Did you know that over 30% of tourists visiting New Orleans annually are hoping for some sort of paranormal experience? Those are the statistics quoted by the spook scholars of the New Orleans Paraplex - a 14,000-square-foot, “actively haunted” Mid-City mansion that will serve as a round-the-clock paranormal observatory, laboratory and museum when it opens for business in early 2009, according to its website.

In the meantime, the Paraplex is offering a sneak peek at future services, based out of their French Quarter annex at 718 Orleans St., which opened this month. Offerings include abbreviated exhibits which will be expanded once the flagship space opens, plust a host of tours: including a vampire tour created by Anne Rice, an interactive parapsychology tour that lets amateur ghostologists work with real haunt-hunting field equipment, and a nighttime UFO and ghost-hunters’ swamp expedition.

Just in time for Halloween, the Paraplex is also offering a round of Psychic Boot Camp, an intensive daily training session for those seeking to develop their psychic abilities. The camp is conducted by “well-qualified, professional clairvoyants who excel in a minimum of at least three well-defined psychic abilities.” Careful, though - read the fine print in the press release. “The Paraplex instructor reserves the right to refuse admission for participation in a PSYCHIC BOOT CAMP based upon initial clairvoyant
impressions.”