Mostly Investigation Planning
Hi everyone!
In advance of every investigation, Mostly Ghostly put together an investigation plan and we felt it may be useful for our web visitors to see a sample version. This gives you an idea of the different elements to consider when planning a paranormal investigation which may be particularly helpful if you’re thinking of requesting one yourself (see Mostly Requests). We will also link this plan to our Mostly Methods section and if you have any questions, please contact the team through our website or by phoning 07791 047835 or 07912 145865.
The plan we’ve used relates to a highly topical location for the team - Carnsalloch House - which we’ve visited many times, including carrying out our first formal investigation of the property on 20th July 2012. Earlier this year, Carnsalloch featured in DGLife magazine’s 50 Haunted Locations.
Carnsalloch House Investigation Plan
Originally, the plan was to focus on the grounds as we didn’t think access to the house would be possible. However, the Foster Brothers, who own the property, have kindly given us permission to spend time inside Carnsalloch House and have warned us to take great care due to the state of the interior. This will enable us to set up some trigger objects and get a good feel for the place.
Psychological and Environmental Factors
Due to the isolated location and Carnsalloch’s broken down, derelict state; it is just the sort of place that could play havoc with the senses and the imagination! We must be aware of these factors at all times as they may impact on our experiences and perceptions. The building has been vandalised and as far as we know, could still be visited by the people responsible. We will also be excited and full of anticipation which as we know can affect the way a person picks things up. There are pigeons flying in and out of the building which may startle us and e.g. plastic sheeting flapping on the windows. It is important, as always, to be rational and not to jump to conclusions.
Setting Up
Initially, we can unpack/sort out our equipment and set up any trigger objects in the house. These can be moved to different locations later on depending on what happens.
The Grounds
Whilst it is still light, we will take time to explore the grounds, particularly the back of the property. It is considerably overgrown at the back, with lots of nettles in places, therefore care must be taken. The front of the house shouldn’t be a problem to investigate after dark. The grounds are allegedly haunted, with some people reporting an unwelcome presence. There is also a legend of pink (or grey) lady and a headless horseman. John, on a recent visit, picked up a horrible, intense feeling as if something really bad had happened. He also experienced communication with a female spirit who called herself Marion Carruthers. Marion gave a list of names of people who were in the property and as yet, we have no evidence that these people a) existed or b) were linked to Carnsalloch. There is no doubt that John picked up on something, however we are aware the information received is not always accurate.
Kathleen spoke with one of her work colleagues and discovered that in the early 1970’s; residents lived on the second as well as the ground floor. One of the residents, who was confined to her bed for much of the time, spoke of receiving a ‘visitor’ in their room. Kathleen’s colleague never liked the place although she never actually picked up on anything. She said the lift used to be temperamental back then which may be completely unrelated to paranormal activity. She also suggested we check if the steps are stone, in which case, we should be okay getting around and to use a walking stick to check any dodgy looking floorboards.
Due to the many health and safety issues at Carnsalloch, Billy advised the use of hard hats. From what we could see, there are two lying within the building and Billy has at least one to bring along. We’ll make sure the place is as well lit as possible, only switching off torches if we are in a secure area e.g. to help focus. Please be aware of tripping hazards and objects lying around with sharp edges, nails sticking out etc. I suggest we wear sturdy footwear incase of broken glass and other obstacles lying around.
We can begin on the ground floor, perhaps having a walk around to see if anyone is drawn to a particular area. If so, we can spend a bit of time in that area and invite communication. Locations are pretty flexible depending on what, if any, are the most active. The house has many rooms and levels so it would be unrealistic to cover them all – at least this time! It may be worth focusing more on the one level to start with and see what happens.
The plan, as always, is subject to discussion and change.
Please note: We used a selection of trigger objects and equipment during this investigation
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