The word, “Paranormal.” Stop trying to Redefine it!
Too many people in the media and social media have been using the word “Paranormal” wrong. I see it a lot in Podcasts, radio shows, and on TV too! So it’s time to set things right.
The word Paranormal defined:
Oxford’s Learner’s Dictionary: that cannot be explained by science or reason and that seems to involve mysterious forces
Merriam Webber Dictionary: not scientifically explainable
Britannica Dictionary: very strange and not able to be explained by what scientists know about nature and the world
It appears some people really don’t know the definition of the word Paranormal, and “sometimes” they just make up their own definition. I’ve been seeing this happen for years but more now than before. One of the areas I’ve seen this the most in is, “Podcasts.” There are a lot of podcasters out there and as of 2021, there are over 2 million of them and more than 48 million podcast episodes! Just in the US! Three years ago there were only 500,000 podcasts which tells me the majority of podcast shows were birthed during the COVID lock-down time.
The podcast market is huge! It’s estimated to achieve an expected market of $98.78 Billion by 2030. Podcasts are a cheap way of advertising with minimal expenses and any one can do it from their computer or cell phone.
If a podcast show acquires a sponsorship, then it’s one of the easiest ways of making money. If you’re listening to a podcast and they break on the quarter hour or half hour for a commercial, then they’re making money from you listening or watching.
I really don’t do a lot of Podcast shows because some of the podcaster’s want me to adjust my schedule to be on their show rather than them adjusting their schedule to me. Of course I’m not referring to live podcasts, I’m referring to pre-recorded podcasts. I’ll try and do live podcast shows from time to time, but only when it fits within my work schedule. Since guests don’t get paid for being on a Podcast or radio show, the only benefit to be on is to promote yourself, your website and your current projects. Sometimes at a beginning of a podcast show, some hosts really have no idea what I do, especially when I catch them using the “P” word wrong, (Paranormal).
“So you investigate ghosts?”
It frustrates me to hear them say that, so I have to stop my train of thought and school them.
I do enjoy going on podcasts and radio shows from time to time, some of the hosts are very knowledgeable and quite pleasant, other times some hosts just don’t “get it” and try to debate me about certain types of topics they really have no experience in. Usually those types of hosts have shows to just promote themselves and not their guests.
Well besides some Podcasters and Radio show hosts screwing up the definition of the word “paranormal” you would think that wouldn’t happen in the professional industry of television. Well think again.
Some people associated with production companies misuse the meaning of the word paranormal all the time. In most cases they misuse the definition because they don’t know any better, but other times, they do it on purpose to gain more interest from the public. More interest creates more ratings, and more ratings creates more revenue.
Here’s an example of someone who completely missed the ball in defining the word “Paranormal”. This someone was actually instructed by management of one of the major networks to do this. I guess both management and the person directly involved were too lazy to take the time to just look in a dictionary.
On season 2 of Science Chanel’s Unexplained Files TV show, I was given my own episode based on my 37th Degree Latitude theory. The episode was named, “Paranormal Highway of America”. This show was about UFO sightings and animal mutilations across the US. Somehow in the past few years somebody “with little wisdom or knowledge about the topic”, decided to rename my episode to, “America’s Haunted Highway”. Maybe this was done for countries that really don’t have a proper definition for the word “paranormal” and if so, you would think they would have a word for UFOs! Well, whoever was responsible for changing the title needs to go back to school and learn to use a dictionary or maybe not be lazy. Now my episode with that title is airing on Direct TV and other outlets and the viewers are thinking it’s about ghosts!
Ah shit!
First of all the definition for haunted is: “Lived in or visited by a spirit of a dead person” or, “Frequented, inhabited, etc. by a ghost or ghosts.”
There’s nothing in the definition of the word “haunted” that refers to UFOs! But the word Paranormal will include subjects like, ghosts, aliens, monsters, Bigfoot, Mothman, things like that. Anything we don’t consider normal. The word “haunted” does not have a general meaning like the word “paranormal” it has a specific meaning. People who use the word “paranormal” to define just ghosts are not using the word properly and also need to revisit the dictionary.
Well it appears I need to take some adults back to middle school and do some teaching, so let’s go back to where it all started.
The word (Para) is from Ancient Greek παρά (pará,) and has many meanings: “beside; next to, near, from; against, contrary to”.
The word (Normal), Explained by the Merriam-webster dictionary says it came to English around the 17th century, from the Latin normalis, which means “made according to a carpenter’s square, forming a right angle.” This “right angle” sense was among the earliest of those applied to normal in English.
Over the years the word “normal” derived from something you would always expect, like the a carpenter’s square forming a right angle to conforming to words like, standard, usual, typical, or expected. And over the years the word “para” has picked up the meaning, “against or contrary to”.
So “Para-Normal” combines the Greek meaning “against or contrary to” and the 17th century word “normal” meaning, standard, usual, typical, or expected.
Paranormal: Contrary to the Normal.
So a Paranormal investigator like me, investigates “anything” out of what we consider normal. Yes ghost hunters are paranormal investigators too and so are UFO investigators. Ghost hunters could be referred to as, “Haunting Investigators” but “NOT” UFO investigators, unless they are investigating the spirits of aliens, I suppose.
It’s 2023 now, and it’s about time for some people to start revisiting the dictionary, especially those who work in the entertainment industry. I’ve talked about this topic before many times and people, especially those who claim to be ghost investigators seem to think the word Paranormal only means ghosts. They’re wrong which makes them inexperienced.
If you watch any TV show or see or hear of any “so-called investigator” on a podcast or radio show claiming the word Paranormal only pertains to ghosts, then question their experience. Don’t trust these guys. If they’re part of a TV show, then that makes it even worse because nobody associated with that production has a clue.
In the past, I’ve seen some pretty disturbing things when it comes to some production companies’ co-called investigative team. One show I was on two out of the three professional investigators were just actors. Another show I was on, one of the experienced investigative team members was just the producer’s daughter.
Daddy, can I be on your show? ( Go Figure. )
Production companies are now targeting those people who have a lot of viewers on social media to be on their investigative team. Why? Because the production company is betting their followers will watch the show thus increase the show’s ratings. There’s no intention of making the show genuine, just making money. I recently removed myself from appearing on one of these types of shows just before the holidays because their investigative team has zero experience in paranormal field investigations, but have lots of social media followers.
So beware of these guys especially when they mis-use the word “Paranormal”. Not only are they not experienced in the field but will most likely fake evidence just for they’re own benefit. The vast majority of evidence on current ghost hunting shows is either purposely faked or mis-diagnosed. As an experienced investigator I really can’t watch these shows anymore because it makes me mad they are passing this crap onto the viewers. And the sad part is, the majority of their viewers just believe it all.
It’s ok to question everything you see and hear on podcasts, radio shows, and TV, including websites like this one. Yeah, you should question me too! I’ve been a paranormal investigator for some 35 years now and I’m not perfect and make mistakes from time to time too! But one thing I’ll never make a mistake is, not knowing the definition of the word;
PARANORMAL
Category: The Z-Files
