'Ghost Hunters' Stars Grant Wilson And Jason Hawes: Water, Limestone And Railroad Tracks Increase Paranormal Activity (VIDEO)

Want to increase your chances of experiencing paranormal activity?

Well, find a place near running water that is close to the railroad tracks.

Oh, having lots of limestone wouldn't hurt either.

That strange trinity seems to be the key to scaring up spooks and spirits, according to paranormal researchers Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes.

And they should know, having done hundreds of investigations since starting the The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) 21 years ago, including seven seasons worth of investigations on the popular SyFy Channel series "Ghost Hunters."

Still, Wilson and Hawes are quick to point out that while a ghost is a sign of paranormal activity, not all paranormal activity is a ghost.

"Paranormal activity is anything above the norm of what we are used to," said Hawes, who, with Wilson, works as a plumber for Roto-Rooter in New England.

Wilson jumps in to explain further.

"It's different than a haunting," he said. "In a haunting, we definitely know that a ghost is haunting the place, but if something moves we can't explain or something like that, that's paranormal activity."

Wilson says that most places with high paranormal activity have spooky histories that might explain the reason they're frequented by spirits. However, Hawes says there are some common factors shared by many paranormal sites.

"One thing we found is that you find more paranormal activity around flowing streams of water, railroad tracks and places with high limestone deposits," Hawes said.

Places that rank high on these ghost-hunting guys' list include the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., and the Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Ariz.

"We had some startling moments at the Stanley Hotel, such as glass shattering form the inside out, and a door unlatching itself and then opening and then closing itself and latching itself closed -- all caught on camera," Hawes said.

Wilson is nostalgic about the Bird Cage, which was a combination theater, saloon, gambling parlor and brothel that operated in the 1880s.

"We got up on the stage and looked over and saw, honestly, what I thought was a mannequin ... that moved down the stairs," Wilson recalled. "That was startling."

Wilson and Hawes both believe in ghosts and apparently believe that paranormal researchers are made, not born. Both of them got interested in studying the subject after having experiences that, while they don't comment on them, affected them profoundly.

"When something paranormal happens to you, you have a burning desire to figure out what it is," Wilson said. "Then you realize there are people uncomfortable with where they work or live because of the paranormal, so any answers we find, we want to share it with them so they feel more comfortable."

Wilson and Hawes will be celebrating Halloween by doing -- what else? -- a ghost investigation at Pennhurst State School and Hospital, a former asylum in Pennsylvania, live on the SyFy Channel.

Comments

[rMatey]

08:26 AM on 11/01/2011

All I can really attest to is that if you really want to see a ghost is to NOT watch their show.

[mebemommee06]

07:51 PM on 10/31/2011

I watch the show.. but find I'm more drawn to Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. Those three on the Travel channel are hilarious, especially Zach..

[Economike]

05:20 PM on 10/31/2011

Hotel Alexandria, Los Angeles, the top floor.

[memike3185]

05:07 PM on 10/31/2011

Waverly Valley Sanitorium in Louisville Ky

[reponomore]

01:43 PM on 10/31/2011

This one reminded me of something involving one of huffing liberal's favorites ...... Anyone remember when Hillary Clinton had a comunication with the ghost of Elenore Roosevelt shortly after Slick Willy took office?..... well at least this story didnt promote gays or pregnant teens

[Bob Metcalfe]

03:18 PM on 10/31/2011

No worse than Nancy Reagan :-).

[blurredmolly]

02:41 PM on 11/01/2011

CONservative republickirs......yeesh

[BachelorJohnnyCool]

01:29 PM on 10/31/2011

When Joe the Plumber made his first public appearance, I thought he was Jason the Plumber from Ghost Hunters. They both have about the same amount of credibility.

[justgrl03]

01:09 PM on 10/31/2011

St. Augustine, Florida is a hot bed of paranormal activity. Its a really fun place to and rich in history.

[Nica73]

12:35 PM on 10/31/2011

I used to be such a fan of their show. After a while, I just got bored.

[SilverLib]

03:06 PM on 10/31/2011

Me too. I have moved on to Paranormal Witness and Fact or Faked for my paranormal fix.

[mebemommee06]

07:55 PM on 10/31/2011

I got mad when Jason made the german shepard comment.. the one where there was a ghost cat involved,, said if he had his shepards they would find that cat. I''m a cat lover and couldn't believe his snide remark..

[1differentdrummer]

12:33 PM on 10/31/2011

Go to Wyoming.

[Israelibabs]

12:32 PM on 10/31/2011

It must be the creationists criticizing the show. It's amazing that people can maintain such a low level of brain function. The show is great and shows that there is more that we don't know than we actually believe we know. Those of us that have had real experiences are glad there is somewhat of an explanation. If you don't like the show, change the channel!

[as63]

12:47 PM on 10/31/2011

Uh, I'd think that it was the creationists who believe in non-physical entities without scientific explanation or empirical evidence. "Low level of brain function" (?!) Why? because we (non-creationist / empiricists) assume that a bump-in-the-night is MORE likely to have an unremarkable explanation (cat, thrill-seeking teen, etc.) than something which defies all known rules of physics? I have spent dozens of nights in, supposedly, "haunted" places eager to see for myself. What happened? dozens of peaceful nights of slumber - that's it.

[Israelibabs]

10:50 PM on 10/31/2011

Nothing you say could change my mind. I've had experiences in two homes here and two homes in London. I used to be a skeptic just like you. I would gladly trade places any day.

[oldandintheway1]

12:27 PM on 10/31/2011

This show doesn't stand a "GHOST" of a chance , for me to watch, that is.

[amy carson]

12:28 PM on 10/31/2011

Boo!

[lpi2007]

12:27 PM on 10/31/2011

I hate to bust your bubble but, When you work for a national TV station something has to happen, some might be real but alot of it's faked, the got before faking evidence, several times, we are on a local station we pay for air time our self, we don't have to fake nothing, you want to see some real evidence, google Louisville Paranormal Investigations and see what ghost hunting is all about....

[WesStrikesBack]

12:27 PM on 10/31/2011

There is still no credible proof for the existence of spirits.

No photo that can't be explained, no story that couldn't be justified by more reasonable explanations.

Humans are social creatures and love to tell stories that get them attention.

^^^ There is the source of all paranormal activity. Except for bigfoot, who lives in my basement.

[Chris Carpenter]

12:42 PM on 10/31/2011

I've seen a convincing photo taken by a polaroid camera by a run of the mill family. The apparition is standing in front of a window on a landing buffeted by two staircases. The sun shining into the window reveals the obvious outline of a woman.

[WesStrikesBack]

12:53 PM on 10/31/2011

The polaroid picture of a sun spot on a window...hmmm.. Who took it? Who has analyzed it?

Let's apply Occam's Razor. Is it more likely, all things being equal, that an instamatic camera, which is designed to show light's image on chemical media, shows a glare reflection that approximates the shape of a woman..

Or is it more likely that a woman who died had her immortality miraculously changed into a visible spirit so she may warn the living people on this planet that they, too, may be damned to appear in polaroid pictures and wander the planet for eternity.

Dontcha think that by this time there would be so many spirits wandering around that we'd be tripping over them? I mean at least for the last 3000 years since God suddenly took an interest in people on this planet after ignoring humans for almost 200,000 years.

[wambam55]

12:54 PM on 10/31/2011

.....and Mary is on a burnt piece of toast and Jesus on a silo.

[SilverLib]

03:11 PM on 10/31/2011

When it comes to ghosts, seeing is believing. I was a complete skeptic, and still am, until I had my own experience, and there is nothing that could explain what I witnessed.

[gx5000]

12:04 PM on 10/31/2011

Enough of any Legal/illegal narcotic and you just might see ghosts.
Having just finished going through a series of medical Medications (legally) I can tell you that a few years ago I saw green Ghosts...people walking around, going through my medicine cabinet and such...illusions.
I was alone in the house at the time and very tired and medicated.
Knowing this I didn't "freak", I just waved back and laughed. It showed me how our senses and a disoriented brain can really play havoc with our sense of reality. Sometimes, just being scarred like some get in the middle of the woods, with only the moon to guide you can stir these primal fears...