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Paranormal Reality TV enchants many, but RICK HALE sees it as just an illusion, lacking ethical paranormal investigation.
What’s wrong with paranormal reality TV?
“Reality is the only word in the English language that must always be used in quotation marks.” – Anonymously
The great 20th century pop artist Andy Warhol once said, “Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” This quote has always fascinated me, especially because it was so prophetic of the times we live in.
People longing for the promised 15 minutes are everywhere these days. There are tens of thousands of videos on YouTube that demonstrate this desire.
You can spend countless surfing videos showing kids setting their genitals on fire or exploring abandoned buildings.
You have television shows like The Voice, where millions of young vocalists hope to make it on the show with their vocal acumen.
Or my favorite, America’s Got Talent, with its high attendance at freak shows. Believe it or not, I actually watch this show because it’s so damn fun.
You have shows where extremely attractive people compete for love and stab each other in the back for no other reason than one-upmanship, and I quote, “I’ll do whatever it takes to have him.” And I’ll beat all those bitches that stand in my way.
This quote was said so eloquently by one of the charming young ladies on The Bachelor.
Yes, reality TV is everywhere and everyone wants a piece of the action. It is the new dream to make it big, regardless of whether you have real talent.
Which brings us to paranormal reality TV. Commenting on paranormal shows often gets my big fat mouth in trouble.
So not to annoy a lot of people, this won’t be a slash and burn, because despite my objections to a few shows, I do like some of them.
They can be very informative and entertaining at times. But sometimes things get a little too weird, and you’re left questioning the reality of it all.
Before the “Great Paranormal Boom,” as I like to call it, TV shows with a paranormal theme were few and far between.
In the 1970s, Leonard ‘Mr Spock’ Nimoy made waves on national television as the presenter of ‘In Search Of…’.
Robert Stack brought us stories of everything from mysterious deaths to ghostly hauntings on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’.
And ‘Observations’ had virtually put the 1990s on hold. Very few paranormal investigators found these programs objectionable because they reported paranormal phenomena from a documentary point of view.
A new kind of paranormal TV show is emerging
But then something happened in 2004. A new kind of television program was introduced that would change the paranormal forever. Ghost hunting shows.
In October 2004, the SyFy channel aired the very first episode of ‘Ghosthunters’. I’ll be completely honest; I liked it. Really and truly.
I remember thinking, wow, finally a TV show that shows the world that you don’t need a PhD to investigate parapsychological phenomena. Needless to say, the show started quite a pop culture phenomenon.
Other shows documenting paranormal investigators at work appeared virtually overnight.
‘Most Haunted’, ‘Paranormal State’ and ‘Ghost Adventures’, to name a few, were immediate successes because they tapped into the viewer’s sense of adventure as well as the fear of the unknown.
The great thing about these shows was that they introduced the world to the possibility of intelligence surviving the death of the body. In other words: ghosts.
Many old schoolers felt that the shows lacked substance and often exploited a very sensitive subject.
Not to mention, some of us disagreed with the methodology. Others cited a rejection of true spirituality. So let’s look at these concerns.
The methodology of paranormal reality TV
One of the things that really tested the nerves of old schoolers was the whole ghost baiting thing.
The idea behind this was to use harsh, demanding language to provoke a response from whatever spiritual being supposedly inhabited a location.
Many considered this unprofessional behavior. Yours is truly included. Fortunately, this method is rarely used anymore. Because you should treat others as you want them to treat you.
The investigation is sloppy
What bothers me about some of these shows is the lack of research.
A few stars of these shows are quick to label an unpleasant ghost as demonic or a human ghost that has somehow become a demon.
I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it a thousand times again. Inhuman spirits are extremely rare.
And human minds cannot become inhuman entities. Inhuman or demonic entities are spirits that have never been human. Human spirits may have demonic qualities, but they cannot change their orientation.
This is a near endless battle and one I rarely face these days.
The shows lack spirituality
Those who hold this view believe that the shows are too dependent on equipment and often exploit spiritual beings. I strongly disagree with the first and completely agree with the second.
Modern ghost hunters are not the first to use scientific equipment in the field. The controversial 20th century ghost hunter Harry Price was the first to use cameras, thermometers, etc. This is the part about experimenting and moving the field forward.
The second point I agree with is exploitation. The producers of these shows care about two things: money and ratings.
The ghost hunters in the shows really aren’t exploitative. The people who are concerned about the end result are.
Although I would suggest that some of the stars of these shows stand up and say no.
Accusations of cheating
Let’s face it, this is TV we’re talking about, and through the magic of television you can impersonate a ghost.
This is not an accusation to be made lightly. People’s reputations are at stake here. I’m not going to say it doesn’t happen. But I’m also not willing to shout curse words too quickly.
I’ve been accused of being on the shows in the past, but there’s nothing you can do about that when it comes to the truth.
So, how do we fix them? You can ask. It’s actually very simple: liability.
Hold Paranormal Reality TV producers accountable for their shenanigans. And also hold some stars accountable.
They need to understand how bad it makes us all look to the public.
If they falsify evidence, this entire field of research will be called into question and all our reputations will be at stake.
However, some of us are trying to solve this problem. My colleague and cohost of The Shadow Initiative Paranormal TV, Stephen Lancaster, created a show.
No producers, no ads, no fake evidence. Just two real investigators who didn’t answer a casting call looking into claims of paranormal activity
I can really give you details at that point as we have both been scammed and plagiarized in the past.
If you’d like to donate to help get this new breed of paranormal TV show off the ground, please visit crowdfundr.com/shadowinitiative
I look forward to telling you more in the coming months!
Tell us your thoughts on Paranormal Reality TV in the comments below!
