With an uncertain world, many venues closed and a sense of not knowing what is happening, many people are either forced or choosing to spend their time at home, until this pandemic passes. While you may not be able to attend a 'haunted' location, there are plenty of ways you can indulge your love for the paranormal and even engage in paranormal research right from the comfort of your own home!
Talk to others
Social connection is important, especially during times like this. Many of us are feeling a big disconnect from the World. Sometimes the social interaction we have on social media is the only form of human contact some have at the moment. If you don't have a circle of people that you can turn to, it doesn't mean you are alone. Reach out to those who you may have been on tours with. Engage in conversation on your favourite paranormal pages. Chat in Facebook books. There are a lot of online communities that have been set up for people with an interest in the paranormal. While it may feel out of your comfort zone, you will be surprised how much this can help you still feel connected to your paranormal content.
Read & Research
Have you got a book that you always wanted to read but just never found the time? Well now is as good of a time as any! Check out sites such as Book Depository and Amazon which also house a lot of self-published books from those in the paranormal field. For books that are harder to find or maybe a little of your price range, World Of Books is a great online seller that sells second-hand books. Some libraries while physically closed, are delivering books or making resources available online to read. I have some book recommendations here in my Paranormal Book Club Thread if you need a hint of where to start! https://llifs.com.au/blog/?tags=Paranormal+Book+Club
Do you have an investigation coming up or one that you plan to do when everything reopens? Maybe you could do some research on history. If you prefer going into a location blind, maybe you can research some different investigating techniques. What are other groups doing? Maybe they are trying something a little different. Is there a new piece of equipment you want? You could do some research on that. In fact what about the equipment you have now. Do you know how it works? I mean do you truly know and understands how it works? You could research that. If you are wanting something different, there are a lot of studies you can look into that are real trials and experiments done in the name of paranormal research. Analyse the results, think about the findings and see where it leads you. The great thing about research is that there are so many avenues you can go down. There is this really cool thing called the internet. You have the luxury that investigators 20 years ago didn’t have. Everything is at your fingertips. Take advantage of it. The more you learn, the better the investigator you will become. It doesn't matter if you have 2 or 20 years of experience. There is always something you can be learning. Don’t underestimate the power of a really good book. Research isn’t just Google. Pick up a book, visit your local library or make contact with a historical society. There is so much you can do.
I have created an online resource directly which has a range of studies, informative websites and free public domain books that you can access to help with your own research. I am always adding to it so pop it in your bookmarks!
https://llifs.com.au/resource-directory/
Be Creative
Do you blog about things like I do? When I have some downtime I try to churn out a few articles to keep for a rainy day. Do you have footage that you don’t know what to do with? Maybe make a video or a vlog. You don’t even have to publish it online it can either be for you or you can put it out there and show everyone what you have been doing. Back in the day, we used to make equipment videos. We would choose a piece of equipment and make a video about how the equipment works and what interferes with it and we would put it out there for people to see. Don’t be embarrassed. If you have something you want to say or show, get it out there. I know it is scary. I hesitated for weeks before launching this blog. I had it ready to go but I was scared to push the publish button. What was I scared of? I was scared of what people were going to say. I didn’t want people to be critical of me because I am a very sensitive person and I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I let go of the fear and I was surprised at how wonderful everyone has been. If you own what you do and are confident you will have nothing to worry about. If you are thinking of taking that creative leap, your downtime is the best time to start! It may even motivate you to go out there and investigate more.
Online Paranormal Conferences & live stream investigations
A lot of events have been cancelled this year with pretty much no sort of convention going ahead this year. From Comic-con through to Paracon, organizers have had to adapt and have created the online paranormal conference. Many have popped up over the last few months. Some are free, while others ask for a small fee to help cover the running costs or even raise money for charities, it is a much cheaper and easier way to access the amazing talks and lectures that you would normally be hearing at these kings of conventions.
Many groups have also taken to live streaming investigations as well. It means you can still in a way be there and have involvement and your say but from the comfort of your own home.
Catch up on paranormal content
There is some great paranormal content out there available online. There are podcasts, web series, blogs and articles. You just have to know where to look. Everyone has something to offer and it is worth listening and reading what these people have to say. You might learn a thing or two along the way or it might inspire you and lead you on a certain path for your next investigation. Maybe the topic is about equipment or technique. You may or may not agree with what they have to say but it is important to take on board all opinions out in the field. It would be boring if we all thought the same so if we can take in as much information as we can by different people in the field, it makes us better investigators. It can also be quite entertaining (sometimes frustrating) by watching what and how other investigators do things but it can help you regroup and remember how and why you want to do what you do.
Build Equipment/Create Experiments
If you are a technical kind of person, perhaps you can build some equipment. A lot of people build their own IR lights or make rigs for cameras etc. If you are like me and you are not as technically minded, perhaps you can look into some experiments that you can do. There are popular experiments and theories out there, but maybe you can adapt them. Make them you own and change them to look for the answers that perhaps you are looking for. Gather everything you need and start your planning. Depending on the experiment, a fair amount of planning may be needed. A perfect way to fill your time and get you excited for your next investigation. You may like to try and do some EVP research, remember the pioneers of EVP didn't have to leave their home to investigate this area, many did so from a quiet area in their home.
Review evidence
This is a pretty easy one. Do you have any audio that is lying around that you just haven’t ‘got to’ yet. When you do long investigations, sometimes there are hours and hours and hours of footage and audio to review. Maybe you can revisit some old evidence. What you may think you couldn’t explain at the time might look or sound differently when you revisit it. There have been occasions where I have captured a photo that I couldn’t explain and months later when I review it again, I have had the gift of hindsight or may have even learnt a few things in between that have allowed me to understand what was going on. I have debunked a lot of different things this way. Looking at it, later on, gives you a new perspective. You are not as fresh off the investigation and maybe not as emotionally attached to your evidence. Maybe you learnt more things in the meantime or maybe it is something you just didn’t think of at the time. If you are not trying to debunk your old evidence it is a trip down memory lane and may just give you that little fix, or it could have an itching for more.
These are just a few of the many things that you can do. If you are reading this, you have a passion for the paranormal. The hardest thing about being an investigator is not investigating. All I can tell you is to be patient. It can be hard, you have this ‘calling’ and you feel like you can’t do anything. To me, it is not just about investigating. I love so many different aspects of this field. Don’t just focus on the investigating part because there is so much more to it. This history and the research side is where I personally am focused on. Some are more focused on equipment or evidence and that is cool too. Find out where your strengths and interests lie. We are always learning so use your downtime to learn as much as possible. If you fully embrace it, not only will you get your paranormal fix more often, but you will even become a better investigator. What are some of your tips to cure that paranormal bug when you have no investigations on the calendar?
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