What Is Certified Anyway?

         In a recent discussion with a ghost hunting friend, the subject of certification came up.  My friend is considering taking a ghost hunting course in order to become a certified ghost hunter.  It is my understanding that this is a field that is not regulated at this time and therefore the certification process is unnecessary.  My friend argued that the courses would be good to have and the certificate would be a form of self-fulfillment.  What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t look into this process further and try to determine if these courses are a good idea and if it is worth having a certificate to hang on the wall?

         I found a great many courses being offered in the paranormal field.  Some accredited colleges and universities have elective courses in Parapsychology (also known as Alternative Psychology), but these are elective courses only and not part of a major or minor curriculum.  In other words, you cannot receive a degree in paranormal studies at your local university.  Keep in mind, these are my findings and I most certainly could have missed something.

         I wonder, though, if it would be a good idea to regulate ghost hunting and force people to take some kind of classes and become certified in order to practice in the field.  I actually think this is an outstanding idea because there are so many different groups that are practicing blind, as I like to call it.  Meaning, they are going into people’s homes with the knowledge they receive by watching television shows or surfing the internet.  They have no experience and, dare I say, they are just doing it for the thrill of it.  These people are not serious about what they may or may not find.  They are in it for the fun of it.  I say, if you want a thrill, ride a roller coaster.  It’s difficult enough to be taken seriously as a paranormal investigator. 

         These thrill seekers want it so badly that they will say that any bump in the night is paranormal.  It occurs to me that when a home owner calls in a paranormal investigation team, they are typically very concerned, if not downright terrified about something going on in their home.  False findings could potentially be life changing for these clients.  Most people who call in a team have no idea what they are looking for, really.  They just know that they want some help.  How do they know if they are getting a serious team with experience in the field or if they are getting some group of people who watched Ghost Hunters on TV and said, “Hey, we could do that!”  Scary, when you really think about it.  If ghost hunting were regulated it would mean that clients would be able to ask to see the certification. 

         What would it take to regulate ghost hunting?  Unfortunately, it would take scientific proof that ghosts exist.  It would also take a more open mind on the part of politicians and scientists.  Right now, we have neither of these.  Right now all we have is speculation and a whole lot of people out there who claim to be serious about finding the proof.  Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that there are a great many serious paranormal investigators who are doing exactly what they should be doing in the field.  These are people who can be learned from.  How do we learn from these people?  Join their team, make a commitment to do your part in this endless exploration for proof of all things unseen.  Yes, even take a course or two if this is something you feel you can benefit from.  I’m considering it myself, not because I’m not already a serious paranormal investigator, but because I’m addicted to education.  I want to learn from every source I can find that’s willing to teach me.  I think it is invaluable to know more than one approach to a situation, and taking these courses may well teach me a way to do things that I hadn’t considered myself or that the teams I’ve worked with have done. 

         I did find some information on ghost hunting and other paranormal courses and certification, some of which I feel are good sources, and others I’m not so sure about.  I think it is up to each person who is considering this to do their research.   Is it a good idea, especially if you are already an investigator, to pay another research or investigation team to tell you what you already know simply to have a certificate that you could make yourself on your printer with a program that you can find for $5.99 in Wal-Mart’s clearance bin?  Maybe, if you research this team and find that they have a different approach than you are using.  If you find that you can learn from this team.  This is up for you to decide.

         I will list some of the resources I found for paranormal courses and my brief view on each of them.  You can find any of these, and more, by doing a Google search for “paranormal courses and certification”. 

Ø      IGHS Home Study Course:  This is a course offered by the International Ghost Hunter’s Society.  IGHS has been around for a very long time and has a very large list of members.  As far as I know, this is a reputable group of paranormal enthusiasts and ghosts hunters who have spent years researching the subject.  What I do not know is their experience in the field, actually doing the job.  My guess is that they have this experience as well, but I am not personally aware of it.  They offer a five part course that includes 1) Ghost Hunter – Ghost Researcher, 2) Paranormal Investigator, 3) EVP Researcher, 4) Phase Displacement Practitioner (Dimensional Shifting), and 5) Paranormal Counselor.  They also offer a course on Reiki that you can bundle with the other five courses and save a few dollars.  If you sign up and pay for all five courses, your bill will be $300, or you can take one course at a time for about $100.  You can save a bit by bundling two courses at a time for $150.  I did not check the price for the five courses plus Reiki, however.  When you complete the courses you get a certificate, or Ghost Researcher Diploma.  This diploma entitles you to either a free year or two of membership in the International Ghost Hunter’s Society or a lifetime membership.  I was unable to find the difference in costs for the certificate you receive, or if it is based on how well you do in the courses, this was a bit confusing to me.  My feeling about this option is that it is expensive and you are pretty much on your own once you get your study materials (probably downloadable). 

Ø      Bluegrass Community and Technical College:  This community college offers a course called the “Certified Ghost Hunter Home Study Course”.  This course is put together and taught by Patti Starr, owner and president of Ghost Chasers International of Kentucky and author of “Ghost Hunting in Kentucky and Beyond”.  The cost is $150 for the course and right now they are offering a free ELF Meter.  The course page states that Starr is a very active ghost hunter, author, lecturer, douser, consultant and teacher with many years of experience.  Upon completion, you get a diploma of graduation for “Certified Ghost Hunter”.  There is no graphic of this diploma for you to see, so I’m not sure if it comes from the college or from Starr’s printer.  I would ask that question if I were interested in taking this course because if I were a potential client, I would find a diploma from a college more credible.  I find this course quite expensive for just one course, and I also wonder how taking just one course stacks up to the five courses offered from the previous “school”.  I also wonder, who certified Patti Starr?

Ø      Prarie Ghosts’ Ghost Research Home Study Course:  This course is offered by Troy Taylor, author, owner of the Prarie Ghosts website, and seasoned paranormal investigator.  This course offers training and information about how to find ghosts, what ghosts are, and how to start your own team.  It also states that you get a ghost hunter’s kit, although I’m not quite sure what this kit includes.  What is included is Taylor’s book, “The Ghost Hunter’s Guide Book”, which is well known and widely used as the text book for this type of course.  Upon completion of this course, you receive your certificate of completion and a one year membership to the American Ghost Society.  The course cost is $75.  This is a bit more reasonable than the others and Troy Taylor is well known and trusted in the paranormal field, and has been for many years.  I do not personally know Mr. Taylor, but he has mentored a person with whom I have worked in the field and this person has been a wonderful teacher and mentor to me in the past.  The best thing that he taught me, which was most likely taught to him by Taylor, is that one needs to be a “hopeful skeptic” (his words) when investigating the paranormal.  Meaning, you must be skeptical about every claim of a haunting and go in looking for something normal.  Only when you cannot find normal can we look for paranormal.  We must keep the skepticism in the back of our mind, even though we are hopeful that we will finally find the irrefutable proof needed to open the eyes of the world to the existence of ghosts.  If I were to choose a course to take, this would be the one.

Ø      Flamel College:  In looking into this college and reading the history of it, I am reminded of Hogwarts.  That is not a bad thing, I am a fan of Harry Potter and have always had a secret desire to attend Hogwarts.  Flamel College was founded in 1968 in Vienna, Austria.  This is a college that only teaches the Esoteric Arts and Hermetic Sciences.  The home study courses offered range from Wicca and Wizardry to Paranormal Studies to Tarot and Reiki.  They seem to specialize in Alchemy.  The courses cost in the range of $65 to $125 each.  There are even a few free introductory courses that can be taken on the internet.  To graduate and receive a diploma in Paranormal Studies takes four of five courses and a dissertation, or five courses and no dissertation.  I was very impressed with this college and the courses offered.  I want to take them all!  I’ve never heard of the college in the past so my need for information overtakes me.  I Googled the college and am finding that this may or may not be a college at all.  What I am finding are complaints that they take your money and send you a few things in the mail, but good luck if you have a question or want to contact them.  One person even stated that they had called one of the “professors” on the telephone and the professor responded in surprise that he didn’t even think the place was still open!  So much for the Harry Potter school!  As saddened as I am by this information, it further validates my point.  Do your research!

Only take what I have written here as a general guideline - information.  There are many more courses out there to look into if you decide you would like to be certified.  Do your research!  I cannot stress this enough.  The money these courses are charging ranges from somewhat affordable to downright astronomical.  Don’t be taken for a fool.  If you must have a certificate, make sure you are getting what you pay for.