Just My Thoughts
By Christina M. Meide

In fact, in all the time that we've used the Gauss meter and IR thermometer, we have never had either one show us any changes at all in anything, yet we have gotten some pretty incredible pictures, recordings and video.

According to the expert, you should really only take pictures and such if you have a drop in temperature or a sudden electrical charge reading. If we had done this, we'd still be waiting for something to come our way.

Now, just for the record, so this expert cannot come back and refute our equipment by saying that it's too cheap and doesn't work properly, let me say that I bought it from his site several years ago. Why? For the same reason many of us do it... because the so called expert says it is needed for serious investigation.

I've learned a great deal since then, but I will not say that more equipment might not be better if it's necessary to argue in court over a photograph or a voice recording. However, if you can't buy the equipment, then you can't buy it. It doesn't mean that what you are collecting is worthless, so don't  let anyone tell you that it is. Only you can make that judgment for yourself and determine if what you have is authentic to you or not.

It is difficult to determine authenticity in any case as we are all still groping in the dark when it comes to the paranormal, but if you have a system that you follow when you do each and every one of your investigations, then that is one step in the right direction to prove that you are not just pursuing this because it's something to do. Then again, maybe you are, but at least you can show you're consistent so if you do come up with something intriguing in sound or film, then you have a leg to stand on, if necessary, with the so-called experts.

The Night Watchman and I have our own method that we are comfortable with when doing our investigations.

First, we choose a cemetery (I chose this location out of spite for the expert). We write down what the weather shows for that time period which includes the temperature, wind, if it's overcast or clear, the moon phase, the solar activity and geomagnetic field that can be found on NOAA, the time we begin our investigation, the location name and the time we finish our investigation.

After this, we set up our equipment. Sometimes we use three video cameras in strategic locations that we've preplanned after scoping out the cemetery ahead of time, sometimes we use only two and sometimes only one. There are also times that we don't take cameras at all -- it all depends on how much time we have to investigate, but we'll pretend here that we are on a full scale investigation.

Once the cameras are set up, we each take a tape recorder, The Night Watchman carries the gauss meter and I carry the IR thermometer and the digital camera.

This is when we separate and go to different areas of the cemetery, both with the tape recorders running and using the other instruments mentioned above.

I will take random shots in sets of three with the digital camera as I walk. Of course, if the gauss meter or IR thermometer ever did show anything, we would certainly take advantage of the moment and photograph again in sets of three wherever they indicated. Since this has never happened, we have appeased ourselves with taking the random shots in sets of three.

Eventually we will meet after making several rounds and decide how long we wish to continue. At times, if it is extremely dark and an unfamiliar cemetery, we will also wear headset radios to stay in contact, but that is rare.

Once we are satisfied that we've gotten all that we wanted to, we pack up the video cameras, shut off the tape recorders and head for home base.

What do we do next? Why, we connect the video cameras up to the television and view what footage we've taken, and, just like every other paranormal investigator, we hope that something was captured on film.

After the videos, we sit and listen to the tapes that we've made and view the digital camera photos on the computer. Again, we hope that we capture something on one or both mediums, but it doesn't always happen.

If we capture orbs on the digital camera, since we have sets of three, it is easier to determine if they are, indeed orbs, or something natural. Although we keep all of the pictures, we have decided to only display the pictures of truly unique ones to you on the site and in the magazine.

So, you see, investigating isn't all that hard. You can do it in pairs or as a group with each person having a specific job in the investigation. The important thing is to have fun while being serious and enjoy the experience of finding out about the unknown, but use your head when making a determination about what is real and what is not.

If you believe that you've captured something, go back over your investigation with a fine toothed comb to be sure that there isn't an explanation. If you've exhausted all possible explanations, just save what you've collected and continue investigating.