Is there training required to be a paranormal investigator?

Answer 1

The short answer: Yes.

You must be dedicated, educated, empathetic, logic-based, and skeptical to be a paranormal investigator. You must understand the history of paranormal research to understand your role in it today. Study as many different religions as you can to gain valuable insight going back thousands of years regarding the paranormal. There are many, many quality books available for budding paranormal investigators. Most investigators employ a wide range of technology to help aid them in their investigations, and that equipment all requires some level of training to use properly (however, the best tool that a paranormal investigator can have is their own brain).

If you go into a case, determined to help someone who is feeling victimized by paranormal activity, you must be learned in the subject in order to help. If a client feels they're being attacked by a demonic force, but they're really just suffering from a creaky house, how can you tell the difference? Are those banging cabinets mice, or your client's long dead great-grandfather trying to communicate with his living relatives? Researching the paranormal will help you be able to better determine how to help your clients.

There's also personal safety to consider. If you are dealing with a negative entity, or possible inhuman haunt, what do you do? How do you keep yourself and your team safe? All those questions must be answered - and they can be with a little bit of study and training.