Years ago, when the movie Jaws was released, it had such a terrifying impact on audiences that people reacted in extreme ways. Some became petrified of entering the water for fear of being preyed upon by monstrous sharks. Many even set out to hunt great white sharks, believing they needed to be eradicated.
It took years for the public to understand the movie was a dramatisation of highly exaggerated events, deliberately made to feel very real. The filmmakers knew exactly how to manipulate their audience, using basic fear tactics that pushed viewers to the edge. We watched from the safety of our seats, yet still felt vulnerable to the monstrosity lurking beneath the water.
It was an era when many other grossly exaggerated movies flooded the screen, often sharing a common theme: a giant shark or ape, aliens from outer space, piranhas, and other imagined threats. Ironically, we later learned that sharks are generally timid creatures and play an essential role in the health and balance of ocean ecosystems. Yes, shark attacks do happen, but they are extremely rare and are not the deliberate acts of predatory evil that popular culture has sometimes suggested. Piranhas, too, have acquired a reputation far beyond the actual threat they pose to humans. As for aliens attacking our planet, they can save their breath. We are doing a remarkably effective job of destroying ourselves without their help.
The same myths have extended into the paranormal world. Filmmakers and storytellers have capitalised on people’s lack of awareness, introducing a variety of horrors from which countless myths were born. You might be surprised to learn how many modern-day, seemingly ludicrous claims are actually rooted in fiction, and it may take many generations for us to move beyond them.
Unfortunately, this makes my task harder because people sometimes associate me, my service, or at least part of what I do with ideas they have drawn from fiction but have come to believe are true. When confronted with these situations, I stay grounded and ask for evidence to support their claims. Most of the time, they present none.
Of course, dangers exist in every aspect of life, including the paranormal, but such dangers are rare. I aim to encourage people to look beyond sensational stories and examine what is actually known. I want to shed light, educate, and, where possible, dispel myths that serve no useful purpose other than to obstruct our understanding and, in some cases, enrich those who profit from fear and misinformation.
Perhaps the greatest challenge is separating what we have been taught to fear from what we genuinely have reason to fear, but this requires courage, which may be hard but is not impossible.
