By Rick Hinton
A reprint from 04/07/2016
“So … when are you taking me ghost hunting?”
When people find out I’m a paranormal investigator, this is the question I indelibly get asked. It may be from a friend, a co-worker, or even a family member. It has happened and I expect it will continue. When it does, I often stumble at a reply, asking myself a question: Do I want to be the one to introduce you to this path? Most likely not. …
People become interested in the paranormal for a variety of reasons. Maybe it’s an experience from their past they cannot explain or rationalize, or even a recent one; stories from friends or relatives of something they’ve experienced; quite possibly, too much paranormal television; a movie they have seen; or simply wanting some excitement in their life, with a touch of intrigue. The paranormal train is waiting in the station, ready to rumble down the tracks. All on board! These are strange days indeed, with the simplicity of a life once part of our youth seemingly evolving into a completely different animal; and direction. The days are now one of quiet desperation, yet with a sense of mystery lying just beneath the surface. We seek something new to occupy our time. Perhaps it’s hunting a ghost here and there? The pastime of paranormal investigations, after years of research and exploration, continues to remain an enigma. And its secrets are still just that – secrets. There are truckloads of theories and I suspect that will continue for years to come. Ghost hunting has a tendency to intrigue because it places people outside the box, where everything is not wrapped nice and neat as our normal lives tend to be. I get the reasoning for requests to take folks to find a ghost. I do. But, let’s just think about what you’re asking. …
There is the possibility that participating in paranormal shenanigans could be detrimental to your health. Do you really want to join this “club” and bring something home after an investigation? It has happened to Laura and me. Going into a situation envisioning communicating with Casper the Friendly Ghost can be a magical thought, yet, is it really a friendly Casper or something else imitating? This happens too. Or – to the other extreme – taking a night out of your life and experiencing absolutely nothing! This happens more often than not. You lose sleep, travel, expenses and in a sense, a part of yourself. When frequenting one of the numerous paying paranormal amusement parks, this can and does happen. Regardless of the location’s hype, and reputation, it becomes a matter of – buy the ticket, take the ride! You rationalize nothing happening, still convincing yourself it was all worth it, yet with nothing to show for those few short hours except for tired legs and bloodshot eyes. Was it really worth it? Or were you, in effect, the one taken for a ride? This happens also.
Two weeks ago Russ Hibbs, a coworker, asked me to take him ghost hunting. He’s a West Virginia, meat-and-potatoes sort of guy, however not a newbie to paranormal investigations. He once had his own group back home. He wanted to visit some Indiana locations. He knows the risks. He’s also taken the best photo of a Civil War apparition in a graveyard I have ever seen. He asked again – “So, when are you taking me ghost hunting?”
I smiled. “Soon Russ, very soon.”
I took Russ to a location in northern Indiana. A good time was had by all!
