2008 Woodie Awards
'Godfather of the Paranormal' conducts on-campus ghost hunt by the Terrace
Allison Doherty
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Life
Many people don't believe in ghosts. They might even feel they are as believable as unicorns, fairies, and werewolves. But for John Zaffis, they're his life.
Zaffis, the demonologist known as the "Godfather of the Paranormal" came to Mount St. Mary's on Oct. 4, to share his life's work. The lecture was far from a full house, the middle section in Knot Auditorium was barely filled.
Zaffis' first encounter with a ghost was an apparition of what he later found out was his grandfather.
"I saw a man at the foot of my bed shaking his head. I went downstairs and told my mom and she said it was my grandfather because when he was upset, he would shake his head. A couple days later, my grandmother died. I am a firm believer that relatives come back when a family member is near death to help them cross over," Zaffis said.
A demonologist for 36 years, Zaffis has been featured on many television programs including the Discovery Channel's A Haunting in Connecticut, Fox NewsLive, and Unsolved Mysteries. His investigations have taken him around the country and to England and Scotland.
Zaffis shared his knowledge of different types of hauntings. Over all the years he's been investigating haunting, he's experienced two poltergeists.
"Poltergeists [defy] what we know, and defy what we understand. Walls were punched from the inside out, windows shattered without making noise," Zaffis explained.
Zaffis also explained what is called a residual haunting; where a spirit will do things over and over what they did while they were alive.
Zaffis emphasized the importance of being open to the idea of ghosts, "It's always good to take an open mind when dealing with things we don't know."
To the skeptics, "If you want to call me a nut, I don't care," said Zaffis. "I know what I know. I know what I've experienced."
Following the lecture, Zaffis led a ghost hunt with 49 Mount students. Their search started behind the Immaculate Conception Chapel. No activity was found there so they moved on to the front, close to Dubois. Zaffis had a meter that measured the activity of the spirits and it would light up the answer.
"He told us to ask yes or no questions so they could communicate with us," said sophomore, Amanda Althoff. "He said for girls to ask more of the questions because for some reason ghosts and spirits respond better to women."
Students asked various questions and immediately got answers
By the end of the tour, the Mount ghost hunters gathered that there were 5 children there who came from France. They came with a nun and were taught on top of the hill.
They also gathered that a nun watches over the students here. Zaffis then encouraged the students to research the history of what they found: if there were orphans who came here from France, when the nuns came to the Mount, etc.
The ghosts here seem to be as friendly as the living community on campus.
Zaffis, the demonologist known as the "Godfather of the Paranormal" came to Mount St. Mary's on Oct. 4, to share his life's work. The lecture was far from a full house, the middle section in Knot Auditorium was barely filled.
Zaffis' first encounter with a ghost was an apparition of what he later found out was his grandfather.
"I saw a man at the foot of my bed shaking his head. I went downstairs and told my mom and she said it was my grandfather because when he was upset, he would shake his head. A couple days later, my grandmother died. I am a firm believer that relatives come back when a family member is near death to help them cross over," Zaffis said.
A demonologist for 36 years, Zaffis has been featured on many television programs including the Discovery Channel's A Haunting in Connecticut, Fox NewsLive, and Unsolved Mysteries. His investigations have taken him around the country and to England and Scotland.
Zaffis shared his knowledge of different types of hauntings. Over all the years he's been investigating haunting, he's experienced two poltergeists.
"Poltergeists [defy] what we know, and defy what we understand. Walls were punched from the inside out, windows shattered without making noise," Zaffis explained.
Zaffis also explained what is called a residual haunting; where a spirit will do things over and over what they did while they were alive.
Zaffis emphasized the importance of being open to the idea of ghosts, "It's always good to take an open mind when dealing with things we don't know."
To the skeptics, "If you want to call me a nut, I don't care," said Zaffis. "I know what I know. I know what I've experienced."
Following the lecture, Zaffis led a ghost hunt with 49 Mount students. Their search started behind the Immaculate Conception Chapel. No activity was found there so they moved on to the front, close to Dubois. Zaffis had a meter that measured the activity of the spirits and it would light up the answer.
"He told us to ask yes or no questions so they could communicate with us," said sophomore, Amanda Althoff. "He said for girls to ask more of the questions because for some reason ghosts and spirits respond better to women."
Students asked various questions and immediately got answers
By the end of the tour, the Mount ghost hunters gathered that there were 5 children there who came from France. They came with a nun and were taught on top of the hill.
They also gathered that a nun watches over the students here. Zaffis then encouraged the students to research the history of what they found: if there were orphans who came here from France, when the nuns came to the Mount, etc.
The ghosts here seem to be as friendly as the living community on campus.
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