Danielle Garrison BellaOnline's Paranormal Editor Interview with Kris Baker, Co-Founder of Crossroads Paranormal 6/27/06
Danielle Garrison: I'd really like to thank you for taking the time to respond to my interview. Can you tell me a little about yourself? Kris Baker: I am the co-founder of Crossroads Paranormal. I am 35 years old and was born and raised in Ontario, Canada and moved to Lafayette, Indiana in 1998 where I currently reside. I work full-time as a retail manager and have been with my current employer since 1999. Investigating/researching the paranormal is not so much a hobby as it is an obsession.
Danielle Garrison: How did you get involved with the paranormal? Kris Baker: I actually became active in the paranormal field in 2002 when I joined a local chapter of a ghost hunting organization.
Danielle Garrison: What is it really like to be a Paranormal Investigator? Kris Baker: It is a lot different than what people see on TV and in the movies. Someone once said that it can be as about as exciting as watching paint dry. This field brings constant challenges and I feel this field encourages people to think outside the box. Since it is not an absolute science I think any good investigator is constantly thinking and experimenting.
The other side and most important is working with the people. Not just those that are in your team but those who are experiencing the phenomena. You can never really anticipate what their reaction is going to be when you reveal your findings and you really have to be prepared for whatever it may be.
Danielle Garrison: Have you ever been afraid during an investigation? Kris Baker: By the paranormal? No. I have been startled but not runaway screaming scared. By the living? Oh yes! I have a horrible fear of bats and I swear they seek me out just to get a reaction.
Danielle Garrison: Is this a life long passion/obsession? Kris Baker: As long as I can remember it has been a big part of my life.
Danielle Garrison: Have you ever seen a ghost(s)? Kris Baker: I have seen things that I cannot explain. Was it ghost? I don't know.
Danielle Garrison: In your opinion, what is the most haunted location you've investigated? Kris Baker: I have had the chance to investigate several reported haunted locations but a private residence here in Lafayette is by far the most haunted that I have been to.
Danielle Garrison: What is the best evidence you've ever collected? Kris Baker: This would have to be an EVP I got at a cemetery. We were in a mausoleum and the question asked "Can you tell us your name?" and very clearly a man said (actually it was almost like he was singing it), "It's Charlie Brooks".
We did not stop at just getting that EVP though. We went to the local library and searched for a man named Charlie Brooks. We did find that there is a man by that name buried in that cemetery and we were able to get a copy of the article from the paper and his funeral bill. The most interesting this about this is that he was laid to rest all the way on the other side of the cemetery no where near where we conducted the EVP. This is my best evidence is because there were other people with me when we did the EVP and through research we were able to verify that Charlie Brooks was laid to rest at that cemetery.
Danielle Garrison: Do you believe we will ever provide proof of the paranormal? Kris Baker: Maybe not in my lifetime but the steps we are taking today are improving the chances of answers tomorrow.
Danielle Garrison: Are you sensitive or psychic in any way? Kris Baker: I believe that everyone is to some degree (for example you walk into a room and you know the mood of the people in there by the way it felt when you walked in) but I do not consider myself a sensitive or psychic.
Danielle Garrison: How do your friends and family feel about you being a Paranormal Investigator? Kris Baker: My husband does not share my passion for the paranormal but is very supportive. As for my friends, a lot of them love hearing the stories but do not have much of an interest in pursuing it as a hobby themselves.
Danielle Garrison: Who was the person that most influenced you and how? Kris Baker: The person that influenced me the most would have to be my mother. When I was young she lived in a haunted house for 9 years and she was so cool about it. She never showed fear and never told me that ghosts did not exist. She never made me fear the unknown instead she taught me to appreciate it and respect it. She was very interested in the paranormal I am sure that if there were ghost hunting groups in the area at the time she would have joined.
Danielle Garrison: What would you say to someone thinking about starting up this ghostly hobby? Kris Baker: READ. I cannot stress this enough read everything you can get your hands on. Troy Taylor's book "The Ghost Hunter's Guidebook" and Joshua P. Warren's "How to Hunt Ghosts" are two MUST have books for anyone in the field. Also you have to be somewhat thick skinned if you are going to pursue a ghostly hobby. There are a lot of skeptics out there and you have to be able to take criticism.
Danielle Garrison: Would you recommend any books related to the paranormal to get started? Kris Baker: The two I stated above for sure and then I would also add in Vince Wilson's "Ghost Tech" and "Ghost Science". The other author's I have really enjoyed are Lloyd Auerbach and Trent Brandon.
