What Actually Happens During A Paranormal Investigation
Thinking about asking a paranormal team into your home is a big decision. It is your personal space, your family’s space, and the idea of opening the door to investigators – often in the evening – can feel strange, even if you are also relieved that someone might finally take you seriously.
You might have clips from TV or TikTok in your head: people shouting into the dark, running around with flashing gadgets, or turning everything into a spectacle. That is not what you are inviting in, and it is something we talk about in more depth in our blog post on the problem with paranormal shows.
A real investigation is usually slower, quieter and far more focused on your comfort, your routine and the reality of your home than on dramatic moments. There is a lot of listening, note taking and sitting in the dark, and very little of the “TV drama” most people expect.
At KASE Paranormal, we are not here to convert you to a particular belief system. Our role is to listen carefully, look at what is happening in your environment and see whether there is anything genuinely out of the ordinary. Sometimes the causes are completely normal house issues. Sometimes, even after checks, there are things we cannot easily explain. Either way, you have a right to clear information about what we will actually do before you agree to an investigation.
If you are still at the stage of working out whether anything might be happening at all, you may want to read our guide “Is My House Haunted? 7 Signs To Look For” first. That article focuses on the signs themselves. This one focuses on the process.
In this guide, we will walk through:
What happens before we ever step through your front door
What actually goes on during a typical paranormal investigation
How we review what we find and how we share that with you
Before We Visit: The First Conversation
No investigation starts with equipment. It starts with a conversation.
You tell us, in your own words, what has been happening, how long it has been going on and how it is affecting you and anyone else in the home. You do not need a perfect timeline or a neat list. It is completely fine if things feel muddled.
We will usually ask questions like:
What first made you think something was not quite right
Whether certain rooms or times of day feel worse than others
Whether particular people in the household, particularly children, seem more affected
Whether there have been any recent changes, such as building work, health issues, stress, or a house move
This first chat has a few purposes:
To work out whether a full investigation is appropriate
To check that you understand what we do and are comfortable with it
To find out what you actually want from the process, for example reassurance, evidence, or simply an outside opinion
If you have already tried some of your own checks, such as logging noises or filming odd events, we will make a note of that too. You can also ask as many questions as you like about how we work. A good investigation should never feel like a surprise.
If it seems that a visit would be helpful, we move on to planning it with you.
Planning The Investigation With You
A responsible paranormal investigation is planned around your household, not the other way round.
We will usually:
Agree a date and time that fits your routine for an initial face to face chat and walk through - we want you to get to know us before you let us into your home for a night investigation
Decide which rooms and areas will be the main focus, based on your reports
Talk about where you and your family would prefer to be during different parts of the night
Discuss any pets, neighbours or night workers who might affect noise or access
We also set some clear ground rules together. These often include:
No provoking, shouting or disrespectful language
Keeping children away from the main investigation areas
Agreeing whether you would like to join parts of the investigation or stay in a separate room or location
How we handle filming and photography, and whether any footage will be used for publishing
If you would like a broader overview of our values and approach as a team, please have a read through our “What We Do” page here.
Once we have a plan that you are happy with, we confirm the details and keep in touch in the days leading up to the visit. If you feel like you need support in the meantime and are comfortable with it, our resident medium Laura can stay in contact, offering brief check-ins, simple things you can try to feel more settled in the house, and a calm, private space to talk through anything new that happens.
What Happens When We Arrive
On the night of the investigation, we do not immediately turn all the lights off and start calling into the darkness.
Instead, we begin with a calm, practical walk through the property.
Introductions and a walk through the house
When we arrive, we will:
Introduce the team properly, so you know who is in your home and what their role is
Walk through with you in normal lighting, room by room
Let you show us where different things have happened and tell those stories in context
We pay attention to:
The layout of the house, including stairs, hallways and loft spaces
Any obvious sources of noise, such as busy roads or shared walls
Boilers, water tanks, pipes, appliances and anything else that might explain certain sounds
This early walk through often helps you feel more in control, because you can see that we are taking both your experiences and your home itself seriously.
Baseline readings and safety checks
Before we do anything “active”, we take baseline readings and check basic safety points. For example:
Temperature and humidity in key rooms
EMF (electromagnetic field) levels around sockets, routers and appliances
Trip hazards, low ceilings, steep staircases and other physical risks in the dark
These baseline readings are important. Later in the night, if we record a sudden temperature drop or EMF spike, we can compare it to what the room was like at the start.
We will agree where to place any static cameras, audio recorders or motion sensors and check that you are happy with their locations. We usually mark those with glow sticks to be able to easily identify them in the dark.
Looking For Ordinary Causes First
A big part of a responsible paranormal investigation is checking whether there are simple explanations for what you are experiencing. This is not about dismissing you. It is about making sure that anything we call “unusual” really is out of the ordinary.
House sounds and layout
Many classic “haunted house” effects come from the building itself. Early in the night we will often:
Sit quietly in key areas with the lights low, listening to the natural sounds of the house
Pay attention to how footsteps and voices travel through the building
Test how doors affect different rooms throughout the house
Note any rattles, bangs or creaks linked with the boiler, heating or water use
Electrical and environmental factors
We also look at electrical and environmental causes for unusual feelings or events, for example:
High EMF levels from certain appliances, which some people feel can contribute to uneasy or watched feelings
Flickering lights and misbehaving sockets that turn out to be loose connections
Drafts, cold spots and changes in airflow caused by gaps, vents or chimneys
If we can match some of your experiences to these ordinary causes, we will always tell you. Many clients find it a relief to discover that at least part of what they have been living with has a practical explanation.
Anything that remains unexplained after these checks is what we then focus on more closely.
Inviting Possible Activity To Communicate
Once we understand the building and have a sense of its normal behaviour, we move into more focused sessions where we actively look for signs of paranormal activity.
This is done calmly, respectfully and with clear boundaries.
Quiet vigils and simple questions
A “vigil” is simply a period of time spent quietly in a particular space, usually with the lights off and equipment running.
During a vigil we may:
Sit or stand in a circle or small group in a room where activity has been reported
Introduce ourselves out loud and explain clearly why we are there
Ask simple, respectful questions, leaving long pauses for any responses
Listen carefully for knocks, footsteps, voices or other sounds that do not match the normal house noises we identified earlier
If you wish, you can join a vigil for part of the time. Some homeowners prefer to stay nearby but not in the room. Others want to be present for everything. Either way is valid. You remain in control.
Trigger objects and basic tests
You may also see us use “trigger objects”. These are everyday items placed in a known position to see whether they move or interact in a way we can document. For example:
Flashing cat balls, torches, lasers placed carefully on a flat surface
A small toy in a child’s room where activity has been reported
A REM pod or motion sensor near a specific doorway
We might ask, out loud, for any presence to move or touch an object, or to approach a sensor. We keep notes of any responses, including the time, location and who was in the room.
We do not demand or provoke. The aim is to invite possible interaction while keeping everyone in the house calm and safe.
The Equipment We Use (And What It Actually Tells Us)
Television has turned ghost hunting gadgets into something mysterious. In reality, most of the equipment we use is fairly simple. It is there to support what people are experiencing, not to replace it.
Audio recorders, cameras and still photography
During an investigation, we typically use:
Digital audio recorders to capture any sounds we might miss in the moment, including possible EVPs (electronic voice phenomena)
Video cameras covering key areas such as hallways, stairs and the most active rooms
Still cameras to document rooms before and after the investigation, and to catch any unusual light anomalies or shadows
We keep careful notes of where each device is, what time it is recording from, and who is in the house. This lets us cross-check anything that appears later.
EMF meters, temperature monitors and motion sensors
Alongside cameras and audio, we may use:
EMF meters to detect changes in electromagnetic fields, compared against our baseline readings
Temperature probes or data loggers to track any sudden temperature shifts or cold spots
Motion sensors, laser grids or trigger alarms (REM pods) to pick up movement in empty rooms or corridors
None of these devices, on their own, “prove” that a house is haunted. A single light flickering on a gadget is not enough, but it does help us decide on further steps and look for certain patterns, such as:
Does a sensor trigger repeatedly in the same spot when someone asks questions
Does a temperature drop happen only when other activity is reported
Do audio and equipment readings line up with what you and others say you saw or felt
Used properly, equipment helps us build a more complete picture of what is happening in your home.
After The Investigation: Evidence, Feedback And Next Steps
When the night ends, the investigation is not finished. A lot of the work happens afterwards.
Reviewing what we captured
In the days after an investigation, we:
Listen back to hours of audio, marking any possible voices, knocks or unusual sounds
Review video footage for movement, shadows or light anomalies
Compare anything that stands out with our written notes and baseline readings
Rule out obvious causes such as team members moving, traffic, pets or shifts in the heating system
Meet with our team for a debrief call and to discuss evidence
This review process takes time, because it is easy to see patterns where none exist if you rush. Our aim is not to produce the scariest story. It is to be honest about what we did and did not find.
Sharing our findings with you
Once we have gone through everything, we arrange a follow up with you. That might be:
Produce a written report covering the entire night
Arrange an in-person visit or a call to share our findings
Provide copies and links of the key pieces of evidence
In that feedback we will:
Explain clearly what we did throughout the night
Set out anything that, in our view, has a straightforward explanation
Highlight anything that remains difficult to explain after our checks
Talk through how this fits with your own experiences
We will also discuss next steps. Depending on the case, that might mean:
Practical suggestions to help you feel more at ease in your home
Ideas for simple cleansing or blessing rituals, if that fits your beliefs.
In rare cases, a suggestion for further monitoring or a follow up visit
Whatever we find, we do not leave you with a dramatic statement and then vanish. The goal is for you to feel more informed, more settled and more in control of your own space.
What We Will Not Do During A Paranormal Investigation
Knowing what a team will not do is just as important as knowing what they will.
During a KASE Paranormal investigation, we will not:
Turn your home into an entertainment event or public “ghost hunt”
Invite in strangers without your permission
Film you for social media or publish your case without clear agreement
Use provoking, mocking or aggressive tactics to try to “stir things up”
Pressure you into any belief, ritual or decision you are not comfortable with
Your privacy and comfort come first. Your home is still your home, even when we are investigating it.
Thinking About A Paranormal Investigation In Kent Or The South East?
You do not need to have dramatic, “TV ready” evidence to ask for help. Many private investigations begin with someone saying something as simple as:
|| “I feel uncomfortable in my own home and I just want to know whether there is anything to this.”
A structured paranormal investigation can help when:
You have done basic checks and things still do not feel right
Multiple people have experienced similar events in the same areas
The activity is affecting your sleep, your routine or your willingness to use certain rooms
You want a neutral, respectful team to look at the situation with fresh eyes
KASE Paranormal offers private home investigations across Kent and the wider South East. You can read more about how that works here: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/private-investigations
If you would like to reach out, you can:
A short contact form where you can outline what you are experiencing in your own words: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/contact-us
An option to book a free chat about what you are experiencing. You can request this directly in the contact form.
Reach us via email
Find us on social media:
You can also browse other articles on our blog if you want to read more while you decide what to do next: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/blog
Whether your house turns out to be haunted, quirky, or simply in need of a few repairs, you deserve to feel safe and settled in your own space. If something does not feel right, it is absolutely reasonable to ask for help.