I’ve recently revamped the Ghost Research Resources section of my blog. This includes updates to the “Ghost Science” guides which cover fundamental topics that I think ghost researchers should know about. There is also a guide to developing an ethical code of conduct which is something often overlooked by ghost researchers. You can find all of these resources through the menu in the sidebar to the left, or by clicking here.

I have created a new resource called ‘Do No Harm: A Guide to Paranormal Eye-Witnesses and Mental Health’. The idea for this resource came to mind back in June when I saw a Twitter poll run by ghost hunter, Greg Newkirk, in which he asked his followers to indicate what they’d do if presented with someone who appeared to have self-harmed while claiming to hear voices. The options?

– Call a priest,
– Call a healthcare pro,
– Call those tv guys,
– Call your team

You’re a paranormal investigator and someone approaches you saying that a dark entity is haunting them. They can hear its voice in their head, and it’s told them to hurt themselves and others. They show you three red scratches on their inner arm. What do you do first?

— Greg Newkirk (@nuekerk) June 29, 2020

None of those options jump out as 100% suitable, yet 66.4% of the 3600+ votes went with ‘call a healthcare pro’. Twitter poll options are pretty vague so there is little context or detail in this scenario, but it got me thinking… what does this situation look like? What’s the context? Are the scratches on their arm new? In what instance would someone call a healthcare professional for someone who says they’re hearing voices? Especially when you take into consideration that hearing voices isn’t always a medical emergency?

Let’s step back for a moment. People who are experiencing a mental health crisis may contact someone who is a paranormal researcher. This can be because they are experiencing symptoms in a way that leads them to believe that there is a paranormal or supernatural origin to them. This could be paranoid thoughts of being controlled, hearing voices, confused thinking about occurrences in their home, or thinking they are possessed by a demonic force or entity.

The best course of action in these scenario isn’t always to ‘call a healthcare pro’, unless it’s with the consent of the person who is experiencing a crisis or they are in immediate danger. Seeing a person in distress can be alarming and wanting to help them is amazing, but it’s important to ensure that the actions you take do help them in the ways they want to be helped. As well intentioned as we may be, we cannot make those decisions for other people, unless we believe them to be in immediate danger. Sure, the scratches on the arms of the person in the scenario presented by Newkirk could suggest self-harm or suicidal intention, in which case calling for the emergency services may be something you need to consider. Yet, the devil is in the detail, and these cases are never black or white.

I would encourage people to read through and share the resource I have created. ‘Do No Harm: A Guide to Paranormal Eye-Witnesses and Mental Health’ contains my 10 Golden Rules which I hope will help people to work out what they will do if ever they find themselves in a situation where they’re able to offer support to somebody in a crisis.

Thank you to Dr Petra Boynton who offered advice during this process.