DUBOIS – Those gathered at the gymnasium at Penn State DuBois got a quick primer in the paranormal on Tuesday night from the “Godfather of the Paranormal,” John Zaffis.
Zaffis, who has appeared on 20/20, Discovery Channel’s “A Haunting”, “Unsolved Mysteries” and other shows, shared some of his more-than-30-years of experience with the nearly packed gymnasium. Zaffis mentored under renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. He said he was fascinated by ghosts and poltergeists. Zaffis said that through his experience, he saw how families suffered and that he has worked with many religious figures in his work, including Bishop Robert McKenna, the Rev Jun and Malachi Martin.
One of his the cases he is most associated with became the basis for the movie “The Haunting in Connecticut.”
Zaffis said that when he first started out, people in his field relied mostly on mediums and psychics. He said that those folks are still consulted, but indicated that technology has come a long way.
“Things change,” said Zaffis. “You must keep an open mind.”
Zaffis touched on topics such as channeling, near-death experiences, exorcism, dead zones, electronic voice phenomenon and others.
On ghosts, Zaffis said that in the past it was taboo to talk about being haunted. He said that people are more open to talking about their experiences now.
Zaffis also spoke about his museum of haunted items. He talked about a number of items he’s accumulated through the years, including five clown dolls, an organ and a wedding dress.
Zaffis also discussed the Connecticut haunting. He called it the most “eye-opening experience” in his career. He said that one instance in the investigation nearly made him quit investigating the paranormal.
After his presentation Zaffis took questions from the crowd. One person asked him what he thought of the Amityville incident.
“Was there a haunting? Yes,” said Zaffis. He said that the books and the movies blew the whole thing out of proportion.
For more information on Zaffis, his museum and cases, check out his Web site.