Diane Dobry ---- Online Fan Groups Using Paranormal Reality Television Programs to Interpret Representations of Paranormal Phenomena and Their Relationship to Death and the Afterlife

American cultural practices related to death and dying often involve denial, discomfort, or avoidance even, at times, in the face of imminent death. Death education in America, once the subject of controversial debate, is now primarily limited to preparing those in healthcare who deal with the dying and their families. What happens beyond death is normally considered to be the domain of religious organizations. Popular culture, however, is one area where speculation about death, dying and the afterlife more frequently and openly takes place. Paranormal television programming is one of the primary sources of such speculation. Over the entire course of the existence of American television, the paranormal has been an ongoing theme, however, prior to the introduction of cable television, most programs were fiction. In more recent years, what is called paranormal reality television (PRTV) has grown more popular. The oldest format of this genre (if PRTV can be considered a genre), is documentary re-enactment programming. Others feature psychics or mediums who claim to read minds, tell the future or talk to the dead. More recent formats include investigative “objective” inquiry with a connection made between the paranormal and spirits of the dead but in a way that appeals to those seeking a more “scientific” approach using measurement, documentation and technology. Observation of online discussions related to these programs reveals viewers engaged in discussions about the programs and the key protagonists, and also in discussions about what constitutes evidence, personal beliefs regarding death and the afterlife and other unknowns, and how contributors assess reality television programs as to their relevance, authenticity and believability. This chapter examines three PRTV program formats and associated online discussions related to the programs’ authenticity, viewers’ questions about death and the afterlife, and beliefs and ideas about these issues. The chapter also presents findings that came out of the research.