A question about investigations, religion and spirit protection.

Whilst touring a few paranormal sites on the net the other night, i noticed a lot of ghost hunting advice sites suggest doing a prayer, or saying a few words of some kind prior to the investigation, to protect you from the more negative spirits that you may encounter.

Thing is, for reasons too lengthy to go into here, i am the least religious person on the planet. So whats the point in saying words of protection?

If i don't believe theres a God, and everything else that comes with the Bible, then am i really going to believe that someone up there is looking out for me? I do however believe there is a side to the paranormal that is not nice, i believe i've experienced it first hand and have seen it towards others.

Maybe members who are seasoned paranormal investigators can help me out with this one. Does it have to be "religious" prayers or words that are spoken, or is there other such protection methods that can be used?

I know many people will think this is just silly, but i guess if a few words that just take a few seconds can give you a bit of backup, then it's not really a big thing is it?

One of my main reasons for asking is not really for my benefit, but because my 10 year old daughter is really interested in this stuff and she wants to start doing a few investigations.

Not fussed about me getting slimed, but DON'T SLIME MY KIDS!!!

Thanks for any advice,

CX.

Well, I would advise against letting a 10-year-old do any investigations, at least not until she's around 16, preferably 18. While most hauntings do seem to be benign, there is a risk of encountering those that are not. If the entity truly is malevolent, it would probably prey on the weakest member of an investigation, which would probably be your daughter (no offense meant).

Investigators vary in their use of prayers or other words of protection. Some employ the use of wicca (e.g. standing inside circle of salt or protection), while others pray for protection. If there's no doubt that you and/or your daughter will be investigating and you truly do have safety in mind, prayer might not be a bad idea, even if you don't believe in God. Look at it this way: If you pray for your/your daughter's safety without belief but with a true desire to protect your daughter and God does exist, God may help anyway out of mercy or to help you believe. On the other hand, what if God doesn't exist? Prayer as seemed to help in many cases (think of real exorcisms or similar cases). Even if God doesn't exist, prayer may evoke some other kind of energy that helps protect (i.e. a person's true desire for protection (which comes out through prayer) somehow unlocks some special energy or something like that).



In short, people have reported that prayer works, so it would be worth giving it a shot whether or not you believe. Just make sure that your concern for yourself and your daughter is at the forefront (again, however, I'd advise against letting your daughter investigate).

If there is bad stuff in the paranormal it makes sense that there is good also, doesn't even have to be (a) god but just to balance the evil. So pray to them. If they don't exist the bad ones also don't.

Originally posted by Tsuki-no-Hikari
Well, I would advise against letting a 10-year-old do any investigations, at least not until she's around 16, preferably 18. While most hauntings do seem to be benign, there is a risk of encountering those that are not. If the entity truly is malevolent, it would probably prey on the weakest member of an investigation, which would probably be your daughter (no offense meant).

No offence taken.

At the moment i keep her interest in the paranormal as much at her level as i can. She is a very keen learner and is fascinated by the paranormal, but obviously i don't want to freak my own daughter out.

She handles the subjects very maturely, and is very respectfull of the etiquette involved when dealing with the paranormal.

Like i say though, i keep it at her level. Like the other night, she did her first "investigation" as we called it. It was more of a history lesson of the local churchyard, but we carried out a few experiments during our time there. We got there at 8pm and were gone by 10pm.

I wanted the majority of it to be conducted in daylight for her sake, but she wanted at least some time in the dark, so we did about an hour in the dark in the cemetary. I know this was'nt exactly long for an investigation, but it was good enough for a 10 year old. She took loads of notes, enough to write a full report, got loads of great pics, learnt a lot and came back not freaked out.

So thanks for the advice about her safety, of course thats my priority too. Maybe i'll let her get more involved as she grows older. I have started expanding her knowledge range of paranormal subjects though so she is not just focused on ghosts, which lets face it are probably the scariest of the paranormal subjects. Today she was learning about the crystal skulls.

I think you're right though about giving a few words a shot.

My girlfriend just brought up a good point. She said that if i did'nt trust God to look after me, how about ask protection from a guardian angel of some kind? If i believed in the paranormal, then surely i'd believe in guardian angels.

I know when i was serving in Crossmaglen, S. Armagh when the IRA sniper was shooting the lads, there were a few times when we went out on patrols, knowing there would probably be a shoot that day (so basicaly we were like bait), and as i walked out of the camp gates i remember saying to "someone" up there, "Watch my back today will ya?"

I did'nt believe in God back then either, but i must have been talking to someone?

Thanks for the input.

CX.

I've seen a lot of investigations involving prayer, though for me the idea of prayer is more so a matter of calming ones fears and offering confidence and support to a perceived higher power.Praying interrupts ones continuity enough to allow their feelings a respite and to rally ones own personal powers.It is infinitely easier to simply say the name of god because god is what for some symbolizes strength and power.Prayer in this way works much in the same way as hypnosis .The power of suggestibility is indeed a force to be reckoned with, if you believe that you are protected then you simply will be in your own mind.So for you another protection device may be much easier.If you do not believe in higher powers than it might be a good idea to design a cue for this protection that is based on what you feel is a protector.Guardian angels are a good idea, they are strong symbolic forces that you can identify with.It would be just as effective to say "I am Protected,because I have willed it.I control my reality, as you are but a reflection."It really depends on your bent of character.I do hope I have helped to some degree, best of luck to you ^~^

i have done one or two paranormal investigations in the past, we used both religious prayer and a "prayer" to the universe

I.e
try asking for the universe to send you protection in the form of white light & Positive energy that surrounds you and your daughter (or everyone in your group) & visualize it surrounding you and your group in either a cocoon of light or a pyramid of light coming from the universe (i.e the sky)