Alright everyone listen up because this is a public service announcement to get you through the next six weeks like a champ because it's HALLOWEEN SEASON! Now I know everyone's favorite holiday is coming up and as a 24 year old paranormal investigator who has been in the field for 7 years, I have taken it upon myself to teach you all about the job; especially what to do and what should never be done in an investigation and around this time.

To get straight to the point...every reality TV show (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Asylums, and Ghost Adventures) are all fake. I'm sad to say but it's all TV. I wish I would have the evidence that those boys get but sadly I do not. I'll admit though, I watch Haunted Towns and Ghost Adventures religiously because it's a good program to watch and it makes me think about my own experiences. It's good entertainment; that's it. Also, those "viral" Facebook posts of haunting...are more than likely faked.

One thing I always see happen on the TV shows is that the investigators "antagonize" the spirit they are trying to communicate with. DO NOT DO THIS. For those of you who believe in what I am talking about, you have to understand this was once a person. Their energy is still here and you cannot treat them this way. I have gone into investigations with people who have this rude behavior and it never ends well. When I conduct my personal investigations I am kind and respectful and I get a lot more evidence this way.

I have seen people use trigger object in their investigations...this is perfectly fine and I encourage this to the fullest extent. However, if i see one person bring in a Ouija Board all bets are off, and I cancel the investigation before we even go inside. I have done this before when I ran my college's club. A guy brought in a Ouija Board to a meeting a few years back. I kicked him out and banned him on the spot.

You do not know what is attached to that board. I don't care if it's the 8.99 Toys R Us game or one you got from the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans with every protection spell cast onto it. DO NOT MESS WITH THAT THING!

You more than likely won't get evidence on the first visit, unless you visit one of the top ten most haunted places in the world. It's aggravating, I know, but this goes back to the supposed 'great evidence' all the TV shows get on a 'normal basis.' Don't go into a place and expect you're going to get a full body apparition caught on camera and get angry you only heard a few displaced sounds.

The spirits don't know you and more than likely are curious or scared of you the first time. A majority of the TV shows spend THREE DAYS at a location gathering history, filming and producing the episode. When you stay at a location that long, you will get results similar to what the 'big wigs' get.

The equipment is too expensive. That's all I have to say about that.

I remember when I was younger I wanted to go off on adventures and catch all this wonderful evidence and become the first person to prove the existence of the paranormal. What really happened was 24 year old me sitting in my room on a Friday night researching and going over numerous accounts from other's experiences. It's not this adventurous lifestyle, it's a lot of reading, watching, and learning.

Again, I am writing this for you, as the reader, to be informed of what this lifestyle really is like. I am a recent college gradate with a full-time job as a drug and alcohol counselor, a part time job as a wellness coach for the YMCA in my area and this is something on the side I do, maybe four to five times per year, when the opportunity arrives.

Normally during a holiday weekend, since most of the investigations happen at night, when I have time away from my family. That's how it is for the majority of us. None of us live on the road going from place to place unlike the TV stars, and it's NOTHING like the Supernatural TV show.

So when you want to join this line of work, be prepared to read a lot, test out a lot of equipment for no reason, and get borderline no evidence for a hard nights work.

Happy Hunting.