March 2008 Issue
In the Spirit
Except for the brown eyes, Mary Ann Winkowski looks nothing like Hollywood actress Jennifer Love Hewitt. But that doesn’t stop the occasional case of mistaken identity that the North Royalton resident encounters during her paranormal investigations.
For more than 50 years, Winkowski has used her ghost-busting talent to, as she says, help spirits find their way to the Other Side. Four years ago, that ability caught the attention of CBS programmers who created the hit show “Ghost Whisperer,” starring Hewitt, to showcase Winkowski’s technique.
Therein can lie the confusion. Case in point: The husband who made sure he was home in time to watch Winkowski at work after his wife sought her help with a wayward specter.
“He came into his kitchen, stood and stared,” she remembers. “I said, ‘You have got to be kidding me. You expected Jennifer Love Hewitt to be standing here?’ He turned bright red. His wife simply looked at him and said, ‘You idiot.’”
Winkowski, 60, isn’t fazed by all the attention “Ghost Whisperer” has garnered, since word of her skills had spread long before her experiences became scripts for prime time. The most memorable are described in her new book, When Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits, (Grand Central Publishing).
Winkowski explains that her initial journey into an unconventional vocation began at age 2 1/2, when her grandmother discovered the youngster’s knack for seeing entities who hadn’t “crossed over,” perhaps because of unfinished business or a reluctance to leave grieving relatives. Since then, Winkowski has been heralded as an expert in her field, besieged by people around the globe who seek her help with the paranormal.
“Ghosts gather anywhere they can find sources of physical and emotional energy,” she notes. “That’s why a graveyard is the last place you’ll find them.”
Winkowski admits to being a bit vexed by the “Hollywoodized” story lines “Ghost Whisperer” sometimes presents, but, she adds, “the show delivers a good message. One of hope and that it’s never too late to resolve conflicts.”
Except for the brown eyes, Mary Ann Winkowski looks nothing like Hollywood actress Jennifer Love Hewitt. But that doesn’t stop the occasional case of mistaken identity that the North Royalton resident encounters during her paranormal investigations.
For more than 50 years, Winkowski has used her ghost-busting talent to, as she says, help spirits find their way to the Other Side. Four years ago, that ability caught the attention of CBS programmers who created the hit show “Ghost Whisperer,” starring Hewitt, to showcase Winkowski’s technique.
Therein can lie the confusion. Case in point: The husband who made sure he was home in time to watch Winkowski at work after his wife sought her help with a wayward specter.
“He came into his kitchen, stood and stared,” she remembers. “I said, ‘You have got to be kidding me. You expected Jennifer Love Hewitt to be standing here?’ He turned bright red. His wife simply looked at him and said, ‘You idiot.’”
Winkowski, 60, isn’t fazed by all the attention “Ghost Whisperer” has garnered, since word of her skills had spread long before her experiences became scripts for prime time. The most memorable are described in her new book, When Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits, (Grand Central Publishing).
Winkowski explains that her initial journey into an unconventional vocation began at age 2 1/2, when her grandmother discovered the youngster’s knack for seeing entities who hadn’t “crossed over,” perhaps because of unfinished business or a reluctance to leave grieving relatives. Since then, Winkowski has been heralded as an expert in her field, besieged by people around the globe who seek her help with the paranormal.
“Ghosts gather anywhere they can find sources of physical and emotional energy,” she notes. “That’s why a graveyard is the last place you’ll find them.”
Winkowski admits to being a bit vexed by the “Hollywoodized” story lines “Ghost Whisperer” sometimes presents, but, she adds, “the show delivers a good message. One of hope and that it’s never too late to resolve conflicts.”
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