He looks like a man, talks like a human and wildly gesticulates like a person with passion.

This passion, however, lies with the paranormal – crop ­circles, Ouija boards, yowie ­spottings ... the lot.

“The paranormal asks all the big questions, like what happens when we die, what else is out there, where do we come from, it’s not just about chasing a hairy man in the bush,” he said.

Mr Cayas is the man behind Paracon Australia – Australia’s only paranormal conference.

This year the event – to be held on May 10 and 11 – will be held at Maitland Gaol.

“The location is very important because it’s part of the story,” Mr Cayas said.

“Australia loves a good ghost story and we have lots of history and I wanted to pick something quite iconic.”

The conference will feature lectures, panels and workshops on a range of topics from Yowies and time travel through to the global crop circle phenomenon, Ouija through the ages and UFOs.

The international line-up includes speakers from the United Kingdom, America and New Zealand.

“I have met lots of people who say they don’t believe in ghosts, but they’ll proceed to tell me about the ghost they have in their house,” Mr Cayas said.

“I think we all have something weird that’s happened to us.

“The paranormal is definitely a niche for those who research it and really follow it, but I also think it’s for a broader audience and we can all share in that in some way.”