SALEM, MA — Paranormal researchers, historians, and frustrated ghosts alike are sounding the alarm over what many describe as an explosive rise in paranormal expos being hosted at allegedly haunted locations “for all the wrong reasons.”

Across the United States, historic prisons, abandoned hospitals, aging mansions, former asylums and more than likely your neighbor’s house have increasingly transformed into weekend convention centers filled with ghost hunters, social media influencers, orb enthusiasts, crystal vendors, and self-proclaimed demon experts selling $80 autograph photos under flickering disco lights and fake spider webs.

Critics say the trend has shifted the paranormal field away from investigation and historical preservation and toward what one historian called “a Halloween-themed cash grab with VIP seating and psychic circle jerk.”

“Ten years ago people came to learn about local legends and unexplained events,” said cultural historian Rebecca Long-Miles during a recent panel discussion in Salem. “Now you can’t walk through a supposedly haunted hallway without someone trying to sell you glow-in-the-dark sage bundles, stickers, haunted dildo trigger objects and a premium meet-and-greet package.”

According to event organizers, attendance at paranormal expos has surged in recent years thanks to social media, streaming shows, and viral ghost-hunting videos. Some events attract thousands of visitors willing to pay for overnight investigations, celebrity appearances, and “exclusive spirit communication sessions.” At one recent expo held inside a former penitentiary, guests could reportedly purchase a “Demon Fast Pass” allowing them to skip lines for haunted cellblock tours and possessions.  “That sentence alone should concern people,” Long-Miles added.

Local residents near several historic sites say the atmosphere around paranormal events has changed dramatically. What were once quiet historical properties are now filled with food trucks, loudspeakers, and influencers filming dramatic reaction videos titled “3 AM POSSESSED BY EVIL SPIRIT?!” As Seen on YouTube or TikTok.

“It used to be about the history,” said maintenance worker Benson H. while cleaning up a college student’s vomit outside a reportedly haunted inn in Gettysburg. “Now every weekend somebody’s screaming into a camera because a door moved near the gift shop from our guard dog’s pepperoni fart blaster.”

Even some paranormal investigators are growing uncomfortable with the commercialization. “There are people genuinely interested in unexplained phenomena,” said investigator Dana UnCole, who has researched allegedly haunted locations for over 20 years. “But there’s also a growing number of opportunists treating tragedy like entertainment. If a building had a terrible history, maybe selling nachos next to the séance room isn’t the best look – though delicious.”

Still, organizers defend the expos as necessary for keeping historic properties financially alive.  “These events bring tourism and preservation money,” said one expo promoter. “Without paranormal conventions, many of these locations would probably shut down and i’d have to work a real job and actually see my wife and kids.” That argument has done little to quiet critics after several controversial incidents, including one expo that allegedly offered “haunted prison weddings” and another featuring a “Paranormal Influencer Lounge” sponsored by Jake Paul’s energy drink company.

Social media has only accelerated the phenomenon. Videos tagged with #GhostTok and #HauntedAdventure now generate millions of views, with some creators staging exaggerated encounters for clicks and sponsorships. The irony of selling one’s soul for clicks is not lost on this Raptor.  Meanwhile, several alleged psychics attending recent conventions claimed the spirits themselves are becoming irritated.

“One ghost told me he died in 1892 and doesn’t appreciate being part of a two-for-one T-shirt promotion,” psychic entertainer Vinny Fale told attendees at a convention in New Orleans. Skeptics remain unconvinced by the paranormal claims themselves but admit the business side is undeniably real.  “The only thing truly supernatural here is how quickly people will pay $45 for bottled ‘haunted air,’” said Professor Wile E. Cope.

At press time, organizers of an upcoming expo at an allegedly cursed southern mansion announced a new premium package allowing guests to “experience authentic paranormal dread” alongside a complimentary tote bag and early vendor access. The scales of honesty in the paranormal have tipped from Hans Holzier to PT Barnham… fitting as the paranormal community is now in full circus mode!