Something moves in an empty room. A voice appears on a recording. Two people see the same shape—but remember it differently. What you do in the next few minutes may matter more than the conclusion you reach that night.

An unexplained experience can be vivid, unsettling and completely sincere. Sincerity, however, does not identify the cause. Neither does uncertainty make the experience meaningless.

Good documentation protects both. It respects what a person experienced while preserving the details needed to test ordinary explanations and understand what remains unknown.

Record first. Interpret later.

Begin with the simplest question: what did you directly notice? Write or record the account as soon as it is safe and practical, before reading local stories, searching for similar experiences or comparing conclusions with other witnesses.

Describe the observation in plain language. “I heard three knocks from the wall” carries more useful information than “a spirit tried to communicate”. The first records an event. The second assigns a cause that the observation alone cannot establish.

Note the date, approximate time, precise room or area, lighting, weather, open doors or windows, nearby roads, machinery, animals, other people and anything electrical that was operating. If you checked or changed something afterwards, record that too.

Let each witness speak for themselves

When several people witness the same moment, collect their accounts separately before the group discusses what happened. Ask each person to describe what they noticed in their own words, including what they did not see or hear clearly.

This is not because witnesses are dishonest. Human perception and memory are reconstructive rather than perfect recordings. The National Academies' review of eyewitness science describes visual perception, memory and confidence as malleable, and notes that memories can be forgotten, qualified or distorted as new information and associations are acquired. Read the National Academies report.

That research concerns eyewitness identification in the justice system, not paranormal investigation. The relevant lesson is narrower: early, independent accounts help preserve what each person initially remembered before discussion introduces new details.

Use questions that do not supply the answer

A leading question can shape an account. “Did you see the woman by the doorway?” introduces a person, gender and location. “What, if anything, did you notice near the doorway?” leaves the answer open.

Useful prompts include:

What first drew your attention?
Where were you standing, and which direction were you facing?
What did you see, hear or feel—in that order?
How long did it seem to last?
What happened immediately before and after?
Who else was present, and what were they doing?
Which details are you certain about, and which are less clear?

College of Policing guidance on obtaining initial witness accounts similarly emphasises accurate first accounts and open, non-leading questioning. Again, paranormal reports are not criminal witness statements; the principle is useful because it reduces information being supplied by the interviewer. Read the initial-accounts guidance.

Preserve the original file

If a photograph, video or audio recording exists, keep the original file exactly as captured. Do not crop it, add subtitles, run it through a social-media app or repeatedly save it before making a protected copy.

The Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence recommends storing imagery in an unaltered state and performing review or processing on a copy. It also warns that lossy compression and resaving can change visual information and associated metadata. Read SWGDE 17-I-001-1.1.

Keep the full recording, not only the dramatic few seconds. The period before and after may contain footsteps, speech, reflections or changes in the environment that explain the moment.

Do not let social media become the evidence locker

A clip downloaded from a social platform may be compressed, reformatted or stripped of useful information. Share a presentation copy if you choose—but retain the source file and provide it directly to reviewers where possible.

NIST's digital-evidence preservation guidance explains that digital files present preservation challenges and may depend on metadata, storage systems and continuing access to suitable software. The practical message for a guest submission is simple: preserve the earliest available file, keep a backup and record where it came from. Read NIST IR 8387.

Look for the conditions around the moment

Context can be as valuable as the recording itself. Photograph the wider room in normal light. Note reflective surfaces, windows, mirrors, vents, loose doors, plumbing, electrical equipment and possible routes for insects or animals.

If it is safe and permitted, try to recreate the conditions without changing the original evidence. Stand in the same place. Turn the same lights on and off. Ask somebody to walk in the neighbouring room. Observe passing headlights or traffic vibration.

Recreating an effect does not prove the first event had the same cause. It shows that a credible ordinary mechanism exists and should be considered.

Include what weakens the claim

A credible submission does not hide inconvenient details. Mention if somebody whispered, a device was handled, a window was open or a pet was nearby. Say whether the sound was heard live or discovered later. Explain whether the file has been trimmed, brightened, amplified or filtered.

Also distinguish between what was captured and what was felt. A sudden chill or sense of presence can be meaningful to the person, but it is a personal observation unless an independent measurement exists. Both can be documented without pretending they are the same kind of evidence.

Protect privacy and permission

Before submitting or posting material, consider who appears or can be heard in it. Children, bystanders, private conversations, addresses and personal information may require consent, redaction or complete removal from public presentation.

A venue's name should not be published without permission. Respect for residents, owners and the history of a place matters more than identifying a location for attention.

What a useful submission contains

A reviewer can do more with an honest evidence package than a dramatic claim. Where available, include:

The earliest available original file and an untouched backup
The full recording before and after the event
Date, approximate time and general location
Device make, model and recording mode
Separate first accounts from each witness
Known environmental conditions and possible contamination
Whether the event was noticed live
Every edit made to any presentation copy
Permission limits for private review or public use

The most honest conclusion may remain open

Documentation cannot guarantee an explanation. It can reveal a reflection, nearby voice, camera artefact or ordinary movement. It can also leave an event unresolved.

“Unexplained” means the information available has not identified a reliable cause. It does not mean the cause must be paranormal.

Write down what happened before the story grows around it. Preserve what was captured. Show the context. Let the evidence carry only the conclusion it can support.

Expect Nothing. Question Everything.