Mental Health and the Paranormal

Behind the cameras

Paranormal investigation is often presented as an exciting adventure. Cameras roll, equipment reacts, someone hears an unfamiliar voice, and the story builds towards a dramatic conclusion. The reality is often quieter, and considerably more demanding.

There are late nights, environmental baseline checks, equipment tests and hours spent reviewing recordings. Sometimes an investigator returns home with nothing that can confidently be described as unexplained. A strange sound may turn out to be background speech; a movement on camera may have an ordinary cause. Even when an observation remains unresolved, that does not establish a supernatural explanation.

The work can also carry an emotional weight. Witnesses may be frightened, exhausted or grieving. Investigators can become invested in helping them, while knowing that their responsibility is to listen carefully, document accurately and avoid turning uncertainty into certainty.

A quiet investigation is still an investigation. A negative result is still a result.

The pressure to produce something extraordinary

When investigations are shared online, success can begin to look like a number: views, reactions, followers or dramatic clips. The temptation is to keep producing material that attracts attention, even when the most responsible conclusion is simply, “We do not know.”

Hours of patient work rarely fit neatly into a short video. That gap between real investigation and audience expectation can leave people frustrated, disappointed or questioning their own abilities. Add interrupted sleep, travel, expense and the responsibility of working in unfamiliar locations, and a pastime or research interest can start to feel like an obligation.

It helps to define success differently: Did we document the conditions? Did we check possible environmental sources? Did we listen to witnesses respectfully? Did we acknowledge the limits of the equipment and the evidence? These are worthwhile outcomes, whether or not anything unusual happened.

When criticism becomes personal

Evidence should be questioned. Methods should be challenged. Alternative explanations should be welcomed. Constructive scrutiny makes investigations better. But there is a clear difference between questioning a recording and publicly humiliating the person who shared it.

In parts of the paranormal community, disagreements can escalate into accusations, ridicule and personal attacks. Social media makes those exchanges immediate, public and difficult to escape. A newcomer who has finally found the confidence to share an investigation may decide never to do so again.

Not every comment deserves an answer. When criticism is specific and fair, learn from it. When it is abusive or designed to provoke, disengaging is a legitimate choice. Protecting your time and attention is not an admission of defeat.

Professional discussion builds knowledge. Personal attacks build resentment.

The mind, the stories we tell ourselves, and motivation

One of the social-media messages that prompted this article argues that the thoughts we repeatedly feed ourselves can become the limits we live by. There is a useful idea here: self-doubt, fear of criticism and constant comparison can influence our decisions. We can challenge unhelpful assumptions, set manageable goals and act even when we are uncertain.

But motivational slogans have limits. It is not true that every obstacle disappears through confidence, or that people who struggle simply lack the right mindset. Financial hardship, illness, trauma and other circumstances cannot always be solved by determination alone. Persistence matters; so do practical support, rest, opportunity and sometimes professional care.

I find the idea of having something to look forward to particularly valuable. A future project, a walk, a new chapter to write or a small task completed can provide direction during a difficult period. Progress need not be dramatic to be meaningful.

Trauma is not a personality checklist

Another widely shared graphic lists behaviours such as apologising excessively, over-explaining, avoiding requests for help, being highly alert to a room’s atmosphere, feeling guilty while resting and absorbing other people’s emotions. These experiences can be familiar to some people who have lived through adversity. However, none of them on its own proves that someone has trauma or a mental-health condition.

Trauma responses vary widely, and similar behaviours can arise for many reasons. “High-functioning trauma” is not a diagnosis that can be established from a social-media checklist. If distressing experiences, intrusive memories, avoidance, sleep problems or anxiety are interfering with everyday life, it is worth discussing them with a qualified professional rather than trying to diagnose yourself from a post.

PTSD and depression are not compulsory stages of personal growth. They are serious health concerns that deserve appropriate support. Strength does not mean enduring unlimited suffering or refusing to ask for help.

Karma, responsibility and the limits of control

A third graphic presents six supposed “popular interpretations of karma”: energy, action, acceptance, inner growth, responsibility and connection. Read as motivational reflections, some of these ideas can be useful. Our choices affect what we do next; our past can influence our perspective; and we can work on how we respond to setbacks.

My own experience: the parts I am still writing

My interest in this subject is not limited to paranormal investigations. Personal setbacks, financial pressure and the strain surrounding creative work have all influenced how I think about resilience and wellbeing.

In 2018, I began making changes to my everyday routine, including walking and changes to my diet. At another difficult point, financial problems affected how I experienced something as ordinary as payday. Rather than feeling rewarded for working, I found myself reminded of the pressure I was under.

Later, after the first draft of The Bohlandor Haunting, a dispute over the portrayal of events led to legal costs and considerable stress. Seeking legal advice and continuing to write became part of how I moved forward. The purpose of sharing that experience is not to diagnose or attack anyone involved, but to explain how an external dispute can affect someone privately.

My Own Experience — Turning Negativity into Positivity

There was a period in my life when simply making it from one payday to the next became a struggle.

Following a court decision that was beyond my control, I found myself living paycheque to paycheque, with more than half my income going towards spousal support. Each payday should have represented a reward for the hours I had worked. Instead, it became another reminder of my financial circumstances, another month of trying to make ends meet, and another weight upon my mental wellbeing.

Then came The Bohlandor Haunting.

Completing that first draft was something extraordinary for me. I had written an entire book, an achievement I had never imagined I would accomplish. After countless hours of investigating, documenting, researching and writing, I finally had something tangible. Something I could look at with pride.

For the first time in a long while, I felt I had achieved something entirely my own.

And then came the lawyers' emails.

I was instructed to cease and desist from my writing.

Suddenly, everything I had worked towards seemed to be collapsing. The book, the investigations, the countless hours of work. I genuinely believed it was over before it had even begun. The financial pressures I had endured for years, combined with this latest setback, finally reached breaking point.

In a moment of overwhelming anger and frustration, I destroyed almost everything.

Investigation notes. Documents. PDFs. Research material. The original manuscript... Years of work, gone.

It was not a calculated decision. It was an emotional reaction fuelled by accumulated stress, resentment and a sense of helplessness. Looking back, I recognise how destructive that moment was, not towards anyone else, but towards myself and everything I had worked so hard to achieve.

But somewhere beneath that anger, something remained.

I knew I was better than this.

I had not spent all those years investigating, documenting and writing simply to surrender everything because of one dispute.

The manuscript was only a first draft, intended for further editing and revision. I believed I had done nothing wrong, and with professional legal advice, I began to understand how I could protect myself while continuing my work responsibly.

And then I discovered something... One email had survived.

Attached to it was a PDF... The only remaining piece of The Bohlandor Haunting.

It wasn't everything. Far from it. But it was enough.

Enough to begin again.

Over the following months, I slowly rebuilt the manuscript. Page by page, chapter by chapter, reconstructing what I could remember and rewriting what had been lost. Throughout that process, I followed my lawyer's advice, ensuring that my writing remained on the right side of the legal and ethical considerations involved.

It was exhausting. It was frustrating. And there were moments when I questioned whether I had the strength to finish.

But I continued.

Gradually, the anger began to subside. The resentment lost its grip. What had once consumed my thoughts became something I could finally leave behind. I was no longer writing out of frustration or trying to prove something to anyone.

I was writing because I wanted to write.

And that distinction changed everything. The book was rebuilt. The writing continued. One story became another, characters developed, and an entire fictional universe gradually emerged from what had once seemed like the ruins of a single manuscript.

That universe became the ProParanormal you see today.

Looking back, I can recognise the resilience it took to recover from those experiences. But I also recognise something equally important, something I did not fully appreciate at the time.

Throughout those years of depression, financial pressure and emotional turmoil, I never sought professional medical advice.

I carried everything myself, believing that determination and persistence would eventually see me through. Perhaps they helped me keep moving forward. But I now realise how dangerous it could have been to rely upon them alone. Depression is not a test of character. It is not something a person must endure to become stronger. And seeking professional support is not an admission of defeat.

I cannot change the decisions I made during those years, but I can learn from them. Resilience helped me rebuild my writing. It did not mean I should have faced every struggle without help. If there is one lesson I would take from that period, it is this:

Negativity can become the motivation for positive change, but it should never come at the expense of your mental health.

Looking after yourself while investigating

• Build recovery time into late-night investigations. Sleep deprivation can affect mood, concentration and perception.

• Take breaks from reviewing recordings; repeated listening can make ambiguous sounds seem increasingly meaningful.

• Check ordinary explanations before assigning a paranormal one. Uncertainty is acceptable.

• Set boundaries for social media. Constructive feedback is useful; harassment is not.

• Maintain interests and relationships outside paranormal research and online discussion.

• Speak with someone you trust when an investigation, dispute or personal experience is affecting you.

• Seek qualified mental-health support when distress is persistent, worsening or interfering with daily life.

As for David Quinn — He is now the ProParanormal character created from my own emotions.

For anyone who has read The Bohlandor Haunting or the ProParanormal Short Stories, there is something about the main character, David Quinn, that you may never have realised.

David carries a part of me that I rarely allow the outside world to see.

The frustration, the anger, the resentment and the negativity I have carried through some of the darkest periods of my life have, in many ways, found a home within his character.

His occasional outbursts, his stubbornness, his internal conflicts and the moments when his emotions threaten to overwhelm his better judgement are not simply fictional traits. They are reflections of feelings I have experienced myself.

Writing David allows me to confront those emotions without directing them towards the people around me. Through his words, his reactions and sometimes his anger, I can give those feelings somewhere to go. Somewhere they can exist without causing further damage.

He becomes the voice of things I have struggled to say aloud... A way of venting or screaming...

A release.

And perhaps this is where you, as a reader, might recognise something familiar.

Have you ever smiled at someone while silently struggling with something they knew nothing about?

Have you ever carried frustration, resentment or sadness for so long that you no longer knew where those feelings began?

Or found yourself replaying an argument, a disappointment or a painful memory, wishing you could have said something differently?

I suspect many of us have.

We learn to carry on. We go to work, speak to friends, fulfil our responsibilities and present a version of ourselves that suggests everything is fine. Yet beneath that outward appearance, there can be an entirely different conversation taking place.

The one nobody else gets to hear.

For me, writing became a way of listening to that conversation.

When David Quinn loses his temper, challenges someone or struggles to contain his frustration, I sometimes recognise emotions that I have kept buried within myself. By placing them on the page, I can examine them from a distance, question them and begin to understand where they came from.

And occasionally, when I read back over a chapter, I discover something about myself that I hadn't fully recognised while writing it. That is one of the unexpected gifts fiction has given me. It hasn't erased the difficulties of my past, nor has it provided an answer to every emotional struggle. But it has offered a creative outlet, a means of expression and a way to turn experiences that once felt overwhelmingly negative into something meaningful.

You don't have to be a writer to understand that feeling. Perhaps your outlet is music, painting, walking, exercise or simply talking openly with someone you trust. The important thing is recognising that emotions need not remain hidden until they become unbearable.

And if those feelings begin affecting your wellbeing, there is strength in seeking support rather than facing them alone.

David Quinn may investigate the darkness surrounding a haunting, but through writing him, I have sometimes found myself investigating the darkness within my own thoughts.

And with Lorna and Trinity... He is never alone.

So, the next time you read one of his angry exchanges, his moments of frustration or his quieter reflections, perhaps you'll see more than a fictional paranormal investigator. You might recognise something of yourself. Because behind every character is a writer, and behind every writer is a human being with experiences the reader may never fully know.

Not every demon in The Bohlandor Haunting is supernatural.

Some are the ones we carry within ourselves.

And sometimes, the first step towards understanding them is finding the courage to give them a voice. Sometimes strength means refusing to give up. And sometimes, perhaps the greatest strength of all, is recognising when you need someone to help you carry the weight.

What I can say is that setbacks have not ended the writing. One book led to another, and those stories became part of something very special. Continuing did not erase the difficult periods, but it gave me a reason to keep creating, and from all this was born the ProParanormal Universe.

What I could see in my mind... I can now hold in my hand!

They should not, however, be mistaken for scientific laws of psychology. In particular, the suggestion that everything bad happens to us because of our own actions is neither fair nor accurate. People experience loss, mistreatment, illness and hardship for reasons beyond their control. Taking responsibility for our choices is valuable; blaming ourselves or others for every misfortune is not.

And that was what I found myself doing through life.

However, thinking as a paranormal investigator, the practical lesson became simple: focus on what you can control... the methods, conduct, safety, documentation and response to criticism, while accepting that not every question will have an answer.

Know Your Team — Mental Health, Medical Conditions and Personal Safety

A successful paranormal investigation begins long before anyone enters a supposedly haunted location. It begins with knowing the people standing beside you.

As investigators, we spend considerable time assessing the physical risks of a location. Unsafe flooring, exposed electrical wiring, unstable structures, environmental hazards and restricted access are all considerations before an investigation begins.

But how often do we consider the physical and mental wellbeing of the people conducting that investigation?

A paranormal investigation can involve long hours, darkness, confined spaces, unfamiliar surroundings, physical exertion and sometimes emotionally unsettling experiences. These conditions may affect individuals differently, particularly those managing an existing medical condition, medication requirements, anxiety or other health-related concerns.

As a team leader, I believe understanding the health and wellbeing needs of your fellow investigators is just as important as understanding the hazards of the location itself.

Preparation Is Not Intrusion

Knowing your team does not mean demanding access to everyone's private medical history.

It means creating an environment where members feel comfortable disclosing relevant information that could affect their safety during an investigation.

For example, would you know if a fellow investigator:

• Has a medical condition that might require assistance during an investigation?

• Is allergic to penacillin?

• Carries essential medication, such as an inhaler or adrenaline auto-injector?

• Experiences claustrophobia, panic attacks or difficulties in confined environments?

• Has mobility limitations or physical restrictions that could affect access to a location?

• Has a condition that may be affected by flashing lights, disrupted sleep or prolonged periods of stress?

• Has an emergency contact who should be notified if something goes wrong?

These are not questions intended to judge someone's ability to investigate. They are considerations that allow appropriate precautions to be discussed and agreed upon.

A medical condition should never automatically exclude someone from participating. The objective is to make the investigation safer and more accessible for everyone involved.

The Importance of a Confidential Medical Information Form

At ProParanormal, I believe a voluntary, confidential medical information form can be a valuable part of pre-investigation planning.

Such a form allows team members to share relevant health information, emergency contact details, medication or assistance requirements, and any reasonable adjustments they may need.

Information should be limited to what is genuinely necessary for safety, accessible only to authorised individuals who need it, securely stored and never shared publicly. Team members should understand why information is requested, how it will be used and how long it will be retained.

A medical form is not a substitute for a proper risk assessment, first-aid preparation or professional medical advice. It is an additional precaution that supports responsible planning.

Mental Wellbeing Matters Too

Physical conditions are only part of the picture.

An investigator who is exhausted, distressed, distracted or emotionally overwhelmed may struggle with concentration, judgement and situational awareness.

That does not make them weak or unsuitable for paranormal investigation. It means they are human.

Before an investigation, I believe team leaders should take a moment to check how everyone is feeling. If someone is uncomfortable with a particular environment or activity, they should be able to say so without embarrassment or pressure.

Nobody should feel compelled to enter a dark basement, remain alone in an isolated room or continue an investigation simply to satisfy an audience or prove their courage.

Every investigator should have the right to step away, request assistance or end their participation without being criticised.

Your Responsibility Does Not End When the Investigation Begins

Conditions can change throughout the night. Fatigue develops, temperatures drop, stress increases and unexpected situations arise.

Regular welfare checks, sensible breaks, access to drinking water, reliable communication and an agreed emergency procedure can make a considerable difference.

And if someone becomes unwell, their safety must take priority over the investigation, regardless of what equipment might be recording or what unexplained activity is occurring.

No EVP, photograph, video recording or potential paranormal encounter is worth compromising someone's health.

ProParanormal — Team Medical Information Form

For investigators and teams who wish to introduce a similar precaution, a medical information form can provide a useful starting point for discussing health and emergency arrangements before entering a location.

Medical information is sensitive and should only be collected when necessary, with appropriate privacy safeguards and clear arrangements for its use, storage and deletion.

Ultimately, paranormal investigation should be built upon trust, preparation and mutual respect.

We may spend our nights searching for answers to the unexplained, but we should never overlook the wellbeing of the people helping us find them.

Look after your team. Know their limitations. Respect their privacy. And above all, make sure everyone gets home safely.

Editorial note: This article discusses mental health in general terms and is not medical advice. If you are concerned about your own symptoms or someone else’s, consult an appropriate qualified healthcare professional.

A healthier paranormal community

The paranormal does not need more public feuds or arguments designed to humiliate people. It needs careful documentation, respectful disagreement, sound methods and a willingness to admit what remains unknown. Investigators do not have to share the same beliefs to treat one another decently.

The greatest challenge is not always what we encounter in the darkness. Sometimes it is knowing when to put the equipment down and look after ourselves.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, mental wellbeing matters more than any photograph, recording, investigation or online argument. Curiosity should enrich our lives, not consume them.

Knowing when to step away

There is no obligation to keep investigating when you are exhausted, frightened or overwhelmed. A break may be the most responsible decision, for your own wellbeing and for the quality of the work. If a witness appears distressed, the priority should be their safety and support, not collecting another recording.

Motivational advice can encourage us, but it should never become another reason to feel guilty for struggling. Sometimes resilience means carrying on. Sometimes it means changing direction. And sometimes it means asking for help.

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