Ghost Hunting

For whatever reason, we have been watching shows about haunting and ghost hunting. Like my previous post about surviving potential horrors I have given some thoughts about conducting and surviving a ghost hunting mission.

1. Plan for horror and mayhem. Assume there is a potential for a bad outcome and make plans accordingly. Thus know the rules for surviving potential horrors. This is not to say you cannot remain a skeptic, just that you have to be prepared for the worse. The worse could come as hostile supernaturals, hostile humans and animals, as well as hostile environment conditions.

2. Have the right mission composition. Mission size should be 6-9 members. If this is an "in and out" mission, six is sufficient as this will permit 2 active teams of 3 members each, the minimum size to be on guard and survive. If this is a "camp out" mission, bring 9 to allow for shifts with two active teams while the third sleeps. Each team of three should have at least one man and one woman. This allows for a broader empathic reception as well as targets for contacts. Each team should contain at least one if not all to be capable of deadly force. Each team should contain one member scientifically oriented, one member spiritually tuned, and one member psychologically aware.Scientifically trained provides for skepticism and critical analysis or interpretation. Spiritually tuned so as to remain open to what cannot be explained. Psychologically aware so to maintain team function and guard against potential subversion of team members. Preferably all members should have undergone some sort of background and psychological screening.

3. Maintain communication. All members of the mission must be in constant live communication with each other team members and mission members. All communications must be recorded for future reviews. The mission must also have communication with the outside before, during, and after. Before means someone else not on mission must be aware of the plans for the mission, including personnel, place, time of start and expected time the mission is to end. During the mission at least one member of each team is capable of independent communication with the outside world. In this day and age of cell phone, all team members should be capable of independent communication. After the mission is to end, there should be an automatic plan for a rescue should there is no communication to cancel rescue.

4. Establish a sanctuary. The sanctuary will serve as both the base of operation as well as a point of safety to retreat to. It must be defensive against material hostile as well as potential aggression against spiritual hostile. The sanctuary must also be independently powered and supplied. Do not rely solely on the existing power grid for energy and backup power generators must be brought. Supply should be sufficient to survive at least one of not two through three days longer than planned. The sanctuary should be large enough for one team to remain active in monitoring activities, one team to sleep, and one team to defend. For an "in and out" mission, the sanctuary should be just outside the structures to be investigated, preferable also guarding the primary entry and exit path. For a "camp out" mission the sanctuary should be just inside the structures to be investigated, preferable also guarding the primary entry and exit way. The ability to at least maintaining awareness if not control of the in and out cannot be understated.

5. Have the right equipment. Beyond the essentials for any mission, such as weapons,religious icons, communication equipment, survival gears, there will be additional equipment necessary for the mission. All members should be equipped with night vision goggles, helmet video cameras for normal spectrum as well as infrared. All video feed should be actively reviewed live back at the sanctuary by the base team. Otherwise the team members should have both hands free. The rest of the "ghost hunting' equipment should be deployed. These include video cameras (both night vision and infrared), audio recording devices, and any other monitors (electromagnetic, temperature, etc). Each location should be recorded from at least two vantages: one from the main entry way and one of the main entry way. Additional vantages could be acquired as needed. Camera views should be wide angle rather than through camera sweeps to reduce the chance of a miss as well as minimize energy consumption. They should be battery powered or powered by direct cable and wire to the sanctuary power source.

6. Consider dogs. Seriously, dogs would complement human abilities with their heighten senses in what they can see, hear, and smell. The dogs would have to be trained to obey obviously, and be large enough for aggressive actions. Each team of three humans should then be reinforced by a dog.

7.Have a back up plan. By back up I mean either plans for rescue and or reinforcement. The mission rescue teams must also be similarly composed as the primary mission team with the following difference. The mission rescue composition should be composed of 3 teams of 3 each. Two of the teams will enter and search, working in tandem rather than splitting up; the third remains outside to coordinate with the outside world. The two active teams must remain in close proximity as there is strength in numbers. This cannot be disregarded given that the primary mission teams have been incapacitated in some way, potentially due to hostile action or environment. Numbers are also necessary to assist in rescue and recovery of any survivors of the primary mission teams. The rescue team mission is not to investigate or to collect data but seek, rescue, and potentially destroy any and all threats. Thus everyone on the team must be capable and inclined for deadly force application. One member of each team must be medically capable to render aid.