Over five years ago, Penn State student and Paranormal Research Society club founder Ryan Buell and the rest of his team filmed the first episode for “Paranormal State.” A lot has changed since then.

All of the core members of “State” have long since graduated from Penn State. The organization is now a private organization. After five successful seasons and a total of 84 episodes airing on A&E to millions of people, Buell & co. have decided to step down from the series to pursue other adventures.

On May 2nd, A&E will broadcast their final episode, and the rest will be history.

Buell announced via his personal blog in January that he would not be returning to “State.” Immediately following his announcement, the rest of PRS, as well as series regulars such as Michelle Belanger and Chad Calek, also announced their departures.

The main reason for walking away from “State” was due to creative differences, exhaustion and to free up time in order to pursue other projects.

“It was an amazing run,” said Buell, who started working on the TV show project when he was 22. “Who else can say they starred and produced in a successful TV series for five seasons? We started this while we were in college!”

Buell is currently preparing for a 40-city film screening tour for the movie, “American Ghost Hunter,” as well as working on a few different book projects.

Many online fans have asked if the end of “State” also means the end for PRS, which Buell and other members stress is far from happening. “If anything, now that we have more time, PRS is going to be way more active,” said Eilfie Music, who’s been with PRS since 2001. PRS, which is still headquartered in State College, Pa., will celebrate its 10th anniversary on September 16th, 2001.

Paranormal Research Society

A&E owns the name Paranormal State and by rights has the ability to do whatever they wish with the name. Paranormal State: The New Class will be continuing on with the name, however, they have no association with the Paranormal Research Society, their investigation techniques, contacts, cases or otherwise.

You can see it too via events: Warrenology www.warrens.net

You demanded it… and we heard you loud and clear! AGH is proud to announce 25 more FALL TOUR DATES for AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER: THE TOUR, starting August 19th and ending September 14th!

WIth the summer and fall your dates combined, the total number of stops on the tour now equals 41 cities, making AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER: THE TOUR the largest and most ambitious independent film tour ever announced!

For more information - More Fall Tour Dates!

Official 2011 Summer Tour

“After five seasons, PRS has decided to end “Paranormal State.”
I posted a blog to share the reasons why.” – Ryan Buell

Dear friends,

This is hard to write, because “Paranormal State” has become a defining adventure for my 20s. I started PRS when I was 19, and started developing the show when I was 22, and now here I am at the age of 28. My, how things have changed! For over three years now, we’ve been in the public eye, and we’ve had the time of our lives. We’ve met so many great fans and many have become friends. We’re proud that PS has changed the way the world views the supernatural, and quite honestly you all have changed us.

That is why it is so hard to say goodbye. After very careful thought, discussion with the team, thinking about my future and where my heart needs to go, I’ve come to the decision that I will not be returning for any more seasons of “Paranormal State.” So, after the remainder of this season airs sometime in the spring or summer, that will be it.

We begin filming the last two episodes this weekend, and that is why I am making this announcement. I wanted closure. So, when I step on to the haunted grounds this weekend, it will be for the last time through “Paranormal State.” And yes, my “final director’s log” will truly, indeed be, my final director’s log.

It wasn’t easy coming to this decision. There are a lot of factors involved. The main one, of course, is that I’ve become a different person. I have different goals and views on things. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up investigating. I want to make that very clear. PRS will still remain. In fact, it means I will be able to put more time in to the things that I’ve had to put on hold for the past 5-6 years, such as private research and investigations, UNIV-CON, building the society and more. We put our dreams and aspirations on hold because we believed in the possibility of doing a show about PRS. And like I’ve already said, it has made an impact on many levels. But now it’s time to move on to other possibilities. I have other projects that I’ve had to sit on because I’ve been so preoccupied with “Paranormal State.”

 I am incredibly grateful of the time spent on “Paranormal State.” It has opened so many doors for my team and me. Because of it, I got to produce, direct, write books and now move on to fictional properties (next up, a fictional book due out sometime later this year!). It has also put PRS in to the mainstream in ways I never thought possible. And then there are those who are haunted. I’ve received hundreds of thousands of letters and e-mails since the show debuted. Now I will get a chance to catch up and read some of them!

Deciding to do “Paranormal State” was a big commitment. It took over our lives. Friends and family had to take a step back because of our time consuming schedules. But we knew that we were handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not just for the perks, but we knew that we could spread a message to millions of people. That meant a lot to us. Over the course of the five seasons, we’ve refused to cave in and compromise our integrity. We’ve stayed the course, even though it meant losing a few friends along the way. There were victories, and there were casualties. There were triumphs and there were mistakes. But we always picked ourselves back up and fought even harder. “Paranormal State” was never 100% our vision. For anyone who has ever worked in the media, they will understand that it is always collaboration. But we got pretty close at times. There were some remarkable episodes that I personally think redefined the paranormal. Episodes like “I Am Six,” “I Am Six 2,” “Pet Cemetery,” “The Name,” “Sixth Sense,” “First Contact,” “Church of the Damned,” “Ghosts of Gettysburg,” “Darkness Falls,” “Jersey Devil,” “They Come Out At Night,” “Ghosts of the Forgotten,” and even a few episodes that have yet to air, I am personally proud of. Some of the most memorable moments of my life the past ten years have come from working on “Paranormal State.”

I was a junior at Penn State when we began developing the show, which at first was called everything from “Out There” to “Paranormal U.” My senior year we began shooting, and post-graduation we continued onwards. The show evolved, of course. Remember the episode where Sergey and I were cheering on the football team at Beaver Stadium? Or how Sergey had to step away from a case in order to study for his exams? You guys literally got to watch us grow up from just entering adulthood to being full-fledged adults, fast approaching 30.

As we entered the fifth season, we got to change things up and tackle on some very weird subjects. And as we started to get towards the end of the fifth season, I began to realize that I was having a hard time, physically and mentally with everything. And so discussions began to be had, about whether or not it was time to think about wrapping up. The last thing I want to do is go past our prime. It’s always better to end on top with a bang rather than to fickle out. And it became important for us to move on not just creatively, but personally. After all these years, we need to return to ourselves and rediscover who we are. We also want to go back out there and spend some time researching the paranormal on our own terms. In short, we need some freedom to be and to grow.

Do I believe in the paranormal? Yes. I have received much criticism for standing up for what I believe in. People claiming that I’m crazy for believing in ghosts; some investigators thinking I’m crazy for believing in demons; some people who convinced themselves that I faked evidence; some people who just thought I was plain nuts as a whole. To be honest, the detractors were great motivation for us. They never got to us and never knocked us down. We kept on going. I’m proud that “Paranormal State” is so controversial. Why? Because it makes people talk and discuss. And that’s important. And PRS will always be there; ready to make bold statements and stand up for those who are haunted.

Yesterday I informed the producers and the network that I would not be returning. And now I wanted to tell you, my dear friends, because many of you are very much involved with the show and recognize it as more than just a show. I want to thank A&E (particularly Elaine Frontain-Bryant), the executive producers Betsy Schechter and Gary Auerbach for helping us put this show together and for all the support. Also to all the crews who have worked on the show over the years.

To Sergey, Eilfie and Josh, you have been there for a very long time and have never failed to be by my side, no matter how rough or difficult things (or I) got. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would have made it this far. I would have crashed and burned a long time ago. Thank you for all the years, smiles, tears and triumphs. Thank you also to Katrina and Heather, who went from college students and trainees to even more gifted, bright, strong and beautiful women who will no doubt do great things. To Lorraine, thank you for giving me and my team a chance all those years ago. To Chip Coffey and Michelle Belanger, thank you for some amazing times and truly remarkable investigations. To Chad, you came in at an important time and gave us all energy and laughs, even in the darkest of times. It has been amazing that our friendship became and grew out of our love of investigating and the paranormal and now I count you as one of my best friends. To the rest of PRS, thank you for inspiring me and for devoting a part of your life – no matter how long – to a cause that has changed so many lives. And to my family and friends, thank you for being patient and supporting me all these years. Thank you for understanding and forgiving me for not always being able to return calls or make visits. Now, after all these years, you will be my priority.

And to all of you, my fans, I promise you that I nor PRS will be going anywhere. There are some truly exciting and remarkable projects coming up, so please do not take this as a permanent goodbye. It’s simply time to close one door and enter a new path in life. I hope you will continue to be there and take that journey with us.

Much love,

RYAN

January 6th, 2011

Ryan Buell’s Blog

An all new intense and dramatic real life documentary following the life of filmmaker and paranormal investigator Chad Calek and his investigative team, which is comprised of AGH investigators Justin Holstein, Joe Ansley and Mary Beth Wylie.

An all new intense and dramatic real life documentary series following the life of filmmaker and paranormal investigator Chad Calek and his investigative team, which is comprised of AGH investigators Justin Holstein, Joe Ansley and Mary Beth Wylie.

More info and sneak peaks coming in October!

This fall, Sundays on A&E are going to give fright fans a real-life chill. A&E returns two hit original paranormal series with the fifth season of “Paranormal State,” and the third season of “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal,” premiering Sunday, October 17th at 9PM and 10PM ET/PT respectively.

In “Paranormal State,” A&E continues to chronicle the case files of the Paranormal Research Society (PRS), a renowned group of investigators led by Ryan Buell, the director/founder of PRS, who delve into other worlds to solve the most severe client cases ranging from the bizarre to the demonic.

The team uses a cache of resources to help families in trouble, including Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) recordings, video documentation, cutting-edge technologies, old-fashioned research and the help from outside experts such as renowned psychics and demonologists.

“Paranormal State” kicks off with two episodes. First is “The Death Room” – where PRS arrives in Ryan’s hometown to help the new owner of an old southern plantation unearth its dark history. A painful family secret reveals a tale of greed and neglect, and the team must help free its unwilling victim from her spiritual prison.

Next up is “They Only Come Out At Night”- Once night falls in a quaint New England Town, a police officer’s family is terrorized by demons. PRS arrives just in time with the family ready to vacate their family home, rather than suffer the advances of these spirit creatures. They have been scratched, pulled, pinched and pushed to the brink. Through investigation and research PRS must come up with a solution to this family’s plight and try to save their lovely home.

In “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal,” A&E profiles children who live with an incredible secret: they have psychic abilities. Feeling scared and isolated, these kids have nowhere to turn…until now. Help is on the way in the form of Psychic/Mediums Chip Coffey, Chris Fleming and Kim Russo — who themselves grew up with these senses — and licensed psychotherapist Edy Nathan, who has more than 20 years experience. These experts work to uncover the truths of these children, and direct the kids to better manage their abilities.

In the premiere one-hour episode, “Banishing Evil,” 12-year-old Nick is tormented by an evil spirit named Mr. Rosenberg. Since Rosenberg entered his life, Nick has been plagued by violent nightmares and physical attacks. He lives in constant fear and his only desire is to be a “normal kid.”

Psychic/Medium Chip Coffey and therapist Edy Nathan introduce Nick to Anissa, an 11-year-old girl who is so frightened by the ghosts and spirits that surround her that she hasn’t been able to sleep alone for as long as she can remember. Nick and Anissa work to develop the strength and confidence to keep evil entities at bay, and ultimately they try to banish Mr. Rosenberg.

Ryan Buell, star of A&E’s docuseries Paranormal State, comes out as bisexual in his new book, “Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown”.

Buell, who identifies as a Roman Catholic, writes, “I’ve decided to share my sexuality and struggle over faith in hopes that others will no longer feel as though they are alone or that they can’t be religious.”

Sneak Peek of the first page of Ryan’s book.

The new book will be released on September 21.

Order Ryan’s Book from Amazon here.