Paranormal Activity

October 10, 2009 by kristinemac
Filed under Christians & The Occult

14084 CommentsParanormal+Activity2009-10-10+14%3A03%3A42kristinemac

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The other day my husband forwarded me an email which he thought I might find interesting. The email was about a movie called Paranormal Activity. He thought I might be interested in the fact that over 1 MILLION people had requested the movie be released nationwide through a viral internet campaign.

Let me say I am totally unsurprised by the interest this film has generated.

First a little background. Paranormal Activity was filmed in 2007 on a very low budget and put on the shelf. However through the clever use of the internet and limited screen releases the film is now a hot commodity…not unlike The Blair Witch Project.

Paranormal Activity is about a young couple who move in together. Life seems to be going along until they become increasingly disturbed by a presence every night as they try to sleep. The main target of these disturbances is Katie, who has experienced a number of paranormal events over the past years since her family home was burned in a fire. In an attempt to deal with the situation, or at least capture evidence, her boyfriend Micah sets up a camera to record their nights. The movie is primarily this night footage.

By all accounts this movie is very scary in the way of The Blair Witch Project. The footage which makes up the bulk of the movie is supposed to be "real footage discovered by authorities"….this of course brings a sense of reality to the viewer. The bulk of the activity is offscreen which builds tension. Let's face it…what you don't see is often much worse than what you do.

What is most interesting to me about this whole thing is the amount of people who requested the movie be released nationally. Over 1million people took the time to push a button and request the movie in their town. Is it simply because horror movies are a popular genre or is there something more?

I believe the title alone draws the attention of people immediately. Paranormal Activity. There has always been great interest in the paranormal and the entertainment industry has been capitalizing on this trend since the 1970's.

There have been many shows which have garnered interest over the years, but 1996 saw tremendous growth of interest in realistic style programs of paranormal investigation through the British program called Most Haunted. Spawning a number of similar programs in the U.K and Canada, and eventually Ghost Hunters for the US.

Consider how many additional shows have been created to feed this interest. Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters International, Haunted Travels, Psychic Detectives, Psychic Kids, A Haunting, Paranormal Matrix, Supernatural….just to name a few.

Here's my take on the whole thing. The church needs to wake up to the reality that there are a significant…and I believe growing…number of people interested in the paranormal. Certainly the buzz generated by the movie, Paranormal Activity, should indicate that reality. While curiosity is not necessarily dangerous in and of itself, I believe it can lead to an unhealthy interest in the occult. Potentially opening some spiritual doors of deception in a person's life.

This movie, Paranormal Activity, is probably going to bring up some questions so here are my answers.

As a former medium, do I believe in ghosts? No.

I don't believe my grandparents or uncle are hanging out in the afterlife waiting to flicker a few lights or make knocking noises to get my attention. I don't believe they have messages they want to give to me through a medium. I believe what the Bible says. When a person who's accepted Christ dies they are immediately in His presence (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). If a person doesn't know Jesus by faith as Savior they are separated from God in a place of judgment (Matthew 25:46).

Do I believe in hauntings? Absolutely.

I believe hauntings are the work of demons. A haunting can either be a means to frighten or torment (as is apparently depicted in Paranormal Activity) or distract a person from the truth and reality of Jesus Christ. Drawing people into beliefs not supported by the Bible, and unhealthy interest in spirit communication/investigation.

Should Christians go see this movie, Paranormal Activity?

As with anything, every person needs to make their own decision as God leads. I'll be the first to admit I enjoy a good horror movie (Supernatural is one of my favorite tv shows) and watch them from time to time. However, a clip I watched of Paranormal Activity left me with a very disturbed feeling in my spirit. An excellent indicator (for myself anyway) this movie should be avoided.

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UPDATE:

As time passed since originally posting this blog in October 2009, Paranormal Activity has continued to make an impressive showing in box offices world-wide and in DVD sales. In response to this continued interest I decided to watch the film and write an in-depth analysis for my new book, Escaping the Cauldron: Ghosts and the Paranormal, which will be available soon from Big Fish Ministries.