The Exhilarating World of Ghost Hunting
Growing up in an Eastern European family immersed in folklore and gripping tales of witches snatching away misbehaving children, I was raised with a firm belief in ghosts and developed a strong fascination for all things supernatural.
There's something incredibly exhilarating about watching paranormal investigators venture into haunted locations armed with gadgets and guts. The goosebumps rise, the anticipation mounts, and I'm transported to a world where the supernatural comes alive on my TV screen.
I love a good ghost story. Even if you don't believe in ghosts, the spine-tingling thrill of a good paranormal reality show is hard to resist — here are my top 3 faves:
Ghost Hunters: The series that launched paranormal TV and my fascination with ghost hunting — their first episode airing in 2004 featuring Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, who founded The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). The two worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter while moonlighting as paranormal investigators at night.
Ghost Adventures: In 2004, the GA team captured a flying brick while filming an independent documentary-style film at the Goldfield Hotel in Nevada. This event served as the inspiration for the Travel Channel series, which featured investigators being locked into specific locations for their investigations.
Kindred Spirits: Families tormented by unusual activity in their homes — with the added stress that the spirits may be their own late family members — turn to Amy Bruni and Adam Berry. The duo got their start on "Ghost Hunters," which defined a new genre in supernatural storytelling on television.
These shows are not just about things that go bump in the night; they offer a unique blend of entertainment and education. As I immerse myself in each episode, I can't help but become enthralled by the history behind haunted sites, the techniques used to capture evidence, and the debunking of spooky myths. It's like being part of a thrilling ghost-hunting adventure, all from the comfort of my living room.
My decades-long obsession with ghost-hunting shows has evolved into watching paranormal investigators LIVE on TikTok — I’m obsessed with Sean Austin. He also appeared as one of the team leads in Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted, one of the scariest series I’ve watched to date.
Of course, it's important to remember that these shows are for entertainment purposes. While I may dream of joining a real-life investigation someday, for now, I'll happily indulge in the thrills and chills these shows bring. They allow me to escape reality, spark my imagination, and ignite a passion for the paranormal.
And hey, everyone has a story to tell… even ghosts.
I once lived in a place with three (sometimes 4) roomies in the 90s where we had a kitchen in the basement. It was like an old, bricked-up onetime mud-floored dark room. Spooky already. We would routinely hear things bumping around down there and then onetime our keg pump (yes, we owned a keg pump. Beer ruled.) flew off the top of a cabinet and landed bolt upright on the floor. We decided the ghost liked beer and was trying to tap the floor. Or something. We also had these weird open flame heaters and swore we heard voices speaking through them. I know my old roomies are subscribers here, let me see if they can back up my story 😂