Why watch horror movies when you can learn about real-life paranormal activity?
On Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 7 to 9 p.m., room 2 of Santa Fe College’s Building A will be haunted by Dr. Andrew Nichols, a Ph.D. in parapsychology who will deliver a lecture entitled “Ghosts, Hauntings, and More!” presenting some of his own experiences with the supernatural. This event is offered through SF’s Community Education program.
An author and guest on many shows including CBS’s 48 Hours, The Discovery Channel’s The Real Ghosthunters, and Ghost Detectives, Nichols has presented this class to the public at Santa Fe for the past eight years. Whether you are convinced in the existence of the paranormal or believe that ghosts are the stuff of The Twilight Zone reruns, Nichols hopes to challenge all your preconceptions.
“I’ve had a number of people who talked to me afterwards saying that it changed their views,” Nichols said. “But it can be a change either way. Some became persuaded of the existence of the paranormal, whereas others who previously were unquestioning believers now take a more scientific approach.”
Nichols’s interest in the paranormal stems from personal tragedy. When he was a child in the 1960s, his sister was killed in a car accident, but one night shortly after, he awoke in his room to see an apparition of his sister right in front of him. Since then, Nichols has been investigating haunted houses, poltergeists, ghosts, and other unexplained events for over 30 years.
“From that moment on, I knew that this was what I wanted to do,” Nichols said. “My perspective has changed over the years. I went from an absolute believer to an open-minded skeptic, and I’ve also expanded my research to ESP and paranormal dream experiences.”
Nichols may continue to be a specter on campus for months to come, as he plans to bring his research in January to Santa Fe students through two courses, one on ghosts and hauntings and another on dream interpretation.
“One of my goals with presenting this lecture is to stimulate interest in the subject,” Nichols said. “For many, this lecture is a novelty, but by learning about these experiences, we can learn about the human mind. We really have yet to explore the limits of the human consciousness. It’s one of the last frontiers.”
Find out more about this class by calling the Community Education office at 352-395-5193. The fee is $20 and pre-registration is preferred.