It's nearly impossible to turn on your TV these days without seeing what seems like a never-ending selection of paranormal shows. This trend started back in 2004 when Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, two friends working for Roto-Rooter, brought The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) to Syfy. Although the first season only consisted of ten episodes, the show became a hit and is currently in the midst of it's ninth season. Inspired by the success of Ghost Hunters, there were soon other shows on the airwaves including: Paranormal State, Paranormal Witness, and Destination Truth.
It could be argued at first, these shows helped the field of paranormal research gain mainstream exposure and maybe even helped the field earn some credibility. There's no doubt in my mind the success of Ghost Hunters and, to a lesser extent, the other shows, allowed our field to grow in leaps and bounds. But now, ten years since Jason and Grant took to the airwaves, I believe paranormal TV has outlived it's usefulness. These shows seem to now focus too much on entertainment and making people jump out of their seats than on finding answers and helping people. I remember many early episodes of Ghost Hunters where they would barely obtain any evidence of paranormal activity and instead focus on finding logical explanations for claims made by clients.
Now it's the complete opposite. Please don't misunderstand me, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the entire TAPS team, but their show is now actually hurting the paranormal research field. Too many times I'm asked if what NHPI does is "like those guys on TV." People now assume what they see on SyFy is what a standard paranormal investigation is like. Yes, it's true we use some of the same equipment and employ many of the methods demonstrated on the show but our investigations have and will always emphasize disproving claims made by our clients, not "ghost hunting." There's a huge difference between investigating and hunting... but that debate is for another time.
-Sarah Caputo-
California Director
New Hampshire Paranormal Investigators
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