing. You have to use patience!
 
Start by selecting a private room or a general area for a main base of operations. This base is where all monitoring should be done and it should not be an area where ghost activity is high. After the base has been selected, do a complete walkthrough of the general area. Check out every room and in graveyards walk around the tombstones in a 50-yard radius. Videotape the walkthrough if you are using video cameras. Make sure that you know the layout before you begin the ghost hunt. Get use to the area. The ghost hunt will go much better if everyone feels comfortable with the surroundings.
 
Use the EMF detectors to searching for anything out of the ordinary. If you do pick up EMF distortions or if you feel that there is an unearthly presence nearby take more photos. Just be aware that in cemeteries smooth glossy tombstone faces will reflect light from the flashlights or the cameras own flashes that could create strange light patterns in the pictures. Glass objects and mirrors will reflect light inside houses.
 
During the initial walkthrough or at any other time during the ghost hunt try not to unnecessarily touch or move objects. You should leave the natural environment alone. As you are doing the walkthrough in haunted houses hang up ghost catchers in doorways, between rooms or on staircases. If a ghost passes near the ghost catcher they will chime alerting anyone nearby.
 
If there are objects or pieces of furniture that have been reported to move put a chalk line or sticker on the floor next to these objects. If the objects happen to move you'll have a marker to judge and measure the exact distance.
 
Everyone participating in a ghost hunt should always know where the others are that way there isn't any confusion or misinterpretations. Sometimes handheld or headset radio communicators are good devices to stay in contact with the other ghost hunting members.
 
Always log every event that seems out of the ordinary, doors that lock, electrical problems, chandeliers swaying, strange lights, etc. Videotape everything for proof.
You can attach glow-in-the-dark or reflective tape to objects to help you with the layout or to mark special areas. They will be easier to see in the dark with the tape on them.
 
You don't need to turn off the lights inside of the haunted house to have ghosts appear unless it is vital to that particular ghost's appearance, and even then, leave some lights on for personal safety. Always have a couple mini spotlights ready for outside ghost hunts in case something happens and you need light fast.
 
Don't be afraid to experiment on ghost hunts. Ask the ghosts to appear. Put the video cameras on different settings. Try the EVP audio taping methods. Use anything that you think might have an effect on the ghosts. If nothing seems to be happening you might try to shake things up by playing religious music or by reciting prayers.
 
On any ghost hunt make sure to have packed plenty of snacks, drinks and maybe a board game. Ghost hunts can be long and tedious. You may have to spend several weeks inside at a haunted location before you experience anything strange. Patience is key!
 
WARNING To All New Ghost Hunters:
If a spirit entity is encountered, NO ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE TO CONTACT THIS ENTITY UNLESS IT FIRST ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT YOU! Any contact should be attempted by the most experienced member of your team (preferably a psychic or one who is VERY sensitive) or group, on a second, or subsequent follow-up visit 
                                        *** posted by Gentle Fawn***

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New members: Sharona and Billy

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I have heard several rumors of a road in Dickson County that is the location of a Native American burial ground. It is said that nearby residents have often spoke of seeing ghosts from this burial ground in their homes. Has anyone else ever heard this story?-- Carol

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Hi everyone. As I think told you, I also have a page I do in White Bluff Tn.

it is not just about Ghosts, but does have section on local ones.

I got this message for the guestbook today and wanted to share if with all of you.

You never know, but it sounds real enough.  Following is the entry and my response to it.  Have a good day,

 

Nicky

 

From "Radioman"

I was told about the ghost storys on here by a friend. I never thought about if storys are true until something happened last week to me and my friend. I don't want to use real names because of people makin fun of us but this is all true. Me and Larry was cruising around about 1 in the morning and he told me a story he said he heard once from his uncle Ed. It went like this if you go past a cemetary in white bluff, i won't say which one out of respect to the people there and famiilies, but it is one of the best knowed ones. But if you tune your car radio on AM to almost one end of the dial, he said you would hear noises when you go by the cemetary. Its gotta be after midnight and before sunup. I know you will laugh or say its B.S. because thats what I said but we tried it and it happens! It was not moaning or crying but like people talking and laughing. and no it was not a radio station. When we gots to the end of the graveyard it quit. When we rode back by we heard it again. It sure gives you goosebumps. We were not drinking neither. But we needed one after that.
We tried it somemore and it did not work ever time but it does most of the time. I think we did not have the radio tuned in right when it did not. We tried it some other cemetarys and it did not work. But it don't matter what car you are in or radio you used because it worked in different cars.
But the thing that scared us most and made us not go back the last few days is the last time we heard a real deep voice in the background of the talking voices and it sounded like it was calling our names. We ain't told no one we know about this so I am telling it hear. Thank you and I know its all true because it happened to me.

 

BLUFNOTE: WHEW! Welcome in Radioman.
Thank you for that amazing story. That is wild and I for one would never say it did not happen. The part about hearing your name gave me some shivers too. I would say someone could have been playing a trick on you when you went back and heard your names, but if you had not told it to anyone, then that has to be ruled out. I had heard years ago, I think it was in a book I read about people being able to catch voices on a tape recorder when they left it in empty rooms of a haunted house. So what you are relating to us sounds along the same line of phenomena.
If you have any more such experiances please let us know. With your permission I will post this on the local legends page. If you do not want to email an ok, just post it on here.

 

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White Bluff
Name: White Screamer
Location: unknown

In this small town of White Bluff there's a famous hollow where the White Screamer dwells. No one knows exactly what it is or its origin. It's said to be a white mysty form that wails and cries and screams enough to make any person go insane, thus gaining its title of "The White Screamer". It has also been noted that if one ventures to the spot where they might've seen the White Screamer, the grass will be burned away. Alledgedly, around the 1920's a young man built his family of a wife and seven children a home and farm down in the hollow, and every single night they'd wake up to the sound of this awful crying and screaming. So, finally, after this young man has had enough, he grabs his shotgun and runs out into the night off to find whatever beast is making this awful noise. He climbs to the top of one of the surrounding hills to see if he can spot it, and then hears the sound of screaming... only it's the voices of his family and children. By the time he can climb down this hill and get back to his house, he finds his whole family dead.. and pieces of their body thrown around on the ground and the floors of the house. You can still drive down into the hollow and see the foundation of the house and graves of the members in Dickson County TN, not too far west of Nashville. It is in the boundaries of Montgomery Bell State Park, in between White Bluff and Dickson. The actual area is on the Southern end of the park, near Hwy. 47 and Burns TN. I don't know of recent sightings; I do think, however, that a couple of researchers that visit this site have been there and seen evidence that the creature is BF. 







https://members.tripod.com/~blufwatch/wblegends.html

 

 

 

 

* This story and the next were sent to me from Nicky from White Bluff Legends and Tales Around the Campfire

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A circus train crashed in Burns TN sometime in the late 1850's or so. Most of the animals were rounded up with the notable exception of two animals billed as "wild men of Borneo." People noticed animals disappearing. Montgomery Bell, for whom the park is named, is said to have been stalked by what's been called the "Werewolf." A hired hand and two mules were killed by this entity, described as "unpleasantly" killed. A professional hunter is to have come into the area and "tangled" with this beast, shooting it several times with a large caliber rifle and a pistol, being saved from certain death only by the rising of the sun.

There are still some missing livestock attributed to the creature. There have been reports of sightings.  The area is part of Montgomery Bell State Park, and has the necessary features to be suitable habitat.

The white screamer is also interesting, especially since it's sightings get pretty close to where I hunt. It is described as similar to BF, the only big difference is that a witness says that the animal has hooves instead of feet.

https://members.tripod.com/~blufwatch/wblegends.html
The above is a site containing info on the screamer and other anomalous things in the area close to MB state park.

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Where are good places to ghost hunt in Dickson County?

 

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