GaryJJSpate: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=Ciarán O'Keeffe |born=21 March 1971, Norwich, Norfolk |occupation=Psychologist, parapsychologist, academic |known_for=Most Haunted, Buckinghamshire New University |status=Living }} '''Ciarán James O'Keeffe''' (born 21 March 1971) is a British psychologist specialising in parapsychology and forensic psychology, best known for his role as the resident sceptical investigator on ''Most Haunted''. == Early life == O'Keeffe was born in..."

2026-07-22T00:48:40Z

Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=Ciarán O'Keeffe |born=21 March 1971, Norwich, Norfolk |occupation=Psychologist, parapsychologist, academic |known_for=Most Haunted, Buckinghamshire New University |status=Living }} '''Ciarán James O'Keeffe''' (born 21 March 1971) is a British psychologist specialising in parapsychology and forensic psychology, best known for his role as the resident sceptical investigator on ''Most Haunted''. == Early life == O'Keeffe was born in..."

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{{PersonInfobox
|name=Ciarán O'Keeffe
|born=21 March 1971, Norwich, Norfolk
|occupation=Psychologist, [[parapsychologist]], academic
|known_for=[[Most Haunted]], Buckinghamshire New University
|status=Living
}}

'''Ciarán James O'Keeffe''' (born 21 March 1971) is a British psychologist specialising in [[parapsychology]] and forensic psychology, best known for his role as the resident sceptical investigator on ''[[Most Haunted]]''.

== Early life ==
O'Keeffe was born in [[Norwich]] to a [[Switzerland|Swiss]] mother and an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] father, and grew up in [[Norfolk]], [[Somerset]], and [[High Wycombe]], [[Buckinghamshire]]. He has cited Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft among his favourite authors, and named the television series ''Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World'' and the ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' films as early influences on his interest in the paranormal.

== Academic career ==
O'Keeffe studied music and psychology at Washington College in Maryland, before completing a master's degree in investigative psychology at the University of Liverpool and a PhD in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, supervised by [[Richard Wiseman]] and Julia Buckroyd. He previously lectured in psychology at Liverpool Hope University, and is currently an associate professor at Buckinghamshire New University. He is a member of the Society for Psychical Research and an advisor to The Ghost Club.

== Most Haunted ==
O'Keeffe joined ''[[Most Haunted]]'' as its parapsychologist, replacing [[Phil Whyman]], and became known for providing a sceptical, evidence-based counterpoint to the show's on-camera investigations. In 2005, he devised a test in which he fed [[Derek Acorah]] fabricated background details about entirely fictitious spirit entities — "Kreed Kafer" and "Rik Eedles," anagrams of "Derek Faker" and "Derek Lies" — before an investigation. Acorah went on to describe contact with them on camera as though they were real, and O'Keeffe's exposure of the test became one of the best-known moments in British paranormal television.

O'Keeffe later said he had been misquoted in press coverage of the incident, clarifying that his test had been aimed specifically at Acorah rather than at the programme or its wider team.

== Research ==
Outside television, O'Keeffe has been involved in academic investigations seeking natural explanations for reported hauntings, including studies into the physiological effects of low-frequency infrasound and a multi-researcher investigation of Hampton Court Palace. He co-authored the 2003 paper "An investigation into alleged 'hauntings'" in the ''British Journal of Psychology'' alongside Richard Wiseman and others, and has published further research on the environmental correlates of [[poltergeist]] and haunting experiences. He also co-authored the book ''[[Ghost Hunters: A Guide to Investigating the Paranormal]]'' with [[Yvette Fielding]].

== See also ==
* [[Most Haunted]]
* [[Derek Acorah]]
* [[Yvette Fielding]]

[[Category:Researchers]]

Ciarán O'Keeffe - Revision history