Within the paranormal field, demonology sits in a very specific, often misunderstood corner. It’s intense, complex, and not something many investigators are willing to dive into fully. One person who has stepped into that space with intention and focus is Australian demonologist and lead investigator Lachlan Parkinson, of Parkinson Paranormal.
What makes Lachlan stand out is the blend of sceptical thinking, structured investigation, and a willingness to face some of the darkest cases head-on, not for thrill — but to help people who are genuinely suffering. Coming from a family that leans heavily toward science and away from spirituality, he found himself driven to prove that the paranormal is real, that “things we can’t always see and can’t explain” are truly there and interacting with us.
Over time, that drive pulled him towards demonology: studying, confronting, and understanding entities that are not human and not always benevolent. His work focuses not just on demons, but on any spirits that torment, manipulate, or harm the living — with an approach rooted in research, respect, and a strong emphasis on team safety.
Below is our full Q&A with Lachlan, shared in his own words.
1. Introduce yourself – how did you first become involved in paranormal investigation and demonology?
My name is Lachlan Parkinson I’m a demonologist and lead paranormal investigator of parkinsonparanormal based in Australia. I remember having a debate with my family a lot of them are very science based not super spiritual and that drove me to want to prove that the paranormal exists that this is real that these things that we can’t always see and can’t explain are really there and really happening and from that i gravitated into demonology, demonology has always fascinated me, the learning the unknown the excitement and the rush of going head to head with demons but at the same time helping people who may be having some of the worst times of their lives as a result of what is happening drives me to be better and do better drives me to want to uncover the mystery that is the paranormal that is the demonic.
2. What drew you into demonology – what was the “why” behind your focus?
Demonology is such a complex field within the paranormal space it’s one where one approach works in one case but not another where everyone has their own methods their own practices, it’s also a field that i see a lot of misinformation often times spirits that are simply negative in nature are mistaken for demons and my goal my approach is to better understand demons, understand what makes them tick understand the specific energy understand, educate and help people who may be dealing with something negative something horrible my focus isn’t only demons but all spirits who torment and hurt the living. Moving into demonology isn’t as big of a leap as people may think, it’s just incredibly complex, for me it was reading about the goetia demons and what they can do that drew me in, i read about ed and lorraine warren cases and all this just drew me in further the mystery of it because no one truly understands demons understand the why and that,s my goal to understand them and to help people.
3. Defining “entity” and demonology – how do you explain it to people outside the field?
For me you have ghosts, spirits and entities and for me entities are those which are not human say your friend passed away and you believed they were haunting you i would classify them as a spirit where as a demon or another being that is not from our realm a being that is not and never has been human i would classify as an entity and not all entities are malevolent there are many that are benevolent and incredibly friendly and amazing to interact with. Demonological cases differ in that of it’s often the smallest details that can make the biggest difference in identifying a demonic presence, demons are smart often the activity the phenomena that is happening doesn’t all happen at once, it slowly and gradually ramps up, I look for things like what’s the energy like is it incredibly overpowering is it oppressive, things like experiencing horrible dreams have you been feeling off and not like yourself, have you been overly angry for no reason etc, we look for the potential of have you seen of heard children while still experiencing these negative things as well, demons have a purpose and when they’re in our physical world they’re here for a reason it’s not random, it’s not for fun they have a reason for being here and they will do what they can to stay here for as long as possible without being recognised as a demon so that they can complete their job, they don’t simply haunt they don’t over expose themselves so these cases can be incredibly tricky to navigate.
4. Memorable entity encounter – can you walk us through one significant case?
Investigating a location we now refer to as the “portal to hell inn” we investigated there twice our first visit was nothing demonic nothing of that nature we were there investigating based of the history of the area dating back into the 1800’s, we’d head reports of simple paranormal activity, uneasy feelings strange noises very basic stuff, our first visit here was pretty easy going i didn’t detect and kind of demonic presence we had some really incredible evidence truly but our second visit the second me and my team walked into that building you could feel how different how intense the energy was, it was overpowering it was incredibly draining just the energy alone had you in pain it was something else i’d never felt energy like that and to this point have never felt anything like it again,we initially conducted a seance to start off the night to try and enhance our communication and throughout that seance we felt dizzy my mind became foggy became cloudy i couldn’t think straight, but we identified that something had come through the portal we found to be in this location and based off everything we had felt we conceded immediately that whatever it was it wasn’t there upon our first visit to this location and that is once something that held an immense amount of power, we finished up our séance and brought out our usual equipment to attempt to collect evidence to back this up, from the voice we captured on our parabolic microphone a very deep grumbly just horrible voice telling me to “look, behind you” to the threats we received the figures on our SLS, we identified and confirmed this entity to be what i refer to as a “rogue demon” a demon that doesn’t obey that just goes about doing what it wants whenever it wants its not tied to the Goetia or any named demon it’s just rogue, the energy was the first telling factor when you feel an energy that just from the first second feels like it’s pushing you down it’s trying to destroy you, you know you’re dealing with something serious and then you just go about it collecting evidence attempting to open the curtain on what it is you’re dealing with, luckily this location isn’t occupied so we could really push this entity to the limit not something i would do often or recommend but in demonology you need to be fearless you need to be willing to take risks and fight back. We ended up smudging the whole building and conducting a ceremony to remove the demon from the building and have confirmed since that it has not returned. This is still one of my harder cases to date and definitely in my top 2 favourite places we have investigated, a very mentally, emotionally and physically demanding and draining night.
5. Techniques and tools – how do you prepare for and handle these cases?
I use a variety of methods and equipment everything is tailored to a specific location tailored to a specific case there really isn’t a one size fits all approach to this, first and for most is always safety for the team i have with me, as the lead investigator and primary demonologist it’s my responsibility to keep them safe and i take this very seriously. We use a variety of pre investigation rituals tailored to each member of the team and their beliefs usually asking for protection and guidance, we often carry spiritual items on us as well we do a lot and i mean a lot of cleansing not only to keep dangerous entities from attaching to us and causing grief but to clear our minds and keep us focused as well and for this we use a variety of items, incense, sage, we have sprays that are mixes of different herbs and oils and we haven’t had an issue yet which is very positive. Equipment again is very tailored in what we use generally we get a feel for what’s happening around us for example some places we get not very much activity going on but a lot of vocal evidence so we will lean more into communication as opposed to things like the SLS or thermal, but we use everything we have SLS, digital recorders for EVP evidence, Spiritbox, thermal, we take photo evidence, EMF, temperature readings, full spectrum cameras mixed with UV lighting, parabolic microphone which an incredibly niche one we don’t use very often, motion sensors a music box we have everything it’s just very tailored again to the environment we are in but the digital recorders and emf are used nearly every single time. In terms of the team the roles are pretty fluid, with me being the lead investigator the rest of the team sort of changes up depending on the night and what we are dealing with and a lot of the team are still learning are still finding their footing but everyone plays their part and everyone does an amazing job I couldn’t be prouder of the people i have around me and how far they’ve all come.
When things go off script dealing with the demonic and all things negative when do things ever go on script hahahaha, I’d say it’s just about being calm we try very hard to keep ourselves grounded as much as possible and just work through whatever we are dealing with, it’s too easy to get frustrated and flustered and it’s happened before but we just take a break often leave the building for 5–10 minutes reset come up with a plan based off what’s happened what we are feeling what we are seeing and go back in guns blazing ready to go.
6. Interpretation & evidence – how do you tell what’s demonic and what isn’t?
Distinguishing what’s demonic and what isn’t is the hardest part because as i said demons don’t want to be found generally speaking they want to hide they want to fool you they do not want you knowing 100% that there is a demon present so it is tricky and it can be hard to explain it because a lot of it is based off the feeling the energy in the building and we have a very debunk first mindset so it’s a process. You need to keep an open mind and the main thing is having multiple different evidence types that all connect that can back each other up, we try to focus on evidence types for this that can’t be explained in any other way EVP evidence being our favourite mainly because if you aren’t talking an no one else was talking but you hear a the deepest most grumbly horrible voice on a recording then how do you explain that? EVP for me is always a great go to and it’s also one of the easiest to try to get so its a win win. We always do a heavy debunk when we hear movement or anything like that, first off is was anyone moving is there anyone else or any animals in the building we aren’t aware of, we will put lights on the area we heard it check all the spaces around the area often put our thermal into the area to check if there is anyone of anything we missed and even then it can be hard to fully 100% determine you have to use your best judgement at all times and not jump to conclusions because it’s our job to say hey maybe that wasn’t demonic or even sometimes paranormal at all.
Treating things as serious versus normal I will generally treat everything as serious until I have a reason not to, the last thing you want is to walk in thinking it’s nothing and then 5 minutes in you have a big scratch on your arm and everything is flipped upside down now. Always treat it seriously and with professionalism until you have a reason not to is my rule.
7. Tips for fellow investigators & aspiring demonologists
Top tips for aspiring demonologists and investigators so i’d say number 1. Keep an open mind, keep an open mind when it comes to this type of work and i can’t stress that enough. keep an open mind take a debunk first attitude and approach it will make the evidence you collect and the investigations you undertake so much more rewarding if you know the evidence you have collected is genuine, never judge a book by it’s cover, not everything out there is all dark and scary haha not everything is evil and dangerous, do your research take in all that knowledge learn about cleansing as a basic for safety learn about the basics and keep an open mind.
Number 2. Start out simple, don’t rush out to buy all the fanciest equipment and the craziest stuff because a lot of it is very expensive, tricky to use and very niche. A simple emf reader a digital recorder of some kind and something for motion can be the light up cat balls can be motion sensing lights anything like that is a perfect starter kit for investigating and you can build from there. Take it slow and learn the ropes before diving into the more complicated forms of equipment but get out there and have fun it’s an amazing field to be in so enjoy it.
Number 3. For those wanting to get into the demonology side of things research is your best friend, research individual demons is very important, all demons are unique they all have their own personality and characteristics and most importantly not all of them are evil, read about cases learn about different techniques and methods come up with your own methods and techniques, we all love to be out in the field investigating but research especially when it comes to demonology is incredibly important the more you learn and understand about the demons about the techniques we can use, the better and more effective you will be when out in the field, and also always be cautious and always learn from yourself and others we all have similar goals as demonologists so be open to help and assistance from others.
8. Ethics, boundaries & self-care
Having boundaries when it comes to the demonic is difficult because often times they simply don’t care about you or your feelings, we’ve had instances of this happening on investigations before and my approach is to retake that dominant position i am in charge and you will not disrespect me or my team, often times ill send my team out of the building and leave myself alone while i do this because i do not tolerate my team being hurt or manipulated in any way. I don’t normally recommend it but sometimes you need to assert dominance you need to show you aren’t afraid that they don’t scare you and that you’re stronger than them, with demons and entities this can be very hit and miss, with regular spirits who maybe aren’t the nicest showing no fear and showing who’s in charge can be a good way to set those limits set those boundaries but for demons and entities i wouldn’t recommend this unless you are quite experienced and even then it’s a risky game you have to be willing to play. Having down time is extremely important having things you do and enjoy outside of the paranormal with rally help you mentally, myself personally I’m in and around the paranormal almost daily but you need to have the separation otherwise it’s too easy to get lost too easy to lose track of reality, take some time for you away from spirits away from demons and entities and ghosts have things you enjoy outside of it, even the biggest investigators in the world have things they do outside of their work, and don’t be ashamed to take time away from it a month 2 months more without doing anything paranormal related this can be a very taxing line of work so take care of yourself first and foremost.
9. Future goals & projects
My next goals my next aims are pretty much to continue doing what I’m doing, continue to try to help people dealing with paranormal related problems continue to share information and educate people on the demons and the demonic, share that positive information and have some fun investigating some insane locations with my team at the same time. There’s many locations i would love to investigate, The Aradale Asylum J Ward here in Australia is top of my list as well as the Sallie house in the US and the Ancient Ram Inn in the UK my bucket list is long haha. At this stage Im still working through researching notig and attempting to learn about each of the 72 Goetia demons as well as mixing in the research for locations we are investigating in the future as well but demonic studies never stops there is always more to learn and my goal is to attempt understand demons the best and be on the forefront of understand the demonic.
10. Connect with Lachlan – and final message for Mystic Realm readers
For anyone who wants to watch our videos and follow along with our investigations or reach out with questions, if you are in Australia and need our help with a case or even for just a chat we have a few ways you can follow us and contact us, we always love hearing from people and helping in anyway we can
youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@ParkinsonParanormal
Instagram – Lachlan_Parkinson
email – parkinsonparanormal@gmail.com
Demonology is a complex and difficult field it takes patience and persistence, not everything and everyone is evil and dangerous not everything is demonic or a demon and it’s our job to make the distinction and share the most legitimate and correct information and evidence that we can!
Closing Thoughts
Lachlan’s approach to demonology is a mix of realism, risk, and responsibility. He doesn’t romanticise the work or pretend it’s all dramatic encounters and jump-scares. Instead, he talks openly about the complexity, the mental and emotional toll, and the importance of research, boundaries, and genuine evidence.
In a niche where “everything is a demon” gets thrown around far too easily, his focus on debunk-first thinking, multiple corroborating evidence types, and serious treatment of every case until proven otherwise is refreshing, and necessary.
It’s a privilege to feature his voice and experience on Mystic Realm Blog and I was really excited to go through this topic with him.
If you choose to step into this side of the paranormal world, take Lachlan’s words seriously: keep an open mind, do the work, respect the entities you encounter — and always, always look after yourself first.
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