By: Melissa Keen
When you think of spirits, you conjure up images of women in Victorian dress gracefully floating down the hall, men in uniform standing guard, or playful children running and laughing. But what happens when the spirits show themselves and they aren’t these benevolent spirits. What happens when they are dark, dangerous, or violent? That’s when you call Dave Juliano. Dave has been involved with the paranormal for over 35 years. He works to resolve extreme hauntings and cases involving demonic activity. Along with being the Director of South Jersey Ghost Research and Sanctuary Paranormal, he’s an ordained minister and has experiences including deliverances and exorcisms. He also co-owns The Ghosthunter Store with his wife Michelle, is an accomplished author, and has appeared on many television shows.
Q: How did you become interested in the paranormal?
A: I grew up in a haunted house. I saw my first ghost when I was three and continued to see things there for the next 26 years. This included apparitions and objects moving, lights working on their own.
Q: How long have you been investigating?
A: I have been investigating for 36 years. I went into my first haunted home to investigate 36 years ago in May.
Q: What drew you to being involved with negative and problematic encounters?
A: I had issues growing up. Short version, I took advice and invited spirits that I hadn’t seen in a while back but I did so in a manner that I opened the door up for anything to come through. I dealt with demonic attacks for about 3 years. When I got into this field the last thing I wanted to do was to deal with negative cases. Apparently, I didn’t have that much say in the matter. People who do this are drafted in a sense, it’s something we were drawn into.
Q: According to your bio, you have experience with both deliverances and exorcisms. Can you tell us something about them?
A: I’ve participated in exorcisms/deliverances, I’ve performed them and I have had 3 performed on me. I know what it is like to be the person with the problem and the one trying to help them. It really gives me a different perspective when I am participating in an exorcism because I intimately know what it’s like to be affected and have one performed on me. They aren’t always what you see in the movies. Yes, there are horrible cases and things that I can unsee, but there are others that are tough but without theatrics. It is extremely dangerous and I do not recommend anyone just jumping into it.
Q: You and your wife Michelle own The Ghosthunter Store. What made you decide to open it?
A: I started the store in my apartment in 2000. I sold one EMF meter because I could get them for a price that would save everyone getting $100. Then I just kept adding things that I used or wanted to use and it grew from there. We were the only store of its kind and the opportunity to open up a store presented itself and we took it. We opened the first brick-and-mortar ghost hunting store ever. We also carry spiritual items, religious items and a lot more.
Q: Is there a piece of equipment that is your favorite to use on investigations? Why?
A: It changes as new stuff comes out. I love to see all the builders and designers of equipment come up with something new or a new twist on existing technology. Right now my favorite is Tripwire. It is a 12′ or 36 ‘ cable that has 10 to 12, separate and independent, EMF meters encased in tubes that light up when it detects an EMF fluctuation. The colors indicate the range or the reading so you can not only cover some many different locations but you can see at a distance if you are getting a reading. They are really amazing in action.
Q: I’ve taken a few of your classes when they were offered online. I found them educational and fascinating! What made you decide to offer these classes?
A: Thank you. I have been training investigators from my group, South Jersey Ghost Research/Sanctuary Paranormal for 24 years. I do all the classes 2 times a year for them so I thought others may be interested in learning as well.
Q: Can you tell us what to expect with your upcoming class at Haunted Hill View Manor?
A: My Ghost Hunting 101 class takes between 6 to 12 hours and the additional add-ons like protection take more time. So I am going to cram everything I can into 4 hours focusing on equipment, how it really works and how to use it in various settings. You don’t use a lot of pieces of equipment the same, or at all, when you are doing a private house as opposed to a historic location. I will also cover some techniques, etiquette, do’s and don’ts, protection/ paranormal self-defense.
Q: What drew you to hosting an event at Haunted Hill View Manor?
A: I’ve wanted to get out there for years. I finally made the connection and now it’s going to happen. I am really looking forward to it.
Q: What advice would you give to paranormal investigators?
A: Leave the location the way you found it, not just physical things, but how the spirits were when you got them. By stirring things up to an extreme and provoking, you can make the activity in a location spike and not always in a good way. Always remember that you get to go home, but there are people that volunteer, work or live at the locations we do and they have to live with the repercussions of your actions.