Andrew Nichols has used Ouija boards, locked his wife in a dungeon and stared as a grandfather clock rotated completely around by itself — all in the name of his career as a parapsychologist.
Nichols became interested in the paranormal when he was 12 years old, and his deceased older sister appeared to him one night in her prom dress.
“I did some research and realized what I had was called an apparitional experience and that other people had them, too,” he said. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Nichols, who has taught at Santa Fe College since 1995, gave a lecture titled, “Ghosts, Hauntings and More!” Wednesday at SFC. About 20 people attended.
Helene Janssens, 28, said she is skeptical of the paranormal. She decided to attend because she thought it would get her ready for Halloween.
“I’m not even sure I believe in it,” she said. “I’m looking for documentation and proof.”
Nichols doesn’t believe spirits can be filmed or photographed.
“These are experiences in the mind; they’re called psychic phenomenon for a reason,” he said.
Nichols holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, but his thesis focused on the psychological aspect of demonic possession.
He will teach in the spring on paranormal investigation and dream analysis for $20 per student.
