A Critical Look Into The Dead Files (Part 2-A)

In the previous installment of this requested series, we discussed some minor examples of looping, repetitive findings, and why certain aspects of the show are portrayed the way they are. In this next section, we will take a look at Amy's behavior during her readings. 

Some critics have claimed that her behavior is proof that the show is faked. Or that her behavior is distracting and just for show. We will briefly discuss why this is not the case and dive a bit into what one may experience while doing a reading of this type. 

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In my many of the more intense episodes of the series, viewers may see Amy experience intense headaches, heart palpitations, various levels of pain and may even see her keel over from that experience. Viewers may also see her become short of breath or have trouble speaking. Due to such reactions to her experiences, some have stated that she is over exaggerating or faking her reactions.

Now, I can only speak for myself, but as someone who has conducted residential readings, and witnessed them, I can say, from my own personal experience, Amy isn't faking it. Her reactions to what she's experiencing are quite normal. Many mediums have physical, visible reactions to the sites they are reading. This, in my experience, happens most frequently to physical empaths.

In some cases, the medium isn't just picking up residual energy, sounds, scents, or events. They are, to some degree, living through them, as the energies once did. This, may cause the medium to have physical reactions to the energy they are reading. This is due to them feeling it as it if were happening to them.

In order for people to better understand it, I liken it to a twin connection. When one twin is being physically harmed, or experiencing pain, the other twin feels it just as intensely as if it were happening to them. This is the most simple way to explain what a medium may be feeling during a reading like this.

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Some energies also manifest phsyically. So, if an energy is strong enough, they may be able to make the medium move in a certain way, or make an expression that they normally would not. In some episodes, you may see Amy widen her eyes and smile a certain way that, in any other setting or context, would be doubly unsettling. 

Now, in this installment, we did an overview of what many viwers have brought up as concerns and suspiciions over her behavior. To keep this installment from becoming too long of a read, in the next part, we will compare and contrast some of Amy's investigations with some that I, and others have been a part of. 

A Critical Look Into The Dead Files (Part 1)

The Dead Files, a popular paranormal investigation show featured on the Travel Channel, has had believers and skeptics captivated since 2011. Now in its 12th season, the show has worked with a multitude of families, business owners and famous locales. Most notably, Alcatraz, and the Lizzie Borden House. 

The basis of the show is that medium, Amy Allan works with her partner, retired detective, Steve DiSchiavi to resolve alleged haunted activity and paranormal happenings. The show claims that Amy has zero prior knowledge of the location or events taking place there. Unfortunately, according to some critics, the show doesn't provide much proof of that claim. How does the audience know that Amy had zero prior knowledge? If we are thinking this through step by step, Amy would at least have to know the town and state she is flying into, that's a given. 

However, when it comes to locations like the Borden House, it leaves the audience asking, how could she not have any prior knowledge of such a famous case? How could there not be contamination within that investigation? Simply due to the fact that so many groups and individuals have investigated the residence, and there's been a substantial amount of press and coverage of the case, even to this day. Therefore, there is no way Amy or any medium would have zero prior knowledge of a location like this. It would also be very hard to conduct an uncontaminated investigation due to such coverage and discussion.

 

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While audiences may be able to give Amy a pass on locations like this, some aren't so forgiving when it comes to cases that involve families allegedly dealing with horrific paranormal events. 

Now, while I don't doubt that Amy has legitimate abilities. After all, Amy has been studied and her abilities tested by leading parapsychologists such as William Roll. Amy also stated, numerous times that she began experiencing things around age 4. This lines up with the average age that most mediums start to see and experience the paranormal. 

However, I do question the repetitive findings. As well as the process in which the camera man removes personal items from the homes.

Author and skeptic Karen Stollznow, specifically pointed out that often times, religious items/iconography are left in the home and would be seen by Amy during her walk. This begs the question, why? Why are these religious items left out in the open? One might argue it could be out of respect for the religion itself or the family they are helping, but the bottom line is, they contaminate an investigation.

When it comes to Amy finding the same, or very similar entities or energies at almost all of her locations, one could argue that these entities are much more prevalent than people thought. The problem with this argument is that it's just not true. A severe haunting or high level of paranormal activity isn't particularly common. In fact, the amount of evil entities that are being described at almost every location is, to some at least, questionable.

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Now, in Amy's defense it could be that she is referencing things she has seen before in order to attempt to accurately describe what she is seeing, feeling, experiencing, etc. It can be very hard to describe sensations and imagery that only you are seeing, and even then it may be distorted, depending on what type of energy you are dealing with, and whether or not that particular being has the ability to manipulate what it shows to those that can see it. 

So, its very possible that she isn't necessarily seeing the exact same thing(s) at every location, but describing them in a way the audience can process and visualize. I do, however, see and acknowledge how that can, in some cases be considered suspicious or confusing to viewers and skeptics. 

For example, Amy often claims to see shadow-people. And while shadow-like people or figures aren't all that uncommon, legitimate shadow-people, are. Using terminology loosely can lead to confusion and skepticism. So, while Amy could attempt to use alternative terminology or descriptors to differentiate between things the Shadow-people, and shadow-like figures, for the sake of simplicity and probably)film time and editing, it is most likely a lot easier to simply say "shadow people." Not to mention, that conducting a reading such as Amy is in the show, your brain is most likely not focused on the terminology being used, and rather what is being experienced in that very moment.

 

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This leads some to believe that the whole show is staged or faked. I personally don't agree with that statement. People need to remember, that while this is a paranormal show, and the hosts should be as scientifically accurate and transparent as possible, it's still a Tv show built to get views and entertain. Not only that, but the show needs to be cohesive and fit into an allotted time frame. So, while its understandable that viewers are asking, "Why don't they ever show Amy being wrong?" or "Why do you they only show the things she gets right?". Well, the most basic answer to that is, they aren't going to waste air time by showing everything that went wrong during an investigation, simply because it's not "good television." 

In my opinion, cutting the parts that do not make for good television, is not something we should really be mad about. Every show, in some way is edited, altered, and presented in a certain way for a reason. So, in that aspect, we should take this, any any other show like it, at face value. It is what it is, and in reality, isn't going to be the most accurate or transparent portrayal of the paranormal. 

In the next installment of this series, we will dive into more examples of looping, repetitive findings, and break them down. We will also take a closer look at Amy's behavior during an investigation and lead into some of the more serious issues with the show, as well as other paranormal programming.