Eric Vitale, Sean Austin, Kris Star, Chris Califf and Matt Lytle comprise the Ghost Loop team.
Chris Califf, a Salem local, will be joining a team of paranormal experts as the researcher and tech advisor in the Travel Channel’s new eight-episode series, Ghost Loop.
As defined by the show, a ghost loop is a supernatural phenomena in which paranormal entities terrorize the living in the same place over and over again. In the series, the team will attempt to break the cycles of trapped paranormal activity and bring peace to the living and the supernatural by drawing out each spirit through re-creating trigger environments. The process involves examining and researching each property and then formulating a plan they believe will stop the hauntings.
The researching feeds into Califf’s love of history.
“With any good haunting there’s definitely even more incredible history,” he said.
His favorite part of the show was traveling across the nation and absorbing the unique pasts of each location.
“The civil rights stuff is kind of what hit me the hardest, especially when we were down south,” he said.
Prior to working on the show, Califf had done ghost hunting related work for local access television and promotional videos for Youtube and various other places on the internet. “They [Travel Channel] talked to some of my peers and thought I was a great fit for the team,” he said, which is how he got his place on the team.
Califf started ghost hunting when he was 18 years old,“I lost my father when I was a young man. This is kind of my way of trying to find him and reconnect with him,” he said.
Aside from researching the past, Califf also collects data on the present. The team uses anything from infrared thermometers, night vision cameras, and spirit boxes to observe and contact spirits.
Over the years he’s seen the ghost-hunting technology change.
“There is some evolution in some of the gear, sometimes it’s just a prettier new case to hold all the gear,” he said.
Califf said he couldn’t pick a single favorite episode as he’s proud of all the segments the team has filmed, “I’m proud of every family we’ve been able to help.”
Califf looks at breaking ghost loops as a way to help people and spirits.
“That’s the biggest thing I want people to take away from this program is that our purpose is not just to help the spirit cross over and find its way, or answer that historical question. It’s to help people that are dealing with things that: one, they don’t understand and; two, they don’t have a way to get out of,” he said.