Documenting & Reviewing Evidence
An investigation night may last a few hours, but reviewing the evidence can take much longer. Hours of audio and video need to be watched and listened to carefully. It's slow work — and it's where truth gets separated from wishful thinking.
Set up for success
Use good headphones for audio. Over-ear headphones help you catch quiet sounds and tell where they came from.
Review in a quiet space without distractions.
Work on copies, never the original files.
Keep your investigation log open beside you so you can check what was happening at each moment.
Take breaks. Tired ears and eyes make mistakes.
Review independently first. When possible, have more than one team member review the same clip separately, without sharing what they think they heard or saw. Then compare notes. If two people independently describe the same thing, that's much stronger than one person convincing the others.
Check the log for every possible find. Before marking anything as unusual, ask:
Was anyone talking, moving, or making noise at this time?
Was the noise tagged on the recording?
Was the furnace, fridge, or another appliance running?
Was there wind, traffic, or activity outside?
Was anyone standing near the camera or walking through the room?
Be careful with audio enhancement. Gentle noise reduction or volume adjustment can help you hear a sound more clearly. But heavy filtering can create artifacts that sound like voices. Always keep the original clip, and note exactly what changes you made.
Sort what you find. A simple sorting system keeps things honest:
Explained — you found a natural cause
Likely explained — a natural cause is probable but not confirmed
Unexplained — you've ruled out the causes you can identify, and it remains a mystery
Notice there's no category called "proven paranormal." Even the most compelling evidence is best described as unexplained. That isn't a lack of faith or open-mindedness. It's honesty about the limits of what any of us can prove.
Watch for bias. It's natural to want your investigation to find something. Ask yourself: Would I accept this evidence if someone else showed it to me? If the answer is no, label it accordingly.
Avoid leading others. When sharing a clip with your team, don't say what you think it says first. Let people listen and describe it in their own words.
Keep notes on your review. For each item, record the file name, timestamp, what you observed, what you checked, and how you categorized it. This creates a clear trail if anyone asks how you reached your conclusions.
A small number of carefully reviewed, honestly labeled clips is worth far more than a pile of questionable "evidence." Quality builds trust. Quantity doesn't.