The honour of the journey
When I first started investigating the paranormal, if you had told me that I would become a paranormal tour guide I think I would have laughed as it was not where I ever thought I would end up. As opportunities arose, I found the value of paranormal tourism and more importantly, providing a safe space for people who are curious to explore the paranormal. With me, there are not really many bells and whistles and there is no faking or exaggerated "What was that?" when I know it was a door. There is a lot of talking about things and what they could and might not be. There is also a lot of listening on my part to the people I am with on what they experiencing and what they are feeling. At the end of the day, they are there because they are curious about the paranormal and are looking to have their own kind of experience. As I tell them every time at the beginning of an investigation, I can't guarantee you will have a paranormal experience and that most likely, we are going to be sitting around for a large portion of the night waiting for something to happen that never will.
As a paranormal investigator, I think we underestimate the importance of our role when it comes to others - especially people diving into the paranormal for the first time. Do you remember your first paranormal investigation? Of course you do. You remember the moment you experienced or felt something that you couldn't explain. You remember the very thing that got you hooked so that you never looked back. We all remember it. You remember who was there. Now think about today. You are potentially going to be apart of someone's first paranormal investigation. A pivotal and to some even life changing moment. What an honour is it to be a part of the beginning of someone's paranormal journey.
This is often a point I do forget if I am being honest. I was reminded how important a role you can play while I was at my investigation at Black Rock House last night. As we were leaving the house ready to lock up, a guest walked out of the dining room and let out a loud scream towards the hallway where no one was standing. She had seen a lady who she quickly realised was not one of the group standing there. She was able to describe in great detail her features, her hair and even what she was wearing. She caught a glimpse of her for a couple of seconds and then she disappeared. No one else saw her. The reality of it whether it was paranormal or not is that this person saw something she couldn't explain. It gave her a fright and has likely also given her that same moment, that same experience we have all had on the first investigation that led us on our paranormal journey. What an honour it is to be there and be a part of that and share that with her. She then had a group of 10 other people listening to her and validating her. Some jumped into action to try and investigate further to see if we could get any responses. We didn't of course because it was one of those personal experiences. Something she will take away with her.
There is a lot of competition and ego out there, and in an age of social media, so many people just feel like they aren't enough or aren't doing as much as some other investigators or groups. They think because they don't have a group or a social media page that they can't speak on certain topics. They think because they don't have thousands of subscribers on YouTube that no one will want to investigate with them. Strip all of that back because it doesn't matter who you are. You have the opportunity to have a profound impact on a person without any of that stuff, just by being yourself. The next time you are on a paranormal investigation and there is someone who is new or unsure, think about the importance of the role you are about to play. Just being there is an honour. That person doesn't care about how many followers you have. They just want to be heard and share the experience with someone. What a privilege it is that the person is you!
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