Robert Bess Explains the Paranormal
By Andrew Cothern
On Oct. 30, viewers tuned in to the 7-hour live broadcast of Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures Live” as the group explored the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, W.Va.
Richmonder Robert Bess and his ghost-catching machine, the Parabot, were a part of that investigation. During the broadcast, Bess’ electromagnetic field detector flew from his hand, and a swarm of controversy ensued. Allegations began flying from fans that Bess intentionally threw the meter, bringing his credibility as a paranormal investigator into question.
Knowing that there are two sides to every story, we sat down with Bess to get his take on the recent events.
“People don’t realize that the investigation on ‘Ghost Adventures’ was more about ratings and attention to the stars of the show,” Bess said. “They were honestly searching for ghosts; however, they seemed much more involved in acting their parts. I thought to myself that if there is real poltergeist activity occurring, we could be in serious trouble.”
“There was definitely paranormal activity there,” he continued. “We were expecting ghosts, but we weren’t prepared for a poltergeist of that magnitude.”
Bess says the Parabot was assaulted by a paranormal presence five times before the broadcast began.
The first and second assault:
“Upon arrival on Oct. 28, the Parabot was unloaded and moved to the second floor of the asylum, where it was assigned to perform its task during the live broadcast. After the move, everything seemed quite normal. The next morning, I powered up the Parabot and it began spinning violently and pivoting at a high rate of speed. Two techs and an engineer were witness to what occurred and assisted in stopping the machine. The onset IT specialist researched the Parabot’s electrical components and found no reason for the malfunction.
This was the first assault. The second assault happened two hours later when we replaced the damaged computer board with a new replacement. We powered it on and the board burst into flames.”
The third assault:
“On the evening of Oct. 29, I get called to the second floor. While filming outside, the director complained that there was a constant flashing coming from upstairs. The Parabot was fully operating on its own and the on board Tesla coil was firing. Impossible!”
The fourth assault:
“On Oct. 30, five hours before show time, I get called back to the second floor where the Parabot stood with its doors open and broken. The left and right doors were both forced open and apart which broke the left door. Further inspection showed that whatever opened the door left its mark. The back wall, left wall and ceiling all had claw tears showing that some sort of four-fingered creature was there.”
The last assault:
“Two hours before show time, we found a full lighting fixture lying on top of the Parabot. It was moved 60 feet away from the original location and the fixture that crashed down on it had been hanging for over 100 years in the same place. Oddly enough, the fixture also took out the camera that was in place as well.”
And during the broadcast itself, Bess encountered something paranormal himself.
“On the night of the broadcast, an extreme paranormal full-blown poltergeist assault left me 15 feet away and against a wall which Zak [Bagans, host] saw for himself. Minutes later, my EMF meter was removed from my hand. I had been disarmed by a poltergeist. The reality was that viewers were seeing real uncontrolled hostile energy toying with humans. Nick [Groff, host] was five feet away in plain view filming me while he was talking with me instructing me on where to walk back. A minute later, Aaron [Goodwin, host] confirmed the disbarment. Sadly, viewers became more absorbed in drama than what was actually occurring.”
However, Bess is not letting this experience slow him down. He plans to continue his work investigating the paranormal.
Bess and Lou Reda Productions are currently working together on a new paranormal television series for A&E that promises to open many doors in the world of paranormal research using cutting edge scientific technology.
“Working with ‘Ghost Adventures’ was a great experience, but it also showed me that the viewing public deserves more than darkness and un-needed drama,” he said. “There’s too much confusion. This show will be a real educational series removing the dark veil that has never been seen before. Everything will be explained – from the technology to the application and beyond.”
The best part about the show, according to Bess, is that viewers will actually be able to see what is really happening in fully lit environments and will have the opportunity to really see what ghosts and entities look like for themselves.
“This series will be delivering the most powerful paranormal series ever to be watched,” he said.
Bess also plans on a public experiment in early March at the Byrd Park Pump House, which is said to be one of the most haunted locations on the east coast, holding not only many hostile entities, but also legions of unforeseen dangers.
Bess intends to do a double containment [capturing ghosts] using an open field of magnetic energy and the Parabot. The public is invited to attend, and cameras are welcome. However, Bess asks that they keep a safe distance and not go beyond the boundaries for their own safety.
He also wants to demonstrate how to capture and contain real ghosts and explain the technology behind it so it will be understandable to the public.
“Just remember, you can’t see what’s in the dark until you turn on the light,” he said.
By Andrew Cothern |Richmond.com
Ghost Adventures Opinion of “The Throw”
hey is thee really ghost in they if so tell me….
That’s a matter of opinion Bryce. What do you think?
i think there are ghosts, and people like GA or GH make light of it, while some of it may be fake and just for drama purposes some if it is not, and should not be messed with. Though I like the drama the show could have gone on without the throw and groan and been just as good. Bess and his machine are a sham.
I dont think bess;s machine are a sham at all. They were getting great evidence the whole time around it. Maybe a ghost did throw that device out of his hand I really dont think so but we;ll never know! Ghost Adventures is then and now the best ghost show on tv!!!
this is how i know that bess is a fake. i’ve watched all GA episodes. and there wasn’t much poltergeist activity in all those episodes. and here is bess thrown by a poltergeist against the wall and disarmed of the EMF detector in what, barely 2 hours of being there??? cmon! and in both cases, the so-called bess poltergeist activities are not things or objects being thrown independently by themselves, but the body of bess himself and the equipment he was holding. so there’s you’re clue sherlock. i mean, the very way he moves and roams around the hall looked fake. guess who has the flair for drama? my best guess is bess was so embarassed by his non-performing equipment that he decided to take matters in his own hands literally.