PARANORMAL SYMPOSIUM 2026
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA – OCTOBER, 2026
Paranormal Phenomena Research & Investigation is proud to announce that the 2025 Halifax Paranormal Symposium was a success! Thank you to all of our sponsors, vendors, and attendees. As a result of your support, we are pleased to announce the 4th annual Halifax Paranormal Symposium. Join us in October 2026 for fantastic presentations about parapsychology and the paranormal, wonderful local vendors, hands-on workshops, and all new Guest Speakers! Come join the spooky community for this weekend-long event, held at the Halifax Tower Hotel & Conference Centre.
The Halifax Tower Hotel & Conference Centre offers a refined blend of maritime hospitality and modern luxury. Our prime location puts you minutes away from Halifax's vibrant culture, historic landmarks, and scenic waterfront.
Pierre brings a lifetime of leadership, discipline, and service to his role as Master of Ceremonies for the 2026 Halifax Paranormal Symposium. A retired member of the Royal Canadian Navy with 31 years of service, Pierre developed the professionalism, organization, and steady presence that make him ideally suited to guiding a multi-day conference experience. Following his military career, he committed himself to the serious study of paranormal phenomena, beginning with the Centre for Parapsychological Studies in Canada. In 2002, he was appointed Director of Investigations, leading complex cases with a structured, evidence-based approach. Since 2021, Pierre has served as an investigator and researcher with Paranormal Phenomena Research & Investigation (PPRI), contributing to its mission of professionalism and responsible inquiry. He is also known for his dedication to animal welfare, having led the Dockyard Cats Trap-Neuter-Return initiative in Halifax and founding Pierre’s Alley Cat Society. As Master of Ceremonies, Pierre combines experience, integrity, and community-minded leadership to ensure a seamless and engaging symposium experience.
Dr. James Houran, PhD, is an internationally recognized psychologist and parapsychologist whose research has significantly shaped the scientific study of paranormal and anomalous experiences. With more than 30 years of applied research experience, his work spans ghostly phenomena, transliminality, psychometrics of anomalous experiences, and the psychology of belief and perception. Dr. Houran holds a BA in Psychology from Benedictine University, an MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a PhD in Medicine (Psychology) from the University of Adelaide, where he studied under noted parapsychologist Michael Thalbourne. He has authored and edited influential works including Hauntings and Poltergeists: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, the first comprehensive textbook on haunt phenomena, and Ghosted! Exploring the Haunting Reality of Paranormal Encounters. His research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has been featured in major media and documentary programs. Currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Scientific Exploration, Dr. Houran is known for his rigorous methodological approach and commitment to open scientific inquiry into extraordinary human experiences. His work bridges psychological science and anomalistics, offering balanced, evidence-based perspectives on topics often misunderstood or marginalized.
Dr. Brian Laythe, PhD, is an experimental psychologist whose work bridges academic research, applied psychology, and the scientific study of anomalous experiences. He earned his doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of New Hampshire and serves as Director of the Institute for the Study of Religious and Anomalous Experience (ISRAE). Dr. Laythe has authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications examining religion, hauntings, extrasensory perception, anomalous locations, and related phenomena. Widely cited within parapsychology and interdisciplinary anomalistics, he is known for applying rigorous experimental design and statistical methodology to topics often misunderstood or misrepresented. A former college professor with nearly two decades of teaching experience, Dr. Laythe emphasized research methodology, critical thinking, and the psychology of belief and perception. He currently operates a forensic psychology practice and serves as Managing Editor of the Journal of Scientific Exploration. His work reflects a rare combination of scholarly rigor, applied expertise, and thoughtful engagement with complex human experiences.
Dr. Paul H. Smith, PhD, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) and the longest-serving CRV instructor active today. He served for seven years (1983–1990) in the U.S. government’s highly classified Star Gate remote viewing program at Fort Meade, Maryland. Personally trained by remote viewing pioneers Ingo Swann and Dr. Harold E. Puthoff, he became the primary author of the government’s CRV training manual and conducted over one thousand operational and training sessions during his tenure. A retired U.S. Army Major and Military Intelligence officer, Dr. Smith later earned a PhD in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in consciousness and philosophy of mind. He is the author of Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Inside Star Gate—America’s Psychic Espionage Program and The Essential Guide to Remote Viewing, and serves as President of Remote Viewing Instructional Services, Inc. His work has been featured on major television programs and documentaries worldwide, and he remains an influential voice in the study and teaching of remote viewing.
Keith Linder is an information technology professional whose career includes senior roles with global companies such as Dell, Microsoft, Philips Healthcare, and Verizon. His technical and analytical background brings a systems-based perspective to the examination of anomalous events. In 2012, Keith and his partner relocated to a home in Bothell, Washington, where they began experiencing a series of intense and sustained disturbances that later became known as the “Bothell Hell House” case. The events profoundly impacted their lives and ultimately drew significant attention within the paranormal research community. The case is now considered one of the most extensively documented modern poltergeist investigations, noted for its depth of testimony and detailed record-keeping. It has been examined by respected researchers internationally and continues to generate discussion regarding the intersection of psychology, environment, and unexplained phenomena. At the Halifax Paranormal Symposium, Keith presents his firsthand account to encourage thoughtful dialogue and critical examination of one of the most compelling contemporary poltergeist cases.
Dr. Heather Lynn left a career in academia to pursue the questions most scholars won't touch. With an M.A. in History, a Doctorate in Education from the University of New England, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Religion from the University of Sedona, she had every reason to stay inside the institutional walls. Instead, she walked out and started digging, literally and figuratively, into the forbidden corners of human history. Today she is one of the most recognized voices in alternative archaeology and hidden history. A recurring contributor to the History Channel's Ancient Aliens, host of The Midnight Academy Podcast (ranked in the top 10% of podcasts globally), and author of internationally published books translated into Spanish, Czech, and Portuguese, Dr. Lynn has built an audience that spans academic, spiritual, and speculative communities across North America, the U.K., and Europe. Her work sits at the intersection of archaeology, mythology, the occult, and power. She investigates forgotten temples, anomalous artifacts, elite rituals, and the selective preservation of history, asking how ancient civilizations encoded knowledge through myth, symbol, and ritual, and how those systems of meaning continue to shape the modern world in ways most people never see. Her books include The Anunnaki Connection (a bestseller endorsed by Erich von Daniken), Evil Archaeology, and Baphomet Revealed. Her latest, Anunnaki Revelation: Hidden History, Altered States, and the Mystery of Humanity, challenges both mainstream archaeology and conventional ancient astronaut theory, proposing that ancient contact occurred through consciousness and altered states rather than physical spacecraft. The book draws on cuneiform texts, esoteric traditions, and emerging research on entheogens to offer a third path that neither camp has been willing to consider. Dr. Lynn also teaches as an adjunct professor of humanities, covering ancient civilizations, art, ethics, and the cultural impact of artificial intelligence. Her doctoral research at UNE examined how history museums communicate with the public in the digital age, exploring how institutions shape cultural memory, identity, and civic engagement through technology, a thread that continues to inform her broader mission of making rigorous historical scholarship accessible to audiences far beyond the academy.
Jodi Russell is a practicing evidential medium and paranormal investigator with Paranormal Phenomena Research & Investigation (PPRI), where she also serves as Director of Communications and Digital Marketing. She has been actively involved in the paranormal field for several years, combining intuitive mediumship with structured investigation and ethical responsibility. Jodi is known for her grounded, respectful approach to spirit communication, emphasizing validation, discernment, and personal responsibility. Her work focuses on understanding how mediumship intersects with environment, emotion, and human experience, rather than sensationalism. She approaches mediumship as a skill that requires development, boundaries, and ongoing self-awareness. As part of the PPRI investigative team, Jodi has participated in numerous private and public investigations, including historically significant locations and residential cases. She frequently works alongside investigators using technical equipment, contributing intuitive impressions that are later compared with environmental data and witness testimony. In addition to her investigative work, Jodi is a regular public speaker and media guest, appearing on radio programs and live events to discuss mediumship, paranormal investigation, and the importance of ethical practice in the field. She is particularly passionate about education—helping people understand their own experiences while reducing fear, stigma, and misinformation surrounding mediumship and paranormal phenomena. At the Halifax Paranormal Symposium, Jodi brings a calm, thoughtful, and approachable perspective to mediumship—encouraging open discussion, critical thinking, and respectful exploration of the unseen.
Amy Murphy is an international paranormal investigator, television host, and storyteller whose work bridges experiential investigation, intuitive exploration, and on-camera documentation of anomalous phenomena. With over five years in the paranormal field, Amy has collaborated with seasoned investigation teams, explored haunted locations, and developed a track record of engaging direct experiences—ranging from experimental evidence collection to intuitive techniques such as automatic writing and full-body connections. Amy’s work is grounded in both practice and presentation. She is a recognizable face in paranormal media, having hosted and appeared on multiple seasons of Haunted on Eastlink TV, and she is currently filming a new spin-off series titled Haunted: Heart & Soul, set to air in 2026. On-screen and on-stage, Amy brings curiosity, presence, and reflective insight to her exploration of the unexplained. She combines paranormal gear experimentation, firsthand engagement with phenomena, and compelling narrative to help audiences think critically about the nature of spirit interaction, perception, and evidential experience. In addition to her investigation work, Amy is a communicator who shares her journey, research, and perspective through television, live presentations, and storytelling platforms—encouraging others to explore anomalous experiences with openness, discernment, and respectful inquiry.
Shreya Talwar, MSc, is an Akashic Records teacher, multidimensional channel, and intuitive practitioner whose work explores consciousness, anomalous perception, and healing-centered inquiry. Her practice focuses on accessing the Akashic Records as a structured field of information through which she examines ancestral memory, past-life dynamics, and multidimensional human experience. Trained in psychology and holding a Master of Science in Education, Shreya integrates intuitive practice with grounded, structured frameworks. Her work includes Akashic healing, past life regression, Light Language transmission, spirit and animal communication, and mentorship for individuals navigating profound personal and spiritual transformation. Shreya has worked with clients internationally and has assisted in sensitive investigative and end-of-life contexts. Known for her egalitarian and empowerment-focused philosophy, she emphasizes sovereignty, self-trust, and critical engagement with non-ordinary perception. At the Halifax Paranormal Symposium, she offers a perspective that bridges experiential spirituality, consciousness exploration, and thoughtful dialogue around the nature of human awareness.
