Networking: Competition in Paranormal Research

In many special interest groups there is often a spirit of community, a delight in finding others with similar interests, the exciting possibility of learning new skills or seeing new frontiers conquered.   Unfortunately, in many regions paranormal groups seem to suffer from competition rather than collaboration.  They safeguard information about their investigations, not to preserve the privacy of a client but to keep the 'goodies' to themselves.  Paranormal investigations will NEVER be taken seriously as long as groups do not develop networking skills and collaborate.  No single group can ever have the resources, people, money, skills, and opportunities to achieve something important in the field. The need for unity and cooperation is great.

Reasons for this lack of collaboration are many but several seem to appear repeatedly. These include:

• A desire for control/power (over the investigation, thinking, events, or people)
• A blind faith in the reality of hauntings rather than a desire to collect evidence
• An unwillingness to adjust views, learn new things, and reevaluate preconceptions
• A desire for a 'spook hunt' rather than serious research

Now is the time for collaboration, networking, and helping one another in order to achieve serious evidence collected in a professional manner and with a professional eye to the needs for testing and sharing information.