NEPA Paranormal co-founder appears as expert on Travel Channel's 'Ghost Adventures'
Published: June 8, 2009
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special to the times-tribune Bob and Katie Christopher, second and third from left, co-founders of NEPA Paranormal, stand with members of the Travel Channel show "Ghost Adventures," host Zak Bagans, left, investigator Nick Groff, fourth from left, and cameraman Aaron Goodwin, right.;special to the times-tribune Bob and Katie Christopher, second and third from left, co-founders of NEPA Paranormal, stand with members of the Travel Channel show "Ghost Adventures," host Zak Bagans, left, investigator Nick Groff, fourth from left, and cameraman Aaron Goodwin, right.
About three months ago, Bob Christopher received a telephone call that completely shocked him.
The person on the other end of the line told Mr. Christopher - co-founder of the paranormal investigating group NEPA Paranormal - that the guys on the Travel Channel show "Ghost Adventures" wanted him to review some evidence for them.
Mr. Christopher's jaw dropped in surprise, but his first reaction was "my friends are playing a joke on me." But they weren't.
"After I really started talking to the guy, I was like 'this is really true,'" said the Wilkes-Barre resident.
Mr. Christopher and his daughter, Katie, traveled to a hotel outside Philadelphia in March and reviewed evidence from an investigation the "Ghost Adventures" crew did at Fort Castillo de San Marcos in Florida.
He was taped reviewing the audio and video documentation, and the Christophers got to meet the "Ghost Adventures" crew - Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin.
Lips are sealed
Mr. Christopher signed a release saying he cannot tell his thoughts about the paranormal investigation until the show airs on Friday.
Mr. Christopher will make a brief appearance, and his biography as an expert will be featured on the "Ghost Adventures" Web site.
"It is kind of an honor. We actually never thought it would come to this. Things just seemed to fall in place with us," Mr. Christopher said.
Two years ago, Mr. Christopher formed NEPA Paranormal with his daughter, Katie, and a few other friends. The group, which has nine members, has completed about 25 investigations in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The next investigation will take place today at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe.
Mr. Christopher was confronted with the paranormal at a young age, and it inspired his later adventures. At his childhood home, he remembers hearing loud noises, like slamming doors and chains dragging. He said that, when his bed levitated at night, he was convinced the ghosts were 100 percent real.
"I never actually saw anything in the house. But just the noises and stuff, it would creep you out," Mr. Christopher said.
As he got older, Mr. Christopher continued to read about paranormal activity, but mostly kept his interest to himself, until shows like "Ghost Adventures" and "Ghost Hunters" suddenly became popular within the past few years. That's when he knew it was safe to talk about his unique hobby.
"I think the shows put a bit of awareness out there. Before, people didn't want to talk about it. These shows shed a lot of light on the subject," said Katie Christopher. "It is easier to make people believe you aren't losing your mind."
All geared up
The group uses cameras, videocameras, digital recorders and electromagnetic field readers in its investigations. Afterward, the group reviews the evidence collected to determine whether an auditory or visual phenomenon was caused by paranormal activity.
Mr. Christopher said NEPA Paranormal has found evidence of paranormal activity in the majority of the places its members have done investigations. The point of the investigations is not to scare people, but rather to explain the unexplainable, and give people some comfort.
Mr. Christopher and his daughter never thought their hobby would land them on cable television. But they don't mind having their 15 minutes of fame.
"It is definitely exciting. Those guys really made you relax. I really didn't know what to expect. They really walked me through it," Mr. Christopher said. "It was like I was sitting at home and going over it."
Contact the writer: csheaffer@citizensvoice.com
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