Why Join the Indiana Ghost Trackers?

by Mike McDowell

There are many paranormal research groups out there today; in fact, there are more groups nowadays than ever. Plus the current TV shows showing ghost hunters doing their thing have made it possible for the public to get a firmer grasp of what it is to be a ghost hunter.

In the past, there were so many misconceptions about what was involved in ghost hunting that some people immediately assumed you were part of some sort of cultist activity by being a ghost hunter. Paranormal research wasn’t nearly as understood as it is today.

The Indiana Ghost Trackers (IGT) were one of the first paranormal research groups in Indiana of their kind. The group, starting with a mere 12 members in July of 2000 quickly grew to enormous proportions. Because of our commitment to professionalism, our willingness to travel and spend a great deal of time working with members on a volunteer basis to help them become ghost trackers, and by educating others about what it takes to be a ghost tracker, our group has grown to over 450 members by March 2006.

The IGT goes beyond what many groups do by allowing many people to join. Other groups often only want a set number of people and no more. They get their 6-12 members and are content to stop there. That’s one way to do it, but working with as many people as we do in IGT  leads to a lot of positive change on a constant basis.

That’s just one of the reasons IGT has survived as long as it has. A good estimate is that most paranormal groups (60-70%) actually split up or disband within a 2-3 year time period due to functionality issues. IGT has survived by having a diversity of people step forward to help lead.

The Indiana Ghost Trackers are a non-profit group, which means no members are making a profit from the IGT. Money raised by the IGT goes to fund IGT expenses. Some groups strive to make a profit and work to make money off their members in dues, charging for training, and even by charging for ghost investigations.

The IGT trains their members to become paranormal research professionals. This is accomplished through a very extensive amount of training for our members, which is all provided for free as part of their membership in the IGT. Basic investigative techniques are mandatory for any investigator; and to actually do an investigation with the IGT, members must go through these free courses so that all investigators are able to demonstrate the same level of proficiency. The IGT expect no less than for all our investigation team members to become professionals in ghost hunting. Our reputation is everything and the IGT will not endorse non-trained members for investigations. Many of our members are trained and they all take turns doing the hundreds of investigations we do each year.

We also actually ghost hunt! As a group we plan activities in addition to our monthly meetings. We allow members to come out ghost hunting with us to many different kinds of haunted places. We even allow non-members to go on a free hunt before joining. On our hunts, we run experiments, do EVP tests, take photos, film video footage, and so on. But sometimes we even get together as a team and go to the movies or hangout, too! In fact, the IGT is also a great place to make friends and meet like-minded people. There are even a few members who have met through IGT and gotten married. Many wonderful friendships have blossomed as well.

The IGT also get involved with our community. We do cemetery and historical landmark repairs, free public talks and lectures, go to schools and civic groups, and much more to spread the word about what we do and to tell our stories of ghosts and what we have encountered. Plus we provide evidence to the public of what we have discovered.

Our group is a great place for skeptics, hardcore ghost hunters, psychics, and anyone in between to find a home for researching paranormal activity. No matter who you are, you’ll find people like yourself in IGT that you can relate to and find evidence of the paranormal together. You will also be exposed to a refreshing diversity of perspectives so that you can learn more about the paranormal research community. Traveling together and working together gives us many great adventures. Just about no matter what your beliefs are, finding a place to feel comfortable in our organization is a very reasonable expectation.

Of course, the IGT have structure and policies. We strictly enforce a non-alcohol and non-drug policy. Anyone who might be “dulling their senses” beforehand will not be allowed to go ghost hunting with us or participate in an investigation. Some people have left our group for this very reason; unfortunately, some groups actually allow alcohol to be consumed before and during ghost hunts.

One of the things people seem to really like about being a member of the IGT is that we have a well-defined structure. We have a member’s handbook, officers’ handbooks, local chapters that vote in their own officers, regional and state officer positions, and much more. You’ll also find that many of the leaders in IGT come from professional backgrounds and utilize their professional and business skills in helping IGT on a day-to-day basis.

What we ask

The IGT asks those joining to have an open mind yet be rational and skeptical to the paranormal phenomena we encounter. A desire and willingness to learn is essential.

You should also be aware that joining the IGT will require you to put some work into the organization. A few people who think about joining the IGT find committing to a small amount of volunteer work beyond their abilities or more work than they are willing or able to contribute. While this is okay in some cases, the chapters of our organization do not run themselves. It takes both followers AND leaders to enable these chapters to succeed. That doesn’t mean you will have to an unreasonable amount of work, but we do require chapters to carry forth on our organizational mission and to maintain documentation so we can file taxes and remain non-profit.

Some get into the habit of thinking that ghost hunting is the only requirement and ignore what needs to be done. IGT isn’t just entertainment for its members (although it can be quite fun); It’s a serious organization, and we need serious-minded people who are willing to give of their free time to make the IGT bigger and better then ever.