This Week On Ghost Hunters – 04 – 21 – 10

Ghost Hunters' Jason Hawes. Photo by Sheryl Nields and copyright of the Syfy Channel

THIS week on Ghost Hunters, Grant, Jason and the rest of the TAPS team travel to beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts to investigate the haunted history of the Orleans Inn. The inn’s sordid past reaches back to the infamous goings-on inside its walls during its heyday in the Roaring 20’s, and the current owners hope to rid the inn of the reported ghosts of years past. For extra help, the TAPS team calls on Britt Griffith and Ghost Hunters International‘s Joe Chin to explore the plethora of encounters reported. Claims of solicitation, suicide and murder continue to haunt owners and guests alike. Inn of the Dead airs Wednesday, April 21st @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on The Syfy Channel. 

Ghost Hunters' Grant Wilson. Photo by Sheryl Nields and copyright of the Syfy Channel

Click on the following link for a preview of this episode –http://rcpt.yousendit.com/853729959/fbfb66460293828d1be6c8d1ff6c9796 

As noted above, all photos by Sheryl Nields and copyright of the Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Ghost Hunters International’s Barry FitzGerald – Irish Eyes

Ghost Hunters International team members (L-R) Robb Demarest (lead investigator), Dustin Pari (investigator) and Barry FitzGerald (investigator/tech manager). Photo copyright of the Syfy Channel

From the coast of New England, to the Deep South and even the glamorous world of Hollywood, every corner of the United States has its fair share of ghost stories. There are, however, other countries all over the world where equally as compelling, and in some cases even more terrifying, tales of the paranormal have been documented. Since early 2008, the Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunter International team has travelled the globe to check out such claims and separate fact from fiction. 

This past January, the latter half of the show’s second season began airing, with GHI trekking to Miramar, Argentina and the Gran Hotel Viena, the one-time secret residence of many Nazi war criminals, including, it is rumored, the infamous Adolf Hitler. Among those heading up this investigation was GHI team member and technical manager Barry FitzGerald, who looked forward to returning to that country. 

“My only time previously in Argentina was to fly through the country in order to change airports,” he says, “so this was a great opportunity for me to go back there and really meet the people and see the country. However, when we arrived at the place I certainly wasn’t expecting to find half the town ruined by a giant flood. 

“That meant there weren’t hotels per say that we could stay in, so we wound up sharing houses. [Fellow investigators] Dustin Pari, Joe Chin and I stayed in one house and shared the cooking along with everything else. It was a remarkable experience for us to bond in that way, not to mention looking out the window and seeing Hitler’s villa across the water. It was truly memorable, never mind, of course, finally getting to the actual location and seeing it in its raw. 

“We also shot the Silver Shadow episode in [La Falda] Argentina, where great minds such as Albert Einstein had come to The Eden Hotel. To be on the steps where he once stood was wonderful, as was the chance to investigate the hotel. Such places were quite ornate in their time, and to see what this one had fallen into now, and in such a short period of time, was very disturbing in its own way. To be able to go in there, though, and film was truly remarkable, and Dustin’s efforts to reach the spirit of the little boy was an especially memorable experience for him as well.” 

Following their time in Argentina, the GHI team journeyed down under to Australia for a pair of investigations, the first being in Sydney where they visited the country’s most haunted place, Quarantine Station. From 1828 to 1984, migrant ship passengers suspected of having infectious diseases were diverted to this facility for an average quarantine period of 40 days. For some, the conditions there were not conducive to their recovery, which could help explain the reported appearances of various troubled souls. Considerably more inhospitable was Port Arthur, nicknamed “hell on Earth,” where 19th century convicts lived and died. 

“Australia itself presented some interesting problems, mainly because of the wildlife,” notes FitzGerald. “From what we’ve been led to believe, Australia is home to one of the deadliest spiders known to man. Obviously, we’re in locations where these things can hide anywhere, so at any minute you’re not quite sure what to expect. And that carries through into Costa Rica and the later episodes this season. It’s bad enough being worried about ghosts, but when you have to start worrying about the wildlife as well, that really does add another element to it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s extremely fascinating, but an Irishman like me has no idea how to deal with crocodiles,” he says with a chuckle. 

“At one point at Quarantine Station we were trying to get into one of the [medical] units that the nurses had used, but the door was locked. We had to call security and have them come down to unlock it, so while we were waiting for them I continued to take pictures. My IR [infrared] light was switched off – in fact, everything was switched off and I was just shooting in the dark so to speak. That’s when the young lad standing by the fence appeared in one of the photographs. To see something like that in detail, because we have the raw image to examine, was outstanding, and it contributed in a major way to explaining some of the theories relating to research I was doing back in Europe. So I was thrilled to capture the image of that young lad. 

“With Port Arthur, the photograph of the guy walking in front of the church is something I wasn’t expecting and certainly defies science as it stands. I cannot duplicate it. I simply don’t understand why this happened or how it happened. The camera did not malfunction; everything was working perfectly and on about a 30-second exposure. There should have been some trace of that guy moving, but there wasn’t. He just seemed to suddenly appear and disappear in the same spot, and it was unbelievable. 

“Right now, we are standing on the edge of a precipice where no one else has stood before. With the advancement of technology, we’re starting to see things that we never previously thought possible, and to say that there are no such things as ghosts just because we often can’t see them, doesn’t apply any more.” 

In last week’s episode, Tasmania Death Sentence, the GHI crew cast an investigative eye over the Tasmania Supreme Courthouse in Hobart, Tasmania and the unexplained activities that have occurred there. “Tasmania is an island almost carved out of the same rock as Australia,” explains FitzGerald, “so I have to say that some of the experiences we had there were very similar to the Australian mainland. But to learn about the history of Tasmania and what happened to the natives on the island with regard to the intervention of Western ideals was a big eye-opener for me, Dustin and Joe along with some of the other guys.” 

The penultimate second season GHI episode, San Lucas Prison, is one of two investigations undertaken by FitzGerald and his teammates in Costa Rica. The other location, Duran Sanatorium, which started out as a hospital for tuberculosis and leprosy, then an insane asylum and finally an orphanage, is featured in the year two finale, The Legend of Rose Hall. 

“As far as Costa Rica, well, my word, I have never seen wildlife quite like it. And I have to say I’ve never been anywhere else in the world where I have been taken aback so much that I stopped what I was doing for an hour to witness a feat of nature,” enthuses FitzGerald. “To watch the sea light up at night with the algae was inspiring, and irritating at the same time. I was using my full-spectrum camera, with which I can take photographs of stars millions and millions of miles away, but yet when I tried to photograph the phosphorescence on the water, it evaded me. I just couldn’t get it, and then I realized that this was not for anyone else. It was just for me. So I stood there and watched as hammerhead sharks, barracuda and these other big fish lit up the water as they swam through it [the algae]. It was awe-inspiring. 

“Then, of course, there was the whole thing of being caught on the island in the middle of a very severe thunderstorm, and realizing we were trapped there and simply could not leave. To top it off, everything on the island was trying to get a piece of GHI if you will. This particular investigation is the one that really stood out for me this season. We really pushed the boat out with that one, so to speak, because of the hauntings as well as seeing the beauty of nature, both in daylight and at night. It’s a really interesting episode and I look forward to hearing some of the feedback on this specific case because I can’t see the show here in Europe.” 

The other case in GHI‘s season two finale, The Legend of Rose Hall, unfolds in Kingston, Jamaica, where our investigators delve into the history of sugar plantation owner Annie Palmer. Nicknamed by her slaves as the “White Witch of Rose Hall,” it is rumored that Annie was responsible for the deaths of three husbands as well as countless slaves. 

“Jamaica was another place that opened our eyes to what has gone on with Western intervention,” says FitzGerald. “The cruelty there was very prominent in this particular case and the results of it, and I hope that viewers will understand that. We shall see what comes of it. Again, I’ll just have to fall back on feedback after this episode airs.” 

Having first worked with Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and their team on the original Ghost Hunters, FitzGerald along with former GHI investigator Dustin Pari returned to the GH fold to assist them with their 100th investigation, which will air in March. “Alcatraz is something that you usually see form the air,” says FitzGerald, “or if you’re visiting San Francisco and have the time, you can always nip across on the ferry and get a quick tour from some of the wonderful guides on the island. It is, however, a very rare opportunity, indeed, to get onto the island at night and investigate. It was incredible to be there and understand that the Birdman of Alcatraz had once been there and some of the big Mafia names as well. To then stand in their cells was just beyond words, and the [paranormal] experiences there were amazing, too.” 

Last summer, FitzGerald and Pari saw the publication of their first book, The Complete Approach – The Scientific and Metaphysical Guide, which gives readers a greater insight into the subject of paranormal investigation. 

“We received tremendous feedback on the book and people have loved it,” says FitzGerald. “There was a great deal of work put into it, so much so that Dustin and I are preparing to put out another one, hopefully at the end of March. We’ve been working very diligently on this second book, which is called So My Home is Haunted, Now What? It’s a collection of thoughts and different ideas about what other cultures, belief systems and religions do to fix this particular problem. 

“Like a lot of [paranormal] investigators, we come into a house or other building with a TV crew and give the people living or working there proof of ghosts in a photograph or recording of the ghost’s voice. We then leave and these individuals are left holding the candle and wondering, ‘What do we do now?’ So this book gives possible solutions to a problem that has plagued a lot of people around the world. It’s a wonderful read and one that we believe is also educational at the same time. So we’re looking forward to its release.” 

Besides this forthcoming book, FitzGerald is also working on a variety of other projects as he waits for production to begin on season three of GHI, “There’s a third book following behind this second one, and I’m trying to open a gallery in Vienna, Austria as well,” he says. “So there’s quite a bit going on, and time not being in great abundance can severely hinder your plans. I fly back and forth through Europe and I now find myself residing more in Austria than I do back in Ireland. 

“When it comes to GHI, I’m not sure yet where we’re headed next, but wherever we go, I’m sure it will turn out to be fantastic and certainly bring a lot more things to the forefront for viewers back home.” 

Steve Eramo 

As noted above, photo courtesy and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Ghost Hunters International – 01 – 13 – 10

GHI's Barry FitzGerald and Joe Chin are back again on the case this season! Photo by Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel

THE Ghost Hunters International team makes its way to La Falda, Argentina to uncover the ghostly mysteries of The Eden Hotel, a late 19th century luxury resort which once welcomed the rich and the famous including Albert Einstein, the Prince of Wales and many world presidents to name a few. Hotel employees and the municipality say past and recent paranormal activity at the hotel includes the apparition of a little girl, quick shadows running, voices whispering, cracking noises and slamming of doors and windows. Because paranormal activity runs so frequent at The Eden Hotel, the current restoration company for the hotel have complained that workers are scared to death to finish the restoration job. 

The GHI team will then venture to Junee, Australia to visit the Monte Cristo Homestead. Meaning “Mount of Christ,” the Monte Cristo was built in 1884 as a Victorian manor to a wealthy family. Unfortunately, the manor has been plagued by many horrific incidents and deaths over the years. In the house and its surrounding grounds at least seven apparitions have been reported. The current owners moved into the manor in 1963 and had no idea f the tragic history surrounding their Victorian home and were not prepared for what would be in store for them. Silver Shadow airs Wednesday, January 13th @ 9:00 p.m. EST on The Syfy Channel. 

Click on the following link for a preview of this episode – https://www.yousendit.com/download/VGlmeEVld0E4NVhIRGc9PQ 

As noted above, photo by Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Ghost Hunters International’s Barry FitzGerald and Dustin Pari – Kindred Spirits

Ghost Hunters International teammembers (L-R): Barry FitzGerald, Brandy Green, Robb Demarest, Angela Alderman, Dustin Pari and Joe Chin from the fifth season Ghost Hunters episode "Crossing Over." Photo by Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel

Before The National Enquirer became a trashy supermarket tabloid, it used to run a variety of stories, including those about haunted houses, castles and other properties in foreign countries, typically England. Whether or not there was any truth to such stories, they made for interesting reading. After all, there is nothing quite like a good ghost story to get your blood flowing and send a chill up your spine.

These days there are plenty of TV shows that investigate paranormal phenomenon around the world. Not many, though, employ the latest high-tech know-how to not only try to prove the possible existence of ghosts, but in some cases debunk legends and stories. Ghost Hunters International is one such show. A spin-off of the hugely popular Syfy Channel series Ghost Hunters, its hosts have traveled to exotic, strange and remote places to try to communicate with spirits, both good and evil. Two of GHI‘s familiar faces, Barry FitzGerald (lead investigator/tech manager) and Dustin Pari (investigator), actually began their TV paranormal careers on the original GH.

“I had been involved with paranormal research within Ireland, and when the Ghost Hunters team came across the pond [for the season three episode Attack of the Irish Elemental], they needed someone native to the area to help them with their work,” says FitzGerald. “So for me, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time and it took off from there. Dustin is very different, though. He has a greater story than I have and with lots of bells and whistles.”

Says Pari, “I was living back in Rhode Island and was actually up late one night watching TV when I caught an episode from the first season of Ghost Hunters. At that time I had no idea that the show was actually based not even 15 minutes from my house. Having been interested in the [paranormal] field since I was about 16 years old, I sought these guys out and, interestingly enough, they gave me an interview at a Starbucks. After that, I joined the home team and worked off-camera, and then they gave me a chance to be on the show.

(L-R): Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari and Barry FitzGerald from the season one GHI episode "Restless Souls of Sweden." Photo by Mikael Pilstrand and copyright of The Syfy Channel

“The first time I shot an episode it was absolutely fascinating because I’d never had access to the type of equipment that they were using. Having previously done this sort of investigating with a couple of my high school buddies, we just used tape recorders along with still cameras and lots of flash photography. So to all of a sudden be using this kind of equipment was really interesting. And then to be where I am now, it’s mind-blowing to be travelling the world, seeing incredible historic sites, and having the chance to investigate places that I would never have dreamed I’d ever have access to. It’s a long way from doing the supposed haunted house on the outskirts of town that people tell stories about, to being in these huge castles and homes all across Europe.”

Given GH‘s tremendous success, Syfy decided to cast its paranormal net further afield and GHI was born. Having left the original GH series to start a family, Pari was eventually reunited with Barry FitzGerald and together they joined with lead investigator Robb Demarest and fellow GHI investigators to begin their global exploration into the supernatural world. While the prospect of further ghostly encounters was sure to draw viewers, FitzGerald identifies another aspect that would make the new series interesting to those watching.

“Obviously they decided to set the series around my good looks and wonderful accent,” he jokes. “No, seriously, I think a major plus for GHI is that we’re touching on history throughout the world. You can go onto a site in Ireland and sometimes reach as far back as 900 AD. We have a set of tombs that I keep going on about that predate the Great Pyramids of Giza, so our history goes back a long, long way.

“Of course, once you get to Africa and places like that, the history starts stemming back 30,000 years, which just blows me away. There’s also the opportunity to see the different types of hauntings that can occur both north and south of the hemisphere and discover the commonalities between them. That’s extremely important and it gives us a better understanding when it comes to the question of what happens after death.

(L-R): Robb Demarest, Barry FitzGerald and Shannon Sylvia investigate "Evil Unearthed." Photo by Gareth Phillips and copyright of The Syfy Channel

“The first GHI investigation we did was at Chillingham Castle in England. Having been involved in paranormal research in Ireland and the United Kingdom I had heard a lot of reports about the castle, but never had the chance to go there. So to be part of that investigation was wonderful, and the experiences that Donna [LaCroix, case manager] and I had in the underground entrance to the castle were remarkable. The noises that were coming from that location were just tremendous and certainly guiding us along to see what else we could uncover.”

Despite having a proven winner in GH to draw inspiration from, GHI still faced challenges getting started, including trying to establish its own paranormal foundation to build upon. “Getting this show off the ground was difficult as far as finding the first set of locations,” explains FitzGerald. “We were up against [the British series] Most Haunted, especially within the UK, because they had aired, I believe, four seasons in front of us. So it was tough trying to compete with them, but once we got started we soon found our niche and slipped into it. Our show is very different now, even from Ghost Hunters, because we’re focusing a lot on new technology as well as advancing the field and trying to explain it all in an environmental situation that the layman can understand. And the response we’ve received so far has been wonderful.”

Continues Pari, “I really do feel as well that we’re focusing a lot more on the technological aspects with the development of the full-spectrum camera that Barry has brought into the team. We’ve really garnered some incredible results capturing photographs from several locations, and with the episodes that people are seeing this [second] season, we’ve combined that technology with video using the full-spectrum DVR camera and are also seeing results there.

“I think this kind of advancement is very important in the field. When you being to get results using certain tools, there’s a tendency to fall into a familiar routine. Yes, you get some positive results, but there are no advancements being made, and I think what we’re doing now is really pushing those boundaries. And on behalf of Barry and myself, we also have a personal respect for the metaphysical realm and that side of things, which is important to bear in mind during investigations as well. It’s a matter of keeping yourself open and gathering better and better evidence. That’s what sparked Barry and me to put together our new book, which is called The Complete Approach [published in the U.S. on August 7th, 2009]. It combines the metaphysical understanding of this field along with the scientific research and approach to it. It’s something we’re really proud of and it’s already received a great deal of interest, which, again, has come out of advancements we’ve made within the field.”

(L-R): Donna LaCroix, Shannon Sylvia and Barry FitzGerald at Chillingham Castle. Photo by Justin Canning and copyright of The Syfy Channel

As with most people working abroad, the GHI team faces the occasional hurdle that they must overcome. “I think one of the biggest challenges is getting through customs, because when you have to write down what your occupation is, it’s not easy to explain that you look for ghosts,” says Pari. “That always raises a few eyebrows and you have to spend time trying to explain exactly what you’re doing. Language barriers, obviously, create some interesting situations. My three years of high school Spanish can only get me so far,” he jokes, “but it’s been going OK. One thing that I find fascinating from a sociological point of view is that people in certain countries aren’t always that accepting of the paranormal. The field is viewed quite differently in some parts of the world, France, in particular. The French have had a very hard time admitting that something very conclusive is, in fact, paranormal. Some cultures embrace what we do quite a bit, and others aren’t really into it, so that’s something we need to address and adjust while we’re on the road.”

Says FitzGerald, “Regarding languages, we’ve been finding something extremely unusual when addressing the EVP [electronic voice phenomenon] sessions during filming. The thing is, we knock ourselves out trying to learn the language that is native to where we happen to be, but in the EVP sessions a lot of the responses coming back to us are in English, which, again, is quite unusual. We still don’t know why that’s happening, but it’s part of this field and something we’re further looking into.

“I’m still getting used to which side of the road we’re meant to be driving on when we’re travelling. That can be another obstacle because we’re back and forth all the time, and if the roads aren’t marked it can often lead to trouble. Food, of course, can also sometimes be an issue, especially in Italy. I’m not a great lover of pizza and pasta. I’m more the Irish potato kind of guy, and you tend not to get too much of that in Italy. When we were in Peru, I tried guinea pig, which I must admit I don’t think I’d ever try again, and at the moment we’re down here in Australia where I’ve been dining on kangaroo and things of that nature. So sometimes it’s a little hard to get used to, but other times it’s just fine.”

During GHI‘s first season, FitzGerald, Pari and their teammates trekked around the world and visited numerous locales including St. Mary’s Close in Edinburgh, Scotland; Dartmstadt, Germany and Frankenstein’s Castle; the Grande Hotel in Cambuquira, Brazil; and Castillo de la Coracera in Madrid, Spain.

(L-R): Angela Alderman, Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari, Joe Chin, Brandy Green and Barry FitzGerald in the season one GHI episode "Restless Souls of Sweden." Photo by Mikael Pilstrand and copyright of The Syfy Channel

“For me, the scariest place we visited back in season one is Orava Castle [in Slovakia],” recalls Fitzgerald. “Confronting that particular entity in the Octagon Tower was very memorable. I must admit that we did go back and try to confront it again, but the first time it appeared to me, it certainly made me sit up and pay attention and try to get the hell out of there as fast as I could.”

Says Pari, “The [Dunedin] New Zealand trip to visit Larnach Castle is especially memorable for me because it was my first time working with the GHI team. I was reunited with some of my old GH teammates, including Barry, and I met some of the new guys, too. It was the dawn of a new era for me in this field, and I’d never really been out of the country before either, except for Ireland and England. So to fly all the way down to New Zealand was remarkable on its own. It was a good time for me to kind of start things over, and whenever I look at a map I can’t believe how many places I’ve been to just between last season and this one.”

This second season of GHI, the investigators have so far gone back to Ireland to visit an 18th century prison (Wicklow’s Gaol) as well as the Czech Republic and Houska Castle, reputed to have been built over the gates of Hell. They also made a first-time trip to Austria and a 500-year-old torture chamber (Witches Castle). The show’s penultimate mid-season pair of cases, Spirits of Italy, unfolds at the Tuscan castle of Malaspina, former residence of the doomed lover Bianca Maria Alosia, and the Palazzo Ducale, home to Genoa’s doges and their prisoners. GHI‘s mid-season finale, Holy Spirit, finds the team in South America to investigate the El Bosque City Hall in Chile and Santiago Severin Library in Valparaiso.

“I really enjoyed the investigations we did in Italy,” says Pari. “Unlike Barry, I’m a big fan of pizza and pasta, plus I grew up in an Italian household, so being there was good. We also got to see some of the sights, including Rome, the Coliseum and the Vatican. It was a fantastic opportunity, and the cases were really well-put together. I found myself staying at this little castle [Malaspina] on top of a mountain, and in the morning I’d wake up, look out the window and think, ‘God, how did I ever get here?’ There was a particular story about a young girl who was walled up alive, which I’m finding more and more of as I travel through Europe. Apparently, it was a popular thing back then, but I found this story quite touching. And one of our new recruits, Ashley [Godwin] had a personal experience trying to contact that girl. Maybe I’m just a romantic at heart, but those are the moments, when there is a tender story, that really make me appreciated what we do.”

(L-R from second in): Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari and Barry FitzGerald check out some "Skeletons in the Closet." Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel

Adds Fitzgerald, “I would tend to agree with Dustin that Malaspina was truly memorable. To be able to go up onto the roof of the castle and watch this amazing storm front come over the top of the mountains was a remarkable experience to be had, and the activity going on there was good as well. My pastime is photography, so I got an incredible amount of photographs from that particular location once the sun started to set. Chile was an amazing place, too, and memorable because of the dogs. They have thousands and thousands of dogs that just roam the streets, but the locations themselves were most impressive.”

Unlike most jobs, “ghost hunting” is not your average 9-5 gig with a desk, lunch hour and two weeks vacation a year. It is, however, as FitzGerald and Pari have explained, an occupation filled with exciting, educational, unforgettable and sometimes scary moments. Not many people would have the passion, or the nerves of steel, to make it their line of work. So what first drew these GHI investigators to the paranormal world?

“My interest certainly stems from the fact that I grew up in a house which presented such activity,” says FitzGerald. “As a child waking up on Christmas Eve and dying of thirst, I needed to get some water, and seeing an apparition coming up the stairs that I knew wasn’t my parents, frightened the absolute living hell out of me. I thought it was Santa and because I’d been caught awake, I wouldn’t be getting any toys that year. For me, that was my first indication that something more was out there and it sparked the curiosity that has presently led to 10 years of research.”

Recalls Pari, “As a little kid I was always fascinated with Halloween. It was my favorite holiday, even over Christmas. I’m not a big horror movie guy, but I enjoy anything to do with classic ghost stories and stuff like that. When I was younger and living with my parents in a small house in Providence [Rhode Island] I had a nighttime encounter with what we now refer to in the field as a shadow figure. I remember seeing this thing in my room and being terrified, so I threw the covers over my head and, being a good little Catholic schoolboy, prayed and prayed and buried my head in my pillow. Thankfully, that thing went away, but it left a lasting imprint and an interest, which grew inside me.

(L-R): Barry FitzGerald, Dustin Pari and Robb Demarest in the season two GHI episode "Gate to Hell." Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel

“As I got older, I found myself looking more into books regarding the paranormal, and once I turned 16 and had access to a car, I began investigating local [paranormal] hot spots with my friends. So it was really something that started from way back, and since then it’s taken on an even more spiritual turn for me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older or whatnot, but I find myself working in this field because I really want to prove to other people out there that there’s something after this life.

“Without being religion specific – I don’t like to become involved in afterlife bureaucracy and such – I do think that there is some accountability for our actions here. And if I can even be an inspiration to the team that makes that final connection with some hard proof, that would be a great accomplishment for me. I think people living today would then look at their lives differently and maybe treat each other a little more respectfully while we’re down here.”

Although the last of six new GHI episodes have aired on Syfy, there are more to come this season. As for what viewers can expect to see, FitzGerald offers up a tidbit or two. “The locations themselves are going to be extremely distant and difficult to get to. Believe it or not, at the moment [August 4th, 2009] Dustin and I are sitting in a forest [in Australia]. We never thought in our lifetimes that we’d be this far away from our homes, but there are wonderful [paranormal] things to be had and seen, including photographic evidence. And I can promise you that it’s going to make people sit up and take notice.”

The Complete Approach – The Scientific and Metaphysical Guide to the Paranormal by Barry FitzGerald and Dustin J. Pari can be ordered on-line from such outlets as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble. com.

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all photos by Justin Canning, Gareth Phillips, Mikael Pilstrand or Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

Ghost Hunters International Returns To The Sci Fi Channel

The Ghost Hunters International team (clockwise from l to r) - Robb Demarest, Brandy Green, Barry FitzGerald, Joe Chin and Dustin Pari. Photo by Barbara Nitke and copyright of the Sci Fi Channel

THE Sci Fi Channel comtinues the summer with its ratings driver hit reality series Ghost Hunters International (GHI) wih the premiere of season two on Wednesday, July 8th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST. The first episode of the hour-long series ventures deep into the countryside of Wicklow, Ireland for an investigation of an old 18th century prison. As these “real life” ghost hunters try to uncover truth or fiction, they’ll face their closest supernatural encounter yet! The new six-part episode season will have the team trekking around the globe with upcoming haunted haunts in countries include Chile, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Argentina.

Like their U.S. counterparts, TAPS (The Atlantis Paranormal Society), GHI is a squad made up of everyday ordinary citizens who investigate and attempt to debunk claims of otherwordly activity. The new team of skeptical paranormal investigators includes four returning members and two new colleagues. They are:

Robb Demarest – A native of Albany, New York, Robb joined the Ghost Hunters International team after three years with Florida Ghost Team, an affiliate of TAPS (founded by Ghost Hunters‘ Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson). Robb’s responsibilities on the team have ranged from research, technology management and client relations, to his current position as assistant director. As the lead investigator of the Ghost Hunters International team, Robb hopes to push the boundaries of current knowledge in the field and approach these enigmas with the open-minded skepticism for which his TAPS counterparts are known.

Dustin Pari – Cranston, Rhode Island native Dustin Pari is a familiar face to regular viewers of the Ghost Hunters franchise. Long harboring an interest in the paranormal, he began his career in his teen years investigating local hot-spots in Rhode Island. He was later invited to join TAPS by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, and began appearing regularly on Ghost Hunters as an investigator. TAPS’ trip to Ireland in 2006 was a turning point for Dustin – during the investigation of Leap Castle, he had the most intense paranormal experience of his life when he was attacked by an unseen force in the tunnels beneath the castle. The Leap Castle investigation was his first outside of the United States and it would not be his last. Since joining the GHI team, Dustin’s role has been one of both investigator and historical researcher, uncovering the truth behind centuries-old myths and legends.

Barry FitzGerald – A veteran ghost hunter with 17 years of experience in paranormal investigating, Barry is memorable to Ghost Hunters fans for his work on TAPS’ investigations in Europe during the show’s third season. Now, as a member of the new GHI team, Barry supplies his expertise in both ghost hunting as well as his knowledge of the historical locations of each new investigation. Haunted by supernatural events he experienced as a child growing up in Ireland, Barry developed an interest in paranormal research and went on to work for two different paranormal groups based in Northern Ireland. He now dedicates much of his time to the development of new investigative techniques and research methods.

Brandy Green – A native of Farmington, Minnesota, it was Brandy’s childhood experiences with the paranormal that led her to spend much of her life exploring the possibilities of life after death. Brandy’s first ghost hunting endeavor began when she founded her own paranormal investigation group in the Twin Cities. Now she begins her latest feat as the Case Manager of the GHI team. After studying the psychology of death and dying, Brandy began to expand her understanding of the psychological, social and historical aspects of loss and the afterlife. She has worked to apply that knowledge towards clients and cases that her home team has worked on, as well as those that she encounters with GHI.

Joe Chin – A native of North Providence, Rhode Island, Joe’s interests in the paranormal dates back to his teenage years. Growing up, he remembers that the third floor of his apartment house was always lively with instances of unexplained paranormal activity. And although he experienced the supernatural as a youngster, he had no idea that people looked for the paranormal until he met Jason Hawes. Months after meeting Jason, he was asked to join the group and several cases later he is still a part of the thriving team. Since joining the team, Joe has cultivated what he refers to as a “skeptical curious side” that spurs him to want to get to the bottom of things. He also relates this innate curiosity to being a computer technician, a trade he delves into in his spare time. When working with computers, he always has to figure out what the problem is and how to resolve it as quickly as possible – similar to the work that he and the other ghost hunters do.

Ashley Godwin – A native of Winter Haven, Florida, Ashley is driven by the logical, the methodical and the scientific. Her recent years have been spent studying atmospheric science and experimental psychology. She is also a member of Robb Demarest’s local paranormal group, Florida Ghost Team (FGT). After proving to be a fearless and thorough investigator, Robb asked her to join the GHI team. Having never left the country before, Ashley thought the show would offer her an amazing chance to travel the world and explore the unknown. Though Ashley is the youngest in GHI, her expertise and insight into her field have proven to be of endless value.