Humanity’s fascination with the paranormal has existed long before the conception of film and television. The idea of not knowing what happens after we die is enough to keep anyone up at night, so believing in the supernatural is a way to provide meaning and comfort for many. Combine this with the audience’s love of horror, and you get paranormal TV shows, which often present themselves as factual investigations into the supernatural. While in a lot of instances, it can be clear where stuff is added in for shock value, there have been some moments where it’s a little more difficult to explain away some of the otherworldly occurrences. Here are 10 episodes of paranormal TV shows that could turn the strongest of skeptics into a true believer.
10“Day One” - 28 Days Haunted
28 Days Hauntedis a Netflix original series where three teams of paranormal experts spend 28 days in several of the most haunted locations in the US. Fans ofThe Conjuringwill likely enjoy this one, as the experiment is based onthe theories of Ed and Lorraine Warren, though it plays out like your standard ghost-hunting show. While the series has mixed reviews, the involvement of the Warrens' son-in-law and the fact it’s unscripted could be enough to convince some viewers. However, its first episode, “Day One”, is definitely its strongest. On each of the group’s first nights, unexplained voices and bumps begin to occur, even knocking the skeptics there into a panic.
The first group, who are staying at the Lumbar Baron Inn, have the “sensitive” Amy on their team. Amy states she can see a bloody-faced woman, and the group uses a Spirit Box to communicate with the dead. They hear voices saying “get out”, though it isn’t the easiest to hear at first. One of the other groups, staying in Captain Grant’s Inn, also have a go at communicated with the dead. This one is creepier, as the sounds are a lot clearer thanks to an amp they have on hand.
9“The Haunted Halls of Waverly Hills Hospital” - Buzzfeed Unsolved
One of the great things aboutBuzzfeed Unsolvedis actually that not a lot happens. Shane is obviously adamant that the supernatural isn’t real, and even true-believer Ryan is quick to brush off any strange noises. Throughout the episodes, the pair have gone to some of the most haunted places in existence, but still nothing out of the ordinary happens. Rather than the presence of ghosts, it’s the stories behind the locations that put viewers on the edge of their seats. Yet in the episode “The Haunted Halls of Waverly Hills Hospital”, the pair has to deal with some out-of-the-ordinary events.
The Waverly Hills Sanatorium has been featured on various ghost-hunting shows, considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world. It was built to house patients with tuberculosis, with local legends about the closed site pushing it into the limelight. While there, Ryan bounces a blue ball down a hallway for a child spirit. It sounds like the ball continues to bounce at the end of the hall, and it’s shown to have landed in front of graffiti that says “Ryan”. Both Shane and Ryan have been consistent about making sure nothing is fraudulent on the show, which makes the whole ordeal and an incredibly convincing and creepy moment.
8“The Lady in the Window” - Ghost Hunters
Ghost Huntersis one of America’s most popularparanormal TV shows, focusing on The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). Throughout the show, the team is called upon to investigate a variety of paranormal phenomena, though not all the haunts are convincing. However, later down the line, in season 12, one of the show’s scariest episodes aired. “The Lady in the Window” takes place on Pillars Estate in Albion, New York. Its owner is planning on renovating the property, but has struggled with a variety of different paranormal activities, including a ghostly apparition appearing on their bed.
What makes this episode so convincing is that the TAPS are actually attempting to put the owner’s mind at ease. The team takes a look at some photos that have been taken at the property throughout the years, all of which feature a woman in a window. The TAPS aren’t convinced that the photos are real, but while they are there, they encounter other experiences that are harder to brush off. This includes the piano playing by itself, and the fact that it wouldn’t be possible for someone to stand in the attic where the picture is taken.
7“Bloodline” - The Holzer Files
InThe Holzer Files, a group of paranormal experts reopen the case files of America’s first ghost hunter, Dr. Hans Holzer. Together, with the help of Holzer’s daughter, they continue his research into unexplained hauntings and paranormal phenomena. Holzer was best known forhis work on The Amityville Horror case, entering the house with medium Ethel Meyers, who started up the claim that it was built over a Native American burial ground. While much has come out about Amityville’s credibility since, Holzer knew of and worked on several other cases that seem a bit more authentic.
One of these cases is seen in the episode “Bloodline”, where the team reopens Holzer’s investigation into the Barnstable House in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Throughout the years, there have been various accounts of the paranormal activity that resides within the house’s walls. This includes things such as the sound of footsteps, doors opening and closing, apparitions, and ghostly hands grasping individuals. While the team investigates, they discover that a vengeful spirit may be the cause of the haunting.
Related:The 10 Best Paranormal Investigation TV Shows of All Time
6“Route 666” - Ghost Adventures
During one of its Halloween specials, “Route 666”, theGhost Adventuresparanormal investigators take a trip to the Goatman’s Bridge, the De Soto Hotel, and Concordia Cemetery. Both of the latter are known for instances of Satanic worship occurring on the sites, with a lot of unexplainable events occurring in the De Soto Hotel. These include three ghostly apparitions, the usual random knocking and footsteps, as well as a camera being ripped off the wall. The crew participated in many visits to the De Soto HotelduringGhost Adventures, but it burned down shortly after this one in particular.
Following on from their terrifying encounters at the hotel, the group then visits Goatman’s Bridge. Three women who have visited the bridge in the past were allegedly attacked by a demon, appearing as a half-man, half-goat figure. It’s believed that an African American goat farmer named Oscar Washburn lived across the bridge, but was hung from it by Klansmen. When they checked on his body, the noose was empty, starting the Goatman myths. While at the bridge, each of the crew experience physical harm, being thrown and strangled. The most captivating moment in the episode, however, is the red eyes they capture at the opening of the forest.
5“30, East Drive” - Most Haunted
Easily the United Kingdom’s most popular ghost show,Most Hauntedwas presented by TV host Yvette Fielding, who would visit haunted locations with a team of paranormal experts. Though Ofcom stated that the series should not be viewed as a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, the show has some moments that could truly convert a non-believer. During their 2015 Halloween special, “30, East Drive”, which is a home in Pontefract that is known for being where the Pritchard family was tormented by a poltergeist. It is one of the United Kingdom’s most famous hauntings, even receiving a film adaptation,When the Lights Go Out.
One of the things made clear about the haunting is that the poltergeist was reported to be extremely aggressive, inflicting physical attacks on the daughter of the Pritchard family. Over the evening that theMost Hauntedteam spent at 30, East Drive, several unexplained occurrences took place. As expected in a place allegedly haunted by a poltergeist, items move around the house, and a knife that was once locked in a box has disappeared. Additionally, co-presenter Karl Beattie was dragged up the stairs, similarly to the real case itself, with red marks and burns found over his skin.
4“Reincarnation” - Surviving Death
Netflix’s original seriesSurviving Deathis nothing like the previously mentioned paranormal investigation shows. Rather than focusing on whether ghosts are real, it’s more interested in what happens to people when they die. It’s based on the bookSurviving Deathby Leslie Kean, highlighting new research and various personal stories. Each of the episodes focuses on different topics, ranging from ghosts and mediums to how to spot signs from the dead. However, its most compelling episode is its final one, “Reincarnation.”
What makes this episode so convincing is through the fact that children are the main case studies. It’s been theorized for centuries now that children can see things adults can’t, and can remember parts of their previous lives. The episode provides some pretty compelling evidence for this, with one of the children able to remember members of his previous family. Another child is also able to state obscure facts about an actor from the 1940s, which were confirmed by the actor’s daughter. It’s easier to spot when an adult is fabricating their stories, but the children in “Reincarnation” are far too convincing.
3“Ghostwatch” - Ghostwatch
During the ’90s in the United Kingdom, spiritualism rose to popularity again thanks to the New Age movement in the decades prior. One of the results of this was BBC 1’s Halloween special,Ghostwatch. Initially, it was supposed to be comprised of multiple episodes, but in the end, all the content was cut together into just one. Despite being filmed in advance,Ghostwatchwas presented as live television, hosted by Michael Parkinson. During the broadcast, they launch an on-air paranormal investigation into a house in Greater London. A family residing there, named the Earlys, is being tormented by a poltergeist called Mr. Pipes, who lives in the basement.
Of course, the entire episode is just a big spoof of the real-life Enfield Hauntings that took the world by storm, inspiringThe Conjuring 2. However, the reason it deserves a spot on this list is because it managed to convince almost the entirety of Britain that the events were real. This was a time before social media and the internet, so you couldn’t see people calling it fake online or search where the fake address was. The result ofGhostwatchwas 1,000,000 phone calls to the BBC’s switchboard,traumatizing viewers all over the countrywho couldn’t sleep for months afterward.
2“The Lost Sanitorium” - Paranormal Investigators: Phasmophobia
Paranormal Investigators: Phasmophobiais one of Australia’s most popular ghost-hunting shows. The series only has one season, and follows Andrea Kaldy and a team of paranormal experts who are on the hunt to discover whether ghosts, poltergeists, and demons are real. The episodes begin with the investigation, before Kaldy brings three participants in to complete challenges in the haunted locations. Those who enter can only leave after the challenges are complete, which adds quite a unique spin to the usual formula of reality ghost-hunting shows.
Throughout the episodes, a key theme that occurs is whether the events are real, or if they’re a result of the environment having a psychological impact on the participants. The episode, “The Lost Sanitorium”, is broken down into two parts, wherein the first they are given a crash course in psychic development, before heading into the Sanatorium themselves. What makes the show so interesting is that the participants are deliberately given some misleading information to see if it has any impact on their investigation. Despite this, some strange things occur in this episode that aren’t a product of the show’s setup, making it extremely eerie.
Related:10 Paranormal Documentaries That Will Haunt You
1“The Dybbuk Box” - Paranormal Witness
Out of all the episodes ofParanormal Witness, “The Dybbuk Box” is by far the most terrifying and memorable. The show is focused on a variety of different stories of real-life people who have lived through supernatural experiences, told through eyewitness accounts and dramatized reenactments. “The Dybbuk Box” tells Kevin Mannis' story, who won hundreds of dollars' worth of items from an estate auction, which he intended to sell at his antique store. One of these items was a locked wine cabinet, called the Dybbuk Box.
Back at the store, Kevin broke open the box, where he found strange trinkets inside. Several unexplained occurrences happened at his store afterward, with his shop assistant Jane claiming that lights were turning on by themselves, odd noises could be heard, and it felt like someone was watching her. It got worse when Kevin gifted the box to his mother, who died from a stroke shortly afterward. Several other owners of the box also stepped forward to state their experiences with it, further adding to the credibility of the episode. The box has since been sealed, but it definitely inspired most viewers to think twice before messing around with any antiques.
