American Apparitions

Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Dr. Pasulka’s research focuses on religion, technology, and emerging religious movements, as well as the lost tradition of the “spiritual senses.”  She has authored a series of acclaimed books and has appeared on major platforms including The Joe Rogan Experience, Lex Fridman, Mysterious Universe, and The New York Times. She served as consulting producer on the Emmy-nominated Amblin Netflix docuseries Encounters and as a consultant on the first film in The Conjuring franchise. Her work and insights also appear in the J.J. Abrams–produced docuseries UFO. In addition to her university teaching, she leads public courses based on her research, consults for media projects, and delivers lectures and presentations to broad audiences.

Christopher J. Moreland is an instructor (since 2016) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he received his BA (History/Religion) in 2006 and MA (History) in 2010. He pursued doctoral studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. He worked for the Catholic Diocese of Oakland for four years as Program Coordinator/Acting Dean for School of Pastoral Ministry while concurrently working at the Center for Jewish Studies as an office manager. He also contracted with the Episcopalian Church Divinity School of the Pacific, the interfaith Pacific School of Religion, the Center for Dharma Studies and the Patriarch Athenagoras Eastern Orthodox Institute. 

Since returning to his alma mater, Christopher has been dedicated to teaching students. His collaboration with Dr. Pasulka dates back two decades. After studying with her in his BA program, he began collaborating with her on projects including research grants, published works, and the 2013 film The Conjuring.