Setting the Record Straight: Jason Hawes Addresses Paranormal Community Drama and What's Really Going On

There comes a point where staying quiet stops being the high road and starts looking like indifference — and I'm not indifferent to what's happening in this community right now. I've spent decades building something real with TAPS, and I've watched this field grow from a fringe interest into something that millions of people genuinely care about. That's exactly why I felt it was time to sit down, go live, and have an honest conversation about where things stand.

I started The Atlantic Paranormal Society because I believed — and still believe — that the paranormal deserves serious, disciplined investigation. Not theater. Not clout-chasing. Not manufactured drama designed to rack up views or followers. My approach has always been skeptic-first: you walk into a location trying to disprove what people are experiencing before you ever consider a paranormal explanation. That mindset keeps you honest. It keeps the work credible. And frankly, it's the only way you actually serve the people who reach out to us because they're scared and confused and need real answers.

Lately, though, I've been watching things unfold in the paranormal community that genuinely concern me. There's been drama — and I don't use that word lightly, because I know it sounds dismissive of serious issues. But that's exactly what some of what's circulating right now is: drama, introduced by people who seem more interested in tearing others down than in doing the actual work. I've seen misinformation spread, reputations attacked, and real investigators get caught in the crossfire of feuds that have nothing to do with the paranormal. It's exhausting, and more importantly, it's damaging to a field that has spent years trying to earn credibility.

I want to be clear about something: I'm not above criticism, and neither is anyone else in this space. Accountability matters. If someone in this community is doing something wrong — genuinely wrong, not just something you personally disagree with — that should be addressed directly and honestly. What I won't stand for is the pile-on culture, the rumor mills, and the bad-faith attacks that seem designed purely to elevate one person by destroying another. I've been doing this long enough to recognize the difference between someone raising a legitimate concern and someone stirring the pot for attention. Both exist right now, and it's important that the community learns to tell them apart.

What I want for this community is what I've always wanted: a place where investigators — whether you're a seasoned professional or someone who just started exploring this field — can do meaningful work, share genuine findings, and hold each other to a high standard without the toxicity. The paranormal is a serious subject. The people who reach out to us with their experiences deserve investigators who show up with integrity, not investigators who are too busy fighting online battles to focus on the work. I went live to talk about all of this openly because I think sunlight is always the best approach — same as it is on an investigation. You don't solve a haunting by ignoring what's in the room.

I don't have all the answers, and I'm not pretending to — but I do know that this community is stronger when it holds itself to the same standard of honesty we demand from the evidence we collect. If you missed the live conversation, it's worth a watch, and I'd genuinely love to hear where you stand. The discussion doesn't stop when the stream ends.