Biography
Program Ideas
VideosHe is best known to the general public and the national and international media as a leading expert, speaker and writer on the Paranormal. He holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology (though he started out in Astrophysics!) from Northwestern University (1978), and an MS in Parapsychology from John F. Kennedy University (1981). He is Director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations, a Professor at Atlantic University (Virginia Beach, VA) and at JFK University (Pleasant Hill, CA), and creator and Instructor of the Certificate Program in Parapsychological Studies at HCH Institute, available both in California and for distance learning. He is the co-author, with psychic Annette Martin, of the new book The Ghost Detectives’ Guide to Haunted San Francisco (Craven Street Books, 2011).
He is on the Board of Directors of the Rhine Research Center and the Psychic Entertainers Association, the Advisory Board of the Windbridge Institute, and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Forever Family Foundation. He was a Consulting Editor and columnist for FATE magazine from 1991-2004 and is quite active in the parapsychological community.
Auerbach is the author of seven other books on the Paranormal, including A Paranormal Casebook: Ghost Hunting in the New Millennium (Atriad Press, 2005), Hauntings & Poltergeists: A Ghost Hunter’s Guide (Ronin Publishing, 2004) and Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal (Ronin, 2004). His first book, ESP, HAUNTINGS AND POLTERGEISTS: A Parapsychologist's Handbook (Warner Books, 1986) was named the "Sacred Text" on Ghosts by Newsweek in the mid 1990s.
He is a professional mentalist and psychic entertainer, performing as Professor Paranormal – a title that follows him into his more serious work. He has performed for large and small audiences for corporate, business and university audiences, as well as for private parties, weddings and other fun events. He is a past President of the Psychic Entertainers Association. His knowledge and experience of magic and mentalism, coupled with his background in Parapsychology and broad knowledge of other sciences has led to a number of researchers to consult with him, especially with regard to laboratory controls and where potential for psychic fraud has existed.
He has appeared in thousands of radio, podcast, and print interviews, and hundreds of national and local TV shows including The View, Ghost Adventures, Larry King Live, Oprah, Criss Angel: Mindfreak, Sightings, In Search Of, the Today Show, Unsolved Mysteries, and Late Night with David Letterman. He can be seen frequently on A&E, Bio, the History Channel, the Travel Channel, the Sci Fi Channel, the Discovery Channel, and TLC (as many of his cable appearances are in eternal reruns).You can read a number of his past articles for free, and find additional information about Parapsychology, the Office of Paranormal Investigations, and Professor Paranormal on his website at www.mindreader.com
But he’s more than a mere parapsychologist and psychic entertainer. In 2009, he completed a professional chocolatier course, and the first half of 2012 will (finally) see the launch of his book on chocolate, entitled Haunted By Chocolate: How to Go from Chocoholic to Chocolate Gourmet. As the Chocolate Maven, he has been conducting guided chocolate tasting presentations (edutainment at its best and most tasty!) since 2006, and producing his own fine chocolates since late 2010, many of which you can purchase at www.hauntedbychocolate.com -- and in late 2011, he began combining his psychic entertainment with chocolate with his own Cocoa Oracle Fortune Chocolates (in other words, he can do chocolate readings at events!).
But he's more than a chocolatier, parapsychologist and psychic entertainer...
Loyd Auerbach is a professional speaker with over 28 years experience in the corporate, legal and academic worlds. He was a product and sales presenter and consultant for LexisNexis, the online information company, from 1984 to 2006 and has served on faculty at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, CA, since 1983 as an adjunct professor. He has worked in law firms as well as in a government facility library.
At JFKU, he's taught a variety of subjects over the years to graduate students. Since 1989, he has taught a communications class which has focused on presentation skills, public speaking and media skills. He knows of what he speaks; his resume includes an impressive record of appearances on television talk, news, documentary and educational programs.
He has provided individual coaching and occasional seminars in presentation skills/public speaking and media skills for executives, sales people and authors for over 20 years.
At LexisNexis, he provided quality presentations, seminars and general instruction on the use of their online information services from basic to advanced levels. Auerbach has specialized in conducting area-of-law/practice presentations in large and medium sized law firms mainly in the Bay Area, with visits to firms in the Los Angeles area, as well as Denver, Seattle, Portland and Salt Lake City. While at LexisNexis, he was in constant demand as a speaker by contacts at Bay Area law firms.
He is a professional speaker on the college circuit and has lectured at both academic and non-academic conferences. Over the years, he’s presented to or conducted training sessions for tens of thousands of people around the country.
He is featured as an “expert” in Public Speaking for Dummies by Malcolm Kushner (IDG Books, 1999; John Wiley & Sons 2004), and was Technical Editor for the last two editions of that book.
In his role as a professional mentalist and psychic entertainer (and former magician), Loyd has worked his magic with a variety of corporate executives, teaching them how to incorporate relevant magical effects in their presentations.
He can be contacted via email at profparanormal@gmail.com or hauntedbychocolate@gmail.com or by phone at (925) 518-4071.
Visit his websites:
www.mindreader.com
www.hauntedbychocolate.com
