Page 54 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2021

54 Why TV Ghosthunting Shows Are Fake!

Why those TV ghost-

hunting shows are

transparently fake

by Scott Craven

On a fuzzy green screen, you see a T-shirt-
wearing man pointing a small electronic
recorder toward a murky corner.

He swivels his head toward the camera, his eyes
glowing like orbs.

“This is where a figure of a small girl has been
sighted on numerous occasions,” the man says
in a hushed voice. “We’re hoping she’s in the
mood to answer some – holy (bleep), something
touched me!”

The frame jumps and blurs before steadying
itself and focusing on the man’s face and his
look of shock.
Amico said the shows are misleading at best, number of things, most of them eerie.
And it’s largely ghost-hunting theater, according fake at worst. A typical paranormal investigation “It’s all about suggestion,” Amico said. “Let’s
to one of Phoenix’s longtime paranormal takes several visits over weeks or months, he say he tells everyone he hears, ‘Help me.’ When
investigators. said, and 99% of that time would set off every it's played again, that what you hear. ‘Help me.’
tedium monitor in the place, if such a thing But it’s only because he planted it in your head.”
existed.
'It never happens like that'
The on-screen investigators also can manipulate
The “night in a haunted house” scenario is devices that detect changes in the
“Most of that stuff on TV is bunk,” Vincent
necessary to keep viewers interested, though it’s electromagnetic field, believed to indicate the
Amico said. “It never happens like that.”
highly unlikely that’s how the investigation presence of spirits, Amico said.
unfolded.
Amico has the experience to back up his claim.
The electromagnetic field (EMF) sensor features
He’s been investigating the paranormal for 15
Jay Yates, who with his wife Marie, have been a series of lights that illuminate one after
years. In 2014 he and his wife started AZ
featured on several TV and radio shows another. The more lights, the stronger the
Paranormal Investigations and Research
dedicated to paranormal investigations, said that electromagnetic change.
Society.
in some cases cameras are set up weeks before
the ghost hunters themselves arrive. The problem, Amico said, is that something as
And that’s where these un-reality shows pose
simple as a cellphone can disrupt the field and
problems, he said. Those fans expect to see
“I wish that ghosts showed up on demand but it make the EMF sensor light up like a Christmas
evidence of the afterlife, from an empty rocking
doesn't work that way,” he said. “Many of these tree.
chair moving by itself to shadowy apparitions
ghost-hunting shows are not evidence-driven,
coalescing in corners.
but more based upon experiences from the cast "I remember one time they showed the device
and crew, not concrete evidence always.” starting to light up, and the guy holding the
Such eerie incidents are extremely rare and
device had a huge watch on his wrist," Amico
easily fabricated.
Amico also takes issue with the way hunters said. "When they cut back to him, the device
interpret those static-filled electronic voice was lit up and the watch was gone. It was clearly
“A guy says he felt something touch him, or you
phenomena (EVP) recordings. two different times."
hear a door slam off camera,” Amico said.
“That’s the easiest stuff to fake. There’s no way
Viewers are familiar with the setup. The experts Then there are those who believe everything
to prove he wasn’t touched, or that someone off
either place an EVP recorder in an empty room about investigations are bunk. They watch the
camera didn’t slam the door.”
(the recording is analyzed later) or use it to shows so they can shake their heads in utter
“interview” any spirits interested in chatting. disbelief while wondering how anybody could
Specter-chasing TV shows caught on in 2004
Since ghosts have no vocal cords, they use their buy the existence of the paranormal.
with SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters,” which lasted 12
energy to electrically manipulate sound that can
years before broadcasting its last episode in
be picked up by EVP recorders, paranormal "People can believe whatever they want and it
October 2016. Similar shows followed in its
investigators say. makes no difference to me," Amico said. "A
glowing green footsteps, including Travel
paranormal experience is by definition is
Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” and “Haunted
In most cases, words are almost impossible to something that can't be explained. I've
USA.”
make out amid the static and buzzing, and may experienced a lot of things I can't explain." []
be nothing more than background sounds,
Following the formula
Amico said. That changes once ghost hunters
put words to those sounds, interpreting them as
The recipe is the same. Investigators equipped
voices from beyond the grave.
with cameras and various ghost-detecting
devices spend a night in a
'It's all about suggestion'
hotel/house/abandoned warehouse said to be
haunted. Before the sun rises, they’ve
A fluctuation in static, for example, can be
seen/spoken with/found evidence of the
translated as, “Get out.” Or “He's here.” Or any www.xzonetvchannel.com
afterlife. Everyone goes home shaken.