At this time of year, thrill-seekers activate their adrenaline by going to haunted houses. There, actors dressed as ghouls or chainsaw-wielding maniacs jump out of the darkness. People feel the fright deep in their bones.
But what if one of the demons followed you home? Or lived in your house long before you ever existed?
Those are the kind of situations Clarksville Ghost Hunters face year-round. Locals hear strange creaking noises, voices, faraway singing, or footsteps in empty rooms.
They worry.
Sometimes they freak out a little. By the time people call Clarksville Ghost Hunters, they often think they're crazy, or other people are telling them they are.
"So many people think it's kooky to be poking around in this stuff, but we have people in so many situations who can't talk about it because people will think they're wacko," says Paul Browning, lead investigator for Clarksville Ghost Hunters.
The volunteer investigators come into a location, conduct a highly technical all-night investigation for no charge, and report the findings to the homeowner. In many situations, the cause of the strange activity is easily discovered.
"In 95 percent or better, it's explainable phenomena," Browning says.
Browning cites an example in which a loose, warped board, made looser by wood contracting in the winter, lifted and made a knocking sound outside when it was stepped on in a certain spot inside the house. Other explainable causes are myriad, from electrical static to noises made by animals.
A scientific approach
Led by Browning, Clarksville Ghost Hunters takes a scientific approach to their work. They use recording devices and gauges to measure sounds, electromagnetic fields, and temperature changes in homes suspected of being haunted.
To be considered for an investigator position, a person must be at least 25 years old, technically literate, and must purchase and read "The Ghost Hunter's Guidebook" by Troy Taylor and "Ghost Tech" by Vince Wilson.
Vernon Greene, 21, will have to wait four years for his chance to be a Clarksville Ghost Hunters investigator, but he's content for now manning a camera as a crew member.
"I always had a fascination with the unexplainable," he says. "I get to hear and see what nobody else hears or sees."
Browning has been a serious ghost hunter — which is a time-consuming and expensive hobby — for three years. He has invested thousands of hours conducting field investigations and reviewing recordings. He uses the best, state-of-the-art equipment to gather data, but he also relies on the observations and instincts of his fellow investigators.
"Just like everyone else, I want answers," Browning says. "A lot of people have laid the foundation for what goes on in this field, methodologies, but we want to think outside the box. We want to find new ways to get to the answers."
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