The Human Side of Paranormal Investigation with Shari DeBenedetti

Something grabs your ankles the moment you slide into bed. Your wrists get forced down. You try to yell, but nothing comes out. Then a perfect copy of your boyfriend appears at the foot of the bed, except the face is a blank, distant black. Shari DeBenedetti doesn’t tell that story for shock value. She tells it because it’s the moment that pushed her from fear into a lifetime of questions. In this episode of the Ghost City Podcast, we sit down with Shari, a paranormal investigator of nearly 30 years and a familiar face from Ghost Hunters and Ghost Nation, to talk about what real paranormal fieldwork looks like when you care about evidence, people, and your own integrity. We get into debunking the everyday, including electrical issues, plumbing, pests, and health concerns, and why calling everything “demonic” can harm homeowners while undermining serious paranormal investigation. Shari also shares a case tied to the Danvers asylum area, where activity centered on her partner, escalated over time, and forced a difficult look at what paranormal investigators call an “attachment.” Then we get into the part paranormal television often skips: research. Town halls, libraries, historical societies, neighbors, historical records, and the slow work of matching names and stories to reported experiences. We also talk about EVPs, tools like the Dead Bell, communicating with deceased family members, privacy questions surrounding spirits, paranormal television, fake evidence, and why maintaining credibility matters.