Chris Fleming admits he was left awestruck whilst filming Spooked Ireland

‘Spooked Ireland’ follows a team of paranormal experts as they search for evidence of the paranormal in reportedly haunted locations throughout Ireland.

GhostMag.com speaks to renowned psychic medium and paranormal investigator Chris Fleming about the new series, including how the show has evolved since ‘Spooked Scotland’, the team’s ground-breaking experiments and what we can expect from the rest of the series.

How do you think ‘Spooked Ireland’ has evolved since its inception and ‘Spooked Scotland’? Are there any lessons you’ve learned or changes you’ve made based on feedback from viewers or personal experiences?

A significant development has been the heightened emphasis on active participation from each team member. You will see Ryan and Evelyn contribute more ideas and experiments during the investigations. This greater involvement is evident through increased screen time showcasing their contributions.

Additionally, there’s now a greater allocation of time in the war room for discussing findings and insights in the middle of the investigation. This collaborative dialogue is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page. It’s a platform for sharing what we’ve learned, what we’ve captured, and the experiences we’ve had as we progress. This dialogue helps us tackle unanswered questions and mysteries, and determine which ghost or spirit requires further communication for a better understanding of their situation before attempting resolution.

Team dynamics have also evolved. In ‘Spooked Ireland,’ we have Vogue as our presenter, a role that was previously held by Gail during ‘Spooked Scotland.’

Additionally, Evelyn is now a part of the team for the entire season, a change from her limited appearances in Season One. These adaptations reflect our commitment to continually improve our approach and provide a more engaging and informative experience for our viewers.  

With the rapid advancements in technology, how do you decide which tools and apps to incorporate into your investigations? 

In the face of rapidly advancing technology, our decision-making process regarding the integration of specific tools and applications into our investigations is grounded in empirical experience and a nuanced understanding of these innovations.

Our choice of equipment is deeply rooted in practical familiarity and comfort. This approach assures that we employ tools and technologies that we have personally tested and found to be reliable.

Ryan, for instance, maintains an ongoing commitment to evaluating equipment, software, and devices both through his Haunted Scotland platform and during his visits to haunted locations. This diligent evaluation process in advance of Season 2 brought a range of exceptional devices and experimental methods to enhance our investigative endeavors.

Furthermore, the extended presence of Evelyn throughout the entire season introduced a valuable array of suggestions and tools, many of which have been integrated into our investigative repertoire, as you will observe in the unfolding of Season 2 of ‘Spooked.’

My own affinity for Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC) and the practice of audible spirit communication, which includes the use of recorders, the Spirit Box P-SB7, radio boxes, and ITC apps, has remained constant.

While we have employed similar equipment in previous investigations, we have broadened our utilization of ITC apps and direct voice communication during this season.

This strategic shift stems from my personal engagement with these devices and programs in paranormal investigations conducted across the USA and at various haunted locations, sometimes in the presence of audiences during my events ranging from 20 to 100 people.

The remarkable conversations and compelling results we have collectively achieved through these tools in field settings have solidified their effectiveness in establishing contact with spirits. Therefore, it is only natural for us to incorporate them into our investigative methods in Ireland.

Are there any specific criteria you follow and do you change your approach depending on the location you are visiting and the paranormal activity previously reported?

I maintain a neutral perspective when embarking on an investigation, irrespective of historical accounts or external testimonies. If there’s a sense of darkness or negativity in a location, my focus tends to shift towards potential deception or untruthfulness emanating from the spirits.

My initial impression is informed by a form of spiritual discernment, which entails evaluating the characteristics of the entities present, such as their gender, emotional state (happiness, sadness, anger, confusion, etc.), and nature.

Recognising my own human limitations (A three-dimensional perspective) in perceiving and comprehending the spiritual realm, I actively engage with the spirits, as well as a higher state of awareness or consciousness, for guidance. Surprisingly, human spirits often express concern if there is any negative presence in the vicinity, as they typically desire its removal.

The past, while informative, is not always entirely accurate or reflective of the present reality. Therefore, I approach each investigation with an open and impartial mindset, resisting the influence of historical narratives or anecdotal accounts.

My primary method involves relying on my intuitive senses, even when entities attempt to conceal their presence or remain silent to avoid detection. This is where the concept of a ‘sixth sense,’ which involves localized communication and recognition, comes into play.

Additionally, there are moments when a ‘seventh sense’ is invoked, enabling non-local communication, encompassing the ability to perceive, hear, and feel across vast distances. This extended perception can extend into the past or access higher planes of existence to gain a more profound understanding, akin to viewing the spirits’ experiences from a fourth or fifth-dimensional perspective. Achieving this level of insight can be challenging within the confines of our limited three-dimensional conscious plane.

In essence, my approach transcends the conventional human perspective that relies solely on the five physical senses. I venture beyond these limitations to access alternative perspectives, unbound by the constraints of time and space. This broader vantage point allows me to empathize with and understand the experiences of others, enabling me to grasp fragments of their emotional and sensory world.”

We saw Evelyn try an experiment at Charleville Castle where she wrote down words on a piece of paper and asked the spirit to repeat one during an experiment, with really compelling results. Given the scepticism around the use of mobile apps in paranormal investigations, how else can you ensure the authenticity and validity of the results you obtain?

The assurance of authenticity and validity in the results obtained primarily hinges on the direct and real-time nature of communication at the location when using these apps.

When we employ these applications and receive direct responses, which may include specific information such as our names or answers to our queries, it establishes a tangible connection. Over time, this repetitive engagement not only builds trust in the app or device but also forges a form of communication with the spirit realm. It’s a case of ‘ask and you shall receive.’

For individuals deeply immersed in the field of paranormal investigations, particularly those who have extensively tested these ghost hunting apps, there’s an understanding that certain applications can be highly useful in engaging with spirits. As I mentioned earlier, my consistent use of these apps has reinforced the notion that they are not just functional but also require time to establish a rapport with.

In essence, it involves allowing your own consciousness to extend in tandem with the software. Much of what we access through these apps occurs due to this interaction of consciousness. The app functions as a conduit, extending and crystallizing the connection to an audible and comprehensible level.

Our thoughts project toward the spirits we are communicating with, and the apps, being clearer in this regard than traditional devices like spirit boxes or radio boxes, enable us to perceive and interpret their responses more effectively. The seriousness with which we do this can also be seen on our faces. We mean business, we know can speak to the spirits in the afterlife. 

Evelyn’s experiment, where she wrote down specific words and the spirits echoed them, raises questions about probability. Whether it was via a spirit box, digital recorder, or an app, the likelihood of three specific words emerging within minutes cannot be attributed solely to randomness. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the app typically generates phonemes rather than complete words. This phenomenon underscores the spirits’ capacity to discern our thoughts, consequently knowing what Evelyn had in mind when she wrote down those words.

Notably, she did not verbally communicate the content of her writing, yet the spirits conveyed these words through the app, illuminating the intricate interplay of thought and communication in this context. 

This is a lesson I acquired during my childhood, within the confines of our haunted house where I grew up. I distinctly recall an incident when a spirit, as I silently observed her gracefully drifting out of the room, suddenly turned around and offered a wave in my direction.

Curiously, I had not articulated a single word aloud; instead, I had been ruminating within my own thoughts, pondering, ‘I wonder if she can perceive me, much like I can perceive her?’ It was in that very moment that the ghost’s responsive wave served as an eye-opening revelation: not only could she indeed see me, but she also had an uncanny ability to tune into my thoughts regarding her.

Following this eerie encounter, I shared the story with my mother upon her return home from a trip as a flight attendant. To my surprise, she introduced me to the concepts of ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) and telepathy, which offered a framework for understanding the mysterious connection I had experienced.

Subsequently, during a visit to the library in the 1970s, I delved further into this phenomenon and discovered that within the realm of psychic exploration, this well-documented occurrence had another name: Thought Transference, denoting the transference of thoughts from one mind to another.

We saw you channeling a spirit at Charleville Castle. When you channel spirits, is it a conscious choice or does it sometimes happen spontaneously? 

The channeling process was a deliberate choice made with the spirits’ permission. While I sensed the presence of multiple spirits, one of them particularly seemed to connect with me, not driven by malevolence or ill intentions, but rather a plea for assistance.

What was not depicted in that segment of the show is a significant moment when the spirits, through the Ghost Tube app, conveyed the messages audibly “he is a medium” and “I want to speak through him.”

Armed with this knowledge and sensing their desire to communicate, I willingly permitted the spirits, including the ones that had reached out, to manifest themselves through me. This allowed me to gain a more profound understanding of their needs, feelings, and intentions, as part of their spirit and consciousness blended with mine to speak through me unreservedly.

It’s worth noting that my facial expressions and the emotional resonance in my heart and tears following this experience revealed its profound impact. I realised that we needed to do our utmost to assist these spirits, as there’s perhaps no closer connection to someone’s anguish than actually feeling what they feel.

This prompted my assurance, “We are going to help you,” to which the spirit I had channeled responded audibly with “I/We know”  through the Ghost Tube app. If you may have missed this moment, I encourage you to revisit and watch the segment. It shows the connection to the spirits we had. 

Through my paranormal experiences, I’ve acquired the ability to discern and prevent other spirits with harmful or disrespectful intentions from seizing control, as you’ll observe in the forthcoming investigations at Leap Castle and Wicklow Jail.

I remain steadfast and resolute in such situations pushing them out, but also warning my teammates and crew to stay back. If you saw Ghost Adventures Gold Field Hotel Special, you will see how negative spirits after being pushed out can sometimes attempt to jump into someone else, with negative consequences.

For anyone who doesn’t believe in channeling, keep in mind, that your own soul and spirit are channeling through your own body right now. It’s no different, except temporary access can be granted with practice and the right intent. 

Are there spirits you choose not to channel due to their nature or intentions?

I make a conscious decision not to channel spirits associated with malevolence or darkness. This encompasses entities that embody the essence of ultimate evil, which has assumed numerous names and identities throughout human history. It’s essential to recognize the duality of light and darkness in the spiritual realm. The true darkness holds a formidable power that transcends human imagination. It serves as the wellspring of all malevolence and harbors its own consciousness.

Demons, negative entities, and all forms of malevolence in our world maintain some level of connection with this primordial darkness and contribute to its existence in various ways. The darkness thrives on negative emotions, suffering, fear, and loss, drawing sustenance from these aspects.

I have learned to respect its existence enough, not to mess with it when I don’t need to. You can get close, but sometimes you don’t want to get to close or you might lose a piece of yourself in the process. 

When dealing with potentially malevolent entities, like the dark elemental spirit at Leap Castle, what precautions do you take to ensure the safety of your team and yourselves?

My faith plays a significant role in my approach, as I firmly believe that I have divine protection and assistance from benevolent beings. This conviction is rooted in past experiences and my upbringing, which has instilled in me a belief in the existence of angels, enlightened beings, and spirit guides.

These higher entities act as a protective shield, and I have never felt alone during our investigations. Besides recognizing their presence, I’ve even felt the presence of my late father and past soldiers, who have appeared to warn or protect me or us as a team. This profound belief is reinforced by the tattoo on my right arm, which serves as a constant reminder of my past encounters and the promise that was established during my Near-death experience in 2010 before I came back. I have unwavering faith in Psalm 91, which further solidifies this protective conviction.

When it comes to safeguarding the team and crew, I can only request prayers and protective measures for them, as each person’s free will and beliefs ultimately determine their actions and outcomes. I’m always ready to intervene and provide assistance or protection as needed, a commitment that my current and former teammates understand well, and some have witnessed. 

The dark entity at Leap Castle, which we referred to as “It,” is believed to be an Egregore and was undoubtedly malevolent. However, it was also trapped within the castle due to a long-ago conjuring that was never properly reversed. The entity’s presence over time took a toll, as it was not its intention to remain in our realm. The consequences of being confined in such a manner can be unsettling.

I personally witnessed the entity, although the episode did not feature this encounter. I returned to the Chapel after hearing what we heard (see the episode). I was calling out for it and it appeared as a small figure, akin to a 1-2-year-old child, with beige skin and humanoid body proportions but with features resembling a troll or gargoyle.

It was out of plain view, watching us. When I discerned a presence and turned to my right, looking upward, the entity clinging to the wall and brick above the entrance, swiftly turned and scaled the wall before vanishing. I have an audio recording of this incident, as I was recording at the time and audibly speaking about it.

The crew turned their cameras toward the entity, but it had already disappeared behind them. I wish we could have collectively witnessed it without it darting off to conceal itself, as its actual size was smaller than I had initially anticipated. As you occasionally hear, “It was like a child, but not a child,” meaning this entity was the same size. 

Can you share a behind-the-scenes moment or story that didn’t make it to the final cut but was memorable for you?

During our visit to King John’s Castle, I experienced a vivid glimpse into the past. In this vision, I saw soldiers finding entertainment within the castle walls. There was a man, skilfully strumming a small guitar, known as a Bouzouki in those times, as he entertained the soldiers who peered over the walls below. Within the castle’s heart, he performed while a woman, with a gypsy-like appearance, danced gracefully with scarves and pieces of cloth, her hands swirling in the air.

I immediately shared this vision with Ryan and the cameraman during my initial sweep of the location. However, upon exiting and returning to the rocky terrain in the yard of the castle, I felt a compelling inner voice urging me to look down. To my astonishment, I discovered old, rusted guitar strings neatly coiled into a circle.

I inquired if anyone had noticed this peculiar find earlier, but no one had, not even the security guard who was familiar with the castle grounds. I realized that this appearance coincided with my vision, indicating an apport—a spiritual manifestation of an object by a spirit or medium without apparent physical means.

To me, it was a tangible connection to the past. I ended up bringing this home and it now sits in my display case, added to my collection of other apport objects I have witnessed over the years. 

Similarly, at Charleville Castle, a heart-warming moment occurred. The child spirit, Harriet, left a small, angelic-like, gold-coloured plastic butterfly pin right at the edge of my foot, symbolizing her presence. Intriguingly, this transpired precisely as the cameras and Ryan’s mel device unexpectedly ceased functioning. I caught her voice on audio, exclaiming, “It’s an angel!”

Sadly, you don’t see this touching but also a supernatural moment in the episode. I do believe I filmed some of it on my cell phone camera. I also brought this apported object home with me and it sits beside the rusted, coiled guitar strings from King Johns Castle. 

Another intriguing episode at Charleville took place when I walked into the main room and a producer informed me that dinner had arrived. As I gazed over her shoulder, I noticed a substantial, all-white form high up in the corner of the ceiling. It bore the proportions of a human body but was entirely white.

Just as I acknowledged its presence, it swooped down towards me, and I felt the rush of its energy pass over my head, prompting me to instinctively duck and scream “Look out!” It was akin to the sensation of a bat flying overhead, but this ethereal, phantom-like form was substantial in size.

As I urgently called out to the producer to “look out!”  but with her back turned to the wall, she exclaimed, “Oh, there is a moth flying around!” Baffled by her interpretation, I retorted, “Moth? That was no ordinary moth; it was a ghost, and it was as large as a human body unless it was Mothra!” (a reference to the giant Japanese kaiju monster from Godzilla films).

Despite my fervent desire for the crew to seize their cameras and track the enigmatic, large white phantom that flew through the wall upstairs, my pleas were overshadowed by the crew’s hunger for dinner at that particular moment. Seems they didn’t share my determination at that moment. 

You visit some fantastic locations during the new series. Where did you capture the most compelling evidence of the paranormal?

We gathered a plethora of compelling paranormal evidence throughout our exploration of remarkable locations in the new series. While our experiences and findings were abundant, I’d say that the moments that truly stood out, both those showcased in the episodes and those that didn’t make the final cut are too numerous to rattle off here, but primarily Aillwee Cave stands out for me.

The events that unfolded there while using ITC left me awestruck. The captures and conversations with the entities in the caves, added to existing my growing understanding of the fae.

What I captured not only validates their existence to me but taught me more about them and their existence as a species attempting to survive while they die out. Probably to much information for those with no awareness of their existence and too far out there to discuss on TV.

All I can say is, that I have a theory that the US government whistle-blowers speaking about non-human biological entities that exist inner dimensionally, probably know a lot about them. They have stated our secret government knows all about entities that exist in the universe, in other dimensions, and in our own dimension (inner dimension) that is out of our visual spectrum (10%) and resides in 90% of the electromagnetic spectrum that we don’t see.

They are around us, but we can’t see them, with good scientific reasoning – we don’t see outside the visual spectrum. 

Moreover, the occurrences, both on and off camera, at Blackwater Castle were profoundly impactful and contributed to making it another standout location in our paranormal journey.

On our first night there at the castle, both Ryan and I had encounters around 2:15 am- 2:45 am on the top floor, down the hall from each other as we were awake, attempting to sleep in our rooms.

It seems the female spirit that passed through my room, and that I saw with my own eyes as a semi-transparent ghost – ventured further down the hall to Ryan’s room setting off his equipment. Since we weren’t filming at that time, we did mention some of it in the episode. 

You can tune in to Spooked Ireland this Friday on Really at 9pm. This week the team investigate a dark elemental spirit said to be trapped in the infamous Leap Castle.