Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions we get. This list is not meant to be all encompassing so if you have something else you would like to have answered please feel free to contact us. You can also click on "Forums" in the top menu and join us on the message board. This is a great way to get answers to your questions, read educational articles and share your interests with those of a like mind.
Q - Are you serious?
A - Absolutely. We take our investigations very seriously.
Our investigations are professional, conducted from a scientific approach, organized, and respectful and of course free of charge to our clients. We use the latest equipment in an attempt to document the reported activity and we investigate each location for any possible reasonable explanation for what someone may be experiencing.
We are an organization whose main purpose is to help those living in a haunted home or working in a haunted business understand and cope with the phenomena.
We provide you, our client, with the education, research tools, understanding and compassion that you may need. We also provide resources and an outreach programs. This can be essential when attempting to get someone the help they need.
We will do what is needed to help our clients who have found themselves in this situation.
All investigations remain confidential with the exception of the ones you see on this site. All of the ones that you will see on this site are because the clients in each case have given their express permission to present those cases in the hopes of helping others gain an understanding of what is happening to or around them. Of course some names and specific locations have been withheld in order to continue to protect our clients.
Q - Do Ghost Really Exist?
A - That is the question people have been asking since the beginning of time. Although many people have claimed to see a ghost, there is no evidence that they really exist. There have been pictures, EVPs, video, and other types of evidence that some people claim are from the spirit world. There really isn't any "yes or no" answer. It all depends on your personal belief.
Q- Are your photos authentic?
A - We have done everything we can to assure that the pictures we have taken are authentic and have not been altered in any way.
When we are taking pictures we are very aware of the working conditions around us and what effect those conditions may have on our photography. We are always testing our equipment to make sure that it is working like it should. We also run controlled experiments in order to see what effect other outside forces may cause on our photography.
We are very lucky to have a talented photographer on the team and he painstakingly goes over each photo after an investigation.
The pictures that have been sent into us are on the site for entertainment purposes only as we are not able, since we were not there, to authenticate those.
Q- How long can I expect an investigation to take?
A - The length of an investigation depends on several things. The size of the location, when the activity is taking place and how long it may last when it occurs, etc.. the initial investigation can take you to 6 hours. Once the initial investigation is complete and the eidence has been examined we will decide, along with you, our client, whether a follow up investigation will be needed. This is something you may want to plan on if you are indeed serious about finding answers.
We would prefer that our clients be as serious as we are and not just thrill seekers. We spend a lot of time and money helping people and love doing what we do, but again, we are serious. We are not there to entertain someone and there friends for an evening.
Q- How should we prepare for an investigation?
A - We want to cause as little impact to the normal course of your evening as possible. We do ask that the pets are quite as well as children if you have them. We want the location to be as quite as possible so the our evidence is not contaminated
We do request that the location be safely, uncluttered, and moderately clean. We want this to be a comfortable situation for the clients and for our team members.
If you are a fan candles, like many of us are, please do not use scented candles. This can effect our investigations in locations where there have been reports of phantom smells.
Q- Can I or others participate in the investigation?
A - We have allowed clients to participate in our investigation. In most cases however the team does have work to do and they do it well and per IPRG protocol. We do ask that you not invite outside guests into the investigation. This makes it very difficult for us to work and keep potential evidence from being contaminated. We do not allow anyone under 18 to participate in an investigation.
Q- Who can request an investigation?
A - You must be the rentor of a location, owner, or a member of management who has the authority to allow and investigation. You must also be a position to sign a release allowing us to investigate the location.
Q- Can a child request an investigation?
A - You must be at least 18 years old to request an investigation.
Q - How often do you investigate?
A - We go out as often as possible. We have a very dedicated team of individuals who are happy to be out on an investigation every chance they get. Of course during the winter months it can be a little limited because of the weather.
Q - Can I become a member of the team?
A - Absolutely! We do ask that you are serious about what we are doing, can be an active participant and are able to represent yourself in a professional manner.
Being able to get along with people of all different backgrounds and beliefs is also a huge plus. If you are interested in joining the team it is recommended that you join our message board and take the time to get to know the team. It is also a fantastic place to share your ideas and knowledge.
We will place any openings that we may have on the site.
Q - What are orbs? They do not look like a ghost to me!
A - The downside to capturing an orb on film is that there can be many other explanations for this. Reflected light, water spots, dust, etc can all cause orbs to appear. None of these things are paranormal in nature.
Q- I often smell unexplained scents in my home such as cologne, perfume, flowers, etc... Can you explain this?
A - This could be a classic sign of a haunting. This is often reported when there is nothing else in the environment that could have naturally caused this smell. It could be your friendly neighborhood ghost saying hello. Often people will say something like: “I knew it was grandma stopping in to say hello because she is the only one that I knew who wore that particular perfume.”
Q - When is the best time to do an investigation?
A - Anytime of course! Okay, according to popular belief, a paranormal experiences are most likely to occur between the hours of midnight and 3 AM. Our theory is that if a location is truely haunted at night, then it is haunted during the day and we will conduct the investigation based on when the activity occurs.
It has also been said that more activity occurs in the fall or autumn time frame.
Q - What equipment do you use while investigating?
A - We have an ever growing list of equipment that we use during an investigation. We use digital and 35 MM cameras, digital video recording system, digital cam-corders, digital audio recorders, digital thermometers, EMF (electromagnetic field detectors), batteries, lots and lots of batteries, flashlights, laptop computers and the list is always growing.
Q - Are you afraid of being hurt by a ghost?
A - While there is always the possibility of running into a malevolent spirit while on an investigation; we understand that this is extremely rare.
We are also fully aware of the risks we take when investigating and are prepared to deal with it should this situation present itself.
Please keep in mind that a majority of the cases reported in the media and in books are centuries old. There is a reason for this. That is how rare these cases are. These cases keep the general public interested and so the media keeps them going.
Q - Are you afraid of a ghost following you home?
A - Even though we conducts each investigation from a scientific stand point, we all come from different backgrounds and religious beliefs. Each member does what they feel is right for them to protect themselves from this occurring. We all understand that this is just another one of the risks we take by doing an investigation.
Q - I would like to have you conduct an investigation but I am afraid that I live to far away from you. What do I do?
A - We have done our research and have contacted other investigation groups around the US and in Canada in order to be able to refer clients to them and help as many people as we can. We are more than happy to help you contact a team in your area. Others do the same for us as well.
Q - Can a Ghost Harm You?
A - Although, there are some people who believe demons can harm you (such as the case of the Smurl family, in the book "The Haunted"). This again, is based on your own personal belief. But 99.9% of the time, if a ghost is encountered it won't harm you.
Q - Can a ghost communicate with the living?
A - Many mediums claim that they themselves can communicate with the dead. Unfortunately, this is very hard to prove. There are many mediums in the world, which seem to be able to know things that nobody else knows. Some of them have even helped the police solve unsolved cases. We don't know enough about the afterlife, to come up with a valid answer.
Q - Can an item be haunted?
A - It is possible that objects can sometimes be haunted. However, this isn't an every day occurrence and has yet to be proven.
Q - Why don't most paranormal investigators use Ouija boards or conduct séances
A - This question has two answers. First off, most serious investigators feel that using a Ouija board or conducting a séance will show that they aren't really serious about what they do. Second, we feel that by doing these things, you could unknowingly conjure something that could be dangerous, or evil.
Q - What areas do you cover?
A - We currently have teams in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Germany
We will travel as needed and we also have an extensive list of teams in the US that we may be able to refer your case to should you be in any area that we do not cover or cannot travel to.
Q - Why do you investigate the paranormal?
A - Each team member has their own personal reason for why they investigate the paranormal. We are sure most would not mind sharing those reasons with you. You can get to know each team member by visiting our forums.
There are thousands of sane, normal, law abiding, sensible people who have had or are having experiences with the paranormal. We want to take a scientific approach to investigating these reports and we want to assist people in the best way possible.
Q - If I want to be a member of the IPRG team but do not want to investigate are there other things that I can do?
A - Yes! Not everyone wants to be out in the field. We have research positions, evidence tech positions, etc... that you may be able to assist us with. In this way you are still an important part of the IPRG team as well as it's success.
Q - Do I have to know a lot about the equipment you use to be a part of the team?
A - No. We will teach you and you can educate yourself along the way.
Q - Why do you not charge for your services?
A - We are a team of volunteers performing a community service. We hope to further our research and assist people in understanding what it is they may be experiencing. We do accept donations, but we will never ask for one.
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