Rationalists may scoff at him and the superstitious may be in awe of him but handling ‘haunted’ objects is just part of the job for Gaurav Tiwari. And now, he hopes to start a museum of such objects.
The professional ‘ghost-hunter’ believes that the “consciousness of the dead” -- as he refers to what we call spirits -- have a way of attaching themselves to objects. And often, it is these objects that are to blame for that eerie feeling some people get in certain houses and locations.
Tiwari is a certified investigator from Paranexus, a US-based association of “anomalous” researchers, and the founder and CEO of Indian Paranormal Society. He has travelled all over India and the world investigating haunted spaces and reports of paranormal activity. He heads a team of 36 investigators that tackles 10 to 15 cases a month. A majority of the cases are harmless. “Most occurrences can be explained scientifically. Only about three per cent of the cases are actually paranormal. Most times, it’s just fear,” says Tiwari.
At his ground-floor office in a quiet suburb of New Delhi, the ‘ghost-hunter’ places a book with a red jacket on his working table. This will be one of the first objects in his museum, whose contents, for now, will only fit into a cupboard.
“This book on astrology and palmistry was sent to me by a woman who had it for over 30 years and wanted to get rid of it,” says the 28-year-old. He hasn’t detected any paranormal activity around the book yet but says psychics in his team have.
Ivory pendant Tiwari bought this off eBay that has, among other items of utility, sundry haunted objects for sale. The pendant is supposed to be haunted by the spirit of a woman. Tiwari has recorded giggles and "female sounds" on his EVP recorder when he switched it on around the object.
Then there’s a pendant he bought from eBay in 2005. Back then haunted objects weren’t such a rage online and the man who sold it genuinely wanted to get rid of it, says Tiwari, who bought it for $10. “It’s a big market now,” he says, “and 98 per cent of it is a sham.”
The spirit of a woman is believed to haunt the pendant and Tiwari claims to have recorded giggles and “female sounds” on his EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recorder. This recorder captures sounds too high-pitched for the human ear.
Paranormal researchers believe that unexplained dips in temperature and fluctuations in electromagnetic field are a sign of spirits. They then seek to establish the “presence” of spirits by asking specific questions, like name or sex, and tape responses on EVP recorders. A coherent reply, or what Tiwari calls “intelligent communication”, is the most conclusive proof that the object is possessed.
His other tools of investigation include an EMF (electromagnetic field) detector and other gadgets to help detect unnatural fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
Tiwari says he and his team scientifically investigate whether an object is haunted or not by keeping their belief systems out of the picture. He isn’t sure if there is a God or an after-life, but says, “we try and help the spirit move on to the next level, whatever that may be.”
His team is calling on people to send them any haunted objects they want to get rid of. For now, he is awaiting the next addition to his collection – a haunted mirror, sent by a woman who had it for 13 years. “She claims anyone who sleeps near the mirror at night feels like someone is strangling them. I can’t wait to test it for myself,” he says.
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