Commonly asked questions and answers

What is the Southwest Ghost Hunter’s Association?

The Southwest Ghost hunter’s Association was formed by Cody Polston in 1985. 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.

What is the operational process used by SGHA?

Our ioperational process can be found in our SOPs (Standard Operational Procedures). SOP 001 covers the general operational process for this group. Other specific information can be found in other SOPs listed on our SOPs page.

Where are the results of your research published?

The results of our research are published on Research Projects page.

How can someone become a member of the SGHA?

The first step in becoming a member is to go this page. It asks the important questions to aid you in deciding if SGHA is right for you. If you still want to join, follow the directions given on that page.

After following the first step, our Operations Officer will contact you and let you know when our next Interview Session will be held. These introductory meetings are held quarterly, so you may have awhile to wait, depending on your timing. During this waiting period, feel free to join in on the discussions on the forum and become acquainted with the information on our website.Just before the information session, our Operations Officer will give you a short questionnaire to fill out. Complete this carefully as it will be looked at by all of SGHA officers to determine what type of membership can can qualify for.

After the information session, you will be interviewed by the Operations Officer and at least one other SGHA officer. During our monthly Officer's meeting, the Operations Officer will discuss your application of membership with the other officers along with his impressions and recommendations. The other interviewing officer will do the same.

The Officers will then review your membership questionnaire and make a decision on whether you will be admitted to trainee status or not. While this is no way guarantees your acceptance into the SGHA, it will serve to help us come to a rational and informed decision on whether you can fit our needs and we can fit yours. However, if approved , you will be assigned to a team for training for a six month probationary period. When this period is over, a majority vote by the Officers will decide if full membership is granted or not.

Is SGHA an exclusive organization?

From a certain point of view we are. We are selective when considering people for potential membership. Training new members requires time, money, and resources and since we do not charge membership dues, we have to consider trainees carefully. Generally we are looking for people that have a particular talent, knowledge or ability that would benefit our organization. While a degree in a disciple of science is great, there are other things that are potentially valuable such as charisma, leadership ability, technical expertise, and a willingness to learn.

Do I have a picture of a ghost?

Sorry, we are not interested in viewing photographs. Our own research has shown that if "ghosts" exist, they definately cannot be photographed.