Early in the episode’s investigation, Adam suggested that he might have better luck contacting the potential spirits of the patrons on his own. The tragedy had touched him on a very personal level. “Going up there, I already felt a connection, of sorts, and I wanted to explain to them that times have changed, that it is different,” he recalls. “Because I don’t know if they noticed that the times have changed or they are perpetually stuck in 1973. And if they’re stuck in 1973, then it’s very crucial that you take the appropriate steps. Let me go up there by myself and let me explain to them that there are cameras here and I know you probably don’t want to be on camera but it’s fine, because we know who you are, I have a list of your names – unfortunately, you have passed from this world, you’re no longer here and you don’t have to hide anymore.” In the end, Ghost Hunters came to the conclusion that the patrons that had died at the Jimani weren’t lingering around, but that the person who started the fire was possibly there. While the show proved popular, especially for LGBT viewers, Adam admits he received his share of criticism for coming out on the air. “I just want to be like, ‘Well, I wasn’t making out with anybody.’ It’s what I would normally do on an investigation,” says Adam, who says it’s easier to come out of the paranormal closet than as a gay man. “If I go in to a hospital where people die from tuberculosis, I’m going to tell them that tuberculosis is pretty much cured now. It’s a curable disease. It’s something that’s in the past and you don’t have to be afraid of it. It doesn’t matter where we go, we’re going to try to speak to the person that’s there and try to use our tactics and our abilities and that’s the biggest thing I had going for me over anyone else.” So what’s Adam’s advice for anyone who thinks their home or business may be haunted? Don’t jump to conclusions. There are a lot of things that can be explained away – whether it’s a sequence of open doors and windows causing a door to slam, dripping water
creating the sounds of footsteps or electromagnetic fields caused by exposed wiring causing uneasy sensations like being watched.
Behind the
Scenes
“Take a step back and try to logically explain what’s happening around you – and 95 percent of the time you can probably explain it,” offers Adam. “If they do that and then they still can’t figure it out, I would just acknowledge it. Acknowledge whatever’s in your house and say, ‘I know that you’re here but I need to let you know this is my house, this is where I live and I would like for you to leave me alone and not bother me,’ and leave it at that. Because most of the time I think they just want to be recognized and they will do things just to get your attention.” Asked how life has changed since becoming a break-out television personality and Adam is quick to point out that there’s a lot more people who want to talk to (and about) him online. “You find that people can really say whatever they want in a social media setting and not feel like they’re going to have to suffer consequences for it because they are behind the screen,” he explains. “I think that’s the most interesting thing that has changed – the door to your life is kind of open a little bit more for everyone to see.” Adam recently celebrated his one year wedding anniversary to Ben Griessmeyer. The couple recently paired up with a friend to form a non-profit theatre company and is aware of the importance of staying connected. “Anytime we do an event or do something I try to see if he’s available to go,” says Adam. “We watch the show together, we talk. Our relationship, it’s sort of changed because I travel a lot but we keep in touch through Skype, Facebook and texting all the time. A day goes by and I miss him, of course. But we work through it. It was tougher at first when I first started before we were married and I first started leaving the house. It was real tough because we really had to find that balance about how do we keep in touch and we’ve managed to do that.” v thevitalVOICE.com
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