Granada Theatre: Lessons Learned

This weekend I went on a paranormal investigation with the group I’m in; we went to the Granada Theatre in Ontario. It was a very interesting experience. Not so much as in the paranormal activity, though I haven’t yet reviewed my stuff, but in a different way for me. It was a great opportunity for me to figure out how I need to grow as an investigator, as well as recognize the skills that I already possess that make me the investigator that I am. I learned a lot.

1. Just because I heart my Nikon, doesn’t mean that it’s very helpful on an investigation. It won’t take a photo / the flash won’t activate in a dark room. Now, probably there is some way I can bypass it, but why bother, really?

2. I need to become more confident in asking questions in an EVP session. I overthink what I’m going to say, and worried that I’ll sound dumb, or stupid or say the wrong thing. It’s the same reason I refuse to do voice chat and I avoid picking up the phone. It’s something that I probably won’t get over completely, but I need to either remember some standard questions, or just get over worrying about what other people will think. It’s just one fun facet of social anxiety- yay!

3. I also need to stop being afraid of speaking up. Period. I need to mention if I hear a weird noise or something, because here its important, not something to treat as a normal occurance.

4. I need either a K2 or another way to be able to read my EMF meter in the dark. I love my meter, but it’s hard not to be able to read it. I have a workaround in my head- maybe a small unbright glowstick- like the mouth ones for ravers?

5. The ability to meditate has made it easy for me to just sit still, silent and unmoving. Apparently, some people can’t do that?

6. I follow direction well. If someone tells me to be quiet, I will be quiet. I don’t see the reason to have a conversation while other people are trying to have an EVP session – what can’t wait for 10 minutes? I think that might go back to meditation- I don’t feel the need to fill the silence.

7. I’m not sure when I lost complete fear of the dark, but the ability to sit in a completely pitch black old theatre without any anxiety is really awesome for me.

8. My little bag that I made held up fairly well, so that was a little “yay”. The strap didn’t break, even with the big Nikon and the camcorder in the largest pocket. The recorder slipped out of the pocket, though, but it was fixed by using the clip on the recorder.

9. It was fun to use my IR thermometer, but it’s hard to tell where you are pointing in the dark. I need to figure out how to use that a little better if I don’t want to permanently blind my teammates.

10. Thick socks. Always pack thick socks. My feet were ice.

11. I need to practice opening myself up so that I can be more “sensitive.” This was kind of my dry run in this respect, and I did get some impressions (one I had no idea about until afterwards, and the name I got wasn’t the one a psychic had given our guide). I need to figure out a way to practice this. Trying to do this in a group of like eight people –as someone who is trying to get used to it- was a little difficult. I might take a little trip up to Founders or something and see what I can sense. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday. Expand my awareness or someshit. I had a pretty good thing going on at suicide bridge, and heard a voice and saw a dark figure there, and got EVPs when I was in the place I was drawn to. I’d love to go back there again.

12. Also, in regards to sensitivity, I’d like to figure out a way to take notes of what I’m feeling- I guess I could speak quietly into my recorder, but that might seem like ‘evidence’ to another person on their recorder.

And that’s what I learned this weekend. :-D I’m still going to work on that bag tutorial. Also, a cosmetic bag tutorial, too. 