Do ghosts exist? This question has led to many ghost-hunting television shows being produced, all to prove that, indeed, ghosts exist. Still, as humans with five common senses, we are doubting Thomases, and unless we see it happen, we will not take anyone’s word for it. For this reason, our skepticism has led us to investigate if the paranormal activities shown on our screens are real or fake. With Destination Fear being renewed for a second season, you must be curious if the three paranormal investigators will be taking us on an adventure of lies or truth. Therefore, here is what we know so far about why fans believe the show is fake.
The sounds recorded
If you have ever watched the episode titled Sweet Springs Sanitarium, you must have seen how the team of three caught on tape unexplained voices, chatting, and screaming that had them scared. Well, that is just one of the reasons people believe the show is fake because there is nothing as easy to fake as sounds. Who is to tell that there aren’t other people outside making the noise since they only capture the sound and conclude it is a paranormal activity? Even one user on Reddit agrees that as much as he likes the show, he is skeptical of the evidence.
According to him, the trio gets more loud bangs and knocks, which are the easiest to fake using other people off-camera. Additionally, another person said that after watching Paranormal Lockdown, Nick and Katrina’s investigation of Sweet Springs, he was sure that Dakota faked his. The reasoning was that while Nick caught loads of evidence, even going as far as swimming in dirty pool water to capture a girl’s voice, Dakota was only reenacting; he never bothered with the pool. Besides, after watching too many ghost shows, people believe they can differentiate the pitch of a human scream from that of a ghost. Those on Destination Fear do not measure up to the sounds expected from a spirit.
Too scared
According to Scared Stiff Reviews, Dakota explained that he and his sister grew up in a haunted house, and it gripped them. Therefore the two and their friend Tanner Wiseman used to spend their weekends looking for abandoned buildings that were said to be haunted and walk in them at night for fun. That thirst for thrilling adventures continued from their childhood days through their high school years when they would drive to different locations reported to have paranormal activity, all in a bid to get an adrenaline rush.
For people who have experienced dealing with ghosts since their childhood, you would expect them to have gotten used to it. However, they seem so scared you would think they are experiencing it for the first time. It is therefore easy to conclude that they are only acting scared if we are willing to believe their story about growing up in a haunted house. Then again, they defend their reactions with Dakota, saying that each location is supposed to terrify them more than the last. Chelsea has proven to be the most frightened by paranormal activity and confessed that she was scared to walk in haunted places, so having to sleep alone added to her fears. In her bio on Travel Channel, she admits that signing up for the show is among the greatest challenges she has encountered both mentally and physically.
It is designed to instill fear
Unlike other paranormal investigative shows whose goal is to find out if places are haunted, Dakota and his team are concerned with instilling fear in the audience. It is, therefore, no surprise that they ensure they all sleep in separate rooms. Wiseman even told Twin Cities that the goal is to see if they can fall asleep which he admitted to being almost impossible because the adrenaline is usually pumping. Dakota added that he tried falling asleep, but the longest he closed his eyes was for 20 minutes at a time because he was scared to open his eyes and find someone standing over him.
That being said, even when you read the positive reviews of the show, you will notice that most comment on the amount of fear it instills in them while at the same being funny. Others believe Destination Fear is setting itself apart from other paranormal investigation shows, but that’s just it; it is not focusing on paranormal investigations. It wants viewers to bite their nails in fear and be on the edge of their seats in anticipation because it is more of a thriller drama than a ghost-hunting show.
Dakota’s experience in ghost hunting
Dakota, who takes the lead, said that his experience working with Ghost Adventures played a huge part in helping him come up with Destination Fear. If you love Ghost Adventures, then you must have heard about Aaron Goodwin‘s firing, which came after he revealed that producers forced them to fake paranormal activity if the EVP did not capture enough evidence. Aaron added that they would be asked to re-film the reactions of the crew who were supposed to act surprised when listening to things that did not happen. With Dakota being brought on the show as a cameraman and staying on until he was ready to venture out on his own, it should tell you that he was willing to fake it.
With such experience, it would not be difficult for Dakota to do the same on his own show after Zak helped him hone his paranormal investigation skills. Moreover, Dakota is an accomplished filmmaker who began making films at the age of 8. Since he also acts as one on Destination Fear, editing out any scenes that would compromise the show is easy. Also, do not forget that he is the only one among the three who has any experience with paranormal investigations, so they will have to trust his word. Funny thing is he admits to The Main Edge that they did not use any equipment during their initial checks and even now, they only use equipment when necessary.
