by Tom Stewart

Created on: November 20, 2009

It certainly seems there has been a recent increase in paranormal and supernatural activities. Local and national news programs and newspapers have been reporting on things like ghosts, spirits, and haunted locations on a regular basis lately. And the internet is filled with stories, pictures, and videos of unexplained phenomena. So what is the reason for this rise in paranormal activity? Well it's probably just a more prominent awareness of these things around us thanks to mediums like movies, television, and the internet. Plus people in general may simply be looking for reasons to believe in an afterlife.

Over the years movies have played a major factor in the uprising of reports of certain different phenomena throughout the world. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" caused a major burst in UFO sightings and alien abductions. "The Exorcist" had people believing their loved ones were possessed by demons. And "Jaws" had everyone afraid to go into the water. Today Hollywood film makers are still using movies to not only make money at the box office but to give the illusion that the things I their movies are true in real life. The best example of this recently is the movie "Paranormal Activity". This movie scared people to the point that they were screaming and running out of movie theaters. And many people spent some sleepless nights after seeing the movie. It has also led to more people believing they have a spirit in their home and have mimicked the main characters by using home video cameras and Ouija boards to try and prove it.

On television, there has been a new trend of reality shows depicting normal people who are paranormal investigators at night. The shows follow them into reportedly haunted homes and locations as they try to document evidence of spirits using scientific methods and modern technology. Shows like "Ghost Hunters", "Paranormal State", and documentary style shows like "A Haunting" and "Celebrity Ghost Stories" are just a few of many shows on television now that have given people the idea that spirits exist all around us. The stories, and the evidence, depicted on these shows make it really easy for the viewer to believe in what they are seeing. The shows have led to many people actually becoming believers and paranormal investigators themselves. These shows have also led to people being a little more comfortable openly discussing their beliefs and paranormal experiences. In past years, many people were afraid to come forward about things

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