No Proof Is Required For A Believer, And No Proof Is Enough For A Non-Believer: Sarabjeet Mohanty

Being called the youngest certified Demonologist, Exorcist, Paranormal investigator, an Ordained Minister of a Meta Physical Church, Co-founder of PARIS India is more than enough to understand the body of work of Sarabjeet Mohanty. Sarabjeet was no less scared of darkness in his childhood, just like the other kids. He fought against his biggest fear at the age of 15 when he started his research as a curious teenager about Paranormal Activity. Below are the excerpts of an interview of Sarabjeet Mohanty by Somaya Palecanda about his latest book, The Spirits Talk To Me.

What was the reason for putting together the stories for this book?

When Pooja Vijay and I formed the Parapsychology And Investigations Research Society in 2016, apart from investigating, researching the paranormal, and helping people, our mission was to create awareness about the paranormal field. A lot of people have preconceptions when it comes to the paranormal world and us paranormal investigators. Through these stories, we wanted to show the world how this world functions, how we investigators operate, and that ghosts do not wear white sarees or have long nails and hair.

Are all the stories here from personal experience?

Yes, my team and I have investigated over 150 locations in India, and all the stories are from our personal case files.

In the introduction, it mentions that you had a sensitivity towards the paranormal. Please elaborate on the sensations. Can this be linked to some of the sensations people have but brush off?

Yes, as a kid, I was sensitive towards the paranormal world. By some design that I won’t ever understand, in every city that my father got transferred to, we stayed in a haunted house. As I grew up, wherever I went, I could feel a different vibe if something was wrong in any house or place that I visited. That there were more people than those, I was seeing. It was a weird feeling that I cannot put into the right words. And yes, people do brush it off. It is because of the lack of awareness of what’s really happening. My partner, Pooja, is a psychic. She has been having premonitions as a teenager. Instead of brushing them off, she is now using that ability to help people and spirits.

What is the root cause of most of the paranormal situations you have investigated?

The history of the place. Past incidents play a major role in most situations.

Would you say certain parts of the country have greater presences than others?

Oh no! nothing like that. It’s just that in some parts of the country, the people are more vocal about it, while in some places, it is considered taboo to speak about such presences.

What is your first approach to a place that is considered to have “Activity”?

The first part is always interviewing the owners and the locals and gathering as much information about the case. These interviews help us understand the situation, and in many cases, it has also helped us debunk certain “hauntings.”

How was the reception in the beginning when you decided to study the paranormal?

I believe if you wish to bring about a change, no matter how big or small, you’re going to face hurdles and resistance. I wouldn’t say it was too tough for me, but there was no support. Well, there isn’t much right now either, but we have found the right people over the years who support us, our work and help us in our missions. I remember we did a TV show back in 2016, and after it was aired, we got a lot of disturbing calls with people even abusing us because we had debunked some myths. Many didn’t like that. But our work necessitates us to bring the truth in front of people, regardless of whether it changes or debunks people’s traditional beliefs in ghosts, spirits, etc.

How do people behave when they approach you for the first time?

It differs from city to city. In cities like Mumbai, clients are very open. They try to understand the process. While in some cities like Bhubaneswar, we get clients who initially hesitate to disclose all information. We don’t blame them for that.

How have you handled the critics who do not understand what you do? What has been your driving force in this direction?

To be honest, we don’t get affected by them anymore. There is this statement, “No proof is required for a believer, and no proof is enough for a non-believer.” It’s outstanding if people do not believe in what we do. We aim to give people a chance to question. Question the beliefs, question if someone says that a girl is possessed, question when your friend says that his house is haunted. There is a lot to it. When we question things, we try to learn about them. That’s important.

The driving force is the work we do. Pooja, I, and the teamwork constantly organize seminars, webinars, meetups, paranormal conventions, helping clients, and investigating haunted locations to spread the right knowledge. In 2019, both of us decided that we would travel the country at our expense and investigate the allegedly rumored and popular haunted locations all over the country. We help people, we help spirits, and that’s our driving force: “to help the souls of both the worlds.”

Just as an off question … Do you call your car ‘The Ecto 1”?

That’s a really cool name. Why did I never think about it?

What advice would you give to the readers?

The Spirits Talk To Me narrates 10 real encounters of the paranormal. Coauthored by veteran horror writer Neil D’Silva, the stories in the book contain nothing that is fiction. It took Neil and me almost a year and a half to ensure that when the readers read the book, they would go on a journey with us to see what the real paranormal world is. And while reading the book, you see the light flickering or a strange shadow or hear someone knocking on your door in the middle of the night. Feel free to contact us!