Are you interested in angels, demons, spirits, ghosts, and monsters? Are you curious about their origins, tales, and influence upon history and on the present day? If so, sit back, relax, and welcome to Southern Demonology, the podcast that explores all of this and more.
Hello all. Knowing that my art style wasn't quite up to the task, I put out a call after a particularly horrible Fiverr experience, and Adela Overby came to the rescue. She illustrated the new demon head and the refreshed logo, and it is simply amazing. I even updated the website to have a new Parallax banner on the homepage to show it off even more. Today I am very pleased to bring you an interview with Brandon, who runs the podcast Cookville Ghost Hunters, and is a paranormal researcher in Cookville, Tennessee.
Not only is this the first ghost hunter I've had on the program, but I think you'll find some interesting synergies between what he says and what Will the Demonologist also spoke about in his interview. You can find that particular two-part interview under the title A Demonologist Speaks. One last announcement. I was actually a guest on the macabre world podcast on May 20th, where I had the pleasure of speaking with its host, Rocky. You can find a link to that in the description. You can also find a link to her podcast and to Brandon's on the website under Friends of the Show.
Without any further ado, let's take a listen to our very enlightening conversation. Hello all. This is JJ with Southern Demonology, and I am very pleased to introduce Brandon, who is with the Cookville Ghost Hunters. In fact, they have a new podcast in which uh he has been producing, and we'll definitely have a link to that on the website, southerndemonology.com, and that will be live the moment that this podcast is. But Brandon, thank you so much for joining. Oh, thank you for having me.
Uh, we have probably had the most extensive line of conversations that I've had with any particular person through email, asking questions back and forth to each other. It's been a lot of fun. So I really have looked forward to actually getting to speak to you in person.
I've actually enjoyed it uh just as much, if not a little more, because I've never really been interviewed by another podcaster.
Well, that is awesome. So, this is actually the very first time that I've had someone as part of a ghost hunting group to be on the podcast. I really do appreciate that. And let me just start off by asking when you started doing this, what prompted you to get into this field? And for how long have you been doing this type of activity?
Oh man, I would say my love for the paranormal, I would have to give a lot of thanks to my mom. Since I was, gosh, I guess less than 10 years old, when the TV show Paranormal State, uh, when it was a thing, that was my mom's favorite, and I'd always watch it with her. And then once that show ended, Ghost Adventures came around, like the very earlier seasons, and that renewed my love for the paranormal. But the problem was I just I did not have the money to afford it because it it gets very expensive very quickly.
And about two years ago, I started working at a job that provided me with more money than I had made up to that point. And so I decided, hey, now that I have the spare money, let me go ahead and actually start investing, start buying equipment. So I did, and here I am.
That is awesome. I do want to point out that one of the other things that has really left me excited to talk to you is that you are near where I grew up in Tennessee, which is Cookville, which how far away would you say that is from like Nashville?
From Nashville, depending on your driving, it's probably like an hour to an hour and 15 minutes east. So Cookville is like dead center between Nashville and Knoxville.
Yep. I drive through it whenever I go back home. And yeah, and I've had a lot of friends that of course went to like MTSU. And so I've you know spent a good bit of time in Cookville just personally, but yeah, it it's great to be able to talk to another uh Tennessee boy.
So yeah, it's it's great. I've lived in Cookville for uh I guess now 24 years. I enjoy it, it's a it's a small enough town that not everyone knows each other's business, but it still has like that small town feel. True.
Yeah, it's a real lovely place. It is a really nice town. So when you mentioned price, and I can only begin to imagine how much it would cost. You know, what type of equipment or paraphernalia do you currently use?
Well, this is actually gonna be a pretty lengthy answer. As of right now, I have a couple of EMF meters, uh, different ones. Would you like me to go uh kind of in depth with them?
Yeah, actually, if you wouldn't mind, because I don't have any of this equipment, I've never used any of it, and I've been really curious, especially from someone who has a lot of experience with it. I would love to learn more about it, if you don't mind.
So, in terms of meters, uh the ones I have, they're to detect electromagnetic energy or electromagnetic fields. I have what's called a K2 meter, which just about any paranormal group has that. Second one I have is called a rook meter, which I guess most of my equipment is brought to me by a GoStop. Like 80 to 90 percent of what I have is from their website. Gotcha. And then I also have a ML meter, which it detects electromagnetic fields and it's also a kind of a temperature detector as well. So you will get a reading of the temperature, say outside or in the room.
And if there's any uh changes like fluctuations, either temperature raising or the temperature being lowered, it detects it and it shows the curtain temperature of where you're at.
Gotcha. What's the main difference between those first two meters that you mentioned, the K2 and the Rook?
Is with the K2 meter, you have the uh five different lights ranging from green to red. And with the rook meter, it's it's just one red light. But if it detects like a weak field, it lights up the middle of the device and then it spreads out depending on the strength of the field that it's measuring.
In your opinion, is one desirable over the other? Do they work in in tandem or in parallel with each other?
No, I say you can or I'm used them both interchangeably. The funny thing to me was the K2 meter I bought off of Walmart's website. Oh, really? I I just one day went on Walmart.com and thought, hey, let me see what if they have anything. And they had a black K2 meter for about $27. And I said, that's half of what I paid for my other one, so let me get that. Oh, that is awesome.
So have you found those to be really useful in your investigation?
Actually, I have. I've got some videos that I would have to find where during an investigation, we would have to ask if there are any spirits around if they have the energy to touch either devices. And a couple of times the meters will spike. I've enjoyed using the equipment. And once you buy one piece of equipment, it it doesn't really stop. You you become like a hoarder, essentially.
I can only begin to imagine. So, besides the meters, what else do you currently rock?
I have two video cameras. One is just a regular infrared camera, and the other is a dual-action infrared and full spectrum, which oddly enough, the just the infrared camera. I bought both of them on GoStop, and the infrared is no longer available. It's just the dual functioning camera that's left. And it was cheaper too, so I'm kind of disappointed in that. Other than that, let's see, I have several motion detecting devices. A lot of people are familiar with what's called a REM pod, except these that I have are called mini pods.
They they basically have the same function as a REM pod, except it's literally a fraction of the price. And kind of little cat toys that light up when you move them around. Because the interesting thing is a lot of the equipment investigators use, their original purpose or their original intention was not for ghost hunting. I don't know how we decided, hey, let's see if this equipment works for ghost hunting. And it sure enough, it did. Have a few of those. Also have a thermal camera, a thermal imaging camera, which I've gotten some pretty good stuff out of it.
And other groups that I go with, they they keep asking, hey, be sure to bring your thermal camera. And I'm saying, okay, I'll bring it. And it's one of the main things we use. But I guess the equipment I love using the most, and it's a funny story to it, is dowsing rods. So I I will be like 100% honest. When I first was buying equipment to investigate, I was wanting like to find a way to spirits to answer my questions. And I was looking at a pair of dowsing rods for about $20.
And then this device called a flux two response device, which the device is like a triangular motion detected, expensive version of dowsing rods. So you have one side that lights up green when something gets near it, and then you have the other side light up red. The thing is, that device was $200. And I will be the first to say I was a full-on skeptic of dowsing rods. I ended up buying the response device, the one that's like 10 times more expensive because I did not believe in dowsing rods.
But about a couple of weeks later, I got with another group and I was investigating with them, and one of their investigators was using dowsing rods. And I have video proof of all of this, where at one point I had out, like we were just joking around and I asked for any spirits to turn the rod clockwise as many times as my age, which at this time I was 23. And so on the video, you start seeing the rods moving. And at the they did not know my age, no one did. And so the rods spun clockwise 26 times. And they all looked at me and they asked, Well, are you 26? I said, No, I'm 23.
And we all start laughing, but then the rods turned counterclockwise three times that gave us 23. Oh, that is fascinating. And that that's my most favorite video that I still have to this day. And after that investigation, I thought, you know what? Let me see what dowsing is all about. So I then bought a pair of dowsing rods and I was investigating with another group. And one of them asked, Does anyone have dowsing rods that they could borrow? And I said, Sure, you can borrow mine. So she started using my rods. Uh, they were crossing and parting.
We were getting some responses, and then I tried and they did not work. And I was very confused. I was, why are they not working? And I probably just searched online for hours, like, why are they not working? And eventually we found out, or we were under the impression that if someone uses the dowsing rods first, no one else can use that same pair. And I do not know how that works because I kept trying to douse with that same pair for, I guess, a couple weeks after that. They would never work. I'd went to a cemetery, I went on other investigations, nothing.
So I had to buy a second pair of dowsing rods. They work and they are my go-to equipment for literally any investment.
Investigation.
Could not be able to use them. From personal experience, I have seen a lot of older family members use dowsing rods typically just to find water. But I mean, the the the effects are undeniable. I mean, it's really amazing to see those in action. So I never would have thought about trying to use them in a ghost investigation, but I mean it makes sense now that you mention it.
Which I I would often joke with people trying to explain it, I'd always bring up, well, you know how in like that the first Harry Potter movie, when he's told the wand chooses the wizard, I say it's it's kind of like the rods choose the person. And it like I I have no idea. I guess it's some type of like uh pseudoscience or something, but I eventually had to buy a second pair of rods because my first one would not work, and I eventually had to throw my first pair away because they would not work for me.
If you don't mind me asking, when you're in the field, what type of experiences have you had? Do you have any details that you wouldn't mind sharing?
Oh, so the most common thing that I come across is a change in temperature, where you will feel like a cold breeze, like just like you'd essentially be in a freezer. And I've had one experience where I was at a location in Lynchburg investigating this uh funeral home, and we were in this one part which it used to be a haunted house attraction, and they had clowns all over it. So I was already not having a good time. And it was weird. It wasn't cold, it was like pure static, which I'd never experienced that before.
And like the best way I can describe it is if you take a balloon and rub it over your entire body, that's what it felt like. And I've only felt it like that one time, and it was at that location. And most recently, which I won't be giving too much information, but I was helping out a uh a client who had something in her house. And at one point during the investigation, I was looking down her hallway. I saw something. I have no idea what it was. It was some type of shadow. But as I was looking at it, my skin it crawled to the point it was uncomfortable and starting to hurt.
And that I had never experienced before and never experienced after that investigation. It started to hurt, it like it was very uncomfortable to the point I was really half tempted, just get out of the house. It was so I I can't explain. It was just so weird.
Okay, I have never heard of that type of phenomena, and that is really interesting. Dang, was totally I haven't heard of it either till then. I mean, beyond just a shadow, was there any other distinguishing characteristics about this thing, whatever it might have been?
No, I mean, like I when I say I made eye contact with it, it I'm saying that loosely because it it didn't like I even got video of it because we went back the following week and I placed my phone right in the hallway, started recording, and within like a single minute, three different shadows were captured in the video, and all of us were on the other side of the location. Wow.
So it was wild. So I know you're not going to give out details, and I would never ask for that because I like to preserve privacy not only of you, but of anyone in which is using your services. But were you able? To rid this place of whatever was affecting it?
Short answer, no. I felt that what it was was far beyond what I was capable of. And I felt it would be necessary to talk with a priest in town to request the priest to do a blessing of the house. But uh my schedule with my new job uh and the priest's schedule, who was the one qualified to do that, it never added up. And the client just stopped messaging me back. And I thought, oh, okay, I guess she's moving out or doing something else now. Gotcha.
From your experience of working with the church, have you sensed any kind of hesitancy about them wanting to do a blessing or an exorcism of location, or have they been relatively open to that?
They they've they've not been like, Yeah, let's go do that, or sure, we will absolutely love to help you. No, firstly, the the church, which it's a uh Catholic church in town, they didn't upright say it, but you you could tell in how they were choosing their words that they did not approve of me being a parinal investigator. I would go to them for holy water, they're the main ones I go to. But in in terms of getting them to assist in a case, that was really the first case where I thought or believed that I need someone more qualified than me. Right.
So I haven't had another case since as of this recording, of course, I've never had a case that I thought I could not handle.
Gotcha. Yeah, I was curious because I was interviewing another person who is a practicing demonologist, and they were talking about how their research team would occasionally approach a church up in, I believe, Indiana, and they faced a ton of resistance from even giving holy water, nevertheless, actually performing a blessing. So I was actually just curious to see what your experience was on that front. So thank you for sharing that.
Oh, no problem. Like I I did listen to both parts of that interview, and I feel y'all did a fantastic job. But I I understand completely with him. But the weird thing was for the church, I mean, the receptionist was really kind and she'd asked, may I help you? And I'd say, Well, I just need some holy water, and she said, Absolutely. It was like no questions asked type thing. But in terms of getting help, it didn't really do that. Gotcha.
Well, at least they were really receptive on that front. That's really good to know. So, going back to equipment just for a second, I have seen a lot of people put a good bit of faith into spirit boxes. Have you ever used those? If not, just what is your general opinion of using a spirit box?
So I have right now, I have two different types. Uh, both of them were bought from Ghost Stop. Uh, one of them is a uh smaller one called the uh S box, and the other is called the uh SB11. In my personal experience, I get more somehow, I get better evidence from the S box than I do the SB11. I use both of them during an investigation, but the only thing I don't like about them is they generate a bunch of white noise, and it's really hard, at least for me, because I'm practically deaf at my age, but it's hard for me to hear what's coming through because of the static noise. Gotcha.
Seen people have some interesting experiences with them, but I have no opinion of them one way or the other. So definitely wanted to ask you about that and see what your thoughts were. Have you had any like good results based upon them?
Not that nothing comes to my mind right now. What we do, however, is we we use this uh method. A lot of people call it the uh estes method. It's also called a uh sensory deprivation test to where you essentially you blindfold a per. Of course, they're willing to do this. Um, you blindfold a person and you put noise-canceling headphones on and you plug the headphones into the spirit box. Uh and the idea is that you are to say whatever you hear. The trick is you don't hear the questions that are being asked. Right. And we do that a lot, and we have had some very good responses.
Uh just Friday, uh, I was helping out at a location down in Gainesborough, Tennessee, and we were using that same method. Uh uh.
And each time we do at that location, we get very similar answers. Like, for example, burning, which burning is associated with the location. Uh, we get a couple names consistently, uh, and those names are tied to the location. And so overall, it's most of the time it's really good, but there are a couple times where it's just random words that mean nothing to the question that's asked.
Now, I do have a question around this Estes method. Do you think that it is potentially dangerous to use that as the person who has agreed to be the conduit could be an open door and could invite something negative into themselves? Absolutely.
That's why with me, I always keep a protect, like what I call a protection case, which I have a variety of sages, Hala Santo Wood, Holy Water, and a group that I investigate with quite frequently, they have their own stuff as well. But absolutely, I feel that it in a way it's very similar to a Ouija board, essentially. It's just you're not using an actual board. But yes, there is that possibility of opening yourself up for something negative. There is.
Gotcha. Yeah, thank you for that. Because I know that Will had mentioned that it was dangerous. I've always kind of thought that could be the equivalent to a Ouija board. So thank you for sharing that because that that does make total sense. One last question along this line. So you mentioned a few items that you carry. Are there any other methods that you use in order to protect yourself from any kind of negative entities that you may run across?
So one thing that I I do keep on me, which I am wearing it right now, is a uh necklace of uh St. Michael the Archangel. Uh I had that blessed and I wear it every day when I go to work, uh, when I'm sleeping, which I really shouldn't be doing that. When I sleep, when I'm on investigation, I always wear it. And during an investigation, I don't really open myself up, so to speak. I keep things at like a business level, essentially. I just gather what evidence I would like to gather and nothing more. I don't open myself up or get personal with anything, regardless of what it claims to be.
That is a fantastic idea, but I really love that blessed necklace concept. That is a phenomenal idea. I will have to actually look into that for myself. Yeah, I I've known people I've known Catholics to have worn scapula uh for various reasons or not. Uh, but I really haven't heard of anyone wearing a blessed necklace of Saint Michael. That is really ingenious, actually.
Yeah, I thought of doing it because I mean, yes, paranormal investigating, it can be very dangerous in a blink of an eye. You might be communicating with something that's positive or seems to be friendly, then it can turn like a complete 180 in a second. So I feel whatever I can do to protect myself, I need to be doing it.
Thank you for listening to Southern Demonology. Find us online at Southern Demonology.com where you can find all of our social and podcasting links. Also, if you have a moment, please feel free to rate this podcast and leave any encouraging feedbacks that you may have. As always, I am JJ and it has been a pleasure getting to talk to you today.
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