Hi. Today, in addition to getting a lot of emails about my “job” posting, and doing some data checking at work, I listened to a bunch of radio programs on different elements of the paranormal and other stuff. Some of them were really awesome, like this one show from CBC, called “Haunted House, Haunted Mind.” I liked it cause it covered a lot of ground, and was very constructive, that is, it seemed more interested, to me, in building connections between different disciplines, and getting people to think about how lots of diverse things relate t each other. That’s the kind of approach that I prefer in this sort of area. I also listened to a few other radio shows that I really didnt like. There was one about the world’s of science and magic, and how depending on the time period, and beliefs of the people involved, different phenomena would get shuffled back and forth from being considered magical, to being scientific, and vice versa. It sounds like a great topic, but it was just a bunch of sciencey doofuses talking about how boring they were… or else that’s what it seemed like to me. I didn’t like it. And then I listened to this thing tonight about some kind of skeptic’s convention, and the role of skepticism in approaching scientific and paranormal investigation. Again, a possibly interesting topic ruined by, what I thought were a bunch of close-minded people.

Which leads me to an observation I’ve seen in regards to a lot of other paranormal/occult investigators out there. The two biggest camps seem to be: (1) Disproving that these things exist, usually through scientific means, and (2) Proving that these things exist, again, usually through scientific means. Like they both seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to photograph and tape spirits and stuff. And to me, that just doesn’t seem important. Call me idealistic, but the focus of this kind of work should be helping people. People who need it.

Now, this is all just conjecture, since I haven’t had any cases as yet. But let’s imagine a hypothetical one, that occurs once I’m all set up to start investigating. Somebody calls me cause they think their apartment is haunted. Something like this, I don’t know. Maybe they’ve seen something or felt something. Maybe they want me to help determine if there’s anything to it, and what could be done about it.

In my mind, taking over a bunch of like meters and cameras and stuff would just be useless. Cause some electrical signature being there or not there isn’t going to help that person feel more at ease. Or maybe it is. I don’t know. And by the same token, it would be cool to just photodocument stuff for reference, if for nothing else. I wouldn’t want to go around touting it as proof of anything, cause I’m just not concerned with that. Hm. I don’t know that I’m really making my point very well, but this is something I want to come back to a lot more, cause I feel like it’s very important.

To pay or not to pay

Right so, there is this big part of me that really thinks I should go through with my ad and find some good partners for my occult investigative firm. There’s just been so much interest in such a short time, that it’s almost like the universe is trying to compel me in a certain direction. In any case, I’m gonna sleep on it a few more days before I reply to anybody with any additional information.

But something I have been thinking about is money. You know, pricing. Like compensation and whatnot. First of all, how much do you charge someone for occult investigative services? What the hell kind of services would I really be providing anyway? Without being involved in it yet, it all seems very fuzzy.

I remember hearing in highschool this one time, on some talk radio thing, probably on NPR. It was an interview with some kind of Native American healer/shaman guy, and he was so cool. He was talking all about how when he performs services for people in his community, he won’t accept payment of money, that it’s sacriligious to his work. People who he was helping, or who were participating in the ceremony, they were only allowed to contribute in the form of ritual supplies for the service, and also food. And that basically what he couldn’t use himself, he redistributed to the people of his community.

Now I don’t know if this is the perfect model for my own forays into the occult investigative world, but there is certainly something about it that seems to be of vast importance to me on some level. Admittedly, I don’t consider myself any kind of healer or shaman, and wouldn’t ever try to perform anything in that regard. But still, there just seems like something bizarre about asking for money from people who are calling you for help in these kinds of matters. Again, it’s something I have to come back to more, and figure out how to approach it.

Oh, here is something neat that I just found, which relates to this. Its on the site of some group calling themselves SPI - Dallas Unit, and I guess they are investigators or something, I don’t know, I have to read more. But they have this page about their ghost methodology, and it contains the following quote, which I like a lot: “We do not normally charge for this service if we approach you first for an investigation. But donations are appreciated and help defray expenses.”

I like this kind of approach, where you don’t ask your clients for payment. They are welcome to what help you give them, without you expecting anything in return, but if people want to show their gratitude in some form, be it monetary, food, whatever, then that is fine. I think its an approach that I am more and more leaning toward.