Professional investigators?

Oryx

There is another thread on here right now where posters are discussing professional paranormal investigation.

Its got me thinking. What on earth is a professional investigator? How do you go from it being a hobby, to a profession? What experience or skills do you need to have? The paranormal in an undefined field, with a wide variety of theories, using equipment which is used and debunked in equal measure. Some professional teams employ psychics, others pooh pooh the idea. Yet both would describe themselves as 'professional'.

Im genuinely curious because it seems to me that the word professional is bandied around in this area without having any real meaning at all.

maccored

there are no such things as professional investigators. even those on tv are professional reality tv stars but not professional ghost hunters

Riamfada

Well I guess if one made 100% of their income from being a professional paranormal investigator they could it as their profession. Would love to see that on the anual self assesment tax returns though. I agree with maccored, TV paranormal investigators are not actually investigating the paranormal, they are taking part in reality TV which we all know is not reality.

Oryx

I suppose Im asking this because even separate teams cant seem to agree on what exactly you ought to do to investigate. There also seems to be a competitive undercurrent between teams, where team A claims to be professional, and therefore superior to B, C and D teams. I just wondered was there any consensus at all as to what makes a professional team.

Major Lovechild

I just love to watch that competitive streak.

Oryx

Major Lovechild wrote: »

I just love to watch that competitive streak.

I know you're in 'meaningfully brief statement' mode today, but would you mind posting in a less cryptic way? Cheers.

DANNY22XX

as i agree with maccored and grimes

i have no probs working with other teams ive seen all the competition over the years from mostly from teams that are no longer around (i wonder why:rolleyes:) i know with all teams working together is a great thing i have experienced it first hand in the irish paranormal field ,we all know how to conduct ourselves on an investigation its called common sense most of the time to bad there are teams claiming to be pros and and really dont know what common sense is never mind what to do on an investigation

Riamfada

Oryx wrote: »

I know you're in 'meaningfully brief statement' mode today, but would you mind posting in a less cryptic way? Cheers.

I think he means that while lots of paranormal investigators are all friends they would quickly shaft eachother over if it meant getting a TV show. Publically groups dont want to do TV because that is selling out but privately, if TV3 called .... well you know what I mean.

I honestly think alot of teams are in competition with eachother, just look at the defunct teams over the years. Its the way of the world. Personally Im not a massive fan of working with other teams because with my own team I can call bull**** when I see it or with teams Im familiar with but I have been attacked for taking both a sceptic and belief approach from other teams in the past.

maccored

i think we should be focussing on the research and not the running around haunted houses.

maccored

Grimes wrote: »

if TV3 called ....

if tv3 called and offered me work as a so called paranormal investigator on a reality tv show, I'd take it with both hands pretty sharpish. It wouldnt be paranormal investigating though - it'd be just another way to try and make a few euro.

Riamfada

maccored wrote: »

if tv3 called and offered me work as a so called paranormal investigator on a reality tv show, I'd take it with both hands pretty sharpish. It wouldnt be paranormal investigating though - it'd be just another way to try and make a few euro.

id do it in a dress and id tell them the place was haunted by Jesus himself, if they paid me.

maccored

as long as it looked creepy. rule no 1 in the professional paranormal investigators handbook - make sure the place is old and creepy looking. then it *has* to be haunted.

Riamfada

rule number two buy whatever equipment the other guy uses.

Oryx

How does being on tv automatically negate the authenticity of a team? 6th and some others were on spooked lately, I thought they did a good job.

6th

I think people mean that they conduct themselves in a professional manner?

When they need calls for it thankfully alot of the guys I know on here (much love you all know who you are ) behave in a way that reflcts well on both them and the community in general. When we're together and doing something just for us then we let our hair down (those that have some) and have a good time.

The people I like to work with are those that know how to strike a balance.

maccored

i'd say because tv has to be entertaining and paranormal investigating is the most unentertaining thing ever - which means tv shows normally include a lot of crap to spice them up a bit.

Ziycon

Everyone's kind of right, depends what context the word professional is used.

Professional =

–adjective
1.
following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder.
2.
of, pertaining to, or connected with a profession: professional studies.
3.
appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity.
4.
engaged in one of the learned professions: A lawyer is a professional person.
5.
following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional golfer.
6.
making a business or constant practice of something not properly to be regarded as a business: “A salesman,” he said, “is a professional optimist.”
7.
undertaken or engaged in as a means of livelihood or for gain: professional baseball.
8.
of or for a professional person or his or her place of business or work: a professional apartment; professional equipment.
9.
done by a professional; expert: professional car repairs.
–noun
10.
a person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions.
11.
a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs: a golf professional.
12.
an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.
13.
a person who is expert at his or her work: You can tell by her comments that this editor is a real professional.

Riamfada

Oryx wrote: »

How does being on tv automatically negate the authenticity of a team? .

I think once people put their names to entertainment and faked footage they negate all crediblity they have as paranormal investigators or mediums for that matter.

Riamfada

Ziycon wrote: »

Everyone's kind of right, depends what context the word professional is used.

Im thinking, following the context of the last thread that Orynx means someone who does it professionally.

Oryx

Grimes wrote: »

Im thinking, following the context of the last thread that Orynx means someone who does it professionally.

I really just want to know what someone like csiparanormal, or any other part time investigator means when they use the phrase.

Ziycon

I don't use the word 'professional' with regard to anything paranormal as everything is based on hunches, hearsay and speculation as no one knows what any or all of it means at this moment in time.

csiparanormal

First of all professional is used in the context that we conduct ourselves in a professional manner on investigations and that we are very well educated in the paranormal field, which is a word that used highly in the USA by many teams because there are some teams that are put together over here by people who have no education or background in the paranormal therefore those of us who do use the term professional, we don't use it in the term that it's our job or that we are the best or that we do this to make a living because none of those are true.

KeithAFC

Perhaps teams who do it in a serious professional manner but there is no real experts. Its about learning and trying to gain knowledge in the field.