Conducting Interviews

This is a concise summary of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR)'s guide for conducting interviews. You can find the original versions here and here.

1. Building Rapport

Exchange pleasantries and small talk to put witnesses at ease.
Establish a good relationship before delving into details.
Introduce yourself and any companions.

2. Before the Visit

Never go alone; bring a companion and encourage the witness to do the same.
Obtain a brief overview: what happened, where, when, who was present.
Understand the witness’s expectations and desired outcome.
Review any supporting evidence (photos, recordings) before offering opinions.
Only proceed with a full interview if both parties agree an investigation is desirable.

3. Interview Techniques

Choose a quiet location with minimal distractions.
Use audio recording (with consent) or take notes; offer a copy to the witness.
Allow witnesses to decline any question.
Encourage detailed accounts: actions before, during, and after the event.
Gentle prompting is fine; avoid leading, presumptive, or compound questions.
Ask witnesses to retell events in different orders or perspectives to identify gaps.

4. Gathering Additional Information

Interview other relevant witnesses (family, co-workers, locals).
Search records and archives for historical context.
Map locations and mark positions of witnesses and events.
Number multiple events for clarity.

5. Working with Vulnerable Individuals

Prioritize welfare of children or vulnerable persons.
Always have a responsible adult present; obtain consent for questions.
Avoid frightening or anxiety-inducing language; use child-friendly methods like drawings or demonstrations.
Stop the interview immediately if the child or vulnerable person is uncomfortable.

6. Dealing with Time-Wasters or Suspicious Cases

Watch for vague, inconsistent, or overly detailed accounts.
Conduct simple internet checks for previous claims or media attention.
Politely decline cases if uncomfortable or unable to assist.

Interviewing Witnesses

Interviewing witnesses is one of the most critical skills in paranormal investigation. Even advanced equipment cannot substitute for the clarity gained from a well-conducted interview. A precise, disciplined interview can uncover real patterns — or reveal misunderstanding, memory gaps, emotional influence, or imagination.

Your goal is to gather information objectively, without influencing the witness or reinforcing assumptions.

Witness testimony forms the foundation of a case; therefore, the investigator’s communication, neutrality, and discernment are essential tools.

Core Skills Required

A skilled paranormal interviewer must have:

Objectivity — remain neutral and avoid leading the witness.
Knowledge of normal and paranormal explanations — to recognize possibilities beyond the witness's assumptions.
Interviewing skill — ability to extract accurate information through calm, respectful, firm questioning.
Emotional intelligence — some questions may be personal or uncomfortable; witnesses may resist or feel emotional.
Psychological awareness — understanding memory errors, perception biases, and suggestion.

A good interviewer can gently but firmly get the answers required to understand what truly happened — not just what is remembered.

Interview Procedure

Interview each witness separately.
Prevent story contamination and group influence.
Then interview them together.
This reveals influence dynamics, inconsistencies, and shared memory distortions.
Conduct multiple interviews over time.
Consistency strengthens credibility; shifting details may indicate confusion, influence, or fabrication.
Record all interviews.
Audio/video recordings plus written notes. Have witnesses sign statements when appropriate.

What to Gather

Ask for specific, factual information:

Time, date, duration, and location of event
What the witness was doing and feeling at the time
Environmental conditions (light, sound, temperature, movement)
Who else was present and where they were
Previous experiences or history of events in the location
Emotional context (stress, grief, excitement, fear, fatigue)

Never assume — always clarify.

Why Multiple Witnesses Help (and Complicate)

Multiple witnesses can verify details or reveal contradictions.
However:

Stories may “blend” if they discussed events before your interview.
A dominant personality may shape others’ memories.
Agreement does not always equal accuracy.

Look for convergence, not identical storytelling. Shared patterns matter more than perfect match.

Human Perception & Memory Biases

Humans are fallible observers. Keep these in mind:

People misinterpret stimuli.
Memory changes over time.
People recall interpretations more than raw details.
Vivid elements overshadow subtle ones.
Missing details may be due to limited perspective.
Details may be unconsciously invented to fill gaps.
Some experiences are influenced by expectations or fear.

People often remember what fits their worldview — consciously or unconsciously filtering the rest. Your job is to uncover all relevant details, not just the dramatic ones.

echniques to Improve Accuracy

Reconstruction

Walk through the location and timeline with witnesses:

Where they stood
What direction they faced
Lighting & objects
What they could realistically perceive

Re-walking events may uncover forgotten details or show mundane explanations (reflections, acoustics, airflow, settling noises, etc.).

Question What Was Not Reported

Silence and omissions are data too.
People often notice dramatic stimuli but ignore subtle context.

Ask:

“What else was happening in the room?”
“What sounds or lights were present before and after the event?”

Suggestibility & Expectations

Assess what the witness knew beforehand:

Did they expect a haunting?
Have they been influenced by others' stories?
Did media, religion, or folklore prime their interpretation?
Were they frightened or emotionally sensitive at the time?

Real paranormal events can also heighten awareness, causing witnesses to notice sounds they would normally ignore. Consider both sides.

Belief & Background Assessment

Without challenging their world-view, explore:

Beliefs about the paranormal
Religious framework
Books/media they consume about the supernatural
Previous psychic or unexplained experiences
Friends’ and community beliefs about spirits or hauntings

This helps gauge susceptibility to suggestion and understand how to communicate responsibly and ethically.

Pathology & Referral

Investigators are not therapists or doctors.
If mental health or medical issues appear relevant, refer — don’t diagnose.

Avoid assuming psychological issues too quickly — doing so can be deeply unfair and cause harm.

Psychological Dynamics: Living & Non-Living

Consider:

Stress, grief, conflict, trauma, sleep disturbance
Group dynamics and emotional contagion
Environmental influence (isolation, darkness, acoustics, architecture)

Also note that if paranormal intelligence is present, emotional reactions, attention patterns, and psychological effects may themselves be meaningful data.

Guard Against Investigator Bias

Be vigilant about your own influence:

Questions shape answers.
Your interest in certain details may cause embellishment.
Body language and tone can unintentionally guide responses.

Always distinguish in your report:

Objective observations
Your interpretations
Witness interpretations

Transparency builds credibility.

Summary Principles

Witness Principle	Meaning
Interview individually + together	Prevent contamination, then compare dynamics
Multiple interviews	Check consistency and discover missing details
Probe gently but firmly	Accuracy over comfort
Expect bias & memory errors	Natural human cognition
Document everything	Notes, audio, and signed statements
Report neutrally	Separate fact from interpretation

Sources:

Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal — Loyd Auerbach
Ghostology: The Art of the Ghost Hunter — Steven T. Parsons
Guidance Notes for Investigators of Spontaneous Cases — Steven T. Parsons

- Chris

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