Are all ghostly experiences paranormal? With some scientific research, it seems that it may not be the case. As most of you will know, everything that exists has a frequency, including our bodies; even our emotions have frequencies. Bruce Tainio, the researcher and founder of Tainio technology said that the human body resonates at a frequency of 62-78 MHz. In 1952, a German physicist, by the name of W.O Schumann discovered that even the earth produces an electromagnetic frequency. The earth’s frequency is about 7.83 Hz, which can fluctuate due to several factors. Solar flares, storms and even man-made things can affect the resonance.

So how can frequencies affect us when it comes to the paranormal? There have been numerous cases of infrasound where it has made people ill, or had a negative psychological effect, including anxiety and visions of shadows etc.

In the 1980s, Vic Tandy was working late, when he started to feel uncomfortable and anxious, as if someone was watching him.  He then saw a blob shape out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned round to look at it, it had disappeared. As a keen sword fencer, the next day he took his sword to work to clean. He put the sword into a vice and noticed that it was starting to vibrate.  Vic, a scientific man, knew that there would be a simple and logical explanation to what he had experienced. The fact that he saw the sword vibrating, gave him a clue as to what it could be.

The next day, with this evidence that he observed, he had the room tested for the presence of infrasound. They discovered that there was a frequency of around 19 Hz coming from an extractor fan that was installed there. Tandy later recreated the conditions in an experiment and found that it was around the 19 Hz frequency that caused these feelings of visions and other psychological effect. It is known as the fear frequency.

There are obviously cases where there is no low level frequencies at a location where paranormal activity occurs, but there are also times where this could explain the phenomena that some people experience.

Yes… Anyone can do an investigation with very little equipment

If you want to take up paranormal investigation up as a hobby or further, it can prove to be expensive. Camcorders, CCTV, full spectrum cameras, thermocouple / thermometers, audio recorders, SLS Cameras, Thermal Imaging, Rem Pods and EMF detectors are just some of the devices we use and can cost 1000’s of pounds.

Do you really need all this to gain evidence of activity?

The answer is no.

EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) are a common way of capturing evidence. This is where you set an audio recorder running and you ask questions in hope of a response. When you play it back you may sometimes pick something up that you did not hear at the time of the recording.

Digital audio recorders are very cheap these days and you can pick one up for around £25. If you cannot afford an audio recording device or you do not have one at hand, you could try your phone. If you have an old analogue recorder, that would be great as some believe analogue is better than digital for picking up disembodied voices.

When doing EVP sessions try and keep background noise to a minimum. If you hear any background noise like someone outside or any other explainable sound that you hear, make sure you document it by commenting. This makes it much easier ruling out faint noises or bangs when listening back.

Video is another way of trying to capture activity. Even using your mobile phone can be good for gaining evidence. Night vision camcorders are relatively cheap now as you can get them off the like of Ebay second hand. They are old now but the old Hi8 camcorders are ideal for investigating. Sony do a version called Nightshot, a quick look up on Google and you will find loads of info on them.

Click here for our guide on taking photos and videos , there are some things you need to be aware of when videoing and taking snaps

There are a lot of paranormal shows on the television, making paranormal investigations and groups very popular to the general public. I have personally worked within my own team and joined in with other investigating groups. Throughout this time, I have came across a wide range of people, some have been level headed and have a professional attitude, then others have been quite the opposite. Some who get into it, obviously have watched too much TV and act in a immature way and totally miss the point of what paranormal investigations are about.

Some claim to have to have psychic abilities and start claiming all sorts of stuff. They might in fact have a gift, but that does not gain or capture evidence. The reason for getting into this field, is to hopefully catch clear and conclusive audio and visual content.

Another thing to remember, is always act in an appropriate manner at all times, whether it is with a client or when trying to communicate with spirits. At the end of the day, spirits are just people that are no longer in physical form. I am sure most people would not like a group of strangers walking into their house starting to act the fool and being loud. Always treat your locations with the upmost respect.

I would advise strongly against, any form of spirit board/Ouija board, or anything like that. That could lead to all sort of trouble, these things can be very dangerous, and could potentially open up things you can’t deal with. It has the potential to open portals and even form an attachment to you personally. At the end of the day, as investigators, our job is to document activity that is already there and not create more activity than was there before.