Every now and then I find myself obsessed with something, and lately it's been ghost hunting shows. As someone who is skeptical when it comes to the idea of ghosts, I find the shows laughable, but still worthy of a few scares now and then. I even got my roommate, who scares easily, watching a few episodes with me. With this new found obsession came my desire to go ghost hunting myself, and plan to do so in the future. I'd like to make an article about that detailing my experience, but for now, I'd like to discuss something that's plagued my mind through this who experience: Are ghost hunting shows real?
Two of the major ghost hunting shows are Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. While both have claimed to be 100% real, you can't help but question a lot of the findings they have in a typical episode. For this article, I'll be referencing both shows frequently.
Over the Top Acting
The main show I've been watching is Ghost Adventures, with Zak and Aaron. They've spent years "building their credibility" according to the opening lines of their show. They're currently on their 15th season of the show, and you have to think show long have they been doing these sort of things? Yet, time after time, they flip out over the smallest sound of floors creaking, or are constantly overcome with intense feelings, causing them to have to sit out or take a break. These are things that can be easily faked, as it's more relying on one person's experience, yet I've heard them claim this as "solid evidence", even with nothing of the sort being caught on camera.
Using the Power of Suggestion
How many times have you heard an EVP recording "of a ghost" that sounds like gibberish? All of a sudden, one of the ghost hunters calls out what they heard, and the EVP is replied several times. You nod to yourself as you think "Omg that definitely sounds like that." Boom, you're a believer, and the ghost definitely said he wanted a ham sandwich. Reality is, the recordings are just that, gibberish, most of the time. Anyone can say it sounds like something, and replayed enough, you can start to hear and believe it too. Not to mention, ghost hunters usually go into a setting WANTING to hear these things, and if you're watching, chances are you do as well.
Not Looking Deeper into an Explanation
Ghost hunting shows are very quick to say unexplained sounds or shapes are a ghost. Reality is, a lot of the buildings they investigate are old, run down, and sometimes even abandoned. Rarely do you get reports of suspicious sounds and ghost activity in a brand new building. These sort of sounds can be explained by a lot of things; a squeaky floorboard, the natural settling sounds of the building, a creaky or poorly sealed window. Yet rarely do they take the time to investigate the sounds in a more scientific way. "Oh, maybe if we point this device at it, a ghost will appear." when really all the had to do was walk over to the window and check it. I saw one episode of Ghost Adventures where they were investigating the Titanic museum, and found a hand print on the window, even after the people who worked there cleaned it. The chances of one of the MANY camera and other crew working around there accidentally (or on purpose) putting their hand on the window is far greater than it being a ghost print.Which brings me to my next point.
Hauntings are Good for Business
How much more business do you think a museum claiming to be haunted by the dead passengers that were on the Titanic would get? A heck of a lot more than just a regular museum. The fact is, people will pay a lot of money to stay somewhere that may be haunted. Take the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. This hotel was the inspiration behind Stephen Kings "The Shining" and has become a popular location for paranormal seekers. My interest got the best of me and I actually looked up prices to stay at the hotel, and while they certainly weren't cheap, the rooms claiming to be more haunted sell for the most, including the room King stayed in, now dubbed the "Stephen King room" on their website. And you know what, they sell out quickly. I've noticed a few of the businesses the ghost hunters check out are abandoned buildings turned Halloween attractions, and truth of the matter is, the thought of an actual haunted Halloween attraction is a lot more appealing than, say, a room full of people in scary clown make-up.
They Have to Stay Entertaining
Think of this, would you watch a show where guys go into a building and absolutely nothing happens? I don't think anyone would, especially if you were looking for something scary and exciting. Truth is, they are going to find something creepy, otherwise there is no episode. I read one article, whether it was real or not, about how the Ghost Adventures team were dedicated to keeping it as real as possible at the beginning of the show, but over time, and with the growth in popularity of ghost hunting shows, the network needed them to keep people entertained, and thus the over acting and the potentially fabrication, and you can see the difference. Watching an episode even from season 3 is a lot calmer and maybe even slightly more educational than those of season 15. What really drew the line for me was this seasons "Halloween Episode" where the Ghost Adventures team claimed to have the REAL Annabelle doll our of it's case. The rules of the doll have always been very strict, hardly ever coming out of the case, and even when being handled, the owners dose their hands in holy water and wear gloves. But of course, Zak had to touch the doll, causing a lot of controversy and doubters about whether that truly was the real doll or not.
A lot of the "evidence" they find can be easily fabricated. A shadow on the wall could be from a cast member, an orb could be a fleck of dust hitting the light at just the right angle, and those creepy sounds, as stated below, can be simply put, the house is old and settling.
All in all, there is no clear proof YET about whether these shows are fake or not, until someone comes forward with some real evidence. In my opinion, I think they are fake, but still a viable source of entertainment. Even horror movies that say "based on a true story" are made to sound better and more exciting than they actually were, because in the end, entertainment is what sells, ghosts sell. Until I see some real clear proof, or see something for myself, I'll continue to be a skeptic. Let me know down below whether you think ghosts are real, or if you think these shows are real or not. Thanks for reading, and shout out to Baileyyrosee for the spooky layout.
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