Ghost Hunting has become an increasingly popular past-time, largely due to the TV programme ‘Most Haunted’ and the plethora of copycat series ever since but, that still doesn’t explain why people will pay good money to spend five hours in a dark, cold building waiting for something to happen!

Personally, I feel there are two main reasons why people (myself included) do ghost hunts (or paranormal investigations) as a hobby and that is, a love of history and the thrill of expectation.

One of the wonderful things about going on a ghost hunt is the location, which is generally a historic building or ruin. You are able to be in that building when the general public are not usually allowed and you are seeing it from an entirely different perspective, more like that of someone who might have once lived or worked there and that is an incredible privilege. You get time to enjoy the surroundings and you have access to areas that are not normally open to guests. For anyone who enjoys history or historic buildings, this is an amazing opportunity.

Then there is the fear factor, which cannot be underestimated. Ghost hunting in deep, dark tunnels, creaky ancient buildings and forbidding, abandoned ruins in the dark, dead of night can certainly raise the heart-rate. Of course, there is actually very little to fear, other than bumping into each other and tripping over wonky floors, but, it is the expectation that at any moment something spooky might happen that builds as the night progresses. This is added to by the use of ‘ghost hunting’ equipment, which can be anything from high-tech night vision cameras, electromagnetic field (EMF) metres and voice recorders to the more low-tech and traditional dowsing rods, ouija boards and your own senses.

Most times, not much out of the ordinary happens, but sometimes a door will slam shut, a cupboard door will spontaneously swing open multiple times or creeping shadows will take on human form and appear to close in on you. Lights will flicker, brand new torch batteries die and all the ghost hunting equipment goes off. Sometimes, an unaccounted for figure will appear in photographs too. This is what makes the wait worth it.

Really? You ask - is it really worth waiting all night for a cupboard door to open? Well, admittedly ghost hunting isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun evening but, for those who do, it is a highly addictive activity, plus with the benefit of raised heart-rates and lots of wandering around - one might even add that it is a valid form of exercise!