Dustin Pari
Do you believe?
From the tender age of his early teens, Dustin Pari was captivated by the mysteries of the unknown, fearlessly exploring abandoned buildings and the depths of the woods. These very actions, which he now advises against as a seasoned paranormal investigator, mark the beginning of his journey. Today, we recognize him as one of the most beloved investigators on the hit television show Ghost Hunters, a testament to his unwavering passion and relentless pursuit of the paranormal.
One fateful night, Dustin stumbled upon Ghost Hunters while aimlessly flipping through the channels on his television. It was a mid-episode revelation, leaving him slightly perplexed about the unfolding events and the fact that the investigators were from his own Rhode Island. It was only after catching the next episode that the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
With a newfound determination, Dustin reached out to TAPS and managed to secure an interview with the team. He was thrilled to be part of the ‘home team,’ even if it meant not being on the show. His dedication and hard work paid off, as, after a couple of months, he was invited to assist on the show. Since his first appearance, Dustin has been humbled by the experiences and opportunities that have come his way, describing them as ‘such blessings.’
While never dedicating full time to the show, Dustin wanted to remain committed to his passion, working full time in health care.
Reflecting on his remarkable tenure with Ghost Hunters, which spanned seasons 2 – 5 part-time, two seasons of Ghost Hunters International, three additional seasons of Ghost Hunters (up until the split), and recently, since they’ve been back on the air, Dustin is filled with gratitude. ‘It’s amazing; it really is crazy when you think about it. The opportunities alone. I’ve gone to 27 countries, I got to sleep in old haunted castles, and we are still doing it! I am deeply thankful that people care enough to continue to watch and support us in what we do,’ he shares, acknowledging the crucial role of his fans in his journey.
Dustin’s recent schedule includes an event called ‘Spirit Quest with Dustin Pari .’This immersive experience involves traditional communication methods, spending a significant amount of time outdoors engaging in spirit and energy work. It’s a unique opportunity for participants to delve into the paranormal world alongside Dustin.
Dustin’s journey in the paranormal world continues with ‘Ghosts. Do you Believe,’ a traveling theatre show. In this one-person show, Dustin presents 30-35 times over a 6-week period, sharing his experiences and insights into the world of ghosts and the paranormal. It’s a unique platform for him to connect with his audience and share his passion.
‘I don’t do scary, I don’t try to be scary, I don’t care to tell scary stories. I like to educate people and give them information that’s interesting, maybe a little spooky but allows them to make their own decisions. I’m not here to force these beliefs on anyone. But I want people to be aware of their own spirituality; that’s kind of an underlying cause for me in all of this stuff,’ Dustin emphasizes, highlighting his respect for his audience’s autonomy and his commitment to empowering them with knowledge.
When asked his opinion on using newer communication devices in the field, Dustin replied, “I believe our reliance on technology, both within the field and in life, is problematic. I don’t understand why we need to involve a robot, because I feel that we are spiritual creatures, we are spirits going through a human experience, we don’t need a digital interface to talk to other spirit. I feel like we just lost our way, and that’s why at my Spirit Quest events, I try to focus people on the older ways of communication different ways of divination; we’ll do scrying, we’ll use candle flickers instead of flashlights to try to get back to our own connection, and I feel like our earlier people, the ancient people, had more of a reverence for their spirituality. Their communication was, therefore, so much more important to them and accessible to them. We don’t practice our spirituality, and by that, I don’t mean having to go to a church, a synagogue, or a mosque; all of that is good; positive belief is important. We don’t exercise our spiritual beings inside us. We’ve become so reliant upon our digital array of tools, instruments, and phones that we don’t try to communicate spiritually. Our growing dependence and focus on technology are only furthering us from our spirituality, and we are losing our spiritual selves. I also believe that one of the reasons there is so much loneliness and depression, especially with the younger generation that is constantly involved in this tidal wave of technology. The robot has been there since day one. They’re losing their sense of empathy and their way of connecting. It’s very sad to see so many young people having a hard time communicating with each other verbally. That’s why they feel so depressed and disconnected; because they truly are.”
Furthering the discussion about the reliance on technology and the associated side effects, we continued with the proposed treatments of depression and anxiety by prescribing copious amounts of unnecessary medications to our youth and even some adults instead of just possibly limiting their screen time. Dustin adds, “Unfortunately, the dependence that comes with these medications, even if these medications were initially prescribed with the best of intentions, they usually not made to the point where you start them, you feel better, and you get off them. You start them, you feel better, then you feel numb. And then they increase it. Then you feel numb again, and it keeps going and going till it becomes unsafe at the levels needed, or they push you over to something else. We all battle with depression; this world isn’t easy. I don’t want to medicate myself to numb how I feel about my reality; I want to rise above and change my reality so I feel better. If we all took that stance of ‘change,’ we would get that ripple effect of kindness and goodness that would make everything better. There is a time and place for medication, absolutely, but I feel that a lot of us are becoming numb instead of trying to change our situations.”
A phrase Dustin uses in one of his lectures, titled The Magical Mystery Box, states, “Hug the Monster.” Dustin adds, “A lot of the things we face emotionally, mentally, and even physically in terms of other people in our lives, relationships we don’t want to confront. Hiding from the monster will only get you so far. But, if you can find a way to hug the monster, embrace it, and kind of stare into what it is that scares you to try to understand it, that is the only way we are going to create any change. Sometimes, those monsters are the issues that we battle, the darkness in our own heads, our souls, and sometimes, it’s when we come across people who truly act like monsters or may have hurt us in some way, which is tough. We have to plant that seed of kindness and love and know that no good comes from throwing darkness on top of darkness. Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned that in one of his speeches, and it’s so true. It’s hard to hug the monster, it’s hard to show love to somebody who may have hurt you, and it’s never any excuse to try and continue an abusive relationship.” Also adding, “Before you do any investigation, you should be in a good place spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. If any of those things aren’t 100%, it’s probably not the best time to investigate. You can’t put everything into it, and you’re going to be partly closed down. Any time we do something to alter our perception of things in a way that’s muting feelings or creating false sensations, that will put into question whatever experiences we may have.”
As experienced in the paranormal as Dustin is, he is just like the rest of us on investigations. He is not a fan of pop-out scary things, noting that he does not do haunted house attractions in his free time. Dustin explains, “Being in the paranormal for so long, you notice that when things start to happen, they happen subtly. But in my head, when I have to walk down the long alleyway behind all the prison doors or down the hallway in an old hospital in the dark, I go so slow because I feel like I have to slowly turn my back and look in each one before I go by it. Because I worry about that stupid pop-out scary ass thing that has been ingrained in me since I was a child.”
Dustin’s scariest moment was the investigation at Castle Houska in the old Czech Republic while filming for Ghost Hunters International. An attic space that wasn’t on the tour, which was right up Dustin’s alley. “Where would I go if I was an intelligent spirit and didn’t want to be around people? Cupboards under the stairs or crawlspaces or attic spaces where people would only sometimes go.” Dustin was investigating with Ashley Godwin, who was new to their team, and their Camera Operator, Steve. In the Attic, Dustin describes this Dark shadow figure lurking near the far corner. Seeing it clearly and capturing it visually on camera, Dustin, using his sharp investigative brain, began to radio Barry Fitzgerald, who had the full spectrum camera. Being in a castle may seem incredible, but not when using radios to communicate. Dustin decided to send Ashley and Steve down to get Barry. For them both to go, Dustin had to utilize his experience as a CBS and Fox News camera operator and take over the camera operator duties until they returned. For 10 minutes, Dustin stood alone with the shadowy thing in the corner. Once Barry arrived with the camera, he set up recorders, audibly capturing a deep growl. As Barry goes to put the UV light on it, the Shadow Creature stands up, almost to the height of the back wall, and runs through the back wall where the window was. Dustin recalls, “It ran through the window. Obviously, it didn’t break anything, but all the birds in the tree outside took off. I looked at Barry and said ‘I was here alone with this thing for 10 minutes!”
If you’re wondering which episode that was, it was called Ghost Hunters International, “Gateway to Hell.”
Our conversation with Dustin was a fantastic opportunity to hear perspectives on the paranormal that we have yet to experience, and it also offered an outlook on basic human emotions and beliefs. Religion plays a big part in Dustin’s life: “I feel like the connection is so important, regardless of your beliefs. My prayer life is very strong, I am very grateful for that and it’s helped to guide me through a lot in my life and having the relationship with our creator, God. God is however you want to perceive it. Having that relationship with our creator is so incredibly important. It allows us to go through this human experience knowing that, we’re gonna screw up, we’re kind of here to learn and it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be forgivable, we just have to try to be a little bit better each day. I think that when we are all said and done, beautiful fragments of our life will be a nice stained glass window, and I see why I was broken so many damn times; in the big picture of my life, it ended up being very beautiful.”
Thank you, Dustin, for the amazing words.
BIO:
Dustin Pari is a bit hard to define.
Bio: Born a simple boy to a truck driver and one of the last all-american housewives, Dustin grew up in Providence, Rhode Island without much pomp and circumstance. Most notably he ditched his bowl-cut for his trademark spiky hair sometime around 5th grade when he first became interested in the fairer sex.
After graduating from high school, he then bounced around the local state and community colleges before graduating with a degree in multimedia production. He worked for CBS and FOX news locally for many years before getting into healthcare.
Being on television as a paranormal investigator happened quite by accident, but there is something to be said for accidents being best described as when hard work meets opportunity.
Several seasons and years of his life later, Dustin had traveled the world like a “Paranormal Rockstar”, a moniker given to him during an interview, which was then used from that point forward since it symbolized much of who he was.
But we all grow. We all change. We must all move forward, or we become stagnant and boring, and acquiesce to merely what is comfortable. So, for a while Dustin toyed with the idea of calling himself a three-headed dragon, as he is multifaceted and a bit magical. But dragons can be scary, and Dustin is kind, not scary. Plus, some breathe fire, and with the amount of hairspray used on a daily basis, open flames are a strict no-no. So after much consideration, or perhaps none at all, the “Steel Unicorn” was born.
Strong yet approachable. Mythical but as real as it gets. A creature seemingly in conflict with itself. A clear mental image that is almost impossible to comprehend. One thing that is easily understood, Dustin cares for and loves all that he comes in contact with, as one would assume a steel unicorn would.
Regardless of whatever you may call him, or he may call himself, Dustin may be best known as a paranormal researcher and lecturer due to his numerous appearances on such television programs as Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, and Destination Truth. He has journeyed up and down the road time and time again appearing here, there, and everywhere. Though a well-respected and highly regarded staple of the paranormal event and lecture circuit, Dustin also delivers his entertaining and educational paranormal presentations to colleges and libraries across America.
Dustin has recently become a highly sought after motivational lecturer whose insightful and humorous anecdotes have inspired thousands of event attendees, and even more world wide. Determined to leave a legacy of kindness, Dustin goes forth with a helpful heart in an effort to change the world. Focusing on the commonalities he has found to be of particular interest in this, our human experience, Dustin is thankful that he has been fortunate to help many others as we all walk through this life together. Be it at middle schools, high schools, corporate meetings, or social gathering halls, Dustin delivers a positive message that is entertaining and life changing.
Though admittedly far from perfect, Dustin also delivers Christian based lectures at churches and online through his efforts with Patch Ministry. Always of love and never judgement, Dustin’s message may not always quote scripture, but it embraces the message of Christ, a message of kindness.
The author of numerous books, Dustin applies his knowledge and colorful personality to weave strange tales of the unknown, motivational tales of his own life, and random tales of his own mind. His mind is a bit of a mess, but it sure is a lot of fun!