What It Really Feels Like to Investigate the Paranormal
- Dr Iain M Lightfoot
- Apr 26
- 3 min read
It always begins with a small excited spark of curiosity inside. The potential of what maybe, a quiet hope that maybe, just maybe, tonight will be the night something extraordinary happens and there is proof beyond doubts that there is something after this life...
When you step into a location like The Ancient Ram Inn or the eerie corridors of Kelvedon Hatch’s Secret Bunker, the atmosphere changes immediately. It's not just the dark or the chill in the air, it's the sense that something else is already there with you, what ever it is has been waiting for you. Every footstep, every breath, feels heavier and deliberate. You tell yourself it's just the history of the place, the dark or the quiet... but part of you knows better.
At the start of any investigation, I feel a cocktail of emotions, mostly curiosity and excitement, but always with a thread of nervousness woven through. It’s a delicate balance: wanting something to happen... and then wondering what will, if it indeed does.
The moments that have stayed with me are when I've received a sign of intelligence. Not just random noises or shifting shadows, but something unmistakably aware. An orb, moving purposefully. A string orb, tracing a deliberate path towards the music box and 'dancing' around it. When that happens, the nervousness fades into awe, a sense of, “Wow. There’s something here... and it’s responding.”
I love working in small groups. There’s a strength and a shared energy in that, but even now, being completely alone in a haunted space still unnerves me somewhat and there is certainly something about having strength in numbers. Each investigation is a lesson in bravery, not in fighting fear, but in listening to it, respecting it. Over time, I’m getting better at standing quietly in the dark on my own, trusting my instincts rather than running from them.
When contact seems to happen, when the energy in the room shifts, when the equipment reacts intelligently, when your own intuition lights up like a beacon, there's an overwhelming feeling of respect. It's a powerful reminder that we are guests in their world, not the other way around. It isn't about chasing ghosts. It's about building bridges across time, space, and existence itself in order to ask those questions, what's next and what is your story?
Some places leave a permanent mark. The Plaza in Romsey gave me moments of deep intuition and validation, moments where I knew something unseen was speaking back and I was acting as the medium. The Ancient Ram was very different: it was the feeling that clung to me, old and heavy, hard to shake even hours later, the building had a pull which almost refused to let you leave. At Groundlings Theatre, the air practically crackled with activity, childlike presences, shifting shadows, half-heard whispers and flying orbs and physical prods! Then there’s the Secret Bunker in Essex, where the location itself humbles you, a reminder of human history and hidden stories that refuse to be buried, yet the spirits interact and make themselves known.
Investigating the paranormal is not like how television shows make it seem. It’s slower, so much more subtle. It’s learning to hear with more than your ears. It’s about patience, and hope, and an endless willingness to be surprised. The saying 'Paranormal Activity' conjures up TV and movie horror, yet in reality it is a glimpse of a shadow or orb...
It’s not just about finding ghosts. It’s about discovering what lies just beyond our senses... and maybe, discovering something about ourselves, too.
Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t explain?
I’d love to hear your story, feel free to share it in the comments or send me a message!
Curious to join an investigation yourself?
Keep an eye on my upcoming events, who knows what you might experience when you step into the unknown.
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