By Rick E. Hale
Paranormal Investigator

As paranormal researchers and investigators, sometimes we need to examine why we do what we do and ask ourselves a simple but fundamental question: Why do we hunt? Seriously have you ever really asked yourself that question before?

What are we really trying to accomplish when a person calls you and your team begging for your help because they feel that some unseen force is causing havoc and chaos in their lives? Why the hunt?

The organization that I investigate for, The McHenry County Paranormal Research Group, has a very simple philosophy on why we hunt, to help those who are not only living but those who are dead as well. We watch the television shows, read the books, and view video after video on YouTube, and the method of investigation all seems to be the same: The team is called by a terrified family, the team rushes in, takes EMF readings, does EVP, and after a long process of reviewing evidence makes the determination that yes there is some lost soul in the house that is crying out for attention.

And when all is said and done, the team leaves, never really bringing any resolution to the problem and not really helping anybody living or otherwise. I don’t know about you, but to me that seems to be a little fucked up.

If so much more is involved with an investigation, what exactly is that so much more? I used to be extremely skeptical of mediums and others who claim to have psychic abilities for two reasons 1. I’ve seen many a quack in my day and 2. I struggle with my own sensitivity.

You have to realize a ghost was once a person too, and they have carried their baggage beyond this mortal coil into the other world. They do have a story to tell, and sometimes being unable to tell that story is the reason they stick around.

After an investigation this weekend, I saw just how necessary mediums are when this particular entity was able to tell his story, and it would appear that by telling his story he was able to rest. We helped the family, who reports they have had no further incidents, and we helped that poor lost soul find peace. Mission accomplished.

However, sometimes it’s not quite that easy. Sometimes, a spirit or a group of spirits don’t want to go, and they have been causing Hell for the poor family that is forced to suffer their spiritual depredations. If these spirits don’t want to leave, how do you make them? I know that in the paranormal community some do not believe in the more mystical side of things and that’s OK. But trust me when I say that smudging or burning sage does work. Allow me to give you another example from one of our cases. A family claimed that their home was besieged by a number of spirits that were being downright douchebags. Scratching people, slapping people, stomping around, and causing a general ruckus. Of course, us techies did our job and gathered some fantastic evidence. But then it was time for the mediums, or Jedis as I like to call them, to go to work and the full story came out.

The main spirit who was causing the problems claimed that he wouldn’t leave because he liked what he was doing. This was not a demon or inhuman; this was just a dude, who in life, enjoyed being a complete and total asshole in life and still enjoyed being that way in death. So we break out the sage and sweetgrass and smudged the Hell out of that place. That was two months ago, and the family has had no problems since. Again mission accomplished.

Ghosthunting (I hate that term) is not just a pastime, and it’s not just a hobby. It is serious business when a family seeks you out and asks for your help. They are scared and desperately need assistance, but it’s not just them: It may be the spirit as well.

I guess you could say that this is the complete approach and should not be taken lightly because ghosts were once people to.