Paranormal State: The Comprehensive Investigation

By Kirby Robinson

Includes “Paranormal State Exposed” and “Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State’s ‘I Am Six’ Case.”

Paranormal State Exposed uncovers secrets about what went on behind the scenes, and it answers questions about the show's validity. In almost every single episode, the reader may find one or more of the following: staged scenes, planted, or falsified evidence, fake exorcisms, and crew members masquerading as experts. We learn of clients who were ridiculed, and those who were promised help but were left with more problems.

Paranormal State's "I Am Six" episode is a perfect American horror tale -- for all the wrong reasons. It stars the ambitious founder of the Paranormal Research Society, an attention-seeking client, a bumbling group of paranormal investigators, a psychic-medium in search of ratings, and a rogue exorcist. Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State’s “I Am Six” Case "examines a paranormal reality TV show from all angles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kirby Robinson
• Release date: Jan 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301420520

Book preview

Paranormal State: The Comprehensive Investigation

includes

Paranormal State Exposed

and

Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State’s I Am Six Case

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013

All Rights Reserved.

Paranormal State Exposed

By

Kirby Robinson

&

Lisa Maliga

Copyright 2013 by Kirby Robinson & Lisa Maliga

A revised, updated, and expanded edition

Dedication:

The fact that Buddha always advocated reason over blind acceptance indicates that his doctrine is founded on truth not fiction. The more we analyze a superstition or a falsity, the weaker becomes our belief in it, whereas the more we investigate truth, the stronger our belief becomes. The Dalai Lama

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Timothy, Chapter 4 verse 7

Praise for our previous book: Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State

To his credit, Robinson offered all those involved with the show the opportunity to tell their side of it. Most declined. The book covers all 5 seasons and Robinson suggests the reader watch DVDs of the show. And that is a very good suggestion. By using the book as a guide, the viewer will not miss anything that Robinson points out. Whether or not the reader will enjoy this book depends on his, or her, interest in the television series Paranormal State. Fans of the show will no doubt find this book invaluable and eye-opening.

Janice Oberding, Author and Paradacity Radio Show Host

If you're a fan of paranormal shows on television, any of them, or a fan of critical thinking, you too will enjoy the expert critical analysis the authors bring to bear on the show Paranormal State. This book will blow you away…The authors do a masterful job of breaking the television show Paranormal State down show by show, segment by segment, scene by scene, revealing that which almost everybody misses consciously. Amazing.

Steve H., Claranormal

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Let's Get Started

Chapter 2 – Season 1

Chapter 3 – Season 2

Chapter 4 – Season 3

Chapter 5 – Season 4

Chapter 6 – Season 5

Chapter 7 – Your Words Come Back to Haunt You

Chapter 8 – Para-Celebrities Respond

Chapter 9 – A Response to Our Detractors

Chapter 10 - Conclusion

About the Authors

Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State’s

I Am Six Case Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 ~ The Road to Q-Town

Chapter 2 ~ 1416 Spring Street--A Demon-Free House

Chapter 3 ~ Even a Bad Story has a Beginning

Chapter 4 ~ Slicing & Dicing the I Am Six Episode

Chapter 5 ~ Exorcism Day!

Chapter 6 ~ After I Am Six Aired on A&E…

Chapter 7 ~ Analysis of The Possession: Return of Six

Chapter 8 ~ Lara vs. Emily Rose

Chapter 9 ~ Is the Journey Over?

Chapter 10 ~ The Andrew Calder Situation

Chapter 11 ~ Recommended Reading & Viewing

About the Author

Acknowledgements:

Shannon Sylvia, Kelli and Riley Ryan, Ron Tebo, Aanica, John Tenney, Paranormal State Illustrated, and Mark Johnson of the North Jersey Paranormal Research. Thank you to those confidential sources including but not limited to the following: clients, Paranormal State para-celebrities, and former PRS members.

Introduction:

Are you insane? Do you really want to write another book about Paranormal State? Wasn't it bad enough the first time, with all the lies, innuendos and misinformation spread about you? Wasn't once enough?

Answer: It is our job to reveal the truth. If people attempt to discourage us, it means that we are onto something. The truth doesn't cause us any suffering, but it does to those who trust a group of frauds. So let's go back to the beginning and share with the readers how it all began.

Joining MySpace in early 2008, we hosted a quickly growing and very active page, the main attraction being our blog called Shedding Some Light. We dealt with any paranormal topic, oftentimes from a Christian slant. We received lots of emails asking for information and help. We heard from a few whistle blowers concerning fakery in the paranormal field. One of the concerns was a show by the name of Paranormal State. So we started to dig around and take a closer look at the few episodes that had aired.

After wearing out a couple of VCR's due to excessive rewinding of the tapes [in order to match up the information we received], we determined that the show was heavily fictionalizing things.

In September 2008 we launched the Eye on the Paranormal and posted break-downs of each episode. There was no plan that someone would actually have the courage to come forward and publicly admit that everything was staged.

Kelli Ryan, a client of PRS featured in season 2 [you'll read her complete story later] felt used after experiencing the deceptions and distortions that Ryan, PRS, the producers, Chip Coffey and Michelle Belanger took part in. She reached out to a well known para-celebrity for help after both the network and PRS blew her off. That para-celebrity chose not to get involved and handed her off to a PRS insider to see if they could help, but couldn't. [This person had been in communication with us prior to all this]. However, it resulted in the para-celebrity giving her our MySpace email address. And like the old saying goes, the rest is history.

We interviewed her many times, exchanged emails and even hour-long phone calls. Kelli's story didn't change. We even fed back details she said in a false way and each time Kelli corrected them, bringing it back to what she had really said.

We went public with it and asked PRS for a response to engage in a civil discussion. What did we get? Nothing but ridicule and personal attacks. A para-celebrity featured on the show even leaked Kelli's home address on the internet. People began to show up at her home, threatening her and her husband so the local police had to be called several times. A couple of men showed up in the middle of the night, threatening Kelli and Riley with physical harm. Those two men wanted to harm the couple because of what Kelli was claiming occurred on [The Messenger episode] she was featured in. The thugs told Kelli and Riley to stop talking about Ryan, PRS and the para-celebrities.

All this over a cable TV show! Sad, huh?

At this point we felt the story was over. We did our part and moved on. But the emails kept pouring in, the rumors kept circulating and we kept being contacted by production people, former and current PRS members, clients, and even guest paranormal teams. They told us the same story: it was faked, the evidence was fake, and the team mocked the clients. There were even issues raised about some of the clergy who were in on the deceptions.

On February 17, 2011 Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State made its debut on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What we went through was nothing like what we went through with the Kelli Ryan case. There were personal attacks, not only on our character but even Kirby's macular degeneration, speech impediment, and sexuality was attacked. They resorted to nonsensical rumors as they said that only Lisa Maliga wrote the book and that she was Kirby Robinson pretending to be her and vice versa. They tried to trace our IPS to hack our systems [we use proxy servers]. No matter what, we got the truth out. We again asked for a response, a discussion of our investigation, and some type of civilized communication. There was no response. Only silence. The silence of guilt or denial?

We were done with PRS. We had other things to look at such as charges against Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, and all the so-called demon hunter groups that were popping up everywhere. Last October we got an email from an on-set production person about everything that went on during the filming of season 5. We took a close look at the one and only episode [outside of the pilot] for Paranormal State: The New Class. Frankly, we did our best to steer clear of a having to write a second book. But we couldn't avoid it because we knew the truth had to be told.

And that is what we do here--we share the truth. Read no further if you're looking for gossip as you won't find any here.

Let's also clarify that we have no vendetta against para-reality TV shows. We believe there are some good and some not so good ones out there.

Ghost Hunters and all their spin offs aren't our cup of tea but they really make no claims to help people get rid of ghosts, so we have no issues.

Ghost Adventures -- again it's not our preferred show, but they don't claim to help anyone. They just go out and do ghost hunting.

The Dead Files is a great paranormal show and we like the two leads. Amy Allan might be a little new age-y for us but you won't find any deceptions like you will with Paranormal State.

The Exorcist Files featuring Adam Blai might have been the best para-reality show of all time. Sadly, it was a victim of bad public relations. Watch the pilot and see for yourself. There are no attempts to deceive the clients or the viewers.

We ask the reader to ignore all the mudslinging that has been launched our way. Read the book with an open mind. Don't be preprogrammed to expect a smoking gun or what some call a CSI Moment. Read, pay close attention, and watch the evidence accumulate. Then make up your own mind.

Clothing Changes and Editing: The Key to Exposing the Lies

The blind followers made much of the fact that we spent way too much time pointing out clothing changes in every episode. The consensus was that clothing changes meant nothing other than a little sloppy editing. In other words, it failed to convince them that Ryan and the PRS team intentionally or unintentionally were misleading them.

One of the allegations our critics accused us of is not being able to satisfactorily produce a smoking gun/CSI Moment. This is an invalid argument. In order to do so, we would need unrestricted access to the raw footage. Only then could we analyze if creative editing was done to remove strings from door knobs or windows. We would need to see all footage shot from all the cameras, in all the rooms where people stood, flickering lights, banging on walls, shuffling feet, etc. If we had such access, then we could do further analysis. In real life crime cases, crimes aren't often solved by just one piece of evidence but with accumulation of evidence that washes away reasonable doubt.

Other A&E shows like Hoarders, Intervention and The First 48 are docudramas that manage to follow their intended timelines.

Paranormal State is filled with misdeeds and shady conduct. Those viewers who fail to pay close attention to the details either refuse to acknowledge them or can't see them. By applying logic to watching the show you will see the fakery. They never intended to tell the truth but simply present a fictionalized story from start to finish.

Here is an episode from season 1 minus every detail except for the clothing changes to prove our point.

Season 1, Episode 6 – Pet Cemetery

At the case briefing, Ryan wears a black t-shirt. As we've seen, this meeting occurs prior to arriving at the scene of the case. Using logic, we presume we won't see it again.

This is now Day 1 and when Ryan arrives at the home he has on a medium blue button front shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and black dress slacks. So we should logically expect that all the scenes occurring on Day 1 will show that Ryan is wearing this shirt.

When Ryan interviews Sybil, the current homeowner, he is still wearing the dressier looking blue shirt/black slacks outfit. But in the next scene he's interviewing Gail, a former homeowner; he's wearing the same black t-shirt and black jeans worn at the case briefing. This means those scenes were not shot in the correct order of a documentary.

Also on Day 1 Ryan interviews a couple, [Erik and Rhoda] that lived in the home back in the 1980s. Now we see that Ryan is wearing a grey t-shirt and black jeans.

On Night 1 psychic/medium Chip Coffey arrives at the home wearing jeans and a long sleeved black sweatshirt. Ryan is back to wearing his medium blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

It's interesting to note that when Ryan and Chip are back in the woods looking for clues, we see that Ryan is suddenly wearing latex gloves.

An on-set source has revealed to us that the dog's body was buried on the property for the show.

Day 2 – 12:31 PM. Ryan is doing his director's log. He wears the same black t-shirt that was worn at the team briefing.

Eilfie, the occult specialist, is seen in the library wearing the same green shirt she wore at the case briefing.

Chip meets with Sybil, the client, and he's wearing a grey long sleeved sweatshirt [or heavy t-shirt] with a thin black and white horizontal stripe across the chest.

Ryan is back in his black t-shirt.

At 6:29 PM Lorraine Warren is seen wearing a long navy dress with short sleeves. Ryan is wearing his original black t-shirt.

8:02 PM and we're introduced to Fern, the neighbor. Suddenly we see Lorraine's wearing a slate blue blouse, white short sleeved sweater and long white skirt. Ryan has on his Night 1 grey t-shirt. And for a few seconds we see Chip, who has just appeared from nowhere, standing next to Lorraine. He's wearing a forest green, navy blue and burgundy tri-colored shirt. So it appears that this interview occurred on Night 1. And it's important to note that Fern is also mentioning someone named Margaret. After that one shot of Chip he disappears. Apparently, he's there long enough to get the information he needs: that of the correct name to use when doing his psychic walkthrough.

During Dead Time, we see that Ryan's back in his black t-shirt and Chip's seen in his grey shirt with that black and white stripe. Chip says: I think there's something in the woods.

So, they dash off into the woods, holding their trusty flashlights. But wait, Ryan's not wearing the same outfit! He's back in his dressier blue shirt. Suddenly, we see he's also wearing latex gloves.

When they meet with PRS at the fire pit, everyone's in the same clothing as the first day. Notice Eilfie has on her green shirt. And Ryan's not wearing his latex gloves. But watch as he puts them on. This was shot out of order as he clearly wore them as he and Chip were heading towards the fire pit.

Now look at Dr. Ryan Buell wearing a white surgical face mask. Then we're shown the headless corpse of a dog.

Ryan rushes back upstairs to tell Lorraine about his discovery. She wears the navy dress that she had on during her Night 1 performance. But does Ryan wear his blue dress shirt that he had on when he was at the fire pit? Nope, he's casual again – it's the black t-shirt. No sign of a surgical mask and/or latex gloves, either.

We're back at the fire pit where the dog corpse is being reburied. And yes, Ryan's got his blue shirt back on again.

During the nighttime medal burying ceremony we see that Lorraine wears her white skirt and sweater with the blue blouse ensemble. Ryan is casual in his grey t-shirt.

When they return inside the house after the ceremony we see that Chip is wearing his tri-colored shirt.

Using visual cues like clothing changes shows that this episode was not shot in order. Walkthroughs weren't done as we are told, and Dead Times are not when we are informed. Most obvious of all, the questions have been answered long before the team even investigates a case.

The arguments made by the pro Paranormal State people don't hold up to the harsh light of logic. This is why such importance in pointing out clothing changes is made in almost every episode. It's not done as a style commentary, but to spell out how this show is faked, scripted and staged.

Often the strongest supporters of the show stated that all these clothing changes were merely Ryan changing his shirts and nothing more. That statement is laughable and it shows how people are so easily manipulated by television. Anyone with even a modicum of interest in scientific study should use analytical thinking. Ryan isn't switching shirts randomly as he would have no reason to change back into a dirty shirt!

Now, if you're still skeptical, let us break it down in a different fashion, showing you scenes of the episode grouped together with a focus on the three different shirts that Ryan wears. By doing this you'll see that the scenes were shot out of order. Scenes shot out of order mean this is not a real life documentary but a scripted reality TV show.

A] Black T-shirt

Case briefing before the start of case prior to Day 1 [prelude]

Day 1 talking to a former homeowner

Day 1 director's log for the end of Day 1

Day 2 meeting with Sybil, the current homeowner [client]

Day 2 [Night] Lorraine Warren is brought in

Day 2 [Night] Dead Time

Day 2 [Night] Lorraine is informed that Ryan's team and Chip find dog's grave

Day 2 [Night] final director's log

B] Grey T-shirt

Day 1 Ryan meets with previous homeowners [the couple]

Day 2 Ryan, Lorraine and Chip meet the neighbor

Day 2 [Night] Ryan and team bury medals in ground

C] Medium blue button front shirt

Day 1 meeting with client and tour of the home

Day 1 discussing case

Day 1 client interview

Day 1 [Night] walkthrough with Chip

Day 1 [Night] finding tombstone

Day 2 [Night] finds grave of dog

Day 2 [Night] reburies the dog

Scenes that should have taken place on different nights actually occur at the same time. A prime example is finding the headstone. Going by the show's timeline, it was the night of Day 1, and finding the grave is supposedly the night of Day 2, plus reburying the dog's body.

Knowing this we can discredit the Dead Time and Chip's channeling of the dead dog's spirit.

You can carry this further to reinforce our evidence by looking at the supporting cast's clothing [including Chip's].

You can do this with most of episodes from seasons 1 through 4. By the time we reach season 5, they started to pay closer attention to this detail after they knew of our book's forthcoming publication.

Para-Celebrities Responsibility in Questionable Actions

In our first edition we gave Chip Coffey and other psychics on the show a pass. We felt that they might, in some ways, be victims of the show's dishonesty. After all, Chip repeatedly states that he was never told anything prior to his walkthroughs.

As to the para-celebrities that appeared on the show, some also were seen on other shows produced by the same production company, namely: Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal and Paranormal State: The New Class. Those shows also have their own credibility issues.

In the first edition we separated Chip Coffey from the other para-celebrities. That was an error on our part. Yes, he was featured on seasons 1 through 3 and in two episodes on the fourth season. He left the show, claiming he had personal and professional reasons. He was a popular guest on it but that is all he was: a guest a contract player as he was never given any production credit. He was replaced by Michelle Belanger who was made an official team member.

Coffey, along with the others, state they were never given any information prior to their walkthroughs. As you will read through the pages of the book, we present evidence that can be interpreted to show otherwise. We have already seen two examples of how, if you follow the wardrobe changes, scenes weren't shot in chronological order.

Chip Coffey, Michelle Belanger, CJ Sellers, the Parry-Normals, Mark and Debby Constantino, Dr. Athena Drewes, Kim Russo and John Oliver were hired to play a role in the production. These psychics had no real control. However, if they witnessed things being faked, staged, reshot, etc., what should they do? If they have any integrity they refrain from taking part in such trickery and walk away. Don't they have a moral responsibility to the clients, the public, and to the legitimacy of their craft?

How many have done this during all five seasons of the show's existence? By the time you read up through the season 4 section in our book, you'll discover only one of the episodes Chip appeared in could we say that something was really happening. And he oversold a lot of the details, making it appear far worse than what it was. He returned to the series for Paranormal State: The New Class and was going to be the go-to psychic if that show had been picked up.

Our New Position on the Para-Clergy

When it comes to clergy featured on the show, our views have also changed. This is due to recent developments concerning Father Jim Anziano who was seen during the final season and his unbecoming conduct has come to light.

Only three ordained men of God were featured on the show.

Father Andrew Calder was only seen on two episodes of the show: Devil in Syracuse and I Am Six. You may recall from our first book that we found little to be critical about in his appearance in the Devil in Syracuse episode. But with the I Am Six episode, we have major issues. Is it possible that Father Calder walked away from the show? Did he want to distance himself from the deceptions that were taking place? It's quite feasible.

Father Jim [his last name was never revealed on the credits] was seen in three episodes during season 5. You will find we have much to say about them and his conduct. Of major concern is both his credibility and if he had the spiritual authority to be doing what he was asked to do.

Father Bob Bailey was featured as the go-to priest in seasons 3 and 4, with only one appearance in the last season. Ryan has referred to Father Bob as the spiritual adviser to the PRS. In a recent conversation [via email] with Father Bob, he wrote about the standard discussion points for any criticism directed at Paranormal State.

1 Bad editing.

2 Envy towards Ryan.

3 The team had no control over the show.

We now have to ask how much did Father Bob know about what was going on? Did he take part in any of the deceptions? Yes, he did perform his priestly duties, but if he knew something was not legitimate, he should have left the show a lot sooner than he did. When he did leave it had to do with a personal dispute. As of 2012 he has returned to the position of being the spiritual advisor to PRS.

A Brief History of Reality TV

If you have a TV you are aware of the omnipresent reality show. Flick through the channels and you'll encounter scenes of sweaty people in rustic locations discussing alliances, or overweight people attempting to utilize dormant muscles. You'll stumble upon competitive cooks, models, singers, dancers, brides, and business mavens. It's available 24/7 on our TV channels, even for those without cable or satellite. You can find it on Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and many other websites. Endless hours are needed to fill these broadcasts. So they use low cost programming. What's the most attractive and cost effective type of entertainment? Reality TV.

Reality shows aren't new. Take a look at the history of radio and TV shows in America and you'll find they date back to 1948. In that year, creator and producer Allen Funt brought us the funny hidden camera show, Candid Camera. Long before there was COPS on the Fox Network, the American public tuned into a radio show that covered the daily activities of the Culver City Police Department. Game shows have always been a favorite staple for viewing whether it was The $64,000 Question [which underwent a New York Grand Jury investigation and congressional hearings to determine that the show was rigged] to Wheel of Fortune. Viewers might like their nightly dramas but they also have a desire to peek behind the curtains of their neighbors. In 1972, the ground breaking PBS show An American Family gave them such a view.

In the early 1990's the reality craze appeared on our screens, whether it was watching some drunk try to evade COPS, or witness post-teens sexual high jinks and substance abuse on MTV's The Real World.

In 2000, the European import Survivor lit the reality show fuse. Soon, every network and cable channel had to have this entertaining and inexpensive programming. There was the talent competition: American Idol. That summer we got the British import, Big Brother. Relationships are a ratings shoo-in so we were given The Bachelor and Bachelorette. Want to travel but can't afford it? See the world on your couch via The Amazing Race. Then we got: The Apprentice, Joe Millionaire, Extreme Makeover and The Biggest Loser. People were riveted by these shows and wanted more.

Producers and production companies want to make the lowest cost shows they can and sent camera crews into people's homes. Jon & Kate Plus Eight featured sextuplets and twins. The Duggars had lots of children so 17 Kids & Counting was born [they're currently up to 19]. Large families were a draw, as were people who performed jobs that didn't require them to sit behind a desk. Homage was paid to the blue collar worker as seen on: Ice Road Truckers, Dirty Jobs, American Loggers, Deadliest Catch, American Chopper and many more.

Due to the exploding numbers of available shows the competition for viewers is fierce. Viewership determines the amount of advertising dollars that a network can produce which, in turn, generates the amount of money that the producers will be paid for their programs. Reality show producers know that you can script a show not with the old-fashioned WGA-approved script but develop an outline that the show will follow once they learned what attracted and kept the viewers tuned in.

Yes, television had become egalitarian. Even if you worked a minimum-wage job you could get on a reality TV show and get rich quickly. Newly famous people drove expensive cars and had big bank accounts and all for just a few weeks worth of work. Not everyone can go to Vegas and hit the jackpot, but with the advent of reality TV it can enter your life. Just play your cards right, have the right hook, be willing to bend the rules a bit -- and voila -- Vegas will come to you.

This sort of thing happened to a pair of ghost hunting Roto Rooter plumbers, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson back in 2004 when Ghost Hunters premiered on the [then] Sci Fi Channel. Hawes and Wilson were founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society [TAPS] back in the early 1990s. In Ghost Hunters, they and a small team visit private homes and historical sites and after a few nights of monitoring ghostly activity share their findings. All they went to know is if the home or site has any ghosts. They never claim they could get rid of ghosts nor do they admit to being demonologists. You won't see exorcisms performed on Ghost Hunters. The show has been so successful that it has spun off Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Hunters Academy.

Network executives are always aware of what's on other networks. The success of Ghost Hunters was noted and other networks drifted into the paranormal field. Travel Channel has Ghost Adventures and Discovery Channel had Ghost Lab, [which was recently cancelled]. The shows exist simply to prove or disprove any ghostly activity is in a building or site. Those affiliated with these shows don't make claims that they want to free the ghosts or assist people affected by ghostly activity.

A new trend began when A&E premiered Paranormal State on December 10, 2007. From the first episode, viewers were exposed to the darker side of the paranormal world as they make claims of demonic activity. The show is about a group of five students from Penn State's Paranormal Research Society [PS/PRS] led by Ryan Buell. Ryan was a journalism student who claims that as a child he had experiences with ghosts and spirits. Upon arriving at Penn State he founded the PS/PRS to help other interested students explore paranormal phenomena. This small and dedicated group had their own experiences and did amateur ghost hunts. According to Ryan, the Catholic Church brought this novice group into a case of demonic activity. But what set Paranormal State apart from all the other para-reality shows others were four things:

1 They dealt with the subject of demons, evil spirits, shadow people, etc. which other shows avoided at that time.

2 They claimed to be there to help families and individuals deal with their haunting and free them from spirit activity. No longer was paranormal programming about a group of likable folks who had an interest in ghostly activity and maybe they would or would not stumble onto something. We now had a group of people who claimed that they could bring peace to the lives of those featured on their show.

3 A psychic was brought in on almost every case.

4 Unlike other shows in which sometimes all paranormal activity was explained away by non-paranormal explanations, each case Paranormal State handled always ended with a paranormal explanation of events.

Here we note that Kirby always had an interest in the paranormal field. Like Ryan, he had an experience with spirits as a child that altered the course of his life. In the past twenty-five years Kirby has focused on the areas of demonology, helping individuals who are dealing with demonic spirits. He also assists bound spirits become unbound and move on. That is why he chose Free All Spirits for his company name as that is what he has always done and continues to do.

Originally, Kirby was an avid viewer and supporter of Paranormal State when he started watching the show. After the first few episodes aired, emails began circulating and conversations off the record ensued concerning the fact that Paranormal State was really Paranormal Staged. Former clients, para-celebrities, and members of PRS began contacting him. The stories were all based on the same theme -- Paranormal State is a scripted reality show. There are two reasons that conversations and emails have been strictly confidential: fear of backlashes from the paranormal community and fear of being found guilty in a civil court for violating confidentiality agreements.

To bring justice to the matter, Kirby was the one who decided to write this book, Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State.

This book doesn't contain any personal attacks. What people do in their private life is their business, not ours. We don't make innuendoes or repeat rumors. This book is a fair and balanced look at Paranormal State and the para-celebrities associated with it. Note: A para-celebrity, or para-celeb, is a famous person affiliated with the paranormal field due to their exposure on TV, radio, public speaking gigs, books, and via the Internet.

Since Paranormal State is billed as a documentary, there are no disclaimers, other than one from A&E stating that it doesn't reflect their views.

What about other reality shows? In the end credits of The Biggest Loser they indicate: Portions of this program not affecting the outcome of the competition have been edited.

In the Gordon Ramsay reality show, Kitchen Nightmares, you'll read: The footage shot in this program has been edited such that in places it is shown in a difference time sequence than actually shot.

Why can't A&E post a disclaimer about the editing at the beginning or end of each Paranormal State episode?

Additionally, the viewer was promised that each case that aired was one of the most severe cases that PRS received. Sitting in front of your TV, you would see chilling scenes like those in Exorcist or Poltergeist movies. Maybe no heads spinning 360 degrees, but expectations of seeing frightened household members and witnessing at least a hurling object or strong evidence of a haunted house.

Anything that doesn't directly relate to the show won't be here. All information is presented clearly and logically. Every single episode is scrutinized. We focus on what happens and, just as importantly, what doesn't happen. PRS claims to use scientific methods. That claim is explored. We analyze Ryan Buell's own book Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown, co-authored by Stefan Petrucha. Lastly, we use the DVDs for the first four seasons of Paranormal State in order to determine how credible this show is.

Supporting the Legitimacy of Paranormal State

1 Aren't you being nitpicky when you mention that Ryan's wearing a different outfit in the middle of a scene? Inconsistencies are chalked up to bad editing. This is a low budget show and mistakes can be made. They don't have enough people to make sure that each episode is error-free.

2 The average investigation spans 72 hours. It's hard to fit everything