Paranormal State Exposed
By
Kirby Robinson
&
Lisa Maliga
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 by Kirby Robinson & Lisa Maliga
A revised, updated and expanded edition
Dedication:
"The fact that Buddha always advocated reason over blind acceptance indicates that his doctrine is founded on truth not fiction. The more we analyze a superstition or a falsity, the weaker becomes our belief in it, whereas the more we investigate truth, the stronger our belief becomes." The Dalai Lama
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy, Chapter 4 verse 7
Praise for our previous book: "Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State"
"To his credit, Robinson offered all those involved with the show the opportunity to tell their side of it. Most declined. The book covers all 5 seasons and Robinson suggests the reader watch DVDs of the show. And that is a very good suggestion. By using the book as a guide, the viewer will not miss anything that Robinson points out. Whether or not the reader will enjoy this book depends on his, or her, interest in the television series Paranormal State. Fans of the show will no doubt find this book invaluable and eye-opening."
Janice Oberding, Author and Paradacity Radio Show Host
"If you're a fan of paranormal shows on television, any of them, or a fan of critical thinking, you too will enjoy the expert critical analysis the authors bring to bear on the show Paranormal State. This book will blow you away…The authors do a masterful job of breaking the television show Paranormal State down show by show, segment by segment, scene by scene, revealing that which almost everybody misses consciously. Amazing."
Steve H., Claranormal
Chapter 7 – Your Words Come Back to Haunt You
Chapter 8 – Para-Celebrities Respond
Chapter 9 – A Response to Our Detractors
Acknowledgements:
Shannon Sylvia, Kelli and Riley Ryan, Ron Tebo, Aanica, John Tenney, Paranormal State Illustrated, and Mark Johnson of the North Jersey Paranormal Research. Thank you to those confidential sources including but not limited to the following: clients, Paranormal State para-celebrities, and former PRS members.
Are you insane? Do you really want to write another book about Paranormal State? Wasn't it bad enough the first time, with all the lies, innuendos and misinformation spread about you? Wasn't once enough?
Answer: It is our job to reveal the truth. If people attempt to discourage us, it means that we are onto something. The truth doesn't cause us any suffering, but it does to those who trust a group of frauds. So let's go back to the beginning and share with the readers how it all began.
Joining MySpace in early 2008, we hosted a quickly growing and very active page, the main attraction being our blog called Shedding Some Light. We dealt with any paranormal topic, oftentimes from a Christian slant. We received lots of emails asking for information and help. We heard from a few whistle blowers concerning fakery in the paranormal field. One of the concerns was a show by the name of Paranormal State. So we started to dig around and take a closer look at the few episodes that had aired.
After wearing out a couple of VCR's due to excessive rewinding of the tapes [in order to match up the information we received], we determined that the show was heavily fictionalizing things.
In September 2008 we launched the Eye on the Paranormal and posted break-downs of each episode. There was no plan that someone would actually have the courage to come forward and publicly admit that everything was staged.
Kelli Ryan, a client of PRS featured in season 2 [you'll read her complete story later] felt used after experiencing the deceptions and distortions that Ryan, PRS, the producers, Chip Coffey and Michelle Belanger took part in. She reached out to a well known para-celebrity for help after both the network and PRS blew her off. That para-celebrity chose not to get involved and handed her off to a PRS insider to see if they could help, but couldn't. [This person had been in communication with us prior to all this]. However, it resulted in the para-celebrity giving her our MySpace email address. And like the old saying goes, the rest is history.
We interviewed her many times, exchanged emails and even hour-long phone calls. Kelli's story didn't change. We even fed back details she said in a false way and each time Kelli corrected them, bringing it back to what she had really said.
We went public with it and asked PRS for a response to engage in a civil discussion. What did we get? Nothing but ridicule and personal attacks. A para-celebrity featured on the show even leaked Kelli's home address on the internet. People began to show up at her home, threatening her and her husband so the local police had to be called several times. A couple of men showed up in the middle of the night, threatening Kelli and Riley with physical harm. Those two men wanted to harm the couple because of what Kelli was claiming occurred on ["The Messenger" episode] she was featured in. The thugs told Kelli and Riley to stop talking about Ryan, PRS and the para-celebrities.
All this over a cable TV show! Sad, huh?
At this point we felt the story was over. We did our part and moved on. But the emails kept pouring in, the rumors kept circulating and we kept being contacted by production people, former and current PRS members, clients, and even guest paranormal teams. They told us the same story: it was faked, the evidence was fake, and the team mocked the clients. There were even issues raised about some of the clergy who were in on the deceptions.
On February 17, 2011 Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State made its debut on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What we went through was nothing like what we went through with the Kelli Ryan case. There were personal attacks, not only on our character but even Kirby's macular degeneration, speech impediment, and sexuality was attacked. They resorted to nonsensical rumors as they said that only Lisa Maliga wrote the book and that she was Kirby Robinson pretending to be her and vice versa. They tried to trace our IPS to hack our systems [we use proxy servers]. No matter what, we got the truth out. We again asked for a response, a discussion of our investigation, and some type of civilized communication. There was no response. Only silence. The silence of guilt or denial?
We were done with PRS. We had other things to look at such as charges against Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, and all the so-called demon hunter groups that were popping up everywhere. Last October we got an email from an on-set production person about everything that went on during the filming of season 5. We took a close look at the one and only episode [outside of the pilot] for Paranormal State: The New Class. Frankly, we did our best to steer clear of a having to write a second book. But we couldn't avoid it because we knew the truth had to be told.
And that is what we do here--we share the truth. Read no further if you're looking for gossip as you won't find any here.
Let's also clarify that we have no vendetta against para-reality TV shows. We believe there are some good and some not so good ones out there.
Ghost Hunters and all their spin offs aren't our cup of tea but they really make no claims to help people get rid of ghosts, so we have no issues.
Ghost Adventures -- again it's not our preferred show, but they don't claim to help anyone. They just go out and do ghost hunting.
The Dead Files is a great paranormal show and we like the two leads. Amy Allan might be a little new age-y for us but you won't find any deceptions like you will with Paranormal State.
The Exorcist Files featuring Adam Blai might have been the best para-reality show of all time. Sadly, it was a victim of bad public relations. Watch the pilot and see for yourself. There are no attempts to deceive the clients or the viewers.
We ask the reader to ignore all the mudslinging that has been launched our way. Read the book with an open mind. Don't be preprogrammed to expect a smoking gun or what some call a "CSI Moment". Read, pay close attention, and watch the evidence accumulate. Then make up your own mind.
Clothing Changes and Editing: The Key to Exposing the Lies
The blind followers made much of the fact that we spent way too much time pointing out clothing changes in every episode. The consensus was that clothing changes meant nothing other than a little sloppy editing. In other words, it failed to convince them that Ryan and the PRS team intentionally or unintentionally were misleading them.
One of the allegations our critics accused us of is not being able to satisfactorily produce a smoking gun/CSI Moment. This is an invalid argument. In order to do so, we would need unrestricted access to the raw footage. Only then could we analyze if creative editing was done to remove strings from door knobs or windows. We would need to see all footage shot from all the cameras, in all the rooms where people stood, flickering lights, banging on walls, shuffling feet, etc. If we had such access, then we could do further analysis. In real life crime cases, crimes aren't often solved by just one piece of evidence but with accumulation of evidence that washes away reasonable doubt.
Other A&E shows like Hoarders, Intervention and The First 48 are docudramas that manage to follow their intended timelines.
Paranormal State is filled with misdeeds and shady conduct. Those viewers who fail to pay close attention to the details either refuse to acknowledge them or can't see them. By applying logic to watching the show you will see the fakery. They never intended to tell the truth but simply present a fictionalized story from start to finish.
Here is an episode from season 1 minus every detail except for the clothing changes to prove our point.
Season 1, Episode 6 – "Pet Cemetery"
At the case briefing, Ryan wears a black t-shirt. As we've seen, this meeting occurs prior to arriving at the scene of the case. Using logic, we presume we won't see it again.
This is now Day 1 and when Ryan arrives at the home he has on a medium blue button front shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and black dress slacks. So we should logically expect that all the scenes occurring on Day 1 will show that Ryan is wearing this shirt.
When Ryan interviews Sybil, the current homeowner, he is still wearing the dressier looking blue shirt/black slacks outfit. But in the next scene he's interviewing Gail, a former homeowner; he's wearing the same black t-shirt and black jeans worn at the case briefing. This means those scenes were not shot in the correct order of a documentary.
Also on Day 1 Ryan interviews a couple, [Erik and Rhoda] that lived in the home back in the 1980s. Now we see that Ryan is wearing a grey t-shirt and black jeans.
On Night 1 psychic/medium Chip Coffey arrives at the home wearing jeans and a long sleeved black sweatshirt. Ryan is back to wearing his medium blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
It's interesting to note that when Ryan and Chip are back in the woods looking for clues, we see that Ryan is suddenly wearing latex gloves.
An on-set source has revealed to us that the dog's body was buried on the property for the show.
Day 2 – 12:31 PM. Ryan is doing his director's log. He wears the same black t-shirt that was worn at the team briefing.
Eilfie, the occult specialist, is seen in the library wearing the same green shirt she wore at the case briefing.
Chip meets with Sybil, the client, and he's wearing a grey long sleeved sweatshirt [or heavy t-shirt] with a thin black and white horizontal stripe across the chest.
Ryan is back in his black t-shirt.
At 6:29 PM Lorraine Warren is seen wearing a long navy dress with short sleeves. Ryan is wearing his original black t-shirt.
8:02 PM and we're introduced to Fern, the neighbor. Suddenly we see Lorraine's wearing a slate blue blouse, white short sleeved sweater and long white skirt. Ryan has on his Night 1 grey t-shirt. And for a few seconds we see Chip, who has just appeared from nowhere, standing next to Lorraine. He's wearing a forest green, navy blue and burgundy tri-colored shirt. So it appears that this interview occurred on Night 1. And it's important to note that Fern is also mentioning someone named Margaret. After that one shot of Chip he disappears. Apparently, he's there long enough to get the information he needs: that of the correct name to use when doing his psychic walkthrough.
During Dead Time, we see that Ryan's back in his black t-shirt and Chip's seen in his grey shirt with that black and white stripe. Chip says: "I think there's something in the woods."
So, they dash off into the woods, holding their trusty flashlights. But wait, Ryan's not wearing the same outfit! He's back in his dressier blue shirt. Suddenly, we see he's also wearing latex gloves.
When they meet with PRS at the fire pit, everyone's in the same clothing as the first day. Notice Eilfie has on her green shirt. And Ryan's not wearing his latex gloves. But watch as he puts them on. This was shot out of order as he clearly wore them as he and Chip were heading towards the fire pit.
Now look at Dr. Ryan Buell wearing a white surgical face mask. Then we're shown the headless corpse of a dog.
Ryan rushes back upstairs to tell Lorraine about his discovery. She wears the navy dress that she had on during her Night 1 performance. But does Ryan wear his blue dress shirt that he had on when he was at the fire pit? Nope, he's casual again – it's the black t-shirt. No sign of a surgical mask and/or latex gloves, either.
We're back at the fire pit where the dog corpse is being reburied. And yes, Ryan's got his blue shirt back on again.
During the nighttime medal burying ceremony we see that Lorraine wears her white skirt and sweater with the blue blouse ensemble. Ryan is casual in his grey t-shirt.
When they return inside the house after the ceremony we see that Chip is wearing his tri-colored shirt.
Using visual cues like clothing changes shows that this episode was not shot in order. Walkthroughs weren't done as we are told, and Dead Times are not when we are informed. Most obvious of all, the questions have been answered long before the team even investigates a case.
The arguments made by the pro Paranormal State people don't hold up to the harsh light of logic. This is why such importance in pointing out clothing changes is made in almost every episode. It's not done as a style commentary, but to spell out how this show is faked, scripted and staged.
Often the strongest supporters of the show stated that all these clothing changes were merely Ryan changing his shirts and nothing more. That statement is laughable and it shows how people are so easily manipulated by television. Anyone with even a modicum of interest in scientific study should use analytical thinking. Ryan isn't switching shirts randomly as he would have no reason to change back into a dirty shirt!
Now, if you're still skeptical, let us break it down in a different fashion, showing you scenes of the episode grouped together with a focus on the three different shirts that Ryan wears. By doing this you'll see that the scenes were shot out of order. Scenes shot out of order mean this is not a "real" life documentary but a scripted reality TV show.
A] Black T-shirt
Case briefing before the start of case prior to Day 1 [prelude]
Day 1 talking to a former homeowner
Day 1 director's log for the end of Day 1
Day 2 meeting with Sybil, the current homeowner [client]
Day 2 [Night] Lorraine Warren is brought in
Day 2 [Night] Dead Time
Day 2 [Night] Lorraine is informed that Ryan's team and Chip find dog's grave
Day 2 [Night] final director's log
B] Grey T-shirt
Day 1 Ryan meets with previous homeowners [the couple]
Day 2 Ryan, Lorraine and Chip meet the neighbor
Day 2 [Night] Ryan and team bury medals in ground
C] Medium blue button front shirt
Day 1 meeting with client and tour of the home
Day 1 discussing case
Day 1 client interview
Day 1 [Night] walkthrough with Chip
Day 1 [Night] finding tombstone
Day 2 [Night] finds grave of dog
Day 2 [Night] reburies the dog
Scenes that should have taken place on different nights actually occur at the same time. A prime example is finding the headstone. Going by the show's timeline, it was the night of Day 1, and finding the grave is supposedly the night of Day 2, plus reburying the dog's body.
Knowing this we can discredit the Dead Time and Chip's channeling of the dead dog's spirit.
You can carry this further to reinforce our evidence by looking at the supporting cast's clothing [including Chip's].
You can do this with most of episodes from seasons 1 through 4. By the time we reach season 5, they started to pay closer attention to this detail after they knew of our book's forthcoming publication.
Para-Celebrities Responsibility in Questionable Actions
In our first edition we gave Chip Coffey and other psychics on the show a pass. We felt that they might, in some ways, be victims of the show's dishonesty. After all, Chip repeatedly states that he was never told anything prior to his walkthroughs.
As to the para-celebrities that appeared on the show, some also were seen on other shows produced by the same production company, namely: Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal and Paranormal State: The New Class. Those shows also have their own credibility issues.
In the first edition we separated Chip Coffey from the other para-celebrities. That was an error on our part. Yes, he was featured on seasons 1 through 3 and in two episodes on the fourth season. He left the show, claiming he had personal and professional reasons. He was a popular guest on it but that is all he was: a guest a contract player as he was never given any production credit. He was replaced by Michelle Belanger who was made an official team member.
Coffey, along with the others, state they were never given any information prior to their walkthroughs. As you will read through the pages of the book, we present evidence that can be interpreted to show otherwise. We have already seen two examples of how, if you follow the wardrobe changes, scenes weren't shot in chronological order.
Chip Coffey, Michelle Belanger, CJ Sellers, the Parry-Normals, Mark and Debby Constantino, Dr. Athena Drewes, Kim Russo and John Oliver were hired to play a role in the production. These psychics had no real control. However, if they witnessed things being faked, staged, reshot, etc., what should they do? If they have any integrity they refrain from taking part in such trickery and walk away. Don't they have a moral responsibility to the clients, the public, and to the legitimacy of their craft?
How many have done this during all five seasons of the show's existence? By the time you read up through the season 4 section in our book, you'll discover only one of the episodes Chip appeared in could we say that something was really happening. And he oversold a lot of the details, making it appear far worse than what it was. He returned to the series for Paranormal State: The New Class and was going to be the go-to psychic if that show had been picked up.
Our New Position on the Para-Clergy
When it comes to clergy featured on the show, our views have also changed. This is due to recent developments concerning Father Jim Anziano who was seen during the final season and his unbecoming conduct has come to light.
Only three ordained men of God were featured on the show.
Father Andrew Calder was only seen on two episodes of the show: "Devil in Syracuse" and "I Am Six". You may recall from our first book that we found little to be critical about in his appearance in the "Devil in Syracuse" episode. But with the "I Am Six" episode, we have major issues. Is it possible that Father Calder walked away from the show? Did he want to distance himself from the deceptions that were taking place? It's quite feasible.
Father Jim [his last name was never revealed on the credits] was seen in three episodes during season 5. You will find we have much to say about them and his conduct. Of major concern is both his credibility and if he had the spiritual authority to be doing what he was asked to do.
Father Bob Bailey was featured as the go-to priest in seasons 3 and 4, with only one appearance in the last season. Ryan has referred to Father Bob as the spiritual adviser to the PRS. In a recent conversation [via email] with Father Bob, he wrote about the standard discussion points for any criticism directed at Paranormal State.
1 Bad editing.
2 Envy towards Ryan.
3 The team had no control over the show.
We now have to ask how much did Father Bob know about what was going on? Did he take part in any of the deceptions? Yes, he did perform his priestly duties, but if he knew something was not legitimate, he should have left the show a lot sooner than he did. When he did leave it had to do with a personal dispute. As of 2012 he has returned to the position of being the spiritual advisor to PRS.
A Brief History of Reality TV
If you have a TV you are aware of the omnipresent reality show. Flick through the channels and you'll encounter scenes of sweaty people in rustic locations discussing alliances, or overweight people attempting to utilize dormant muscles. You'll stumble upon competitive cooks, models, singers, dancers, brides, and business mavens. It's available 24/7 on our TV channels, even for those without cable or satellite. You can find it on Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and many other websites. Endless hours are needed to fill these broadcasts. So they use low cost programming. What's the most attractive and cost effective type of entertainment? Reality TV.
Reality shows aren't new. Take a look at the history of radio and TV shows in America and you'll find they date back to 1948. In that year, creator and producer Allen Funt brought us the funny hidden camera show, Candid Camera. Long before there was COPS on the Fox Network, the American public tuned into a radio show that covered the daily activities of the Culver City Police Department. Game shows have always been a favorite staple for viewing whether it was The $64,000 Question [which underwent a New York Grand Jury investigation and congressional hearings to determine that the show was rigged] to Wheel of Fortune. Viewers might like their nightly dramas but they also have a desire to peek behind the curtains of their neighbors. In 1972, the ground breaking PBS show An American Family gave them such a view.
In the early 1990's the reality craze appeared on our screens, whether it was watching some drunk try to evade COPS, or witness post-teens sexual high jinks and substance abuse on MTV's The Real World.
In 2000, the European import Survivor lit the reality show fuse. Soon, every network and cable channel had to have this entertaining and inexpensive programming. There was the talent competition: American Idol. That summer we got the British import, Big Brother. Relationships are a ratings shoo-in so we were given The Bachelor and Bachelorette. Want to travel but can't afford it? See the world on your couch via The Amazing Race. Then we got: The Apprentice, Joe Millionaire, Extreme Makeover and The Biggest Loser. People were riveted by these shows and wanted more.
Producers and production companies want to make the lowest cost shows they can and sent camera crews into people's homes. Jon & Kate Plus Eight featured sextuplets and twins. The Duggars had lots of children so 17 Kids & Counting was born [they're currently up to 19]. Large families were a draw, as were people who performed jobs that didn't require them to sit behind a desk. Homage was paid to the blue collar worker as seen on: Ice Road Truckers, Dirty Jobs, American Loggers, Deadliest Catch, American Chopper and many more.
Due to the exploding numbers of available shows the competition for viewers is fierce. Viewership determines the amount of advertising dollars that a network can produce which, in turn, generates the amount of money that the producers will be paid for their programs. Reality show producers know that you can "script" a show not with the old-fashioned WGA-approved script but develop an outline that the show will follow once they learned what attracted and kept the viewers tuned in.
Yes, television had become egalitarian. Even if you worked a minimum-wage job you could get on a reality TV show and get rich quickly. Newly famous people drove expensive cars and had big bank accounts and all for just a few weeks worth of "work". Not everyone can go to Vegas and hit the jackpot, but with the advent of reality TV it can enter your life. Just play your cards right, have the right hook, be willing to bend the rules a bit -- and voila -- Vegas will come to you.
This sort of thing happened to a pair of ghost hunting Roto Rooter plumbers, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson back in 2004 when Ghost Hunters premiered on the [then] Sci Fi Channel. Hawes and Wilson were founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society [TAPS] back in the early 1990s. In Ghost Hunters, they and a small team visit private homes and historical sites and after a few nights of monitoring ghostly activity share their findings. All they went to know is if the home or site has any ghosts. They never claim they could get rid of ghosts nor do they admit to being demonologists. You won't see exorcisms performed on Ghost Hunters. The show has been so successful that it has spun off Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Hunters Academy.
Network executives are always aware of what's on other networks. The success of Ghost Hunters was noted and other networks drifted into the paranormal field. Travel Channel has Ghost Adventures and Discovery Channel had Ghost Lab, [which was recently cancelled]. The shows exist simply to prove or disprove any ghostly activity is in a building or site. Those affiliated with these shows don't make claims that they want to free the ghosts or assist people affected by ghostly activity.
A new trend began when A&E premiered Paranormal State on December 10, 2007. From the first episode, viewers were exposed to the darker side of the paranormal world as they make claims of demonic activity. The show is about a group of five students from Penn State's Paranormal Research Society [PS/PRS] led by Ryan Buell. Ryan was a journalism student who claims that as a child he had experiences with ghosts and spirits. Upon arriving at Penn State he founded the PS/PRS to help other interested students explore paranormal phenomena. This small and dedicated group had their own experiences and did amateur ghost hunts. According to Ryan, the Catholic Church brought this novice group into a case of demonic activity. But what set Paranormal State apart from all the other para-reality shows others were four things:
1 They dealt with the subject of demons, evil spirits, shadow people, etc. which other shows avoided at that time.
2 They claimed to be there to help families and individuals deal with their haunting and free them from spirit activity. No longer was paranormal programming about a group of likable folks who had an interest in ghostly activity and maybe they would or would not stumble onto something. We now had a group of people who claimed that they could bring peace to the lives of those featured on their show.
3 A psychic was brought in on almost every case.
4 Unlike other shows in which sometimes all paranormal activity was explained away by non-paranormal explanations, each case Paranormal State handled always ended with a paranormal explanation of events.
Here we note that Kirby always had an interest in the paranormal field. Like Ryan, he had an experience with spirits as a child that altered the course of his life. In the past twenty-five years Kirby has focused on the areas of demonology, helping individuals who are dealing with demonic spirits. He also assists bound spirits become unbound and move on. That is why he chose Free All Spirits for his company name as that is what he has always done and continues to do.
Originally, Kirby was an avid viewer and supporter of Paranormal State when he started watching the show. After the first few episodes aired, emails began circulating and conversations off the record ensued concerning the fact that Paranormal State was really Paranormal Staged. Former clients, para-celebrities, and members of PRS began contacting him. The stories were all based on the same theme -- Paranormal State is a "scripted" reality show. There are two reasons that conversations and emails have been strictly confidential: fear of backlashes from the paranormal community and fear of being found guilty in a civil court for violating confidentiality agreements.
To bring justice to the matter, Kirby was the one who decided to write this book, Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State.
This book doesn't contain any personal attacks. What people do in their private life is their business, not ours. We don't make innuendoes or repeat rumors. This book is a fair and balanced look at Paranormal State and the para-celebrities associated with it. Note: A para-celebrity, or para-celeb, is a famous person affiliated with the paranormal field due to their exposure on TV, radio, public speaking gigs, books, and via the Internet.
Since Paranormal State is billed as a documentary, there are no disclaimers, other than one from A&E stating that it doesn't reflect their views.
What about other reality shows? In the end credits of The Biggest Loser they indicate: "Portions of this program not affecting the outcome of the competition have been edited."
In the Gordon Ramsay reality show, Kitchen Nightmares, you'll read: "The footage shot in this program has been edited such that in places it is shown in a difference time sequence than actually shot."
Why can't A&E post a disclaimer about the editing at the beginning or end of each Paranormal State episode?
Additionally, the viewer was promised that each case that aired was one of the "most severe cases" that PRS received. Sitting in front of your TV, you would see chilling scenes like those in Exorcist or Poltergeist movies. Maybe no heads spinning 360 degrees, but expectations of seeing frightened household members and witnessing at least a hurling object or strong evidence of a haunted house.
Anything that doesn't directly relate to the show won't be here. All information is presented clearly and logically. Every single episode is scrutinized. We focus on what happens and, just as importantly, what doesn't happen. PRS claims to use scientific methods. That claim is explored. We analyze Ryan Buell's own book Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown, co-authored by Stefan Petrucha. Lastly, we use the DVDs for the first four seasons of Paranormal State in order to determine how credible this show is.
Supporting the Legitimacy of Paranormal State
1 Aren't you being nitpicky when you mention that Ryan's wearing a different outfit in the middle of a scene? Inconsistencies are chalked up to bad editing. This is a low budget show and mistakes can be made. They don't have enough people to make sure that each episode is error-free.
2 The average investigation spans 72 hours. It's hard to fit everything in and what is left out would fill in the questions that many viewers have about the show. So, there is no need to question the validity of their investigations.
3 It's a show on the ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT channel. It needs a storyline that keeps the viewers involved for the duration of each episode. Sometimes liberties have to be taken to present such a storyline.
4 Ryan and his team aren't the producers of the show. They don't have control over how the episodes are shot, edited and presented.
5 The show is not scripted in any shape or form. The team couldn't know what is going to happen when they start the case as each one is different.
6 They are scientific investigators trying to prove the existence of paranormal activity. They don't claim to be professionals or perfect. In the paranormal field they're strictly amateurs since no one can say anything with a 100% guarantee behind it.
Opposing the Legitimacy of Paranormal State
1 It is not bad editing but misleading editing. Bad editing examples can be found here: http://www.moviemistakes.com/best_pictures.php A crew member is seen in the background of a Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, or a cup changes from blue to clear in American Pie. Misleading editing is "…combined audio and video different times, or from different sets of footage, to create an artificial illusion of time chronology that did not occur, and a misportrayal of participant behaviors and actions." Wikipedia.
2 The average investigation does not last for 72 hours. The show is not filming 72 hours straight through while the team is on site. Factor in that possibly more than one Dead Time was filmed in one night, to be aired as two different nights. That is a time saver, so fewer hours would be covered in the presentation.
3 Paranormal State may claim that it's a documentary but it's not. Documentaries are intended to present things as they actually happen, not in a way that makes the storyline more exciting and intriguing. Michael Moore [Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11] might create events in his documentaries but they are not meant to fabricate a storyline as found in episodes of Paranormal State.
4 Ever since the first episode, Ryan Buell has either been a Consulting Producer or a Co-Executive Producer. He does have creative control of the show. If a producer knows the show is being presented in a false manner they can retain their integrity and walk away from it. Also, the organization he founded has the motto: "To Trust, Honor, and Always Seek the Truth."
5 In reality, the team knows quite a bit about the case before they arrive on-site. The client is required to give documentation of claims of paranormal activity, provide pictures and even blueprints of their home. They answer detailed questionnaires. A producer arrives and scouts the location; so much of what they know about the story is already planned when they get to the client's home.
6 If they were scientific investigators they would want to be able to support all the data that they collected as being legitimate. Unfortunately, they're never able to do this because Dead Times don't take place when we are told or events occur on different days than what they declare. They claim that there are no professionals or experts in the paranormal field. How is that possible?
Before we begin our analysis of Paranormal State, there are points that must be made in order to help the reader get the most out of this book. We want you to make the best informed decision as to whether you think the show is an upfront example of paranormal programming.
1 It's recommended that you have as many episodes of the program ready to view as you read this book. We will be breaking each one down. We ask you not just take our word for it, but see for yourself. Also, look at the scenes prior to and afterwards to understand the points that are being made.
If you don't own the DVDs, check with your local library. Or you can download it them via Netflix as they are available either via the mail or streaming on your TV or computer.
2 Read his book Paranormal State: My Journey Into The Unknown by Ryan Buell and Stefan Petrucha. You can find it at any bookstore or online as it's available on Kindle and Nook. Or, check to see if your local library has a copy.
Meet the Cast:
Michelle Belanger: Psychic/Medium
Ryan Buell: Founder & PRS Director
Chad Calek: Guest Investigator/Director
Chip Coffey: Psychic/Medium
Josh Light: Tech Specialist
Eilfie Music: Occult Specialist
Sergey Poberezhny: Tech Specialist
Heather Taddy: Team Documentarian/Investigator
Lorraine Warren: Demonologist/Psychic
Katrina Weidman: Interviewer/Investigator
Warning:
"These are the real stories of Penn State's Paranormal Research Society.
Each year, PRS receives hundreds of reports paranormal activity … only responding to the most severe.
This is one of those cases."
Episode 1 "Sixth Sense" – originally aired December 10, 2007.
Episode 2 "The Name" – originally aired December 10, 2007.
Episode 3 "The Devil in Syracuse" – originally aired December 17, 2007.
Episode 4 "Dark Man" – originally aired December 17, 2007.
Episode 5 "Vegas"- originally aired December 24, 2007.
Episode 6 "Pet Cemetery" – originally aired December 24, 2007.
Episode 7 "The Cemetery" – originally aired December 31, 2007.
Episode 8 "Man of the House" – originally aired December 31, 2007.
Episode 9 "Beer, Wine & Spirits" – originally aired January 7, 2008.
Episode 10 "Shape Shifter" – originally aired January 14, 2008.
Episode 11 "Paranormal Intervention" – originally aired January 21, 2008.
Episode 12 "School House Haunting" – originally aired January 28, 2008.
Episode 13 "The Haunted Piano" – originally aired February 4, 2008.
Episode 14 "Woman in the Window" – originally aired February 11, 2008.
Episode 15 "Requiem" – originally aired February 18, 2008.
Episode 16 "The Asylum" – originally aired February 25, 2008.
Episode 17 "Mothman" – originally aired March 3, 2008.
Episode 18 "Freshman Fear" – originally aired March 10, 2008.
Episode 19 "The Knickerbocker" – originally aired March 17, 2008.
Episode 20 "The Sensitive" – originally aired March 24, 2008.
Episode 1 "Sixth Sense" [Pilot]
Paranormal State begins as Ryan and the team takes on a case concerning a young boy named Matthew Seighman. Shelley, his mother, claims her son is being visited by two non human entities and a human entity. This has caused a disruption within the family.
We notice the first act of creative editing as the team heads to the site of the case. A voice-over plays while Ryan drives. Two things don't match. Go to the following link: http://www.aetv.com/paranormal-state/video/index.jsp?bcpid=1426748867&bclid=1426326200&bctid=1425089427
It's entitled Paranormal State: PRS…Off The Clock 2. At the beginning of this brief promo trailer you'll hear Ryan and Sergey discussing Darth Vader and not the upcoming case. Now, watch the "Sixth Sense" episode and at the DVD TIMELINE 2:28 mark you can tell that Ryan's voice-over doesn't match. In actuality, this is the same scene where we are told that Ryan was calling the family. Also, listen carefully to the sound quality of Ryan's voice-over compared to Shelley's voice-over. This appears to be splicing of two different phone calls or Ryan simply acted as if he was calling and they took Shelley's voice from a different call.
One thing that the team did not tell us is that Ryan met Matthew prior to the filming. Notice Shelley at the window with her son watching the team arrive. She says, "Remember the man you talked to.” Apparently, there has been interaction between Matthew and Ryan in person.
Observe the interview between Ryan and Shelley on Day 1. Then note the interview on Day 2. Notice anything different? Nope. Because Ryan, Shelley are all sitting the same way in the same location on the bed and the light and shadows in the room are exactly the same. How likely is it that to occur?
Eilfe and another team member interview a neighbor by the name of James Testa. James is credited with finding Timmy's body in the woods after being missing for several weeks. The truth is that a woman walking her dog in the woods found Timmy's body.
When Ryan is chasing down an interview he claims he is with "Penn State". This implies that he works for the university or is a representative. Neither is true.
Ryan claims that Matthew selected Timmy's image from a photo to get a piece of proof that he is a sensitive and is seeing the spirit of Timmy. Take a look at the photo. Out of the 16 people 8 are women and 8 are men. Matthew points to Timmy and says that it's him. Is he saying, “That one” as a clear statement? Or does he say, "That one" as a question?
Dead Time is introduced to the viewing public. Ryan claims that this is the anti-hour, the exact opposite time of Christ's death. Spirits are the most active during this alleged anti-hour. There is very little logic to back up such a claim. It suggests that spirits are ruled by the time zones they are in. Or maybe the time zones they're not in. Or neighboring time zones? Do they observe daylight savings time and show up earlier or later or get confused in the spring and fall? Perhaps they will find this helpful: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/
But Ryan has established this so-called Dead Time and from 3 AM to 4 AM. Ryan conducts it inside the Seighman home and part of the team is off in the woods quite a distance away where Timmy's body was found. They are told to report back to base. Apparently the members of the PRS team are fleet of foot as Eilfie is able to cover the distance and have a meeting with Adam and Ryan by 4:08 AM as indicated in the scene.
Note on the activity of Dead Time. Did Timmy's spirit show up? No. Was Matthew bothered by any spirit? No. Who was the spirit interested in? Adam -- the psychologist. Adam has knowledge about the spirits and has become a respected demonologist within the Catholic Church.
Reviewing the evidence gathered during Dead Time we see from the laptop's screen which was running the EVP program and the time is 11:52 PM.
Near the end of the episode, Adam is performing a house blessing. Does the demon/spirits show any interest in Matthew? Mr. and Mrs. Seighman? Ryan? No, only Adam.
Two weeks later the team returns for a follow up. Pay close attention to the outfits that everyone is wearing. Notice that everyone wears the same clothing they had on when they arrived at the Seighman's home.
Paranormal Evidence Tally
1 Claims of Paranormal Activity: The family claimed that their son was seeing non-human as well as humanlike entities in the house. He couldn't sleep at night and the parents were concerned about the child's safety.
2 Proof of Paranormal Activity: None, outside of the incident with the demon interacting with Adam and Ryan. The demon never showed any interest in anyone other than Adam.
3 Accuracy of Psychic: Not applicable.
4 Ryan Buell's Producer Credit: Consulting Producer
5 Demon Count: 1
Episode 2 "The Name"
This episode begins an arc that encompasses two other episodes, "The Devil in Syracuse" and "The Dark Man," that deals with supposed direct or indirect demonic activity. Both "The Name" and "The Devil in Syracuse" were shot at the same time. The team began filming "The Name", and then they left that site and started filming "The Devil in Syracuse," left the Syracuse people hanging, and returned to the site of "The Name" and completed that episode. They returned to New York to finish "The Devil in Syracuse."
We meet a family dealing with paranormal issues. However, this family has problems when it comes to marriages/relationships prior to the haunting. The family is made up of Jodi, a single mother, and Nate, her teenage son. She has gone through divorce and separation leaving her son without a father figure. Their new home has some kind of supposed spirit activity but we never get any indication of what type of activity is haunting them. Paranormal State advertises that these cases are “the most severe” but watch and see what type of "severe" activity unfolds in this episode.
When the team arrives make a note of their clothing. It seems that Nate is the only one who wears the same clothing. Ryan, Jodi and the therapist, Jamie Hernandez, appear to have frequent wardrobe changes. We are also told that Ms. Hernandez is a trained therapist. Her skills must be astonishing as she does two complete psychological interviews in less than one hour. Nor are we are given an indication that Ms. Hernandez is trained in the paranormal field. Nate explains to her the paranormal activity they've experienced in the home yet none occurs while the team is there.
Before the interviews with the therapist occur, we are informed by Ryan that Jodi stated to him that she had just cut off communication with both Nate's biological father and adopted father. Later in the episode, we're going to learn that this is a false statement.
Ryan is shown photocopies of stories revealing that there was a mass murder several years ago. He is shocked to learn such information. Don’t you think that this information would have been provided to PRS before their arrival? Coincidentally, there just happens to be a graveyard across the street and it’s a big shock that the murder victims are buried there.
We are led to believe that the murders happened on the property and the spirits are unable to move on from there. The murders never happened in that area. In fact, they didn't even happen in the Eastern part of the United States, but in the state of North Dakota. Ryan knew this, he had the story right in front of him, and his team is shown at a local library doing research on the murder. Do they know that the family is buried right across the street? But Ryan does not learn this, or so we are told, and they are sent to find the graves.
We're introduced to psychic/medium Chip Coffey. He does a psychic walkthrough and does an excellent job of picking up on the family dynamics that is taking place within the home. But some odd things start to come up in his reading that could possibly suggest that part of, if not all, the walkthrough happened after we see the Dead Time. He talks about the spirit of a little girl. In a previous reference to spirit activity in the home, when it came to children, it was always multiple children and not just one child. Also, he starts talking about demons and no reference was made to demonic activity until after the Dead Time.
Ryan meets with Jodi and talks about the team performing Dead Time. He says it's not a séance but notice that when Dead Time unfolds that's exactly what takes place.
Suddenly the activity picks up. Chip writes a name on a piece of paper and hands it to Ryan and the name just happens to be of a demon that Ryan just happens to have been thinking about. And this demon just happens to be one of the top demons, and it just happens to be a demon that Ryan tangled with while he was conducting an exorcism for the Catholic Church two years ago.
We don't see the name written on the paper. Why not? A&E can repeatedly jumble the six letters of the name across the screen. The demon's name is Belial and is known for being a master of lies. Sorry folks, over at PRS and Paranormal State, you can shout the name of a demon off the top of a mountain if he’s not interested in coming after you it will not come. Just think of the name in your head and if the demon wants to come around you, it will. Eilfie, who is the "occult specialist," hints that she might have heard the name. Anybody that’s studied demonology 101 would be very familiar with this particular name.
Then we're told that the sound of footsteps can be heard in the house. Very heavy footsteps made by a very small girl. Sergey, the tech specialist says, "The bathroom door opens." Really? Because the shot they share with us comes from a future episode entitled "Dark Man." Wrong house, wrong episode. This wasn't even the door of a bathroom but of a basement door.
At 5:18 AM Ryan decides to call Lorraine Warren into the case. She must've been ready because she arrives on the site by 6:09. When she and Ryan sit down and talk, Ryan makes the following statement concerning the events at Dead Time: "When we were up in the dining room the medium said I got a name from this thing. So I said can you write it down?" Go to DVD TIMELINE - 13:11. Watch what happened during Dead Time and ask yourself is that how things happened?
Lorraine does a walkthrough and does a very adequate job on picking up the dysfunction between mother and son. Notice she's prodded to bring up the demonic – but she never does. She then interviews Jodi, who totally contradicts what Ryan had previously said about her cutting off Nate's dads when she says that both men walked out of Nate's life.
It's 6:18 AM meaning that Lorraine's walkthrough, interview with Ryan and clients all took place in approximately one hour. Ryan calls a priest that early in the morning and the priest agrees to council Nate and Jodi. There's no reference that the Catholic Church was taking this as a demonic case.
Lorraine informs Jodi that she really has to be thankful that a priest is going to come and bless her home. Where did this information come from? It's not difficult to ask a man of God to come and bless your home.
Suddenly it's 6:31 AM, meaning that Lorraine's final client interview and goodbyes to Ryan is done in less than 13 minutes.
Finally, Ryan makes an additional statement concerning the murders that took place at the home, yet once again; he would have to know that this was false. This voice-over was added much later in post production. If Ryan was attempting to deal only with the truth, he would have had time and the ability to correct the misinformation that was being presented to the viewer, but he chose not to.
Paranormal Evidence Tally
1 Claims of Paranormal Activity: The family claimed that purple letter X's were seen, people were touched, and children's' voices could be heard.
2 Proof of Paranormal Activity: None. No voices were ever heard, no purple X's were seen, and no one was touched outside of claims made by Chip and Jodi.
3 Accuracy of Psychics: Lorraine: 10. She picked up on the family's dysfunctions.
Chip: 5 as he did pick up on the family's dysfunctions but it's questionable on the demonic references. One has to ask if that part of the walkthrough occurred after the filming of Dead Time?
4 Ryan Buell's Producer Credit: Consulting Producer
5 Demon Count: 0
February 1, 2012 UPDATE!
Posted to Chip Coffey's Face Book page on January 2, 2012 at 1:34 PM
"I took this photo on the day that I filmed my very first episode of Paranormal State back in January, 2007. Has it really been almost 5 years ago?!?"
Due to copyright law, we are unable to include Chip Coffey's actual photograph of the cemetery. But if you view his public Face Book page and go back to the above date, you should see it.
This post by Mr. Coffey raises issues that bring into question his claims that he arrives only moments prior to his walkthrough. He says that until the walkthrough he knows nothing about where the case is or the fact that he hasn't been on the property beforehand.
You can go back and read about the events before Chip's arrival. Ryan claims Chip just got there and knows nothing about the case. If his walkthrough was done at the time they state, then Mr. Coffey would have to have gone back to the cemetery on the second day and taken those gravestone photos. Or was he telling the truth when he wrote: "I took this photo on the day that I filmed my very first episode of Paranormal State back in January, 2007." If so, he'd been there for the duration of the investigation, therefore he knew everything about the case already.
Episode 3 "The Devil in Syracuse"
Teena and Raymond and their two children make claims of paranormal activity in their trailer.
After repeatedly viewing this episode, we found far fewer errors and issues with this one compared to any of the others. But we have a few items that we need to address. There are some voice-overs added in the beginning of the episode during the initial case briefing. There appear to be a few scenes shot out of sequence after the team arrives. We wanted to find a genuine case handled properly, but are unable to explain away the crosses that invert themselves when there is no camera to capture this. If this was caught on film, wouldn't it be explicit proof of paranormal/demonic activity?
Paranormal Evidence Tally
1 Claims of Paranormal Activity: Family claims they were being attacked and the spirit was disrupting harmony within the family.
2 Proof of Paranormal Activity: Yes. We do see a person that has been tainted by a demon and prayers being said over him, which were effective.
3 Accuracy of Psychic: 10. Chip Coffey does pick up on the demonic activity that has been reported in the trailer.
4 Ryan Buell's Producer Credit: Consulting Producer
5 Demon Count: 1
Episode 4 "Dark Man"
"The Dark Man" episode concerns a family on a small farm in Pennsylvania. They had two sons. Chris, the youngest son, died of a drug overdose due to the presence of the Dark Man, an entity he had been aware of since the age of 5. It seems that the Dark Man has also been terrorizing the family in their dreams, with paranormal activity, and is holding the son from crossing over.
The good investigation skills that the team used in "The Devil in Syracuse" episode aren't seen here. This was a case of a family grieving an unfortunate death of a son due to a tragic drug overdose. It's easier to place the blame on a paranormal entity and transfer the cause of death from being an accident and change it to a suicide.
There was one prevalent question that kept bothering us every time this episode was viewed. If the son had been complaining about the presence of the dark man from the age of five until his death, why didn't the family ever do anything about eliminating the entity from their property?
The first Dead Time we are told by Ryan is at 3 AM. Again, he shares the 3 AM anti-hour business. But notice at the DVD TIMELINE 8:05 mark it's not at 3, or 2 or even 1 AM, but 11:58 PM. It lasts till 12:38—just over 30 minutes. During the Dead Time nothing happens but as it's called to an end suddenly a light goes on in the hallway. What causes that and why don't we see an actual video feed of that hallway?
Psychic/medium CJ Sellers does a phone reading. First, Ryan talks to CJ at just past 8 PM, and then has the time to put on a sweatshirt. He removes it before talking to her at 9:10 PM. Interesting to note during the reading, CJ says "yesterday." Why did that word get used when Ryan didn't contact her until that evening?
Dead Time #2 is supposedly at 3 AM. Not so. Notice on DVD TIMELINE 14:45 mark we learn that it began at 12:00 AM.
Little happens during the second Dead Time until Josh asks the spirit to make a rapping noise. What we hear isn't a rapping noise but something being knocked over. Is this proof of paranormal activity? Well, we're shown by PRS's own monitor a time of 12:03 AM. Yet in the previous scene on the same monitor we see that it is 12:17 AM.
The next day Ryan talks about all the activity they experienced during Night 2 of Dead Time yet we really have to ask if anything happened?
Kudos to Ryan and PRS for bringing in a grief counselor to assist Helen in getting over the loss of her son.
As Helen was a care giver and a foster mom, did that have anything to do with the issues at hand? Did they investigate that aspect at all?
Sadly, Helen passed away on May 23, 2009. Here is her obituary:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/obituaries/?mode=view&obit_id=172650
Paranormal Evidence Tally
1 Claims of Paranormal Activity: The family reported spirit activity inside the house and some form of menacing Dark Man spirit roaming the property.
2 Proof of Paranormal Activity: Nothing.
3 Accuracy of Psychic: We can't rank psychic accuracy from CJ Sellers' phone reading due to the term "yesterday" that she used in the conversation with Ryan.
4 Ryan Buell's Producer Credit: Consulting Producer