Sunday, August 19, 2012

Paranormal Witness - The Aftermath

So, a few days have gone by since the show.  My initial reaction of "that was fun" has been replaced by "wish I hadn't done the show."   I very much want the subject of the paranormal to be taken seriously and I'd forgotten how silly it can be treated by certain folks.  I went through this when the book was first published and I should have known better.  My bad.   When I Google my name, instead of just coming up with people talking about the book or the paranormal in general, I get "Sheepshead Bay Woman Held Down in Bed by Angry Spirit",  "Gravesend Woman's Sci-Fi Tale" and, the most offensive, - a N.Y. newspaper's headline, "Horror House."  After spending more than an hour with one of their reporters, talking to him about our experience and how amazing I thought it was and how our paranormal experience even lead to compassion for whatever was in our home, 'Horror House' was the best he could come up with.  I know the genre invites this sort of thing, but I wish it didn't. There are books out there, stories out there, besides my own, that take these matters seriously and wish to elevate the whole idea of ghosts/hauntings/after death communication, etc. to subjects that can be talked about with the same respect as any other legitimate experience. But that would lessen the entertainment value, and that's what TV is all about.  I knew that. I kept thinking about an episode of Paranormal Witness that we'd seen last season about a deceased woman who appeared to others in order to save the life of her injured son.  I cried during that show. It showed how a traditionally 'frightening' experience can be viewed in a poignant and compassionate way.  I had hopes that some of those values might have ended up in our episode. The little lady in the white dress was a sad figure, not a scary one. The old couple from whom we purchased the house had lost their only son and daughter-in-law. I wish the TV show would have chosen to focus on those elements of the haunting.  But again, I should have known better. My bad.

6 comments:

  1. Tony Call is well respected too bad he did not do your show it was warranted
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEccvNyQ3pg

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2411794/

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0130083/

    I would not get too upset since this is the first time the tv community has heard or seen your story - there are some major players missing in the show according to your book.
    please try to give it another chance - I have seen many of the same paranormal stories RETOLD on differing cable channel and I have watched them ALL....
    OH And I have eventually formed my own opinion - yes it happens

    I SAY let it go - someone will get it right -
    if they don't - well then DO IT YOURSELF!

    Good Luck

    i loved the show

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  2. Don't be too hard on yourself. You cannot forsee everything. All in all, I think the show turned out well. It got the basics across, and you didn't look like goofballs, or anything. When you began having these experiences, there was almost no one who had ANY experience with any of it!
    I am sorry your first husband was a jerk, but I can relate. After 32 years of marriage, my husband (and the love of my life) announced he wanted out so that he could be "happy." I swear I didn't hear that in our marriage vows! We had been happy, but not delirious every minute...who is? Anyway, you go on, and you did. You did the best you could under very trying circumstances. I'm proud of you. God bless you and yours!

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  3. God bless you and your family. Good for you for having the courage to speak out. I think you did the best that you could do in sharing your story.

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  4. Hi Elaine,
    I saw the show after reading your book a few years ago. I was prompted to read it again. I really feel for you, your family, and all you went through living in that home.

    I'll send a note through your publisher, but I would really be interested in having you as a guest on a radio show that I host. I would love for people to hear the real story in your own words. Would you be interested?

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  5. I came across your blog while doing some research. I have been contacted about appearing on the show and sharing our family's story. I am concerned about it, since the biggest part of our story includes the death of our youngest son. As you can imagine, I'm not really keen on that being used for entertainment purposes. (And we don't want to look crazy on national television, either.) I was interested in reading about your experience. Thanks for sharing it.

    Rebecca
    www.lifeaftersids.blogspot.com

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  6. Elaine,
    I just watched the episode on Paranormal Witness and it definitely did not do your story justice. I too, have had the experience of something or someone "sitting on me" where I cannot move, scream, or do anything. It seemed to last several minutes, but it probably really only lasted between 10-15 minutes. I felt helpless. If you would ever want to discuss paranormal stories, I have some I could share with you! I applaud you for being so brave and opening up and sharing your experiences. God bless!!

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