Adventure Sunday: Do it in the Dark!

Why do ghost hunters do it in the dark?

Sure, the mood and atmosphere are great, but really it's because the daytime traffic is gone, the place is quiet and dark and that sensory deprivation allows for us to discern any movement in the faint light and hear even the faintest sound without a lot of engines running, people milling about and cars driving by.

We go to bed in the dark, so we're not totally inexperienced. If you sleep without light and the TV on the timer, you probably noticed over time that the weirdest, creepiest and sometimes most startling sounds you ever hear in your home occur while you're lying there staring down the sandman.



I'm proposing you spend a little of awake time in the darkness. Not just a little quiet time, but also a bit of relaxing time. I joke about having my team members do some strobe light dancing before a hunt. I put on the strobe light, some music, and have them dance with their shadows against the wall. It takes everyone out of the task mode and relaxes them and adds some novelty to the environment that attracts attention. Ghosts bother people in their sleep for the simple reason that we are more receptive in the sleep state. The same goes for being in a relaxed mood in an environment. Following strobe light dancing, we've had some laughs, we've relaxed our bodies, and we've created a curious and interesting atmosphere to draw in any intelligences that might be lurking. So, I propose you turn out your lights, turn on some music and dance in the dark.



As ridiculous as you might feel doing this, once you actually get into the song, you find yourself realizing, there's no audience and even you can't see what a fool you are. Give yourself at least one whole song and then turn off the music, sit down, and listen. Your senses will be ready, your body and mind receptive, and perhaps anything that comes to life at night will show itself for you. Some folks are uncomfortable with being in absolute darkness and quiet, an ancient childhood fear never tested as a busy adult, but go ahead and sit through it. Get to know the feel and sound of your place. Note temperature changes, note a sense of being watched, let your mind probe each corner of the room. These are the skills that will help you, not just in ghost hunting, but in everything in life. Once you are aware of your personal space, what is normal, then you will know when something is not normal.

You know that sense when you're in a crowded space and someone is standing behind you? You don't see them, but you sense they are there because they block air flow and create a density that every pore in your body recognizes? That's the same sense you use when you come up against phenomena. Like a blind person, you can tell there is an object nearby.

I like to work these skills often and really it's not just for ghost hunting. I need that intuition born from sharpening my senses so I know when I go into abandoned sites and lonely places that there might be someone lurking. It's also that same sense that has you lifting your head while seated at a restaurant table to look directly at a person across the room staring at you. You didn't know they were there, you had no clue they were staring at you, and yet you went right to them immediately. Humans have many senses we have no names for other than "sixth sense," but some day I hope we can learn to explain how we understand when we are being watched, whether it's by the paranormal or the living. Perhaps it's a sense of intention and that when someone is focusing their intention upon us, warning signs go up inside us. It might be a relic from ancient man knowing if a lion was tracking him.

I'd very much like to hear your experiences when you test this one out. It can be very enlightening on a personal level and sometimes very unsettling. We are, however, building a better adventurer with keener instincts.

**Do not for anything miss Mind Fuck Tuesday this week. It will blow your mind away so much that you might just become addicted to GHT's upcoming concepts**