Splintered Spirits

Nick Groff helped invent modern paranormal television, but this is the story you haven’t heard, told by the guy who shot it, cut it, and then had to walk away from it.In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with Nick to trace the wild arc from hyperactive New England horror nerd to the wedding-DJ meet‑cute that accidentally created Ghost Adventures. Nick breaks down how he actually built the original documentary: blowing his savings on cameras, piling into a tiny car with Aaron and Zak, and learning documentary storytelling on the fly while shadow figures, EVPs, and ghost-hunting-on-offense started to emerge on tape.From there, the conversation goes deep. Nick opens up about years of behind‑the‑scenes tension, the slow realization that the show he created was no longer his, and the phone calls and ultimatums that led to his quiet exit. He walks us through birthing Paranormal Lockdown and sleeping in morgue drawers until his toes went white, only to watch that series disappear in a corporate shuffle. And we end in the present: Death Walker, his upcoming feature film, and a new creative chapter built around his partnership with psychic-medium Tessa Groff and their very haunted, very busy family. If you care about ghosts, filmmaking, or what really happens when TV “bands” break up, this is Nick Groff unfiltered.

On May 7, 2026, Gary and John dive deep into a listener-submitted paranormal experience that starts as a ghost story and slowly unravels into something far more complicated. From terrifying childhood encounters at Gettysburg to West Virginia mine where the "re-enactors" turned out to be something no one can explain,  this episode has it all. You'll understand when you hear it.But the real twist? The deeper Gary reads, the more a dark picture emerges about the submitter’s Dad's "antique collection”: a sea container full of history's most questionable artifacts, including a Nazi shower valve purchased from a pop-up shop. Was the father’s disturbing fascination with horrific history bringing something evil into the house?  Gary and John debate whether the hauntings were paranormal, hereditary, or just a really uncomfortable family secret that needed to be said out loud.  Let's jump into the conversation…

A world‑renowned psychic medium, a paranormal TV icon, and two hosts who can turn 9/11 stories into dark comedy (too soon?), this episode has it all. Drawing from an intense near‑death experience at age four and a background in education and clinical mental health, Tessa Groff walks Gary and John through the evolution of her abilities, from seeing spirits at her bedside to leaving “normal” jobs behind to work full‑time with the dead. She opens up about using remote viewing to assist law enforcement on missing‑persons cases and homicides, the emotional weight of working with grieving families, and why she still chooses to say “yes” to the hardest cases.Tessa also pulls back the curtain on sold‑out casino and theater shows, including the now‑infamous “Titanic‑style naked grandma” reading, and explains what it’s really like to investigate haunted locations and develop new TV series alongside her husband, Nick Groff. Between the jokes, the mob‑tinted Niagara Falls stories, and some raw conversations about what “the other side” might actually be, this is Splintered Spirits at its funniest, most vulnerable, and most mind‑bending.

News 12 anchor Kristie Reeter is back on Splintered Spirits, and this time she survived Season 2 of Haunted Tri-State with two rosaries, a night in the Shanley Hotel's men's quarters, and a few experiences she still can't explain. We dig into all four new episodes, covering the Shanley Hotel in Napanoch NY, Kingsland Manor in Nutley NJ, a Prohibition-era speakeasy in lower Manhattan, and a haunted library in Middletown CT.Kristie breaks down the moments that shook her most, including a portrait that moved on its own, a thermal gun that couldn't explain what it was reading, and a crew member's deeply personal connection during a late-night investigation. We also get into the skeptics featured in the show, what it's like to sit across from someone trying to debunk everything you just experienced, and whether any evidence was good enough to give even the biggest doubters pause.Plus, Gary reveals he bailed on the Shanley after a couple of hours, John drops his theory on what that "family member" voice might actually have been, and we all agree someone needs to find a haunted Four Seasons. Season 3 is already in the works, and you won't want to miss what Kristie is lobbying for next.

Gary Galka is the engineer and inventor behind the Mel Meter, the PSB7 spirit box, and the REM Pod, devices that define modern paranormal investigation. His journey into the unknown began after the tragic loss of his 17-year-old daughter Melissa in 2004. What started as a father's grief became a decades-long mission to use real science to bridge the gap between the living and the dead.In this episode, Gary walks us through the invention and evolution of the tools that ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and researchers use worldwide. He also shares the deeply personal ITC research he has never sold or published, including full conversations with Melissa that he has verified against live radio broadcasts in real time. It will change how you think about spirit communication.Gary also shares what he believes spirits actually are, informed by his own out-of-body experiences, astral travel, and years of instrumental transcommunication research. His answer is fascinating. Whether you are a seasoned investigator or just starting to explore the paranormal, this conversation goes straight to the heart of the question Splintered Spirits was built to answer: What are spirits?

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John Santa from Santa Paranormal explore the latest in paranormal news, ghost hunting, UFO theories, cryptid sightings, haunted locations, and spirit communication. From strange deaths and conspiracy chatter to Bigfoot, Dogman, and Loch Ness Monster speculation, the conversation moves through the biggest supernatural topics shaping the paranormal community right now.We also dig into paranormal investigation tools, spirit boxes, haunted dolls, live ghost hunts, and the ongoing search for patterns in supernatural activity. Along the way, we talk about evidence, belief, energy, hauntings, and what it means to investigate the unknown in real time, blending humor, skepticism, and curiosity in a wide-ranging conversation for anyone fascinated by ghosts, the occult, and unexplained phenomena.

Gary and John are back for a live episode packed with paranormal news, show updates, and big conversations about where Splintered Spirits is headed. No guest this week, but that just means more time to dig into the stuff they love most, including a recap of their wild Ghostfire ITC session at the Shanley Hotel, a look at their recent episode with adult film star Aubrey Black and why sexual energy is actually a legitimate paranormal topic, and some genuinely exciting news about the show hitting the Apple Podcast charts in multiple countries.The guys also get into cryptids, aliens, haunted dolls, and why John is convinced aquatic apes are more believable than the Little Mermaid. Plus, learn how Splintered Spirits is about to become part of a real peer-reviewed parapsychology study, because apparently they are scientists now. Come for the paranormal news, stay for the chaos.

This week on Splintered Spirits, we’re stepping into the space where desire, death, and consciousness collide. Our guest is Aubrey Black, an internationally recognised adult film star, creative producer, and visual artist with a multi‑decade career spanning photography, media, fashion design, health, and fitness, who also comes from a New Zealand family where intuitive and spiritual gifts are part of everyday life.Behind the public persona, Aubrey is an ancestral researcher, and a lifelong intuitive who once tried to shut her abilities down out of fear before eventually choosing to explore them in a grounded, investigative way. In this episode, she shares stories of entities slipping under the covers, hotel spirits obsessed with her intimate life, and how sexual energy might fuel or shape paranormal phenomena, raising big questions about consent, voyeuristic hauntings, and what our desires look like on the other side.Content note: this episode includes frank but non‑explicit discussion of sex, adult film work, and some very cheeky spirits, so if you’re listening with kids, at work, or next to a prudish ghost, consider headphones.

This week on Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with paranormal researcher, intuitive medium, and Certified Master Spiritual Teacher, Tawney Lewis, a lead expert on the Travel Channel's hit series My Haunted Hometown and a recurring face on Ghost Adventures, Paranormal Revenge, and Scariest Places in America. Tawney pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to investigate haunted locations with both scientific tools and psychic intuition, sharing jaw-dropping cases from the Old Montana State Prison, a murder house in Houston, Texas, and a tattoo shop in Los Angeles where the spirit of a violent man refused to leave.From being mentored by world-renowned psychic medium Lisa Williams to teaching students how to unlock their own intuitive gifts, Tawney breaks down the Clairs: clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, and explains why ethics, not ability, is the foundation of real mediumship. She also shares her personal experience being physically ill after investigating the Oman House, encountering a potentially racist spirit at Heritage Square Museum's Octagon House, and why she refuses to investigate anything demonic.Whether you're a ghost hunter, a fan of paranormal TV, or someone trying to understand what spirits actually are, this episode delivers raw, honest, and deeply fascinating answers. Tawney Lewis doesn't just investigate the paranormal, she humanizes it. Subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation as we keep building the mosaic: What are spirits?

What happens when two lifelong paranormal investigators from Kansas City, who grew up in haunted houses, finally start telling their stories? You get Chumming with the Spirits. In this episode, Gary and John Santa from Santa Paranormal sit down with J.D. Duvall and Larry "Para-chum" Buchanan for one of the most entertaining and eye-opening ghost hunting conversations yet. These two have spent decades in the field, and the firsthand paranormal experiences they bring to the table, whether it’s chilling childhood encounters to unforgettable haunted location investigations, will make even the most skeptical listener think twice.The conversation spans everything from residual hauntings and intelligent spirits to non-human entities, Bigfoot encounters, and the deeper question of what it all really means. But beyond the supernatural, JD and Larry bring something rare to the paranormal community: a genuine spirit of collaboration and curiosity that reminds us why so many of us are drawn to the unknown in the first place. If you love real talk about ghost hunting, the afterlife, and what might be lurking just beyond our understanding, this is the episode for you.  Remember to hit the like button, and dive into the conversation.

Skepticism meets the supernatural when Gary sits down with Benjamin Radford, one of the world’s best-known paranormal investigators and deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer. Author of Investigating Ghosts, Scientific Paranormal Investigation, Tracking the Chupacabra, and more than a dozen other books, Ben has spent decades chasing claims about hauntings, monsters, and mysterious phenomena around the globe.​Together they dig into why “I know what I saw” is powerful but unreliable, how culture and media shape what we think ghosts and spirits are, and what real evidence for hauntings, EVPs, and cryptids like Bigfoot or lake monsters would actually look like. Gary challenges Ben on what could ever convince a skeptic that ghosts are real, while Ben explains why good investigations start with psychology, baselines, and careful definitions—not just gadgets in the dark.​If you’re into ghost hunting, paranormal TikTok, skeptical inquiry, or you’re a believer who secretly wants a sharper BS detector, this Splintered Spirits episode will push your thinking on what “spirits” might be—and what happens when someone truly tries to test that belief.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with viral paranormal content creator and ghost hunter Jake Bruce to explore what happens when you mix legit fear, smart storytelling, and the weirdest corners of the spirit world. Together they dig into Jake’s early experiences that pushed him beyond “ghost tour tourist” into full‑blown ghost hunter, how childhood trips to historic battlefields and haunted orphanages shaped his view of spirits, and why he still admits he’s genuinely terrified on investigations. Listeners get a behind‑the‑scenes look at how a new‑school creator approaches hauntings, from live streams and short‑form content to fully planned, smartly produced paranormal episodes designed for YouTube, TikTok, and beyond.The conversation also tackles the realities of modern ghost hunting and paranormal fame: dealing with trolls, getting banned from locations, experimenting with ghost apps and budget gear, and trying to balance authenticity with entertainment value. Jake talks about using humor, loud music, and high‑energy reactions as coping mechanisms in dark locations, while still taking the history and the phenomena seriously. If you’re into ghost hunting, haunted locations, paranormal investigation, or you’re a content creator curious how to turn supernatural adventures into binge‑worthy video, this episode delivers a mix of storytelling, practical insight, and genuinely unsettling encounters—all in the signature light‑hearted, tone of Splintered Spirits.

Splintered Spirits sits down with broadcaster, paranormal investigator, and intuitive ITC specialist Greg Bakun, host of Ghost Box Radio, for a deep dive into what it really means to talk to the dead. From the first time a spirit box answered him in a creepy Minneapolis basement to a jaw‑dropping session where a voice claiming to be Abraham Lincoln identified his own deathbed photo, Greg unpacks why he believes these aren’t “dark forces” but actual people still trying to communicate. He walks Gary and John through his no‑nonsense, SB7‑driven method, his reluctance to over‑process evidence, and how he found himself unexpectedly acting as a bridge between grieving families and the voices of their loved ones.Across the conversation, Greg tackles the big questions at the heart of the show: what spirits are, why some refuse to “cross over,” and how belief, fear, and even ideas like “soul contracts” might shape your afterlife. He shares visceral stories from public investigations gone sideways, locations ruled by “gatekeeper” entities, and his evolving sense of ethics when audiences, spirits, and content all collide. Along the way, the three get candid about ego in paranormal media, rising investigation costs, the tension between tech and mediumship, and what responsible, evidence‑based investigation should look like in an era of viral clips and celebrity ghost hunters.Greg Bakun: Ghost Box Radio

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, host Gary sits down with world-renowned psychic medium Cathy Nadal for a live coffee reading at Coffee Unique in Bronxville, New York. Cathy—author of Seeing More Than Clouds in Your Coffee, certified with the Forever Family Foundation, registered nurse, and retired U.S. Army Colonel—uses espresso and Turkish coffee to demonstrate tasseography, turning Gary’s cup into a map of his past, present, and future. As repeating symbols emerge in both cups, Gary and Cathy dig into psychic validation, spirit communication, and how coffee readings can reveal deeply personal messages from the other side, making this a must-listen for fans of psychic mediums, paranormal podcasts, and coffee divination.

In this less-edited redux of one of our wildest early episodes, Gary and John head back into Johnny’s infamous haunted basement with psychic-medium and author Cathy Nadal to see what still lurks in the dark. With cameras rolling this time, Cathy walks into the space cold and immediately starts pulling detailed hits on the building’s history, secret societies, and a vicious Scottish spirit named Edward—long before the spirit boxes ever turn on. As the tension builds, the energy spikes so hard that an object literally flies off the wall, and everyone has to decide whether to keep going or get out.​This re-release is the raw, nearly unfiltered cut of that night: more basement, more spirits, more of Cathy and Johnny comparing their abilities, and more of Edward’s taunts as he wages his own “fight for the nexus.” You’ll hear how Cathy validates years of Johnny’s basement investigations, calls out a serpentine secret order, and even gets directly acknowledged—and threatened—by the spirits themselves.​If you heard the original audio-only version, this is your chance to experience the full Big Ghost Energy of that session with added video and fewer cuts, exactly as it unfolded in real time.

On this week’s episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John go off-script and deep into the tension between believers and professional skeptics in the paranormal world. They unpack their conversations with skeptic heavyweights. From what it would actually take to convince a skeptic—a levitating grandfather clock, maybe?—to how evidence is judged in science versus ghost hunting, they probe why some people need something almost cinematically impossible before they’ll even consider spirits might be real.They also pull back the curtain on the cottage industry of rage‑bait creators who build channels by tearing down mediums, investigators, and even grief counselors, using Gary’s mind‑bending reading with psychic medium Cathy Nadal as a case study.  Along the way, they tease a loaded slate of upcoming episodes: a conversation‑driven Shanley Hotel deep dive, a sit‑down with REM pod and SB7 inventor Gary Galka, another skeptic interview with Benjamin Radford, an intimate look at sexual energy and spirits with an adult film star, and a full Turkish‑coffee reading with Cathy that will delight believers and make skeptics grind their teeth.

James Underdown has spent over 25 years trying to give away $500,000 to anyone who can prove a paranormal ability under real test conditions, and no one has even come close. In this episode, Gary and John sit down with the executive director of Center for Inquiry West and founder of the Independent Investigations Group to dig into wild claims of telepathy, telekinesis, dowsing, “teleporting” horseflies, and the ghost gadgets that flood paranormal TV, while James explains why he believes science and psychology can fully account for what many people call hauntings.Rather than arguing about who is “right,” the conversation leans into the tension between John’s work documenting spirits and James’s commitment to skeptical investigation, exploring where brain states, belief, culture, and genuine weird experiences collide. If you are fascinated by ghosts, curious about what is really happening during spirit box sessions, or just want to hear a skeptic and a paranormal creator push each other in real time, this episode will challenge your assumptions without killing the thrill of the unknown.If you think you have the abilities to win the $500,000 prize, visit the CIF. Link is in the linktree in our bio.

Splintered Spirits goes live with Mandy Cummings of the Ghost Sisters, an all‑female paranormal investigation team from Ohio known for their raw, unfiltered ghost hunting across some of the most haunted locations in the Midwest. In this episode, paranormal investigator and medium Mandy shares how her years as a corrections officer shaped her approach to investigating haunted prisons, jails, and infamous hotspots like the Mansfield Reformatory and the Bel Air House. From capturing a full‑body apparition of a guard in solitary confinement to hearing intelligent “cat‑call” responses echo through abandoned cell blocks, she breaks down how law enforcement instincts, psychic mediumship, and hard evidence collide in real‑world investigations.The conversation dives deep into one of the Ghost Sisters’ most disturbing residential hauntings, a TV‑level case involving possible demonic activity, attachments, and a terrified family living in an active haunted house. Mandy explains her process as a psychic medium doing cold walkthroughs with no prior research, using tools like the Estes Method and spirit boxes only after she’s mapped the energy of a location. Along the way, the team tackles cursed objects, haunted dolls and stuffed animals, secret‑society vibes, and even cryptid territory—Bigfoot and Grassman footprints, howls in the woods, and crossover between ghost hunting and cryptid research. If you’re into paranormal podcasts, ghost hunting shows, real haunted house stories, or female‑led paranormal teams, this episode is packed with eerie evidence, emotional stories, and practical insight into what spirits might really be.Link to The Ghost Sisters in the Linktree in our bio.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary heads into the heart of Hollywood “magick” to sit down in person with psychic medium and self-described good witch of Hollywood, Patti Negri. From hosting her first childhood seance in Southern California to becoming one of TV’s most recognizable witches, Patti traces how a secret magical life ran parallel to her Hollywood career until a single reality TV seance blew the broom closet door wide open.Patti gives Gary a crash course in practical witchcraft and divination—dowsing rods, tarot, crystal balls, black mirrors, and everyday spells for money, protection, and emotional balance—while explaining why she believes light, high-vibration magic will always outlast the dark arts. They dig into her work on Ghost Adventures and with top paranormal influencers, the rise of witchcraft and alternative spirituality in chaotic times, and how she juggles being an entrepreneur, teacher, and witch through Paraflixx and her international school, University Magickus.Along the way, Patti shares intense encounters with so-called dark witches, haunted dolls, portals, and demonic energy, but always comes back to empowerment: reclaiming intuition, working with the elements, and remembering that you help create the spiritual world you have to live in.

Ashley from Ghost Gossip Pod joins Splintered Spirits Live for a fun, fast, and heartfelt dive into haunted houses, psychic intuition, and the strange path that led her from the federal court system to full-time paranormal podcasting. She shares how buying a haunted house she didn’t know was haunted, waking up to footsteps and disembodied voices, and feeling “a little crazy” pushed her to start Ghost Gossip as a safe, nonjudgmental space for people to talk about their ghost stories and real-life paranormal experiences.Gary and John dig into her life with a house ghost named Al, a protective haunted doll that “chose” her in a dream, and how intention, spiritual boundaries, and energetic protection matter when you invite spirits and haunted objects into your home. Ashley opens up about being a “human lie detector,” getting crystal-clear psychic hits and clairaudient warnings that prevent real-world harm, and navigating the emotional weight of being an empath who constantly feels others’ emotions—especially her kids’.Along the way, they tackle bigger questions: what spirits might be, why hauntings and ghost activity are just as common in the daytime, and whether intuition is a natural psychic “muscle” some people simply develop further. They also dive into the modern paranormal community and content-creator world—paranormal podcast drama, toxic gatekeeping, clout-chasing, and cancellation gossip—while championing a more collaborative, community-first approach for ghost hunters, investigators, and fans of the unexplained.

One of the most recognizable psychics and mediums on the planet sits down with Splintered Spirits in this candid, no-BS conversation with television legend Chip Coffey. Known from hit shows like Kindred Spirits, Psychic Kids, and Paranormal State, Chip unpacks his near-death–adjacent birth, growing up in genuinely haunted homes, and how a background in acting, counseling, and psychology shaped the way he works with both spirits and living clients.Gary and John dig into Chip’s definitions of ghosts versus spirits, residual versus interactive hauntings, and why he believes our own energy is often the real catalyst for paranormal activity. Chip shares harrowing cases from Paranormal State (including demonic assaults that even shocked hospital staff), explains what TV gets right and wrong about the field, and offers blunt thoughts on skeptics, infighting in the paranormal world, and the fading era of paranormal television.Along the way, he challenges Gary’s beliefs, talks about why he’s retreated from the public eye, and leaves listeners with heartfelt advice for families raising intuitive kids and anyone who suspects they might be psychic themselves.

Gary and John celebrate one year of Splintered Spirits by breaking down their most ambitious experiment yet: a multi-participant Estes Method session that evolves into what they call the Synchronized Estes Protocol (SEP), a group format where multiple blindfolded listeners simultaneously report what they hear from spirit boxes. They unpack synced responses, wild physical reactions (from trance-like sleep to someone walking out after feeling touched), and how group Estes sessions expose personal bias, audio pareidolia, and the blurred line between spirit communication and human expectation.​Along the way, they explore what this experiment means for modern ghost hunting, ITC research, and the core question “What are spirits?”, while teasing upcoming episodes with mediums, skeptics, investigators, and researchers tackling consciousness, haunted locations, and real-world paranormal claims. Perfect for fans of paranormal podcasts, ghost hunting, spirit boxes (Necrophonic, Spiritus, Vox), the Estes Method, and anyone curious about pushing spirit communication experiments to the next level.

A century-old textile factory, a notorious spirit named Peter, whispered rumors of blood rituals from 1997, and a room full of blindfolded guests wired into the unknown might be Splintered Spirits’ most ambitious experiment yet. In this first ever SEP Test (Synchronized Estes Protocol Experiment), Gary and John return to John’s former office inside a massive 1860s factory to attempt what they believe is the first multi-person Estes Method session, using silent-disco headsets provided by Silence Activations ( silenceactivations.com) sensory deprivation to separate real spirit communication from audio pareidolia.Across the night, the group appears to connect with documented entities like Peter and the mask-bound spirit Sam, hears chilling references to long-whispered rituals, and witnesses a bizarre “F you Lisa” moment that lands just as John’s wife stands up to leave. Some guests feel touches and intense presence, others slip into deep calm or nod off entirely, leaving listeners to decide whether this was coordinated contact from the other side or just our pattern-seeking brains working overtime.

Splintered Spirits is live talking about ghost hunting, upcoming guests, the pod's one-year anniversary, and a call-to-arms to save one of Paranormal's Most Valuable Assets - John's Tooth!

Drag queen paranormal investigator and author Monique Toosoon joins Splintered Spirits for a wild dive into ghosts, hauntings, and high‑camp horror. From legendary haunted locations like The Conjuring House, Wilson Castle, and historic asylums to sold‑out overnight ghost hunts, Monique shares how investigating in full drag as “the ghost-ess with the mostest” turns her into a powerful trigger object that supercharges spirit communication and EVPs. Gary and John explore what spirits are, queer visibility in the paranormal field, and how glamour, energy, and $20K of ghost‑hunting equipment transform a traditional ghost hunt into a live paranormal experience. Fans of haunted locations, real‑life ghost stories, paranormal investigation, drag, and horror will find plenty to latch onto in this conversation.Links to Monique and her latest book can be found in the linktree in our bio.

Author, witch, and medium Melissa St. Hilaire joins Splintered Spirits for a live deep dive into real signs from the afterlife, everyday magic, and what it truly means to live as an “American Witch.” She shares how spirits communicate, the most misunderstood “signs” people receive, and how her work as a psychic, spellcaster, and animal communicator helps bridge the gap between the living and the dead. All of it circles back to our favorite big question: What are Spirits?Links to Melissa and her book can be found in the linktree in our bio.

On this episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re crossing over into the Realm of Darkness.Our guests are the duo behind one of the most atmospheric, boots-on-the-ground shows in the paranormal true crime space: producer, writer, and investigator Ashley Moreno and filmmaker, investigator, and storyteller Nate Cogar. Together, they’ve built Realm of Darkness and The Dark Travel Chronicles into a journey through haunted locations, unsolved histories, and the lingering echoes of lives cut short, blending meticulous research with firsthand encounters in some of the most unsettling places you can visit.In this conversation, we’re digging into how Ashley and Nate got pulled into the paranormal, how they balance true crime with the ethics of real-world tragedy, and what it actually takes to chase ghosts and dark history across the country with cameras rolling. We’ll talk investigations that changed them, locations they’ll never forget, and how their work has reshaped what they think spirits might be.https://www.youtube.com/@RealmOfDarkness04

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re joined by Lauren Hellekson, the mind behind Lauren Haunts (laurenhaunts.com), a paranormal investigator, equipment builder, author, and physics student who lives at the intersection of curiosity and skepticism.Lauren approaches the paranormal from an angle we don’t often see. She designs and builds her own investigative gear, grounding her work in concepts like electromagnetism, static fields, and energy theory, while still leaving room for the unknown. With a background that blends hands-on electronics, spiritual inquiry, and formal studies in physics and astronomy, she challenges how ghost hunting is usually done and asks harder questions about what we’re really measuring when we say a place is haunted.We talk about custom-built paranormal equipment, the role of science in investigating unexplained phenomena, common mistakes investigators make, and how belief, bias, and environment can influence results. Lauren also shares what drew her into this work, how her academic studies have reshaped her thinking, and what she believes the future of paranormal research could look like if curiosity and rigor finally meet in the middle.Whether you’re a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, this conversation digs into the gray area where data ends and mystery begins.Subscribe, follow, and join the conversation as we continue trying to understand what ghosts might actually be, fractured memories, energy, or something we haven’t named yet.

What if you could hear a voice and see its color? What if a single touch revealed someone’s soul?In this live episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re joined by The Blue Bodhi, known to her followers as The Godmother of Magic. A shamanic medium, aura artist, and spiritual advisor with over 600K followers on TikTok, Bodhi has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia that allows her to see sound, touch, and even letters as color. She uses this gift to read the layers of a person’s aura and reveal what lives beneath the surface.After surviving two near-death experiences at nineteen and later being diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, Bodhi began connecting ancient spiritual traditions with modern neuroscience, exploring why seers, shamans, and oracles throughout history shared similar neurological traits.She’s drawn aura portraits for celebrities like Dustin Diamond, Ray Park, and Vinnie Appice, hosts twice-weekly live Reiki healing sessions for thousands around the world, and runs the Black Horse Project, a spiritual initiative designed to help people feel safe at night.Let’s Dive into the Conversation.

Amber Copeland from hauntedatx.com, a haunted tour guide in Austin, TX, joins the pod and shares some of her ghostly evidence. Gary and John catch up and talk about what's to come in 2026. And Gary has a new theory on what spirits may be.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary sits down with Matthew Botsford, whose life changed forever in 1992 when a stray bullet struck him in the head. His heart stopped. Doctors fought to save him. But while his body lay in a coma, Matthew says his consciousness went somewhere else… and it was not peaceful.Matthew describes a realm of darkness, agony, and malevolent entities, a place he believes was “hell,” and the profound moment something reached into that darkness and pulled him out. We explore what he experienced, what he believes spirits truly are, whether these realms are psychological, spiritual, or something we don’t yet understand, and how it reshaped his entire life.Whether you’re skeptical, spiritual, fascinated, or unsettled, this conversation forces you to confront a question we ask every week: What are spirits… really?

Happy New Year, Splintered Spirits Society! On this episode Gary talks about everything he's learned in 2025 and what's to come for Splintered Spirits on 2026!

How do you know when you come across an evil spirit that it's not necessarily a demon, but just an "asshole"?In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary sits down with demonologist and author James Annitto to answer that question. James, a former ordained Old Catholic deacon and founder of the Dominion Ministry, brings over two decades of experience investigating the dark edges of the paranormal.James is known for his objective approach, often looking through a psychological lens before jumping to supernatural conclusions. In this interview, he shares terrifying case files that blurred the line between mental health crises and true evil, including a premonition of murder that almost made him quit the field.In this episode, we cover:The Difference: Distinguishing between a haunting, a demonic infestation, and a spirit that is just a jerk.The Nightmare Case: A harrowing story where James dreamt of dismembering a family—only to arrive the next day and find them wearing the exact clothes from his dream.The "Wall Puncher": The time James caught a lonely elderly woman staging poltergeist activity on CCTV.True Possession: A violent encounter in Salem, MA involving physical transformations and a rosary that instantly oxidized.Pop Culture: What movies like Nefarious and Insidious actually get right about the paranormal.Featured Book:James Annitto’s new book, The Psychological Dimensions of the Paranormal, is available now:  https://amzn.to/47duJBsTimestamps:0:00 - Intro: What are spirits?2:15 - From Deacon to Demonologist8:45 - Defining a Demon: Evil Spirit or Fallen Angel?22:45 - The Nightmare Case: A Demonic Infestation40:30 - Debunking the Wall-Punching Ghost51:00 - The "Trifecta" of Evidence1:04:00 - Advice to a Young DemonologistAbout Splintered Spirits:Hosted by Gary, Splintered Spirits explores the strange, the haunted, and the theories that might explain it all. We are trying to find the answer to one question: What are spirits?

Marie Jackson, the fearless creator behind Ghost Link Productions and Paranormal Impact, joins Gary and John on Splintered Spirits Live! With more than 100 investigations across haunted homes, abandoned sites, historic locations, and active hotspots, Marie brings lived experience, emotional truth, and cinematic storytelling to the world of the paranormal. She has become a powerful voice in a space that has not always been inclusive, using her work to uplift underrepresented communities and reshape how paranormal stories are told.In this conversation, Marie shares how growing up in a haunted home shaped her perspective, what she believes spirits truly are, how trauma and healing intersect with the supernatural, and why representation matters in paranormal media. We also dive into her upcoming TV series Supernatural Sistas, her books TEN FEET UNDER and TEN FEET ABOVE, and how she bridges spirituality, investigation, creativity, and cultural identity.If you care about authenticity, powerful storytelling, inclusivity in the paranormal world, and redefining what it means to encounter the unknown, this episode is for you.Links to Marie's Insta and Book can be found in our Link Tree:https://linktr.ee/splinteredspirits

What happens when a law written during the Civil War crawls out of the history books to threaten a modern-day business owner with jail time?In October 2023, the Police Chief of Hanover, Pennsylvania, walked into The Serpent's Key Shoppe & Sanctuary with a warning for owner Beck Ravenswood: Stop reading tarot cards for money, or face prosecution under an 1861 state statute banning "fortune telling for gain or lucre."Instead of hiding the decks, Beck fought back, filing a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of trying magic in a modern court.In this episode, Gary and John sit down with Beck Ravenswood to discuss not only her background but:The surreal experience of being threatened with an archaic law in the 21st century.The dark history of anti-vagrancy laws used to target spiritual communities.The reality of the ongoing battle to protect First Amendment rights for pagans and practitioners.Whether this legal zombie is just bureaucracy at work, or a historical prejudice actively haunting Hanover.Does the law fear what it can’t understand? Join the conversation as we split the difference between the legal and the mystical.GUEST LINKS Keep up with Beck Ravenswood and their legal fight:Instagram: @the_stitching_witchTikTok: @thestitchingwitchShop: https://serpentskeyshoppe.com/👻 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of every episode! 🎧 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. 📱 Follow the show on Social Media:Instagram: @splinteredspiritspodTikTok: @splinteredspiritsFacebook: Splintered Spirits Page#SplinteredSpirits #BeckRavenswood #TarotLaw #Witchcraft #FirstAmendment #HanoverPA #TrueCrime #ParanormalPodcast #FortuneTellingBan

Brian Sterling-Vete joins Splintered Spirits for a conversation that cuts through hype and superstition with equal parts science, skepticism, and dry British humor. Brian is the founder of Paranormal Rescue, a best-selling author, a Guinness World Record holder, and a former BBC broadcaster who brings a sharp, analytical mind to the world of ghosts, hauntings, and unexplained phenomena.Brian shares the strange UFO encounter that set him on this path, the wild events he lived through inside a 110-room Tudor mansion, and why his upcoming book Quantum Paranormal aims to connect the mysteries of consciousness and hauntings with real physics. We dig into his scientific ghost hunting approach, the story behind Project Half-Life, and why being open-minded does not mean abandoning logic.If you have ever wondered where solid investigation ends and real high strangeness begins, this conversation is a clear reminder that the truth is usually stranger, funnier, and far more complicated than people want to admit.

Despite some tech issues and internet drop-outs, Gary and John manage to pull off another live episode catching up John's Gettysburg Trip, the Ghost of the Grandfather Clock, and the big things to come as we turn the year.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John talk with Steven Parsons, one of the UK’s most respected paranormal investigators and the author of Ghostology: The Art of the Ghost Hunter. Unlike the TV shows and viral ghost hunts built on flashing gadgets and jump scares, Steven approaches the supernatural with a scientist’s precision—studying how sound, psychology, and technology can both reveal and distort our perception of the unseen. Together, we explore why ghost hunting needs more skepticism and fewer theatrics, how audio and environmental data can uncover natural explanations for “hauntings,” and what social media is doing to reshape the way people experience the paranormal. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the science behind the spirits—and what happens when you stop chasing shadows and start asking better questions.Ghostology: https://amzn.to/4heGJHs

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John Santa (@santaparanormal) sit down with producer and documentarian Mike Dorsey, whose career has taken him deep into the world of the paranormal.Dorsey produced and edited the hit documentary Demon House with Zak Bagans, co-executive produced Ghost Adventures: House Calls on Discovery+, and served as showrunner for Destinations of the Damned, a globe-spanning docuseries filmed in 13 countries. His work has brought him face-to-face with haunted homes, cursed destinations, and unexplained phenomena across the world.We talk with Mike about what it’s like to produce ghost shows with major talent like Zak Bagans, how he balances storytelling with authentic paranormal experiences, and why audiences are so drawn to the mysteries of the spirit world. Along the way, Mike shares behind-the-scenes insights into the challenges of filming in haunted places, the surprises that happen when the cameras are rolling, and what he’s learned from years of bringing ghost stories to life on screen.If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to capture the paranormal for television, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with Rosie Grant, the food folklorist behind Ghostly Archive and the author of To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes. Rosie has spent years traveling to cemeteries around the country, uncovering headstones engraved with actual recipes, baking each dish, then bringing the finished food back to the grave to share a bite with the person who inspired it.We talk about her unusual childhood surrounded by ghost tours, how she fell in love with archives, the moment she discovered her first gravestone recipe, and what it’s like to cook for people who can’t exactly leave a Yelp review.Rosie opens up about the families she’s met, the memories behind these recipes, and why food might be one of the most powerful ways we keep the dead alive. There are cookies, casseroles, touching stories, and a surprising amount of joy for an episode about those that have passed.If you’ve ever wondered how a recipe becomes a legacy or why cemeteries might be less scary than you think, this conversation is for you.Rosie's Book: TO DIE FOR

John spends Veterans Day cleaning soldiers’ headstones while Gary wonders if it’s really “volunteering” when the ghosts might be supervising. Between stories of eerie calm and unexpected energy spikes, they dig into why honoring the dead sometimes leads to very lively encounters.A thoughtful (and occasionally ridiculous) episode of Splintered Spirits that mixes heart, history, and a few laughs among the tombstones.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John talk with Mark Marinaccio (https://linktr.ee/strangestoryco), Executive Producer of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch and veteran of Ghost Hunters. Mark has built a career exploring the edge of what can be explained. He has documented strange events, guided research teams through unusual experiments, and helped define how audiences experience the paranormal on screen.He shares how growing up with a psychic mother and a sci-fi-loving father shaped his curiosity, what it’s really like to oversee investigations at Skinwalker Ranch, and how he balances skepticism with belief.If you’re drawn to the space where science meets mystery, this conversation belongs on your playlist!

A live episode from the vault that slipped though the cracks, and we dropped

Gary and John talk about commonalities amongst our guests interpretations of spirits, the idea of other dimensions, the "woo-woo"-ness of energy, big plans for the future, and maybe have an interaction with a spirit.

Modern Mortisha joins Splintered Spirits for a conversation that dives into the strange space where horror becomes art. She has built a world of two-sentence stories, silent performances, and carefully crafted moments that feel unsettling even when nothing moves. Her characters tilt their heads a little too slowly, her scenes linger a little too long, and her humor slips in at the moment you least expect it. In this episode we explore how she designs fear without relying on jump scares, how she shapes a story with nothing but a gesture, and why the smallest choice in framing can twist a simple idea into something haunting. If you love creators who reinvent how horror feels online, you are in the right place. Let’s dive into the conversation.Modern Mortisha: https://beacons.ai/modern.mortisha

John and Gary talk about big plans for John's Holiday party.

ALERT: Everything you hear from Ghost Fire is 100% real, buuuuut I did add some Halloween fun. Let me know if you see any apparitions and how many you spot 😈Gary takes Ghost Fire, the custom spirit box he built from scratch, out for its first real test. The mission: find out if the device can actually let us communicate with whatever’s on the other side. Join Gary as he pushes the boundaries between science and spirit in this hands-on field test of Ghost Fire.👻 Follow @santaparanormal and @splinteredspirits for behind-the-scenes updates#GhostFire #SpiritBox #SplinteredSpirits #ParanormalPodcast #GhostHunting

The Hudson Valley all female paranormal investigation team, Full Moon Paranormal joins John and Gary on this week's live!

Gary's sister and John's mother, Cathy Santa visits Splintered Spirits to go over the re-release of Episode 6 where Cathy Nadal gave Gary a reading. The guys also talk about their upcoming episode with Andrea Perron and her mission to make sure her family's former farmhouse (aka The Conjuring House) winds up in good hands.Andrea Perron's GoFundMe:https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-conjuring-house

This week on Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with Andrea Perron—author, survivor, and the eldest daughter from the true story that inspired The Conjuring. But this isn’t about the haunting. It’s about everything that came after.Andrea opens up about decades of reflection, how she made peace with what happened in that farmhouse, and how she’s now facing a new fight: five brain tumors and a renewed mission to preserve the home that changed her life forever.It’s a conversation about fear, faith, and what survival really looks like when the ghosts don’t leave—and neither do you.🔗 Support Andrea’s GoFundMe with Jason Hawes: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-conjuring-house House of Darkness, House of Light - vol 1 - https://amzn.to/4okWte9vol 2 - https://amzn.to/4ofafz4vol 3 - https://amzn.to/3KV3p3e