I’m sure you know that not everyone is perfect no matter what they may try to tell you. In the field of paranormal research, we are all still learning and many of us by extreme trial and error. I cannot tell you how many times I have made a stupid “rookie” mistake. So this blog is for people who might get down on themselves for not conducting a perfect investigation every time. 

Things I have screwed up on an investigation

• Forgot to turn on my IR light (often)
• Forgot to take the internal battery out of my camera so the external battery will work.
• Stopped the record function on my camera when I was “checking” the image quality and didn’t turn it back on. 
• Didn’t hit record in the first place. 
• Placed my EMF meter too far away from my camera so I couldn’t read it. 
• Didn’t charge a device.
• Forgot my charger. 
• Forgot to set-up a device. 
• Didn’t record data points at the start or end of an investigation. 
• Forgot to bring my draft maps for EMF recording.
• Whispered while doing EVP work. 
• Ate food that made my stomach angry and had to remove myself from an investigation due to noise contamination.  
• Accidentally hit a camera and messed up the image. 
• Said something inappropriate in front of my camera and later found evidence associated with that time that couldn’t be used. 
• Fallen up the stairs.
• Sat on something gross. 
• Almost walked in on someone peeing in a soda bottle. (Not sure if this is my error or his)
• Said something that made someone on the team mad at me. 
• Didn’t bring back-up memory cards. 
• Snored in an obnoxious way and had teammates record it for posterity. 

I have been doing this for over a decade and you would think I would have things down to a science by now. Nope. Errors happen and your investigation will often have minor goofs. Try to laugh at yourself and move on. If you have a good team, they will laugh with you, not at you. . . most of the time. 

Until next time, Happy Hunting!