I’ve written in the past about the harms that reality TV does to the advancement in paranormal research in the article entitled “The Media and the Paranormal”.

It’s become more apparent in the months since I wrote that article that this is a very serious matter.

With major shows being caught faking their evidence like Sci-fi channel’s “Ghost Hunters” and A&E’s “Paranormal State” in order to boost their show’s ratings, it becomes apparent the path that paranormal/parapsychology research is heading to.

Most people you talk to will simply dismiss ghosts and just say it’s nonsense (if you’re lucky), the rest of them will laugh at you and ask something like: “You really believe in that stuff? grow up!”

We really cannot blame them when the only exposure to the paranormal comes from these shows. Shows that grow so big and have an audience watching and waiting like ‘Pavlov’s dog’ for that “evidence” to show up on the screen. Forcing the show’s producers to have the show fake evidence in order to keep the dogs salivating.

Credibility is lost, possible funds for research is diminished and ridicule is unavoidable. Only if these paranormal-dismissing philistines would realize that research is needed to prove or disprove ghosts and/or to find explanations for the unexplained evidence, then would we have more funds available for proper scientific evaluation.

What do the majority of today’s television audience want? Shows that fake evidence and introduce ridiculous theories; like “Most Haunted live” and their haunted Egypt episode:

Not only have I lost what respect I had for the Travel Channel because they allowed to air something like this, but I find this extremely insulting. First, I have family that is from Egypt, and having the “Most Haunted” guys go in to the pyramids and temples to run about and spook each other and pretend to “read” the past events of a temple, is just a slap to the face to all of Egypt and it’s culture. Second, as a student of History, I’ve traveled to Egypt and have seen the land and it’s people first hand.  I know what was portrayed in the episode is disheartening to most Egyptians.  Not only that, as someone who studies History, I find it extremely disrespectful to embellish past events and to go to a sacred place like this and pretend to talk to it’s ancient rulers. The host of the show did just that…

It’s apparent that there is some demand for this type of shows. In Mexico, a popular paranormal research group called “Agentes de negro” (men in black) have gone to extreme lengths to fake their evidence and get air-time. These guys have formed a group called CENTRO NACIONAL DE PARACIENCIAS (national center of parasciences). A legit sounding name. They even have made a legit looking logo. It is meaningless much like their purpose:

Watch the video of supposed “Ectoplasmic evidence” of a ghost strolling through a neighborhood in Mexico. This actually made national coverage in the Mexican news. As you can see, around the 1:30 mark, you notice that the “ghost” accelerates in a yanking motion as if being guided down a cable. When it almost exits the frame, it casts a heavy shadow on the ground.

Such a blatant disregard to their audience’s intellect.

So as the shows step up their trickery, we must remain even more skeptical of all evidence that comes out of these shows.

Why do most people think that the paranormal is a joke? or something to be taken lightly?

UPDATE:

Hahaha…..

This was too funny not to post here. Check out the link from our friend Atrueoriginall over at AlienCasebook: