There are no e-mail or message submissions that we ignore or "laugh at" ever. We appreciate every submission we receive. Not every report can be followed up on for a variety of reasons, and some are filed for future investigation or kept for more information. All submission though do require a reply, and a thank you.
An investigator when answering mail and starting an investigation has to be the judge of how they're going to spend their efforts. For example, these five stories come in for you on a given day.
The first is from a man working in an old restaurant where he feels there might be a ghost although they've never experienced one or seen one, he feels that there are certain areas of the restaurant that give someone the sense of being watched...
The second is from someone apparently named 1kewld00d @monsterisp.com who tells of a time when he and six buddies played with an Ouija board and since then, strange noises are heard at night and one of his friends is SURE he was (or possibly is) possessed.
The third is from a lady who used to live on a street in Cabbagetown about 15 years ago. She remembers (and her older sister ALSO confirms,) that the place was haunted by a little old lady who used to "doddle" up the stairs and look around the rooms almost checking to see if everyone's okay in their beds.
The fourth one is a report from a University student who informs you that there is a ghost in that old famous building downtown that almost seems to be famous just because it's haunted.
The last one is someone asking for help to try and understand what's going on in his or her home. They experienced some things, nothing major, but still, they are concerned.
ALL of these reports are to be taken seriously and assessed. Here is how one of our members may do it:
The first story is a maybe. I would ask the gent if he could GENTLY ask around his coworkers and see if they've had any experiences too. If they have, GREAT! A public building that MAY yield something. If they've experienced the same things as him, that "icky" being watched feeling, look for natural causes such as nearby vents or something that may kick up a breeze or even an electrical current.
The second... Is difficult, and if accurate beyond our scope as we are not demonologists. It is possible that this could have come from youngsters with vivid imaginations or someone with real mental issues. We simply cannot tell from an email alone.Treat this message respectfully, and courteous, and if needed ask a senior member for help.
The third is a filer. Why you may ask? After all, don't we have TWO adults confirming the story and an address? They haven't lived there in fifteen years, and we NEVER contact current owners of any private property unless they contact us first.
We tend to post a GENERAL idea of the story online and then wait to see if the recent tenants come to you. If they are experiencing anything, they'll probably (or at least SOMEONE in the home will probably,) be looking into ghosts and they will find you. Wait to see a message like "This sounds like our home" or something along those lines.
The fourth one has most likely been covered already. Chances are, we've already posted that story and even done some extra background into it. Reply and send our link to the story if available for their further reading.
Now we come to the last one... This is our favourite type of report! Ask the person if they would catalogue the events they've experienced. When and where are the phenomena most obvious? Then ask if you and your team may come and investigate. Don't offer solutions, just a fresh set of eyes and open minds.