Spooky Isles interviews Tracy Monger, from Norwich, Norfolk, who has been a paranormal investigator for 12 years, about her experiences.Â
What was your first Paranormal encounter?
When I was a child, I saw a figure of a woman, in the farmhouse where I lived.
Do you believe in ghosts, and if so, what is a ghost?
Yes, I do believe. I would describe a ghost as being an animal or human that is not physically there. Most of the time ghosts are a residual recording/replay of energy imprinted into the area where the ghost has been seen. Spirits are different and can interact with you.
What evidence have you personally uncovered that makes you consider ghosts are real?
No evidence, only personal experiences. Unexplainable activity has too many variables to conclude it is a ghost/paranormal.
Are you skeptical of the claims others make of their findings?
Generally no, but if using photos/videos of orbs then yes.
How do prepare for a ghost hunt?
Check all equipment, including batteries, so if you have equipment/battery failure you know everything was working beforehand. Have a structure to the night, so you get to cover all areas of the location. Meeting point and time. I personally feel researching the history of the location should be done after an investigation, to rule out power of suggestion.
What tips would you give for someone going on a paranormal investigation for the first time?
Take a torch, keep a level head and explain it is not as bad/scary as the TV shows make it out to be. You can have nothing happen on some nights or for long periods on investigations.
What is your favourite piece of paranormal investigation equipment?
I would have to say Dictaphone, even thou we cannot conclude that any EVPs captured are a spirit, but it records something that we cannot currently explainable.
Are you psychic? Do you consider being psychic a help or a hindrance for paranormal investigations?
Outside of paranormal investigating, yes I can be psychic. Psychics and mediumship/clairvoyance in my opinion are different abilities. In my personal opinion this kind of information gained by mediumship/psychics, do not help on a paranormal investigation. It is not proof that a ghost/spirit or paranormal activity has taken place; you cannot guarantee that the person who obtains information did not research nor have the information in the sub-conscious.
What makes a great haunted location?
Unexplainable activity, once you have ruled out explainable factors such as environmental factors.
If you could investigate any haunted location, where would that be?
Old asylums or everywhere in Edinburgh.
What scares you about Ghost Hunting or Paranormal Investigations?
Nothing, as there is not anything to be scared of.
In your opinion, what is the most haunted area in the UK or Ireland?
Edinburgh or York.
Read any good paranormal books or watched any good paranormal TV shows/movies recently?
I hardly watch TV and stopped watching paranormal TV shows a few years ago. I have not read any books or watched any movies lately, but I do love horror movies even thou I never get scared watching them, but I rate a movie on the story line and not the scare factor. The last movie I rated high was Red Lights.
Tell us about your favourite moment from a paranormal investigation.
This is a hard one to answer as quite a few, but I will go with an investigation at Peterborough Museum. A new area was being refurbished and we were the first group to investigate that area. The builders had experienced something but we were not told what and no clues were given to if it was auditory, visual or emotions etc. My group of six people all heard the same thing (I will not say, as not public knowledge and I do not want to spoil it for others that go there!). At the end of the night, we talk through what we had happen. Stuart confirmed it was what the builders had heard.
