Why Do We Ghost Hunt, Really?

People often ask me why I do this? Why do I spend my evenings in cold, dark buildings asking questions to empty rooms, waiting for a flicker of a response. From the outside, it might look odd. However, if you’ve ever been on a proper paranormal investigation, you’ll know it’s not about jump scares or chasing shadows. It’s about something deeper.

For me, and many others I’ve met over the years, ghost hunting isn’t just a hobby, it’s a calling out for answers. That might sound dramatic, but when you’ve had experiences you can’t explain, when you’ve felt the atmosphere shift in an instant, or watched a cat ball light up in direct response to your questions, you start to realise there’s more going on than meets the eye, let me say that again... There IS more going on in the world than we can see, the world seems superficial in a way?

We all come into this field for different reasons. Some of us had experiences as kids that we never quite shook off while others came looking for proof, or answers, or even peace. I’ve met people who’ve lost loved ones and just want a sign that they’re still around. I’ve also worked with the sceptical types, the ones who don’t believe in anything until they’ve seen it with their own eyes. Honestly, they’re some of the best investigators as they keep us grounded.

Regardless of how we arrive at the start of this path, most of us stay for similar reasons. It’s the sense of connection. Not just with what might be out there, but with each other. There’s a bond that forms between people when you sit together in silence, waiting for a response from the unseen. When you both hear the same unexplained whisper, or witness the same ball of light drift past. In those moments, it doesn’t matter who you are outside that space. You’re part of something mysterious, maybe even a little sacred.

What I’ve learned over time is that ghost hunting isn’t really about the ghosts. It’s about us. It’s about facing fear, challenging what we think we know, and being open to the possibility that we don’t have all the answers. It’s also a chance to slow down. In a world full of noise and speed, investigating forces you to sit still, to listen, to observe. You have to be present.

There’s something healing about it, too. I’ve had more than a few nights where nothing happened, no knocks, no movement, just the occasional creak of an old building. Yet I still left feeling lighter, clearer. Then there are the nights where something stirs. A presence makes itself known. A name is spoken through the spirit box that no one else could’ve known. In those moments, you feel humbled. and a little bit more connected to whatever lies beyond.

That’s the thing: every investigation, whether it’s full of activity or not, gives you something. A little bit, a story, a feeling, a question you hadn’t asked before. Sometimes, it even gives you a few answers but never answers them all.

So why do I ghost hunt? It is because I want to understand and I’m curious. I believe there’s more to this life, and the next, than we can see. Deep down, I think most of us want to know that we’re not alone and there is more after we pass...

Every so often, when the equipment lights up or the air goes still and heavy, and you get that unmistakable sense that someone, or something, is there with you… the adrenalin builds and then it’s all worth it.