20 Answers: Gary Dobbins

▶Hometown: Rutherfordton, N.C.
▶Education: Paul M. Dorman High School; Spartanburg Methodist College
▶Family: Married to Pamela Dobbins
▶Day Job: Machinist
▶Night Job: Founder & Lead Investigator with Spartanburg Paranormal Research Investigation Group, S.P.R.I.G.

1 The most haunted spot in the Upstate is, in my opinion, yet to be found. However, some of the strongest evidence and encounters have occurred while investigating in the Upstate.

2 My first experience with a ghost was at about age five. This is what sparked my lifelong interest in the paranormal.

3 We have had the most success detecting paranormal presences with a combination of a few basic pieces of equipment, which are infrared-spectrum-motion and thermal-sensing equipment, a “K-2” E.M.F. (electro-magnetic field) detector, and night-vision video with still-photograph cameras.

4 My most recent haunting investigation was a residence in Murphy, North Carolina, and to this date it has been the strongest case of activity we have experienced without a doubt. I contacted an acquaintance (Sumter, South Carolina, native Ryan Buell, star of the A&E series Paranormal State). We came together, and this case became an episode on this last season of Paranormal State, titled “Invitation to Evil.”

5 After years of my own experiences and the experiences and interest of my wife, Pamela, we agreed that we should form a group (known as S.P.R.I.G.) to document the research of the paranormal from a realistic and scientific perspective that could reach out to others.

6When Halloween season arrives, people tend to be more “sensitive” and more expectant of ghostly activity. With the theory that “ghosts” or “spirits” are made up of energy, and they manifest using energy, then it is possible that the heightened sense and nervous impulses by the “living” can possibly create a more “energized” atmosphere.

7 Living in a haunted house would not seem out of the ordinary considering that I have lived in three of them in my lifetime.

8 So far, the only thing that has ever really startled me was when I was physically pushed by something unseen, and I am 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and weigh about 300 pounds. That would make most people run through a wall and keep running.

9 I believe when a “ghost,” or spirit, is present it does tend to cause an unusual drop in temperature in an isolated area. The most drastic I personally have experienced was a 35- to 40-degree drop directly in front of me at a cemetery on a 90-degree day!

10 Here in Spartanburg, my favorite ghost story to date is the haunted, historic C&S Bank building. The activity centers in the vicinity of the large downstairs vault, with reports of shirts being pulled, sudden cold sensations, feelings of being watched, and lights turning off with no logical explanation. Whether or not it is true—based on our investigations, it is!