Haunted Case Files: Return to Asylum 49

The second season of Haunted Case Files is in full swing here in the States, airing on the Travel Channel (our Canadian cousins have already seen it, which is only fair considering that it was shot there) and tonight was the first of the episodes featuring my work.

Long-term readers of mine will know that Asylum 49 is, hands-down, my favorite haunted location, though not necessarily for the reasons you might think.

Firstly, the place is wicked haunted, and rarely fails to disappoint. I was back there in October with a small team and experienced some great activity, thanks to the influx of energy brought by the Halloween visitors to this full contact haunted house attraction. This is the first year that the haunt itself has taken place on the side of the building which once housed the nursing home, and it definitely brought a new dynamic into the mix. The energies and atmosphere there was subtly different than it was in past years. It’s almost as if the spirits themselves don’t quite know what to make of the change to their long-established routine.

The sheer talent, creativity, and hard work put in each year by the cast, crew, and owners never fails to wow me. From the newest rookie to the longest-serving veteran, everybody has a part to play, either in front of or behind the scenes (sometimes both) and all of them without exception stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Asylum 49 is also a remarkable pillar of the local community, waiving entrance fees one day in exchange for donations to the local food bank. The end result: several hundred pounds worth of food were raised for those who would otherwise go hungry.

That’s a class act right there.

The Asylum is also a place for young people to go and express their creativity in a safe environment full of cameraderie and mentoring that is absolutely beyond price. I shudder to think where some of them would be without the sanctuary of Asylum 49. A genuine family atmosphere pervades the haunt.

Since I first started researching the case, I have been fortunate enough to become friends with many of the cast and crew, to the point where I now consider them to be family. It’s always a real pleasure to drive on out to Tooele, Utah and spend some time locked down in my favorite haunted hospital.

All of which brings me to the episode. It’s important to remember that paranormal ‘reality’ shows often take a degree of creative license. Their intent is to tell a story that will engage and (hopefully, because it’s good for ratings) chill the viewer. That’s why people tune into those kind of shows in the first place…well, that and the fact that they make for great ‘location porn,’ giving behind-the-scenes access to some truly intriguing places. This means that the makes of the show sometimes like to add dramatized recreation segments in order to up the scare and excitement factors.

Thinking about it, this makes a great deal of sense. For the most part, paranormal investigation is boring a lot of the time. We spend about ninety percent of our time waiting around for the other ten percent to happen. Needless to say, that does not make for good TV.

There is an old saying that drama is life with the dull bits cut out. In the same vein,  what you see on shows such as Haunted Case Files is  paranormal field investigation with all of the waiting around cut out and some added adrenaline. When you see the interview segments in which my fellow investigators and I talk the viewer through the case, we’re providing the ‘beats’ — the tentpole events that prop up the narrative. Then the dramatized segments fill in the gaps between beats. Time is often compressed, so it appears as if an investigation which in reality took several days, weeks, or months was over in a quarter of an hour.

On tonight’s episode, my friend and colleague Erik was shown being assaulted by an entity known as ‘the Guardian.’ This angry spirit slams his head down violently on top of a desk.

Did this actually happen? Well, not quite! What did happen was that on an SLS (Structured Light Sensor) camera, we recorded the image of a stick figure that appeared to be beating the living crap out of Erik, who physically felt nothing at the time. This took place in the area of the old hospital in which the Guardian is most active, and has been known to physically assault visitors — including putting a pretty lengthy scratch on the back of my colleague Catlyn (not Caitlin) Keenan (not Keegan) while she was attempting to get him to communicate. This also made it into the episode, and while the scratch is 100% genuine, I’ve yet to see Catlyn scream or panic about anything during a paranormal investigation, including this one.

In other words, a core of truth with a frisson of added drama and excitement splashed in.

I’m very fond of both seasons of Haunted Case Files and feel privileged to be part of the growing cadre of investigators whose work is featured on the show. The production company treats us well, and are always willing to listen to our input and suggestions. The directors have both been groovy people, and the crew super-friendly. The show has found a lovely group of fans who support it quite vocally, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of my ghostly adventures with the viewers as Haunted Case Files goes from strength to strength. The people behind the scenes put in a great deal of work on each episode, and it’s so good to see the show being embraced by much of the paranormal community.

For my readers in the UK, Haunted Case Files airs under the name “Paranormal Investigators” and I believe that season two will be winging its way across the Atlantic in 2019.

We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoy making it 😀