Splintered Spirits

Sam Baltrusis, psychic, medium, paranormal investigator, frequent TV expert contributor, and author of Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow, joins Gary and John to discuss the legendary town made famous by Washington Irving and his tale about the Headless Horseman.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John sit down with viral paranormal content creator and ghost hunter Jake Bruce to explore what happens when you mix legit fear, smart storytelling, and the weirdest corners of the spirit world. Together they dig into Jake’s early experiences that pushed him beyond “ghost tour tourist” into full‑blown ghost hunter, how childhood trips to historic battlefields and haunted orphanages shaped his view of spirits, and why he still admits he’s genuinely terrified on investigations. Listeners get a behind‑the‑scenes look at how a new‑school creator approaches hauntings, from live streams and short‑form content to fully planned, smartly produced paranormal episodes designed for YouTube, TikTok, and beyond.The conversation also tackles the realities of modern ghost hunting and paranormal fame: dealing with trolls, getting banned from locations, experimenting with ghost apps and budget gear, and trying to balance authenticity with entertainment value. Jake talks about using humor, loud music, and high‑energy reactions as coping mechanisms in dark locations, while still taking the history and the phenomena seriously. If you’re into ghost hunting, haunted locations, paranormal investigation, or you’re a content creator curious how to turn supernatural adventures into binge‑worthy video, this episode delivers a mix of storytelling, practical insight, and genuinely unsettling encounters—all in the signature light‑hearted, tone of Splintered Spirits.

Splintered Spirits sits down with broadcaster, paranormal investigator, and intuitive ITC specialist Greg Bakun, host of Ghost Box Radio, for a deep dive into what it really means to talk to the dead. From the first time a spirit box answered him in a creepy Minneapolis basement to a jaw‑dropping session where a voice claiming to be Abraham Lincoln identified his own deathbed photo, Greg unpacks why he believes these aren’t “dark forces” but actual people still trying to communicate. He walks Gary and John through his no‑nonsense, SB7‑driven method, his reluctance to over‑process evidence, and how he found himself unexpectedly acting as a bridge between grieving families and the voices of their loved ones.Across the conversation, Greg tackles the big questions at the heart of the show: what spirits are, why some refuse to “cross over,” and how belief, fear, and even ideas like “soul contracts” might shape your afterlife. He shares visceral stories from public investigations gone sideways, locations ruled by “gatekeeper” entities, and his evolving sense of ethics when audiences, spirits, and content all collide. Along the way, the three get candid about ego in paranormal media, rising investigation costs, the tension between tech and mediumship, and what responsible, evidence‑based investigation should look like in an era of viral clips and celebrity ghost hunters.Greg Bakun: Ghost Box Radio

James Underdown has spent over 25 years trying to give away $500,000 to anyone who can prove a paranormal ability under real test conditions, and no one has even come close. In this episode, Gary and John sit down with the executive director of Center for Inquiry West and founder of the Independent Investigations Group to dig into wild claims of telepathy, telekinesis, dowsing, “teleporting” horseflies, and the ghost gadgets that flood paranormal TV, while James explains why he believes science and psychology can fully account for what many people call hauntings.Rather than arguing about who is “right,” the conversation leans into the tension between John’s work documenting spirits and James’s commitment to skeptical investigation, exploring where brain states, belief, culture, and genuine weird experiences collide. If you are fascinated by ghosts, curious about what is really happening during spirit box sessions, or just want to hear a skeptic and a paranormal creator push each other in real time, this episode will challenge your assumptions without killing the thrill of the unknown.If you think you have the abilities to win the $500,000 prize, visit the CIF. Link is in the linktree in our bio.

Ashley from Ghost Gossip Pod joins Splintered Spirits Live for a fun, fast, and heartfelt dive into haunted houses, psychic intuition, and the strange path that led her from the federal court system to full-time paranormal podcasting. She shares how buying a haunted house she didn’t know was haunted, waking up to footsteps and disembodied voices, and feeling “a little crazy” pushed her to start Ghost Gossip as a safe, nonjudgmental space for people to talk about their ghost stories and real-life paranormal experiences.Gary and John dig into her life with a house ghost named Al, a protective haunted doll that “chose” her in a dream, and how intention, spiritual boundaries, and energetic protection matter when you invite spirits and haunted objects into your home. Ashley opens up about being a “human lie detector,” getting crystal-clear psychic hits and clairaudient warnings that prevent real-world harm, and navigating the emotional weight of being an empath who constantly feels others’ emotions—especially her kids’.Along the way, they tackle bigger questions: what spirits might be, why hauntings and ghost activity are just as common in the daytime, and whether intuition is a natural psychic “muscle” some people simply develop further. They also dive into the modern paranormal community and content-creator world—paranormal podcast drama, toxic gatekeeping, clout-chasing, and cancellation gossip—while championing a more collaborative, community-first approach for ghost hunters, investigators, and fans of the unexplained.

One of the most recognizable psychics and mediums on the planet sits down with Splintered Spirits in this candid, no-BS conversation with television legend Chip Coffey. Known from hit shows like Kindred Spirits, Psychic Kids, and Paranormal State, Chip unpacks his near-death–adjacent birth, growing up in genuinely haunted homes, and how a background in acting, counseling, and psychology shaped the way he works with both spirits and living clients.Gary and John dig into Chip’s definitions of ghosts versus spirits, residual versus interactive hauntings, and why he believes our own energy is often the real catalyst for paranormal activity. Chip shares harrowing cases from Paranormal State (including demonic assaults that even shocked hospital staff), explains what TV gets right and wrong about the field, and offers blunt thoughts on skeptics, infighting in the paranormal world, and the fading era of paranormal television.Along the way, he challenges Gary’s beliefs, talks about why he’s retreated from the public eye, and leaves listeners with heartfelt advice for families raising intuitive kids and anyone who suspects they might be psychic themselves.

Gary and John celebrate one year of Splintered Spirits by breaking down their most ambitious experiment yet: a multi-participant Estes Method session that evolves into what they call the Synchronized Estes Protocol (SEP), a group format where multiple blindfolded listeners simultaneously report what they hear from spirit boxes. They unpack synced responses, wild physical reactions (from trance-like sleep to someone walking out after feeling touched), and how group Estes sessions expose personal bias, audio pareidolia, and the blurred line between spirit communication and human expectation.​Along the way, they explore what this experiment means for modern ghost hunting, ITC research, and the core question “What are spirits?”, while teasing upcoming episodes with mediums, skeptics, investigators, and researchers tackling consciousness, haunted locations, and real-world paranormal claims. Perfect for fans of paranormal podcasts, ghost hunting, spirit boxes (Necrophonic, Spiritus, Vox), the Estes Method, and anyone curious about pushing spirit communication experiments to the next level.

A century-old textile factory, a notorious spirit named Peter, whispered rumors of blood rituals from 1997, and a room full of blindfolded guests wired into the unknown might be Splintered Spirits’ most ambitious experiment yet. In this first ever SEP Test (Synchronized Estes Protocol Experiment), Gary and John return to John’s former office inside a massive 1860s factory to attempt what they believe is the first multi-person Estes Method session, using silent-disco headsets provided by Silence Activations ( silenceactivations.com) sensory deprivation to separate real spirit communication from audio pareidolia.Across the night, the group appears to connect with documented entities like Peter and the mask-bound spirit Sam, hears chilling references to long-whispered rituals, and witnesses a bizarre “F you Lisa” moment that lands just as John’s wife stands up to leave. Some guests feel touches and intense presence, others slip into deep calm or nod off entirely, leaving listeners to decide whether this was coordinated contact from the other side or just our pattern-seeking brains working overtime.

Splintered Spirits is live talking about ghost hunting, upcoming guests, the pod's one-year anniversary, and a call-to-arms to save one of Paranormal's Most Valuable Assets - John's Tooth!

Drag queen paranormal investigator and author Monique Toosoon joins Splintered Spirits for a wild dive into ghosts, hauntings, and high‑camp horror. From legendary haunted locations like The Conjuring House, Wilson Castle, and historic asylums to sold‑out overnight ghost hunts, Monique shares how investigating in full drag as “the ghost-ess with the mostest” turns her into a powerful trigger object that supercharges spirit communication and EVPs. Gary and John explore what spirits are, queer visibility in the paranormal field, and how glamour, energy, and $20K of ghost‑hunting equipment transform a traditional ghost hunt into a live paranormal experience. Fans of haunted locations, real‑life ghost stories, paranormal investigation, drag, and horror will find plenty to latch onto in this conversation.Links to Monique and her latest book can be found in the linktree in our bio.

Author, witch, and medium Melissa St. Hilaire joins Splintered Spirits for a live deep dive into real signs from the afterlife, everyday magic, and what it truly means to live as an “American Witch.” She shares how spirits communicate, the most misunderstood “signs” people receive, and how her work as a psychic, spellcaster, and animal communicator helps bridge the gap between the living and the dead. All of it circles back to our favorite big question: What are Spirits?Links to Melissa and her book can be found in the linktree in our bio.

On this episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re crossing over into the Realm of Darkness.Our guests are the duo behind one of the most atmospheric, boots-on-the-ground shows in the paranormal true crime space: producer, writer, and investigator Ashley Moreno and filmmaker, investigator, and storyteller Nate Cogar. Together, they’ve built Realm of Darkness and The Dark Travel Chronicles into a journey through haunted locations, unsolved histories, and the lingering echoes of lives cut short, blending meticulous research with firsthand encounters in some of the most unsettling places you can visit.In this conversation, we’re digging into how Ashley and Nate got pulled into the paranormal, how they balance true crime with the ethics of real-world tragedy, and what it actually takes to chase ghosts and dark history across the country with cameras rolling. We’ll talk investigations that changed them, locations they’ll never forget, and how their work has reshaped what they think spirits might be.https://www.youtube.com/@RealmOfDarkness04

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re joined by Lauren Hellekson, the mind behind Lauren Haunts (laurenhaunts.com), a paranormal investigator, equipment builder, author, and physics student who lives at the intersection of curiosity and skepticism.Lauren approaches the paranormal from an angle we don’t often see. She designs and builds her own investigative gear, grounding her work in concepts like electromagnetism, static fields, and energy theory, while still leaving room for the unknown. With a background that blends hands-on electronics, spiritual inquiry, and formal studies in physics and astronomy, she challenges how ghost hunting is usually done and asks harder questions about what we’re really measuring when we say a place is haunted.We talk about custom-built paranormal equipment, the role of science in investigating unexplained phenomena, common mistakes investigators make, and how belief, bias, and environment can influence results. Lauren also shares what drew her into this work, how her academic studies have reshaped her thinking, and what she believes the future of paranormal research could look like if curiosity and rigor finally meet in the middle.Whether you’re a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, this conversation digs into the gray area where data ends and mystery begins.Subscribe, follow, and join the conversation as we continue trying to understand what ghosts might actually be, fractured memories, energy, or something we haven’t named yet.

What if you could hear a voice and see its color? What if a single touch revealed someone’s soul?In this live episode of Splintered Spirits, we’re joined by The Blue Bodhi, known to her followers as The Godmother of Magic. A shamanic medium, aura artist, and spiritual advisor with over 600K followers on TikTok, Bodhi has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia that allows her to see sound, touch, and even letters as color. She uses this gift to read the layers of a person’s aura and reveal what lives beneath the surface.After surviving two near-death experiences at nineteen and later being diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, Bodhi began connecting ancient spiritual traditions with modern neuroscience, exploring why seers, shamans, and oracles throughout history shared similar neurological traits.She’s drawn aura portraits for celebrities like Dustin Diamond, Ray Park, and Vinnie Appice, hosts twice-weekly live Reiki healing sessions for thousands around the world, and runs the Black Horse Project, a spiritual initiative designed to help people feel safe at night.Let’s Dive into the Conversation.

Amber Copeland from hauntedatx.com, a haunted tour guide in Austin, TX, joins the pod and shares some of her ghostly evidence. Gary and John catch up and talk about what's to come in 2026. And Gary has a new theory on what spirits may be.

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary sits down with Matthew Botsford, whose life changed forever in 1992 when a stray bullet struck him in the head. His heart stopped. Doctors fought to save him. But while his body lay in a coma, Matthew says his consciousness went somewhere else… and it was not peaceful.Matthew describes a realm of darkness, agony, and malevolent entities, a place he believes was “hell,” and the profound moment something reached into that darkness and pulled him out. We explore what he experienced, what he believes spirits truly are, whether these realms are psychological, spiritual, or something we don’t yet understand, and how it reshaped his entire life.Whether you’re skeptical, spiritual, fascinated, or unsettled, this conversation forces you to confront a question we ask every week: What are spirits… really?

Happy New Year, Splintered Spirits Society! On this episode Gary talks about everything he's learned in 2025 and what's to come for Splintered Spirits on 2026!

In this episode of Splintered Spirits, host Gary sits down with world-renowned psychic medium Cathy Nadal for a live coffee reading at Coffee Unique in Bronxville, New York. Cathy—author of Seeing More Than Clouds in Your Coffee, certified with the Forever Family Foundation, registered nurse, and retired U.S. Army Colonel—uses espresso and Turkish coffee to demonstrate tasseography, turning Gary’s cup into a map of his past, present, and future. As repeating symbols emerge in both cups, Gary and Cathy dig into psychic validation, spirit communication, and how coffee readings can reveal deeply personal messages from the other side, making this a must-listen for fans of psychic mediums, paranormal podcasts, and coffee divination.

In this less-edited redux of one of our wildest early episodes, Gary and John head back into Johnny’s infamous haunted basement with psychic-medium and author Cathy Nadal to see what still lurks in the dark. With cameras rolling this time, Cathy walks into the space cold and immediately starts pulling detailed hits on the building’s history, secret societies, and a vicious Scottish spirit named Edward—long before the spirit boxes ever turn on. As the tension builds, the energy spikes so hard that an object literally flies off the wall, and everyone has to decide whether to keep going or get out.​This re-release is the raw, nearly unfiltered cut of that night: more basement, more spirits, more of Cathy and Johnny comparing their abilities, and more of Edward’s taunts as he wages his own “fight for the nexus.” You’ll hear how Cathy validates years of Johnny’s basement investigations, calls out a serpentine secret order, and even gets directly acknowledged—and threatened—by the spirits themselves.​If you heard the original audio-only version, this is your chance to experience the full Big Ghost Energy of that session with added video and fewer cuts, exactly as it unfolded in real time.

On this week’s episode of Splintered Spirits, Gary and John go off-script and deep into the tension between believers and professional skeptics in the paranormal world. They unpack their conversations with skeptic heavyweights. From what it would actually take to convince a skeptic—a levitating grandfather clock, maybe?—to how evidence is judged in science versus ghost hunting, they probe why some people need something almost cinematically impossible before they’ll even consider spirits might be real.They also pull back the curtain on the cottage industry of rage‑bait creators who build channels by tearing down mediums, investigators, and even grief counselors, using Gary’s mind‑bending reading with psychic medium Cathy Nadal as a case study.  Along the way, they tease a loaded slate of upcoming episodes: a conversation‑driven Shanley Hotel deep dive, a sit‑down with REM pod and SB7 inventor Gary Galka, another skeptic interview with Benjamin Radford, an intimate look at sexual energy and spirits with an adult film star, and a full Turkish‑coffee reading with Cathy that will delight believers and make skeptics grind their teeth.