Ask Me Anything: Jason Hawes and JV Johnson Go Live to Answer Your Paranormal Questions

Some of my favorite moments don't happen on location in a dark, allegedly haunted building — they happen when I get to sit down directly with the people who've followed this work for years and actually talk. That's exactly what JV Johnson and I did in our latest live session, and the questions you all brought were exactly the kind of thoughtful, challenging stuff I love. If you missed it, here's a breakdown of what we covered.

JV and I have been doing these live sessions for a while now, and every time I think I've heard every question imaginable, someone surprises me. That's what keeps it interesting. This wasn't a formal investigation breakdown or a case review — it was just the two of us, your questions coming in real time, and an honest conversation about this field that I've dedicated the better part of my life to. No scripts, no edits, just straight talk.

A lot of what comes up in these sessions revolves around methodology — how I approach a case, why I lead with skepticism, and why I think that actually makes the work more credible, not less. I've said it a thousand times, but it bears repeating: if you walk into a location already convinced it's haunted, you're not investigating, you're confirming a bias. My job — the job I built TAPS around — is to find every possible rational, environmental, or psychological explanation before I even entertain the idea that something genuinely unexplained is happening. Most of the time, we find the answer. A drafty window causing cold spots. Infrasound from nearby machinery creating feelings of unease. Faulty wiring making lights flicker. When you rule all of that out and something still doesn't have an explanation? That's when it gets interesting.

JV is a great person to do these sessions with because he asks the follow-up questions that push me to go deeper. We talked about some of the cases over the years that have genuinely stayed with me — not because they were dramatic or made good television, but because after everything we tested and eliminated, we still couldn't account for what we documented. Those cases are rarer than people think, and I think that rarity is exactly what makes them worth taking seriously. We also talked about the responsibility that comes with this work — to the homeowners who reach out scared and confused, to the viewers who trust what they're watching, and to the field itself, which has enough sensationalism attached to it already without us adding more.

We also got into questions about equipment, training, the state of paranormal investigation today, and what I think the next generation of investigators needs to understand if they want to do this with any real integrity. The gear has gotten better, the technology has advanced, but the most important tool you bring to any investigation is still the one between your ears. Critical thinking, patience, and a genuine willingness to be wrong — those matter more than any piece of equipment I've ever used. JV and I both agreed on that, and honestly, it's something I wish more people coming into this field would internalize before they ever pick up a camera.

These live sessions are something I genuinely look forward to, and that's entirely because of the community that shows up for them. Keep the questions coming — the harder and more skeptical, the better. That's the only way any of us get closer to real answers.