Property_Haunted?

BSPRI

WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOUR PROPERTY IS HAUNTED

Every day BSPRI receives a large number of enquiries from people experiencing unusual (and sometimes very distressing) phenomenon. To help prioritise these, and before our Directors will consider arranging an investigation, we ask everyone who approaches us for advice to read and follow this advice page.
First things first before you run around screaming, MOST odd experiences, pictures and video can be explained in some way. Below are a few examples of explainable "Paranormal" photos and Phenomena.
Anomalous Photographs
Dust

Dust and airborne particles are the main cause of photos like the above.
A lot of groups would say that these "Orbs" are the first stage of a spirit manifestation.
They are not, They are simply dust or other particles being illuminated by the cameras flash as they enter the space in front of lens where the coverage of the flash intersects the focal plain.

An SLR type camera is less likely to get "Orb" photos, this due to the flash positioning and you can almost illuminate this effect by using a separate flash gun.
You could also make a cover for your cameras lens so you get no flash at the point before your cameras focal plain. All you need to do is cut a hole in the base of a paper or opaque plastic drink cup and place that over your lens while taking photos, you could go one step further by adding a polished perspex cover on the cup, this will give you a good clean environment at the point that is effected by the flash. This is by no means 100% perfect but it may help.
We are currently working on this to see if orbs can be 100% illuminated from location photos.
Shutter speed

Having looked at the Exif of the photo (see yellow pic below) it is obviously an effect caused by the combination of low light, torch beams and a two second Exposure time.

Camera strap

This is a camera strap about 1cm away from the lens of the camera.
These type of photos are sometimes attributed to "Ectoplasm"
Also Camera straps
Left picture: Camera strap touching the lens in the centre. Right picture: Camera strap touching the lens just off centre.

Always remember that low quality (up to 2.5 million pixels) Compact cameras will give you more odd looking artifacts than a high end digital SLRs (as long as they are being used correctly).
Stage 1 - Record and Gather Evidence
Keep a Diary
If you are experiencing any kind of unexplained phenomena, it will help you - and anyone who in turn comes to help you - if there is a detailed written record of what has happened. In the majority of cases psychical phenomenon have very explainable sources, but without a record it is very difficult to tell!
Your diary should include the following:
Date, time and place of event.  Who (living humans and animals) was with you? Did they see/sense anything? Were there other (living) people in the same house as you?  What did you see/hear/feel?  Describe events in detail, take photos or draw diagrams. If anything materialized or was thrown - keep the objects safe.  What were you doing just before the event happened? Had you consumed alcohol, prescribed medication or street drugs in the hours before your experience?
Keep this diary for as long as possible - it will be very useful in the following stages:
Stage 2 - Eliminate Other Factors
As mentioned above, the majority of psychical phenomenon will have a very real source. You need to rule out the possibility that there isn’t anything in this physical world that is causing your experiences. If you find that it is an environmental factor, solving it could give bring instant relief.  Environmental Factors
In some areas of the country the rocks in the ground release a poisonous gas called Radon. This gas is slow acting, and can build up in houses causing mild hallucinations and feelings of sickness and uneasiness. It is worth checking with your local council’s environmental health team to see if you are in a Radon area, and if you are, asking them to check your house.
Electricity running though wires to appliances can set up a form of magnetic field that a minority of people can sense. For some, these fields can cause reactions that feel like psychical phenomenon e.g. strange visions. Check electrical equipment in the areas you experience phenomenon - is there a concentration of equipment in one spot? Make sure that it is all in working order. If all else fails and the phenomenon continues - consider turning off and unplugging all electrical equipment in places where the phenomenon occur.
Recent research has shown that low frequency vibrations can cause visual disturbances and feelings of disquiet. These vibrations are at such a low frequency that it is very unlikely that you would be able to hear them without specialist equipment. There can be all kinds of sources for these sounds - including nearby factories, malfunctioning equipment in the house (fridge, freezer) etc. You will need to use the information in your diary and a bit of research to see if there is any possibility of low frequency vibrations causing your problems. If you think it might be a factor contact your local council’s environmental health team who can carry out further tests.
Some people think its funny to scare others. You mustn’t assume that your family or housemates are deliberately doing things to make you think you are experiencing ghostly phenomenon - but you should check so that you can rule it out. Communicate with the people living with you, tell them what you have experienced, and ask if they know anything about it - you never know they might actually have experienced something too!
Mental Health
The human mind is a very delicate and complex thing. It can cause us to feel and sense things that appear completely real, when in reality they don’t exist. This could include seeing humans and animals that no one else can see, hearing noises (including very clear voices) or smelling things (sometimes very repulsive) that no one else can.
You must be honest with yourself and consider whether Alcohol/Medication/ Street drugs have played any part in your psychical experiences. Alcohol and street drugs are stimulants and directly affect the brain’s ability to rationalise; consider cutting down or giving up. Some medically prescribed drugs can also have side affects that might appear to be paranormal. If you have only started experiencing phenomenon since taking prescribed medication, make an appointment with your Doctor to discuss what you are experiencing. DO NOT STOP TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDICATION UNTIL YOUR DOCTOR INSTRUCTS YOU TO DO SO.
Although we believe that your GP only has your best interest at heart and will try to help; we understand that you might not want to approach your doctor to discuss your mental health. If you would like to do some more research on your mental health - we recommend that you contact MIND; their website can be found at: www.mind.org.uk
Stage 3 - Nothing Else Has Worked!
You have your diary or events, you have considered, researched and eliminated all of the possibilities outlined in Stage 2 - and things are still happening?
The BSPRI has limited resources, we do try to investigate as many cases as possible - but there are limits.
As a theoretical science paranormal investigation can sometimes ask more questions than it can answer and as such may not give the answers you are looking for. We cannot promise a solution to the problem but we may be able explain a few events or help you find the relevant groups that may be more able to deal with your problem.
If you would still like the BSPRI to investigate your property then please copy and paste the questionnaire below into an email (Please answer all of the questions) and a member of the society will reply usually within 48hrs.

Contact Us

Address of site:  Name of witness:  Mailing address if different:  Phone number:  Email Address:  How many occupants at location:  How many pets:  Occupants' names and ages:  Occupants' occupations:  Occupants' religious beliefs:  Time of occupancy at the location:  Age of the site:  How many previous owners (if known):  History of site: (tragedies, deaths, previous complaints)  How many rooms in the site:  Has the location been blessed:  Has there been any recent remodeling (if so, what and where):  Any occupants on prescribed medication (anxiety, depression, pain, etc) Please list names and medications:  Any occupants using illegal drugs (this will be kept confidential):  Any occupants drink alcohol heavily (this will be kept confidential):  Any occupants interested in the occult: (Ouija, séances, psychics, spells) If so, who and what?  Any occupants currently seeing a psychiatrist or in therapy (this will be kept confidential): if so, who:  Any occupants with frequent or unexplained illnesses (if yes, describe):  Have any religious clergy been consulted: If so, please list church:  Has there been any media involvement: If so, who:  Have there been any other witnesses besides the occupants (names and relationships)  Have there been any odors: (i.e. perfumes, flowers, sulfur, ammonia, excrement, etc) If so, when, where and what:  Have there been any sounds: (i.e. footsteps, knocks, banging, etc) If so, when, where and what:  Have there been any voices: (whispering, yelling, crying, speaking) If so, when, where and what:  Has there been any movement of objects, If so, when, where and what:  Has there been any apparitions, If so, when, where and what (describe the apparition):  Have there been any uncommon cold or hot spots: If so, when, where and what:  Have there been any problems with electrical appliances: (TV, lights, kitchen appliances, doorbells) If so, when, where and what:  Have there been any problems with plumbing: (leaks, flooding, sinks, toilet bowls) If so, when, where and what:  Any occupants having nightmares or trouble sleeping: If so, who and when:  Have there been any physical contact: If so, who, where and what happened:  Are pets affected: If so, how:  Describe the first occurrence of the phenomena: (what and when happened?)  Who first witnessed the phenomena:  What time was the first occurrence of the phenomena:  What is the witness's reaction during the phenomena:  Were there any other witnesses during the first event:  How long is the average duration of the phenomena:  How often does the phenomena occur:  Do any of the occupants feel the phenomena is threatening: If so, who and why?  What do the occupants believe is happening: (i.e. it's supernatural, natural, unsure, etc.) :  Do all of the occupants agree on what is happening, Do any think it's nonsense or not happening:  What would you like to see accomplished from our visit?