Paranormal.About.com-- A close look at the hit movie, Paranormal Activity, what the filmmakers got right and got wrong with regard to a real haunting, and what the characters did right and wrong.
THE FILM Paranormal Activity has become a phenomenal sensation around the country, primarily because many viewers found the low-budget movie with no big-name stars so effective. Some thought it did not live up to the hype generated around it, but it continues to make big money and an enormous return on its initial investment of less than $20,000.
One question I've been asked by people who have seen the film is: Can stuff like that really happen?
The answer is: Yes, many of the phenomena that are depicted in the film can and do happen to people. Some of it was faithfully rendered in the film. There were many things that the characters did correctly in that situation. On the other hand, there were things that the film did not get quite right - they were exaggerated (it's a piece of entertainment after all; we can't fault them for that) - and the characters did some things that are not recommended by paranormal researchers.
So here's an examination of what the film got right and wrong. SPOILER WARNING: This article divulges elements of the plot that you might not want to know about if you haven't seen the film. If so, return here after you've seen the film.
WHAT THE FILM GOT RIGHT
Types of poltergeist activity. For the most part, the film accurately depicted the kinds of phenomena that occur with a poltergeist or haunting:
- Lights and appliances going off and on by themselves.
- Unexplained noises, such as bangs and raps on the walls, that cannot be accounted for by natural means. Very often, the location of these noises is hard to pinpoint.
- Mysterious voices and whispering.
- Covers and sheets being pulled off a sleeping person.
Paranormal focus. Paranormal Activity was also correct in indicating that such activity very often centers around an individual - the woman, in the case of the film - rather than a place. So she was correct in telling her boyfriend that it probably would not have mattered if they fled their apartment; the activity would have stayed with her.
Activity at night. Most of the paranormal activity in the movie occurs at night, and essentially this is very often the case. Poltergeist and haunting activity certainly does take place during daylight hours, but it seems to happen more often at night. I say "seems" because I'm not sure there's much data to support this. It may very well be that it's merely perception that it occurs more often at night: People are often away from their homes during the day (things could be happening while they're away); the night is quieter, when people may be more likely to notice odd noises; unexplained shadows might be more noticeable in the night's artificial lighting.
Shadow forms. In the movie, a person-shaped shadow is seen passing across the couple's bedroom door. The sightings of such "shadow people," as they have come to be known, are becoming more and more common. Shadow people are not always connected to poltergeist and haunting activity, but they can be. And, as the film depicts, they can manifest as fleeting shadow forms across a door or wall, but they can also have far scarier shapes. There are reports of these shadow people appearing to be opaque or even solid-looking black masses that stand or move in an open space, such as a hallway or the middle of a room. In other words, in these cases, they don't seem to be shadows cast on a surface; they seem to be three-dimensional shadows!
Physical contact. The woman who is the object of the poltergeist or haunting activity in the movie is affected physically by the mysterious force, receiving scratches and a bite mark. Does this kind of violent physical contact really happen? Yes, it does, but in very rare, extreme cases. There are documented cases of victims being scratched, bit, slapped, pushed, shoved, hair-pulled and more. Again, I must emphasize that this kind of physical attack is relatively rare.
The paranormal investigator. The film did a pretty good job in its depiction of a good paranormal investigator and an initial interview. He wasn't some over-the-top "psychic" lunatic. He asks reasonable, careful, intelligent questions, at first attempting to eliminate natural causes for the activity. He isn't alarmist and doesn't scare his clients with proclamations of demon infestations, or that they should vacate their apartment immediately. In general, he gave them good advice.
He is also correct in recommending another investigator when he becomes uncomfortable with the things he was sensing.
WHAT THE FILM GOT WRONG
Physical contact. In addition to the scratches and bites, the woman also is eventually dragged down a hallway, feet first, by some unseen entity. Could this happen in an extreme poltergeist or "evil spirit" haunting? I suppose we can't absolutely rule it out, but I don't know of any case on record in which a person has been dragged down a hallway or something similar. This doesn't mean there hasn't been such a case, and it might be possible, but the chances of something this extreme happening are so remote that I have to toss it off as merely the imagination of the filmmaker.
The poltergeist activity. Although the film got many of the types of poltergeist activity and its escalation correct, it did not understand that the phenomena most often fades away and disappears on its own after a few weeks. If the film depicted that, however, they would have a film with a very dull ending.
The Ouija. There were a few incidents with regard to the Ouija board with which I have reservations:
Ouija planchettes do not move by themselves. Let me hedge a little by saying that I cannot state dogmatically that a Ouija board planchette has not and cannot move without a person touching it. After all, if a poltergeist or ghost can switch a light off and on, pound on a wall or even scratch a person, could it not also move a Ouija planchette? Yes, I'd have to admit, and I have even received reports from people who say they have witnessed this. As far as I know, however, a Ouija planchette moving on its own has never been documented on film or video. (If I'm wrong, please send me the evidence.) And in the cases where people say they have witnessed it, people obviously were present, which could indicate a psychokinetic source (that is, caused by the minds of the observers). In the film, the planchette moves when no one is around.
Ouija boards do not erupt into flame. Such a thing happening is highly doubtful.
Spirit possession. In the film, the woman - another spoiler here! - is possessed by the entity and attacks her partner. Possible?
It appears to be true that a person can be "possessed" temporarily by a spirit or foreign personality. Part of the problem in understanding this phenomenon is what this possession really is. However, there are good cases in which a spirit personality temporarily takes control of a living person to relay a message or other information. This might be the case with some spirit mediums. And such possession has also occurred spontaneously without the living person inviting the spirit invasion. (I dislike using the word "possession" because it automatically makes most people think of demonic possession, which we are not talking about here.) And, as I've said, we know so little about this phenomenon and how "genuine" the documented cases really are (there could all kinds of psychological factors), that it's hard to even talk about in an intelligent way. Having said that, if the phenomenon is possible, then the possession by good (or benign) or evil forces both are possible.
With regard to the film, however, can an evil spirit possess and control a person to the point of murder? Countless murderers have, of course, blamed their crimes on demonic possession, and no doubt there are many among the faithful who think they're right. I certainly don't. And I find the film's climax to be so unlikely that it's ludicrous. More colorful filmmaking.
WHAT THE COUPLE DID RIGHT
The couple in Paranormal Activity reacted to the phenomena in a quite realistic and correct way, for the most part. If you're having similar troubles, this is what you also should do:
Document the activity. The very premise of Paranormal Activity is that the boyfriend attempts to document the weird things happening to them with a video camera. This is a good idea for a few reasons:
You have hard evidence for the phenomena.
- Seeing or hearing the phenomena on tape will prove that it wasn't just your imagination; you're not crazy!
- The recorded evidence will aid paranormal researchers with any investigation.
- The documented evidence might help you understand or deal with the phenomena: studying it might reveal there is a natural explanation after all, or it might provide clues in dealing with something of a genuine paranormal nature.
- Call an investigator. When the paranormal activity got too spooky for the couple, they called a paranormal investigator they trusted. Right - and right not to just call the local ghost hunters. Do a little homework, ask around and try to find an investigator or team of investigators that is respected or has a good reputation. In some cases this may well be the local ghost hunters. The key is to find someone you trust. You're bringing this person or team into your home and into a very sensitive situation. You don't want inexperienced people who have no idea what they're doing. And avoid anyone who will charge you for an investigation.
WHAT THE COUPLE DID WRONG
Confronting the entity. When the couple was at a breaking point with the activity, the boyfriend openly confronted and challenged the entity. This is probably not a good idea when dealing with negative energies. They might accept the challenge and the troublesome activity could get worse - much worse.
With some mild poltergeist and benign haunting activity, it can be effective to tell the spirit in a calm but firm tone (as if you're talking to a child) that you don't like their antics, that it's your house, and that you would appreciate it if they would cease and leave you alone. Believe it or not, this can actually be effective, especially with playful, prankster ghosts that hide things, make irritating noises or are otherwise bothersome.
Using the Ouija board to make contact. The girlfriend specifically warns the boyfriend not to employ a Ouija board to try to make contact with the entity. He does it anyway, with disastrous results. (I think we could call the Ouija board erupting into flames on the coffee table disastrous.) She, too, has heard that the Ouija can open a portal to spirit energies, some of which might be quite negative.
In this case, I agree with her. I'm not sure I buy into the Ouija-portal idea, but in a situation like the couple's, where there is a great deal of fear and unknown phenomena taking place, it's best not to further excite the raw emotions of the household with the crazy messages that can come across on a Ouija board. Even if the Ouija is powered by the users' psyches, all their anxiety and deep-seated fears could manifest as negative Ouija messages and possibly worsen psychokinetic activity around the home. It's not that the Ouija has any power of its own, but it can serve as a focusing element for the conscious or unconscious mind.
So, taking into consideration that Paranormal Activity is a work of fiction that needs to entertain and attempts to scare its audience, I'd give it a grade of B- for its depiction of a real experience with paranormal activity.
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