Ghost Hunter Gaurav Tiwari: The Life and Legacy of India’s Foremost Paranormal Investigator
By Abhirup Dhar and Indian Paranormal Society
Rupa, 272 pages, Rs 295

Shocked by the mysterious death of Gaurav Tiwari at the age of 32, acclaimed horror writer Abhirup Dhar contacted the team at Indian Paranormal Society (IPS), founded by the late paranormal investigator, to understand his life and work. This book is the result of the intense conversations that followed. As the IPS team related some of the most spine-chilling cases they had investigated, Abhirup learnt more about Gaurav.

And the paranormal. From a parking lot haunted by the ghosts of young children, to Lambi Dehar, filled with the tortured souls of the thousands who had died there; from the unhappy spirits in Mukesh Mills to phantoms in the labyrinths of a court—Gaurav and the IPS team investigated the most haunted places in India. Knowledge cancels fear, Gaurav used to say. It was a motto he lived by and kept in mind as he carried out his investigations, uncovering mysteries of the dead and undead. This is a book for anyone interested in horror, the supernatural and the paranormal, capturing as it does both the incredible life of Gaurav Tiwari as well as his chilling encounters with unearthly beings.
 
This book offers thrilling and suspenseful accounts of ghost hunting expeditions that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It provides a behind-the-scene glimpse into the mysterious world of paranormal investigation and the methods used by professional ghost hunters. It has fascinating and unique stories of encounters with spirits and ghosts from around the world. It is an insightful and educational exploration of the history and folklore behind various ghostly legends and hauntings.

Here are excerpts from the book, introducing Gaurav Tiwari and the organization he founded:

Excerpt

Who is reverend Gaurav Tiwari?

We say ‘is’ because he is still alive in our hearts and minds.

Reverend Gaurav Tiwari (2 September 1984 – 7 July 2016) is the CEO and founder of the Indian Paranormal Society, and the director of G.R.I.P. (Ghost Research and Investigators of the Paranormal) Academy. [The Indian Paranomal Society is a trust under which there are different teams that specialise in various researches: UFOs, the metaphysical, crypto-zoologists, etc. As time progressed, all the teams were merged under G.R.I.P. Later, G.R.I.P. became synonymous with IPS. It’s a model that is common in the West too. For example, the ParaNexus Anomalous Research Association, an institution dedicated to metaphysical research in Florida, has its own investigation wing called the SPIRIT team.] His aspiration to become a certified commercial pilot took him to Florida, where he successfully completed the training program and was presented with a commercial pilot licence. During his stay in Florida, he lived with a few of his batchmates from flying school in a rental apartment. Here, he experienced things that he did not have an explanation for. At the time, he neither believed in ghosts nor was he aware of the paranormal. However, those experiences made him research this topic and later join ParaNexus Anomalous Research Association to earn his degree in metaphysical/paranormal research. Post his return to India in 2009, he established India’s first professional paranormal team and named it Indian Paranormal Society. Over the years, he featured on different television shows in India, promoting paranormal/metaphysical research while at the same time ensuring that the element of entertainment wasn’t lost. He was featured in ‘MTV Girls Night Out’ with VJ Rannvijay Singh, ‘Haunted Weekends’ with Sunny Leone, and various other shows. His work was also covered by various news channels, including Aaj Tak, Live India, News 24, Star TV, Zee News and IBN7. He also appeared on Zee TV’s ‘Fear Files’.

Apart from being a certified commercial pilot, he was a certified lead paranormal investigator and a ParaNexus representative in India. He was also a certified UFO field investigator. He held a Bachelor’s degree in metaphysical humanistic science, was an ordained minister from the Metaphysical Church of Humanistic Science, certified hypnotist and past life regression practitioner, spiritual counsellor and a life/relationship coach from the Institute of Metaphysical Humanistic Science. All this was possible because of his guru, Dr Doug Kelley, founder and president of the ParaNexus Anomalous Research Association, Inc.

Gaurav Tiwari appeared on well-known international paranormal radio shows. He earned a reputation for himself and his team internationally, and is known for his work in establishing India’s first scientific paranormal research team.

* * *
I simply laugh at people who call themselves educated and modern by just not believing in ghosts. I believe you must be educated enough to understand the concept of the paranormal. The fashion of not believing in anything paranormal to call yourself a non-believer is obsolete in most countries in the world. Now, people in other countries want to learn and explore what was kept behind closed doors due to fear of society and losing their place in society. The world is consciously rising. I think we all should come out of our cocoon and ensure our beliefs are not based on fashion and preconceived notions. Believing in ghosts is not superstition. Superstition is believing in anything in the absence of proof. But empirical evidences suggest that we do survive our physical death. So, who is being superstitious now?
– Gaurav Tiwari

Links for reference to I.P.S. work:

A short guide on paranormal research –
https://reflectionofyourthoughts.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/a-paranormal-guide-for-dummies/#more-91

A brief on consciousness/basic fundamental of paranormals research – https://reflectionofyourthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/04/ 24/consciousness-the-real-talk/

Understanding paranormal research by Rev GT (Ted Talk) – https://reflectionofyourthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/02/09/decoding-the-existence-of-spirits/

Current scene of paranormal research (2015 edition) –
https://reflectionofyourthoughts.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/current-scene-of-paranormal-research-in-india-2/

You can reach Indian Paranormal Society at:

Website: https://indianparanormalsociety.in/
E-mail: indianparanormalsociety@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/indianparanormalsociety
YouTube: www.youtube.com/gripindia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GRIPOfficial02
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indian_paranormal_
society0209/

[Excerpt reproduced with the permission of the publishers]