A new investigator recently told me that he is really struggling with what to say when he is on an investigation. He stated that he often feels a little funny asking questions and he isn’t really even sure what to ask. I think these are valid thoughts and concerns. We have all been there. Many of us are unsure if ghosts even exist so trying to have a conversation with one just seems crazy. If we are working on the theory that ghosts are the spirits of humans who once occupied or loved a space, we should try to engage the situation in a way that allows said spirits to interact. One of those primary methods is conversation. 

So, what should you say when you’re sitting in a room with your fellow investigators and you are hoping to interact with a spirit? Everyone is going to have their own style and the way you communicate in each location may vary based on the information you have and your goals in the investigation. Here are a few things that I have been known to do to attempt to encourage dialogue. 

• Say hi and introduce yourself. Let’s be honest, isn’t this how you would start any conversation with anyone? Don’t be rude. Thank them for welcoming you into their home and start the conversation as if you have just been invited to visit with them for a bit. 

• Ask for their name or names. It always helps to know who you are talking to and an added bonus is you might have something to verify on your recorder later. 

• Talk about any equipment that you brought with you. Imagine that whoever you are talking to has never seen these items and is curious about what they might do. 

• If you want to inquire about any death that has occurred in the space, be polite about it. Don’t just yell out “Hey, did you shoot yourself in this room? Why the heck would you do that?” One, it’s rude and two, that is likely to stop any conversation from occurring. Whoever you are trying to communicate with may not know they are dead or they may not want to talk about something so upsetting. 

• State the obvious. If you think it is weird to be sitting in a dark room talking to the darkness, state it. You have to wonder what they might think if they see you staring at an open doorway chatting away at nothing. If the location has a lot of visitors, ask about their perception of these visitors. 

• Ask about the location and what it is like for them. We don’t know what a spirit may perceive so asking is always the best option. Use what you know about the location. 

• Ask if there is anything they want to communicate. Many sensitives will state that spirits just want to have their story be told so give them this opportunity. This gives you the opportunity to ask age, year of birth, male/female, job type, if they are married, do they have children, if so, how many children and so on. Think of things that you may be able to verify about an individual later during research. 

• DO NOT PROVOKE! This is my own personal requirement and I know some teams are fine with this method but I find it very disrespectful to the dead. So please, do not call the deceased names, yell at them, or accuse them of things that are not based in fact. Be curious not accusatory. 

How do you know if someone is communicating with you? Really, you don’t know for sure but there are a few things you can try to gather responses. 

• You can do short burst EVP sessions in which you review the audio immediately after asking a series or questions. If you do this, explain to anyone in the space that this is what is happening. This method is useful if you are asking for names and responses other than yes/no. 

• You may also set up devices like REMPods, KII meters, flashlights, or light up toys and ask anyone present to make them “light up” in response to a question. Once again, if you do this, explain the process and demonstrate how the objects work. This only works with yes/no type questions. When using this method, I often encourage whoever is responding to verbalize their answers also just in case we can capture that information on audio/video. This will further validate that experience as not being a random occurrence of the device activating. 

• Spirit boxes are often used to ask questions and receive responses. The spirit box is an audio-only device that rapidly scans through multiple radio channels and it is theorized that spirits can manipulate these sounds to form words in answer to your questions. In my opinion, these devices are VERY suspect as I don’t understand how a spirit learns to manipulate these devices or if that is even possible. Nonetheless, many people use them and swear by their communications.

• If you work with a medium or sensitive, they may be able to assist in communication but note that without confirmation from other devices and research, this information is suspect. Always be thorough in your attempts to collect correlating data. 

This is only a short sample of things you can do when trying to trigger communication during an investigation. I’d love to hear other ways that you have successfully attempted communication. As a community, we learn from one another so shared ideas are never discouraged. 

Good luck and Happy Hunting!