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Interviewing Witnesses
Interviews with witnesses are crucial components of any ghost investigation; many times the interview is the first step of your investigation. One important thing to keep in mind is that the names of witnesses and/or locations of the
haunting, should always be held in strictest confidence. The only time this rule
doesn't apply is if the location is a public place (old school, library, museum
etc.) and rumors of its ghosts have been circulating for years. HOWEVER: The
names of your witnesses must never be divulged. Unless the witness
himself/herself decides to do so.
Before you call the witness you should
devise a standard set of questions that you will ask.
Print out a few copies
of your questionnaire and go over them. When you are satistifed with your
questions, call the witness and set up a time for the interview that is
convenient for both of you. Remember to be on time and bring along a notepad,
pencil and recorder (if the witness agrees to have the interview taped)
Listen! Never interupt the witness to interject your own thoughts. Be patient until he/she has finished telling you about the
haunting. There are many different ideas concerning just what a haunting is or
isn't. By letting your witness tell his/her own experience without interuption
you may gain valuable insight into the witness's perception of what occured.
When he/she is finished allow the witness to take a few moments to relax before
answering your questions.
Here are a few sample questions you might want
to include on your questionnaire
Was anyone present during the phenomenon besides yourself?
Has any of your close friends or relatives died in the last year?
Did you recognize the appartion?
What time of day/night did the activity occur?
What were you doing when the activity occured?
Is this the first time you've witnessed paranormal phenomena?
How many movies of a supernatural theme have you viewed in the last few
years?
Had you heard stories of this house (building, etc) being haunted prior to
having witnessed the activity?
Keep in mind that the purpose of the
interview is to gain information, not to dispute, or embarass the witness.
Occasionally you may meet someone who seeks attention with colorful stories of
ghostly activity. If you find that you are interviewing such a person and that
some of the claims seem outlandish and unreasonable, politely discontinue the
interview.
Different Viewpoints
Many times
witnesses to the same phenomena will report very different occurences. As an
example, one person may see an "evil elderly man with maniacal eyes and
windblown hair", while another witness sees an "old guy who is really scared."
This is because we all see things differently. It is important to keep this in
mind when interviewing several different witnesses to a haunting activity. No
matter how much you may want to do so, don't make promises to "bring a team of
investigators in" until you've completed the interview and had time to research
your findings. Try to determine the validity of a haunting before attempting to
conduct an investigation. This will save you a lot of needless work in the long run.
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