by Karen Frazier, Managing Editor
Paranormal Underground Magazine

Boy is there a lot of paranormal television out there. Yep – what was and has been a lifelong passion for many of us has become the latest hot trend. Gone (for now) are the days when the paranormal was the realm of the paranormal enthusiast. Now people who have never had any interest in the paranormal are seeing it as their rainmaker. Or their way to become stars. Or their get rich quick scheme.

That’s probably why everything seems like a copy of everything else. Ghost Hunters clones. Ghost Adventures clones. A Haunting clones. I’m pretty sure at this point I could turn on the television 24/7 and find some type of paranormal programming.

I thought it would make me happy – when I could readily find more information about the paranormal in popular media. Instead, I long for the days when the only paranormal programming was Sightings and an occasional piece on Unexplained Mysteries.

The biggest problem I see? That most of this new crop of shows does one thing – perpetuates myths – without ever truly seeking answers. And it’s given rise to trend chasers – those who go out and copy what they see on television.

In my opinion, the worst of the lot thus far has been Extreme Paranormal. I made it through half of a single show before I had to stop watching, and I can only hope that people are smart enough to not copy what they saw on that little bit of dreck. And yet, I would imagine that, even as I write this, someone is considering (or already has) cutting themselves in the name of summoning ghosts.

Imagine that you are a ghost – quietly living out your remaining time in this plane. Occasionally someone might come along and attempt to communicate with you. But then, one day, the parade of people trampling through your location becomes endless. And aggressive. And foul mouthed. And mean. I know that if this started happening in my home I’d either move or hide behind my front door armed with a garden hose and my taser.

Everyone should be able to pursue their interests. Everyone also has a right to peaceful enjoyment of their home. They have a right to be treated with kindness, courtesy and respect. Ghosts are no different. And yet they have become attractions – animals in zoos that people come by and gape at. Only, instead of being behind protective glass, it is as if the ghosts are zoo animals in some bizarre zoo where the patrons come through and poke at them with sticks, demand they interact and hurl insults if they don’t.

While we don’t know for sure what ghosts are, there are many who suspect that ghosts are human consciousness minus the body. I’m pretty sure that if my consciousness lived on, I would still have the same feelings and emotions that I do now. I would have the same intelligence. I would have the same capacity for hurt. I would have the same desires for privacy and interaction that I do right now. And I would hope that when people did come to interact with me, they would do so in an attempt at honest, clear and respectful communication.

One of the first things I taught my children and have continued to emphasize throughout their lives is that they need to treat people they way that they wish to be treated. Sort of a simplified Golden Rule (I got rid of the “do untos”). From a very young age, they understood this, and for the most part, I see them try to do just that. Perhaps there should also be a Golden Rule for ghost hunters. How would you like to be treated in the hereafter? How would you like to be treated today if someone came into your home because they were curious about you? Surely, if a five year old can understand this concept, a grown up can.

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