Podcast Summary: The Michael Knowles Show
Episode: Michael & The Ghost Hunter: "We Recorded The Ghost Screaming" (Guest: Kristina Costanza)
Date: August 23, 2025
Overview
In this deeply intriguing episode, Michael Knowles welcomes Kristina Costanza, a former ghost hunter turned Christian, to discuss her decade-long journey with the paranormal. Together, they dive into her first-hand experiences of ghost hunting, the allure and dangers of the occult, and her eventual Christian conversion. The conversation explores skepticism, spiritual reality, the use of witchcraft, and broader cultural implications of fascination with the supernatural.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Kristina's Introduction to the Paranormal
- First Experiences
- Grew up in a Catholic family, always curious but also scared of the spiritual realm.
- First encountered a disembodied voice at 14 ([02:14]).
- “When I was 14 years old, I heard my first disembodied voice … every hair on my body stood up.” — Kristina Costanza ([02:27])
- Early Confusion of Faith & Curiosity
- Began dabbling in tarot and spells at 16, influenced by proximity to Salem, MA and psychic culture ([04:39]).
- “I thought I could mix the two [Christianity and spiritualism].” — Kristina ([04:22])
2. Ghost Hunting as a Profession
-
Getting Started
- Joined a team after witnessing an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) recording ([07:05]).
- “If you hear in the recording, we just carry on with our conversation … it was horrifying.” — Kristina ([09:12])
-
Scientific and Occult Blend
- Describes use of equipment like EMF readers alongside spells and rituals ([12:41]).
- Admitted to deliberately bringing "witchcraft" and a "feminine touch" into the field ([12:59], [13:08]).
-
Paranormal Evidence
- Shares about capturing a dramatic EVP with the sound of a patient-nurse struggle at Rolling Hills Asylum ([09:09]).
- Most EVPs are only heard during playback, but sometimes corroborated by personal sensory experience ([10:00]).
3. Spiritual Dangers and Personal Decline
-
Gradual Escalation
- What began as curiosity led to deeper involvement with the occult and New Age beliefs ([13:08]-[13:37]), mixed with depression and substance abuse.
- “I was hurting … I had this big God-shaped hole in my heart; I was trying to fill that with witchcraft, drinking, drugs, alcohol, ghost hunting...” — Kristina ([14:08])
-
Encountering Darkness
- Experiences escalated to seeing terrifying “tar beings” and feeling spiritual oppression ([16:16], [36:19]).
- “It changed and multiplied into these eight to ten-foot tar beings ... grinning at me and taunting me.” — Kristina ([16:16], [36:19])
-
Channeling and Possession
- Practiced pendulum sessions, invited spirits to “use her body,” and at times lost control over her own speech and motor skills ([33:04]-[33:45]).
4. Skepticism, Faith, and Theological Debate
-
Ghosts vs. Demons
- Michael challenges Kristina on biblical accounts of ghosts (Samuel, Moses, Elijah), leading to discussion of familiar spirits and biblical prohibitions on necromancy ([17:20]-[19:38]).
- “From what the Lord has led me to believe ... these are familiar spirits that ... are demons masquerading as beings of light.” — Kristina ([16:49])
-
Necromancy and Forbidden Knowledge
- Both agree that even biblical instances involving the dead are warnings, not endorsements, of such practices ([18:05]-[20:05]).
5. Paranormal Pop Culture and the Occult
- Annabelle & Ed and Lorraine Warren
- Discusses famed haunted doll; explains how giving power to occult objects empowers demonic entities ([21:07]-[23:43]).
- “It’s not the objects themselves that are haunted. It’s the demons in operation behind it.” — Kristina ([23:16])
6. Exit from the Occult and Conversion
-
The Breaking Point
- Increasing spiritual torment, oppression, and failed attempts at self-salvation (law of attraction, crystals, rituals) led Kristina to despair ([41:48]-[44:44]).
-
Conversion to Christianity
- COVID lockdown anxiety and the failure of New Age self-help led her to reconsider faith. Her conversion brought immediate relief; she threw away all occult paraphernalia ([56:23]-[59:52]).
- “It was all that burden; it lifted off of me, and he just brought me to such freedom. … I threw it all away.” — Kristina ([58:53])
7. Reflection on Self-Help and Modern Spirituality
-
Critique of Self-Help Culture
- Calls out treadmill of modern self-help as spiritually bankrupt compared to surrendering to God's grace ([72:13]-[73:46]).
- “My help comes from the Lord. My strength comes from the Lord. And the best self help book — Bible.” — Kristina ([72:48])
-
Cultural Trends
- Notes that modern obsessions with self-empowerment, liberation ideologies, or raising vibrations all share a misguided sense of ‘saving the world’ ([70:46]).
8. Warnings and Final Thoughts
-
Spiritual Dangers
- Warns listeners against curiosity in the occult, ghost-hunting, and use of spiritualist paraphernalia ([99:25]-[100:46]).
- “Curiosity opens a door … I was curious and that curiosity … led me down this destructive path ... demonized and in bondage and in chains.” — Kristina ([99:53])
-
Message to Seekers
- Encourages discernment and turning away from darkness; maintain spiritual health through Christ ([100:46]).
- “Take no part in the evil deeds of darkness ... get rid of them and repent and turn to Jesus.” — Kristina ([100:46])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Faux-Thrill of Ghost Hunting:
“When you don’t understand the spiritual ramifications … it’s just fun. There could be a multitude of reasons — thrill, skepticism, curiosity …” — Kristina ([11:53]) -
On her mindset in the occult:
“I was kind of a spiritual cafeteria: a little bit of this, a little bit of that.” — Kristina ([13:08]) -
On the Law of Attraction:
“It was exhausting … you gotta do, do, do, do, do all these work, … all that load, that weight, that burden — the moment I started following Jesus, it [lifted].” — Kristina ([43:30]) -
Michael on modern spirituality:
“All the really fancy modern libs … call us nuts … but we ain’t praying to Bigfoot.” — Michael ([50:40]) -
On the Lure of the Occult:
“People want to believe in something outside the natural … It’s just dark, it’s cool, it’s different … but you’re just taking part in something that’s being normalized.” — Kristina ([26:53]) -
On Relics vs. Occult Objects:
“There is a sense there’s a connection to the physical world as temples of the Holy Spirit … If there are two kinds of relics you can buy … why would you buy the demonic one?” — Michael ([25:59]) -
On coming out of spiritual bondage:
“He just brought me to such freedom.” — Kristina ([59:17])
Important Timestamps
- Kristina's First Ghostly Experiences:
[02:14]-[04:39] - Joining a Ghost Hunting Team:
[07:05]-[09:58] - Discussion on the Rolling Hills Asylum EVP:
[09:09]-[10:19] - Witchcraft and Feminine Touch in Ghost Hunting:
[12:41]-[13:37] - On Channeling & Possession:
[33:04]-[34:55] - Transformation into Dark Spiritual Oppression:
[36:19]-[37:06] - Biblical Ghosts & Debates:
[17:20]-[20:05] - Annabelle & Occult Objects:
[21:07]-[26:53] - Spiritual Crisis and Conversion:
[56:23]-[59:52] - Reflections on Self Help & Christian Living:
[72:13]-[75:13] - Final Warnings to Listeners:
[99:25]-[100:46]
Tone
The episode is candid, searching, and reflective — at times lighthearted and self-deprecating, at others deeply earnest and warning. Michael Knowles brings a wry skepticism, while Kristina is open, articulate, and vulnerable about her journey from curiosity and despair to faith.
Conclusion
This episode offers both a harrowing and hopeful account of one woman’s journey from the heart of ghost-hunting and the occult to Christian faith. It serves as a cautionary reflection for those intrigued by the supernatural and a testament to the power of spiritual conversion. Listeners leave with a reinforced understanding of both the spiritual dangers of necromancy, witchcraft, and curiosity, and the peace found in returning to faith.
Find Kristina Costanza:
- [Instagram: @kristinacostanza]
- Upcoming: YouTube (search "Kristina Costanza")
End of Summary