Turning on your television may lead you to believe that our world is about to end, that the bump you heard in the other room is an evil spirit inhabiting your home, and that aliens are preparing an invasion -- and that's before you even watch the nightly news!
With the popularity of the paranormal soaring, Hollywood big and small is grabbing onto anything that will draw in ratings, even if it means leaving viewers feeling like anything having to do with the paranormal is terrifying and evil. This negativity overload on screen has actually resulted in a staggering increase in questions from frightened viewers, and the coverage continues to drive far more fear than fact about these subjects. Fictional movies and shows are not the only culprits in this issue either. Television networks that are known for factual documentary shows, and of course the "reality" shows (which are far from the reality), are just as at fault -- if not more.
Turning to the Internet to see just what's going on is scary in itself. A search for "Demonic Possession" returns over 100 million results. "2012" yields over 12 million, "Alien Invasion" over 4 million. Just scrolling through the first two pages of these results is enough to keep even me up at night, and I've seen more than my share of real-life-scares. What is most surprising though is that the majority of these links are not your fright-fest story or paranormal groupie websites looking to scare up some viewers. Instead they are shows and movies which air regularly on worldwide. Shows like "The Exorcist Files" on Discovery Channel, the History Channel's "Doomsday 2012," and TNT's upcoming alien invasion series "Falling Sky" give entirely the wrong impression about this type of phenomena.
Now, I know fear sells and all that, but what's wrong with focusing on some positive stories for a while? Most of these shows mix an enormously inflated amount of negativity coupled with a minimal grain of truth. And any honest researcher in this area will tell you that when it comes to accounts of prophecy, ghosts, or aliens, the negative side makes up only a tiny percentage of the reality. The vast majority of these stories, legends, and histories are not dark or horrifying. They are often enlightening experiences, and even those which are a little more on the negative side rarely reach a level that would constitute "evil."
The strong influence that these series have is clearly reflected in the ever-increasing number of questions from viewers who seek reassurance that evil and disaster is not as nearly as prominent as it seems by these shows. Of course, if those viewers use the same popular search engine that I did, they may not find much comfort. However, listed between ads offering luxury accommodations for the end-of-days, and websites for folks who will exorcise your home for the right price, there are those who are trying to ease the anxiety of the public with actual facts. If there is any positive factor that can be found in the negativity overload that's out there right now, it's that many people do grasp the fact that situations portrayed on screen are not quite what they present themselves to be.
Although the fear is present, so too is the fact that people are searching for truth and understanding behind what they see on TV. As with many topics, there are places where people can find accurate information that's not seeking to keep you awake at night. Places like our Library & Research Center, which is open to the public and hosts many informational events aimed at providing awareness and facts on these issues, are more present now. So, while there are many upcoming shows and films slated for release that are perpetuating the negativity overload, there are always points of light to be found -- we can only hope that people aren't too scared by what's on screen to find out what's real.