| There is a growing interest in the paranormal, | | | | your home, have your eyes closed, turn off the |
| influenced largely by programmes such as "Most | | | | television and just listen; the amount of noise coming |
| Haunted" and ghost hunting events . Because of this, | | | | from the garden, road, the house settling down, the |
| I thought it a good idea to offer some advice and | | | | clinking of radiators or the fridge; all everyday noises |
| information pertaining to what you could expect to | | | | we learn to ignore. Taking this concept into the |
| experience at a haunting. | | | | darkened vigil room allows you to perceive noises |
| The first point to take into consideration is what | | | | you would otherwise dismiss. As a direct result of |
| constitutes a ghost? The answer to this is quite | | | | this reduction of stimuli, various perceptions become |
| logical if you think about it a little. Taking into account | | | | more apparent. Firstly the sensations similar to that |
| that we are encapsulated by an electromagnetic | | | | of a cobweb brushing against the face, hands or |
| energy field most commonly termed the aura or auric | | | | around the head; this is simply caused by yourself as |
| field. This energy field by its very nature and makeup | | | | you become more aware of what is around you, |
| holds a residue of information, which pertains to us, | | | | basically you are on heightened alert and are merely |
| such as illness, emotions, and personality. The aura is | | | | perceiving the auric field as it radiates away from the |
| in a continuous state of flux as it moves into and | | | | body. |
| away from the physical body, thus over a period of | | | | Other common perceptions are mild headaches, |
| time will encounter its surroundings namely furniture, | | | | which can be caused by the build up of psychic |
| carpets, and walls. This residual imprint can be | | | | energy within the vigil area. What is occurring is that |
| perceived in various ways, such as actually seeing an | | | | the build up of psychic energy has the propensity to |
| image through the faculty of clairvoyance, or through | | | | draw water from the physical body, which results in |
| feeling emotions or personality traits via the | | | | us becoming mildly dehydrated, which causes the |
| clairsentient state; or a mixture of both, dependant | | | | headache. Another perception is the feeling of |
| upon the person perceiving the residual energies. | | | | sickness, which can obviously be a little more serious |
| The second point to take into consideration is you | | | | in its implications than a mild headache. Again, what is |
| yourself, are you tired, had a bad day at the office, | | | | occurring here is the build up of energies within the |
| or irritated with just getting to the event itself. All | | | | vigil area has occurred at an increased rate and is |
| these factors or combinations of can adversely | | | | generally of a more tangible level. When you are not |
| affect your perceptions. The primary reason for this | | | | used to the scenario of being within a vigil, these |
| being that the auric field becomes more impermeable | | | | energies can at times catch you a little unawares, the |
| as the cognitive awareness is brought to the fore, | | | | reason for this is again quite logical. The energies |
| that is to say that the state of the mind will cause | | | | encountering the auric field are most often perceived |
| the auric field to solidify, similar to the shell of an egg, | | | | through the spleenic nerve plexus, an energy centre |
| as such any sensations filtering into the auric field will | | | | commonly known as a chakra. Chakras are filters for |
| not be noticed. | | | | the down converting of energy into the physical |
| What is your experience? Would you call yourself a | | | | body, which with more stimuli can filter a larger |
| sensitive person, are you a sceptic, have you | | | | amount of energy. Again, when we are not used to |
| experienced any paranormal activity. All of these | | | | energy fluxes, which prevail within the vigil we can |
| factors can add to or detract from what you may | | | | become a little overwhelmed as the cognitive |
| be trying to achieve. | | | | awareness is duped into feeling there is bile within the |
| The next point is the location you are visiting, have | | | | stomach area, therefore the natural reaction is to |
| you studied the history of the building before an | | | | feel sick. |
| investigation or haunting event? This can be a double | | | | The eye can play tricks as it attempts to focus on |
| edged sword as it can build up your expectations of | | | | bringing as much light into the eye as possible, and |
| what may occur and when this does not happen you | | | | can result in seeing shadows pass before your face |
| can feel a let down. The same can be said of the | | | | or within the room as you look around. Flecks of light |
| medium, should you have one present not noticing | | | | have been reported on every event I have attended |
| the more famous historical characters associated with | | | | and can be related to the way in which the optic |
| the building; it is a misconception portrayed through | | | | nerve relays information to the receptors located in |
| television, as you are most likely to encounter the | | | | the hindbrain; though there is correlation with the |
| average everyday person rather than the notorious | | | | colour of the flecks being reported and the level of |
| characters known to history. | | | | activity (Refer to my article on light anomalies). |
| Another point of note is any equipment used such as | | | | Once your eyes have adjusted sufficiently to the |
| electromagnetic field detectors (EMF), thermometers, | | | | ambient level of light to enable you to see the people |
| cameras, and camcorders. EMF's are fine to use and | | | | adjacent to you with some clarity, take note of who |
| help eliminate power cables, which may be | | | | is opposite you, if they are wearing any light coloured |
| contributing to activity seemingly taking place within | | | | clothes or their luminous watch face is in view. When |
| the building. Thermometers are also a good tool and | | | | conducting vigils, it is regularly reported of the room |
| whether these are for surface or ambient room | | | | suddenly becomes so dark that, you cannot see the |
| temperature is a crucial piece of equipment. The | | | | person stood next to you. This is in conjunction with |
| most commonly reported occurrence within a | | | | the increase in energy levels within the vigil, and |
| haunting event is the feeling of being cold; this of | | | | something is likely to be occurring, so listen and feel. |
| course has a rational explanation most notably that | | | | I was the medium for a ghost hunt , which took |
| the surroundings are colder than your body | | | | place at Saffron Walden on 2nd November 2005. I |
| temperature. It is a good point to record the ambient | | | | and around eight other people were conducting a vigil |
| temperature of a room before beginning a vigil in that | | | | within the Sack-hoist room, which is approximately 80 |
| area, this aids in ascertaining if the body heat of | | | | feet long. We were stood to the top right hand side |
| those present is warming the room up, or if indeed, | | | | of the room furthest away from the entrance door. |
| the room is becoming colder. Take into account what | | | | Our eyes had clearly adjusted to the ambient light |
| is termed as the chill factor, when you enter into a | | | | levels for we could all see the doorway through |
| room, which is significantly colder than you are, body | | | | which we had entered into the room (80 feet away). |
| heat will be lost as the coldness of the room seeps | | | | The point of note here however was that one of |
| through the various layers of your clothing. What is | | | | the men in attendance in this vigil could not be seen |
| of note here though is the use of the surface | | | | at all even though he stood a mere eight feet away, |
| thermometer, as this can be utilised to detect | | | | and was remarked upon by everyone present, even |
| temperature fluctuations of a person, care should | | | | those stood next to the man in question, whilst they |
| however be taken to ensure that the pointer (usually | | | | themselves were quite clear. |
| a laser) should be kept on the same point | | | | In summary, what you should be aware of is the |
| throughout, as different layers of clothing can reflect | | | | mood you yourself are in, are you tired or irritable. |
| different temperatures. It is of note that on many | | | | Your experience of such events should also be taken |
| occasions the temperature will suddenly drop several | | | | into account, are you a firm believer in the |
| degrees in a matter of seconds, or conversely will | | | | paranormal taking every noise as evidence of this |
| rise sharply by a similar amount, I cannot therefore | | | | fact, or are you the total opposite believing |
| stress enough the importance of taking an accurate | | | | everything is a figment of the imagination or can be |
| temperature reading on entering the room to | | | | construed as man made. The BEST advice I can |
| conduct a vigil. | | | | offer is to quite literally sit on the fence, be as open |
| Cameras and camcorders whilst good for recording | | | | minded as possible, if something occurs, great, if not, |
| your visit can be detrimental when conducting vigils. | | | | maybe next time, do not place all of your beliefs on |
| The main reason for this is that the person using the | | | | only the one event. Take all of your photographs and |
| device has to concentrate on doing so and will | | | | camcorder footage whilst on a walk around; give |
| therefore be to focused to perceive anything | | | | yourself every chance of perceiving something. If |
| occurring around them. The factor that these devices | | | | you feel the need to use your camcorder then view |
| can cast a lot of illumination into the room coupled | | | | through the lens or better still place the camcorder in |
| with the whirring noises often being generated can | | | | a suitable location within the room and allow it to film |
| cause aggravation to other people present, which as | | | | away, thus leaving you to become more involved |
| mentioned above can affect their state of mind. | | | | with the vigil itself. When entering the vigil room take |
| With all these factors to take into account, what can | | | | a look around, are there any motion detectors, |
| you expect? | | | | security lights, who is standing next to you, what are |
| Vigils take place within a darkened room for the | | | | they wearing, luminous writing or logos on clothes can |
| specific reason of reducing the amount of stimuli | | | | look like something is there. Lastly if you or a few of |
| through the sense of sight, which results in the | | | | you are seeing an image of a person within the room |
| increase of hearing, and touch through both the skin | | | | and no one else is, please say so, as this is likely to |
| and auric field. Try sitting on a comfortable chair in | | | | indicate yourselves as having a clairvoyant ability. |