Asheville, North Carolina — At first, it’s easy to laugh. But then, who can you actually call when things go bump in the night? 911 can’t help and psychic lines are often scams, run by large corporations. However, one man says there is a legitimate need for consultation when UFOs appear, ghosts materialize, bigfoot’s in the backyard, or similar strangeness manifests. Joshua P. Warren proclaims, sneers and laughter aside, his new consultation service is a serious endeavor, with a scientific mission. ParanormalHotline.com will offer sound insight, advice, and references for those who encounter the unknown.
“I already get dozens of calls per week, and have for years,” says Warren, “but there’s no way to return them all. This way, my colleagues and I can finally afford to.”
ParanormalHotline.com schedules consultations with Warren or someone personally authorized by him. The consultant offers insight on all paranormal activity, officially records experiences, will give references to particular experts, and may even send a fully-equipped team to investigate the caller’s activity. “We have a team on standby at all hours if something truly remarkable is occurring,” he notes.
So how does he view the stigma of cheezy lines associated with well-known psychic scams? “We’re not psychics,” he says. “But if you want to speak with a reputable psychic, we can arrange calls with psychics we’ve personally worked with in the past. We invite everyone to review our credentials critically. If someone feels our reputation is worthy of consultation, and the case is serious, that person will gladly pay a consultation fee.” How much? $3.99 per minute. “This should weed out the cranks,” Warren says. “We hope only a person with a serious experience will pay for serious consultation.” ParanormalHotline.com is now in the experimental stage. Whether or not the service will continue, and how it may continue, will depend on feedback over the coming months.
Warren, author of numerous books, including Simon & Schuster’s “How to Hunt Ghosts” and “Pet Ghosts,” has been seen on Discovery, TLC, the History Channel, and Travel Channel. He’s a frequent guest on “Coast to Coast AM,” the world’s top-rated overnight radio program, and hosts his own Clear Channel show, “Speaking of Strange.” He and his team, L.E.M.U.R., made the cover of a science journal in 2004 for their work on mysterious plasmas that appear in nature.
“If someone has a legitimate encounter and wants credible service on the phone, we’re available right now,” Warren notes. “If not, then there’s no harm done.”
When asked again about the stigma of charging for his service, Warren responds, “We deserve compensation for our time. What do you do for a living? Would you do it better or worse if you were being paid nothing?” So who ya gonna call? Now you know.
On the Web: ParanormalHotline.com