How to Know when to Believe Reality Show Ghost Stories

Paranormal reality shows have become so entertaining that they're popping up everywhere. Their popularity stems from the many experiences that people claim to have with the supernatural. Though you can't believe everything you hear and see on television, some stories do have the "shudder" of truth. What is it about some ghost tales that make them more believable than others?

"The hair on my neck stood up."

I'm certain this is indeed a real sensation. But that everyone uses these exact words seems odd and contrived. Assuming that many different phrases could be used to describe this feeling, wouldn't people have varying words to explain it? People aren't necessarily lying when they say that the "hair on their neck/arms/back" stood on end. But the power of suggestion is stronger than most people realize. Merely being told that a place you're visiting is haunted could provoke the same effect.

Mists, shadows, and full-bodied apparitions are staples of scary ghost stories. And while we might not disbelieve everything we hear, it's hard to accept that all the occurrences are true. But something changes when the story includes experiences that only one person could have. These are the experiences that it would be difficult to make up because they are either too strange or too specific to a person's circumstances.

On an episode of "Most Terrifying Places in America" a woman employed at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado described an instance where "something" pushed her; she fell and slid across the floor. She asked if any other employees had heard her scream. Indeed they did. But they also reported hearing laughter following the scream. It was at that point they realized they weren't alone in the hotel. The incident is scary enough. Although she could be feeding us a line, the details of the story seem too specific for her to have made up.

"I was a skeptic."

Have you ever noticed that the beginning of most ghost stories includes at least one person who firmly denounces the presence of spirits? They don't believe in ghosts and never will…that is, until they see them with their very eyes. The best way to convince people of paranormal phenomena is to bring a reformed non-believer into the picture. Lots of people who have seen ghosts feel that way at first. But the declaration falls on deaf ears when it becomes a mantra of reality television.

If you are an avid follower of all things supernatural, then you've probably seen your fair share of reality shows dedicated to the topic. As such, some haunted locations have been featured on multiple shows. It's generally easier to believe a thing when people completely unrelated to each other witness some of the same incidents. Famously haunted venues wouldn't make headlines if all the talk were based on urban legend. Seeing hundreds with the same opinion gives the stories credibility.

Most people will admit that they can "feel" when another person has entered the room, even if they can't see him/her. But these paranormal reality shows always feature people (often psychics) who "feel an energy…" But what does that really mean? Vague and generic responses to supposed paranormal activity are pretty hard to believe. We sort of know what people mean when they talk about energies floating around. But a more precise explanation would probably give credence to the claim.

You don't necessarily have to believe in ghosts to have an experience with one. Incidents recounted under everyday conditions are usually the ones that seem most plausible. In general, paranormal reality shows are successful because execs know that proving ghosts don't exist is much harder than proving that they do.


SOURCES:

www.travelchannel.com

www.syfy.com

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