Image Source: Discovery+
On Oct. 20, POPSUGAR spoke with filmmaker and paranormal investigator Jay Wasley, co-host of “Ghost Adventures,” for a “We Have Thoughts” Twitter Space all about making contact with ghosts, how spirits come to be, and the lingering side effects of interacting with the supernatural. Reflecting on the show’s 14-year run, Wasley revealed haunting behind-the-scenes secrets, recounting paranormal attacks, supernatural time manipulation, and more.
“I’ve always been into the paranormal,” Wasley told POPSUGAR. “Even since I was a little kid, I was very into it. In New Jersey, we have the lore of the Jersey devil. So I remember going out in the woods as a little kid and just trying to explore and find this creature. I remember getting books from the library about ghosts, witchcraft, and different belief systems and everything. I was fascinated by it all, and I wanted to explore the unknown and learn as much as I could.”
As the team prepares to wrap up their investigation of the Los Feliz Murder House in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, we have unleashed our curiosity about the supernatural, and Wasley has answered, leaving in every single nightmarish detail. Listen to the full “We Have Thoughts” discussion here, and read the biggest revelations from our Twitter Spaces chat with the paranormal investigator ahead.
Image Source: Discovery+
Sometimes Poltergeists Can Attack Without Warning
While some ghosts are benevolent, most of the spirits the “Ghost Adventures” crew interact with have sinister intentions, something Wasley knows from first-hand experience. “I’ve seen things lift off the ground and go flying,” he said. “I’ve had scratches appear on me. I’ve witnessed exorcisms and possessions and all kinds of things.” While Wasley has seen his fair share of ghost activity, he adds that there are “still investigations that blow my mind.”
“Suddenly, I felt something grabbing at my feet.”
“[The ‘Ghost Adventures’ team and I] were in an old saloon in Prescott, AZ, and the owners were saying that there was an evil entity that resided in the basement, and the workers were afraid to go down there,” he said.” To dig further into the matter, Wasley went into the crawl space of the basement to search for the spirit. “I’m a pretty big guy — I’m like 6’2″, 6’3″ — and I’m in a crawl space only a couple feet tall and I’m on my belly, crawling through with a camera,” he recalled. After calling to the entity, Wasley quickly found that his journey through the crawl space had turned into a scramble to save himself.
He continued, “Suddenly, I felt something grabbing at my feet. There’s nothing there; it’s just me down there. But, naturally, I start kicking. Whatever this is grabs me and actually drags me backwards. I dropped my camera — you can see me get pulled away from the camera — and there was nothing behind me.” Terrified, Wasley realized he couldn’t get up and run. “I’m kind of stuck there, and it’s all dusty, and I’m kicking and panicking and screaming . . . To this day, it still haunts me. What was that?”
Cleansing Yourself After an Investigation Is Crucial
After an investigation, it’s not uncommon for supernatural energies to follow the crew home. “The biggest lesson [I’ve learned] is figuring out a way to ground yourself,” he said. “Early on, I didn’t really know how to protect myself or cleanse or things like that and [dark energies] would come home [with me] . . . I would have friends stay over with me. They would wake up in the middle of the night and say there was a woman at the foot of their bed. My dog would wake up and stare into the corner and just growl at 3 a.m. for no reason.”
Now, Wasley has developed a routine to cleanse himself of the paranormal. “For me, personally, when I know something is kind of lingering or it’s a little negative . . . I’ll go in the woods,” he said. “I’ll go to the mountains. I’ll go hiking. I’ll spend time in nature. To me, that’s very grounding, reconnecting with the earth.” Wasley adds that spending time with friends, his dog, and playing music are other ways he escapes from the dark energy. He said, “The more fear you put into it, the more focus you put on it, you’re actually feeding it.”
Ghost Energy Feels Familiar
For many believers who have never had an experience with a supernatural entity, it’s difficult to fathom what it might feel like to be in the presence of a ghost. “You do get chills,” Wasley confirmed, adding that being near an entity is like being half asleep and half awake all at once. “[It’s like] I’m laying there, my eyes are closed. You don’t hear anything; you don’t see anything; but someone walks into the room and you just feel that — you just know there’s somebody in here.”
Ghosts Can Manipulate Time
During an anecdote about a visit to the infamously haunted Los Coches Adobe in Soledad, CA, Wasley recalled having his perception of time altered by nearby spirits. “That, actually, was a very scary place. That was the first location that I had a loss of time,” he said. “I don’t think it was like a possession but something came through me and I was not there [anymore].” After an hour alone in the house with a camera, Wasley’s colleagues came in to check on him. For Wasley, the hour had only felt like 10 minutes. “I watched the footage and you see me sit there, you see me holding the recorder, and I start shaking and I drop the recorder,” he said. “All this time goes by and I have no recollection of it.”
“When you know an entity could actually manipulate you as a person, that’s when it takes it to a whole new terrifying level.”
While rare, Wasley experienced another instance of time manipulation during the team’s recent exploration of the Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center in California. He continued, “It’s one thing to deal with objects moving or seeing an apparition or hearing an EVP [electronic voice phenomenon], but when you know an entity could actually manipulate you as a person, that’s when it takes it to a whole new terrifying level.”
“Ghost Adventures” Has Turned Skeptics Into Believers
While the show is a must-watch for many ghost-hunting fans, non-believers have also been swayed by the evidence Wasley and his team have presented over the years. “I love that,” he said. “I love being able to inspire people and open up their way of thinking. If you’ve never had a [paranormal] experience, it’s probably going to be harder for you to believe. But once you’ve had that first experience, it’s something that you can’t break.”
For those still not completely persuaded that ghosts exist, Wasley added, “I believe 100 percent, but I still approach everything skeptically, so I understand the skeptic mindset. I think it’s something you need to experience yourself to fully believe, to fully understand.”