Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

On occasion we are asked why the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society, and the provincial Ontario Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society asks that prospective members take an exam, and what is the exam's purpose.

Since we recently opened up the exam to the general public again we thought we'd answer these questions here, which provides for a quick, and easy reference.

Firstly, our exams can be taken online after January 1st and through to August most years. We tend to close them down between September, and December to weed out those who are only interested in the subject of ghosts around Halloween, and will rapidly lose interest come February. Experience has taught us that this is often the case with people who contact us about becoming a member in mid October, and quite frankly being a volunteer, non-profit organisation we need committed individuals who will be available, and interested throughout the year.

Our ghosts and hauntings exams are designed completely around the information found in our free online course book, and nothing else.

There are many ways to do things, and no real rights or wrongs in general, provided people, and laws are being respected.

However, we conduct research and investigations in specific ways and with certain methods that have worked for the GHRS, and PSICAN and these are all written in the course book.

There are also ethical principals we adhere strongly to that not all other groups or people might find important. These are of particular importance to us as we pursue charitable status as an educational resource within Canada.

Since we take on people from great distances such as our researcher in Thunder Bay that we may never have the opportunity to meet physically yet will be representing our group to the general public, witnesses etc, it is very important to us that we need to know at the start that we are working from the same page.

The exam is designed to give us both (our group and the exam taker) that ability. It simply lets us know that you understand and know exactly how, and why we do things the way we do them. And that you (the person taking the exam) are comfortable with this, and will be conducting any investigations you do with us or for us will be done in the same way.

Taking the exam only means that we will then be entrusting you with our reports and investigations in your area on a voluntary basis or areas you are interested in. Nothing more.

The larger Paranormal Studies & Investigations Canada (PSICAN) group also utilises a similar process for those who investigate UFO reports, and Cryptozoology reports around the country, and for the same reasons outlined above.

The course book is free, the exams are free, there are no membership dues, and we do not charge the general public monies for investigations.

Hope this has given the reader a better idea of why we utilise the exam process, and how we do things.