Jason Hawes Dishes on 'Ghost Hunters'

Oct. 25 -- Are Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson the real-life Mulder and Scully? Plumbers by day and paranormal investigators by night, this dynamic duo thinks the truth is definitely out there.

'Ghost Hunters' follows the investigations of their organization, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), and has captured undeniable proof of the paranormal on film. With a 'Hunters' Halloween special on the horizon, Hawes chatted exclusively with AOL Television editor Sandy Deane about his wildest experiences and the shocking evidence being kept under wraps by the men in black and the Catholic Church.

Was there a personal experience that inspired you to create TAPS?
I had a personal experience and I just always keep it personal, but before that time I didn't believe in anything with the paranormal. It became my passion to try to put some kind of a scientific spin on this, try to really understand how it's actually feasible that after you pass you could still be sort of here.

What is the most amazing physical encounter you've had since then?
[There are] a lot of things that we can never show on TV. We've got a lot of past cases that are confidential. But we've worked on possession cases. You've got a 9-year-old little girl speaking in Latin and flipping out on you. We've worked on cases where furniture rearranged itself at 3AM every night. We caught some of that on film, but we ended up handing that over to the Catholic Church and they took control of that case.

What's the profile of the average TAPS member?
TAPS is made up of so many different people: psychiatrists, forensic scientists, nuclear physicists, police officers, biologists, lawyers, doctors, even stay-at-home moms. We've even got people from the FBI and Secret Service, the Department of Defense, but we can't show those people on TV because, of course, they're classified.

What's the spookiest or most active location you've investigated?
Eastern State Penitentiary is definitely at the top of my list. I also love the lighthouse (Race Rock Lighthouse in Long Island Sound).


What haunted locations are on your wish list?
I'd love to get overseas and check out some of the places in England and Scotland, which are said to be just notoriously haunted. Everything from Borley Rectory down to castles in Scotland.

Any plans to visit Salem?
We've got a seventh generation pagan in the group who would love to go over there, but she just feels the place has been too commercialized. Maybe next season.

How many cases result in confirmed activity?
Over 80 percent of all the cases can be disproved. Now that last 20 percent that's left, we're not saying it's proof of a ghost. A chair sliding across the floor by itself isn't showing me that it's the dead light keeper Ed pushing that chair. What it's telling me is that a chair doesn't slide across the floor by itself. So it's paranormal, para just meaning above the norm.

Does debunking help or hurt your organization?
It solidifies the evidence that we have. If we're going there to try to dismiss it and we catch a piece of evidence that we cannot disprove, well… that's something we can put out there and we don't have to worry that the skeptics are going to totally tear us apart.

How often do people tamper with evidence, like they did on the Queen Mary this season?
That doesn't happen very often, but of course now with the show, it does have a tendency to rear its ugly head a little more often than usual. We had one gentleman who built a speaker into his wall and tried to get us to believe that his house was haunted by the sounds coming through the house at night. Most people who call us actually believe that they have a problem.

What's your take on mediums like John Edwards?
I don't know John personally so I really can't state anything on him. But generally I do believe in "sensitives." I just believe there are a lot of people out there who believe they're sensitive who aren't. A lot of times you find them with a 1-900 number attached to their names.


When do you have time to live your lives?
At first, me and Grant were working full time and we were doing like 120 hours a week and it just wasn't working. Roto Rooter is a great company and they're extremely lenient when it comes to the filming schedule. We're extremely busy, we're always out filming but when it comes to the family time we make the best of it. And I've got five kids, so I need to make the best of it.

What's the one tip you would offer amateur ghost hunters?
First off, if you're ever investigating the paranormal, never go off alone. There are safety factors, there's also the reason where if you believe you've seen something and you're alone, there's nobody to back it up. Also, you don't have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to investigate the paranormal. You can spend $200 – $300 to start investigating.

Brian made a dramatic exit this season. Is he gone for good?
I have done everything I can for Brian. I have helped him out. I have taken him in at times when he's been pretty much homeless and gotten him back on his feet. It's tough, because to see him fall again it really hits you where it hurts. Me and Brian have a real good friendship and I'm still talking with Brian. You'll see a lot when it comes to the Halloween special.

What can you tell us about the Halloween special?
Um, we caught Satan. Just kidding! We filmed down in Savannah, Ga. I think it's going to be a controversial episode.