As Halloween just passed, the hangover of the abnormal is still here and the paranormal doesn’t rest for anybody.

When you think of ghosts and the paranormal, most people are stuck to what they see on TV and movies, but not Chad Lewis. He has been investigating the paranormal for over 15 years all over the world.

Lewis got his start growing up in Eau Claire, Wis., where he heard about many UFO reports in the area. He interviewed people about what they saw and why they believed in such mysterious things. These beginnings sparked the rest of his career, studying psychology specifically for the reason to get into people’s minds about why they believed in the paranormal. After giving countless presentations, people would come up to Lewis asking for help.

“Maybe they were making sure they weren’t crazy,” said Lewis.

Lewis has investigated all sorts of things from Bigfoot to crop circles, but he still finds that a small town in Wisconsin gets the most reports for paranormal activity. In Elk Lake, Wis. many have reported seeing the ghost of a young woman. After doing research, Lewis found out that there was a girl murdered in the same spot 30 years ago. After Lewis started his own investigation, the police decided to re-open the murder case from 30 years ago. It’s situations like these Lewis enjoys, knowing that he might have helped solve a murder.

Lewis and his crew bring in all sorts of equipment for any chance to rule out the normal. However, even with the availability of great technology, he thinks it is best to try and experience everything on a personal level.

“Sometimes I like to go out there with a camera and a sense of curiosity,” he said.

Lewis has had many experiences of getting back after an investigation and seeing and hearing things on tape that he didn’t see in person, but still hasn’t seen anything concrete. Yet, Lewis finds this to be a good thing and it helps keep him curious.

In order to quench his curiosity, he keeps on going. One of his personal goals in the future is trying to reach Robert Ripley’s (from Ripley’s Believe it or Not) track record of investigating 201 places in the world.

Yet, no stranger to the Fargo-Moorhead area, he investigated the many reports of the haunting of a man who fell from the rafters at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Many people claim to see a man in the theatre building. Lewis likes investigating after the presentations.

“I try to focus on the state I’m in and where people can explore their own backyard,” he said.

On Monday, Nov. 16 Chad Lewis will hold a presentation of Minnesota’s most haunted locations. The event is free to the public and will be held at Lake Agassiz Regional Library in Moorhead, starting at 7 p.m.

With movies like “Paranormal Activity” and the vampire craze with “Twilight,” nothing seems more popular than the paranormal. Unexplainable situations are closer to home than one would think. Lewis will still be searching for the unknown, trying to fulfill his curiosity.

For more information on Lewis, visit unexplainedresearch.com.


Questions and comments: zach.smith@ndsu.edu

INFO:
What: Minnesota’s Most Haunted Locations w/ Chad Lewis
When: Mon, Nov 16, 7 p.m.
Where: Lake Agassiz Regional Library, Moorhead
How Much: Free to the public