Electromagnetic fields are lines of energy invisible to the naked eye. They are made by any type of electricity from power lines to appliances. Transmission lines will have different readings at different times based on transmission line loads. Outdoor EMF readings can be affected by trees, buildings, and vehicles in the area.
CALIBRATE
A good thing to do before each investigation, if you can, is to calibrate your meter. Calibrating is done with two identical EMF readers. Turn on your readers. Place your first reader on the ground in an area where there is no movement of the needle or change in the digital display. Place the second one about a foot away. They should read the same. Pick a few spots to try this.
HOLD IT WAIST HIGH
Most meters sense from the back of the unit. Hold your reader comfortably at waist level, upright, and slightly out in front of you. Inaccurate readings can occur by waving, moving, or shaking your reader back and forth. Try and keep it steady while you are conducting your readings. Move slowly from place-to-place noting the fluctuations in the needle or digital display.
TAKE BASELINE READINGS
A base reading of the location is needed before the real investigation can begin. Take readings inside and outside. Look for the lowest and highest EMF reading of the area and calculate the average. That is your base reading for the area. Later, as you are taking readings and you get a spike, check your base reading. A base reading of 1.0 and a new reading of 1.5 to 2.0 is no cause for alarm. This could be just a natural change in the EMF of the area. However, if your spike is 1.5 points or more, it’s time to check out what could be causing it.
FOLLOW THE SPIKES
EMF spikes can be man-made or paranormal. Move your reader up, down, right, left, forward, and backward to identify the area with the strongest signal. Try following the spikes to the source if you can. Once you have mapped out the area of the strongest signal look for possible man-made fields. This could mean checking the floor from the underside (basement side) if the strongest reading is near the floor or maybe the light fixture on the ceiling if the reading is higher there. Don’t forget to record your findings.
CRITICALLY ANALYZE THE EMF DATA
Take a critical look at the information you have gathered. Eliminate the obvious. What areas could be man-made or natural occurrences? What areas are suspect? Once you have done this you can now begin to investigate using other equipment or try to make contact.
These paranormal investigation tips and tricks provided by Joanne Schiavoni & Bonnie Gibson, Paranormal Research & Investigation Society of Manitoba (P.R.I.S.M.)