I do love a good ghost hunting show, and the more over the top the better. The formula is always the same, a group of people who get together and investigate a supposedly haunted location, usually loaded up to the gills with high tech equipment. Some of them lean towards the scientific explanations with lots of talk of EM readings and the like, while others go for more spiritual explanations and tend to focus on what psychics have to say. But I don't care which angle they take, I love them all!
Paranormal State isn't the best (that'd be Ghosthunters), and it certainly isn't the worst (Most Haunted, hands down), but it's a good, solid mix of science and psychics and they're not above drawing some pretty far fetched conclusions. Hell, they'll actually link a death from miles away to their haunting just because the story is interesting and the photos look good. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story, as they say!
But as much as I love them, it doesn't stop me from freaking out after watching a few episodes. Suddenly ever creak of the floor boards, every rustle of the trees outside, every twitch of the cat's tail all signalled the arrival of some demon coming to drag me away. I couldn't even bring myself to put my feet down off the couch in case some unseen boogie monster reached out from underneath and grabbed hold of me!
I'm well aware of the fact that there's no ghostly activity in my place (it's a bit of a dead zone as far as ghosts go), but it was a little hard to convince myself of that when I'd just finished watching a bunch of investigators running around in huge manor houses, getting tapped on the shoulder all over the place, and recording EVP like it was going out of style. By the end of the three hours I was ready to hide under my doona with my stuffed dog ... if only I could make myself get off the couch!
It ended up taking a liberal dose of Disney (I went with Tangled) before I felt up to tackling the long walk to the light switch, and I'm happy to report no ghosties or ghoulies got me on the way.
At least not this time.
Half the time I think those ghost hunters scare themselves for no good reason.
ReplyDeleteOf course there's a good reason, entertaining me :D
DeleteI'm a fan of psychological horror films from time to time, but the last time I watched Dark Water, I had a hard time taking a shower for about a month afterward. Rationality is no help with occasional ghost-related paranoia!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely none at all! I mean, I know rationally that nothing will happen to me if I close my eyes in the shower to wash my hair, but it doesn't stop me from making sure my back is to the wall when I do it.
DeleteI'm way too chicken to watch such shows. I applaud your bravery! Although, Hard Core Pawn can be a little scary sometimes.
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree with you. Those guys are terrifying!
DeleteI never watch those shows alone, and definitely not after dark! Did you watch the Paranormal Activity Movies? dull in many parts, but still had some"scream, get me a pillow to cover my face, turn on all the lights i want my mama" moments.
ReplyDeleteI watched the first one in the cinema, and just about crapped myself at the end.
DeleteA big 'ello from deepest darkest Cornwall. Although we have lots of ghosts and ghouls around, alas we have none 'in house'. Looking forward to reading more about you. Mr and Mrs M
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by :D
DeleteI should write a whole post about this story, but basically, I supposedly have an old guy ghost living in my house. Makes sense, as my house is 150 years old. I can't watch those shows at my house, or even say such things out loud because I'm afraid it will make my ghost guy want to make himself known. Ooh, I get the heeby-jeebies just thinking about it. AND, I do believe a bar in town was on Paranormal. It was on one of those shows. I just happened to be at the bar the night before the episode was on, not knowing anything about it when I went. Creepy, creepy stories of the ghosts in the place. I'm done. I need to go watch Disney and get this out of my head.
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely write a post about it! I'd love to read it!
DeleteLOL, that is exactly why I don't watch those kinds of shows. I can't even sit through 5 minutes of an episode and not get freaked out about every little noise!
ReplyDelete<3 Dana @ This Silly Girl's Life
LOL! I love scaring the bejezus out of myself.
DeleteI love watching these shows. No, to be precise, I love loading up on dark rum and generally shooting peanut gallery comments at the TV. Even still, not matter how much I believe that the entire show is one gigantic ball of theater and hooey, I still end up jumping at every little noise. Well played Ghost show, well played.
ReplyDeleteThey are particularly awesome after a couple of glasses of wine.
DeleteOur son is thirty-two and has been looking for the right woman for some time. Lately he seems to be interested in one particular young lady. When we asked about her he said she's really great...except for one thing. She sees dead people. I kid you not!
ReplyDeleteWow, he's in love with a medium? That'll make for an interesting life!
DeleteWell now, that was a twist I wasn't expecting Stephen! Let's hope she isn't a drama queen like all the boys on these shows tend to be. :-)
DeleteI had a similar experience but instead of watching ghost shows, I listened to a lot of 70's music and my dreams ended up being a psychedelic LSD trip. For me the scariness of ghost shows, not even the ghost hunter shows, but like those pseudo-documentaries about haunted places, all depends on the deepness of the narrator's voice.
ReplyDeleteOh, I absolutely agree! You can make or break a show by how serious and deep voiced the host is.
DeleteNever, ever go for a real life "Ghost Tour" at Port Arthur!!! Woooooooooooooo
ReplyDeleteReally? Is it that good? I must admit I always kind of wanted to visit Tasmania for the ghost tours, everyone says they're some of the best!
DeleteI wrote a post about these types of shows this morning to go on my blog in a couple of days time. Obviosly great minds think alike. ;)
ReplyDeleteThey are great, aren't they! Nothing like a straight shot of adrenalin.
DeleteLOL! You're funny. But there are times that I'm creeped out by a show I watch....like Dr Who and the Weeping Angels episodes. Don't blink!
ReplyDeleteOh god, the Weeping Angels scare the bejezus out of me! There's just something so sinister about the idea that when you look away, they move. It's like Horror 101.
DeleteMy goodness, are the people who present these shows in a permanent adrenaline exhausted state? Every normal sound which occurs in an old house at night sends them off in a paroxysm of extacy..."It's a non-recurring ectoplasmic materialsisation"
ReplyDeleteNope, sorry, it's a sewer pipe gurgle.
The best book I've read on the whole topic is "The attack of the unsinkable rubber ducks" by Chris Brookmyre. Increadibly funny.
LOL! Very true. A lot of the time they're really reaching for a ghostly explanation when it's pretty obvious that the noise came from them moving the chair.
DeleteLol Kellie, you had me mentally gasping at your first sentence: 'Nooo, don't do that!' (It's like watching the girl in a movie go down into the creepy old basement with a candle in a black-out because she heard some sounds that shouldn't be there - You know that this is going to be a bad idea! :)
ReplyDeleteYou brought back childhood memories of me being similarly terrified that my foot would be grabbed by whoever was hiding under the bed/couch! I haven't felt like that for a while.. Thank goodness for Disney! :)
(It was nice to have you stop by our Blog Kellie :)
Oh, if I was in a scary movie I'd totally be that girl who everyone is yelling at to not go into the basement!
DeleteI do the exact same thing! I love watching scary stuff, but when it's at night, then I am completely freaked out. I just watched a new scary tv show and needed to go int he basement to switch my laundry afterward, but there was no way in heck I was going down there! I always picture an old lady ghost down there and I don't want to meet her!
ReplyDeleteI do exactly the same thing! I think to myself "Jeez, I wonder what I'd do if I saw the ghost of an old man in the corner over there" and the next thing you know, I've convinced myself that if I look over there, I'll see him!
DeleteI like spooky stuff, but then I'm very jumpy, every little noise freaks me out! LOL
ReplyDeleteBut that's the fun of it, I think. The adrenalin rush, the hair standing up on your arms.
DeleteMy husband and I once spent an entire Saturday watching the first 2 seasons on netflix. Needless to say, he had to go to the potty with me. Because, if a ghost was to attack, it would obviously be when I am at my least brave. And I would need Eddie there for someone to throw at said ghost as a distraction. True story.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is why I like dogs better than cats. All 3 of my dogs happily accompanied me to the bathroom as well. My cats were all "Eff you... I hope you die in there." Jerks.
Hugs!
Valerie
LOL! It's important to have someone to accompany you when you think you're being haunted. You need someone you can jump behind and yell "Take him! He doesn't believe in ghosts, I know how much you spooks hate that!"
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