Conducting a Paranormal Investigation - A Training Guide [Paperback]

Beth Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0615204562 | ISBN-13: 978-0615204567

Originally developed as a training manual for the Virginia Society of Paranormal Education and Research (VASPER), this guide is now available to all beginners and would-be ghost-hunters hoping to capture evidence of the supernatural for themselves. The book takes a step-by-step approach and teaches readers the fundamentals of planning investigations, researching haunted locations, collecting data in the field, and analyzing that data following an investigation. Topics covered include: interviewing witnesses, surveying a site, safety tips, investigation etiquette, data analysis, and advising clients of your findings. A handy resource section features sample interview questions, a Site Access Agreement, an Investigation Activity Log, and a collection of recommended websites to keep readers informed of current events in the world of paranormal research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 50 pages
• Publisher: Iron Cauldron Books (April 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615204562
• ISBN-13: 978-0615204567
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > General

More About the Author

Beth Brown's creative career began not with writing, but with visual art and illustration. This probably explains why she still prefers to write with a paper and pen.

Beth turned her focus toward words after learning that the history and legends she had been researching as a hobby were quickly slipping away with the previous generation. Her non-fiction books became a mission to preserve the events of the past while making them fun and entertaining for modern readers. She managed this by pairing her love of history with another passion - the search for ghosts.

Beth began investigating the paranormal in 1989 when a mentor sent her to interview the owners of a 250-year old home practically overflowing with ghosts. Photographs and audio recordings made that day ignited her curiosity about life after death and set the wheels in motion for two decades of research. That cumulative study eventually led to the publication of "Haunted Battlefields", the first of Beth's books about survival of the human spirit.

A passionate supporter of the DIY arts movement, Beth founded the publishing house Iron Cauldron Books in 2007. The company's goal is to provide a publishing outlet for writers of "fringe" topics without having the artistic merit of their work altered to suit the market. Iron Cauldron Books is scheduled to release six new titles in 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Your Paranormal Library, July 19, 2008

By 

Deborah - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conducting a Paranormal Investigation - A Training Guide (Paperback)

Conducting a Paranormal Investigation: A Training Guide

By Beth Brown

This book is a good guide for the beginning paranormal investigator. It is also a good reference guide for any ghost hunter to have in their kit or library. The author takes you step by step through the process from start to finish.

The guide covers your pre-investigation needs and safety all the way through making your findings and conclusions. Ms. Brown also includes what to pack, how to interview clients and witnesses, research, setting up, investigation techniques, and data analysis. Sprinkled among the chapters are some handy tips the author has found helpful during the course of her own paranormal forays.

The chapters on data analysis and EVP classifications are particularly helpful. The resource section is extremely useful; it contains sample forms, legal agreements, interview questions, and recommended web sites. Even if you don't use the samples verbatim, they can act as springboards for making customized versions of your own.

All in all I give this guide two thumbs up. This slim volume is jam packed with useful resources and information for the paranormal investigator. I personally carry it with me now in my own ghost hunting kit.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource, July 17, 2008

By 

Marcia Skiffington - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conducting a Paranormal Investigation - A Training Guide (Paperback)

This training guide is a very valuable resource for those starting their paranormal investigations. It proves just as valuable for experienced investigators as well. It is well-written and easy to follow. Beth's writing style is neither didactic nor condescending, and she makes sure to include what not to do, as well as what to do.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars conducting a paranormal investigation review, February 17, 2010

By 

Sallie Brice (TRUSSVILLE, AL, US) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conducting a Paranormal Investigation - A Training Guide (Paperback)

again, for the novice, this is a very good starter book. I goes into some depth as to equipment, location, photos, etc. For the serious investigator that is starting out, this book has step by step advice on how to correctly proceed in an investigation. In this book, like the handbook, it has forms and sample questions. It has some interesting websites to check out.