People either love Paranormal State or hate it. Over the past several months, I’ve found myself somewhat entertained by the bashing Paranormal State has received since it launched. I hadn’t heard anything good about the show until I went to Amazon and read the reviews for the newly released DVD.

Two of the five-star reviews proclaimed that Paranormal State was better than Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted. Curious, I read them from beginning to end, hoping to find some unbiased information. When I didn’t get it, I decided to go to the A&E website to watch an episode.

Paranormal State is decidedly different than Ghost Hunters in that it’s scripted. I enjoyed listening to the history of the Willard Asylum (New York), but wasn’t impressed by Chris Coffey’s theatrics. He’s the psychic who rids himself from demon possession by slapping himself. Uh-huh. I was even less impressed by the ending, where they “vanquished” the spirits with a simple prayer.

That said, I was reminded of Ghost Hunters when they used an EVP device. Whether that device was real or a stage prop, I’m not sure. I came away from this show more skeptical than ever. If you’d like to judge for yourself, you can watch the videos at A&Etv.com.