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Things to consider before applying for membership in SGHA~ |
There are allot of things to consider when you are thinking about joining a ghost hunting team. We have provided many of these considerations for you in the questions below. Please consider them carefully. 1.) Are we the kind of group you are looking for? SGHA uses procedures that are radically different from the methodology of most ghost hunting groups. A description of what our group does can be found in the link provided below. SGHA is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Members must be close enough to attend our meetings or be willing to participate solely on-line through our forum. 2.) Do you have enough available time? SGHA predominately conducts ghost hunts, investigations and research on the weekends. When we travel to locations outside of the metro-Albuquerque area, we will often stay at the location overnight. Generally speaking, we perform at least one investigation every month. Being involved with SGHA requires a considerable amount of your spare time, especially on the weekends. Additionally, SGHA performs fundraiser's and members are expected to participate in them. 3.) Can you afford it? SGHA does not charge membership dues. However, when we travel, the expense often comes out of our own pockets. The cost of hotels, meals and gas are a major consideration. We do what we can to keep the costs low (car-pooling, sharing hotel rooms, etc.) but it does require some cash (you have to eat!). There are hunts and investigations performed locally but the frequency of these activities vary. There have been times where we have gone 12 months without a local investigation. 4.) Do you have reliable internet access? SGHA coordinates and plans our activities through a member's only section of our forum. Members need to check the forum at least weekly to keep track of what's going on and what is being planned. 5.) Do you have initiative? Being in SGHA requires initiative. We do not know your schedule and what activities you are able to participate in. It is a member's responsibility to check the forum and activity participate in the group. 6.) How well can you handle "science"? Are we really the kind of group you are looking for? Our goal is to skeptically investigate haunted locations by using critical thinking and employing investigative methods that we have learned and developed. We believe that ghosts and hauntings are explainable phenomena and that the empirical investigation of reality leads to the truth. While some may call this "debunking" it is a vital process. Before you can even think about something being paranormal in nature, you must first rule out all natural or manmade explainations. This specific activity accounts for 80% of the group's activities. A good explanation of this process can be found in this article; Scientific Investigation of the Paranormal SGHA is also research association. As such we are hypothesis based, meaning that we are attempting to validate or disprove various hypotheses about "ghosts". This requires that a member be knowledgeable of the sciences involved in our research in order to understand what we are looking for and why. If science bores you, then you will probably be confused and perhaps even frustrated after a while. If nothing else, you must be able to learn and obtain at least a basic level of understanding of the sciences involved. Also be aware that SGHA does not employ the uses of psychics, mediums or sensitive's. There is one catch to this in our by-laws (if the psychic is brought in independently by a third party). Questionable methods, such as dowsing rods and ouija boards are also forbidden by our by-laws. Everyone has belief systems. Whether you believe in ghosts and an afterlife or not. Most often belief systems may surface due to religious belief (or lack of thereof). Belief systems are confining and are a direct violation of the Scientific method. Researching the paranormal in a true scientific context requires an individual to step way from their belief system and look at things with an open mind. Many incidents are explainable, others are not. 7.) Do you work well with others? You have to be a team player. 8.) Do you have the time and the willingness to learn? Our training program is one of the hardest out there but if you are willing to learn it is worth the effort. Still interested? If after considering the above questions and reading the by-laws, you desire to become a member of SGHA, there is a final step to accomplish. 1. Fill out this form and follow the instructions. Answer the questionnaire to the best of your ability because your answers will matter in the final decision to grant membership. The form also contains a personality type test. This is used as a guideline to help us determine how well you will fit in with the other members of the group. |