Ghost Communication on the Cheap

 A family friend contacted me the other day and told me that they feel a ghost is in their house. They wanted to know what kinds of things they could do to communicate with the ghost without spending money on equipment or ghost contraptions. I thought about it for a bit and then immediately had several options to present to them. It got me thinking, though, that maybe there are others out there who would like to attempt to communicate with the spirits, but feel they don't have the money to get the equipment that people on the various paranormal shows use. Even I've spent 20+ years gathering different types of equipment for my own hunting kit, so I know about the financial frustrations posed by showing interest in this hobby.

The strategies I'm suggesting do not take into account people who are sensitive to the paranormal. For example, if there are spirits present I can typically feel their energy and sometimes I get flashes of information or images in my mind. I also didn't take into account people who have skills for auto-writing or any kind of psychic ability. Additionally, I do not claim that these methods are guarantees for communicating with a spirit in your house. In fact, some are rather old-fashioned, but they can perhaps help open up a communicative door of sorts for you and the other side to set up a means of palaver.  

I would like to mention, as well, that these methods are not necessarily the most scientific methods. I'll try to explain the process in the most scientific and debunking way possible, but I want to stress that these are not reliable methods and are not to capture evidence of a ghost, but to provide a means for communication if you believe you have a spirit present to interact with.

1. Candles

Candles are a versatile tool. They can provide light. They can set the mood. They can be a tool when trying to communicate with a spirit. These tools were used in some of the earliest attempts to reach beyond the veil. Someone would put a tall candle in the middle of a table and those gathered around it would ask the spirit to manipulate the flame. That's the simplest way to explain how it would work. But let's look at how the candle can be used to develop a stronger communication.

Set the Scene: Find a place away from drafts, fans, or vents. Turn off fans and shut windows if possible. Wherever you set the candle, make sure it is far enough away from people that their breath does not influence the flame. Sitting around a table might have an effect on the candle, because of air crossing the table and creating tiny drafts that can cause the flame to waver. You do not have to go completely dark with candles, as it can have a nasty effect on your eyes staring at a bright light in the dark, but low light works well so that you're not straining and seeing what isn't there. You can even do this experiment during the daytime, as ghosts are not purely nocturnal.

As for candle selection, don't just go grab your favorite Bath and Body Works 3-Wick candle. You could go the classic route and use a taper-style candle or a jarless pillar candle where the wick is exposed. You could also use tea light candles, but I'll go into that a little farther down as there is a neat experiment you can do with them.

Once you have your candle set up in a safe space for the start of communication, you'll want to reach out to the spirit you want to communicate with. Explain to them what you are doing and why you are doing it. This might make them more willing to participate in the interaction. Once you've done that, explain how the communication will work. I don't recommend something like, "make the flame waver or move." If you're going to have them manipulate the flame, ask them to cause it to dim to almost out or to try to make it flare brighter, like more oxygen was released around it. What I do recommend might seem tedious, but would give you more reliable results. Have them blow the candle out for "yes" and leave the candle lit for "no." Then start your session with a question, such as "Is there a spirit here with us?" If they say yes, then the candle will go out and you've established communication. If it doesn't go out for several questions, you can conclude three things: 1) there is not a spirit here willing to communicate or 2) this is not the form of communication the spirit is able or wishes to use or 3) there are no spirits, period. The conclusion would depend on what you know about the presence of the spirit prior to this attempted communication. That said, if this experiment yields no results, you certainly don't want to jump to any conclusions. Extinguishing a candle is a pretty big ask, requiring a fair amount of energy on the spirit's part, so no results may simply mean a spirit cannot perform this task. Affirmative results, though, are hard to argue with!

The tea light experiment follows along the lines of blowing out the candle for yes and leaving it lit for no. First, you think of a series of questions you want to ask. Let's say you came up with 5 questions, you would set up a line of 5 tea light candles on the table. If you think of more questions along the way, have extra tea lights on hand to add to the line. As you go through each question, ask the spirit to blow out the candle for yes. Give the spirit time to interact. I still recommend starting with an establishing question, "Is there a spirit here with us?" Then move on with your questions from there.

As with most attempt at communication, things will be hit and miss. Sometimes it's just the type of communication you're trying and other times there isn't anything there to communicate with. Communicating with candles is not, for me, a highly recommended activity, but if you're going for a "cheap" way to communicate and maybe set a little bit of mood, too, then it's worth a shot. Just be vigilant about debunking interactions with the candles. 

2. Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs)

Ah yes. The good ol' EVP. This is still a heavily used form of spirit communication today whether you're a professional or just getting into the hobby. If you are already into the hobby, you've probably invested in a reliable recorder. If you're just starting out or just want to learn more about something happening in your home, there are cheaper ways to gather EVPs. Everywhere I've been, as far back as Smartphones were invented, people have recommended the recorder apps on their phones. I recommend these as long as you can save and transfer your recording to a computer for further analysis. This goes for things like your Ring videos, too. I do not recommend using your phone alone for analysis, just in case you record an interesting EVP that is not Class A (The American originator of EVP Classification system, Sarah Estep, describes the Class A event of interest as a "clear and distinct voice or sound that is universally accepted and undisputed, because it must be understood by anyone with normal hearing and without being told or prompted to what is being said or heard. It can be heard without the use of headphones.” [pacificparanormal.com]). 

So to do this on the cheap you'll need a recording app for your phone, headphones/earbuds, and, preferably, a way to closely analyze your recordings for EVPs, such as on a computer. I use Audacity to analyze my recordings. There is a free download for the program on audacityteam.org. I've used Audacity for over 20 years to help analyze recordings. So now that you've chosen your mode of recording, let's set up for a session that could produce reasonable results.

Set the Scene: Be aware of all the noises in your space. This could be vents or fans, animals moving or snoring, appliances or house creaks, neighbors or outdoor noises. Some noises you can control and some you cannot. Get rid of the ones that you can. Once you start recording, make note of the ones that you can't (like neighbors or creaks). You can hold the recorder while you ask questions, but it might be good to set the phone away from you to give the spirit space to approach the device. 

Next, prepare for your recording session. If you can, I recommend writing down or preparing questions ahead of time so that you aren't left flustered to come up with something to ask. Sometimes in the moment other questions come up and that's fine. Going in with a plan is always a good way to start a session regardless of what you intent to use. 

Depending on the type of session you are trying to have, you might stop your recording and listen back to the questions in real time to see if there are any answers. For this, just make sure the volume is all the way up on your device. Having a pair of quick use headphones or earbuds might also be helpful here. If there is something too faint to make out, you'll want to make sure you analyze it on a computer. If you can hear it flat out, then definitely run with the information you've been able to gather. If you don't get anything, again, this might be the opportunity to analyze your whole recording on a computer. 

No matter how you go about gathering your recording, just make sure you are debunking the sounds that aren't justifiable. If something doesn't make sense or you just can't figure out what's being said, you might have to just let it go. 

3. Light Bulbs/Electricity

It is thought that manipulating electrical fields is one way that spirits can communicate. That is how some of the equipment often used in the ghost hunting works. I remember, not long ago, my grandma made the light in my sunroom flicker to let me know she was there. Many ghost stories talk about lights flickering on and off in the presence of a spirit. So if this is something a spirit can manipulate, why not try to interact with them through this medium. 

You can do this electrical manipulation in a few ways, but let's look at the lightbulb. I'll talk about using the light switch a little further down. 

Set the Scene: For this one, you might want to be in a darker setting so that you can see the flickering of the light bulb. If you're using light switches instead, start with the light switch on. Make sure your lamp has a new light bulb to debunk flickering from an old bulb. You can swap them back out later so as not to waste a bulb. Make sure the light bulb is screwed in and not lose. This will eradicate false positives from accidental flickering. Use a lamp without a shade and put it somewhere in your area - on a table or on the floor, whatever works for you.  

As with the other experiments, state what your intention is and what you are hoping to get out of doing this. That way if a spirit is there they are aware of what the goal for communication is. Explain that for a yes, they should flicker or turn off the light. For a no, they should leave the light on. Proceed with your questions and remember to keep them restricted only to ones that can be answered yes or no. If you get some activity, but it seems hesitant, rephrase your question. I say this, because sometimes the answer is maybe and we don't always give them a way to say maybe.

If you are intending to use the electrical current in your house, have the lights on. Be aware of any light bulbs that might be near expiration so that you don't confuse their wear with spirit activity. Establish your intentions for communication by asking them to manipulate something electrical (give them suggestions) and then take it from there. Continue to focus on yes/no questions.

Since it might seem similar, I think it's important that I don't recommend the flashlight experiment that was made popular by Ghost Hunters. I've seen too much evidence of flashlight malfunctions and false positives to feel that I could, in good faith, recommend using it as a means of communication. I only mention it, because it is a light source that has been used in the past for spirit communication. 

4. Make a Noise/Move Something

Another classic communication activity is one that hunters and investigators still use today and that's the "make a noise" method. Basically, you ask the spirit to make a noise in response to your questions or you can ask them to move something of your choosing in response to your questions. 

Set the Scene: Be aware of the natural noises in the space where you are conducting the communication session. Listen for creaking or tapping noises. Are there noises specific to that house that you should listen carefully for? Be aware of the clicking on of A/C or heat and the ice maker in the refrigerator. Do you have pets? Think about the kinds of noises they make or might make, especially outside of the space you are in. Are there outdoor noises that need to be accounted for, such as neighbors or traffic. Do not run your laundry during a communication session, I can tell you that much for sure. If you're using a communication object, such as a ball, toy car, or doll, set them up in a space where it will not be affected by people moving around or animals. Let the item settle on the floor to find its stillness. 

Before you start, as always, establish your intentions. Make sure the spirit understands what you are doing, what you hope to get out of the session, and how they can participate or make themselves known. If you're using objects, you might want to move the objects around to show the spirits how to move them. The same with sounds. If you want to do the "Shave and a Haircut" rapping noise, tap it out for them and allow them to hear the entire response so that they can react to you. Again, depending on your goal for the interaction, you might choose to omit the response if you feel it could affect your interaction. With sounds, make sure your area is as quiet as possible and acknowledge when the sounds are natural to the space.

Start your conversation with the spirit you think might be there. Asking for them to establish their presence is a good start, then you can move on to other yes/no questions. If you're using objects, think about whether you need to reset an object, such as a doll that falls over, or if you're going to leave the object where it has moved to and continue your questions from there. Also think about whether you're going to interact with the objects yourself.

Whichever method you choose to use, please make sure you are debunking along the way. It will make communication more honest and true, allowing for you to make the most of your experience. 

Conclusion

I cannot guarantee that these methods will bring you results. These are merely suggestions for trying to communicate if you think a spirit is part of your space. I have personally had success with EVPs and Make a Noise/Move Something, but I know others who have been successful with the light bulb/electricity. It all depends on the spirit and what their energy allows them to do. Through conversations with both my grandma and my visiting spirit, Becky, I have learned that they prefer certain types of communication, because of how they are able to use their energy. Sometimes it takes more energy to do certain things and less to do others. So, again, it all depends on what the spirit is willing or able to do to reach out to you. No matter what, remember to show respect and offer up pleases and thank yous when possible. They also love compliments when the opportunity arises. Spirits are people and appreciate the "Be Kind" movement just as much as us.