If you plan to work with clients to investigate claims of the paranormal, using forms and logs allows you to have the appropriate permissions in place, create an investigation plan, log and correlate data, and more. All of these printable paranormal investigation logs and forms are editable, so you can fill them out online to maintain electronic records, or you can print and complete them manually so you have hard copies. If you need help downloading and printing them, use the Guide for Adobe Printables.
Paranormal Client Intake Questionnaire
When you have your first initial physical contact with the client, whether they come to meet you in your space or you go and meet them in theirs, have them fill out this Client Questionnaire. This will help you keep all important information about the client in one place, including:
- Location where the activity is reported
- Names and ages of people and pets who live or work where the activity is occurring
- A narrative report of the clients' experiences
- Important data about clients' spiritual belief system and mental health background that may affect their experiences
- Important data about things at the location that may affect the perception of paranormal activity
- Important historical data about the location
- A map of the location to help you plan
Keep this data confidential. As you work through the case, you may find correlations with the activity to the information the client has disclosed on the form.
Permission to Perform a Paranormal Investigation
Once your team has determined the client's location is a good candidate for a paranormal investigation and you've set a date and time for an initial walk-through and then an investigation, your client must sign a permission to investigate form. This permission form is the only one you absolutely must have completed manually and signed by the client as it grants client permission for your team to be on their property for the purposes of conducting a paranormal investigation.
On this form the client will:
- Specify all areas where investigators are allowed to go
- Specify areas that are off-limits to investigators
- Specify which equipment your team is allowed to use in the course of the investigation
- Agree who should be liable if there are injuries or damages to equipment or the location arising from carelessness, neglect, or malfeasance
Likewise, the form contains an evidence release, which the client can decide to complete or not, allowing your team to share photos, audio, and other evidence of paranormal activity captured during the investigation with others or publicly without identifying the client in order to maintain confidentiality. Finally, the form also has each member of the investigation team sign an agreement to keep all information confidential except as otherwise granted by the client.
Investigation Plan
This plan allows your team to prepare for the upcoming investigation. Using the plan, your team will be able to do the following:
- List the date and time of investigation
- List the investigators who plan to attend and what their roles will be
- Summarize important information from the initial interview
- Summarize information from a psychic walk-through
- Create a plan for the investigation activities, who is to perform them, where they are to be performed, and an approximate time to do so
Case Checklist
Your Case Checklist should be the first page of your case file or binder if you keep a hard copy. Use the Case Checklist to ensure you don't miss any steps in your investigation. It also allows you to catalog paranormal equipment, such as audio recorders, EMF meters, and other devices and sensors you wish to bring, and you can use it to ensure you also have all pertinent paperwork in place and you follow all necessary steps post-investigation.
Activity Data Log
Use this log both during and after the investigation. Use it to log data such as environmental sensor readings and personal experiences during the investigation and then use it after the investigation as you review your evidence to record any anomalous data that arises.
Client Thank You Letter
Send the Client Thank You Letter in the week after the investigation while your team is reviewing the evidence in order to help clients know what to expect as far as next steps.
Case Report
Each team member will also need to complete a Case Report using this form to share his or her experiences and conclusions. The case manager can share all case reports with the client or use the form to create a case report that is a compilation of all data from each investigator.
Health and Safety Forms
It's also a good idea to keep health and safety forms for each of your team members. Keep these forms on file in case an emergency arises during an investigation or another team activity so you can provide them to medical staff should your team member be unable to share medical information herself.
What to Do With the Paperwork
You may choose to use some or all of these investigation forms. You have the option to maintain most of them electronically if you don't keep file hard copies. However, many teams still prefer to have client files or binders with all paperwork in them. Offer clients copies of the completed forms, but always keep the originals for your records, particularly release forms. Store them in a file cabinet or scan them and store them electronically if you wish. How you choose to maintain and organize documentation is up to your team, but for your own safety, keep release forms for 7 to 10 years.
