Ghost Torch: Channeling Spirits With Flashlights

Flashlights have long been synonymous with telling ghost stories at sleepovers. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire, holed up in a dark room, or hiding in a blanket fort, everyone has held a flashlight below their chin and told a spooky tale. 

Flashlights remain an incredibly useful tool for any investigations or explorations taken after dark, be you walking in a cemetery or down a spooky road. Little do many ghost enthusiasts know, but these handy beams of light can also be wielded for ghostly communication. 

Perhaps you’ve seen it on Ghost Hunters or Buzzfeed’s Unsolved. Maybe you’ve attended a ghost hunt in person and seen the practice right before your eyes. Regardless, if you’re new to this technique or well-versed in it, flashlight communication is nonetheless an intriguing subject. 

Read on to discover how flashlight experiments work, how to conduct one yourself, and what the ghost community thinks about this particular form of spirit communication. 

Are you interested in acquiring your own ghost-hunting flashlight? Check out our Ghost Torch, just one of our many spooky offerings available online. 

What Is the “Flashlight Experiment?”

The practice has many names: flashlight communication, flashlight signaling, flashlight sessions, or the flashlight experiment. These terms refer to the same task—using a flashlight to talk to spirits by asking yes or no questions. 

A twist-on flashlight is set somewhere between on and off during this activity. This ultra-sensitive state is believed to be more easily manipulated by spirits, who can turn the light on and off to speak with you. For the best experience, perform this experiment with a specific type of flashlight. 

How to Ghost Hunt Without Equipment

Ghost-hunting is a favored hobby by many. It’s adventurous and inspiring, an activity that questions the nature of the world rather than “knows.” It’s best conducted after dark, making it ideal for performing after a day job. The only downside? Ghost-hunting equipment can be a pricey investment. 

Luckily, there’s one basic tool that’s easily accessible and affordable: a flashlight. Great for everyone, from novice ghost hunters with minimal equipment to advanced investigators with an arsenal of instruments, employing a flashlight for ghost communication is simple and easy. A flashlight can actually be the only item you need when embarking on ghostly investigations. 

One only needs to turn to YouTube to see this technique in action. Shane and Ryan from Buzzfeed’s Unsolved conducted a flashlight experiment at the infamous Sallie House. 

Here, they placed the flashlight on a kitchen countertop and asked “the demons” to turn the light on if they liked them staying there. After no response, they asked the entity to turn the light on if they didn’t like them. The light instantly flicked on. 

They repeated the same question to determine if the response was accurate. Again, the flashlight turned on. Shane then ended the session by asking the spirits to turn the light off, and the entity, or entities, complied. 

How to Conduct the Flashlight Experiment

To use a flashlight to communicate with spirits, you will first need to select a flashlight that is turned on and off with a screw top. Small flashlights like these are operated by twisting the front element on and off. 

Once you’ve located the correct type of flashlight, the next step involves adjusting it to a setting considered more accessible by spirits. 

This is done by turning the flashlight’s top so it’s between on and off. It is most easily done by twisting until the light turns on and very slowly turning it back in the opposite direction until the light flicks out.

You have now set your flashlight to an extremely sensitive state, receptive to minuscule changes in the atmosphere, buildups in electrical energy, and vibrations. Many believe ghosts and other energies can alter any one of these conditions to turn the light on and off.  

Now, slowly and carefully, situate the flashlight on a flat surface where it will not roll or move, like a steady table or the ground, if outside. Once properly positioned, you can begin asking questions. 

Ask a question and tell the spirit to turn the flashlight on for yes. If you receive a yes response, wait until the flashlight turns off again before asking another. If the light doesn’t turn off, try asking the spirit to do this so you can ask another question. 

Be patient with the questions you ask. You may not receive a response right away. Flashlight communication isn’t an exact science, after all. 

What Questions Should I Ask?

How do you begin your line of spectral questioning? A good place to start is by asking if any spirits are present. Be sure to state aloud that you should turn the flashlight on for a yes response. If seeking conversation with a certain spirit known to frequent a location, you can ask for them by name. 

Some great initial questions include:

• Are there any spirits present?
• Is (name) here?
• Is the spirit of the person who died by (manner of death) here?

Some good follow-up questions could be:

• Are you a male spirit?
• Are you a female spirit?
• Does your name begin with the letter (A, B, C, etc.)?
• Did you die in the 1700s? The 1800s? The 1900s?

Tips for Flashlight Communication

Start Off On A Good Foot — As with any ghostly investigation, it’s a good idea to state your intentions before beginning any sessions. You may wish to begin by saying that you are curious if any spirits are here and would like to speak to them. Sometimes, it helps to encourage particularly unresponsive entities by declaring you only wish to speak, not to disturb them or disrupt their home. 

Repeat Questions — While you may be well-versed in flashlight communication due to multiple investigations, the spirits you’re hoping to speak with may not be. Be patient and repeat questions if needed. Occasionally, changing locations can also prompt more responses. 

Mind Your Tone — It can be easy to get frustrated with a lack of answers or inconsistent responses from a spirit. Regardless, you should always maintain a polite and respectful tone. Do not ask rude or insulting questions to elicit a response. You very well might regret it. 

Bring Multiple Flashlights For Larger Locations — If you’re investigating a large space with multiple people, you may benefit from bringing a few flashlights and spreading them out. For more complicated questions, some investigators have laid multiple flashlights in a row and requested that certain flashlights be turned on in response to specific questions. For example, turn on the flashlight on the right for “yes,” the one on the left for “no,” and the one in the middle for “I don’t know.” 

Why Is the Flashlight Experiment Controversial?

Some critics of the flashlight experiment believe that flashlight sessions are an unreliable form of ghost detection and communication, as the flashlight can be turned on by a variety of nonparanormal conditions. 

In response, supporters of this method argue that is exactly why the flashlight method is so successful. Entities can easily alter any environmental or electrical components and communicate more readily with investigators. 

For many ghost hunters, the flashlight experiment is often used alongside other instruments in advanced investigations due to its semi-disputed status. However, there’s no harm in trying it out as your sole piece of equipment, especially when first hunting ghosts.

What Flashlights Are Best for Flashlight Sessions?

Be you swaying towards the side of skeptic or believer, deciding whether flashlight communication is a reliable form of investigation is for you to determine. The best method to decide, however, is undertaking this experiment yourself. 

If you have a micro Maglite lying around, you can conduct your own investigation right away. However, we have just the thing if you’d like to pick up a device with a few extra features. 

Our Ghost Torch has three light modes, including a uniquely developed mode for flashlight sessions. It’s also rechargeable, holding eight hours of ghost-hunting power in its durable casing. 

Wondering where to source the best ghost-hunting equipment? If you’re looking for more ghost-hunting gear and spectral novelties, head over to our store to see our full collection and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok for new releases and other haunted happenings. 

Sources:

• https://hauntedantiqueshop.com/shining-a-light-on-ghost-hunting/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx8JkGHaGUI 
• https://mysteriousdestinationsmagazine.com/ghost-hunting-101-flashlight-sessions/
• https://www.higgypop.com/news/paranormal-flashlight/
• https://psican.org/index.php/ghosts-a-hauntings/640-flashlight-vigils