How To Spot A Fake Haunting / False Claim

It is crucial, especially for people who investigate paranormal occurrences to be able to tell when someone is making a false claim, pulling a prank/ hoax or trying to waste their time. 



Part 1 : 

The first order of business, after someone reaches out to you for help is to get their basic information. (It is important to note that some people may not want to give you any personal information because they fear being treated as if they are crazy, however, this may also indicate they do not want to be identified because they are trying to scam you. Use your best judgment.)
      
This includes :
           First Name
           Age
           Gender
           Occupation
Part 2 :

Make sure they are able to provide you with dates, times and locations of events. (Exact, to the minute times are not necessary, but if they cant give you a time frame, or are struggling to give you an answer, this may be a sign they are lying.)

If they can provide you with a floor plan or rough sketch of the house, pinpointing the rooms/locations where activity is taking place. Be sure to mark where the most activity happens, when it happens and who its happening to. 

Part 3 :

Find out if there were any witnesses to paranormal events and be sure to interview them seperately. Also, find out what the witnesses were doing during the occurrence. You should also ask what the emotional state the witnesses were in during the time of the event. 

*Side note - It is crucial to ask if any of the witnesses were taking any drugs, medicine or if they were under the influence of alcohol during any or all of the events. 

Part 4 :

Get as much of a description about what the entities looked like, how they moved, how tall, how big etc. Were they solid or misty? The more detail the witnesses can tell you the better. 

Sample Questions :

• Did the entity interact with you?
• What did the entity look like?
• What type of occurrences have you been experiencing?
• How long has this been happening?
• Where does the activity take place? (Have them show you)
• What type of feelings do you get when this entity appears?
• How did/do your encounter(s) begin? How did it come to an end?
• Any strange noises or temperature changes? Any foul smells such as sulfur?
• Were any animals present during the occurrences? 
• Does the witness consider themselves a sensitive or psychic?
• Did the entity leave any physical marks behind? Scratches, bruises, red marks etc? (If yes, ask if they have photo evidence)
• What does the witness think he/she saw?
• Has the witness has any experiences in any other location except for their home or business?

More tips for spotting a hoax :

Look for wires and sheets (yes this may seem stereotypical but people have used them to fake ghosts)

Make sure fans/ air conditioners are not on or running in the background (they can give off a high emf which can be mistaken for the presence of a spirit)

Do your research! If there is a rumor or legend circling a business or home, make sure you debunk or validate the story with local historians and records. 

Polaroid / 35mm Photos ( make sure you are given digital photos - check these too, make sure theyve not been tampered with. Older cameras often had glitches that people would mistake or pass off as orbs)



*True hauntings are rare , demonic ones even more so, make sure you do everything you can to debunk things that can be mistaken for paranormal activity or that can be passed off as paranormal. Do a full sweep of the building, making sure no rodents are trapped and making noises, no windows are letting air in that can be mistaken as a spirit presence. Use your best judgement.* 

Black Salt

Black Salt : Primarily used in occult magic and hoodoo. Used mainly for protection. 

Black Salt is available for purchase already made in certain types of stores and online. (Be VERY careful when buying it, check the ingredients and who made it.)

There are quite a few variations when it comes to making black protection salt yourself. So, I will give you a mini breakdown on how to make it and the types of things you can use to make it.  

How to :

Sea Salt / White Salt (normally found in most pantries)

+ (one of the following)

- Scrapings from a cast iron pot
- Charcoal ash / crushed charcoal 
- Crushed black pepper
- Ash from your fireplace
- Ash from protective herbs 

Optional Additives :

- Crushed white sage
- Sage essential oil 
- Other crushed protective herbs 

* Do NOT use ashes or dirt from a grave site!!*

These materials can be used for good, however they can also be used for evil/negative purposes. It is crucial that your thought process and intentions are pure and good. Use this tool with the intention of CLEARING OUT negative energy and entities. 

You can place black salt in the four corners of your home and / or line doors and windows with it. 

ALWAYS DO YOU RESEARCH BEFORE YOU USE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BE SURE YOU ARE USING IT PROPERLY AND UNDERSTAND THAT USING TOOLS LIKE BLACK SALT AND SAGE ARE SERIOUS AND SHOULD BE DONE PROPERLY AND CAREFULLY, AND WITH THE CORRECT INTENTION.

Tar Water

Tar water was a medieval medicine that consists of pine tar and water. It was used as a tonic, however, because of its foul taste and side effects when consumed, it declined in popularity. Around the Victorian Era, Tar Water once again became a commonly used concoction, used once again as a medicine AND to ward off strong, negative spirits. 

Uses -  Tonic , cleansing, medicine, clearing negative spirits and protection. 

Tar Water is hard to find nowadays, however there is a name brand called Creolina that is sold on some "ole stores" / older medical stores. 

*Creolina can burn your skin if you come in contact with it, however it is said to work.*

How To Make Tar Water - Ive come across various ways to make Tar Water but I will list just two. I also recommend simply purchasing it from someone who really knows how to make it properly. The average price of Tar Water online that Ive seen is about $6.00 - $10.00 per bottle. 

1. Mix clean water and Norway tar, stir with wooden dowel/spoon/stick. 

2. Mix pine tar and clean water. 

*Although this used to be used as medicine, DO NOT CONSUME AND TAR WATER THAT YOU MAKE OR PURCHASE, IT IS DANGEROUS TO CONSUME.*

In order to use Tar Water as protection and cleansing for negative and energy and spirits, you can either line your windows and doors with it, and/or place some in the four corners of your home.