Have you ever seen or felt the presence of a ghost or spirit? Paranormal-themed TV shows have brought ghost hunting to the forefront of popular TV. Local ghost hunter Ralph Esposito recently gave a presentation at the Chili Public Library to a room packed full of library patrons.
The audience even included a spirit.
Esposito began his adventure into the afterlife over ten years ago. He’s led many paranormal investigations and written two books, Ghosts of Genesee County and Ghosts of Old Rochesterville. Jennifer Lindsey is the Adult Services Librarian at the Chili Public Library. She contacted Esposito after learning about his experiences from fellow librarians.
“I wanted to host a multigenerational program around Halloween about this popular topic. When I Iearned about Ralph, I knew he would be a good choice for our library,” Lindsey said.
Esposito began his presentation by asking if anyone had ever seen or experienced a ghost or spirit. Many raised their hands. He asked if people knew the difference between a ghost and a spirit and clarified the difference.
“A ghost is a person who has passed away whose soul is still walking the earth. A spirit is one who has come back for a visit and usually visits places where they are comfortable,” he explained.
Esposito gave details about various hunts that he has led or experienced and explained how the various ghost hunting equipment is used. He described Rochester as very haunted and attributed this to the rich history and development of this city.
“Rochester was a place for religious revival and several religions were started here, like Mormonism. There were many ambitious people who may not have had their dreams established so they come back in the afterlife,” Esposito said.
Like any other work or hobby, ghost hunting requires specific equipment and Esposito demonstrated various apparatuses that he uses. An EMF reader, a video camera, a digital camera, divining rods, a pendulum, and a remote infrared thermometer are just a few pieces of the gear that he uses. An EMF reader and an infrared thermometer will show hot and cold spots in a room. Ghosts can often be tracked due to drops in temperature in a room or space. Ghosts are not usually seen but sometimes orbs can be seen on photos and videos. An orb can be best described as the energy being transferred from a power source to the spirit and usually shows on a photo or video as a circular white transparent spot. Divining rods are held and a ghost will take command of the rods to point/show where the ghost is located in a room. A pendulum is used to communicate with a ghost. It is held so it can swing freely. A person asks the question and the movement of the pendulum determines the answer.
Esposito asked the audience if they wished to find out if any ghosts were present in the library. All were in agreement and he picked up the divining rods. He pointed the rods straight in front of himself and explained that he would ask questions and if the rods crossed, that the ghost would be moving the rods.
“Are there any ghosts present?,” Esposito asked and the rods crossed. “Are you a female?” Again the rods crossed. He continued to inquire. “Are you a former librarian?” The rods stood still. “Are you a former patron?” No movement from the rods. “Did you own the land upon which this library was built?” The rods quickly crossed. “Are you happy with this library?” The rods quickly crossed again. Each time the rods crossed, a hush would come over the room.
Young library patron Dillon Warden has an interest in ghost hunting after his cat passed on. He asked Esposito if animals could come back as ghosts. Esposito assured him that animals do come back in the afterlife. Dillon replied, “I saw my cat’s ghost.” Dillon, age 11, then volunteered to demonstrate some of Esposito’s gear.
Dillon picked up the divining rods and Esposito asked if any ghosts were present. The rods crossed. Esposito then asked the ghost to point the rods in the direction of where they were located in the room. Both rods pointed directly to the left and Dillon’s eyes grew wide with surprise.
Esposito went on to share stories, and also showed video, of some of his hunts. A hunt at Valentown Museum in Victor proved to be one of his most fascinating experiences. A museum curator led a group of hunters, along with a medium, through the museum at night. Throughout the tour, members of the group called out to the spirits who showed themselves in many places and many ways. One group member felt something touch her shoulders. Another used an EMF reader, which noted big temperature differences in a room. The curator quickly explained the space was a meeting room for large gatherings, hence the reason why big temperatures were recorded. Playback of the video showed multiple orbs in the space.
Esposito was quick to explain that ghost hunting is not what you see on TV.
“I don’t usually run into bad spirits or anything satanic. This is scientific, and can be tracked back to physical evidence.”
Interested in learning more about ghost hunting? Esposito is available for lectures, ghost hunting technique classes and group ghost hunts. For more information, visit his website at 2ndamendmentshow.com/REPARANORMAL or contact him at (585) 507-7181.
M. Fitzgibbon photos
