BEING a paranormal investigator is a calling that most people find to be a hoax or weird. But for Dean Joshua (not true name), his God-given talent has already helped several people, that is why it is a calling that he now gratefully embraces.
Dean Joshua’s father is a soldier who is based in Cebu. During the Marcos regime, both soldiers and rebels sought protection against their presumed enemies. So his father joined the cult “Diyos Amahan” in Cebu and the cult, in return, gave him an amulet (anting-anting) to protect him from harm while he is on duty.
Dean Joshua knew of this but he was not interested at all in the amulet and other paranormal or things which cannot be explained by science like how the amulet would protect his father from sure death.
It was in 2016 when his mother died at 56 years old. He wanted to know the answer why his mother died too soon.
As he searched for an answer to his question, he came across the notes of his father during his cult days. That is how his interest in paranormal began.
“Ang tao man gud naga-seek og answer or satisfaction sa mga butang na unexplainable by science (People often seek answers or satisfaction in mysterious things),” he said during a phone interview.
With this, he joined Davao Paranormal Society (DPS), a group that goes around ghost hunting. But eventually, he got tired and bored of ghost hunting alone, so he joined another group, a secret group, which caters to other paranormal activities that include house cleansing, potion and spell making (especially love spell), vanishing rituals, tarot reading, and even counseling for the living.
The members of this group are called occultists, he said, as they do not only ghost hunt but do mystical or magical practices as well.
Each member of the group has his/her own special ability, he said, which help people who need them.
However, he said, the group is sorry for those who seek ill on other people as they do not cater to those who would pay them to make bad spell.
“Naga-believe man jud gud mi sa karma (We strongly believe in karma). Tanan man siguro mi na grupo or occultists mao jud na ang among gina-believe nga kung unsa imong gihimo sa laing tao mubalik gihapon na sa imoha, (I think all members of the group or occultists strongly believe that what you do to other people will come back to you), law of nature man gud jud na siya,” he said.
He said there service is sustained through the donation of those who need their help and that they do not demand for a price. However, if the person is far from Davao City, that’s when they demand for a price to cope with their travel expenses.
The 29-year-old Mati-born but Davao City-raised young man said being a paranormal investigator is not that easy.
“Kay mag-research ka then mag ocular pa sa adlaw, mag interview pa ka’g witnesses, mangita pa ka’g medical records, police records, history sa area, etc.,” he said, adding that they also need to be prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally before conducting paranormal investigation.
But he shoves these hardships away just to help the people who badly need his “ability”.