Jason Hawes Speaks Out: The State of the Paranormal Community and the Drama We Need to Address

There comes a point where you have to stop, look around at what the field you love has become, and say something. That time is now. Tonight I went live to talk openly about what's been happening in the paranormal community lately — the good, the bad, and the drama that some people seem determined to bring with them wherever they go.

I've been doing this work for decades. I founded TAPS because I genuinely believed — and still believe — that paranormal investigation deserves to be taken seriously. That means applying real methodology, real skepticism, and real integrity to every case we take on. You don't walk into a location looking for ghosts. You walk in looking for answers, and you rule out every natural explanation before you even begin to consider something beyond our current understanding. That philosophy built something I'm proud of. But lately, I've been watching parts of this community drift further and further from that standard, and I think it's time we had an honest conversation about it.

The paranormal field has grown enormously over the years, and with that growth has come an influx of people with all kinds of motivations. Some are genuinely curious investigators who want to do the work right. I respect that deeply, and I want to support anyone who approaches this field with honesty and humility. But there are others who are here for the attention, for the clout, for the drama — and they are doing real damage to the credibility of every serious investigator out there. When someone fabricates evidence, exaggerates claims, or manufactures conflict for views and followers, it doesn't just hurt their own reputation. It sets back the entire field and makes it harder for all of us to be taken seriously by the scientific community, by the media, and by the families who reach out to us for genuine help.

I also want to address the drama directly, because ignoring it hasn't made it go away. There are things happening right now — situations involving people in this community — that I've been watching closely. Without getting into names or specifics tonight, I'll say this: when you've been in this field as long as I have, you develop a sense for when something is authentic and when something is being performed. The same skills I use on an investigation — pattern recognition, critical thinking, the ability to separate signal from noise — apply just as well to people and situations. I see what's happening. A lot of you see it too. And the best thing any of us can do is refuse to amplify it.

Here's what I keep coming back to: the paranormal community at its best is made up of people who are genuinely trying to help others and push the boundaries of what we understand about our world. I've sat with families who were terrified in their own homes, and I've seen the relief on their faces when we were able to explain what was happening — whether that turned out to be a paranormal explanation or a natural one. That's the work. That's what matters. The drama, the feuds, the social media noise — none of that helps a single family sleeping with the lights on. So my message tonight is simple: let's get back to the work. Let's hold each other to a higher standard. Let's call out dishonesty and manipulation when we see it, not to pile on, but because this field deserves better. I'm not going anywhere, and neither is the real community that built this thing from the ground up.

The paranormal field is worth fighting for — but only if we're willing to be honest about its problems. I'll keep showing up, keep doing the work the right way, and keep having these conversations because the community that takes this seriously deserves a voice. Thank you to everyone who joined me tonight and who continues to hold the line on integrity.