Ghost Hunters: Daryl Marston and Kristen Luman lead with their hearts

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Daryl Marston and Kristen Luman co-lead the Ghost Hunters team with Grant Wilson tonight on A&E at 9 p.m. In our interview, we learn that it isn’t about ghostbusting, it is about helping people and leaving them in a better place.

Ghost Hunters Daryl Marston and Kristen Luman are well-respected in the field of paranormal investigation. So, it is really no surprise that they were asked to co-lead Grant Wilson’s elite ghost hunting team.

In their premiere episode, airing tonight on A&E at 9 p.m. the team investigates a school in Pocatello, Idaho that is renowned for being haunted.

Ahead of their debut, we had a chance to sit down and talk to Daryl and Kristen about their backgrounds and their deep desire to help those in need.

It’s all about leading with the heart.

The Interview

1428 Elm: We wanted to talk a little bit about your backgrounds in paranormal investigations. Our readers will want to know how did the both of you become a part of the Ghost Hunters team? Did you work with Grant in the past?

Kristen Luman: I was picked for a show on SYFY called Ghost Mine because of my education in parapsychology, and that show actually held the time slot right after Ghost Hunters. That’s where I gained recognition in the field.

A few years later, I was asked to guest star on Ghost Hunters although Grant had already left by that time. Him picking me as a member of this team was the first time, I actually got to meet him.

Daryl Marston: Getting on Ghost Hunters was a complete surprise. I was in the kitchen about 7 p.m. at night back in February playing nerf gun wars with my 7-year-old son Aaron and received a phone call asking me to try out for a paranormal show.

At the time, I had no idea it was Ghost Hunters until I was flown to LA to interview for the actual job. After about 6 weeks of back and forth emails, phone calls and Skype interviews, I was hired.

And a week later I was on a plane to our first case. And no, I’ve never worked with Grant before. We didn’t know Grant was involved at all until the night before our first case. It was a complete surprise! Pilgrim and A&E did a great job with keeping that from us.

A Particular Set of Skills

1428 Elm: You both have very interesting backgrounds that give you different insights into the various cases that you take on.

Daryl, you have led your own successful team in Delaware for many years. You were a firearms instructor & a contractor. Two very interesting skill sets that serve you well in your present career. How did you become involved in paranormal investigations?

DM: As a contractor I know homes inside and out so when I’m on a case, it’s pretty easy for me to disclaim certain noises and other simple things like plumbing, HVAC and electric as not paranormal. I also have put some theories to the test.

Like the fact that when someone is doing work or demo on an active location, it can also raise the activity in that particular locale. We actually tested this on one of our episodes and it was quite amazing to see the results.

Back in the mid 2000’s, I was invited to a paranormal investigation during a Halloween event and after about 3 hours, I was hooked and knew I wanted to do this as a hobby. But I never guessed it would get me on Ghost Hunters!

More from 1428 Elm

1428 Elm: Kristen, as a hypnotherapist, you are keenly aware of how the mind can be prone to suggestion. Does this training enable you to flesh out false claims or determine poltergeist activity as opposed to a traditional haunting? Since you are also a parapsychologist what questions are on your checklist when looking to verify paranormal phenomenon?

KL: I like to try to go into any location very neutral by not trying to prove anything or disprove anything. I believe that’s the best place to function from as an investigator because it helps you take in the experience authentically as opposed to consciously or unconsciously trying to make an experience happen. I interview a paranormal witness with the mind set of how might it have been possible for he or she to have this experience without there actually being a spirit involved.

In parapsychology we call it “misperception,” which I believe accounts for many “ghostly” experiences. I try to find out the state of mind the paranormal witness was in when he or she had their experience, were they woken from their sleep, were they stressed, did they know the place was haunted beforehand, have they had an experience like this before, what are their belief systems (as our perception shapes our reality) and, even though it may be uncomfortable for some, if they are on any medications or have any history of mental illness/mental impairment as all of these things can play into having a paranormal experience.

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