I have read a bunch about this show so I watched it again today and I have to say I really hate it. The people that Ryan meets up with all seem to have some serious emotional issues. I think they seem to be more on the verge than having paranormal experiences.

There were a few of those of GH as well. I wonder do they ever recommend counseling to any of these people that are fairly obviously under a great deal of stress?

Stephen, thank you for validating my dislike and for giving me something to think about. I guess I am holding to the GH standard. That is probably why this bunch irks me so. I will try to watch with a different eye next time.

Paranormal State is on the level of Most haunted.

weak shows. scarey but true is better them them

I am actually enjoying the show. It depends on how you wish to view it; in
my case I take it as light entertainment, same as I view GH and (especially)
GHI.

The only problem I have with the PS are the episode that involves Lorraine
Warren.

I so agree! THANK YOU!

First off, like I really believe these kids have the reservoir of ghost hunting knowledge they claim to "possess" (hehe). Second, what is up with the radio voiceovers? I don't need his inane analysis. Third, the only episode I could sit through involved him blessing a house… so he's like a priest/demonologist? I doubt he's to the level of TAPS' Keith and Carl Johnson.

They don't take a scientific approach or even a skeptical approach. And what was up with the episode in which he played a child psychologist? Get real.

A&E has really dropped the ball on this one. It would be more interesting to follow around DIFFERENT ghost hunting teams around the country to see how they conduct their analyses and what they think of different spots.

But what do I know? I'm certainly not in show biz!

Paranormal State may be inferior to GH, which just seems more "polished" and "professional," maybe, but I do often find it more *interesting.* Don't know which episode I saw last night, but it was about the 14 yr-old-girl in Las Vegas who was being visited by a murdered 14-yr-old girl from Texas. That young girl seemed impressive, and somehow, she's not someone we'd see on GH, nor were the stories about ghost dogs and the dog grave discovered in another episode.

PS tackles supposed hauntings that GH doesn't seem to want to touch, generally . . . perhaps because the PS ghost stories seem to have a rather solid incredibility factor. And I agree that there are people who probably need psychological help! GH must more carefully screen its television clients!

I'm not keen on the religious responses that are built into the majority of PS episodes, given that a religious response is, for me at least, a primitive kind of "what else can we do?" response to the unknown. That's why I object to the rosaries and "in the name of Jesus" adjurations that occasionally appear on GH or GHI (admittedly rare). But then again, the PS stories are often very dark and the hauntings seem more dangerous. There seems to be much at stake, as opposed to the almost-happy ghost-hunting lark that GH so often portrays, and so religion (Catholic religion in particular–must be that Latin) seems to be the only effective response.

In Paranormal State, we're set up from the beginning with a threatening view of the supernatural that can only be combatted by faith in a Christian God. For me, burying church-blessed medals in the four corners of a haunted property is the same sort of thing as wearing or hanging pre-Christian or non-Christian amulets or talismans, a centuries-old practice. There's nothing "scientific" about it, and hey, why is one religion better than another? (To be fair, though, now and then Native Americans will appear and do their own religious cleansing.)

Something about PS reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I enjoyed that show, probably for the same reasons I watch PS, even with my many problems with it. I guess that I see it as more as entertainment. It's difficult to take seriously most of the time, though it *does* have its moments.

June

Ithari, re: dead forums, we need more readers! Spread the word on other sites, I really think the problem is not enough people know about this place.

Ithari, thanks for bringing up the solace of belief. I ascribe to beliefs of various sorts, and yes, belief IS a comfort when we're faced with terror of the unknown. And I tend to think that a religious response to the paranormal, especially when facing a dangerous situation, often *works,* for whatever reason.

The fact is that even Jason and Grant of GH have their *beliefs* about what might be happening in any given show, and those beliefs (usually propounded as theories that are not religious in nature), tend to take precedence over skeptical objectivity. But maybe because the theories they talk about are secular rather than religious dogma, they can get away with their belief in them.

Reading your post made me realize that what I'm missing on PS is more religious diversity. I guess that Ryan's tendency to respond from a Roman Catholic point of view seems too scripted or predictable, given our medieval European heritage (ghosts and the medieval/victorian gothic are a common pairing), but then, why should I expect him to be what he's not? To his credit, he does seem open to other points of view that are not necessarily religious–he brings in help of various kinds (why does Lorraine Warren bother me?–I agree with previous posts about her!).

Ithari, your point about the social stigma we face for being interested in the paranormal is right on. It's tough for anyone in this culture to be taken seriously when they express interest in the paranormal, and for those of us who are academics, well, we live secret lives. (My dissertation chair was once a Jesuit exorcist, however! He's a skeptic with a capital S, but he's also a believer, *after* he has exhausted all rational explanations first.)

I was thrilled to find this site. And Logisti's posts are truly educational. We're fighting not only social stigma for our interests but also a cultural tendency to believe without question. (Hmm . . . I think someone might want to start a new discussion about the nature of belief and the dangers of blind belief.)

June

Thanks for your response, Ithari. I have to admit that, if I've ever watched "Most Haunted," none of the episodes have stuck, so I cannot make comparisons to anything else I *have* seen. But I'll certainly keep your "pile of poop" pronouncement in mind, when I get the chance to watch that show!!

"Hate" IS a strong word, but then, when it comes to trivial things, we tend to link it with the emotion of righteous indignation, and then conflate the two. Someone has said that righteous indignation is the most satisfying emotion, and I tend to agree. That's the emotion we see in almost every newspaper letter to the editor (esp. in small towns!) and in many a forum post in many a website.

June

Hello all, I am a newbie.

I have to say, I was believing the the GH, until I found this site… Now, I want to knock out Grant every show.

Oh, back on topic.

I really hate this show. The show with the demon in the trailer was just awful.