Professor studying ghost hunters says they offer peace, closure to clients

VANCOUVER – A British Columbia professor researching ghost hunters, UFO enthusiasts and Sasquatch searchers says many people who turn to paranormal investigators are seeking closure and peace of mind.

Paul Kingsbury, a cultural geographer at Simon Fraser University, will release preliminary findings of a multi-year investigation into these spooky subcultures at a lecture in Vancouver on Wednesday.

He says ghost hunters offer relief to clients and typically don't charge for their services, while those claiming they have been abducted by aliens just want to tell their stories and feel accepted by others.

In B.C., Northern Paranormal Investigations is one of the organizations that respond to people who believe their homes are haunted or are experiencing other strange phenomena.

Nikki Peterson is a co-founder of the group and she says she wanted to help others because she grew up having frightening, unexplained experiences and didn't have anywhere to turn.

Peterson says most reports they investigate have mundane explanations, such as mould under the floorboards, but there have been cases where she saw a form or felt someone touching her.