Interviewer:            Well, we’re privileged to have in the studio with us today Carlene Belfort who is a professional ghost hunter!  Carlene, that’s an unusual hobby, how did you get into it?

Carlene:            Well, when I was about 8 years old, my grandmother died and my family moved into her house.  And I kept hearing all sorts of strange noises in the night.  I told my parents, and they told me I was imagining things, but I knew it was ghosts.  So you could say I started ghost-hunting whenever I walked around the house alone at night!

Interviewer:            So, what do you need in order to be a ghost hunter?  Do you have some special psychic powers?

Carlene:            Well, some people, mediums that is, have the gift to communicate with people who have passed away, or at least they claim to do that.  But, no, I don’t claim to have any special powers.  Ghost hunters aren’t the same as mediums.  We use audio recorders, cameras and electromagnetic devices to detect the presence of ghosts.  But I think it helps if you have an open mind and a spirit of adventure.

Interviewer:            So what sorts of people ask you for your services?

Carlene:            Well, as I said, I don’t claim to communicate with ghosts.  I do get phone calls from bereaved people who want to communicate with their lost ones, but I have to turn them away.  That’s not what I do.  No, my clients are those people who hear or see things in their homes and are worried they might be going crazy.  They call me in, and I can put their minds at rest.  Of course I also get the odd few who are desperate to have a ghost in their homes and interpret every creak in their house as a possible visitor.

Interviewer:            So you don’t find ghosts everywhere you look.

Carlene:            No, not at all.

Interviewer:            So how do you detect the presence of ghosts?

Carlene:            Well, sometimes it is just a feeling.  Something that makes you hair stand on end, or there may be a sudden drop in temperature.  But the most conclusive way to do it is to get some sort of proof, so we take photographs, voice recordings and meter readings.

Interviewer:            And what has been your scariest moment?

Carlene:            Oh, there have been so many!  I mean, there was one time when I was with my team, and my team-mate’s camera stopped working.  My camera was still functioning, so I took a picture of my colleague so that we could find out whether it was spirits causing the malfunction.  When we looked at the pictures later, we could see three streams of energy attacking the camera around my colleague’s neck!  That was certainly very spooky, but of course we didn’t know that was going on when we took the picture, and when we looked at the photograph we were far away.  There are some hair-raising moments when you see things flying across the room on their own accord.  But to tell the truth, there’s nothing more frightening than  being in the presence of true evil.

Interviewer:            So there are evil ghosts out there?

Carlene:            Oh yes, most definitely.

Interviewer:            Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, there are a large number of sceptics out there, and I’m sure there’ll be people among our listeners, who believe that ghost hunting is a lot of nonsense and that you have no scientific basis for your work.  What do you have to say to them?

Carlene:            Well, I can see why people with more scientific minds are unconvinced, as there have been a lot of hoaxes in the past. But now, with better technology we’re able to take a lot more data and evidence to back up our sightings, although I realise that some scientists are still not convinced by that.  But, well, if they’re not satisfied with the data, well I’d like to invite them on a ghost hunt and see how they explain furniture flying across a room!

Interviewer:            So it’s not just a big con?  You’re not just filling up people’s mind with a lot of nonsense in return for their money?

Carlene:            Well, I realise that some people see it like that, and that’s a shame.  But as I see it, I’m no different from a plumber or an electrician.  If someone has a problem in their house, they call me, and I come over with the right equipment and some skills, and I can solve their problem and put their minds at rest. 

Interviewer:            So what do you recommend that people should do if they feel their house is haunted?

Carlene:            They can contact me via my website and arrange for a consultation.  And I’m also happy to take people out on hunts if they want a spooky experience!

Interviewer:            Well, Carlene, it has been most interesting talking to you.  Thank you very much for coming in.