The show has an an interesting duo, and they are definitely entertaining together: You have Steve DiSchiavi, a retired New York City police detective who went on to an acting career, appearing in a short film "Stake Out" before being cast in The Dead Files. His job is to interview the people involved and do background research on the location. He is joined by Amy Allan, who now bills herself as a psychic medium (except on a page on the Travel Channel web site, where she is called a physical medium. Really? Physical mediums are known for moving objects, remotely playing trumpets, stuff like that).[see footnote 2] Although scrubbed from her ImDB database, a little Google research tells me that she had previously appeared in episodes of the fictionalized ghost hunting TV show, A Haunting, in at least one of those she played a scientific paranormal investigator doing research on locations rather than using psychic powers. The episode everyone can a see is "A Haunting in Georgia" - you can Google that. Other blog posts on other sites mention additional roles she's had. But before that she was in Season 1, Episode 4, Cursed. I have the DVD set.[see footnotes] So she's basically an actress. I don't know anything more about her. Here's a sample of her work from the episode we will review in this post:
The set-up of the show is Amy does a walk-through of the haunted location, accompanied by her husband (or former husband, depending on what database you believe) and camera man, Matthew Anderson.
At the end, Amy the psychic and Steve the detective get together with the people involved in the haunted location, where they present their findings. It's very dramatic. Steve always has some tale to tell and Amy has some dramatic hits (and some misses) to present. Everyone is amazed.
The Evidence
For the purposes of this discussion, I will confine myself to the episode filmed at The Barbee Hotel in Warsaw, Indiana. The air date was November 15, 2014. The clip I posted above is from that episode, and you can find more at http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/the-dead-files/episodes/intolerance
Analysis
The only paranormal things that one might look at are the impressions that Amy gets as a psychic medium. We see those in the filming of her walk-through, where she throws out a bunch of stuff. It's very cut-up and we can't even tell what she's trying to describe, half the time. Obviously, not everything makes it into the final cut, but it's fair to say she has misses and hits - maybe (as the show portrays) more hits than misses. "Hits" are combined with her pronouncements about the presence or evil entities, and such - which aren't really "hits' because they can't be verified by anyone. And this is the first problem we have: There is no way to judge her accuracy from what is presented on television. She looks good, but you'd expect the producers to make her look good, otherwise they'd have no show. So the one and only thing that could be analyzed for possible paranormal activity, really can't be analyzed at all. We can only say she looks good on the show, and that's it.
The Problem with TV Psychic Mediums
This brings us to a critical point when dealing with shows that feature psychic mediums: Even if they have a huge number of hits, where did that information come from? Is it from a paranormal power, such as psychic mediumship, or are the hits coming from something much more ordinary and unexciting?The show's premise is that Amy's psychic walk-through and Steve's mundane plowing through library files and old newspaper clippings happen separately, without any contact between the two. This is obviously necessary, since if Amy were told what Steve found, her "impressions" would be ...well, quite UNimpressive!
So the premise is that they don't communicate. Okay, let's buy into that for a moment. Does that mean her impressions must be obtained by paranormal means? No. It could be that they are - that's what they're selling. But one thing I noticed about this episode: ALL of Amy's "hits" - the stuff everyone oohs and ahhs about at the end, can be found on the first page of Google by just typing in "Barbee Hotel Warsaw Haunted."
Did Amy do that before her walk-through? I'm sure she'd say no - so then we have to consider her personal credibility..
Amy Allan - like all psychic mediums - has a reputation built solely on her ability to obtain "hits" - that is, accurately describing a situation or thing without having apparent direct knowledge of it. Her "credibility," then, stems not from her personal integrity but from her performance.
With that in mind, we can readily see that Amy Allan has every incentive in the world to hit that Google search button before she does her walk-through, and basically no incentive not to (other than the incentive to not get caught). There's just no upside to Amy being honest in this situation, and no down side to her cheating.
That doesn't prove that she cheats, of course, it just shows that she has no reason in the world to not cheat. And when you add that to the fact that her hits can be found online without any real effort, there is strong reason to doubt her. I would add too that this is only "cheating" in the sense that the show's premise is that she has no information about the location.
When you watch the various ghost hunting shows, you should keep this in mind no matter who is involved. Scientific investigators and psychic mediums with TV shows are coming at this issue from opposite directions, and they have diametrically opposed motivations driving them.
Oh, and about her sketch of the entity haunting the upstairs - and what the people involved made of that... .and GOOGLE. On the first page of Google using the search term shown above, you get a reference to Al Capone having stayed there. That's who her sketch looked like, and she was claiming at least three entities haunt that location: The one on the main floor was the original owner, she said, and there was another more ominous man upstairs, which she had a sketch artist render for her. It's Al Capone. But the the people involved in the haunting didn't pick up on that in the big reveal; they thought the sketch looked kind of like the original owner of the place (Steve brought a picture with him). This made Amy shift gears and change her claim: now it was all really just one entity, using different disguises on different floors. Google didn't work so well for her this time - she had hoped to get credit for finding Al Capone haunting the place - but since the people thought the sketch looked kind of like the original owner, it was declared a "HIT" anyway. So it was a win for Amy, even though her skills really failed her. Oh well.
VERDICT: There's nothing to see, here. If Amy is using psychic abilities to obtain her information, she's doing it the hard way: Google can be utilized without any travel, any hotel reservations, or any walking around in a haunted house. And we haven't even mentioned potential information obtained from the cast and crew. Google explains everything. Except maybe Amy's propensity for finding evil entities everywhere she goes. That is contrary to the experience of just about every other ghost hunter you'd want to give any credibility to. She is especially fond of "finding" evil men - men are just evil in Amy's world. She never finds a friendly one or even an indifferent one. Men are evil. Amy has told us so..
Since we're on the topic, I will add that I am acquainted with a psychic medium: William Becker of Paranormal Insights. Personally, I consider him to be a man of integrity, and I tend to trust his impressions. This trust comes from my assessment of his own moral compass, and his work. But he doesn't have a TV show, he isn't under the same pressure to get hits, and he isn't out to wow anyone. He also gets things wrong and there's no TV producer standing by to edit out those flops.
I'm not dismissing the field in its entirety. Psychic impressions are very hard to verify and essentially impossible to establish scientific controls for, so it's one of those things that you can either take or leave, depending on your persuasion. Just bear in mind that professionals with TV shows have nothing to lose by deceiving you. Never forget that.
Let's look at this question by examining two intellectual propositions:
1) TV production companies are driven to bring you the absolute truth. They would never lie or fake anything because truth is their highest priority, ratings be damned. Or...
2) TV production companies only care about ratings, because that is how they make their money. They want the show to have maximum ratings and the longest possible lifespan. If the truth gets them that, that's great. If they have to lie, cheat and fabricate, oh well... see the first sentence of this proposition.
As a logical, rational and intellectually honest viewer, which proposition seems most likely correct to you?
If Amy Alan wants to sit down with me for a reading, and she comes up with something you couldn't find through Google or cold reading techniques, then I will tell you that. Mega bonus points if she comes up with something even I don't know, but can verify through research. I'm totally open to the idea that Amy or someone else out there might be the real deal - and it if ever happens I will definitely tell you. Otherwise, it's just an act. Sorry.
Footnotes:
1. IMDB discussion of Amy Allan's appearance on Season 1, Episode 4 of A Haunting - this episode is titled Cursed. Amy plays a "researcher" and in this episode she actually demonstrates how she researches a location (a private home) before she goes there. This episode will answer any questions one might have about Amy's ability to research private homes and develop a profile of them so she knows what to talk about when she goes there.
First Aired: November 18, 2005 - is about a private home in Tucson, Arizona. In this episode, Amy the researcher shows you how thoroughly she researches a private home without actually going there. It's probably why they scrubbed this and all other previous acting credits from her IMDB.
Doesn't this make you wonder about why they might have scrubbed Amy Allan's previous acting credits from her IMDB and Travel Channel profile? Is it just that they don't want you to know that Amy Allan is an actor? Or is it that her appearance here reveals too much about her real technique?
2. Strangely, some fans have decided to argue with the definition of physical medium! Amy has tried to create a niche for herself by changing the meaning of a term that has been around for over 100 years, Well, it doesn't work like that, Sorry, Amy (and fans) you're just wrong and making stuff up doesn't help your credibility at all.
"Physical mediumship is defined as manipulation of energies and energy systems by spirits. This type of mediumship is claimed to involve perceptible manifestations, such as loud raps and noises, voices, materialized objects, apports, materialized spirit bodies, or body parts such as hands, legs and feet. The medium is used as a source of power for such spirit manifestations. By some accounts, this was achieved by using the energy or ectoplasm released by a medium, see Spirit photography.[24][25] The last physical medium to be tested by a committee from Scientific American was Mina Crandon in 1924.
"Most physical mediumship is presented in a darkened or dimly lit room. Most physical mediums make use of a traditional array of tools and appurtenances, including spirit trumpets, spirit cabinets, and levitation tables." (Wikipedia)
I could add multiple references to this but those not satisfied should just try doing their own research. If you enjoy the show, that's great, enjoy the show! But let's stop trying to re-write history in order to make the show more believable, okay?
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DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this post or blog is meant to suggest that the supernatural or paranormal does not exist. I believe that there is something there, but I cannot prove it. All I can do is look at the evidence to see if it stands up to the test of very simple scrutiny. If it passes, yay. If it fails, oh well... there's always next time. Investigators are human. I'm human. We all make mistakes. My pointing out the mistakes that others make should not be taken to imply that they are wrong in general, or that the things they investigate are fictional. I named this blog "U Debunked It" to be cute, but I actually hate the debunking mindset. One should go into every investigation with an open mind. It's the only way to find out what is really there. That is what I do. 
That's interesting and all... but what about the places she can't just Google? You sighted one episode, which is a Famous and Historical location. She has gone to private homes, which I'm pretty sure not even Google knows everything about with a simple search.
ReplyDeleteThat could be a valid point - IF Amy ever got anything in these sessions that could be confirmed but could not have been known to her by a normal method. The fact that she had all-Google results in the episode shown here... and that she even went for something from the first page of Google that the people involved didn't realize, does major damage to her credibility. At that point, why would you believe anything she says? Her non-verifiable results; where she finds evil spirits in every nook and cranny, don't really count as hits because it's just Amy saying stuff and you either think she is on to something, or you don't. And that's a separate but important point: I've had multiple psychic mediums tell me that they don't think Amy is real due to the fact that she finds so much evil everywhere she goes, and this is contrary to the experience of other mediums. Either they are all wrong and Amy is the only one on earth with a real gift, or they're right and Amy is just an actress portraying a medium, and there's nothing more to it than that.
DeleteAlso, the reason that she encounter so much evil is because the people who contact the show are from all over, and they all have real problems going on. So naturally the places they go, are the places where there might be some evil! It's not like these are random places and Amy just sees evil everywhere. They want people who have evil in their houses to contact them for help!!! How can you not understand that? Not everything is a lie!
DeleteI understand that perfectly well, Ian. Perhaps the thing you are missing is the fact that her constant identification of evil entities is contrary to the experience of every other medium I've met. People are afraid because there is something unknown..something creepy. But just because something makes you afraid doesn't make it evil. More likely, you are simply misunderstanding an entity's attempt to communicate.
DeleteThat was my point. With the vast majority of mediums saying that evil spirits are a rarity, Amy is a distant outlier; finding evil spirits everywhere and never any good ones. I believe this says more about Amy and her own personal fears and prejudices than it says about spirits.
Dunn tell me ur a medium? Thats Why u can say that? Hmmmmmm
DeleteChriss Pagani - I have had many of the same thoughts as you regarding Amy Allan. Number one being "what is up with all the evil?" She encounters SO many entities on each show and very rarely are they neutral, let alone helpful. My other big issue with the show is the stuff she advises the "clients" to do to rid themselves of these entities. If you are living in a small town in the mid-west how are you going to find a Shaman, a Priest and a Reiki Master to cleanse your home? Heck that would have been a tall order when I lived in San Francisco.
DeletePutting all the above aside, I do enjoy the show and hope it isn't a total fake-out. As someone that from a very young age attracted spirits or entities or whatever you would like to call them to myself without meaning to do so, I find that many of her descriptions are pretty spot on for things I encountered. (I dampened my ability and tuned out, probably more then I needed to, years ago for my own reasons.) I guess she could just be reading about other mediums or conduits experiences and using the descriptions. I'm curious what you think...
Wow...someone sounds jealous. Oh, by the way a PHYSICAL MEDIUM is someone who can feel the pain a person went through while they died. So she knows if they were shot or stabbed cause she feel it. Now, try 2 send out POS comments.
DeleteI've had numerous unexplainable incidents myself, not only in different homes I lived in but also in visits to various places reported to be haunted. Some people are sensitive to spirits while others are not. People that have never had those experiences are not likely to ever believe people that do.
DeleteI've had numerous unexplainable incidents myself, not only in different homes I lived in but also in visits to various places reported to be haunted. Some people are sensitive to spirits while others are not. People that have never had those experiences are not likely to ever believe people that do.
DeleteI have watched a lot of this show. I'd like to point out a few things - she doesn't only see negative entities at all. In nearly every episode she seems to encounter both positive and negative things, but she focuses on the negative, which you'd want her to do if you have invited her to your house to help out with a bothersome spirit.
DeleteSecondly, more often than not she is going to private homes, not well known historical sites. This show isn't that type of paranormal show. They are contacted by people who have a problem and are looking for answers, they don't just pick a site based on rumoured contact. You don't contact a paranormal investigation team because you are having a wonderful time with the ghost of Aunty June. You contact them because something is messing with you and making you feel unsafe in your own home. This is a logical thing to me. Like calling the fire brigade - you don't do it just cause someone is having a cigarette on your front porch, you do it cause your damn house is on fire.
Anyway - personally I watch dead files for Steve. I find Amy slightly punchable (she has a raging case of RBF), but Steve makes it worth while.
I couldn't agree more...i honestly can't stand her and those goofy faces and sounds she makes...i too saw that she was on a ghost hunting show as an investigator but she likes to hide that obviously...she should do her investigations first not AFTER Steve! If she really is a medium then SHE could help and cross some over (I've seen it done alot even with more negative ones) but no that'd have to show validity in her "powers" ...also y doesn't the husband /camera crew ever pic up any orbs, anomalies or evps? There are legit intuitives and mediums out there, she sure isn't one of them =0)
DeleteWhen Amy leaves these homes after giving a usually extremely upsetting account of her walk and the home owners finding out they are under attack, it never seems to bother her. She just leaves a grocery list of things to get. Black salt, she to smudge, a few mediums of various types, male female, pretty feminine female, physical , intuitive, etc mediums, a priest, a shaman from a particular tribe, various crystals and minerals. After you've found them they have to come in and perform rites sometimes not once or twice but everyday for a week. Also sometimes it's a male and a female at the same time for a different amount of times. Have you ever paid a medium for just an hour?But I guess there is no price for peace.I get that. But I've often wondered why when she so easily picks up on events from the past two centuries she never picks up on any or many friendly entities or family members or guardians.She always gets the dead but never any of the living members of the home. Is that just because Matt has removed pictures? I've had psychics give me accurate readings over the phone not knowing anything but my first name.I find it amazing that they are at the site for a few days( they have to stay somewhere , does she stay in a separate hotel from the rest of the crew?) and she never talks to anyone about anything. We see a one hour show. It takes more than twelve to make a thirty second commercial with all the out takes,lighting, and sound. Not to mention editing. What gets cut and left on the floor? I mean is Matt doing all this with his little Sony?Hardly. That's why we see him taping her.Lastly as I said she can drop all these bombs about what is going on and then leaves them with a list of people to get and things to do in a precise order to rid the home of the problem. I guess she's just the messenger I live in a very big international city and just for fun I tried to find all the people she recommends. It was near to impossible after I told them the problem and then what cure they were to provide. Nearly all said they would want to do their own walk through or reading first to see what they were up against. None of them said they would walk into an environment and do a ritual without knowing what was there because they are opening themselves up to it.If you went to a doctor that said you needed heart surgery and then went to the surgeon, there is no way he'd do the operation without checking things out themselves. They would all want to know exactly what they were dealing with. It's a Tv show point blank. Meant to entertain and hold your attention.Im sure the homes are screened to make sure that tangible evidence of past history can be found or else they wouldn't have anything.Oh well it is what it is. Watch it for the entertainment value but don't bet the bank on anything!
DeleteBased on your own criteria that there is a lack of evidence, fact or proof that she is the real thing you have not met your own burden of proof. What you have supplied is your opinion and supposition not any hard facts disproving her abilities. I'm not 100% convinced but I don't feel your argument holds water either.
DeleteThanks for your review and impressions. We are told Amy and Steve don't communicate until the reveal at the end of each show. have also read that locations are secret and unknown to Amy prior to her walk. However, Amy's husband (or former husband but probable close friend) Matthew Anderson visits and 'clears' every single site prior to every one of Amy's walks. He then escorts Amy to the site. Goodness knows if his visit ever coincides with Steve's interviews of the 'clients'. So, the integrity of the Dead Files hinges on the premise that Amy's pal Matthew Anderson NEVER reveals ANY information to her about a site! That said, Amy professes a commitment to study of the paranormal using the 'scientific method', studied psychology at the University of Arizona and was mentored by world-renowned para-psychologist William Roll.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are told things. :) I covered most of that in the review, except for the "clearing" part. As I said, the story that they don't tell Amy anything is necessary to have the show at all. Otherwise, her impressions wouldn't impress anyone. But since it's TV, it's not unfair to consider these things gimmicks. It's like knowing that "reality shows" are actually scripted. TV just doesn't have the same ethics as the rest of us.
DeleteThe parapsychology thing is interesting. My comment would be that any scientific evidence of the paranormal typically finds results slightly above chance. This indicates that there might be something going on - but it also indicates that whatever is happening isn't comprehensive or reliable enough to depend upon for consistent results. And Amy, like other professional media psychics, relies upon obtaining numerous, accurate hits on demand. Any time, anywhere. The legit side of the science tells us that this is not possible, so again we find that cheating is the likely explanation, and I saw nothing on the show that would lead me to think otherwise. I'd love to sit down with Amy for a reading but I doubt that will ever happen.
Hahahha ur a medium? Hmmmmm lol well whatever bro. Just enjoy the show! Lol real or not.... Its cool to watch... If u want u can make ur own show. Lmfao.
DeleteOh, the show is very entertaining, for sure. But I can't watch it anymore because of the production. This is the thing; I don't know if Amy has a problem that makes her see evil spirits everywhere or - at least as likely - that the producers make her see evil spirits everywhere.
DeleteThis happened to a friend, whom I won't name because of privacy and disclosure agreements. He basically said on a paranormal TV show what I said: "People experience something that frightens them and they automatically think 'oh, it's a demon, or an evil spirit' but that is unlikely to be the case. This may be a failed attempt at communication instead."
So guess what made it onto TV? Yep: "...It's a demon..." ..That's what the producers excised out of the whole dialog, to make him say it's a demon when what he said was exactly the opposite. For all I know, this is what's happening to Amy. I may never know, but you must always remember that the TV producers have basically NO ethics. They want to make a scary and entertaining show and they don't care how they do that.
so much critics! Chris DONT WATCH if that's how you feel.
DeleteExcerpt from I See Dead People…All the Time: A Conversation with Amy Allan ~ http://popcultureaddict.com/amyallan/
DeleteSam: In all of the places you go you seem to encounter very malicious spirits and dark energy. You’ve dealt with some really nasty creatures. Obviously, in this type of work, you encounter good or passive spirits as well. Do the producers of The Dead Files specifically send you out to places that have hostile spirit activity?
Amy: From what I understand they pick locations where people really need help. There has definitely been times when there are good dead people around and they’re freaked out, but there is [the bad] dead people freaking them out.
It's funny how much you talk about GOOGLE in your article, your blog post is the 3rd or 4th result when Googling Amy Allan. Interesting. Your ragging on people who have worked hard to get where they are. The show isn't about being a show, it's about helping people who are being ABUSED by the unseen. The show enables Amy to help there's poor people. You say you want to sit down with Amy for a "reading." As if you would uncover if she's "Cheating" or not, what you really should do is find someone who was on the show and sit them down for your "reading." Maybe that will tell you if she's making things up and it's all just a show. You think these people are actors? You think the mentally challenged girl on one episode that was being attacked and burned was a actor? You also say these "Hits" can't be verified by anyone, but you are trying to "verify" this whole show and her abilities as a human with Google? This is halarious. I would be very interested to check your claim that EVERYTHING said in the end of the hotel episode was immediately available with a Google search. I will check that claim. You think that Amy has every intention to "hit" that Google button! Yeah let's see someone Google a private location, wait Google doesn't tell you what kind of entity might be haunting a location! That's weird I thought all mediums had a Psychic Google Button ready at all times... they do but not in the way your talking about. It's sad to read you tearing into something you know zero about expect from Google. That's like trying to practice Witchcraft using the Internet only. It's a stupid idea. You claim to have a open mind, Ms. You do not. Unless you changed from 1 year ago today. I might just Google your name and make a blog post about everything that comes up. Damn, I could write for hours about you! There's over 8,000,000 results!! Oh wait, it's GOOGLE it's not going to be all about you or even remotely about you or true at all. You mentioned Google 9 times. This blog post is a slap in the face to mediums everywhere.
ReplyDelete> The show isn't about being a show, it's about helping people who are being ABUSED by the unseen.
DeleteNo, it IS about making a TV show. I guarantee you that the producers and the network care ONLY about ratings. It isn't Amy's show. She's hired talent, and that's all. Her purpose is exactly the same as an actor on any other show; to make the show entertaining so it gets viewers and makes money.
I don't know if Amy has any real ability, and I said that. But what is interesting is that the way the show works, any actress could fill that slot. It isn't about ability but making claims that are scary-sounding in a dramatic fashion, so that the audience will be entertained. Anyone who can act can do that. If Amy also has psychic abilities on top of her acting ability, then that is a bonus for the show - but unnecessary.
> You think these people are actors?
No, I don't think the people Amy visits are actors. I never said that. I think people have problems and some of them may be supernatural - but for the purposes of television it doesn't really matter. The network and the producers aren't there to help anyone, and they aren't putting Amy there to help anyone. They are there to make dramatic television that gets ratings and makes money.
> I would be very interested to check your claim … Google search...You think that Amy has every intention to "hit" that Google button!
Yes, please do. I'm not counting claims of evil spirits, as I said, because those things not only cannot be verified, but Amy even changed those claims at the end when the people involved didn't resonate with her discoveries.
For the record, I didn't say "intention" but "incentive." That Amy has an incentive to look good on TV by gaining some prior knowledge of the situation is inarguable. There is no reason for her to avoid doing that except personal ethics.
Probably many mediums and psychics hit Google when they have a client appointment. It wouldn't be surprising and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. For a psychic hit to be evidence of Amy's ability, it would have to be something Amy could not possibly have known any other way, but which can later be verified by an independent source as true.
Claims of demons and evil spirits don't fit that bill. How do you verify those claims? And with TV shows, details about people's lives don't fit that bill either because the producers know ALL of that before filming.
The producers interview all of the people involved before a decision is made to film at a location. So again, the producers have ALL of the information you see on the show before Amy ever arrives at a location.
The producers tell you that they don't pass this information on to Amy (because if they told you that you'd have nor reason to watch) - but you have no way of verifying their claims. And the fact that these people have a very strong reason to lie to the audience about this should give you reason to distrust them.
And again that doesn't mean that Amy isn't a great medium! I don't know; all I have said is that you can't tell from the show. I know how these shows work, and how they work removes any necessity for the performers to have any psychic abilities: The producers are the ones that make everything happen, and add maximum drama through editing.
This is not about Amy. It's about TV supernatural shows in general. TV shows fake stuff. That's because they are in business to get ratings and make money, not to help anyone or solve any problems. Capitalism at its finest. If Amy is there to help people, that's great! I'm glad for that. But that's not why these television shows exist.
> It's funny how much you talk about GOOGLE in your article, your blog post is the 3rd or 4th result when Googling Amy Allan. Interesting.
DeleteSure, now. But before I analyzed this episode, what was there Googling the hotel not Amy, is exactly what I said. Al Capone was a top result for the supposedly haunted hotel, but Amy's attempt to shoehorn Capone into the story fell flat as the people involved weren't buying it. They thought it was the original owner so Amy changed her story to fit what they thought. That is the thing that suggests she used Google.
And again, none of this goes to whether or not Amy is a good medium; this is all about TV production and TV ethics - or, more correctly, television production companies' complete lack of ethics. That is why you can't trust what you see on the show.
1.She doesn't know where she's going. If you notice if its cold she always has on the black coat. She usually packs for every season. Even her hotel is in the wrong town.
Delete2.her reads are rarely spot on but need to be worked into Steve's evidence. That's very important.
3. She needs mats tapes to transcribe her reads because she has no memory of them.
As far as her previous TV appearance on the Haunting. She played herself a Physical Medium who was head of a Paranormal Group of Mediums. Like most groups they worked for free. All of those shows are based on true events. True or not you can Google them. I know I was surprised as well.
Amy's character was on an episode of "A Haunting" years ago where she was just part of a paranormal investigative group. Amy didn't appear to have any special abilities & in fact called in a medium for the investigation. Kind of questions her credibility as a medium, I would think.
DeleteCan someone pls give this lady a show of her own. Lol
ReplyDeletePlus give this lady her own show hahahahaha
She is a paranormal investigator as well.
If u have a show I will watch ur show no worries. But I won't criticize it. As it is a TV show... Ill just enjoy it.
Dunn be bitter about the shows. Just stop watching if you dunn beleived in it.
God bless.
Hah! :) Sure, but nobody would ever agree to give me creative control; something I would insist upon so my words wouldn't be mischaracterized by the producers. That's the problem with these shows.
DeleteRemember I only analyzed The Dead Files for paranormal content. It wasn't a statement about the level of entertainment. It's entertaining, but because of production it might as well be labeled fiction. I'm only looking for things that can be analyzed for evidence of paranormal activity. I can't find anything like that in The Dead Files, or any other show so far. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy it as pure entertainment, though.
Get a life loser! For pity's sake, I feel sorry for you! You probably can't enjoy anything at all!
DeleteI have a gift...can you tell me what that is?
ReplyDeleteSnark.
DeleteI've watched this show for years along with the rest of them. I find them entertaining but they leave me with a lot of questions. With Dead Files I feel red flags because of human nature and tv ratings. The idea is that they go there to help people having problems. Amy Steve and Matt Amy's ex. First Matt goes ion to clear the place of pictures memorabilia and such. Then H E drives Amy to the property. Meanwhile Steve has been there to interview the clients. Whose to say the don't talk between filming? Then she walks through and picks up on a couple of hundred years of paranormal activity. Yet she never seems to pick up on any of the living. It wouldn't matter if pictures were removed. But she always seems surprised when she sits down and sees who's being bothered by what.Steve always hits the library records and always comes up with detailed death records , nothing ordinary like old age, photographs and newspaper articles. How much of that would they find on the average home? So the sites have to be picked with prior knowledge that they'd find something, or its fabricated.Another thing that bugs me is that if there is so much activity and a lot of terrible painful stuff which is supposed to leave residual energy. When the tapes roll they never get voices, sounds, apparitions, moving objects,touching,orbs or anything.if these places are so rife with activity that people call because this sort of thing happens; why if she a sensitive is it dead ,pardon the pun, when she's there. It looks like she's just walking around with Matt following with his little video camera. Tv shows take a lot of lighting and sound equipment, even if you're in the dark.Lastly , if she's there to help these poor people from physical, mental or emotional attacks, and she comes up with these horrendous sometimes demonic entities.How is it she can drop this information on them ,watch them fall apart and leave. They're always left to find various types of mediums,
DeleteSay what you will but when all is said and done just look at her hit rate.
DeleteYes her Hit Rate is impressive for what we see. What about the out takes and tape that hits the cutting room floor. They could be full of misses. By the time the shows reach the air they have been through all the processing taking anything out all the material that shows any mistakes by Amy or Steve. Cut a few words in a sentence and the whole meaning could become the opposite of what was said. That happens all the time. I still have a problem with a lot of the show. Especially with her walk abouts that only effect her even though the families have called them in for all manner of paranormal activity that is making them very afraid. Anything from scratches, burns, voices, inappropriate touching,being bodily thrown around, doors opening or closing, chairs piled up, mists or full apparitions cold spots, growling and more.
DeleteWhen Amy and the crew go in none of these things happen or are picked up on the visual or voice parts of the tapes. Amy is the only one who sees, hears or feels anything so we are to take her word for this. Of course Steve hits all the libraries, town record departments and police stations. It's amazing how he gathers up a hundred years or more of information and photos pertaining to the property.
Then when Amy is finished she goes to a sketch artist( there is always one around) and accurately produces a picture with the information she gives them. Thin lips a long nose.what about them? Is the long nose turned up at the end, dip down, flat, pinched,large nostrils, bulbous etc. Do the thin lips have a bow or straight, curve up or down at the corners, create lines going down from the side to the chin, or how large is the space between the top lip to the end of the nose. We don't hear her mentioned those things but they are always clearly a match to Steves pictures. If they aren't then it's the same person but as she had seen them. Next comes Amy's prescription for clearing the house so the family can still live there in peace. Only this involves a few different types of mediums with different abilities, shaman from various tribes and a priest to do an excorsism. These are not easy to find and are very expensive. There aren't that many priests that are allowed to do excorsisms and the ones who do have to get permission from their diocese and The Vatican. Few meet the criteria. Then are the times that Amy tells them to get out or someone could die.These are regular people who most likely have all or most of their money tied up in their house. They can't afford to just abandon their homes to go where. Also if you put a home up for sale now you are supposed to inform the realtor if there is any paranormal activity.
But the show is for entertainment purposes. To draw as many people to watch it as they can, so that if the ratings are high enough the show gets picked up again. I also question what the families get out of this. I hope if their problem is real that they can find peace again in their home and lives.At worst they have been stars on a prime time show aired in many states and at least two countries.
If it entertains you then watch it and enjoy it. It is set up differently than any of the other paranormal shows. But when you're eating your popcorn don't swallow all they tell you hook, line and sinker.
I have no problem with your opinion of the Dead Files, but I do have to point out that having just watched A haunting in Georgia, Amy does a walk through of the property the exact same way she does on the Dead Files.
ReplyDeleteHaving watched a bunch of the dead files recently, most of what she gets seems kind of vague until it's been put against what Steve finds out. Dead Files is entertainment without a doubt, and rather Amy has any actual talent, only she knows.
I do find it very funny that you think Amy would google the place she's going. For famous locations that might work, but for private homes, and random people I don't think it would be very helpful.
Having watched a bunch of the dead files, she seldom seems to come up with non human/demonic entities. She does often come up with a mixture of good and bad, but then real people are a mixture of good and bad, so why wouldn't ghosts if that is what they are be as well.
I think the only issue I would have with her, and what she does is if she were using her 'talents' to bleed people financially dry. It doesn't appear to be what she does, but it might just be that I haven't seen it.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just not sure what the purpose of writing this was to begin with. Are you trying to keep people from watching the show?
ReplyDeleteDead Files has a forumla. We can't know for sure if Amy does any research beforehand, but we are entertained by the "hits" she gets, and how they match the research. For all we know, they do the research first, and put it out for everyone to review to make the show work better. Either way, I find the show entertaining and have no reason to question her abilities. Like you said, there is no scientific way to prove a medium's ability, so I guess we have to take it for faith and credibility.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and giving everyone another perspective.
What would make you think I'd want to keep people from watching the show? If it's just a question, then the answer is no, I said it's very entertaining. However, while you said you "have no reason to question her abilities," my response would be that you have absolutely no reason to believe in them, either. Maybe she has something going on, but if all you know about her is her TV show, then you have no reason to think she has any special abilities at all, unless we're talking about acting ability.
DeleteI think that it's important for people to understand that nothing is real in reality television. The Dead Files is a fun show but the entertainment comes entirely through buying into the premise. Otherwise the show is paper-thin. And that's fine, but I hope people see it for what it is.
Actually, mediumship can be tested and possibly produce evidence. Controls can be implemented. A medium's impressions can be scientifically examined. Maybe there won't be incontrovertible proof, but one might find evidence that leans one way or another. You won't find that in a show, though. I guess it's not entertaining enough.
Wow... there are many other paranormal series that use mediums, maybe even two to get different or same results. Why don't you talk about other shows, its just Amy Allen basing. Please get a life an stop being jealous of Amy or anyone else that is more successful then you!
DeleteTamnmy, yes it is true, there are other shows who use mediums. So? I just happened to review this particular show, otherwise I have no special interest in Amy Alan one way or another. I know other mediums and they agree: TV shows are fake. That's the bottom line. So whether Amy has real abilities or not is irrelevant. The rest of your comment is baseless assumption. :)
DeleteNot baseless at all! You clearly have some kind of personal vendetta against her and are very jealous! Otherwise you would drop it and stop fighting people who just want to believe! So F off!
Deletehttp://www.tv.com/shows/a-haunting/a-haunting-in-georgia-869125/
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the comments on this link, someone mentioned the old show you talked about, where she is described to show up as a physical medium. Also, the term physical medium means psychic medium, not physical as in kenetic movements. She may still be fake, but I'm just pointing out a few things you missed here.
Everyone seems to be missing the fact that Steve does all of his research days BEFORE Amy's walk through!!! So Steve finds the facts (or the producers lackeys do, she doesn't even need google) and they tell Amy and wah-lah!!!! Amy is amazazing!! That's what has always bugged me most about this show. Well that and Amy's facial expressions. Seriously, couldn't they at least pretend to find the facts that match after Amy's walk through? Also, I love when nothing particularly creepy or tragic has happened at a location forcing Steve to 'dig' deeper. He always finds some town tragedy. Like 35 people drowned in the town flood of 1877, 5 miles from the house he's investigating, blah blah... Somehow, those ghost are haunting the poor haunted clients house! Every time! What are the odds?
ReplyDeleteVery true. The premise is that they don't communicate, but it's TV so there is no real reason to believe that. And even if they didn't communicate directly, the show's producers and staff are all the same and they might tell Amy what Steve found.
DeleteI should back up here and state that I watch these things with an open mind and I'm interested to see if they find anything that might be evidence of paranormal events or activities. When I decided to do a review of this show, the Barbee hotel episode just happened to be the one that was on TV that night.
So I'm watching the show and I noted all the things you mentioned. Amy's final report to the occupants, made with Steve, seemed a little off and she had to reverse herself and tell an entirely different story right in the middle of her "reveal". They tried to make that look smooth but it was pretty obvious to me that her hit was a miss. And that was the end of it all for me, initially.
I started writing the report and I said all of those things, but in that process I wanted to verify that I was spelling everything correctly so I hit Google. First I Googled Amy's name, and that's where the oddity of calling her a physical medium came up. Although one commenter above insists that this is synonymous with psychic medium, it really isn't - so that was odd, and I noted it. Then I Googled Barbee Hotel Haunted and my jaw dropped open, because the front page of Google explained Amy's big "miss" on her reading: Right there on page one, I saw the mythology of Al Capone having a connection with the Barbee Hotel. Until I saw that, Amy's failure didn't make any sense. That's when I realized that what Amy was driving at with the sketch artist was a picture of Capone. She couldn't just come out and say that because it would have been too obvious, but it was right there on Google.
Unfortunately for Amy, the people involved either didn't know the Capone story or didn't believe it, so they didn't go along with her "finding." That was revealing.
I can't say whether Google is routinely used for these things (probably, but who knows?) but I can say with certainty that Amy's main haunting character came from Google, and when the people involved didn't buy into that or didn't recognize Capone, she changed her whole story. And that all happened at the end of the show, after she'd built up this whole multiple haunting story, with an especially evil man upstairs (where Capone supposedly stayed). It just disappeared from her narrative when her subjects didn't buy it. Very telling, don't you think?
I record every episode and watched the Warsaw one last night. I did notice that her story changed, and told my husband that was the first time I had seen her do that (and was surprised.) I agree that all "reality" shows are fake or scripted so I watch with a grain of salt always - but still enjoy it more than any other paranormal show.
DeleteAs with all entertainment choices including documentaries, paranormal and reality TV it is up to the viewers to decide to believe it or not. Peoples opinions and beliefs vary greatly. You state that you are a Paranormal Investigator, so I assume you do believe in the Paranormal?
ReplyDeleteAs for the show The Dead Files you stated yourself,"everyone is amazed." Real or acting it is very entertaining and a great paranormal TV show.
In your article you are giving us your review and opinion of the show. That is until your paragraph titled "Analysis." There you begin to use the word "we" to whom are you referring? Who is "we?"
Yes, it's entertaining - just not what it pretends to be. And I think that's what people need to realize about "reality television;" the only difference between this type of television and the scripted dramas is that these shows pretend to be real... like professional wrestling.
DeleteMy advisory team for this show included my husband, who is a recognized expert in social engineering and hoaxes and who watched this episode with me; and William Becker, psychic medium who has done both television and radio, and who added additional insight into the television production process.
And finally, yes, I believe there is a reality behind paranormal phenomena; one that has yet to be uncovered. I suspect it is not what people think.
Thank you for your comment.
Chriss, I did not read you blog in its entirety because you defined physical medium incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteSomeone may have corrected you already. A physical medium is a medium that has the ability to feel how the spirit has died, feel their emotional pain, any physical pain They are currently feeling. Being a physical medium has nothing to do with her being able to move things. If you had really watched the show enough times, She explains what a physical medium is in detail. And because physical mediums feel all types of disease, painful deaths, they can get very I'll. Amy has been hospitalized many times. Se was hospitalized for 2 weeks during the first season.
For this reason, as Amy can attest, physical mediums don't have as long a life expectancy. Look it up.
Source? I don't think it matters how Amy defines it. Words have meaning. So if you can show that this is a generally accepted definition, I'll take it. Otherwise, it's Amy making up stuff (again) versus real world consensus.
DeleteYou said "Look it up" and I did because you're the second person to state this. Turns out, I was correct.
"A physical medium, while in a trance state, produces physical evidence of connections with the spirit world to observers in a dimly lit room, during a séance, or psychic circle, through the following phenomena: transfiguration, direct voice, apports, levitation and the movement or throwing of objects, knocking, rapping ..." (psychiclibrary.com)
Or... "Physical mediumship is defined as manipulation of energies and energy systems by spirits. This type of mediumship is claimed to involve perceptible manifestations, such as loud raps and noises, voices, materialized objects, apports, materialized spirit bodies, or body parts such as hands, legs and feet. The medium is used as a source of power for such spirit manifestations." ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediumship#Physical_mediumship )
That doesn't sound right at all. I have never heard of Physical mediumship being connected to telekinesis. A physical medium is a person who feels things. they feel emotions, they feel pain. They are an extreme empaths. she doesn't move shit with her mind, she doesn't levitate or manifest goop out of her face - she feels their emotions and pain, something you would know if you had bothered to watch more than one episode before writing your blog. Which is just sloppy journalism really.
DeleteThe problem is you have made some very sweeping accusations, most of which can be easily denied by anyone who has watched the show more than once. Most of her locations are not historical but are personal homes, she has hardly ever found an actual demonic entity - most of the time she says it is their spirit freaking out, and the owners take it the wrong way, or it is a human spirit intentionally manifesting in a scary manner.
You have actually done the same thing as the TV execs do. You chosen an episode to do with a historical location - because of course there is going to be Google hits on a historical location. You bring up that it was Al Capone, not Amy, I don't recall her using his name once. You saw her sketch, and decided it looked like Al to you, that doesn't actually prove that's who it was suppose to be. Does not the same logic dictate if Capone was there, and she did see him, she'd have him sketched cause he is there? Her "shifting gears" from Capone to the original owner could also have come from the picture that Steve had of the original owner that looked like the sketch she'd had drawn...just a thought. The idea is she and Steve come together to figure out exactly what is happening. This falls in line with that idea.
You might be right, it all might be a big bowl of hot BS, but you need to research more before writing something like this. This is hack journalism I am afraid. One example doesn't make a rule - not in science and not in paranormal investigation.
My definition is correct, though. Amy has tried to redefine physical mediumship for her own reasons; possibly because the field is so thoroughly discredited.
Delete"It is described as a manipulation of energies and energy systems by spirit. To do this, a spirit uses a medium to produce phenomena that can be seen, heard, or felt by everyone present (like in our example above).
Often the spirit communicator is used as a source of power so the spirit can manifest in various ways in order to communicate.
In most of these cases, mediums channel a spirit and allow it to take over their body in order to communicate with the living. (This is not the same as a possession because the medium voluntarily gives the spirit permission to have control.)
- See more at: http://www.psychic-readings-guide.com/physical-mediumship/
Also from Wikipedia: "Physical mediumship is defined as manipulation of energies and energy systems by spirits. This type of mediumship is claimed to involve perceptible manifestations, such as loud raps and noises, voices, materialized objects, apports, materialized spirit bodies, or body parts such as hands, legs and feet. The medium is used as a source of power for such spirit manifestations. By some accounts, this was achieved by using the energy or ectoplasm released by a medium, see Spirit photography.[24][25] The last physical medium to be tested by a committee from Scientific American was Mina Crandon in 1924.
Most physical mediumship is presented in a darkened or dimly lit room. Most physical mediums make use of a traditional array of tools and appurtenances, including spirit trumpets, spirit cabinets, and levitation tables."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediumship#Physical_mediumship
Don't assume someone has the right to redefine a term that has had this definition for over 100 years.
I've covered the rest quite thoroughly. There are no accusations. There are observations, which anyone may make. Personally, I wish the show's producers would have your attitude because I would LOVE to put Amy's abilities and how the show really works out there on an official record.
Sorry - I am spamming you again. I just want to say though this isn't a personal attack on you, just the way you have gone about this particular article.
DeleteSomeone up top a bit replied to another post of mine with something very valid - I don't understand why you didn't point out the real issues - there is never any evidence other than what Amy says she sees and hears, No EVP, no orbs, no moving shadows.
Why, in a more recent episode, did she seem to use the plot line from The Ring?? (A girl, wet, coming out of the TV and wanting the living woman to be her mother).
Why do so many of her manifestations look like creatures from a Tim Burton movie?
Why doesn't she ever actually try and help move this entities on herself, but instead ask the sufferers to contact a faith healing rakey voodoo priest with a degree in psychology to help move them along? And where exactly do you find a person like that (although, maybe you did bring that up, my memory is shot)
It's not like I don't see where your point comes from, I just think you did it badly here, focused on the wrong area.
I honestly don't know about Amy. I don't like her at all, but at the same time I can't help but think there is something there, maybe just not near as much as she claims though.
Of course you are entitled to your opinion and you've expressed it quite thoroughly.
DeleteI didn't review the series. I reviewed one episode. There are probably several other valid points to be made regarding the series but the ones I made pertained to a single episode. And this review went live a few days after that episode aired in its original run.
I subsequently watched a couple of other episodes, mostly because I love Steve - he's great! - but I had to stop because Amy gets on my nerves with her ham acting.
They should just give Steve a show with no Amy. It would get more views.
DeleteI can appreciate what you're saying about getting people to watch a television show. You are right about that. It's all about ratings. I like the show but I've seen things on it that I've questioned naturally. Not everyone can be right and whether she looks things up before hand or communicated with Steve doesn't mean anything either. If they do, so what! It's a tv show for entertainment purposes. However I did a lot of research on Amy and both her parents have abilities as well as her grandfather. I'm waiting for her book to come out so I can read it. She also did an interview with Abby Normal which was interesting, you should check that out. I have respect for you're opinion but it does seem like you're doing a little "Amy" bashing. Oh well it's your opinion though so I enjoyed reading all the comments in this blog. But I will continue to watch the show and keep an open mind about it!
ReplyDeleteHowever you feel about it, there is no "Amy bashing" going on here. I reviewed the show for possible paranormal evidence. That's it.
DeleteYou can post the source for the Amy interview if you like. I don't think she can tell you the show is fake, because I'm sure she signed a non-disclosure agreement to get the job. As I said previously, Amy may have abilities (who knows?) but for the purposes of the show the only ability she needs is acting. Because it's TV, that's all that is happening here.
Thanks for responding! Sorry about saying you were Amy bashing. You're right, you weren't. I've reread most of the things you said and you are just trying to make a point. For me it's all a mystery. I'd like to think the majority of them are seeing or communicating with the dead or our loved ones. I'd like to think there's something out there when we pass. But I do think we're a ball of energy & it goes on somewhere! I hope anyway, haha! She's a pretty good actor, I guess and yep, that's all she needs for this show! Thanks, you rock!
DeleteThe reason I came across your article/posting is I also find myself being of a skeptical mindset, while I do believe in the phenomenon of haunting due to an experience I personally had while working as a night nurse at a very upscale Elder Community in Central Florida 20 years ago, I was doing my medication pass and caught movement up near the nursing station I looked up and saw a full bodied apparition crossing from a patients room across the hall to the next patients room on the opposite side my first reaction was its a nurse doing rounds so I went to the room that I saw her last enter and it was completely empty with no entrance to any other room and we were a couple floors up, it really didn't freak me out at that point, it made sense to me having been around a lot of death in my former profession, It was sort of comforting, just a nurse doing what she loved even in death. but Amy Allen? Nah!!! she doing it cause it's feeding her ego and putting groceries on the table, but I continue to watch it like watching a bad car-wreck I just can't look away 👹
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed you're review. I don't know whether the paranormal exists. And I would think even if there was such things as paranormal activity then paranormal shows would fake it still. They want the ratings and the money. If they broadcast a show that hardly every caught any activity then people wouldn't be entertained. The dead files, they say they don't reveal locations and Amy does not speak to anyone so they can not reveal any of the happenings and goings on in that location. So Amy only gets her info from spirit. Are we supposed to just take their word for it? It's tv and people lie no doubt they are feeding her information. It's all about the ratings and money.
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to amass reasons why ghosts, mediums, and the like might be phony. I have oft repeated that the harshest critics have much time and energy invested in how it's a pseudoscience and doesn't hold water when subjected to the laboratory. What is ignored here is that like human behavior with it's innate variability, the paranormal also is not a science, and by it's very definition is not normal or typical and cannot be studied in a laboratory setting. I became interested in this stuff years ago when I watched the various ghost hunting shows and thought they seemed, for the most part, factual. The interest I had grew and grew until the day I contacted a paranormal Investigation group, and was invited along on a case they'd done before as a training case. That night, I brought my own digital recorder and watched the night's events through a detectives eye to make sure I wasn't being duped; yet also with an open mind. The things I saw and experienced that night very quickly made me excited-this stuff really does happen. The kicker was when I reviewed my carefully made audio recordings and was blown away by creepy whispered responses to things I asked and that were absolutely not heard at the time I made them. Also that night was a loud whispered "Mike!" that we all should have heard at the time but had not-wow, talk about goosebumps! Suffice to say, I was never the same again, and have only become more and more enthralled with investigating. My point is that instead of wasting time with conjecture on why it can't exist, I now simply say if you REALLY want to know the absolute truth, do what I did and go see for yourself. I promise that you will see things very differently once you do so. Learning this has changed me forever, and I promise will do the same for you.
ReplyDeleteNo you didn't.
DeleteYour loss :)
DeleteWhat if we paired these two with the GA team? Had a scientific investigation go on with a medium together and see if they get the same results?
ReplyDeleteThat could be fun! I think you have a possible winning idea, there. :)
DeleteI'd like to find another medium, though. Even though Amy has some past acting experience, she tends to overact in a way that gets on my nerves. There are many other mediums with TV experience.. I met Karen Frazier recently, and I like her a lot. I'd be willing to watch her work. And I'd suggest my friend William Becker as a medium, but he refuses to do television these days. He shares my distrust of TV producers.
I have a difficult time seeing Al Capone in that sketch. Though I don't think it's as much a dead-ringer for the murderer of the owner of the property as Steve seemed to think it was, I think it looked more like him than Al Capone. Also, you make it seem as if Amy turned on a dime without any reason at all. It was the added information that Steve provided regarding the murders as well as the mention of the similarity of the murderer (not the owner as you stated) and the sketch that led to her changing her mind. She has done this before when she has realized that her initial impressions may have been wrong or incomplete. As you are not a regular viewer, you wouldn't know this.
ReplyDeleteI see it, though. The brief clip of Amy describing the person to the sketch artist is telling. She's trying to describe Capone. It seems clear to me. The sketch artist missed it, but it isn't like Amy could just tell the sketch artist to draw Al Capone, right? I mean, not unless the artist is also in on the ruse.
DeleteI didn't intend to make it seem like Amy turned on a dime "for no reason at all." The reason was that the owners/employees of the place weren't buying in to the Capone narrative - OR possibly the sketch was bad (which it was) so they didn't recognize it. They are the ones who suggested the possibility that it was the former owner.
At that point, Amy seemed flummoxed and Steve had to step in with a revised version of the story. The change from several entities to just one who is impersonating other entities was weak and obviously a last-ditch effort to save the big reveal. Steve seemed to come up with that but Amy was forced to go along. I mean, she's the medium, right? Should she be the one who knows, not Steve? She didn't have any other options since the people involved weren't buying her narrative. And even then, Steve had to walk her through a face-saving explanation. That part was quite sad, actually, and I felt bad for Amy.
The one episode you watched was of course an easy one to google. But she does more residential readings than hotels. I do believe Amy is very gifted as she goes quite in depth with descriptions, the personalities of the deceased and much more. I don't think Steve who is a retired cop would invest his reputation as a NY detective with a fake. One show does not make an actor, just luck at getting an audition. Google also has way too many results that are much too convoluted. Such as decade old posts that are so worth less to even keep as they re just people's opinions on topics such as this. Google and any other search needs to delete all of the crap people post as non is factual. I guess it comes down to if you either believe them or you don't. I see no acting here on the Dead Files, what you see is what you get. Until it happens to the non believers, skeptics, critics then perhaps they will not be so quick to judge Amy and Steve.
ReplyDeleteOne show may not make an actor, but this isn't the only show for either of them and what DOES make them actors is that this is their job. Their only jobs. They are stars on a TV show. That's it. So, they are actors. That much is easy.
DeleteEverything I stated was factually accurate. Some of it is opinion based on observation, and you are certainly entitled to disagree with my opinion - but that doesn't mean my opinion is wrong. It's just as valuable as yours.
I have said repeatedly that I don't know if Amy has abilities in this area or not. I really don't know. I accept that she may well have paranormal abilities, but for the purposes of television, she doesn't need them. Any actress can play the part of a medium.
Steve is not a cop, he's a former cop, who took up acting after he retired from police work. This show is not his first acting job, but he's perfect for the part. I love him. I'd probably still watch the show if it was Steve and some other medium who wasn't such a ham actress. It's really Amy's poor acting that makes the show less than believable for me.
As a factual matter, Amy has too much information available to her to make any judgments about her accuracy. Yes, her spot was easily googled and her results showed it. However, no show gets made without producers thoroughly interviewing all those involved well before a decision to shoot is made. So there are no surprises or hidden information there. Unless you believe the gimmick that they don't tell Amy anything. I don't believe that and I don't think you should either. TV producers are not known for honesty.
To call Steve an "actor" is unfair. He got a small bit job in a movie. You know that regular people are cast as extras and for small bit roles in movies all the time. It doesn't mean they are professional actors.
DeleteNo, after he retired from police work, he went into acting and had a credit role (not an extra) in a movie prior to landing this role. And again, he's not an extra, he's the star of a Tv show!
DeleteWell, it was a bit piece where he had like 1 or 2 lines. Producers hire non-actors for roles like that all the time. That doesn't mean he was pursuing an acting career.
DeleteThis show would be trivially easy to fake. A person writes in, describing what they're experiencing, the producer contacts them and asks them for more detail, and does background research on the property.
ReplyDeleteThey feed the info to Amy and Steve, and they show up and do the filming based on that info. Amy might come up with a new creature every now and then to spice things up.
Is Amy really seeing spirits as she says she is? We really have no way to verify that. They've never recorded any physical manifestations. And as you said, the show has no incentive to not cheat.
What we'd really need to find out, is a neutral 3rd party to facilitate these investigations. I've always felt she was legit. She doesn't strike me as a person that likes the spotlight, and as far as her faces, some people are more expressive...and she is reportedly seeing/feeling some pretty intense things.
I personally would be upset and angry if I found out it was a sham, because I want to learn about the spirit world through the show.
Angry and upset are too strong of words, but I'd feel let down and like a schmuck for taking it seriously. I'm really interested in PSI and the spirit world but how is a person supposed to know who to trust? For that matter, how can we even be sure there is a spirit world unless we've had some kind of direct experience?
DeleteThere are parapsychologists out there doing great experiments that show an underlying basis for psychic phenomina, but they aren't gathering detailed information about the spirit world or other realms of existence.
Well, as you say, it would be easy to fake. What you're describing is standard operating procedures for television. NO producer goes into a shoot without knowing the outcome. All of the expense of television is in that production, so imagine a situation where you're spending your budget on filming a location where maybe Amy and Steve won't find anything. Just try to imagine that for a second...
DeleteThat is something that is never going to happen. Every episode has a plot curve worked out, complete with a shot list, before one cameraman hits the ground.
How much is communicated to Amy and Steve - we will probably never know. All participants including the "real" people with the problems sign non-disclosure agreements to make sure nobody ever tells.
If you read my review carefully, though, you will see that I am not claiming Amy is a fake. Rather, I am saying that with the way TV works, any actress can play a medium. They don't need a real one. Therefore, you cannot gain any evidence of anything paranormal from watching the show.
That's it. Amy could be for real but television production being what it is, you can't tell one way or another.
I don't think Travel would air shows where she didn't get hits. Most people would see that and dismiss her abilities. She finds evil women just as often as evil men, and I have seen episodes where there have been male protectors. Just my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteViewers just plain aren't given enough background and production info to make any proper determinations on how much of these shows are true thus examining them for potential "honest" paranormal events isn't possible in my mind. I think at the very least these "paranormal" shows are enhanced.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it claimed that Travel Channel had Ghost Adventures crew make fake EVPs and such to make the show more exciting!? Wasn't it revealed that the Paranormal State show was essentially a hoax? How do we know the people who appear on the episodes even have real paranormal activity?
I find it odd the "victims" don't leave when they are being allegedly assaulted. I don't care how much you put into that house, why would you stay and risk being killed or seriously injured especially if you have children involved in these incidents?
What I also notice about Dead Files is it's obvious Amy and Matt are being filmed by at least one other person never seen on camera. They make it feel as if it's an intimate first time walk through when it can't possibly be as Matt is being filmed and he sometimes asks questions on camera as Amy does her walk through. Steve is also being filmed by someone. Beyond any potential research or collusion between Amy and Matt what about others on the crew?
There have also been moments in these shows that seem fake or possibly faked to me. I'm sure any experienced magician could produce some of the same effects or show how it could be done. I'm not saying there isn't paranormal phenomena, just that these shows thrive on entertainment not on the sometimes dry reality that nothing may happen or the psychic may simply get it wrong. I don't know any real psychic that is right 100% of the time or claims they have 100% accuracy yet Amy Allen always hits and ditto for Long Island Medium Caputo, how is that? I even remember Amy Allen saying something to the effect that no psychic is 100% percent right and if is they are you better wonder why...I do.
Also puzzling on Dead Files are Amy Allen's solutions. Not to tell her business but I know people who do spirit clearings and exorcisms and they don't use all the stuff she recommends like brick dust, tar water, etc. Nor are they obligated to bring back a spiritual person from the culture of the deceased. Nice if you can do that but as far as I know not necessary. And if she knows the solution why doesn't she just get rid of the entities/ghosts? But then I guess that would not make for another episode where they revisit the locations and see if the families or owners followed her advice and solved their claimed paranormal problem.
Regarding what a physical medium is, you can look it up on the Internet and here is a copy of what was at the website of a medium (http://www.amandalinettemeder.com/blog/the-4-main-types-of-mediumship) that I find is a typical definition:
Physical Mediumship
This form of mediumship creates physical phenomenon and can include table tipping, noise making levitation, smoke billet pictures and the creation of ectoplasm with the help of a visiting Spirit. The physical medium and the Spirit work together to create and produce physical phenomenon.
The idea that a physical medium is one who feels or experiences what the dead spirit went through is Amy Allen's definition. Based on what Allen describes she is perhaps a clairvoyant and empath/clairsensient more than a full blown physical medium.
On the level of entertainment I do like watching these shows, I just don't take everything as true. Perhaps that is the best approach, they are entertainment and not meant to be taken as the truth.
It's true that several "victims" in Paranormal State show came forward to describe how Chip Coffey knew info before he did his psychic walk. Knowing this, I'm impressed that, after all the homes "Dead Files" has visited, NO ONE has come forward to reveal the show's secrets.
DeleteA non-disclosure form would not stop a family from selling their
"Dead Files is Fake" story to the Nat'l Enquirer. Everyone has a cell phone, and social media is 24/7/365. If Amy gets pre-walk info, surely by now SOMEONE would've gone on Twitter, Facebook, etc., to say they heard or saw SOMETHING.
BTW - West Georgia University'school parapsychology dept helped the family on "A Haunting in Georgia." It is good to learn that finally mainstream science is starting to investigate psychic gifts, ghosts, and other phenomena from the paranormal world.
Since all of your comments take so long to explain it shows me your trying to really convince an audience. If you can't explain your view simply you don't understand it. It is a T.V. show that has a following. Like it or not. Time is not wasted with dull moments they keep the viewers interested. The age old theory of ghosts and psychics have always been determined by what one's personal belief is. You don't believe then you wont see. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteSince you added nothing to the conversation, you get a short response. Others deserved a more careful reply. :)
DeleteI'm not sure what Chriss' motivation is for her comments of fakery, but Steve DiShiavi's comments on the show can be readily Googled and you can listen to his take, in his own words. He seems like a standup guy to me, not one prone to lying or having any real need to. He makes it clear, in the interview he participated in, that the show is legit, no fakery involved. They do as they say they do, no interacting until the Reveal. To me, the show either is what it shows or is 100% fake, there is no in-between. To be totally faked, everyone has to be in on the prank: Producers, film crews, the people interviewed (including young children) and both Steve and Amy themselves. What I find most interesting is listening to the people describe their experiences, and comparing those experiences to others who have had issues at their homes. These people are not actors and really have no big incentive to lie about things (they are NOT going to become rich and famous, quite the opposite - they are likely to encounter ridicule when the show airs). Hearing their stories makes the program worth watching, even if Amy and Steve were not there at all.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I said anything about Steve being fake. He's definitely a real person, but an actor on a TV show. And TV shows are mostly fake. The real people on the show to which you refer, including children, are basically just props. They don't need to be in on anything. I already covered how TV is produced, including the interviews with everyone involved by producers, before there is any filming. And the non-disclosure agreements, so I won't rehash.
DeleteI like Steve, if he got rid of Amy I'd watch the show... he does a great job of listening to real people's problems and researching facts.. not just using his imagination mixed with some facts that were passed along to him (ie.. Amy)..she acts like she's the only great medieum out there and other psychics are crap...her advice to those poor people is terrible and I could see it destroying some people's families.
ReplyDeleteFun show to watch with a grain of salt tho..
The person who wrote this page is a complete douche for not doing good research. Amy did not "act a role" on the show "a haunting" an actor played her role and she spoke to the producers of the show and the audience about what happened during the actual haunt that the show is portraying. i don't know the actor's name that played the role of Amy, but I can say this, Amy is no actor. She's the real deal.
ReplyDeleteAmy played herself in "A Haunting in Georgia."
DeleteAmy seems to trigger the ghost of Mary Sanderson with those faces
ReplyDeletehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClzOLkCVYAA9wDP.jpg
I hate the fact that amy told the people at the end that they should move out, leave their homes or look for an shamane or others (sorry dont know the english word) to "clean" their homes.
ReplyDeletei mean: not every ody can efford a new house where they can move in!! moveing is expensive!!! and sorry, but there are people who live in their houses for 30 years or longer and then amy comes in and says: move out!
i hate how dramaticly she talks to the poor people. they have fear! but amy scares the shit out of them!! i mean, what the fuck!!! some pople breaks down and cry and amy only looks at them with a wierd (or weard? sorry f. my english) face expresions.
she dont care about the people. if so, they would look for someone who can "clean" the homes after the "walktrough"
its ok for entertaintment. but not of the back of scared people who want only help!
why they let them after the filming alone with no help? only: move out or get an expensive sharmane or priest or something...
I'd have to say that I agree with you. Amy is very cavalier when she tells people (more lately than ever) that they need to move, there is no alternative. She simply shrugs them off.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOk. It's a show. Whether or not Amy or Steve or even Matthew know anything beforehand is irrelevant. Looking up prominent places, historical or otherwise is possible. Looking up say, John Doe's house on Smith lane in Boonville Indiana is completely different. She's also not always getting hits. The episodes we see airing on tv of course are edited. Gotta have the wow factor. What you might wonder is how much footage just hits the cutting room floor, how many locations they have actually visited versus how many make it to tv. I have to agree that in order to somewhat verify the accounts we've seen aired, "real people " should go back for unedited interviews with the property owners.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Amy has more misses than hits as probably most mediums. The show does let us see that in limited amounts but of course they really want us to see the action.
In the end, the show basically has the same results as any other paranormal show except without gadgets. But other shows never seem to give the families or business owners any type of idea on how to handle the situations. As hard as it may be to find a strong male Wicca dude in southern Indiana to scare off the boogie man that hates the lesbian couple in their house, she also suggests herbs, salts and other "do it yourself" natural methods to try.
To me it just sounds like you can't stand her and are going to insist your right. To me pursuing a degree in psychology would not exactly benefit an actor's career. And being in a show that is directly related to your abilities would hardly make you an actor and probably helped her get a show of her own. Honestly you just sound very jealous. You probably would have gotten a better response just saying you can't stand her and her show.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it but that would have been a false statement, had I made it. What's odd is that people come here and spout off their opinions without even checking to see where they are at, first.
DeleteThis blog is about analysis of evidence of the paranormal as submitted by TV shows, YouTubers and other paranormal investigators. That's it.
As stated in the beginning of the review, The Dead Files was analyzed to see if it presented anything that could be considered evidence of the paranormal. It did not, and I explained why. Amy Allan was only relevant in the sense that she's the actress playing the psychic in this show. I have no personal opinion about her as a human being.
Amy Allan - A psychic communicator and medium who claims to have a sixth sense for channeling and communicating with the dead. She comes into a location unaware of its past and begins channeling during an initial walk-through. Amy was born in Denver, Colorado, moved to Long island, NY when she was approximately between 12-14 years of age. Amy has a psychologist degree, went to school for acupuncture and oriental medicine. then derived onto Western massage and Tioga massage. she also worked with at-risk teenagers in foster homes and shelters. While dating a previous boyfriend, Amy also lived in the former Yugoslavia (Belgrave in Serbia) during the war, in which she helped with the refugee effort.wikapedia
ReplyDeleteSteve DiSchiavi - A retired, twenty-one year veteran of the New York City Police Department and licensed private detective. Steve gathers facts pertaining to the investigation in the form of historical research and eyewitness interviews.
ReplyDeleteFollowing his retirement from the NYPD, Steve worked as a senior investigator for Merrill Lynch’s fraud department, as well as a special investigator for the city of New York. He is a licensed New York state private investigator and a licensed armed guard. He also owns his own private-investigation company, Paragon Investigations.wikapedia
ReplyDeleteSteve Di Schiavi: That was the issue with me as well. My reputation on the force was impeccable and I didn't want it tainted with some kind of "ghost hunting" nonsense. I wanted it to be real and I didn't want the way I investigate to be compromised on the show. Painless was really good about it.
I was "discovered" from a documentary I did in '04 for ABC while I was still with NYPD. Someone saw me on that and thought maybe I could help Amy out with this show. It's two completely different kinds of investigations. There are a lot of great detectives out there who could do what I do on the show, but Jim thought I would fit in with Amy and it worked out very well.
I've said this about a thousand times now, I don't so much believe in the paranormal but I believe in Amy 110%. That's my attitude towards it - what she does is incredible. She has a gift.
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ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you for your commentary on the show. I found it very fair and analytical. I saw no "Amy bashing" at all. I also appreciate that you remained unflappable in the comments. It seemed to hit people in a sore spot, as they got angry and jumped on you for things you never said or implied. I understand people want so badly for things to be real, but it's TV. It's entertainment. I watch it all the time, but there are things about it that bug me, and I was curious what other skeptics (or open-minded people) thought.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpD0DnoikXo
ReplyDeleteThis is a link to A Haunting in Georigia
by 00:52 Amy has been introduced as a psychic who claims to see spirits
That is her introduction.
You might what to edit your post....
this will be the last reply from me now.
Nope. Nice try, though. Do you work for the production company? :) I didn't say she had only one appearance. Perhaps I will take your suggestion though, and edit my post to put an end to the apologist argument.
DeleteThe episode to which I referred is Season 1, Episode 4, titled "Cursed." I have the DVD set. In this one, Amy Allan plays a paranormal researcher investigating a haunting of a home in Tucson, Arizona. The original air date was 2005.
See, this is what happens when someone scrubs her own acting credits from her IMdb so you won't know that she's an actor. What happens? You don't know, so you assume whatever Amy says must be true.
The most damning thing about this episode (and why it had to be scrubbed from her credits) isn't the obvious point that Amy is an actor, but that in this episode Amy actually demonstrates how she researches PRIVATE HOMES so that she can build a profile of the haunting case - all without actually visiting the location.
You didn't mention that episode of cursed before. You said in that special I posted she was introduced as an investigator with no abilities, that is not the case. 53 seconds into the episode we are told she is a psychic. Glad you added footnotes after the fact to change what you are saying, but that still is not good journalism.
DeleteYou;re adding stuff into your article now to improve your position. Like I said you very well could be right about her, but using underhanded tactics isn't going to help your cause.
If you look up at your own comment, you're the one who suggested I edit my, and I took your suggestion. :) Perhaps you expected me to say Amy is just psychic and that's all she's ever been - never an actress. But that would be untrue. You were right, though, that I should have included the other episode of the Haunting she was in - and I corrected that. She's probably done many other acting jobs too but I have no incentive to keep digging for them.
DeleteSeriously, if you're not being paid by the production company then you're just silly. You are trying way too hard to justify their deceptive practices.
I'm not a journalist either, I write about paranormal phenomena in an opinion blog. Is there something about how this works that you do not understand? In the first draft of this article, before it ever went public, I told you where I found out about Amy's acting credits, and that link is still right there. Like Amy, I just used Google. It's all right there in the open, despite Amy or the production company's attempts to expunge her acting credits. You just have to dig a little deeper than IMNDb.
Also - in the discussion on this episode you post us to someone in the actual conversation states that she talks about being a Psychic in that episode as well. I can't check for sure as it isn't on YouTube but I flat out do not believe you on this, as you have already proven yourself to be unreliable on this point.
DeleteLegally speaking you'd have to show that because she knows how to research a private home means she actually does research each and ever private home before she goes there. I never said it couldn't be done, just that it isn't likely, and you specifically chose an episode with a famous location to make your job easier. And that's what you did do. That's like saying because a chemist has been taught to make drugs, he is going to do it illegally on his own time.....
As far as IMDB goes - its not as if that database is complete at all. Where the credits "scrubbed" from her name, or just never there. I have looked up many actors to find movies missing from their profile, doesn't mean it is on purpose.
Unfortunately it's all pretty circumstantial evidence you have. the two key points of her appearing on shows as just a researcher being completely false.
Any Allan might be the biggest fraud since John Edwards, but you aren't going to show it with bad research.
Circumstantial, yes. And quite damning. On the other side, there is really NO case to be made that Amy gets her "impressions" on the show by anything other than natural and prosaic means. So you have really good circumstantial evidence versus no evidence at all, other than your strong desire to believe that it's really really real.
DeleteTV producers can and do say anything they want to get ratings, there's no "legally speaking" here. I'm sure they'd rather jump off a bridge than testify under oath in a court. In my opinion, it's all just a show and completely lacking in substance. Everything we can deduce about television production backs that up. What we can learn about Amy backs that up. The only counter argument is something like "Yeah maybe TV producers make stuff up all the time (and sometimes get caught doing so) but THIS show is real, unlike all those others." ...And that's not really an argument but a statement of blind faith.
In the cursed episode Amy's part is played by an actress AND she appears as herself in interview"esque" scenes. Far into the episode, after she goes home and gets a call from the homeowner, Amy states she herself is also a medium. It's all in that episode. The same as in the Haunting in Georgia. It's even the same actress that plays Amy in both episodes
DeleteFor anyone who hasn't been watching these paranormal shows long before they became popular, Amy was, way back when, the person calling for help with a ghost all of her very own! Soon enough she became the medium.
ReplyDeleteSo how does she Google all of the problems that people are having in their private residences? Assuming no one posts their experiences online, how would she be able to cheat at that? I don't know if she is the real deal or not, but using one example from the show where it is possible for her to "cheat" is a pretty dishonest and biased tactic of the author when the vast majority of examples that could have been used are ignored because they don't fit the agenda. And sure, Amy may be an actress as well. She certainly wouldn't get a TV show using her alleged abilities without the network knowing that she has some degree of experience on camera. Plus, why wouldn't she try to land acting gigs pertaining to paranormal topics since that is her area of interest? Again, we can't know for sure how credible the show is, but I think that the example used by the author is far from representative of the majority of examples from the show.
ReplyDeleteYou should watch her first appearance on "The Haunting"where she actually gives away her research techniques for private residence. That happened long before The Dead Files was even imagined.
DeleteWe know about cheating because we know about reality television. It isn't just this show; they all do it and it's not about Amy or who she is or what she does - because they're all trying to maximize entertainment in order to maximize ratings. It's only gullible audience members who think that reality TV is trying to produce an honest documentary of some kind. That's not how television production works.
research her she is a christian.and a good person wow.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain Matthews hairdo?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Matthew comb his hair forward??
ReplyDeleteThe Dead Files is entertaining. Almost all psychics are called frauds. Some are, some aren't. It's TV. Let it go. The people cast are actors to some extent or a TV show would be impossible. Watch some of the other ghost hunting garbage shows out there and you will see why they look for some acting ability.
ReplyDeleteBut to the person who wondered how a someone in a small mid western town would find a shaman? Well, duh buddy. The mid west is full of Native American Tribes and shamans. I lived in a town of 150 in the mid west. I could fall over a shaman if I needed one.
As to the observation that Amy hands out a grocery list of remedies and then leaves without caring. Please. You have no idea if she cares or not. That is editing. There is shooting schedule and there is no way for Amy to stay and help everyone she visits.
Are The Dead Files and Amy frauds? I don't know. I am simply entertained. And, by the way, I do believe in the paranormal.
Hi Chriss - I work with and run a bunch of fairly well known online psychic "medium" communities, and I have to agree with much of what you've written above - and applaud you for your stamina in replying to this same general critique of your comments - over and over again - by folks who clearly don't mix a healthy sense of skepticism with their ethereal entertainment :-) I've just spent the better part of a saturday night watching "The Dead Files" - I've seen it before, but only with one eye open - so I really didn't know what to expect tonight - but it's cringeworthy - and almost painful to watch at points - so much so, that I googled the show midstream, just to reassure myself that not everyone out here on the "internets" believes everything we see on TV.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is - for the exact reasons you have articulated above far better than I can - the amount of things one must take onboard to believe she (or the show) is truthful/talented/right - far exceeds the obvious motivations to cheat in the interests of entertainment.
More painful to me - as you also pointed out above (and knowing hundreds of "mediums" personally and professionally by dint of my work) - you almost NEVER hear folks finding "evil" entities at every turn - with dire and dangerous warnings that feel completely constructed out of thin air - and seem purely a figment of a combination of a fetish like imagination, with some good old fashioned fear factor entertainment value mixed in.
The truth is, I'm totally agnostic about life after death if looked at through the prism and perspective of mediumship. Most mediums (as you point out above) are a grab bag of hits and misses - and it's only the occasional "heroic" hit - that is so specific and credible and contrary to the cartoonish version that we see from Amy on this program - that would make any open minded person strain to find an appropriate conventional explaination - those are the rare examples of mediumship at it's best - and they don't happen all that often in real life. (physical mediumship is a whole DIFFERENT phenomena - and is exceedingly rare - it's a medium who is able to produce physical materializations in a seance setting (typically) where deceased persons appear, to quite literally - appear :-)
Keep up the good work - it's good to see some kindred spirits (no pun intended :-) in this space - there are some quite remarkable mediums working the world today - but even they aren't nearly as "on point" as shows like this would have us believe - it's a grab bag of information - and to REALLY know what it points to - needs to be looked at carefully to draw credible conclusions.
Thank you. I really try to give fair and evenhanded consideration to all viewpoints. It can be a bit frustrating, though, when some of the other commenters seem not to have actually read my post. Instead, they post their knee-jerk reaction to a perceived criticism of their favorite celebrity. Here at U-Debunked, though, celebrities get the same impartial treatment as everyone else.
DeleteThank you, again.
You are a mean spirited person! If you are yourself a gifted person how could you say all those things? You want to fill people with doubts? Sometimes we all need to believe. Even if Amy isn't real in her ability to see bad entities she is real to those people who feel helpless! At least she helps them with a means to an end, which is something!
DeleteChriss Pagani, you are just on a mission to make yourself look right and better..., do you have a real job or anything else to do in your life. You are jealous... Meow! Use your talent for something better, like Amy is doing! Let her help people, if that's alright with you!
DeleteAnd now....the fights. Joyous. I'm dying...and instead of people debating a show, they fight like idiots. Tell ya what, I'll be there soon enough..I'll say hi to Amy for you
ReplyDeleteI've just started watching the show here in the UK I find it very interesting, enjoyable, and very good. I unfortunaly have lived in a haunted house with my now ex wife and it isnt very nice experience and lots more elsewhere too so you can say I'm a believer. The trouble is three fold 1.You either do or dont believe 2.Think that you can do the job better 3.Read the flyer before program starts and the bit that says For Entertainment Purposes stress the word Entertainment. At the end of the day its a TV program to be watched as entertainment for the normal guy on the street whilst there are others who see it differently
ReplyDeleteI have a few issues with your statements, having taken the trouble to actually look up that episode of "A Haunting" and watching the opening intro where they show an older man as the narrator speaks of "a scientific investigator," then cut to Amy while the narrator says: "and a psychic medium who claims to speak with the dead," so I disagree with your claim that Amy appears in this ep of "A Haunting" as something other than what she is in Dead Files. As someone who has had paranormal experiences since I can remember, and while working with people from different cultures, I can say that there are indeed funky entities out there. Most "hauntings" are souls trapped close to us, unable to fully let go of a particular incarnation, souls that are attached to the personality/ego of a life for any number of reasons, be it trauma, guilt, a sense of obligation, unfinished business. But there are more things twixt heaven and hell than we've ever dreamed of, to paraphrase the bard. I think Amy is one who is called in mostly on the rare dire cases, where malicious intent is a real factor. The people who she helps do not come across as actors.
ReplyDeleteI have watched the dead files a few times ,it really makes me laugh,great comedy show.I mean nobody could possibly think she is for real,shame on you Amy
ReplyDeleteAmy is the best, she wouldn't have been doing this service for 20 plus years if she wasn't real. You half- cocked critics don't have the ability/gift she has or else you would know better. There also has to be uniformity in the show, as to why her perceptions match Steve's research. Let them take what is called "Artistic license" to allow for the time frame of the show, as she probably had more information than the one hour show allowed for. She is sharing her gift to help others, as we all should share our gifts to help those who need it, so don't knock her for helping. Someday you might need too. I hope to see her again on tv because I learn a lot on every show.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of the Paranormal and have been so my entire life. I am an educated man with a balanced life and level head. My enthusiasm for the field of paranormality is rivaled only by my love of science and quantum physics creating a most uniquely discerning fan Indeed compelled by the unknown but always faithful to the scientific method. For this reason I have little tolerance for the fakers on account of the damage they do to an already uphill climb to advance the 'science.' I harbor contempt and cynicism whenever an open invite or challenge made publicly on a reputable forum like this gets denied or worse yet, ignored. As amy has apparently elected to do here. It's my opinion that those with these advanced abilities need to (whenever possible) demonstrate THEIR abilities if our cause is to ever be forwarded as it should be and taken seriously by the scientific community. Not only do such opportunities serve the individuals in shoaring up their integrity, but the field moves forward each and every time such instances occur . Furthermore, the ONLY way our movement WILL or CAN progress IS THIS WAY! BY THESE DEMONSTRATIONS. so when a paranormal soldier balks at, ignores, or declines I harbor cynicism . Having said that, amy Allan, I've alwYs been a fan. From day 1. Prove me right, them right, and the others wrong by accepting this moderators invitation . If not for your own credibility, than at least for the honor of the army that vouches for you and believes in you . Do it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read every comment so someone may have already brought this up. Sorry, I got bored reading basically the same comments from different people. What I'm wondering though, is what you think of the people, the "clients" that Amy and Steve are trying to help? Do you think their experiences with the paranormal in their homes or businesses are real, a figment of their imagination, or are they ALL just actors? I highly doubt they are all actors. Just for a minute forget about Amy and Steve and whether Amy is googling, acting, or has real psychic abilities. What about the people that are emotionally and sometimes physically harmed? Just curious what you (Chriss) and your readers think. I'm always going back and forth with myself as to what is real and what isn't real, but I do believe those people are experiencing what they say they're experiencing. And I sure as heck hope that Amy Allan isn't bamboozling people and making them believe that she's helping them when in fact she has zero psychic talent and has no idea what she's talking about. I just don't get that feeling about her or Steve.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat surprisingly with all these comments; you're the first one to ask about the clients! Well, technically one person did ask if I was claiming they are all actors (I am not).
DeleteWe can't really know, can we? I expect that many of them are experiencing problems which they believe to be supernaturally-caused. Whether the problem is ghosts or not is anyone's guess. Then there is a sub-set of people who just want to be on TV, and we can know that from the history of other shows. They can't be called actors but maybe wannabe actors. But at least some percentage are experiencing real problems.
So here is my take on whether Amy is "bamboozling people" or not... First and foremost, TV "reality" shows are fake. All of them. This isn't unique to the Dead Files or Amy. What you see on TV is scripted, at least loosely, in that the shows have predetermined story arcs and conclusions.
Nevertheless, this doesn't mean Amy isn't helping anyone. Her mere presence might give peace of mind to many. Furthermore, I assume her advice comes from a place of sincerity, even if it tends to be predictable.
For one thing, her advice tends to be pretty generic. Cleansings, blessings, etc. Stuff you could get out of a book without going through the television circus; but many of these people may have never heard or thought of these things before, so there's that. Second, although what you see on television is scripted, we can't rule out the possibility that Amy really picks up on things and has more personal insight than you see in the scripted version that makes it to air. This is not knowable from the outside but I wonder. I have yet to see anyone come forward with their personal experience and insights - probably because they all have to sign non-disclosure/non-disparagement agreements. But it is still an interesting point to ponder.
Thanks for your question! :)
Oh yes, I understand that "reality" shows are not exactly reality. I've seen it mentioned by other reality show actors that often the shows are edited to make it look like something is being said about someone or something when in REAL reality it was said about something else. In other words, the show's producers edit the tape by splicing in clips out of sequence to make it more entertaining. I hope that made sense. Interestingly enough, I'm watching Ghost Adventures right now. :) I think it's much more entertaining than The Dead Files or Paranormal Lockdown.
Deletewell said. indeed.
ReplyDeleteBut, seriously, what's with his hair??
ReplyDeleteI think he was losing his hair, hence the comb-forward. In more recent episodes he has been shaving his head.
Deletedoes anyone remember amy when she was on "ghost hunter academy"?
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember Amy when she was on "ghost hunter academy"?
ReplyDeleteI just watched the show where she's in Tucson on A Haunting and she says she's a Physical Medium in that show too. I know it can take different remedies to clear different entities based upon their origin and usually those remedies are available in the locations those entities are found in. I also have found that different people experience the paranormal differently. I have one son so sensitive he sees and hears almost everything. For me it's mostly gut feeling, but I occasionally get smells, sights, or sounds if an entity has strength. My other son only has occasional experiences. Now you put my entire family together with my sister and things get really interesting. I would hate to enter any place people have issues. Everyone argues that the mistakes are edited out. How about this? The name of the show is Dead Files. It's supposed to be spooky and about problematic spirits so anything positive is edited out too. I'm pretty sure that's the case as good doesn't sell.
ReplyDeleteI have one question about the show and Amy. Why is it, that nothing, and I mean NOTHING ever happens when she's in the house with her assistant/ex husband? If all these "evil" or regular ghost, spirits or demons are in those places, why haven't they ever do anything while they're filming inside the location. I don't doubt abilities in a lot of those people who have the gift, such as that young lady from Mass., who moved to the west coast. She shocked me with all her readings. Incredible ability and I hope she comes back. I believe her name is Monica.
ReplyDeleteI actually worked with Amy many years ago when she lived in Tucson Arizona and I can attest to her mythology of always going into a reading blind. It was always a big point with her. Does that mean she still does that? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI’ve also seen her doing readings and she throws out a TON of information (a lot of it making no sense) and gets really off track. Matt was always with her to help pull her back to the topic at hand or she could fly off to the unknown. I would say that she got just as many hits as she did misses but on TV they aren’t going to show you that.
And as for acting, she's not really “acting”. That's really how she is. A bit over the top? Yeah, most definitely. But with her, everything is actually that dramatic.
And as for Steve, I don't know him personally and maybe he’s amazing at researching but as a researcher myself, it would take more than a day to gather all that info so either they have more time than they show or he has people gathering research for him ahead of time (which I'm sure is the case).
Is Amy the real deal? I don't know. Is the show set up? Most likely. But I just wanted to share a bit of back info for you all.
@teacupfullofwhatwasisaying Thank you, this is probably the most helpful comment anyone has made! Your experience sounds about right, and gives a great deal of insight about Amy. Throwing out a lot of stuff at once means Amy is acting like a normal performing medium. She might well do the same during the taping of the show but they cut out the misses and keep the "hits." As I expected, then, Amy's "amazing" hit rate is created in the editing process.
DeleteThank you, again.
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ReplyDeleteAmy Allan is the real deal. Her parents and brother are also psychic. The reason she does not do the cleansing at the home is that it takes a lot out of her to do the walkthrough and effects her health; therefore, she needs time to recover from her walks. She has been attacked and jumped by entities and that is no joke. The reason that she takes on negative entity cases is because she wants to help people. Let us not forget that she does also run into positive entities during many of her walks.. I am extremely intuitive and there is no way she is a fraud. Steve, in my opinion is a man of integrity and YES, he does do all his own investigating. It is certainly feasible to say that the producers/directors of the show may scout out the people he needs to speak to in order to obtain the information; however, he is a straight up guy, NO BS. He has many years of experience being a Retired Homicide Detective in investigating. This is one paranormal show that I truly believe in. Amy and Steve take on negative hauntings in order to help people. Many of the comments are so out of touch. The Dead Files is, in my opinion, the most honest paranormal show out there. Amy has a special gift and did not ask for it. It has got to be very difficult for her to see and interact with the negative beings. I do not, for a moment, think that Amy Googles cases ahead of time. Come on, look at what she revealed about the Lizzy Borden house. That totally makes sense and explains why Lizzy Borden got off. I suggest you do your research before making negative comments, such as above. Many of you people are way off track in your opinion of Amy and Steve of the Dead Files. I truly believe that THIS IS THE REAL DEAL. In fact, Amy and Steve do not even see the show until it is aired so they do not know what is cut from the taping and what is aired on TV. I do not care for the "Ghost Hunters" stirring up the dead. That is just asking for trouble; however, with all the paranormal gadgets, they often do come up with proof. The paranormal is REAL. If you do not believe in the esoteric knowledge, DON'T WATCH the show.
ReplyDeleteCan't beleive this post has got on for so long lmao fricken years I'm so dead.. get it dead lol Amy I'm ready for you.
ReplyDeleteIf they want to convince me they would need to prove that the readings are cold and that there is no communication between Steve and Amy. One thing that could go a long way is sending in Steve after the reading rather than before. Instead this show has Steve go in there and find out all sorts of nasty things about somebody who owned the property beforehand and "amazingly" Amy "reads" these things almost without error every time.
ReplyDeleteJust saying, "there is no communication" repeatedly doesn't make it true. Not only can you get much of the information from google, but a simple phone call after his "investigation" (really just interviews and a historical search at the library) could clearly impart this information. They never show what controls they use to ensure "no communication"... This reminds me a bit of that "pastor" caught with an earpiece and his wife feeding him information after hot readings of the audience as they entered his "sanctuary"... They told you he knew nothing, but clearly telling you isn't evidence.
My daughters and I call this show "mocking television" and we laugh and mock her reactions to the "spirits"... one of the funniest scenes is when she told us the house itself was angry.
I have seen every program in the series and have enjoyed every one. This is well-produced and savvy television. But I have many questions:
ReplyDeleteWhy do the people interviewed tend to look strange, dress strange, have strange hair arrangements and for the women strange makeup?
Why are all their responses in the interview portions involve only short replies with no aspect of or attempt to analyze what their experience means?
Why does no one stumble through his or her interview?
I suspect the interview portions are rehearsed every times that that responder will give simple, clear answers. But almost everyone interviewed on any episode speaks in the same flat, matter-of-fact emotion. It just does not look or sound genuine.
A disproportion of the people interviewed are seriously overweight. This is not normal.
There is never humor involved in the interviews; it is all grim and tragic. Even in dealing with tragedy in real life conversation humor is usually present, even if it is just the person responding being nervous.
I love Amy as a personality as she is perceptive and involved, but she tends to throw terms around as if they mean something, most notably "Chaos Magician," which has about a dozen descriptions on the internet.
I recorded a few episodes and I find this show cringe worthy. I'm currently watching "The Watcher - Paso Robles, California" and this bar owner shows Steve his video "proof" of a ghost / spirit, or whatever. His first clip shows a case of beer being pushed over, but convienently you cannot see to the right of the case, so anyone could have been there pushing it! However, Steve completely buys into this "proof" stating that someone could have been hurt. Seriously, that's all the proof he needs?
ReplyDeleteWell, don't worry because the is more proof coming. The bartender's next video shows an invisible force apparently goosing a woman's butt, or at least she reacted as if that happened to her. If Steve wasn't convinced before, this new evidence makes it a lock. This guy was a detective, and he doesn't comment on how silly this footage is?
And obviously all of the gathered evidence is shared with this Amy person prior to her visit. Every time a person gives out a particular detail, such as a knife moved on it's own, they cut to Amy saying something like "this spirit likes to use knives". Nobody can pull details like that out of thin air on a consistent bases.
I tried but I just can't watch it. However, some people here seem to enjoy it, so that's all that really matters.
Actually it sounds like you did not watch “a haunting in Georgia” carefully. She was hired by a professor of parapsychology as a medium. She most certainly appeared in that episode as a medium who accompanied this professor as back up. It was the professor who did not believe in anything other than residual psychic energy, which was not at all what she believed in.
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