So, let me start off this article by telling you this much: My wife and I watched the entire  series, all 83 episodes, and we quite enjoyed the ride.

Now, is Paranormal State fake or not, you decide.

The Ghost Hunting Trend

Paranormal State was a show that began in December of 2007 and ran on A&E for the full duration of its six seasons. Paranormal State was a docudrama following Ryan Buell and the Pennsylvania State University Paranormal Research Society, a student-led college club, as they investigated allegedly haunted locations.

Each episode, the team would have a case; usually one sent in by someone needing their assistance with something paranormal. The team would have their pow-wow before heading off toward their next adventure.

Each episode would have a revolving cast of Ryan’s PRS members and, if the situation called for it, a medium. In January of 2011, Ryan announced on his blog that the show had been canceled and that his crew should pursue other things.

The Truth Comes Out

Now, it wasn’t until the show had ended that things became very interesting for Ryan Buell, none of it supernatural or paranormal in any way. Ryan Buell continued on his paranormal work, but this time promoting a touring show called, Conversations with the Dead.

The leader showed a film that he had made there, and would generally answer questions from the audience. The problem is, he didn’t pay people the way he was supposed to. For example, Chip Coffey, a friend of Buell’s and one of the primary mediums called on the Paranormal State show.

Coffey reported that Buell had never paid him for his upcoming appearance on the tour, owing him more than 80 thousand dollars. When this story broke, others surfaced as well. Friends of Buell reported that their experiences on the show were faked, that incidents that seemed to be genuine had been staged for rating purposes.

As of now, A&E has no desire to bring the show back, nor its cast, and have distanced themselves from Ryan Buell, who has now served time for several charges. Even on social media, those that were closest to Buell have pulled away from him, publicly calling him a liar, and someone in need of professional help.

Sad Ending

It saddens me a great deal, all of these allegations have shown up in the last 5 or 6 years, something I have personally followed since I was a fan of the show. Now, I understand that most, if not all, of these ghost hunter style shows, will fake something to help boost their ratings, but, does that mean its necessary to go down Buell’s path, maybe it couldn’t be helped. I don’t know, maybe it was a side effect of cancer he had fought for years.

However, one thing I do know, all of his friends and colleagues have pulled away from him, including the infamous Lorraine Warren, who publicly said she wished him well and hoped to see him again once his issues had been resolved.

Currently, Paranormal State is not streaming on any digital services, there is a DVD set for the first couple of seasons, but that’s about it. Your best bet is to find it on Youtube if you happen to want to watch it.

Edward Hale