Hector Lugo doesn’t believe in demons. But he has met a few mean-spirited ghosts.

Hector encountered his first apparition at the age of 7 on a farm in Costa Rica. He credits his heightened sensitivity to paranormal activity to his Native American heritage, which keeps him closely connected to the earth and the energy within it. He’s carried it with him throughout life. The power to sense pain in an empty room. The ability to see and hear what others could not.

In 1998, Hector and his wife, Pam, formed an informal group in Blue Springs, Missouri, dedicated to investigating paranormal activity in the Kansas City area and beyond.

After a near-death experience due to a massive heart attack in 2000, Hector’s daughter suggested a name for the group: the 10th Dimension Paranormal Group, inspired by Hector’s journey to other dimensions during the 12 minutes that he was declared legally dead.

Since the group’s founding more than a quarter century ago, its membership has grown to a dozen, including doctors, nurses, scientists, researchers, ministers and police officers.

With the Lugos at the helm, 10th Dimension helps clients find answers. Calls typically come from people who have experienced signs of paranormal activity after moving into a new home.

“They’ll move in, be there for about a month or two, they’ll hear things, they’ll feel funny, they’ll start seeing things like shadows, and they’re like, you know what? Let’s give Hector a call,” Hector said.

Hector’s team starts by conducting phone interviews with clients to determine what they’re experiencing and what type of solution they’re seeking. Some want the activity gone. Others just want to understand.

“When we show up for the first time, we ask them, what do you want here? Is it because you’re scared of what’s happening? Or are you curious about what’s happening?”

While some mean-spirited spirits are truly a problem, others may simply be family members who are lingering, Hector said. Or even a combination of the two —a departed relative of the client who is locking horns with a new spirit in a new environment.

Hector begins his inspection from the time his car pulls up, checking the exterior of the home for faces in the windows. Once inside, a member of his team chats with the client, then the team uses equipment to collect evidence.

As a retired law enforcement professional, evidence-gathering is important to Hector, and has shaped how he sets up cameras and gathers information. He requires backup confirmation of experiences, such as temperature readings on cold spots. His team also researches the property’s history to further understand its story. Rumors of a death onsite, for example, are sometimes found to be false.

The team itself consists of a mix of believers and skeptics.

“Skeptics will spend a half an hour trying to figure out why a flashlight did what it did,” Hector joked, though the skeptics are the first to have their camera ready for an opportunity to document activity — just in case.

An accurate investigation can take several visits, Hector said, since activity may vary as paranormal inhabitants become accustomed to the team. But if the investigation turns up signs of a paranormal presence, Hector will work closely with the client to find a solution.

While 10th Dimension has its own priest who is trained and willing to perform exorcisms, it’s never been needed. Often just finding out that the spirit is a departed family member is enough to put a client’s mind at ease. A commitment to helping spirits find closure is what sets the team apart from most paranormal investigation groups.

“A lot of it is a lack of knowledge about the other side,” Hector said. “They find out it’s a relative of theirs: Can we calm it down? I’d like them to stay, but we need some guidelines.“

In situations where both a departed family member and an unwelcome house guest are present, the team works to limit the number of otherworldly visitors.

“We help them keep the relative, and kick out the bad spirit,” he said.

Hector’s work has been featured in television shows and podcasts, which has resulted from calls as far away as Germany, England, Australia and even Iran. Typically Hector tries to aid overseas requests by phone due to the cost of travel, but a few of his investigations have brought him to Europe.

“Europe is so old compared to the United States, and everybody over there knows about the spirits. It’s a given,” he said. “They’re not as skeptical there. You know here in Missouri, you have to ‘show me.’”

At its peak, 10th Dimension was investigating more than 70 cases per year, but the number has dwindled since the COVID pandemic. The group now leads public investigations at Missouri Town Living History Museum. Located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the living history museum includes more than 25 buildings from 1822-1860, spread across 30 acres.

In addition to Missouri Town, Hector’s other favorite public spots for paranormal investigations in Missouri include the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, the Scottish-Rite Temple in Kansas City, The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis and the City of Hermann, Missouri. The Hobo Hill House in Jefferson City, which can be booked overnight through Airbnb, is another experience he recommends.

Historic churches and even bars can be a great place to find spirits, he said, if you just pay attention. But there’s one place he urges paranormal investigators to avoid.

“The one place you do not want to go is a cemetery,” Hector said. “That’s a last resting place and they can do whatever they want there. Don’t go to cemeteries, especially beginners.”

For those who are participating in a group paranormal tour or investigation, Hector offered a few tips:

“Rule number one, you don’t provoke. The people who live and work in those environments don’t want to have to deal with the pissed off spirits that you’ve provoked.”

“Go in with an open mind. Don’t expect to go in and see a full-fledged entity. Take your camera, and maybe you’ll get an orb or mist.”

“When you do these tours, respect the people you’re with, and also respect the spirits. They’re there to communicate with you if you’re respectful.”

“Never give the spirit the option, ‘if you turn on this flashlight, I’ll leave.‘ Because if they turn it on, then you have to leave.”

Most importantly, Hector encourages people to simply have fun. Though he usually concludes his own investigations by spreading salt and reminding the spirits not to follow him home, occasionally they do anyway. But all have been friendly and respectful. And as long as they mind their manners, they’re always welcome in his home.

“To me it’s fulfilling,” Hector said. “There’s plenty of ways to help humans. But in the spiritual side, there’s very few people who can do it.”

To learn more about 10th Dimension Paranormal Group and to read about its investigations, visit the 10th Dimension website.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The cover photo is from an investigation at the Missouri Town Living History Museum, courtesy of the 10th Dimension Paranormal Group.

Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.