CalPara Research – HOW PARANORMAL USED TO BE

Please understand that the paranormal field is greatly different than it was when we first began.

When we started in 2006, there were perhaps only two or three paranormal shows on television, and paranormal investigation was not something people openly talked about. It was often treated as a strange sideshow, and many people were uncomfortable even acknowledging the possibility of spirits or unexplained phenomena.

Over the next several years, there was a sudden explosion of paranormal television programs. We were fortunate enough to appear as guests on a few of those shows ourselves. The increased exposure helped change the public conversation. People became more willing to consider the possibility that there might be something worth studying and investigating when it comes to spirits and unexplained experiences.

Unfortunately, as the popularity of the paranormal grew, fame and fortune increasingly became guiding forces. Many programs became more excessive and sensationalized. What had begun, in many cases, as an attempt to explore the unknown gradually became focused more on entertainment, suspense, and thrill-seeking.

That shift has had consequences.

People have been given misleading ideas about what is—or is not—paranormal, what constitutes meaningful evidence, and how unexplained experiences should be approached. At the same time, countless websites and social-media pages began repeating information simply because they found it somewhere else online. In many cases, claims were copied and pasted without checking their original source, context, or accuracy.

The result is a tremendous amount of misinformation circulating throughout the paranormal community.

And that may ultimately be more harmful than helpful.

Studying the paranormal should not be about creating the scariest story, producing the most dramatic reaction, or convincing people that every unexplained event must have a supernatural explanation. There is a significant difference between experiencing something we cannot explain and proving what caused it.

Please be aware of the ONSLAUGHT of paranormal groups that we have witnessed popping up during the last two decades.  Many last only a month or two – once they find out that paranormal research requires a respecting mindset that is way beyond ghost hunting/thrill-seeking. It used to be difficult to find any team near your home.  Now, it’s difficult to find any team that has been actively progressing longer than two years.

After nearly two decades in this field, we believe there is value in approaching paranormal experiences with curiosity, respect, skepticism, and an openness to possibilities—while also being willing to say, “We don’t know.”

Sometimes, not knowing is the most honest answer one can give.