I have only one comment on this episode (and by extension, this show).

Why only one? Because:

A: I, quite frankly, don't even know where to begin tearing it apart; and,
B: You've done a great job of it for me already!

So, all I will say is that it appears we finally have a show that makes Most Haunted seem Professional, Full of Integrity, and Steeped in the Scientific Process.

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I only watched this show because i had heard on another board that it was going to be an extension of the 'I Am Six' episode (the one that caused me to stop watching PS altogether). I kept thinking "they wouldn't dare!"
Well, they did.
Sad. Really, really sad!

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It really pains me to read your review. People are actually getting harmed in and by this show. I stopped watching PS after a similar episode where a guy had threatened to kill his family and of course was deemed possessed by the all-knowing Ryan and subjected to some nasty mumbo-jumbo including exorcisms. I really can't take that it makes me too sad when unstable people with problems are exploited to serve someone's agenda for fame and recognition and not least, their wallet. It is downright criminal and I almost want to go old testament on Ryan and his consorts. I almost hope there is a catholic God out there that will judge Ryan severely for his hybris, narcissism and exploitation of his fellow man.

Ryan, you are not a prophet, or a disciple you are a nasty kid who bullies and exploit people. Get off the air and enroll in a monastery where your ego can't hurt anyone and furthermore hopefully will be subdued and you will be a humble man before your God and your fellow man.

Damn, I get so angry and sad by all this PS-nonsense, it really gets to me. Maybe I care too much for my fellow man, but I can't take it when people get hurt, intentionally and probably for life. It even makes me hope that somekind of divine justice comes down like a ton of bricks on the whole circus one day.

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Notice in the helmet/ping pong ball experiment Ryan is wearing a striped shirt…He hears a scream in the white-noise headphones, racing upstairs to help. Now in the room with Laura, Ryan is now wearing a black shirt and jacket! Bad bad editing room!

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Wow. I was waiting for what you'd say about this episode. After this complete pile of paranormal hype, I'm just so done with PS. I wanted it to be a good show, but this was total rubbish. I've been on several paranormal investigations and I believe paranormal research can be for real. Unfortunately PS is giving honest investigators a horrible name. Thanks for the great analysis.

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@Bauer488: I'm glad you mentioned that, I saw _some_ change and something just didn't look right about the two scenes but I couldn't put my finger on it…and I did not bother to record it to do any review of it. At least Ryan has managed to do this process without the requirement of Post-Obeisance to the Porcelain Deities (or was that cut out, too)

Is it not a requirement that a Bishop or higher (I should know this!) authorize a priest to do an exorcism? Maybe this was done, who knows.

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Well done Obuliette! The saddest thing I can say, as I hope that Laura doesn't try for a third appearance on PS.

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I'm glad fellow posters liked my review. The sheer daring of this show and what it is doing to impressionable minds has gotten way out of hand. I had to get it out of my system. Next stop for me is writing A & E and, perhaps more importantly, the advertisers that appeared during this show.

For anyone who is a glutton for punishment, the episode can be watched online at:

http://www.aetv.com/paranormal-state/

Kudos to Bauer488 for catching the shirt change. I was still trying to get over the ping pong balls and didn't notice that important detail. Not surprisingly, this show is as heavily edited, and probably scripted, as any other of its kind.

For those of you who want to know about the Catholic church and the Rite of Exorcism:

Nosfer brought up a good point. It does have to be sanctioned by a bishop. I can't believe the church would allow its rituals to be used this way, maybe unless it received a good-sized "donation". This fact made my husband question the validity of Father Bob and what he was doing. So we dug a little deeper.

Besides the need of obtaining a bishop's OK, all avenues including an intense psychiatric evaluation must be done to rule out any mental disorder. This latter is a modern stipulation, as one can imagine. After all, the Church had to finally acknowledge the progress made in the mental health field since the medieval ages. Was this fully done in Laura's case?

I don't think so. If it was, any good mental health practitioner, at least IMO, would not have allowed her to be used in such a fashion, though if she is judged to be of sound mind she has the option to go ahead with the show against medical advice. I'll not go further with this but I believe someone with any sense would have cautioned against her partaking in a show of this kind and the non-medical people associated with it.

Getting back to the Rite of Exorcism, there are two versions. The older and longer one is done in Latin. However, in 1999 the Church has allowed a more streamlined, user friendly form. Even so, PS gets it wrong.

You know the chant "The Power of Christ Compels You" which is uttered over and over by the group during their exorcism? Anyone who has seen The Exorcist is familiar with this scene. It is not correct and to me indicates PS is trying to bring even more drama into the mix.

The actual line is: "For it is the power of Christ that compels you, who brought you low by His cross" and is not repeated as a chant but is part of a larger paragraph that is said over the possessed during the ritual. So much for Hollywood.

As for Father Bob, we toyed with the idea that he is simply an actor. One reason was his apparent difficulty in reading Latin. He does not have the fluency of someone acquainted with that language. Also, the fact about getting permission from a higher ranking authority–if he didn't, he'd be in big trouble.

Further research has found that he is indeed Rev. Robert L. Bailey of St. Maria Goretti Church in Pawtucket, R.I.

http://www.stmariagoretti-ri.org/

Although that site does not mention his interest in the paranormal, his MySpace certainly does:

http://www.myspace.com/frbob

Remembering my Catholic upbringing (of which I only reluctantly took part) and considering that the church seems to condemn belief in the paranormal per se, it begs the question as to how Fr. Bob gets away with what he does. I don't have the answer, unless the church has agreed to look the other way in his case.

Here I go, getting caught up in this episode again. But one last fact. I would have thought that contemporary religion would be distancing itself from belief in demon possession and demonic forces. Not so. I found this disturbing website from Australia, where the church there is actively recruiting exorcists. From the blog:

"The Catholic Church in Australia is facing a massive shortage of exorcists – and hundreds of priests are to be trained to help plug the deficit. Church leaders are blaming a rise in Satanism for the increasing demand for exorcisms."

http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2008/02/catholic-church-calls-for-more.html

Are we as rational human beings devolving backwards in our thinking? I shudder to think this is the case. Actually, as my husband said to me, the goings-on in this episode of PS cannot be that much different from the activity performed over some of the supposed witches during the infamous Salem witch trials. Very sad-and disturbing.

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Forgot to give the link to the Exorcism ritual:

http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english/p01975b.htm

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Are we even sure this show depicts "real" cases? I mean, like those "A Haunting in __________" shows that were on TLC for a while, and that were obviously staged, fabricated, and used actors. I just think this show is straddling the line somewhere between the X Files and GH.

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Do not think Laura an actress, if she is. . .she is a bad one. I think she has mental health issues.
A blog site had a post from someone whose sister had gone to high school with her. "A few weeks ago I received a call from my sister who told me that some girl she went to high school with was on the show Paranormal State because she was possessed. Of course I was interested because a possession had occurred in my hometown, Quincy Illinois. I found the episode called "I am Six" on youtube and watched it. After viewing, I was not sure what to think. According to my sister, the girl has always been strange. Part of me thinks that the girl was just crazy and seeking attention." http://www.iamhaunted.com/blog/view/id_9687/title_possession-on-paranormal-state-in-my-hometown/

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Commonwealth Paranormal referred Lara's case to PRS. Interesting letter to the editor (Nov. 5, 2008) concerning this. http://www.journal-times.com/letters/local_story_310154249.html

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Hannah wrote: "According to my sister, the girl has always been strange. Part of me thinks that the girl was just crazy and seeking attention."

I think that sort of sums it up, except maybe "crazy" can be replaced with "mental problems". In the thread here on the original episode, it has been noted that some believe she has Peter Pan Syndrome or perhaps a severe Borderline Personality Disorder.

In my mind, the parents involved refuse to accept the actual situation, preferring to believe that Laura's behavior is the result of demon possession. That way, the source of the problem cannot come from the family unit or Laura, but some unknown entity. The family seems dysfunctional, as have others which have been featured in this series. This show just keeps getting scarier and more out of line.

After reading the article you provided, the Commonwealth Paranormal Society seems IMO just as culpable, asking in this supposedly demon obsessed group of performers. If they really wanted to help Laura, try to get her into some mental health and social service agencies, not contact PS. What did they expect? PS is basically a TV show, and was originally pitched to A & E as a "docu-drama".

The need to believe in PS and their methods, as well as the charismatic personality of Ryan Buell, apparently is very strong, indeed. A fact I'm sure he is proud of. I doubt very much if Laura is cured in any way. That is the saddest fact of all.

I made mention above of the Salem Witch Trials. They began with some young girls acting much the same way as Laura. Today we still don't know what actually went on, but demon possession is not one of the theories. I wish these paranormal groups and their medieval mindsets would recognize that cases like this belong to the realm of psychiatry and not "demons". The only demons that exist are those who take shameless advantage of the suffering, and then plaster it all over the airwaves.

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Having grown up in an environment full of people who could correctly be described as religious zealots, I can say from experience that trying to unravel the motives behind the actions of these people or how in the hell they justify their actions using logic and ethics will probably result in us banging our heads against the biggest and hardest tree we can find.

I know people who would honestly and deeply believe that this family did the right thing. That Ryan did the right thing. And that the statue of Rocky in Philadelphia should be placed by one of Chip Coffee pointing into the darkness as he shouts "Margaret!" I'm not taking their side–they are batshit craZy as far as I'm concerned. But they think the exact same thing about me and everyone else on the other side of the fence (so to speak).

As sad as it might be as far as the ethics of this situation are concerned, at the end of the day it's a TV show and this isn't even the most outrageous, unethical, despicable thing I've witnessed people do to get in front of a camera (and here I speak of all parties involved - the family, PRS, the network, the production company, the people that do Kraft Service for Paranormal State…)

Bottom line…

One of these days we're going to have to get together and do our own show. And do it right. I think that's the only way we'll ever be satisfied and have a show on TV that we are compelled to watch but doesn't make us pull our hair out.

I'd watch it.

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I hope that this is the last we hear of Laura and her ‘possession’. I have worked in the psychiatric field. IMO she is sick and there is no hope because she doesn’t want to be helped and because of the constant feeding of her illness by her parents.

The two people that are in charge of Laura are in their own wonderland. They can’t except that their daughter is a woman and not their baby anymore. They have created this demanding child-woman and when the situation gets too much do they seek the services of a good psychiatrist that can furnish the medication and counseling that their daughter needs? No, they go to their religion.

Now religion can be a great comfort to some people, but Laura’s parents are the nuttiest Catholics that I have ever seen and I was bought up in a family of nutty Catholics. I mean Laura even has a Chi Rho - early symbol of Christ - on the laundry chute. Now that is just plain looney!

I could go on and on about this show but I think that it has been covered enough. Are we going back to the 18th century when people paid money to go through places like Bedlam just to see and laugh at the funny people? Those that the shadow of mental illness has touched will tell you it is not funny-it is hell. Even Laura and her family are going through their own Gethsemane.

No one has the right - not PS, Not Ryan, not Chip Coffee, not A&E - to exploit this type of suffering for numbers in a ratings box.

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Oubliette wrote: "I made mention above of the Salem Witch Trials. They began with some young girls acting much the same way as Laura. Today we still don't know what actually went on, but demon possession is not one of the theories."

PBS did an interesting special on it and one of the theories was a fungus in the grain that caused hallucinations from Ergot poisioning. Ergot Poisoning - the cause of the Salem Witch Trials http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/history/ergot.htm

Jef wrote: "I know people who would honestly and deeply believe that this family did the right thing. That Ryan did the right thing. And that the statue of Rocky in Philadelphia should be placed by one of Chip Coffee pointing into the darkness as he shouts "Margaret!" I'm not taking their side–they are batshit craZy as far as I'm concerned. But they think the exact same thing about me and everyone else on the other side of the fence (so to speak)."

Reminded me of the saying: "Everyone is strange but me and Thee and sometimes I wonder about Thee."

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After reading up on the subject, I had believed that ergot poisoning probably accounted for the girls' behavior, but that theory has since been falling out of favor. It seems that a combination of a terribly restrictive religious environment, coupled with the girls being preteen and teenagers who, like most normal people their age, were bored and seeking attention, accounted for some of the behavior, found this attention getting outlet. It cannot be denied some adults seem to be encouraging them; again that is another similarity that can't be dismissed entirely where Laura is involved.

The best book that I have read on the subject is Frances Hill's "A Delusion of Satan-The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials", in which she also postulates that some of the girls had been traumatized by Indian attacks that resulted in them witnessing their parents killed and mutilated before their very eyes. Some of the behavior may have its roots in having gone through such traumatic experiences.

Many years later one of the girls confessed that she and some others were faking the whole affair and she was very contrite about the whole matter and the people who were wrongfully executed. Unbelievably, she was "forgiven" by most of the community.

But back to Laura- It seems we might have a poor woman who has been overly protected by her parents and has learned to act out and manipulate those around her. The parallels between her actions and the young girls of Salem are to me quite interesting.

We will never really know the motivations behind Laura's behavior. It suddenly dawned on me-and I have no proof other than it was something that jumped into my head-that maybe this is all being done in hopes of maybe a book and movie in mind. Why not? The profit motive can never be ruled out.

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Oubliette- "We will never really know the motivations behind Laura's behavior. It suddenly dawned on me-and I have no proof other than it was something that jumped into my head-that maybe this is all being done in hopes of maybe a book and movie in mind. Why not? The profit motive can never be ruled out."

It's odd to say, but I really hope that this is the case. A hidden agenda would show reason, forethought, and intelligence. I would much more perfer a planned hoax that they can profit from rather than other explanations of their actions. Unforunately, I do not believe that profit is the motive.

It's taken me a good week to post under this topic. Any earlier and it would have been just a profanity-filled rant. And to prevent that, I'll only say a couple of things.

Oubliette, as always, you did a masterful job on a review that was very difficult to watch, much less understand. Many layers of psychosis and subterfuge to filter through.

In the thread "The Latest Fiasco Called 'I am Six.'" on the forums, I still stand by my statements that I emailed to A&E. And that was "before" I knew a Part 2 was coming. If this girl and her family doesn't get some serious professional and medical help immediately, then prepare yourselves for the inevitable. The girl has already begun harming herself. Without proper intervention, this is going to spiral out of control.

The sickest aspect of all of this? If she does commit suicide, which is the obvious path that she is on…PS can do a one hour special on her and Chip Coffey can communicate with her from the beyond. And this isn't a sarcastic joke. You KNOW they would. There will be tears, talk of exorcism, and the obligatory speech by Chip saying "She finally won in her struggles and she's in a good place now." You KNOW this would happen…

I've never seen a "fluff" TV series show such blantant disregard for a mentally unstable person before. It's moving beyond bad taste and venturing into the criminal. Yes, there is evil in this world…but it isn't from unseen demons, it's from TV personalities and producers preying on and profitting from the weak. Pathetic…

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Oubliette: "Why not? The profit motive can never be ruled out."
Hmm… that had not occurred to me. Possible, but do not really think was prime motivator. It may evolve though. I certainly do not discount it. Oh, thanks for the update on the Salem Witch trial theories…ergot, one possiblity, but the postulation of Frances Hill is very intriguing.

Revenant: "I've never seen a "fluff" TV series show such blantant disregard for a mentally unstable person before. It's moving beyond bad taste and venturing into the criminal. Yes, there is evil in this world…but it isn't from unseen demons, it's from TV personalities and producers preying on and profitting from the weak. Pathetic…"
I have wondered often what her therapist thinks of Laura and her family after presumably viewing both shows.

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I feel it is only a matter of time before "Paranormal State" and A&E are sued by the family of one of the mentally disturbed people they now routinely exploit.

The pre-trial depositions and discovery will be fascinating.

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Wouldn't have A&E done their CYAs tightly to prevent that? Though you wonder what contracts PRS, Chip Coffey, and others have.

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They may have done their CYAs but all that would mean is no liability (if the CYAs were airtight). Discovery etc would still take place and THAT is what would do the damage. I would THINK that Discovery would trump Non-Disclosure in a legal case.

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Ahh. . .you are absolutely right.

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"Wouldn't have A&E done their CYAs tightly to prevent that? Though you wonder what contracts PRS, Chip Coffey, and others have."

Looking at some of the clearly disturbed people on PS, I think it would be VERY easy for a attorney to successfully argue those people lacked the mental capacity to enter into a contract. Thus, any confidentiality/CYA agreements would be void.

I really think it is only a matter of time before something like this happens.

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"Looking at some of the clearly disturbed people on PS, I think it would be VERY easy for a attorney to successfully argue those people lacked the mental capacity to enter into a contract. Thus, any confidentiality/CYA agreements would be void."

Are you speaking of the clients or the cast members (either probably holds true!)

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This is truly the fakest show on television…everything about this is a scam! How can anyone not agree with what was written above here? Seriously… I don't even know what to say about how lame this show truly is! Laura is full of shit, and faking this for attention…the stupid lady with the vietnam vet living there is full of shit and so is the vet who SETS everything up, most likely in order to keep living there, who knows..don't care! Stupid, show needs to go. Shame on you A and E..At least Ghost Hunters debunk things…these dorks which are not even likeable assume demons on everything. Just painful

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I was thrown when I saw the ping pong balls over the eyes. I read about the wardrobe change and went back and re-watched the show. I know there's a lot of editing done because the group is there for a few days, but it gave the impression that the two incidences happened right behind each other. The show needs to be more careful if they want to seem slightly believable. I do believe in ghosts, possessions, mediums, etc., but I believe the show was full of it. If I in any way thought someone in my family was possessed, I definitely would not go on a show with college students and Mrs. Warren. Just hearing that woman's name just reminds me of Amityville and that big ol' hoax. Chip is entertaining. As for lawsuits, the show "Vampire Lady" was pulled because the woman's ex had lawyers put a hold on the episode. The ex spouses had a bitter divorce and it might have been possible that this child heard some nasty stuff coming from her parents' mouths which caused trauma. I watched the episode someone posted on a site which I can't find anymore. In that, you can see the child. When they finally posted a clip of the show on A&E's site, the same scene that showed the child isn't showing her anymore. She's been cropped out of the scene.

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I did hear about the lawsuit filed by the woman's ex-husband. Some message boards had concocted all kinds of weird reasons why the show did not air when it was supposed to, but it all came down to the vicious divorce. Maybe the end result was that it could air as long as the child wasn't shown.

This episode, as with most of PS, seems to search out people who are going through terrible, traumatic experiences and capitalizes on their troubles. Instead of being helpful, they end up putting ideas in peoples heads and, worst of all, interfering in areas where only professional therapy people should tread.

Someone please put this show out of its misery.

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re: Oubliette's post

I need to agree and disagree with you at the same time Oubiette. While I do agree they are capitalizing on people that need therapy I don't believe the families featured on the show are those in question that need therapy, it's the people who believe PRS is giving any real proof of Paranormal Research.

I do not believe any of what PRS films is legit, and the ping pong balls may well be worse then the K2 meter on TAPS, followed closely by the white noise box.

What I will drop my 2 cents into is that these folks are not taking advantage of people's bad fortune. I don't believe anyone in that house believe "I AM SIX" was a real possession. I feel it is all a sham right from the start. I just can't imagine A&E is letting the people go into a home and create "paranormal paranoia" and risk the potential liability it could open them up to if a family decided to sue for some sort of mental duress tort law in their state.

I could be wrong, but I just think it is deception from all parties, not just Ryan and the Crazy Bunch. I think the only one being fooled is Chip Coffey, I think he really thinks he is psychic.

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Obi Wan Canubi:
"I think the only one being fooled is Chip Coffey, I think he really thinks he is psychic."

Love that line. Thank you, made my day and I got a good laugh.

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Obi Wan-"What I will drop my 2 cents into is that these folks are not taking advantage of people's bad fortune. I don't believe anyone in that house believe "I AM SIX" was a real possession. I feel it is all a sham right from the start. I just can't imagine A&E is letting the people go into a home and create "paranormal paranoia" and risk the potential liability it could open them up to if a family decided to sue for some sort of mental duress tort law in their state."

I understand what you're saying in your post and it's a very logical approach. However, I respectfully disagree with the notion that the family in "I AM SIX" is, in essence, faking it.

Like many, you and I may view this episode as "crazy." So crazy, that it must be fake or a "sham." But we would be guilty of imposing our beliefs upon theirs. Their religious beliefs include demons and exorcism. And they are not alone. The Catholic Church revised the Rite of Exorcism in January, 1999. Only 10 years ago. Why would the Catholic Church feel a need to revise it if no one believed in it? The answer, as much as you and I might disagree with it, is that many people still believe that demons can possess someone and their only true salvation is through prayer and exorcism. That belief may be more widespread than you may realize.

If you get a chance, watch the show again. Notice all the religious icons through out the home. Listen closely to what they say. Watch their mannerisms. These people couldn't "con" their way out of a paper bag. It is my opinion that they are scared because they truly do believe that "something evil" is in their home. You and I may find it to be nonsense, but they don't.

And while you're watching the show, take a good long look at Laura. Look at her speech pattern. Listen to her verbalize her thoughts and ideas about what is going on around her. Watch her physical reactions to things. Now, is this girl intelligent enough and savvy enough to pull off a scam? Do you truly believe that she is capable of having a hidden agenda? Like many people, I believe that Laura has some very serious mental issues. The family's religious beliefs have helped (whether intentionally or unintentionally is another question) to shape, form, and perhaps have even guided some of her problems to what we are seeing now.

All of this points to why a family such as this wouldn't sue PS. Because, supposedly, PS "believes" the same things. That is huge to the family. Someone believes what they do and is trying to help them. That's all the family knows and sees. So logically, yes, you make a good point. But in the end, logic doesn't trump religious belief in this case. No matter what you say, what I say, or what Oubliette says…all of that won't drive a wedge in between that family and the PS team because…and this is the important part…"WE" just don't understand it. It's as simple and as complex as that…

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Sigh!
Let's put this into perspective. Pick one or more. You, your child or children, your household, & your pet gerbil are possessed. I KNOW! Let's call a college fraternity of paranormal "experts,' barely old enough to drink to perform or assist in the performance of an exorcisim ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.

If no one is haunted personally, they will rid the entity that does haunt our swing set, horse barn, or blender.

But what's really the coolest is the way the lead investigator updates cases throughout the show using a " telephone or walkie," effect. They also add some hip visual stuff like candles burning through night vision, cold breath, and they use really freaky exorcist music too.

If I didn't just describe the premise of THIS show you'd say who'd believe this?
Obviously the same people who believe hiring a couple of college kids to move their furniture, specifically antiques across the country in a rented truck is a good idea. Hey! I think I just came up with anew TV show, " Pair A Normal Movers… Across State Lines."

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Thanks Obi for commenting on my review. Others have replied to your post but I would like to add that to get on this show, all one has to do is write to the address provided on PS's website and explain your situation. The email is also available on Elvie's (and possibly others) MySpace page.

I read on a post that I failed to bookmark (I have a habit of not bookmarking and then testing my terrible memory to recall "Now where did I read that?") that someone's sister had gone to high school with Laura and remarked that she was always considered "strange" by the other students. No acting needed, I guess.

In fact, if you think of it, if she WERE acting she IMO had put on a decent performance. I've thought about this and come to the conclusion that, as Revenant above pointed out, her speech, body language and certain (to me) very sometimes irritating expressions like getting that childish pout on her face can be done either by a very good actress or be the real thing.

I'm going with the latter, based on much the same clues that Revenant has brought up. The family is deeply religious–who else would put a religious symbol on their laundry chute?

I'm guessing they are Roman Catholics. Most people associate such a huge belief in possession with Fundamentalists, but Roman Catholics are still entrenched in this thinking also. However, they seem to want more proof before they go to such extremes. But as in any faith, there are people who would embrace such a concept more readily and strongly than others of their faith. Revenant-perhaps you can let me know if what I've written in this paragraph is true based on your research. I know the Salem hysteria happened in an extreme protestant (Puritan) setting but it seems that most non-Catholic churches don't even mention possession anymore.

I will reiterate my earlier viewpoint that the parents would rather believe that Laura is possessed than face the fact (and my conjecture) that there is at least one or maybe more personality disorders being displayed here. And by buying into that assumption, they continue to feed her behavior.

It seemed to me that she appeared very happy with the tumult she created and the attention she received during this sequel. Heck, she even got Ryan to take her in his arms.

These are the reasons why I don't believe there was any acting whatsoever in the family, other than Laura's well-timed performances that she must have been putting on for years for her family and that are associated with the aforementioned personality disorders.

I wonder–what do their neighbors think about all this? I'd love to know.

P.S. I have my doubts about Chip believing he is a psychic. It is, of course, as Obi pointed out–HE believes that he has these abilities. But a quick look at his bio written by independent sources seems to point to a sudden discovery of psychic abilities in 2001. Before that, he was very active in children's theatre. Either he became convinced at that time he was psychic, or else he saw a more lucrative avenue in this rising trend and decided to turn his talents into performing as a psychic. Only Chip knows for sure, and its not the type of story he would be telling.

Sorry for the long post.

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I watch this show weekly for just to see how more outlandish it can get. At some point the network needs to put an end to this bible thumping zealot psychosis. Reality tv has gone to new lows and the best evidence is the PS spinoff "Psychic Children" with Chip Coffey. Even better lets traumatize them when they're to young to know any better.

I am a devout Catholic who is insulted by the horrible portayal of this ancient rites by these freak jobs! Yes there are those that still believe that the devil made them do it but I usually find them talking to themselves and hearing voices. It breaks my heart to see people in the finally throws of a mental breakdown being humored by these idiots! I am in law enforement and the first that we are trained in the academy in how to deal with the mentally ill is not to feed their delusio. Acknowledge that you believe that they believe but don't add to it. In other words don't tell them they are nuts but don't tell you see the pink elephant in the corner too. That is what these shows lack.

God bless you all for what you are trying to do. Too bad they didn't have or use logic in Salem before 16 people were murdered. By the way we should flood A&E with letters or even start a petition to stop this madness. I should also add that I have experienced the unexplainable and do believe that in a few cases there is the possibility that something beyond our comprehension has occured or is involved. I don't think that's the case with this show.

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According to Ryan the family is of the Catholic faith, and the church was not helping them. On the PS Forum he stated that the church treated them like they had "Ebola or something."

Oubilette, the link you were thinking of was earlier in this thread.:". . . According to my sister, the girl has always been strange. Part of me thinks that the girl was just crazy and seeking attention." http://www.iamhaunted.com/blog/view/id_9687/title_possession-on-paranormal-state-in-my-hometown/

I, too, would love to know what the neighbors think and what her therapist thinks. I have searched for a Quincy, IL blog, in hopes of getting the locals opinion. So far, no luck in locating one.

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I'm in Quincy, IL. My thought is that Laura is truly sick. Her psychiatrist (from the first episode) is also a quack. Some of our local priests were asked to assist and refused.

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Thank you Missy2 for your response. Do you know why the local priests refused to help?

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Guys, guys, guys… Not to sound too rash, but I wonder why everyone here seems so outraged. Shows like this are staged entertainment. That Laura girl knows that in today's world, only the sensational sells. She probably doesn't have any real marketable skills, so she has gone into what has always been the domain of those who shy away from the rigors of getting an actual education…being an "aspiring actor." I'm sure she is well compensated for her performances by the network producers. And more power to her for finding a way to get ahead in the world and make money. I agree that most televisions shows on the air serve as a sad commentary on the state of affairs in the world today. How sad is it that people are watching "What Not to Wear" instead of going out for a hike during the afternoon? If you really want to hurt the popularity of these shows and force the networks to cancel them, turn your TVs off, get on a pair of shoes, and go for a jog. That's better than agonizing about why some rich TV executive, whose only goal is to become even richer, continues to put out junk on the tube and cater to the mindless entertainment-seeking public who has now degenerated to point of having no life outside of video games, text messaging, reality TV, and searching for celebrity break-up announcements in magazines. By talking about it fervently for months, you're keeping it popular and doing exactly what they want. The networks should be thanking you for publicizing their shows.

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The reason we react is because people get hurt. People does not get the help they need but gets exploited, willingly or unwillingly, on tv. Staged entertainment, you say, I wish that was true. But unfortunately that is not the case. Of course there is added drama, but that does not relieve PRS or A&E of responsibility for their clients. When you meddle with the things PRS does, you take on a responsability you'd better be able and willing to take. Otherwise stay away. I see no indication PRS or A&E does that. They simply use often mentally unstable people as fodder for entertainment and as tools for their own religious agenda. That is not kosher in any way or form. And should be critised vehemently.

I only see self-serving, religious zealots using other people as pawns for the own fame and agenda. That is not simply entertainment. There are people hurting who gets served a plate of crap by people who do not know what they are doing. And let's remember, we only se a portion of the cases PRS handle, lord only knows what happens when the cameras are not present…

And above that, this show serves as a vehicle to promote the skewed beliefs of the group, which might lead others to not seek actual help but turn to amateur groups like PRS rather than therapists or other professionals. It also reinforces this medieval belief in demons that PRS and the Warrens promote.

It's just tv, it's just entertainment is no excuse for anything. There is a line you don't cross and that is when people get hurt. And that is the case on PS. You should judge people by their actions and when they act like PRS they deserve harsh judgment. PRS is nothing but self-serving, religiously motivated zealotry with the aim of fame and monetary gain.

It's only entertainment… well, so was the gladiatorial games in ancient Rome, people still got hurt, even maimed and killed.

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Again, bullerspoke is spot on and represents how many of us here see that episode in particular, and PS–excuse me, PRS–in general.

There are posts elsewhere from people who know Laura, for instance, from high school. She does seem to have real problems, and to take advantage of her illness or disorder is exploitation, pure and simple.

"They simply use often mentally unstable people as fodder for entertainment and as tools for their own religious agenda." They sure do, and it is morally wrong. There is no justification for doing this. And this is not the only episode where we have seen grieving, emotionally hurting people being thrust into PRS's goofy possession-filled world. Many of us question how Buell has the right to determine what may be wrong with an individual or family. None of us has found that he is in any way certified to perform psychological assessments.

I agree Laura is acting, but it appears that she has been putting on a show for her parents for quite some time; something which is part of her disorder (and yes, I do have a psych background, unlike Buell). She needs help in socializing and integrating into society, not being made the plaything of a group of people who have no qualms about using people for their own selfish benefit.

humoredpasserby, you wrote: "If you really want to hurt the popularity of these shows and force the networks to cancel them, turn your TVs off, get on a pair of shoes, and go for a jog."

Isn't that throwing the baby out with the bathwater? There is a wealth of excellent TV shows out there, many of which we have also discussed here. The name of this website is Skeptical Viewer. Which means we are here to discuss, debate and yes, get angry at some of the things we see on TV, especially when they become exploitative of ill or hurting people who do not need to be used and abused by narcissistic "stars" like Ryan Buell and Company.

Should we not at least try to bring some moral responsibility back into TV programming? It is up to us to voice our opposition to the powers that control this type of garbage. Will we ever succeed? Who knows? But many of us refuse to just stand by and watch the spiraling descent of a once great TV Channel like A & E sell out and pander to the baser elements.

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Oubliette I used to be a psych major.What would say is Laura's problem? A disociative disorder maybe? Just curious because this girl seems to have reverted to almost pre-teen behavior to get the attention she wants.

By the way I wouldn't put too much credence in the comments of "humoredpasserby." I almost think they maybe some PRS fanatic or toady that has decided to slip into our logical none bible beating mists to stir things up. And if they are not then they are just chat room trolls trying to get things stirred regardless.

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Hers is a very complicated case. Symptoms of Borderline Personality, possible female version of "Peter Pan" syndrome (in this case, daughter totally dependent on mother), dissociative disorder a distinct possibility. However, I believe the entire family is dysfunctional, and the parents themselves may want to keep Laura dependent on them. On another board, a classmate of Laura's from high school stated she was always "strange". So this was not a show just put on for TV.

I think a lot of her possession is simply acting on her part. Not just for the camera, but for her parents as well. Notice how when attention was diverted away from her, something would happen to bring everybody running back to her. She demands to be the center of attention.

What bothered me was her father holding on to her as though she were a child. And that pout she would sometimes get! She is certainly stuck at a much younger chronological age.

She's very thin so I wouldn't rule out anoxeria/bulemia; also self-mutilation.

I've thrown a lot of terms out there and of course she doesn't have them all. But these are my best guesses.

What she needs is inpatient care and medication. Group therapy to learn socialization skills. Separation from her parents, who both feed and create her disorders in a vicious cycle. I think the best solution is a sort of half-way house where she can go out into the world but come home to a therapeutic environment.

And the worst thing is for her to be involved with the people in this show.

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