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Fall Brings a New Crop of Paranormal TV Shows – Paranormal Witness: A Review
I am frequently asked about which paranormal TV shows appeal to me. My answer is a simple one: The live action shows such as Ghosthunters, Ghost Lab or Ghost Adventures. Why? Because I love science. Science is democratic and can be pursued and appreciated by all who are interested. You don’t have to be a scientist to examine the unexplained, but an understanding of the principles involved is necessary. The hardware and tools used by paranormal investigators would be useless if there were no understanding of how these devices work or even which device to use as opposed to another. Does the use of scientific tools make the idea of ghosts more credible? Not necessarily. Anything in the hands of fallible humans can be imperfect and inexact, but analysis and investigation are still very effective scientific ways of examining what is not understood. Using scientific principles, the above shows seek to disprove as well as to prove, which I appreciate.
Paranormal Witness is a new paranormal television show which debuted on the SYFY channel. Interviews and reenactments are used to describe phenomena experienced by ordinary people. In doing so, the distinction between real and unreal becomes clearer. The fantastic tales told in vivid, hysterical, tearful, detail irk and bore the skeptic in me. There always seems to be this pervasive assumption that whatever entity is plaguing these wretched storytellers is evil. I do not doubt the existence of evil in the world, but not every lingering spirit is evil.
Paranormal Witness is banking on the fact that humans like to be scared. That’s all.
The hormonal reaction humans get from responding to a threat or crisis is what makes people enjoy being scared. This is linked to our evolution and the “fight or flight” response that ensured our survival. At the moment we are threatened, adrenalin kicks in and we have increased strength, power, heightened senses and intuition. People who create horror movies and Halloween haunted houses and the like depend upon connecting with us and this compelling response.
A few months ago, I was in Gettysburg on a ghost tour at the Jenny Wade house. 21 year-old Jenny Wade was felled by a stray bullet in her own home and was the only recorded civilian to die in the battle of Gettysburg. At one point in the tour, the guide was about to turn out that light in the cellar area to illustrate how dark it was there. A young kid of about 11 or 12 began to shriek wildly, “No, no! Don’t turn out the lights!” I put my arm around him and said, “Ghosts are just people”. With that, he calmed down and giggled sheepishly and out went the lights. My point? You can be petrified if you want to be. That feeling is as ancient as mankind and we emerge as conquerors after the terror is over.
If you are looking for a paranormal show to help you arrive at your own conclusions about the existence of spirits or not, don’t waste your time with Paranormal Witness. On the other hand, if you like being terrified by silly, campy, horror stories, you just may enjoy Paranormal Witness.
Read more from Paranormal Old Pueblo on http://www.paranromaloldpueblo.com and at http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/paranormal.
2012-10-06 07:20:30
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