Imagine being a kid and plagued by something that you can’t explain, what would you do? There are two options in this kind of situation: You can try to ignore it and hope for the best, or you can try to learn about it and see if there is anything you could do.

For Harold Berryman, founder of Haunt Analyst – Georgia Ghost Hunters, it was the second option. He has been investigating the paranormal for 21 years, and has a doctorate in Demonology from the Institute of Metaphysics.

“We go in, and we find out what it is, and we try to fix it,” said Berryman when asked about what exactly it is that they do when they go into people’s homes. According to Berryman, they try to rule out any natural causes first, and after that they see what type of paranormal evidence they can capture using scientific methods.

One type of evidence they can capture is called an electronic voice phenomena, or EVP, along with video and photographic evidence.

“I try to help people. I want to help people,” said Berryman when asked what he likes most about the job. The people involved in this type of work would have to enjoy it because Haunt Analyst is a not for profit group, meaning they don’t charge for their services.

Also, some of the more malevolent cases could follow you home and investigators can even become sick with flu like symptoms. “There are a lot of repercussions to this type of work,” said Berryman.

It isn’t all bad though, the people asking for help can get some stress relief by playing with Berryman’s dog Blink, the ghost hunting Boston Terrier.

Every year since 2005 the Haunt Analyst team has a fundraiser in October called Haunt Tours. “We carry you to the area, and you experience it,” said Berryman

They take people out to a haunted location, teach them how to use certain types of equipment and then lead an investigation for the next four plus hours. After the tour is over they say a prayer and burn sage to cleanse the group.

The tour costs $25 and they take groups of about 15 to 20 people out. “The smaller the group, the better the stuff,” said Berryman. If students still need a little convincing, Berryman gave me an example as to what they can experience on a Haunt Tour.

Berryman said that on the tour one year it was already cold and in the 40s, and then the temperature dropped another 20. When ghosts are near the room gets colder because they have to take the heat to have enough energy to communicate.

When asked if he had any advice for students who might want to go amateur ghost hunting this Halloween he said, “Don’t do it.”If you would like to read up on cases they have done and see some of the evidence for yourself you can visit their website at hauntanalyst.com.

On Oct. 21 Berryman will be at the Statesboro Public Library to talk to people and give a class about his knowledge of the paranormal. The class will start at 6 p.m. and there is no charge to attend. Keep in mind it is not suitable for younger audiences.