We checked it out the same day and did a preliminary investigation (which is a client interview and tour of the site). It certainly warrants a full investigation.
I was named case manager on this one, and the soonest we could assemble a team was for tonight, a little less than a week from initial contact. Wish we could have done it sooner, but our team members all have regular jobs during the week.
This case may prove to be really interesting, evidence-wise, if we can catch some of what is going on. There seem to be everything from shadow people, apparitions, voices, tapping and banging on the walls, and movement of items. Most importantly, though, I am hoping we can find out some specific information about what is going on, so we can help the family in their home... they are really scared and no one should be frightened in their home.
At the very least, we should be able to help teach the family how to protect themselves, energetically-speaking, so that they are not affected by entities in their home or elsewhere in life. They need to learn to Ground, Center, and Shield.
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about... don't worry, I wouldn't have known before I got into all this.
There are lots of books out there on these processes, and many people who can teach you first-hand. I had first read about these processes in The Ghost Hunter's Survival Guide: Protection Techniques for Encounters With The Paranormal by Michelle Belanger, but received further training from more senior team members in my group.
Grounding is a way to keep yourself connected to the earth. One way it is often taught is imagining your body as a tree trunk, and then extending your energy down into the earth like roots of a tree. The earth, in this process, is believed to be a neutralizing force, so you can ground yourself to give yourself the additional stability you need to go into situations that might get you "off balance". Another way to think of grounding, is that IF an entity were bothering you and affecting you, you can ground again and concentrate on sending any negativity into the earth, where it would be neutralized. Many people use mental imagery for grounding, while others find hugging a tree or some other physical act is more useful to them. It's all very personal -whatever works for you.
Centering is just a way to say "stay focused on the task at hand." You are not helping anyone during an investigation if you are off daydreaming about an upcoming vacation or trying to mentally debate what color to paint your bedroom at home. You don't have to be doing paranormal investigation to benefit from centering either... we can all use this in our daily lives to get more done and keep us from getting frazzeled and "losing our cool" in many situations. You aren't in a protective "stance" if you aren't focused... so centering is important.
Shielding is another thing that is a very imagery-based process. Think of it as your creation of your own invisible force field. Some people imagine a bubble around them, others think of a ball of fire (which sounds like a very powerful protection), and others yet might just imagine a fog around them... again, it's all very personal about what makes a person feel safe and protected. It isn't what the image is... it's how strongly you believe in it. Heck, if it makes you feel safe to have an imaginary Yoda on your back, like Luke Skywalker when he was training, great! Use that image!
One other way to be protected from the paranormal, is to believe in something. It doesn't have to be God or gods or fairies or angels or anything you might hear in a house of worship, but if you believe in it strongly, it will give you strength. A friend of mine has explained this by saying " I don't care if what you believe in is sugar, but believe in sugar strongly and it will help you." That might sound strange, but that is some of what religions and faith does for people.... it gives them something to believe in, and that thing gives them strength. And if you have a necklace or a crystal or some other item you can carry on you to represent that... that's even better! Our own group of investigators has a diverse array of belief systems, and I see that as a big strength. It gives us more opportunity to help our clients and relate to them in a language they are comfortable with ... the key to it is that we might each have our own beliefs, but we truly respect each others' beliefs and our clients' beliefs. Just like Grounding and Shielding, it's all very personal... it's whatever works for you.
Wish us luck tonight!
