Does Ghostbusters Represent Ghost Hunting in Real Life?

October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 Alex Matsuo

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One of the most common questions I’m asked is whether or not Ghostbusters is accurate to real-life ghost hunting. Anytime I do conventions like ConCarolinas, AtomaCon, MystiCon, etc. I’m usually on a panel about Ghostbusters in some capacity. Either it’s “Ghostbusters versus Ghost Hunting”, or “Real-Life Ghostbusting”, something to that effect. Because I am a paranormal investigator and also a fan of Ghostbusters, it makes me one of the go-to people for that topic. With the new movie, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), coming up, this is the perfect time to talk about real life versus fiction.

Real Ghost Hunting

There are some things about Ghostbusters that are definitely not true. For one, ghost hunting is never that exciting. In reality, you’re sitting in the dark for eight hours and then you might see like maybe a blip of an apparition or something may fall over that has no explanation. That’s if you’re lucky. But that’s it. You know we don’t really ever see full-bodied apparitions right away or sometimes ever.

We can’t catch ghosts and put them in a ghost trap. We don’t use proton packs and use the streams to wrangle spirits.

Also we’re more discreet. When I do residential cases, I’m not in my team t-shirt or anything like that. We tend to dress like normal people in regular street clothes. This happens because we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. We do our investigations very privately because our clients may not want the neighborhood to know that they have a haunted house. Truly, we wouldn’t be walking around in flight suits and our equipment all hanging out unless we are someplace like Gettysburg where ghost hunting is a thing. But, none of us own flight suits. My team has t-shirts, but we don’t have official uniforms.

A Family History

I think most, if not all, Ghostbusters fans know by now that Dan Aykroyd has a family history of psychical researchers, parapsychology researchers, and paranormal researchers. His great-grandfather, Samuel Aykroyd, was interested in psychic research and psychic experiences. He regularly held seances in his home and he primarily worked with a medium named Walter Ashurst. So Samuel, Dan Aykroyd’s great-grandfather, had this keen interest in psychics being in touch with the other side. That interest went on to Maurice Aykroyd, who is Dan Aykroyd’s grandfather. They were owners of journals like the American Society for Psychical Research and other academic studies of the supernatural.

In fact, Dan’s father, Peter Aykroyd, wrote a book called, A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters. You can get it on Kindle for about ten dollars. If you want a paperback copy, you’re gonna be spending almost a hundred bucks right now. I’m guessing it’s because of the Ghostbusters name being so big right now. Everyone’s trying to scramble to get a copy of the book. I happened to find mine at a used bookstore. It’s a great book. Dan Aykroyd wrote the foreword for the book. So Dan took his family’s interest and family history and integrated elements of that into the Ghostbusters movies.

Zener Cards

So there’s a lot of things sprinkled throughout the movies that you know are exaggerations or embellishments, but they’re not complete fabrications. One of my favorites are the Zener cards. They are what you see in the beginning of the first Ghostbusters movie. Venkman, played by Bill Murray, is doing a test with Zener cards. This is based on testing ESP and intuition. But also, it’s like a probability game too. So people will do these tests and you can do them at home too. There’s actually worksheets available online where you can test your ESP, your intuition, and check off if you’re right or wrong. You don’t even need other people to do this. All you have to do is shuffle the cards and concentrate. I love these cards and they’re really good just to have fun with.

Witness Interviews

Another thing that is true uh you know when we’re in the first Ghostbusters movie is interviews with witnesses. In the movie, after the librarian sees the ghost and collapses on the sofa, Venkman is basically questioning her. By the way, I love how Venkman is the resident skeptic. Every team should have a skeptic. He’s asking the librarian if she has any family history of mental incompetence, history of drugs or alcohol, and more. This is actually very typical of what my team will ask our clients. We ask similar questions about a history of drugs and alcohol, and have they been diagnosed with anything psychologically. This is to get the full picture and the full story to try to debunk as much as possible.

We don’t want to involuntarily validate someone unnecessarily, so we’ll ask those kinds of questions because we really want to know what we’re working with here. Also, we don’t walk in right away believing the person now. We go in fully understanding that scary experience was very real to our clients, and what we’re there to do is to help them understand what that experience was. More often than not, it’s helping them understand that those footsteps they heard were squeaky floorboards.

Recording Everything & The Legal Stuff

Of course, we record everything. We got our camcorders, audio recorders and a full system surveillance setup. There is usually someone watching the cameras during investigations because we want to see everything that’s happening. We can’t be in multiple places at once. So those cameras help us record everything. By the way, in case you’re wondering, yes, we do have clients sign liability paperwork. They sign release forms and they sign contracts.

Another thing that is pretty true is how people react to seeing ghosts. For example, when the guys are seeing the ghost in the library for the first time, they’re like, “So what do we do?” That actually happens more often than you think on ghost hunts. Especially when you do have a skeptic who has an experience. We rarely say “Get her!” or “ Get them!” We don’t do that because more often than not we lose that connection.

The Tech

I wish I had an Egon Spengler on my team. The PKE meter, the gigameter, the goggles, proton packs, ghost traps…obviously none of them are real. Tny of the tech that we do have as ghost hunters is not made to detect ghosts. They’re made to detect something else.

Maybe the closest piece of equipment to reality is the PKE meter? You know a lot of paranormal investigators will compare to a K2 meter. What that does is it detects the levels of electromagnetic fields. This doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a ghost nearby. It just means that the EMF is high wherever we’re at. There is a common belief that high EMF or fluctuating EMF means there are spirits. My team measures the level of electromagnetic fields. If there is a high level of EMF, sometimes that does cause hallucinations or feelings of someone watching you. Many will assume right away that it’s a paranormal experience. But really you might just need to turn off a TV or a computer here and there.

So really, what we’re doing is we’re detecting changes in the environment. We don’t actually have equipment that can detect ghosts. We’re looking for changes in the environment and then seeing if there’s any correlation with paranormal experiences. For example, if someone sees a shadow in the hallway, then they hear a piece of equipment go off, we’ll make a note of it and try to debunk it first. We don’t have the fancy tech like they do in Ghostbusters that actually detect ghosts but we do have tech.

University Research Programs

Another part of Ghostbusters that is kind of true is that there are research programs within universities to study paranormal and parapsychological events. Duke University used to have a parapsychology unit within their psychology department, run by J.B. Rhine. Once Rhine left Duke, he actually took the parapsychology unit with him. Today, we have the Rhine Research Center and they’re still active to this day. they’re still going strong. There are people with scientific backgrounds who are exploring this. They’re doing experiments, and they’re publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals. Universities with parapsychology programs that are definitely not fabrication. If you want to study parapsychology in a university setting, more often than not, you’re going to have to go overseas.

I know the University of Edinburgh has parapsychology under the psychology department. There are even a few people who will get their master’s degrees or get some sort of certificates from these graduate programs in university. I actually know some folks who have PhDs. They’re not necessarily like parapsychology or in the paranormal but they use a paranormal emphasis in their studies. For example, I know someone with a PhD in psychology and she studied the psychological effects of EVP on people. That’s kind of a loophole you know some people will use to still study the paranormal and get that academic credibility.

Self-Promotion

Another thing in Ghostbusters that’s pretty legit is the commercials. Paranormal investigators are all about self-promotion because there are so many people in the paranormal community. You have to make yourself stand out sometimes if you want to get work. When I say “work”, I mean investigation opportunities. No one’s making money from this. We do take calls and we do take case submissions. I mentioned earlier my clients have to fill out a form and they have to sign paperwork. We do residential investigations, but you have to sign the paperwork and fill out the forms. We do this to prevent future legal issues.

Charging for Services

In Ghostbusters, they charge for their services. In the first movie, I think they quoted the hotel like five thousand dollars. If you charge in the paranormal community today, you are going to have a bad time. It’s very much frowned upon. you don’t charge to help people with their paranormal situations. From a legal standpoint, it’s really sketchy to charge because you can’t prove the existence of ghosts. Rule of thumb: you don’t charge. I don’t charge for investigations. The only areas where I make money from the paranormal are from my books, YouTube monetization, any sort of creator fund like on TikTok. I make the money but I would never charge a client for trying to help them with their haunting.

Poltergeist Activity

The paranormal events that happen to Dana, like the eggs popping and cooking on the counter top, are often associated with poltergeist-like activity. For me I look more poltergeist activity is coming from within like it’s an external response to something happening within. From the research I’ve done, poltergeist is similar to telekinesis and psychokinesis that’s out of control so it’s coming from the person, not a ghost.

There’s also residual hauntings but Ghostbusters doesn’t really cover them. Residual hauntings would be leftover energy that’s still “active”, like at the Battle of Gettysburg. For example, you see a ghost walk across the field at three o’clock every day but he doesn’t respond to you. He just walks across the field. More than likely that’s residual. If the spirit acknowledges you answers your questions, then we would classify that as an intelligent haunting or conscious haunting.

Possession

The possession aspect with Zuul and Zephyr, the key and the gatekeeper, well…I’m on the fence about possession. But, it is a well-discussed topic in the paranormal field. It’s a lighthearted take on possession. I actually don’t know if I really believe in demons anyway. That’s a whole other conversation for another time. The way that the movie depicts possession is fairly accurate to the beliefs behind the phenomenon.

Shape-Shifting

Let’s talk about shape-shifting. One of my favorite moments in the movie is when Ray chooses the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man as the form for Gozer. The whole reveal is brilliant. But shape-shifting entities aren’t original to the movie. In fact, it’s a hot topic in the paranormal community. Do we even know we’re dealing with ghosts? What if we’re dealing with inhuman or elemental spirits that are just shape-shifting? This is why we won’t ever prove the existence of ghosts, by the way. There’s so many theories and runarounds. Shape-shifting is a thing in the community too.

Ectoplasm

Another thing that’s in the movie, but very rare….ectoplasm. It’s a hot topic in the Ghostbusters movies. I don’t personally believe in ectoplasm; there are people who do. Ectoplasm was common during the Spiritualism movement because that gave some sort of tangible proof of communication. It was physical “proof” that there was paranormal activity. But usually, ectoplasm ends up being cheesecloth that the medium would regurgitate from their mouth. Gross.

That’s my breakdown on ghost hunting versus Ghostbusters. Now you know the true story behind this famous franchise.

Sources

https://www.vikingwarriordesign.com/post/things-you-might-not-know-about-ghostbusters

https://members.huntakiller.com/blog-articles/2021/2/11/the-haunted-history-of-dan-aykroyds-family

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ghostbusters-is-real

https://www.yahoo.com/now/dan-aykroyd-ghost-stories-hotel-paranormal-150046932.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10716928/

The Most Memorable Paranormal Stories of 2019

December 31, 2019 Alex Matsuo

2019 has proven to be a year of interesting stories. There have been countless news articles and segments about alleged hauntings that caught the world’s attention. But how many of these were legit and how many could be debunked? Let’s take a look back at the past year and see what’s in store.

1. Supermarket Ghost

This story broke in March 2019 and occurred in Wilmington, Massachusettes at a chain grocery store known as Market Basket. A woman by the name of Christiana Bush, who is an employee at the store, witnessed the ghost of an older woman who was dressed in a Victorian nightgown and haircap. Of all departments within the store, Bush saw the specter in the frozen food section. According to Bush, she looked down for a moment, and when she looked up, the older woman was gone. She searched the aisles to find the woman, but to no avail. Bush posted about the experience in her local Facebook group, where the story went viral. It created such a stir that the Market Basket corporation made a statement proclaiming that their stores were ghost free. Perhaps the paranormal was bad for business?

2. Area 51 Raid & Navy UFO Confirmation

Remember the Area 51 raid? Or Storm Area 51? It went viral based off a joke on Facebook and became an identity of its own. But as soon as the story boomed in popularity, it disappeared from the news. Yet, the raid did happen, and apparently a few arrests were made. It was just on a much smaller scale.

We’ll keep this going with some of the biggest news in the UFO world. Back in 2017, the New York Times broke a story of two videos that went public of some weird phenomenon that Navy pilots experienced. One of the videos showed a spherical object that was moving against the wind. Another video emerged in March 2018, making everyone question what was going on, and wondering whether the government was going to call a spade a spade. Well, in 2019, the Navy admitted that the objects captured on video was known as “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon.” They didn’t want to use the term UFO or “Unidentified Flying Object.”

3. Ghost Baby in Crib

I love this story, and you’re going to find out why in a moment. In case you’re wondering, there is only one baby in the photo. Well, one living baby. I’ll be the first to admit that this photo freaked me out a bit. It just looks creepy. I hypothesize that this is very well a case of pareidolia.

This incident took place in October 2019, just in time for Halloween. A Chicago mother named Maritza Cibuls was home alone with her kids late one night. When she checked the baby monitor of her 18-month old, she was shocked to see a second baby in the crib with her son. She kept checking on her son during the night, faithfully watching the monior. The anamolous baby didn’t move at all. She shared the photo with her husband as well as a Facebook group for moms she was a part of. People tried to make sense of the photo, saying it may have been drool, or some sort of stain that only the monitor picked up.

However, when she changed the sheets in her baby’s crib, she saw what happened. When her husband changed the sheets previously, he didn’t put the matress cover on. This resulted in a sticker of a baby’s face showing through the sheet.

4. Paramount Theatre Concert Hall

I chose this story because it had a few of my favorite things in it; theatre and the Lore podcast. This photo was taken in September 2019 by Chad Lawson at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. Lawson had just completed a sound check before a live episode of “Lore.” If you’re not familiar with “Lore”, it’s an amazing podcast about the creepier history of our existence along with ghost stories, creatures, aliens, and more. Lawson took a photo of his piano after the sound check, and it didn’t take long before his followers on Instagram noticed someone in the mezzanine. Startled, Lawson did some research and found that the Paramount Theatre was indeed haunted.

View this post on Instagram
Austin! Let’s have some fun. See you tonight with @amahnke & @lorepodcast at The Paramount Theatre @paramountaustin
A post shared by chad lawson (@chadlawsonpiano) on Sep 15, 2019 at 2:49pm PDT

5. Haunted Furniture

This is a story that isn’t too far away from where I live. In Salisbury, North Carolina, and the ReStore for Habitat for Humanity of Rowan County, there was a dresser and a four-post headboard and bed frame for sale. However, with the price, it seemed that it came with ghosts as accessories. ReStore reported that the previous owner claimed that the furniture was haunted and that it brought about nightmares for the previous owner and his wife. Also, the couple’s dog wouldn’t stop barking at the furniture. ReStore claimed that it was transparent about the haunting because they were a Christian ministry and didn’t want to be held responsible if something happen. Two men came in and paid $1,000 for the furniture.

6. Michigan Nanny Cam

This is another story that broke in March 2019 and occurred in Highland, Michigan. The situation involved Heather Brough, Joshua Higgens, and their baby daughter Lily. The small family lives in a guest house that’s owned by Higgins’ mother, but according to them, their not alone. They believe they have a ghost in their home after they’re daughter woke up from a nap with scratches on her face. After the incident, Heather and Joshua started looking at the nanny cam and were disturbed to see a transparent figure walk by the front of Lily’s crib. Heather also claims that the ghost tried to choke her as she was waking up. However, she told a different version of this story to different outlets. I have my reservations about this case, and Kenny Biddle does a great job of breaking this down.

7. Bertha’s Mussels

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Bertha’s Mussels can be founds in the Fells Point neighborhood. It is a truly a staple for the locals. It is also known for being notoriously haunted. In fact, locals claim that there are so many ghosts that experiences happen one after another. Co-owner Laura Norris claims that she’s had to talk to the ghost and ask for safe passage in order to leave. Melissa Rowell gives ghost tours of the restaurant, and guests often have photos and videos to share with her of the ghosts at Bertha’s Mussels.

8. Wendell

Lori Stokes and her grandson, Matthew, pose outside their Applewhite Road home near Wendell Tuesday. The home will be featured on an episode of “Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests” airing Friday on the Travel Channel. Shawn Taylor | The Wake Weekly

I’ll admit that I chose this story because it’s about an hour away from where I live. In Wendell, North Carolina, Lori Stokes has been dealing with a malevolent presence in her home that attacks not only her, but her 6-year old grandson. Stokes claimed that guests were getting scratched, her grandson got flung from his bike, things were being thrown, and Stokes’ says that she saw a man during the night and her one of her feet was grabbed and shaken while in bed. Stokes had a psychic medium come to the house, and the medium claimed that the haunting was demonic in nature. The TV show, “Ghost Brothers”, came and spent six days in the house. They validated Stokes’ experiences and brought in a medium to help dispel the evil spirits in her home. It seems that the activity in her home has since disappaited.

9. Daisy Marquez

With the wide reach of the internet, it can sometimes be hard to share paranormal experiences and be believed. For Daisy Marquez, she soon faced scrutiny and accusations of hoaxing after she shared that she had been dealing with paranormal activity. She shared a sponsorship video she was working on and claimed that her door opened by itself. Daisy also claimed that she had been pushed down the stairs by an unseen force, and her camera kept cutting off when she was trying to talk about her experiences. She also heard taps on the wall as well as voices.

10. Cobden’s Hotel

This is another story where it’s up to you to make the decision as to whether this is a legit paranormal occurrence or not. Located in Capel Curig, Wales next to Snowdonia National Park. In 1890, a famous cricket player known as Frank Cobden bought the hotel. Today, it is believed that his daughter, Evelyn, haunts the hotel. It became a staple for mountain climbers and hikers during its time. From 1970-1976, Lawrence Pett’s family own the hotel, which has been known to be home for numerous ghosts. Each year during the holidays, the “Christmas ghost” turns off the lights. Pett’s father refurbished the hotel after purchase and also built the bar next door to the hotel. While the hotel has been long closed, Pett and his wife visited and were shocked to see that the bar hadn’t changed since the seventies. When Pett took a photo through the window, he noticed two figures with caps behind the white light anamoly. He believes they are just a few of the countless ghosts haunting the Cobden.

That’s it for 2019! I hope 2020 is the start of a wonderful new chapter in your life. Happy New Year!

She’s Got Nothing to Prove: Being a Woman in Fandom

June 4, 2019 Alex Matsuo1 Comment

This past weekend, I spent time with wonderful people at ConCarolinas 2019/Deep South Con 57.

I did something I had never done before. I got emotional during a panel.

The panel was “She’s Got Nothing to Prove” and I was one of several amazing women who participated.

Being a female in fandom is a wonderful thing…for the most part. It wasn’t always that way, and in some ways, it *still* isn’t that way.

My first exposure to the geek world was when I was a wee little tyke and a very dear member of my family was a Trekkie. I remember watching the original Star Trek (TOS) and The Next Generation. Well, I more so remember flashes of scenes and moments. I didn’t really understand what I was watching.

In elementary school, I fell in love with Power Rangers. But I didn’t play Power Rangers with the boys at school. If I did, I couldn’t be Jason, Billy, or Zack. I couldn’t even be Kimberly or Trini because I wasn’t pretty or I didn’t look Asian enough. Such as life and finding my identity. Anyway, that was light. It was easier for me to simply join the other girls and say that Power Rangers was done and then run home after school to watch.

Flash forward to 2000 and 2001. My grandmother had recently died and we were going through things in her house. My mom and I had found boxes and boxes of VHS tapes that my grandpa had made from a friend. Most of my earliest Disney movies were made from homemade VHS tapes…meaning…they were counterfeit (sorry, Mickey). Among this collection were the original episodes of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. For the latter, at least the episodes until my grandpa died. My grandmother watched the show too but not to the extent as my grandpa. He was a big fan of Roddenberry. While I don’t know why, I can imagine the connection of being in the Army in World War II, interracial kissing (my grandparents were an interracial couple), and the incredible vision and storytelling of the shows.

Anyway, I was a cheerleader in high school, and very much into anime like Sailor Moon and recently discovering InuYasha on Toonami. I found these VHS tapes and started watching. I wanted to connect with my grandpa more and explore something that he enjoyed.

I didn’t really know anyone who was into Star Trek besides my first high school boyfriend (he was more or less annoyed with me about it). I took to the message boards to try to connect with others. This was early 2000’s message board activities, so I wasn’t very conscientious about hiding my identity.

In short, one of the Star Trek fans I knew in real life l was able to identify me and told his fellow Trekkies. These guys identified themselves as Trekkies and will use that terminology moving forward.

At first, he and his two other friends seemed excited that a cheerleader was interested in Star Trek. They entertained my questions and geek outs over episodes they bragged about watching dozens of time. I didn’t really want to self-identify as a Trekkie,Trekker, or even a Star Trek fan so publicly. This was mainly because I didn’t know who I was. Isn’t that just high school in general?

However, they also grilled me on content that I frankly didn’t keep track of. I was expected to become an encyclopedia of all things Star Trek. I didn’t measure up, and I had to pay the consequences.

Without getting into too much detail, I got bullied by the bullied. I was touched in ways I didn’t want to be touched. But I “owed” these guys because they had “wasted” time on me. I wasn’t a true Trekkie. In their eyes, I misled them and I had to be punished.

I was also dealing with a breakup and other issues surrounding that. After it was over, I remembered looking at his Star Trek keychain and just screaming at it and crying. Mom and I packed up the Star Trek VHS tapes and put them back into the closet, never to be watched again. It would be another six or so years before I would even watch another episode of Star Trek.

As mentioned earlier, I got emotional telling this story. I also felt really bad telling this story because there were people dressed in Star Trek costumes, and I knew there were several fans in the audience. I’m not blaming this on fans, trekkers, or Trekkies. I’m blaming three teenaged boys who didn’t have an outlet for their anger and they took it out on me. They wanted me to feel as bad as they did.

And it worked.

I told my mom what happened. She decided to just keep it quiet and told me to do the same. I never went to any sort of therapy, and it honestly built up so much anger in me. I blamed myself for being so stupid and trusting. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere.

I learned my lesson. In the future, I kept my identity hidden on message boards and other online communities. If anyone did find my “real” name, it was assumed I was a male, and therefore safe. Other women I know were not as lucky.

This wouldn’t be the first time I dealt with gatekeepers of various fandoms. I was honestly terrified of reaching out into another community of fandom because of my Trekkie experience. Luckily, I was able to connect with wonderful people to contribute to my healing. From Star Wars to Disney, to anime, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, etc., I’ve learned that you’re allowed to enjoy things even if you’re new. We all start somewhere.

This also stretches far outside into other areas like gaming. I think GamerGate burst open the fact that women are not only being shamed for liking a certain fandom or playing a game, but also they are being doxed, harassed in real life, and being threatened on a daily basis. This underground issue became a very public crisis and put the spotlight on the world of gaming. If a woman has some cleavage while live streaming, she’s automatically labeled as a slut or getting attention for the wrong reasons because she isn’t smart enough.

But gatekeeping isn’t just a male issue. It is a societal issue.

Since being a “geek” or a “nerd” is much more accepting and, dare I say, trendy these days, I see a few different reactions to it all.

The geeks who have been in it for decades and are now annoyed with the newbies.
The women who were shamed for liking something and then feeling the hurt when a new and “prettier” girl embraces their fandom and gets more attention.
The new geek who doesn’t understand the trials the veterans experienced being a geek and trivializing their struggles.

Lately, I’ve been trying to embrace the idea of letting people enjoy things.

You don’t have to be an encyclopedia of facts to enjoy the fandom.

Do respect the people who have been there before you. If they’re willing to chat, pick their brain on how they got to where they are today. They might also be trying to process this newfound acceptance of their geekdom.

Women are constantly trying to prove themselves, their credibility, and their worth in the world of fandom. It can be really hard, especially when we’re asked to quote specific lines from movies, remember what color a character wore from a Christmas special, or show off their collectibles and then meet with aghast when said collection isn’t impressive.

The fact that there are numerous articles on how to be a “proper” fan in various fandoms is nothing short of ridiculous. The fact that there are posted lists on phrases you have to use in everyday conversation to prove you are a fan that was just recently written proves we have a long way to go.

Granted, I also have to remember the quality of people who are making our lives a living hell for doing what we love, watching what we love, and playing what we love.

Can a female just enjoy things without forcing her to prove herself?

Can we just let people enjoy things?

Is This What Pride Feels Like?

February 24, 2017 Alex Matsuo

Last night was our last rehearsal for “The Vagina Monologues” before we moved into the theatre. I’ve been getting told by my friends and family how proud they are of me for pulling this off and putting it together. Most people know how I feel about compliments, and I’ll keep the tradition going. This production was so much bigger than me! It was a massive puzzle that had to be put together, and every person involved has been a piece of that puzzle. Without them, this production wouldn’t have happened.

I’ve been crying a bit for the past day, but for once it’s because of a good thing! I’m so proud of this show! I can’t even explain in words how much my heart is bursting! It’s been a journey, but it has been SO POSITIVE!

This was honestly a crazy idea that I had back in December. This means that this production was a last minute decision that was pulled together in less than 3 months. I honestly could not have done it without Loni Price, Pimpila Violette, Emily Hamm, Ashley Jones, Alissa Alba, and Sarah Gendron. They were the first to answer the call when I put it out on social media that I wanted to do “The Vagina Monologues.” They kept me grounded, went along with the crazy ideas, and put their whole hearts into this project. I owe you ladies so much, and I don’t know how I will ever repay you.

Not only that, but I got so lucky with this cast.

For example, Kelly McConkey dove in even before she auditioned and was getting donation items, gave out of her own pocket and spread the word about the show like a true leader. She boosted me up when I felt hopeless and ready to give up on everything in my life, even on the paranormal side!

Joanna Herath is such a joy in my life. She was in the staged reading of my play, “Japanese Eyes/American Heart”, and she is amazing in Vagina Monologues. She has also done tremendous work on our fundraising end and made it possible for us to have a counselor present for our show.

I hadn’t met a few of the women before this show. Like Arin Dickson…holy cow! She is so passionate, and can own a stage like no one’s business! I am so glad she is with us!

Arrissia Blanton is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She brings so much to her monologue, and you don’t want to stop watching her!

Chelsey Winstead is not only a sweetheart, but she makes me laugh so hard that I’m in near tears. I have enjoyed getting to know her, and I look forward to working with her in the future!

Speaking of tears, Maribeth McCarthy made me cry last night with her reading of “The Vagina Workshop.” I hadn’t worked with Maribeth before, and I’m so glad she wanted to be a part of this!

Amani Mckenzie brought new life to “My Vagina Was My Village” and her sweetness just made her portrayal of the devastation that much more heartbreaking.

Every day, Nicole Graziano inspires me to do more, live better, and be a fighter. She is someone who I feel honored to be in the show with.

I knew of Lauren Bamford but I hadn’t had the chance to see her perform until now. She brings “Hair” a new life that I have never seen before.

I can watch Lynnette Barber perform all day. She brings about a sense of calm and control that is so fascinating to watch, and she has one of the longest pieces in the show. And you know what? She rocks it and does it justice!

Sharon Moyer…where do I begin? What a talent and such a joy to work with. She is so dedicated to the cause that she drove from Fayetteville to be a part of this cast. She saw the cause as THAT important, and she makes me weep during “I Was There in the Room.”

Nan L. Stephenson has the challenge of bringing the annual Spotlight monologue to life. Let me tell you all, it’s a doozy. But Nan takes it on flawlessly and brings Eve’s words to life in such a way that I want to stand up and rise for the cause.

Seema Kukreja is one of the most passionate people I have ever met! She has put her whole heart into this production, and she has given so much of herself! Having her in this show is truly a blessing.

As I watched the cast run through the show on Thursday night, I thought, “Wow…we have a show.” I felt so proud of these amazing women!

I have to give major kudos to Michelle Johnson. When we needed someone to wear the Pinky costume…aka dress as a giant vagina, she volunteered and has owned the role!

Kelly Buynitzky has been a tremendous helper since day one by spreading the word. Even at auditions, she was helping us sort papers, and she has helped promote the show.

I have to say how grateful I am to Jennifer Torres of Wake Health Medical Group. I met her at Friday Free for All at “Bob and the Showgram” and when I learned she did vaginal rejuvenation sessions, I knew I had to tell her about Vagina Monologues! Not only did she help promote, but also donated a rejuvenation session for our silent auction that’s worth $750! You can check out V-Day Raleigh’s silent auction here.

Finally, I have to give kudos to our show night volunteers! Ann Haigler, Heather Curry, Janice Blevins Hillanbrand, Julia Fair, Elizabeth Breakey, Marianne Ayers, Ciaran Cavanaugh, Juanita Velázquez, and Chris Yarborough will be on the front lines during the show to make sure the patrons have a great experience. And we also have Sheri Leider coming as our counselor in case anyone is triggered by the content.

I hope you will be able to join me on Monday February 27th and Tuesday February 28th at Sonorous Road Productions and see all of this hard work come to fruition as we raise money for InterAct of Wake County!

To get tickets, please click here. To donate to V-Day Raleigh’s Generosity page, click here.

Ghostbusters 2016: My Review

July 17, 2016 Alex Matsuo

It seems that my thoughts on the latest “Ghostbusters” movie has been waited on with bated breath! I will also say that this is one of the rare times that I have made an effort to see a movie on opening weekend. I did this mainly for the fact that I didn’t want to wait to see the movie, and the two “Ghostbusters” movies are my absolute favorites. In other words, I’m a “Ghostbusters” fan girl. Yes, I’m a paranormal investigator and I love “Ghostbusters.”

First, are any of the “Ghostbusters” movies true to actual paranormal investigating? Of course not. There are a few nods to the actual practice of ghost hunting, but it’s an exaggerated portrayal to what we actually do. No, there are no proton packs. No, we can’t actually contain a real ghost. No, we don’t have the uniforms. We have t-shirts, but not the suits.

"Ghostbusters" 2016 - Columbia Pictures — “Ghostbusters” 2016 – Columbia Pictures

Okay, now that we have that out-of-the-way, I want to say this: THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME! When it was first announced that there would be a reboot of the classic movie with an all-female Ghostbusters team, there was massive skepticism. I will admit that I was uneasy about the idea. After I saw the trailer, which featured a lot of slapstick comedy, I became a little more excited, but I was still worried that the movie wouldn’t meet my expectations. Already, women in the paranormal field have a really hard time, and female-driven movies have a hard time in the entertainment industry as it is.

Let me tell you that this movie is fantastic. While it is a reboot, it is unique all on its own. There are cameos from the original “Ghostbusters” cast, and there are enough nods to the original that satisfied my inner fan girl. I got a little choked up seeing Egon’s cameo, but I won’t spoil it for anyone. It was refreshing to see Melissa McCarthy in this strong lead, as well as see Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones. But the standout star to me was Kate McKinnon, who was the perfect blend of Egon and Venkman. I can’t forget Chris Hemsworth as the HILARIOUS receptionist who isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but he is so adorable and endearing that you can’t help but love him.

In other words, go see this movie! It is worth your ticket price and your time. Whether you like the paranormal or not, you will be entertained and talking about the movie long after you come home from the theater.

Also, make sure you stay through to the end of the credits. There is an end credits scene that will make any longtime Ghostbusters fan squeal with delight!

What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

[polldaddy poll=9472690]

When Love Drowns Out Hate

June 19, 2016 Alex Matsuo

I wrote something different today. Instead of wallowing in sorrow over my lack of a father for Father’s Day, I decided to try to make my voice louder in regards to people I love: the LGBT community. While the effects of House Bill 2 don’t directly affect me personally at this time, I know people who it does affect, and many of them aren’t even gay or members of the transgender community.

Anyway, of course, with any bill such as this, there will be a loud response from both sides. This certain situation is no different. While I wasn’t there personally, my friend Beth was, and she captured the moment on camera.

To see what happened, check out my Buzzfeed post: Gay Men’s Chorus Drowns Out Hate In Protest Of HB2 And The Orlando Massacre

Upcoming Interviews!

June 1, 2016 Alex Matsuo

Greetings everyone! As I wrap up some work and get ready for the upcoming weekend, I wanted to let you all know that I have some interviews coming up that you should put on your calendars.

First, I’ll be interviewed by the incredible Annie RadzusJune 22nd, 2016 at 10pm EDT. The show can be found at the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/anniessouljuice/2016/06/23/myths-truth-and-actual-experiences-of-the-paranormal

Then, on Sunday, June 26th at 8pm EDT, I’ll be interviewed by Katrina Gamse, the host of Beyond the Creed on the Crossroads Radio Network. I’ll post a link as the time gets closer.

Who all is coming to ConCarolinas? I would love it if you came by my table or one of my panels to say hi!

Reflections on Becoming a Published Author

October 8, 2015 Alex Matsuo

Today is absolutely surreal. I never in a million years thought that I could become a published author. The whole concept is unbelievable, and I can’t tell you how extraordinarily lucky and blessed I am for this opportunity. Llewellyn Worldwide has been an absolute dream to write for, and I’m eternally grateful for this amazing opportunity that they have given me.

Of course, many people will wonder where I got the idea for the book. To be honest, the idea of an entire book dedicated to a haunted theater in the midst of a busy city was not new for me. It was an idea that I had been cooking in my mind for a few years now. The Tenth Avenue Arts Center is a beautiful location and has become quite the hub for the arts to cultivate. It is also home to quite a crew of ghosts who have found a home in the multiple stories, performing venues, galleries, and more.

I hope you will consider getting your own copy of The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater and explore the stories and experiences that I and my team shared individually, and as a group. The publication is in perfect timing with the upcoming Halloween season, and is sure to be a wonderful addition to your ghost story collection.

To my friends who have been my cheerleaders and supporters, thank you so much! To my family who has carried me throughout the year, you mean more to me than you’ll ever know.

Finally, to my mother, who isn’t here on this Earth to celebrate with me, I hope I’ve made you proud. I miss you everyday, and this celebration is a collaboration of happiness and sadness as I feel your absence during this time.

Interview on The Paranormal Pride 7/13/15

July 11, 2015 Alex Matsuo

On Monday, July 13th at 8pm ET/7pm CT, I have the honor of being a guest on The Paranormal Pride on The Paranormal King Radio Network, hosted by Denise Pridemore. Click on the image to be redirected to the Facebook event for more information.

Listening link: :www.paranormalking.com

Mobile/Tablet: www.mixlr.com/paranormal-king

Chat link: www.paranormal.olicentral.com

The Performance of Ghost Hunting Part I

March 30, 2015January 6, 2023 Alex Matsuo

This is a two-part post about my studies into the relationship between performance and the act of ghost hunting.

A performance is typically defined as an event where there is someone who is presenting something, and there are a group of people observing. This definition of performance is not limited to only theatres or television and movies. A performance can take place at nearly any time of day at any kind of location. Performances can happen at school with the popular crowd, and they can happen at ghost hunts. Scholars have written thousands of book on performance studies and there are even degrees dedicated to the discipline. As a society that is ever growing and changing on a regular basis, there are so many different types of performances out there that appease almost every person out there. From traditional musicals that warm the heart, to the heart-wrenching dramas that influence someone to call their mother to tell them they love her, to the soul shattering avant-garde performance that makes you analyze what it means to be human….performance is an essential part of our existence that is necessary in order for us to survive and thrive.

Before we dive into the performance of ghost hunting, let us take a moment to consider the relationship between performance and spirituality. The earliest roots in theatre lie in ancient Greece in something called, “ritual reenactment”. Back before theatre and performance was established, the ancient Greeks wanted to honor the gods by telling stories of their greatness. This initially began as “oral tradition” where someone would dramatically tell stories of the gods, with an audience watching. The audience would then become performers themselves and spreading the stories around like wildfire. With ritual reenactment, these early performances including singing hymns and performing some kind of movement.

To keep this along the lines of being the abridged version, the villages and tribes began to compete with each other by adding costumes, live music, and written texts in their performances for the gods. One could argue that the original audiences were the gods, and the transition from performing for them to performing to fellow humans was one of the breakthrough moments in the creation of live theatre. Overall, theatre is a very spiritual experience, which the philosopher Aristotle argued that it was needed for the purposes of catharsis, meaning the purging of emotions. If you have ever cried during a movie, you had a cathartic experience. Catharsis was seen as a necessity for cleansing the soul.

With the thought in mind that theatre was originally intended to be spiritual and for the gods as a gift, is it a surprise that there are rumors about theatres being haunted in the first place. Some of my favorite cliché ghost stories come from the urban legend of haunted theatres from the spurned woman in white who lost her chance to be on the stage to the Macbeth curse causing shenanigans in each production, there is a strong connection there. Until the media came into existence with television and film, theatre was the vehicle for expressing society’s belief in the paranormal, and you can watch that belief evolve over time by just analyzing the plays from each time period.

I suppose that the title of this article can be misleading, as it is not an article on how to perform a paranormal investigation or ghost hunt, there are enough of those books out there on the market. Instead, it is a venture into a theory that theatre people, whether they are actors, tenant, directors, dancers, etc. they are inadvertently capturing the attention of the ghosts and causing a performance from both the living and the dead. Artistic people are interesting enough on their own, and I would not be surprised if a ghost chose to attempt communication with an artistic person over someone whose not. I will say that artists are very open-minded to the world around. Could they be lifting a psychic wall around them and making them more vulnerable to having some sort of communication with the other side? If you were dead, and you couldn’t find a way to communicate with the living, and you found someone who could hear you, wouldn’t you do whatever you could muster up to catch their attention? The answer is probably yes. But this isn’t a performance. That is the lost seeking out a solution. When the situation is reversed, and there is someone trying to communicate with a deceased person, the ghost isn’t able to communicate in the way that they used to in life, so they have to pull out the dramatic displays in order to get their point across. I would imagine that this is an extremely frustrating endeavor.

The most obvious example of performances in ghost hunting is in paranormal reality shows that became increasingly popular in the early 21^st century. It is a far cry from ritual reenactment and the once cathartic experience that was the performance space. I think perhaps the reason why for this widespread popularity was the fact that the paranormal is an unknown area of knowledge. You can’t get a college degree in paranormal studies and many people who do come forward with experiences in the public eye are portrayed as being insane and not to be taken seriously. At the end of the day, these production companies need to make money. You make money by drawing in an audience, and you keep that audience by continuing to make your show entertaining. I won’t say that the “paratainment” business has sullied the investigation field, but instead, has brought exposure to the paranormal and hopefully making people more open-minded about the existence of ghosts. In the last ten years, there has also been a dramatic rise in the number of ghost tours at numerous haunted locations, where a group of people will go ghost hunting for a night while locked in a building with a guide. The paranormal reached a new height when it came to monetizing the potential interactions with the dead, which many people pay big money for. But because the factor of money is now included in the experience, I have to wonder if along with tickets being paid, if there was an expectation of goods to be delivered (such as a paranormal experience). In turn, does this turn ghosts into entertainers? And if so, what does this mean for the ghosts at the Tenth should Jeff decide to move forward with the guided ghost tours?

I would like to say that my investigations and research into the building have not subjected the ghosts into being put into a situation where they are being asked to perform tricks, since I don’t expect them to ever perform for me. If they choose not to communicate, while I may be disappointed, I acknowledge that it is their right to not talk. But another researcher from the outside looking in may have a different opinion. Where is that fine line between requesting communication and asking the ghosts to essentially perform tricks? I suppose that it is all in the eye of the beholder and the ghosts that are being placed in that situation. If you were to ask me what my long-term goal was for the Tenth, it would be that someday the most prestigious researchers in the paranormal and psychic phenomenon visit the Tenth. It would be great to be able to secure the building for a weekend (at the very least) and let these researchers loose in the building and see what comes of it.

Performers, in terms of actors, dancers, musicians, and artists, seem to be completely different people compared to business professionals or those who don’t consider themselves to be artistically minded. For example, let us go back to the Ganzfeld experiment, which is the sensory deprivation experiment that leads to the altered state of consciousness. There was a study conducted in 1992 where the American Society for Psychical Research used twenty of the most gifted students from the Julliard School in New York City and put them through the sender-receiver experiment. The results were extraordinary because there was a success rate of 50%, which was double the success expectation rate. The facilitators of the experiment, Charles Honorton and Marilyn Schlitz then used eight musicians for the remainder of the experiment. Six out of the eight students either had direct hits or a 75% success rate. Again, these are extraordinary results. The theory behind this success rate was due to the participants; especially the musicians have a dissociated state of mind. Very much like meditation, being dissociated is very much like the feeling of being on autopilot and disconnecting from the outside word. According to John G. Kruth, the executive director of the Rhine Research Center, jazz musicians who often improvise their music will go into this state as they play, channeling the environment around them as they make up their own tune. What would happen if we allowed a bunch of actors to go in and ghost hunt for a night? What kind of results would come up from the night? If we go by the results of the study of the Julliard students and the Ganzfeld experiment, it seems as though there could be potential of a productive interaction with the ghosts.

Category: Entertainment