paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
investigation
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
show broadcast by the SciFi Channel (now SyFy) beginning on October 6, 2004, through December 8, 2004. It was shown as part of the "SciFi Wednesday" evening schedule line up in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
along with other reality television programs as ''
Scare Tactics
''Scare Tactics'' is an American comedy horror hidden camera television show created by Scott Hallock and Kevin Healey and aired on Syfy from April 4, 2003, to October 28, 2013. The first season of the show was hosted by Shannen Doherty and ...
'' and '' Ghost Hunters''. ''Proof Positive'' ran for ten episodes.
The show was hosted by actress
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' an ...
of ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...
'' and ''
Sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...
''.
Episode format
During the first three segments of the program, the show investigated three different unexplained phenomena subjects such as ghost hauntings,
remote viewing
Remote viewing (RV) is the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen subject, purportedly sensing with the mind. There is no scientific evidence that remote viewing exists, and the topic of remote viewing is generally regarde ...
,
past life regression
Past life regression (PLR), Past life therapy (PLT), regression or memory regression is a method that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are Past life memory, memories of past lives or reincarnation, incarnations.alien abductions and
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...
sightings. During the fourth and final segment of the program, the show takes whatever evidence was gathered and hands it over to professionals for examination. For example; a video tape with alleged UFO footage would be examined by professional video or special effects experts to determine if the footage is genuine or fake. Once the evidence is examined, the show reveals the findings.
* If the evidence is proven authentic, the show would conclude it as "Proof Positive."
* If the evidence is determined to be a hoax, or not paranormal related, the show would conclude it as "Proof Negative."
* If the evidence could not be verified, the show would give it a "Proof Inconclusive."
Only one of the segments in each episode would be given a proof positive. Before the commercial break at the end of the third segment, the audience would be asked which of the three segments they think would be concluded positive.
The program's purpose was to only validate the authenticity of evidence from a paranormal encounter and not to prove that the paranormal activity exists. For example, if a photo of a
flying saucer
A flying saucer, or flying disc, is a purported type of disc-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO). The term was coined in 1947 by the United States (US) news media for the objects pilot Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, Kenneth Arnold claimed fl ...
was declared "proof positive" by the show, it does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that flying saucers exist. The show would simply validate that the photo was a picture of something unexplained, appearing in the sky, that was really there, and was not apparently faked in any way.
List of ''Proof Positive'' episodes
"Episode 101"
* Policeman's Past Life - an Indiana detective believes he is a reincarnation of artist
James Carroll Beckwith
James Carroll Beckwith (September 23, 1852 – October 24, 1917) was an American Landscape art, landscape, Portrait painter, portrait and Genre works, genre painter whose Realism (arts), Naturalist style led to his recognition in the late ninetee ...
. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Michigan Lighthouse Ghost - a mysterious light appears within an inoperable light house. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Roswell Rods - the show studies evidence of elongated, multi-winged "insects" called Rods that are caught on videotape. Deemed "Proof Negative"
"Episode 102"
* Little Boy Ghost - a family believes the spirit of a seven-year-old boy haunts their
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
home. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Psychic Artists - a psychic team draws images of deceased loved ones as evidence that they can communicate with the dead. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Lizard Man Sightings - the show investigates a legend that a
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
swamp is haunted by a humanoid lizard creature. Deemed "Proof Negative"
"Episode 103"
* Alien Abduction - a man presents evidence that he has been abducted by aliens. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Firehouse Ghost - members of a fire house believe it is haunted by a firefighter who died in the 1920s. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
* Remote Viewing - the show explores psychic-viewing techniques once used by the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
. Deemed "Proof Positive"
"Episode 104"
* Mexico UFO Sighting - a family shows their videotape evidence of a strange object in the night sky. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Haunted Brothel - the show investigates a
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
brothel
A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
where it is believed a spirit lurks in the VIP room. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Disaster Precognition - the show studies individuals who claim they have had dreams of disaster events before they happened. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
"Episode 105"
* Haunted Axe-Murder House - visitors to an axe-murder house in
Villisca, Iowa
Villisca is a city in East Township, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,132 at the time of the 2020 census. It is most notable for the unsolved axe murder that took place in the town during the summer of 1912.
Hist ...
claim they see ghostly orbs. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Alien Residue - a woman claiming to have been abducted by aliens presents a strange substance as evidence. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Confederate General Past Life - a
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
fire-fighter claims he is the reincarnation of
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
General John B. Gordon. Deemed "Proof Positive"
"Episode 106"
* Colorado UFO Sighting - a
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
man shows his video tape evidence of a UFO. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
* Psychic Detectives - the show interviews two detectives who use psychic impressions to solve cold cases. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Willard Library Ghost - security cameras supposedly catch a ghostly woman seen in an Indiana library. Deemed "Proof Negative"
"Episode 107"
* Junkyard Haunting - the spirit of a car-crash victim is believed to be caught on a wrecking yard security camera. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
* Roswell UFO Crash Material - the show tests material claimed to be extraterrestrial in origin. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Aura Photography - the show studies human auras caught on film with a special camera. Deemed "Proof Positive"
"Episode 108"
* Illinois UFO Sighting - police officers claim to have chased after a UFO that flew over several rural towns in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Chupacabra - two biologists believe they have DNA evidence of a blood-sucking creature in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
* Gettysburg Haunting - a ghost hunting team shows their video evidence of spirits lurking in a Gettysburg battlefield. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
"Episode 109"
* Lake Ogopogo Monster - the show investigates a
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster (), known affectionately as Nessie, is a mythical creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or more humps protrud ...
-like creature that is believed to lurk in a Canadian lake. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* Haunted Restaurant - patrons believe the spirit of a young girl haunts a
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
restaurant. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Spontaneous Combustion - a town in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
is plagued by household objects that mysteriously burst into flame. Deemed "Proof Inconclusive"
"Episode 110"
* Telepathic Twins - the show investigates stories of possible psychic links between twins. Deemed "Proof Positive"
* Haunted Prison - the show investigates a West Virginia penitentiary supposedly haunted by ghosts of former inmates. Deemed "Proof Negative"
* The Electric Man - a man claims he emanates a field that causes electronic devices to malfunction. Deemed "Proof Negative"