This topic has been a wildfire of conversation in the paranormal world.  With so many paranormal TV shows cropping up you begin to wonder can they all find ghosts all the time?  Is there that much paranormal activity going on around us and we never knew it until Ghost Hunters premiered on TV?  During the first few seasons of Ghost Hunters they rarely found evidence of a haunting.  Now they discover spirits lurking in every corner of the globe.
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I want to have faith it's not all a hoax but my paranormal group recently investigated Ashmore Estates, as seen on Ghost Adventures, and spoke with the owner.  He gave us the scoop on the Ghost Adventures Crew's episode.  Zak, you broke my heart!  I could detail everything he told us about things that were exaggerated or manipulated but I won't.  I prefer to watch these TV shows with rose-colored glasses.     

These are the guys that gave me the inspiration to investigate paranormal sites and divulge further into the unknown without feeling like I was the only person in the world who liked this stuff.  They may or may not be intentionally deceiving us but I don't care.  It's a TV show that has brought awareness to the paranormal field.  Before the flood of ghost shows you couldn't talk about anything paranormal around the water cooler without people looking at you like you're crazy.  This still happens but I think we are less inclined to keep the strange and unusual to ourselves, giving up living the double life.

I know this first hand because I have come out of my paranormal shell and told a few people what I do for a full-time hobby.  Nobody had a clue before I broke the news.  I also know that it can backfire on you.  After following a lead on research I was doing for an investigation, I ended up at a fire station after business hours.  The firemen welcomed me inside.  I asked them about any house fires in the area and they talked freely about their occupation.  They asked me why I wanted to know.  I told them the truth, that I was investigating a haunting at a residence in town.  Then I made sure I got in my question about whether or not they thought the firehouse was haunted, a rumor I heard while doing research, because I knew the end of my welcomed questions was near.  They answered with a resounding no it's not haunted, looked at me like I had escaped from a mental institution, and showed me the door.  It doesn't always work out but the stigma attached to ghost hunting is slowly dissipating.

I'm sick of everyone scrutinizing these shows for evidence it's all a scam.  Would you enjoy watching if you knew it was all set up?  Stop looking folks and take it for what it is, a TV show. 

To be clear, I don't think Ghost Adventures is "set up".  I do think they manipulate things so the audience perceives it as paranormal.  Such as Zak will say, "Did you hear that noise?"  Not, "Did you hear that noise.  It's the spirit of Elvis."  They let the viewers form their own opinion.  I think they intentionally leave out information, again making things appear paranormal.  They also overreact to different events going on but it wouldn't be an entertaining show if they didn't.

I want to believe.  I don't care if it's real or fake.  If these shows can provide awareness for our ghostly passion and give us the inspiration to invent better equipment for investigating then I'm all for it. 

Zak, I forgive you.

 


Comments

Gary
04/17/2012 22:27

I have noticed this season particularly that Zak will say, I'm not saying this is paranormal "I'm saying it's unexplained." someone must have said something or they got caught on some level. Interesting.

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Cyndi, Hunters of the Unknown
04/18/2012 09:19

I've noticed this too, Gary. There has been so much controversy whether or not these shows are faked, I'm sure that's why they made the change.

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04/18/2012 10:24

Here in the UK, we had a series called 'Most Haunted' which starred a presenter called Yvette Fielding. She tried to give the most convincing show, but failed abysmally. I think she actually did the paranormal world's 'Street Cred' more damage than good, but I love all the paranormal shows, and sit glued for hours. Whether real or fake, they entertain me more than any other TV show out there :-)

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04/18/2012 13:51

Ive noticed Zak saying that alot also. There may be things that could be taken for being faked but everyone needs to think about what can be taken as definitive evidence. For example, using a k2 or EMF where there is absolutely no power and investigating for hours with no hits at all then suddenly have an unusual spike that lingers for a few seconds and jets away. It happened to my group the other night. We searched all around us once it suddenly disappeared and we were unable to find it again. I take that as proof.

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