"Certifications"
Paranormal Certifications by Steve Hart
With the recent surge in popularity for Paranormal Research (a.k.a. ghost hunting), there has been a parallel increase in the number of "certified paranormal researchers" offering their services. When considering becoming a paranormal researcher, or if you are troubled by supposed activity in your home or business and want to consult a paranormal researcher, there are certain questions that must be answered concerning these "certifications".
Does this "certification" make one researcher better than another?
Of all the available "certifications" which one is best?
Where do these "certifications" come from?
Are these "certifications" valid?
Before we answer these questions, let's take a close look at those terms and what they really mean.
The definition of the word "certification" is simply put as:
A process by which an authorized body, either a governmental or non-governmental organization, evaluates and recognizes either an individual or an organization as meeting predetermined requirements or criteria.
For clarity, let's consider an example completely unrelated to paranormal research. Let's say I want to become a certified Apple computer technician. I attend all training courses provided by Apple Computer INC. and complete all requirements dictated by Apple Computer INC. I am then presented with a document showing my official certification as an Apple computer technician. This certification shows that I have the knowledge and skills to effectively diagnose and repair Apple computer hardware. My next door neighbor hears the news of my new certification and he decides to do the same but does not feel like completing the work or fulfilling the requirements so he prints up a document on his home computer saying that he is fully certified to diagnose and repair Apple computer hardware. Obviously having all the facts in the above scenario, a perspective employer would hire me as having the valid certification provided by the company that makes the computer hardware over my neighbor who does not. Without the full background information, the two documents look identical and the forgery can easily fool someone who does not take the time to look into the situation fully.
In terms of the paranormal, there are many questions that need to be asked concerning "certifications".
Does this "certification" make one researcher better than another?
Of all the available "certifications" which one is best?
Where do these "certifications" come from?
Are these "certifications" valid?
The last question is probably the most important of them all in that if the "certification" is not valid, then the other questions are moot points. You may have noticed my use of quotations for every instance of the word certification concerning the paranormal. I am doing this for one very good reason. For all paranormal "certifications" out there in the world.....
EVERY SINGLE ONE IS INVALID!!!!
The rest of the questions are meaningless because anyone trying to say they are a "certified paranormal investigator" is flat out lying to either themselves or to the perspective clients. There is no organization or authority in the field of paranormal research that is qualified to dictate requirements or offer valid certifications in paranormal research. It just does not exist!
Yes, there are many individuals and groups out there offering classes on how to do paranormal research, but the legitimate ones will never even attempt to qualify completion of that class as a certification. If they do, they are no better than the guy in my example who printed out the certification on his home computer.
In the field of paranormal research, this happens almost everyday. Someone and/or some group prints out a bunch of documents saying "Certified Paranormal Investigator" and then sells that document either directly for money or via dues to take a class. Regardless, this document is no more valuable than the paper it is printed on. This in no way implies that all classes or courses that teach techniques and methods of paranormal investigation are not worthwhile or informative. On the contrary, most of these courses are taught by experienced people who have been researching the paranormal for years. This is only saying that if the person is handing out documentation saying that the completion of the coursework makes you a "certified" researcher then they are full of it!
So now we have two groups of people in the general public who are affected by this. First we have the people who want to become paranormal researchers. These people should read up on the subject, learn all you can about legitimate paranormal research, take classes from legitimate researchers, and then go out there and do it. There is nothing stopping you! Just keep a good set of ethics, keep an open and logical mindset, and learn all that you can from past research.
Second, we have the people who want help with a situation that they believe is paranormal in their home or business. These people need to be careful on who they invite into their home. These people must do their homework as well and read up on the people they are considering to bring in. There are literally thousands of choices when it comes to paranormal research groups. Each one has their own way of doing things and one way is not necessarily better or worse than another. A good first step is to simply rule out all groups that are asking for money and/or are promoting their many "certifications". Anyone doing either is simply out there to rip people off. The most exceptional research groups out there do nothing in terms of "certifications" and they will never ask for any type of payment for what they do.
Now I'm no great writer. I call things like I see them. The mention of the word "certification" relating to the paranormal has always made me cringe. Until there is some official, universal organization that organizes and oversees all paranormal research, there will be no such thing as a paranormal "certification". There are plenty of exceptional groups out there that have years of experience dealing with the paranormal. If you need help or if you are interested in joining this field, ask questions, do your homework, and really know what you are getting into.
Resource: http://www.parafpi.com/paracerts.html
With the recent surge in popularity for Paranormal Research (a.k.a. ghost hunting), there has been a parallel increase in the number of "certified paranormal researchers" offering their services. When considering becoming a paranormal researcher, or if you are troubled by supposed activity in your home or business and want to consult a paranormal researcher, there are certain questions that must be answered concerning these "certifications".
Does this "certification" make one researcher better than another?
Of all the available "certifications" which one is best?
Where do these "certifications" come from?
Are these "certifications" valid?
Before we answer these questions, let's take a close look at those terms and what they really mean.
The definition of the word "certification" is simply put as:
A process by which an authorized body, either a governmental or non-governmental organization, evaluates and recognizes either an individual or an organization as meeting predetermined requirements or criteria.
For clarity, let's consider an example completely unrelated to paranormal research. Let's say I want to become a certified Apple computer technician. I attend all training courses provided by Apple Computer INC. and complete all requirements dictated by Apple Computer INC. I am then presented with a document showing my official certification as an Apple computer technician. This certification shows that I have the knowledge and skills to effectively diagnose and repair Apple computer hardware. My next door neighbor hears the news of my new certification and he decides to do the same but does not feel like completing the work or fulfilling the requirements so he prints up a document on his home computer saying that he is fully certified to diagnose and repair Apple computer hardware. Obviously having all the facts in the above scenario, a perspective employer would hire me as having the valid certification provided by the company that makes the computer hardware over my neighbor who does not. Without the full background information, the two documents look identical and the forgery can easily fool someone who does not take the time to look into the situation fully.
In terms of the paranormal, there are many questions that need to be asked concerning "certifications".
Does this "certification" make one researcher better than another?
Of all the available "certifications" which one is best?
Where do these "certifications" come from?
Are these "certifications" valid?
The last question is probably the most important of them all in that if the "certification" is not valid, then the other questions are moot points. You may have noticed my use of quotations for every instance of the word certification concerning the paranormal. I am doing this for one very good reason. For all paranormal "certifications" out there in the world.....
EVERY SINGLE ONE IS INVALID!!!!
The rest of the questions are meaningless because anyone trying to say they are a "certified paranormal investigator" is flat out lying to either themselves or to the perspective clients. There is no organization or authority in the field of paranormal research that is qualified to dictate requirements or offer valid certifications in paranormal research. It just does not exist!
Yes, there are many individuals and groups out there offering classes on how to do paranormal research, but the legitimate ones will never even attempt to qualify completion of that class as a certification. If they do, they are no better than the guy in my example who printed out the certification on his home computer.
In the field of paranormal research, this happens almost everyday. Someone and/or some group prints out a bunch of documents saying "Certified Paranormal Investigator" and then sells that document either directly for money or via dues to take a class. Regardless, this document is no more valuable than the paper it is printed on. This in no way implies that all classes or courses that teach techniques and methods of paranormal investigation are not worthwhile or informative. On the contrary, most of these courses are taught by experienced people who have been researching the paranormal for years. This is only saying that if the person is handing out documentation saying that the completion of the coursework makes you a "certified" researcher then they are full of it!
So now we have two groups of people in the general public who are affected by this. First we have the people who want to become paranormal researchers. These people should read up on the subject, learn all you can about legitimate paranormal research, take classes from legitimate researchers, and then go out there and do it. There is nothing stopping you! Just keep a good set of ethics, keep an open and logical mindset, and learn all that you can from past research.
Second, we have the people who want help with a situation that they believe is paranormal in their home or business. These people need to be careful on who they invite into their home. These people must do their homework as well and read up on the people they are considering to bring in. There are literally thousands of choices when it comes to paranormal research groups. Each one has their own way of doing things and one way is not necessarily better or worse than another. A good first step is to simply rule out all groups that are asking for money and/or are promoting their many "certifications". Anyone doing either is simply out there to rip people off. The most exceptional research groups out there do nothing in terms of "certifications" and they will never ask for any type of payment for what they do.
Now I'm no great writer. I call things like I see them. The mention of the word "certification" relating to the paranormal has always made me cringe. Until there is some official, universal organization that organizes and oversees all paranormal research, there will be no such thing as a paranormal "certification". There are plenty of exceptional groups out there that have years of experience dealing with the paranormal. If you need help or if you are interested in joining this field, ask questions, do your homework, and really know what you are getting into.
Resource: http://www.parafpi.com/paracerts.html