Q&A WITH SUSAN SPUHLER: WestfordCAT’s ‘Out of This World’ Named ‘Best Paranormal Show’

Westford resident Susan Spuhler was awarded a Lunavision award this month from Springfield Public Access Television in Vermont for her show “Out of This World.” The award was for “Best Paranormal Show,” which Spuhler produced here at WestfordCAT and co-hosted with Willy Miranda. The duo created 12 episodes last year. You can watch the series episodes from WestfordCAT’s Video on Demand library.

Spuhler is an industrial engineer specializing in optics and lasers. She holds a master’s degree from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She is also the organizer of the Annual Greater New England UFO conference held in Leominster each fall. Below is an interview with Spuhler

Who wrote and sings the opening song? 

ROCKIN’ ED THOMAS OF WESTFORD WROTE AND SANG THE THEME SONG; HE WAS INSPIRED DUE TO HIS OWN INTEREST IN THE TOPIC OF UFOS AND THE PARANORMAL.  HE ALWAYS HELPS WITH OUR UFO CONFERENCES.

What is the purpose of your show? 

THE PURPOSE IS TO INTERVIEW CUTTING EDGE UFO AND PARANORMAL RESEARCHERS, MOST OF WHOM HAVE BEEN PAST SPEAKERS AT OUR CONFERENCE OR WILL BE FUTURE PRESENTERS.  THEY COVER A WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS FROM CONSPIRACY THEORIES, ABDUCTIONS, THE ALIEN PHENOMENON THROUGH HISTORY AS WELL AS BIGFOOT, CRYPTOZOOLOGY, AND MEN/WOMEN IN BLACK.  WE ARE HERE TO EDUCATE AND ENLIGHTEN THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THESE PHENOMENA.

Do you believe aliens have visited earth?

I BELIEVE SOME ALTERNATE FORM OF INTELLIGENCE HAS VISITED EARTH.  WE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE THE ONLY FORM OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE.

Who are some of the well known people in this field that you have interviewed on your show?  RICHARD DOLAN, PETER ROBBINS, MARC D’ANTONIO, PAUL ENO, BILL HALL, MUFON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JAN HARZAN, AND LOCAL BIGFOOT RESEARCHERS RONNY LEBLANC AND BILLY PENNING WHO ARE ALSO FROM OUR HOMETOWN OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.  FUTURE INTERVIEWEES INCLUDE STANTON FRIEDMAN, NICK REDFERN AND DAVID PAULIDES. NICK WAS OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER LAST MONTH AND DAVID PAULIDES WILL BE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER NEXT OCTOBER.

What does this award mean to you? 

WE’RE HONORED AND FLATTERED BY THIS RECOGNITION.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Why do you do the show?

TO EDUCATE AND INFORM PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE LATEST RESEARCH THAT IS GOING ON IN THE UFO/PARANORMAL ARENAS.

How much preparation time does the show take you?

AS  PEOPLE WITH EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, WE CAN SET UP THREE OR FOUR INTERVIEWS THAT CAN BE RECORDED IN ONE DAY.  OUR SHOW HAS 12 EPISODES THAT WERE PUT TOGETHER IN A TWO-MONTH SPAN OF TIME FROM CONCEPTION TO FINAL EDIT WITH THE HELP OF NICK WOODBURY AND GEORGE COX.

Have you seen a UFO? 

I HAVE NOT, BUT MY MOTHER DID WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH ME IN 1963.  IT WAS OVER OUR HOUSE. SHE WENT OUTSIDE AND IT WENT OVER THE CHURCH NEXT DOOR TO OUR HOME THEN ZIPPED OVER THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET, REPEATED THIS MANEUVER AND TOOK OFF.  MANY PEOPLE SAW THIS AND REPORTED IT TO THE POLICE.  MY MOTHER DESCRIBED IT AS A CIGAR SHAPED CRAFT WITH WINDOWS THAT WERE LIT UP AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BUS.  MY MOTHER ALWAYS HAS SPOKEN OF THIS SIGHTING WITH CONVICTION AND WITH NO DOUBT IN HER MIND AS TO WHAT SHE SAW.  SHE FIRST TOLD ME THIS STORY WHEN I WAS ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD AND ALWAYS ENCOURAGED ME TO WATCH SHOWS LIKE ‘IN SEARCH OF’ STARRING LEONARD NIMOY. SHE WOULD BUY ME BOOKS THAT COVERED INTERESTING PHENOMENON LIKE ‘STRANGE STORIES, AMAZING FACTS.’  LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS IS A HOTBED OF UFO AND PARANORMAL ACTIVITY FROM UFO SIGHTINGS, BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS THAT INCLUDE EMPIRICAL DATA TO HAUNTINGS.  RAY FOWLER’S ANDREASSON AFFAIR FIRST STARTED ON HOWARD STREET IN LEOMINSTER.  WILLY’S MOTHER AND BROTHER HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE SEEING A UFO OVER LEOMINSTER CITY HALL WHERE OUR CONFERENCE IS HELD.  CITY HALL IS LOCATED AT 25 WEST STREET AND MY CHILDHOOD HOME IS AT 64 WEST STREET IN LEOMINSTER, A STONE’S THROW AWAY.

Why do you think you won this award?

I FEEL WE WON THIS AWARD DUE TO THE ECLECTIC NATURE OF THE SHOW AND THE INTERESTING TOPICS WE COVERED.  WILLY AND I DID OUR RESEARCH ON THOSE WE INTERVIEWED AND FOUND THEM TO BE CREDIBLE AND PROFESSIONAL.  OUR APPROACH TO THE INTERVIEWS IS OPEN MINDED AND WE PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE SETTING FOR THE RESEARCHERS TO SHARE THEIR FINDINGS AND THEORIES.