Paranormal phenomena manifests itself in a variety of ways, or at least what is accepted as paranormal phenomena in ghost hunting circles. Remember that any evidence you collect may be open to a wide range of interpretations. There are several ways of collecting evidence, and those will be covered in more detail on the next few pages. For now though, it's important to note that it's possible to experience a wide range of potentially paranormal phenomena simply by being observant and taking note of things around you. Essentially you want to look for anything anomalous, anything which happens for which there is no immediate apparent explanation. Here are some examples:

• The sound of footsteps when you know there is nobody else in the building
• Doors or windows closing or opening by themselves
• Paranormal smells, strong scents such as flowers which come and go very quickly
• Flashes, lights or other visual anomalies
• Cold spots - concentrated areas in an otherwise warm room which are freezing cold
• Objects moving on their own, a pendulum begins to swing by itself for example

After consideration, many of these could be attributed to completely ordinary, non-paranormal things. A door or window opening or closing may be attributable to the wind, especially in a drafty old building. If you experience something unexplainable, have a good think about what might have caused it. Do not automatically jump to the conclusion that it was caused by a ghost. Not everything that happens is a result of paranormal phenomena, it is important to think about any given occurrence and look at what could and what could not have caused it. Was that a figure you saw out of the corner of your eye, or a trick of the light ? Some things are easier to explain than others.