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The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science
A surprising and compelling journey into the business of paranormal investigation, and the state of scientific literacy in America.
In 2010, a sleepy small-town business plaza in rural New Hampshire rented space to an unusual a ghost laboratory. The Kitt Research Initiative’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; and was unafraid — perhaps eager — to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. Kitt’s efforts attracted flocks of psychics, alien abductees, witches, mediums, ghost hunters, UFOlogists, cryptozoologists and warlocks from all over New England, and the world. And there were plenty of them around.
The Ghost Lab tells the astonishing story of the wild ecosystem of paranormal profiteers and consumers. But it also reveals how the twin scourges of declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions have created space for armies of pseudoscientists to step into the minds of an increasingly credulous public.
With his distinct voice, eye for a story and ability to show how one community's experience reflects that of a society, Matt Hongoltz-Hetling crafts a powerful narrative about just how fragmented our understanding of what is real--and what is not--has become.
In 2010, a sleepy small-town business plaza in rural New Hampshire rented space to an unusual a ghost laboratory. The Kitt Research Initiative’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; and was unafraid — perhaps eager — to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. Kitt’s efforts attracted flocks of psychics, alien abductees, witches, mediums, ghost hunters, UFOlogists, cryptozoologists and warlocks from all over New England, and the world. And there were plenty of them around.
The Ghost Lab tells the astonishing story of the wild ecosystem of paranormal profiteers and consumers. But it also reveals how the twin scourges of declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions have created space for armies of pseudoscientists to step into the minds of an increasingly credulous public.
With his distinct voice, eye for a story and ability to show how one community's experience reflects that of a society, Matt Hongoltz-Hetling crafts a powerful narrative about just how fragmented our understanding of what is real--and what is not--has become.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2025
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January 9, 2026Якого горору зазвичай очікують від історій про спіритичні сеанси й мисливців на привидів: Уууу, неситі привиди чигають на тебе в закинутій психлікарні.
Який горор отримуємо у цьому нонфікшні про спіритів і мисливців на привидів у забутому богом і системами соціальної підтримки штаті Нью-Гемпшир: Громадяни США масово не довіряють усім тим інституціям, на яких століттями стояло суспільство, від правосуддя до системи освіти, а старі системи, що продукували значення (від організованої церкви до науки чи ідеї прогресу, де кожне наступне покоління буде заможніше за попереднє, а wealth gap зменшуватиметься), вже не діють. Університети закриваються, медицина в руїнах, суспільство атомізоване, і вакуум у цій постінституційній дистопії заповнює дикий треш - люди, які вірять, що їх викрали НЛО, всякі духовні цілителі й інші шизофреніки, які підкріплюють маячню один одного (ну, або прагматики, які капіталізують чужі психіатричні розлади). Тобто це трукрайм про вбивство, але вбивство суспільства як ми його знаємо.
Так, оця, так би мовити, соціологічна рамка - вона радше для того, щоб легітимізувати prurient інтерес усіма цими маргінальними спільнотами, я не переконана, що вони якісь серйозні претенденти на заповнення вакууму (і краще б вони, а не якась значно страшніша фігня, яку генерують техбро, все це темне просвітництво - Карен з кристалами непокоїть мене менше, ніж, умовно кажучи, Пітер Тіль), і вони, звичайно, продукт, а не причина того, що діється. Але читається жвавенько. Цікаво, чи в нас така ж біда з цими всіма позараціональними рухами - у 90-ті явно була з подібних структурних причин, а зараз?
Який горор отримуємо у цьому нонфікшні про спіритів і мисливців на привидів у забутому богом і системами соціальної підтримки штаті Нью-Гемпшир: Громадяни США масово не довіряють усім тим інституціям, на яких століттями стояло суспільство, від правосуддя до системи освіти, а старі системи, що продукували значення (від організованої церкви до науки чи ідеї прогресу, де кожне наступне покоління буде заможніше за попереднє, а wealth gap зменшуватиметься), вже не діють. Університети закриваються, медицина в руїнах, суспільство атомізоване, і вакуум у цій постінституційній дистопії заповнює дикий треш - люди, які вірять, що їх викрали НЛО, всякі духовні цілителі й інші шизофреніки, які підкріплюють маячню один одного (ну, або прагматики, які капіталізують чужі психіатричні розлади). Тобто це трукрайм про вбивство, але вбивство суспільства як ми його знаємо.
Так, оця, так би мовити, соціологічна рамка - вона радше для того, щоб легітимізувати prurient інтерес усіма цими маргінальними спільнотами, я не переконана, що вони якісь серйозні претенденти на заповнення вакууму (і краще б вони, а не якась значно страшніша фігня, яку генерують техбро, все це темне просвітництво - Карен з кристалами непокоїть мене менше, ніж, умовно кажучи, Пітер Тіль), і вони, звичайно, продукт, а не причина того, що діється. Але читається жвавенько. Цікаво, чи в нас така ж біда з цими всіма позараціональними рухами - у 90-ті явно була з подібних структурних причин, а зараз?
October 30, 2025
Got the book for review.
I didn't enjoy it. unfortunately has little to say but this wasn't a book for me.
I didn't enjoy it. unfortunately has little to say but this wasn't a book for me.
April 3, 2025
The Ghost Lab by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling is a great book for fans of science and paranormal. The author follows the journey of a team of scientists who venture into a small town in New England to investigate paranormal activity, blending investigative journalism with personal anecdotes and humor. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
August 15, 2025
Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling is an American journalist with a niche in writing books about cultish and occultish topics; I recently read and reviewed his 2023 book If It Sounds Like a Quack...: A Journey to the Fringes of American Medicine. 2025's The Ghost Lab follows in a similar vein, where Hongoltz-Hetling channels the X-Files' Dana Scully by extensively interviewing folks from a New Hampshire-based occult group called the Kitt Research Initiative, with a strange mix of logic and open-mindedness. He uses this example to make a broader argument about the growing chasm between Americans who support traditional evidence-based scientific institutions and those who are open to or full-blown believers in the likes of UFOs, ghosts, and other paranormal phenomena, and how maybe things would be better if the former group didn't categorically alienate (pun intended) the latter.
As someone firmly in the evidence-based camp, I have very mixed thoughts and feelings on this book and Hongoltz-Hetling's way of writing about his subjects with a mix of seriousness and mock seriousness (a narrative choice that is likely insulting to the book's subjects - see the other reviews here, and also made third party readers like me feel generally uncomfortable). He took the same approach with If It Sounds Like a Quack, which also engendered mixed feelings for me. Then again, this is one of these polarizing areas where many categorically refuse to engage with the other side entirely, similar to how people may confront dissident religious beliefs (or lack thereof). I think a lot of time is wasted in villainizing, backhandedly or overtly mocking or being overly conciliatory to either side, and that time could be used a lot more productively finding common ground on and addressing practical and actionable issues.
Further reading:
American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology by D.W. Paulska
My statistics:
Book 252 for 2025
Book 2178 cumulatively
As someone firmly in the evidence-based camp, I have very mixed thoughts and feelings on this book and Hongoltz-Hetling's way of writing about his subjects with a mix of seriousness and mock seriousness (a narrative choice that is likely insulting to the book's subjects - see the other reviews here, and also made third party readers like me feel generally uncomfortable). He took the same approach with If It Sounds Like a Quack, which also engendered mixed feelings for me. Then again, this is one of these polarizing areas where many categorically refuse to engage with the other side entirely, similar to how people may confront dissident religious beliefs (or lack thereof). I think a lot of time is wasted in villainizing, backhandedly or overtly mocking or being overly conciliatory to either side, and that time could be used a lot more productively finding common ground on and addressing practical and actionable issues.
Further reading:
American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology by D.W. Paulska
My statistics:
Book 252 for 2025
Book 2178 cumulatively
May 16, 2025
Joseph Priestley was an influential natural philosopher, credited with the discovery of oxygen. In 1791, Priestley's house, library, and laboratory were destroyed in a riot. This book frames the destruction of property this as a backlash by the hoi polloi against their own advocate, who supported the idea of popular science, something that was so offensive to the locals that they made to kill him. The book gets the story wrong.
This is a book about the belief in the supernatural and its influence in the contemporary U.S.. Supernatural here deserves a footnote. I am tempted to refer to it as The Full Melnitz. It allows for ghosts, spirits, Atlantis, whatever. One of the more memorable stories in the book is the author trying to find where the line was for something too credulous.
The book is a study of where belief has gone. The thesis is that there has been a loss in institutional credibility throughout the United States. This is not a loss in belief. The same amount of belief is present, it has shifted into the paranormal.
The austere public institutions then end up in a vicious cycle, where doubt in them leads to lowered funding, which leads to institutional ineffectiveness, which leads to more doubt and so on. Alternately, it leads to the institutions switching over their missions to the bits that do attract popular attention, often degrading the mission of the institution.
The core narrative is that of the Kitt Research Institute (KRI), a New Hampshire organization, and the biography of its members. KRI is dedicated to the study of the paranormal. It aims towards a more scientific methodology, or at least reflects a consciousness of when something is unprovable versus unproven.
The book is the story of KRI though more the people involved in it. This is exemplary journalism. The author affords his subjects enough humanity to make even the incredulous moments full of more pathos than bathos. While the author is present and will interject himself and his personal stories, there are no winks to the audience. The subjects bring plenty of their own petards on which to be hoisted, but the writing is to the limit of reverent of them and what they feel.
The human drama, which will be familiar to anyone who has worked with a small non-profit, is captivating to the point of distracting, but that is also sort of the point. The personal is the political. The beliefs, interactions, and soap opera are core to their story, in that they consistently overlap with the supernatural. The sole complaint is that the author, sometimes, likes to psychoanalyze and will shoot off some highly personal and vaguely irresponsible interpretation of the person’s motivations. I suppose that most of the subjects signed off on the book, but it is the sort of pathologizing that I would condone doing to a subject, and is of limited utility.
I love it; the remainder of the book is irredeemable to the point of harmful.
It is difficult to reduce to a singular problem, but I think that the root is that the book commits the sin of affirming a position by offering a refutation. The book presupposes a capital S-Science that stands opposed to the paranormal. This is inaccurate historically; this is also inaccurate contemporaneously. Or maybe there is some awareness: when the author references historical scientists supporting the scientific method, he chooses Galileo and Kelpler, not Newton. Or, well, Priestley. It is also wrong rhetorically. It cedes the field by conceding the framing of the argument. Yes, there are people who make such a triumphalist claim. But does straw man vs straw man get us anywhere?
The author uses institution as a term of art. The examples are mostly universities, with hospitals mentioned. The justice system is abstracted, with one close example that may stand less than it seems. Religion, to my count, has a single mention, amounting to an assertion that the war between religion and science has produced these paranormal believers in the generically spiritual. Institution here is a sort of Enlightenment-based, New Deal-y, civil society and small-l liberal sort of thing.
So, to the extent that the overlap in these institutions and more esoteric beliefs is not mentioned, the counter-institutions are wholly absent. Having just read Little Bosses Everywhere, the significance of something like the MLM is critical to this picture. The significance of think tanks, and moral majority politics is important. There is no observation of the vast overlap in how all this Paranormal is built to fit within the confines of Protestant Christianity.
The thesis is standing on a whale, fishing for minnows. The book takes that leftie critique of right and Neo-Liberal thought where people are the salvation or damnation, not systems, but then blames it on the softest possible of targets, the sort of feel-good spiritualism that, to me, feels pretty inconsequential.
It is remarkable that the book focuses on this sort of bland paranormal followers, earnest and lovely and wonderful, as opposed to, say, whatever Alex Jones is currently on about. There is a pipeline between the evil and the paranormal, not in an occult way, but in a way scratching at a lot of these beliefs turns up racist and anti-Semitic origins, with contemporary fascists quite aware of the recruitment potential. Mind you, the practitioners here are blameless, excluding that one guy (who would be, contra the book, that one guy regardless of his context), but if you want to start allowing this sort of thing as a solution - and to its credit the book does offer a solution - you need something that weeds out racists.
Back to Priestly. He is an odd choice to invoke for a few reasons. While he discovered oxygen, he is as famous for his refusal to follow the facts of where his discovery led (to modern chemistry theory), to the extent that he dispute the function of experimentation in science. He represented one of those Enlightenment synthesizers, out to merge rationality and religion.
Awkwardly, his house got burnt down for his anti-institutional positions. He was a threat to people who supported Crown and Church because he was okay with non-Anglicans having institutional power. The riot, sometimes named after Priestly, came about because the pro-Enlightenment folks supported outsiders having a way in, and people did not like that, because they supported the status quo but also because they had wholly erroneous beliefs about what sort of foreign influences were at work through these people who believed differently. It is not comparable, and to the extent that it is comparable, it is the opposite lesson.
Thanks to the author, Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling, for writing the book, and to the publisher, PublicAffairs, for making the ARC available to me.
This is a book about the belief in the supernatural and its influence in the contemporary U.S.. Supernatural here deserves a footnote. I am tempted to refer to it as The Full Melnitz. It allows for ghosts, spirits, Atlantis, whatever. One of the more memorable stories in the book is the author trying to find where the line was for something too credulous.
The book is a study of where belief has gone. The thesis is that there has been a loss in institutional credibility throughout the United States. This is not a loss in belief. The same amount of belief is present, it has shifted into the paranormal.
The austere public institutions then end up in a vicious cycle, where doubt in them leads to lowered funding, which leads to institutional ineffectiveness, which leads to more doubt and so on. Alternately, it leads to the institutions switching over their missions to the bits that do attract popular attention, often degrading the mission of the institution.
The core narrative is that of the Kitt Research Institute (KRI), a New Hampshire organization, and the biography of its members. KRI is dedicated to the study of the paranormal. It aims towards a more scientific methodology, or at least reflects a consciousness of when something is unprovable versus unproven.
The book is the story of KRI though more the people involved in it. This is exemplary journalism. The author affords his subjects enough humanity to make even the incredulous moments full of more pathos than bathos. While the author is present and will interject himself and his personal stories, there are no winks to the audience. The subjects bring plenty of their own petards on which to be hoisted, but the writing is to the limit of reverent of them and what they feel.
The human drama, which will be familiar to anyone who has worked with a small non-profit, is captivating to the point of distracting, but that is also sort of the point. The personal is the political. The beliefs, interactions, and soap opera are core to their story, in that they consistently overlap with the supernatural. The sole complaint is that the author, sometimes, likes to psychoanalyze and will shoot off some highly personal and vaguely irresponsible interpretation of the person’s motivations. I suppose that most of the subjects signed off on the book, but it is the sort of pathologizing that I would condone doing to a subject, and is of limited utility.
I love it; the remainder of the book is irredeemable to the point of harmful.
It is difficult to reduce to a singular problem, but I think that the root is that the book commits the sin of affirming a position by offering a refutation. The book presupposes a capital S-Science that stands opposed to the paranormal. This is inaccurate historically; this is also inaccurate contemporaneously. Or maybe there is some awareness: when the author references historical scientists supporting the scientific method, he chooses Galileo and Kelpler, not Newton. Or, well, Priestley. It is also wrong rhetorically. It cedes the field by conceding the framing of the argument. Yes, there are people who make such a triumphalist claim. But does straw man vs straw man get us anywhere?
The author uses institution as a term of art. The examples are mostly universities, with hospitals mentioned. The justice system is abstracted, with one close example that may stand less than it seems. Religion, to my count, has a single mention, amounting to an assertion that the war between religion and science has produced these paranormal believers in the generically spiritual. Institution here is a sort of Enlightenment-based, New Deal-y, civil society and small-l liberal sort of thing.
So, to the extent that the overlap in these institutions and more esoteric beliefs is not mentioned, the counter-institutions are wholly absent. Having just read Little Bosses Everywhere, the significance of something like the MLM is critical to this picture. The significance of think tanks, and moral majority politics is important. There is no observation of the vast overlap in how all this Paranormal is built to fit within the confines of Protestant Christianity.
The thesis is standing on a whale, fishing for minnows. The book takes that leftie critique of right and Neo-Liberal thought where people are the salvation or damnation, not systems, but then blames it on the softest possible of targets, the sort of feel-good spiritualism that, to me, feels pretty inconsequential.
It is remarkable that the book focuses on this sort of bland paranormal followers, earnest and lovely and wonderful, as opposed to, say, whatever Alex Jones is currently on about. There is a pipeline between the evil and the paranormal, not in an occult way, but in a way scratching at a lot of these beliefs turns up racist and anti-Semitic origins, with contemporary fascists quite aware of the recruitment potential. Mind you, the practitioners here are blameless, excluding that one guy (who would be, contra the book, that one guy regardless of his context), but if you want to start allowing this sort of thing as a solution - and to its credit the book does offer a solution - you need something that weeds out racists.
Back to Priestly. He is an odd choice to invoke for a few reasons. While he discovered oxygen, he is as famous for his refusal to follow the facts of where his discovery led (to modern chemistry theory), to the extent that he dispute the function of experimentation in science. He represented one of those Enlightenment synthesizers, out to merge rationality and religion.
Awkwardly, his house got burnt down for his anti-institutional positions. He was a threat to people who supported Crown and Church because he was okay with non-Anglicans having institutional power. The riot, sometimes named after Priestly, came about because the pro-Enlightenment folks supported outsiders having a way in, and people did not like that, because they supported the status quo but also because they had wholly erroneous beliefs about what sort of foreign influences were at work through these people who believed differently. It is not comparable, and to the extent that it is comparable, it is the opposite lesson.
Thanks to the author, Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling, for writing the book, and to the publisher, PublicAffairs, for making the ARC available to me.
May 20, 2025
I thank PublicAffairs and the author for the ARC I was provided by way of NetGalley to write this review.
In one sentence:
The United States is so devoid of institutional trust that turning to the paranormal now feels like a reasonable bet for a satisfying sense of purpose and community.
The full review:
Hongoltz-Hetling has a tough needle to thread in this work: he has to respect and honor the experiences being shared with him without ridicule, but also has the job to present us with evidence that is often at odds with those experiences to illustrate what they mean for society as a whole. I commend him particularly for how well he does this without losing his authorial voice or diminishing his perspective.
The book bounces between a group of folks involved in some fashion with the Kitt Research Initiative – a self styled ‘ghost lab’ – and a zoomed-out perspective on New Hampshire in particular or the United States generally. The paranormal investigators are equal parts compelling and frustrating, painted very effectively by Hongoltz-Hetling as whole and complete people rather than caricatures. The facts and figures from the investigative work around spiritualism and paranormal interest or belief generally are well incorporated to help the reader understand the KRI participants as stand-ins for common tendencies in our society.
The book shines when it is focused on the KRI members; I found their public interactions, business practices, events, and interpersonal squabbles to be fascinating. Hongoltz-Hetling clearly earned their trust and respects them as people. They are represented with love. The figures who circle the group or intersect with them are also fascinating – some of them in ways that are, unfortunately, quite morbid. All of the passages involving them clearly illustrate the tension of craving institutionalized structures for validation, but simultaneous rejection of many of the things that make such structures actually useful.
I literally laughed aloud at several passages in the book – not of those regarding people, but in moments where Hongoltz-Hetling had injected some observation or discussion that just felt too wild to be true, and yet was. I turned to read these to my husband at several moments, and they triggered several meaningful discussions between us as well. The mark of good writing, in my opinion, is making someone react. Laughter is certainly not a bad reaction to evoke!
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this work to anyone who has a passing interest in the economics of the paranormal, values a human-interest story, or just wants to know why the hell they know at least one person who’s trying to sell them a ghost tour or clarifying, crystal-infused ghee. It’s well researched, well written, and well worth your time to read.
In one sentence:
The United States is so devoid of institutional trust that turning to the paranormal now feels like a reasonable bet for a satisfying sense of purpose and community.
The full review:
Hongoltz-Hetling has a tough needle to thread in this work: he has to respect and honor the experiences being shared with him without ridicule, but also has the job to present us with evidence that is often at odds with those experiences to illustrate what they mean for society as a whole. I commend him particularly for how well he does this without losing his authorial voice or diminishing his perspective.
The book bounces between a group of folks involved in some fashion with the Kitt Research Initiative – a self styled ‘ghost lab’ – and a zoomed-out perspective on New Hampshire in particular or the United States generally. The paranormal investigators are equal parts compelling and frustrating, painted very effectively by Hongoltz-Hetling as whole and complete people rather than caricatures. The facts and figures from the investigative work around spiritualism and paranormal interest or belief generally are well incorporated to help the reader understand the KRI participants as stand-ins for common tendencies in our society.
The book shines when it is focused on the KRI members; I found their public interactions, business practices, events, and interpersonal squabbles to be fascinating. Hongoltz-Hetling clearly earned their trust and respects them as people. They are represented with love. The figures who circle the group or intersect with them are also fascinating – some of them in ways that are, unfortunately, quite morbid. All of the passages involving them clearly illustrate the tension of craving institutionalized structures for validation, but simultaneous rejection of many of the things that make such structures actually useful.
I literally laughed aloud at several passages in the book – not of those regarding people, but in moments where Hongoltz-Hetling had injected some observation or discussion that just felt too wild to be true, and yet was. I turned to read these to my husband at several moments, and they triggered several meaningful discussions between us as well. The mark of good writing, in my opinion, is making someone react. Laughter is certainly not a bad reaction to evoke!
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this work to anyone who has a passing interest in the economics of the paranormal, values a human-interest story, or just wants to know why the hell they know at least one person who’s trying to sell them a ghost tour or clarifying, crystal-infused ghee. It’s well researched, well written, and well worth your time to read.
December 1, 2025
| 2/5 Stars | ★★☆☆☆
Trigger Warnings for The Ghost Lab:
The Ghost Lab is Matthew Hongoltz-Helting's first book since 2023. As the subtitle suggests, this piece of nonfiction focuses on the effect of pseudoscience on scientific research. Throughout the book Hongoltz-Helting explores the Kitt Research Initiative, connecting the experiences of these members to broader arguments on pseudoscientific research.
I came into this book super excited. I grew up watching Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Bill Tolley, and Nick Groff on Ghost Adventures with my mom. On the surface, this seems like a book I would enjoy, but it honestly just wasn't... I liked some of the deep dive into New Hampshire and the educational system there, but the rest felt like a parent in Charlie Brown talking to me: "wah, wah, wah, wah." This may be due to listening to this as an audiobook, but it was so hard to keep focus.
In the end, The Ghost Lab wasn't my cup of tea. I enjoyed at least one piece of it, which is why it isn't a 1-star or a DNF, but I can't say I would recommend this one. Thank you to Matthew Hongoltz-Helting, Kevin Stillwell, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for an Advanced Audio Copy (AAC) in exchange for my honest review.
Follow all of my reviews and content with LinkTree
Trigger Warnings for The Ghost Lab:
The Ghost Lab is Matthew Hongoltz-Helting's first book since 2023. As the subtitle suggests, this piece of nonfiction focuses on the effect of pseudoscience on scientific research. Throughout the book Hongoltz-Helting explores the Kitt Research Initiative, connecting the experiences of these members to broader arguments on pseudoscientific research.
I came into this book super excited. I grew up watching Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Bill Tolley, and Nick Groff on Ghost Adventures with my mom. On the surface, this seems like a book I would enjoy, but it honestly just wasn't... I liked some of the deep dive into New Hampshire and the educational system there, but the rest felt like a parent in Charlie Brown talking to me: "wah, wah, wah, wah." This may be due to listening to this as an audiobook, but it was so hard to keep focus.
In the end, The Ghost Lab wasn't my cup of tea. I enjoyed at least one piece of it, which is why it isn't a 1-star or a DNF, but I can't say I would recommend this one. Thank you to Matthew Hongoltz-Helting, Kevin Stillwell, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for an Advanced Audio Copy (AAC) in exchange for my honest review.
Follow all of my reviews and content with LinkTree
December 17, 2025
I really wanted the book that had this title. The content is much smaller in scope and quite disappointing. We follow one New Jersey sect, or group of paranormal freaks (or whatever you prefer to call them) and how they expand. Apparently New Jersey is a haven for people of alternative beliefs and with very little trust in institutions.
November 5, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for my copy.
I enjoyed this.
Some thing(s) I liked:
✅Well written
✅The interesting subject matter
✅The little stories
Some thing(s), not so much
⭕Unfortunately, it proves nothing
⭕I didn't expect the bits about aliens, that's a whole different book I feel
I enjoyed this.
Some thing(s) I liked:
✅Well written
✅The interesting subject matter
✅The little stories
Some thing(s), not so much
⭕Unfortunately, it proves nothing
⭕I didn't expect the bits about aliens, that's a whole different book I feel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC.
This book explores the modern spiritualist/paranormal movement and how it has gained steam as folks have lost faith in scientific institutions.
I got swept up in the spiritualist movement about 15 years ago but my “shelf broke” after I realized it was a “choose your own confirmation bias” belief system. Podcasts like Oh No Ross & Carrie and books like The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan do a much more thorough job of helping people distinguish between what is real and what people want to be real than this book does.
There were some interesting stories in this book, but I never felt like any points were actually made. It felt so neutral and polite, despite the title.
This book explores the modern spiritualist/paranormal movement and how it has gained steam as folks have lost faith in scientific institutions.
I got swept up in the spiritualist movement about 15 years ago but my “shelf broke” after I realized it was a “choose your own confirmation bias” belief system. Podcasts like Oh No Ross & Carrie and books like The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan do a much more thorough job of helping people distinguish between what is real and what people want to be real than this book does.
There were some interesting stories in this book, but I never felt like any points were actually made. It felt so neutral and polite, despite the title.
August 13, 2025
It’s hard to review a book where I am one of the subjects. Spoiler alert, this won’t be unbiased. But neither is this book. It’s obvious from beginning to end where the author stands on the subject of the paranormal and spiritual communities and he does his best to present his opinion with facts to support that. Occasionally he will insert evidence to support the other side, but often the snark that surrounds it obscures its potential. Then we have the KRI team who, more often than not, comes across as difficult, petty, and fragmented. While that may have at times been true, what this book did not include is the heart that was the KRI community, where bonds of lifelong friendships were formed, where people found comfort and safety in an open mind and open heart for the first time in their lives, and where many members found opportunities to better themselves and then learned to share that with the people around them. The ripple of goodness that came from the almost-decade that the center existed far outweighs the negative drama that was woven throughout this volume. It continues to touch lives positively and is still talked about today with fondness and appreciation.
While I will admit that the paranormal and spiritual communities have their problems (i.e. egos) largely driven by the popularity and mainstreaming of the pursuits, it is not the cause of the decline in institutions. Just like we at KRI do on a continual basis, these institutions should look inwards at themselves to find where improvements need to be made instead of trying to point the finger to something outside of their outdated walls. A lot of good could be done if we could come together to work to find answers, real provable truths as to what we are experiencing. We would also all benefit from joining forces to deal with a society where the perceived majority encourage the cult of personality: where fun, games, and popularity is prized over education, intellect, and inner qualities of kindness, respect, and humanity; where political “leaders” strive for social media likes to rival blockbuster actors and chart-topping musicians instead of focusing on real ways to impact their communities; where overly-dramatized “reality” tv encourages toxic levels of selfishness that leads to bad behavior and where no one is ever held accountable for their actions. We need to work together to find a way to make this world a better place by collaborating, not fighting against each other.
Overall, I don’t believe the author made his point, but I have no doubt that anyone who fears the subject matter will grasp onto a lot of the statistics and reasoning given in this book as to why we are to blame for it all and will continue to perpetuate that narrative. If that is what brings you comfort, then I wish you well.
There is a lot more I would like to say but will leave it with the comment that I don’t expect anyone to believe my paranormal or spiritual experiences. This is my path, my journey. I do not regret a single moment of my time with KRI and am a happier and healthier person today because of the people I met and experiences I had during those years. I am not here to convince you or anyone else that my way is the best way. I’ll leave that to Andy. I just hope that you find whatever you need to live your best life as I have, whatever that looks like.
P.S. To set the record straight, while I do believe I had a profound encounter with a UFO and beings as a child, I have never said and will never claim that I was “abducted”. To have stated this reinforces one of countless common misunderstandings many people – including the author – have about the UFO side of things, and had I been consulted about this section in the editing process I would have corrected it.
While I will admit that the paranormal and spiritual communities have their problems (i.e. egos) largely driven by the popularity and mainstreaming of the pursuits, it is not the cause of the decline in institutions. Just like we at KRI do on a continual basis, these institutions should look inwards at themselves to find where improvements need to be made instead of trying to point the finger to something outside of their outdated walls. A lot of good could be done if we could come together to work to find answers, real provable truths as to what we are experiencing. We would also all benefit from joining forces to deal with a society where the perceived majority encourage the cult of personality: where fun, games, and popularity is prized over education, intellect, and inner qualities of kindness, respect, and humanity; where political “leaders” strive for social media likes to rival blockbuster actors and chart-topping musicians instead of focusing on real ways to impact their communities; where overly-dramatized “reality” tv encourages toxic levels of selfishness that leads to bad behavior and where no one is ever held accountable for their actions. We need to work together to find a way to make this world a better place by collaborating, not fighting against each other.
Overall, I don’t believe the author made his point, but I have no doubt that anyone who fears the subject matter will grasp onto a lot of the statistics and reasoning given in this book as to why we are to blame for it all and will continue to perpetuate that narrative. If that is what brings you comfort, then I wish you well.
There is a lot more I would like to say but will leave it with the comment that I don’t expect anyone to believe my paranormal or spiritual experiences. This is my path, my journey. I do not regret a single moment of my time with KRI and am a happier and healthier person today because of the people I met and experiences I had during those years. I am not here to convince you or anyone else that my way is the best way. I’ll leave that to Andy. I just hope that you find whatever you need to live your best life as I have, whatever that looks like.
P.S. To set the record straight, while I do believe I had a profound encounter with a UFO and beings as a child, I have never said and will never claim that I was “abducted”. To have stated this reinforces one of countless common misunderstandings many people – including the author – have about the UFO side of things, and had I been consulted about this section in the editing process I would have corrected it.
August 17, 2025
The writing itself is excellent; it's the premise of the title that I quibble with. I don't actually think these paranormal believers and researchers are wrecking science themselves. As someone with a science background, I feel that their beliefs are without sound evidence. However, whether science exists or not, they would be doing their thing, which I think is really a cover for some deep emotional and mental trauma they are using the paranormal to cope with.
What's really wrecking science is a lack of public trust, caused by a lack of public funding and a lack of political will to forcefully back science, especially from the right of the political spectrum. In other words, political hacks are destroying institutional science (e.g., RFK Jr.), while spiritualism and paranormally-minded hucksters are profiting. I think the author could have more clearly explained these connections, since he wrote at length about these topics but to me, didn't quite stick the landing. He could have still done this while being fair to his subjects at KRI, because in my analysis I don't blame them for the situation, I blame the improper tax structure (i.e., we need to tax the rich) combined with the political right axing money for universities and research, while the mushy political middle is beholden to corporate interests.
The KRI analysis part of the book is great. It vividly shows how poor reasoning and putting beliefs above evidence leads people into a dark cul-de-sac of illogic.
What's really wrecking science is a lack of public trust, caused by a lack of public funding and a lack of political will to forcefully back science, especially from the right of the political spectrum. In other words, political hacks are destroying institutional science (e.g., RFK Jr.), while spiritualism and paranormally-minded hucksters are profiting. I think the author could have more clearly explained these connections, since he wrote at length about these topics but to me, didn't quite stick the landing. He could have still done this while being fair to his subjects at KRI, because in my analysis I don't blame them for the situation, I blame the improper tax structure (i.e., we need to tax the rich) combined with the political right axing money for universities and research, while the mushy political middle is beholden to corporate interests.
The KRI analysis part of the book is great. It vividly shows how poor reasoning and putting beliefs above evidence leads people into a dark cul-de-sac of illogic.
September 13, 2025
This was a good book, and I'm writing a brief review (or maybe a metareview) because I think it's getting review bombed. The book explores the thesis that pseudoscience is on the rise because of waning trust in institutions, which is interesting and compelling. It uses UNH and mostly one ghost hunting / spiritualist / alien abduction / cryotozoology group as a case study, but also explores New Hampshire overall as an early indicator of the United States overall. I thought it was great, and would recommend it to anyone with even slight interest in these topics.
I believe the middling ratings and salty reviews are because the author tried to balance his reporting properly. Believers will be grumpy that he reported facts and evidence as they actually are, rather than saying "there was a ghost / alien / spirit." But then skeptics will be grumpy because he pointedly didn't state the obvious assessment of this evidence: there was no supernatural occurrence there, and this is all quite silly.
This is too bad, because the author clearly stated his approach, and his approach is arguably good journalism. Yet, he still just made everyone mad. But then, maybe that's the sign of a good compromise ...
I believe the middling ratings and salty reviews are because the author tried to balance his reporting properly. Believers will be grumpy that he reported facts and evidence as they actually are, rather than saying "there was a ghost / alien / spirit." But then skeptics will be grumpy because he pointedly didn't state the obvious assessment of this evidence: there was no supernatural occurrence there, and this is all quite silly.
This is too bad, because the author clearly stated his approach, and his approach is arguably good journalism. Yet, he still just made everyone mad. But then, maybe that's the sign of a good compromise ...
November 9, 2025
3/5 stars. Thank you to Matthew Hongoltz-Hettling, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ALC!
I think the description of this was a little misleading. It really centered around the Kitt Research Initiative (KRI) and the rise and fall, the interpersonal struggles, and some of their adventures more than the push and pull of scientific literacy. I see it as more of a character review of Andy, Beau, Val, Mike and Angie more than anything else. A few asides as to "the declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions" were thrown in, mostly pointing at universities which faced a nationwide lack of enrollment (for many reasons) and specific events in New Hampshire as a barometer for the rest of the nation. Any commodification of the after-life and what happens after death seemed to be used in comparison to what KRI did as their business/scientific model.
I couldn't tell what the author's stance on the matter was not because of a lack of bias, which I think should have been prominent in this, but instead a wishy-washy back and forth where sometimes I thought he was too supportive and other times, teasing in tone. It made it hard to read it for the information there, instead of, as I said, more of a character study.
I think the description of this was a little misleading. It really centered around the Kitt Research Initiative (KRI) and the rise and fall, the interpersonal struggles, and some of their adventures more than the push and pull of scientific literacy. I see it as more of a character review of Andy, Beau, Val, Mike and Angie more than anything else. A few asides as to "the declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions" were thrown in, mostly pointing at universities which faced a nationwide lack of enrollment (for many reasons) and specific events in New Hampshire as a barometer for the rest of the nation. Any commodification of the after-life and what happens after death seemed to be used in comparison to what KRI did as their business/scientific model.
I couldn't tell what the author's stance on the matter was not because of a lack of bias, which I think should have been prominent in this, but instead a wishy-washy back and forth where sometimes I thought he was too supportive and other times, teasing in tone. It made it hard to read it for the information there, instead of, as I said, more of a character study.
December 7, 2025
The author tells an alarming and worrying story of a country uneducating itself and tells it in a thoroughly charming and compelling way. Anyway, support your local museums, libraries, and public universities before we slip into the New Dark Ages.
April 21, 2025
For more than a decade, sociologists, analysts and writers have been trying to figure out the nature of the tectonic shift that is upending America's social and political order. The answers vary - some blame the decline of religion or growing inequality, most blame the internet and social media. But in his book, Matthew Hongoltz-Herling offers a very different but compelling explanation. To quote one of the chapter titles: “Consider the jinn”.
Or, more broadly, aliens, ghosts, BigFoot and many other spiritual beings.
The author admits in the introduction: “Ghosts came back to me in an unexpected way when I began to explore the rapid ebbing of institutional trust in America, which has caused experts and national leaders to get increasingly handwringy”. Examining the case of New Hampshire - a state that “has been an early leader in the distrust business" - he finds that public trust hasn't evaporated, it's just been shifted from established institutions to paranormal and spiritual gurus. "To understand the ghost hunters and their paranormal compatriots is to understand America’s near-term future,” he concludes.
With this in mind, the author spent roughly two years studying a small nonprofit paranormal organization in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire. Reporting on the Kitt Research Initiative, and a number of people involved with it - including a medium and an alien abductee - he not only delves deeply into their lives and particular motivations, but also reflects on the failures of the scientific community and public institutions. The result is deeply disturbing and thought-provoking, but at the same time very engaging and even entertaining. The style reminds me of Jon Ronson - it is funny, but the author never makes fun of his characters' worldviews.
In fact, what is most refreshing here is the similar handling of old and new institutions and ideas. It would be so easy to ridicule some of the paranormal beliefs - but are they so different from the dogmas of established religions? And perhaps we should ask ourselves why this change is happening at all? As he writes,
“American institutions are not at all well-positioned to make up ground against paranormal thought-leaders. […] Here, in the most technologically advanced and wealthy country in the world, income growth has stagnated, income inequality has skyrocketed, and the average life expectancy has declined”.
And he even offers some solutions: “institutions need to undergo a fundamental change. In addition to earning back the public’s trust through a renewed dedication to the public interest, institutions should stop pretending that our new American spiritualism can be ignored, derided, or debunked out of existence”.
I think there is an important, though perhaps unpleasant, lesson in this book. I encourage all sceptical, rational and empirically minded people to read it.
Thanks to the publisher, PublicAffairs, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Or, more broadly, aliens, ghosts, BigFoot and many other spiritual beings.
The author admits in the introduction: “Ghosts came back to me in an unexpected way when I began to explore the rapid ebbing of institutional trust in America, which has caused experts and national leaders to get increasingly handwringy”. Examining the case of New Hampshire - a state that “has been an early leader in the distrust business" - he finds that public trust hasn't evaporated, it's just been shifted from established institutions to paranormal and spiritual gurus. "To understand the ghost hunters and their paranormal compatriots is to understand America’s near-term future,” he concludes.
With this in mind, the author spent roughly two years studying a small nonprofit paranormal organization in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire. Reporting on the Kitt Research Initiative, and a number of people involved with it - including a medium and an alien abductee - he not only delves deeply into their lives and particular motivations, but also reflects on the failures of the scientific community and public institutions. The result is deeply disturbing and thought-provoking, but at the same time very engaging and even entertaining. The style reminds me of Jon Ronson - it is funny, but the author never makes fun of his characters' worldviews.
In fact, what is most refreshing here is the similar handling of old and new institutions and ideas. It would be so easy to ridicule some of the paranormal beliefs - but are they so different from the dogmas of established religions? And perhaps we should ask ourselves why this change is happening at all? As he writes,
“American institutions are not at all well-positioned to make up ground against paranormal thought-leaders. […] Here, in the most technologically advanced and wealthy country in the world, income growth has stagnated, income inequality has skyrocketed, and the average life expectancy has declined”.
And he even offers some solutions: “institutions need to undergo a fundamental change. In addition to earning back the public’s trust through a renewed dedication to the public interest, institutions should stop pretending that our new American spiritualism can be ignored, derided, or debunked out of existence”.
I think there is an important, though perhaps unpleasant, lesson in this book. I encourage all sceptical, rational and empirically minded people to read it.
Thanks to the publisher, PublicAffairs, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
March 31, 2025
** I received an advance review copy from the publisher because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome **
3.5 stars - rounded up for Goodreads
Do Internet People(tm) even read adult nonfiction reviews, or do they gloss over them in favor of someone panning the latest and not-so-greatest sprayed edge romantasy? I probably answered myself there, but yet! I persist!
I really enjoyed A Libertarian Walks into a Bear, finding it a fascinating slice of New Hampshire slide-into-chaos. This was, if not a successor, at least a counterpart to that story of local character and local characters.
But not gonna lie, I read about 2/3 of this and then just put it down. For like a month. The only reason I decided to finish it was because I was captive on a delayed train and nothing else on the Kindle looked like it was worth starting at the moment.
The story of Andy and the Kitt Research Institute, set against a backdrop of the growing American belief in spiritualism, was interesting. But where it faltered for me was in the argument that the fall of universities and other trusted institutions (and therefore science in general) is directly correlated to a rise in spiritualism. There were a few places, specifically, where I felt that the author's use of data points stretched the valid interpretation of that data. 1) In assuming that all of those who answer surveys as "spiritual, but not religious" are witchy witchy woo woo and not atheist or agnostic or lapsed something-or-other and 2) in the application of "chronic absenteeism" across the state of New Hampshire. (Which, as a parent, I can tell you that if you have an elementary school child and you actually follow the "24 hours with no fever or vomit" school attendance guideline, you're PROBABLY gonna have a statistically chronically absent child at the end of the year, even if you value their education very highly.)
This, in the end, was not a book about skepticism, but a book about a ragtag bunch of people who ran a business to varying degrees of success. The most fascinating thread for me was the story of Mike and his alien abductee support group - I found myself developing a lot more compassion and, by the end of the book, new understanding and acceptance of this maligned group.
Final takeaway: (quote not checked against finished book)
3.5 stars - rounded up for Goodreads
Do Internet People(tm) even read adult nonfiction reviews, or do they gloss over them in favor of someone panning the latest and not-so-greatest sprayed edge romantasy? I probably answered myself there, but yet! I persist!
I really enjoyed A Libertarian Walks into a Bear, finding it a fascinating slice of New Hampshire slide-into-chaos. This was, if not a successor, at least a counterpart to that story of local character and local characters.
But not gonna lie, I read about 2/3 of this and then just put it down. For like a month. The only reason I decided to finish it was because I was captive on a delayed train and nothing else on the Kindle looked like it was worth starting at the moment.
The story of Andy and the Kitt Research Institute, set against a backdrop of the growing American belief in spiritualism, was interesting. But where it faltered for me was in the argument that the fall of universities and other trusted institutions (and therefore science in general) is directly correlated to a rise in spiritualism. There were a few places, specifically, where I felt that the author's use of data points stretched the valid interpretation of that data. 1) In assuming that all of those who answer surveys as "spiritual, but not religious" are witchy witchy woo woo and not atheist or agnostic or lapsed something-or-other and 2) in the application of "chronic absenteeism" across the state of New Hampshire. (Which, as a parent, I can tell you that if you have an elementary school child and you actually follow the "24 hours with no fever or vomit" school attendance guideline, you're PROBABLY gonna have a statistically chronically absent child at the end of the year, even if you value their education very highly.)
This, in the end, was not a book about skepticism, but a book about a ragtag bunch of people who ran a business to varying degrees of success. The most fascinating thread for me was the story of Mike and his alien abductee support group - I found myself developing a lot more compassion and, by the end of the book, new understanding and acceptance of this maligned group.
Final takeaway: (quote not checked against finished book)
[Treat] paranormal beliefs with the same delicate levels of respect that have traditionally been extended to major world religions
April 12, 2025
3.5 stars rounded to 4 ⭐️
The premise sounded good, but the main storyline didn't seem to follow it. It was more specific to Andy and the KRI. There would be chapters on people's disillusionment with the establishment and how institutions are falling behind, which I know was relevant, but it didn't flow super well. It didn't start to feel cohesive till like ch. 22.
Tangential rant: This has nothing to do with the author or the writing, but I feel like Andy was not given enough hate. Yeah, the author said Andy could be both likable and super unlikeable due to his energy and lack of filter, but honestly that's generous. I saw an entitled, mediocre man that threw tantrums when he didn't get his way.
Exhibit 1: knowingly signs a lease that says he can't live onsite, lives onsite anyway and is building a secret illegal apartment, throws a karenesque tantrum when the landlord says he can't live there because it's against the lease.
2: Spends numerous hours and resources prioritizing and crafting a retail space even long after he knows it'll never be able to open, continues to waste time at the detriment of other more lucrative ideas bc they weren't his ideas.
3: wants to run a business but won't do any business things, like paperwork. After a stroke of luck, Antje comes in with the expertise and an overly generous pocketbook. He openly dislikes her, acts rude and ungrateful while still gladly taking her time and money. Throws a tantrum when she's had enough and leaves with her stuff.
4: Beau, arguably the spiritual backbone of the center, decides to leave because Andy is clearly not contributing anything beyond ideas (no execution or follow-up), though he has all the decision making power, and he has the audacity to claim she's lost her spiritual way rather than admit maybe he's the problem. Goes on to tell her clients she's lost her psychic abilities.
The premise sounded good, but the main storyline didn't seem to follow it. It was more specific to Andy and the KRI. There would be chapters on people's disillusionment with the establishment and how institutions are falling behind, which I know was relevant, but it didn't flow super well. It didn't start to feel cohesive till like ch. 22.
Tangential rant: This has nothing to do with the author or the writing, but I feel like Andy was not given enough hate. Yeah, the author said Andy could be both likable and super unlikeable due to his energy and lack of filter, but honestly that's generous. I saw an entitled, mediocre man that threw tantrums when he didn't get his way.
Exhibit 1: knowingly signs a lease that says he can't live onsite, lives onsite anyway and is building a secret illegal apartment, throws a karenesque tantrum when the landlord says he can't live there because it's against the lease.
2: Spends numerous hours and resources prioritizing and crafting a retail space even long after he knows it'll never be able to open, continues to waste time at the detriment of other more lucrative ideas bc they weren't his ideas.
3: wants to run a business but won't do any business things, like paperwork. After a stroke of luck, Antje comes in with the expertise and an overly generous pocketbook. He openly dislikes her, acts rude and ungrateful while still gladly taking her time and money. Throws a tantrum when she's had enough and leaves with her stuff.
4: Beau, arguably the spiritual backbone of the center, decides to leave because Andy is clearly not contributing anything beyond ideas (no execution or follow-up), though he has all the decision making power, and he has the audacity to claim she's lost her spiritual way rather than admit maybe he's the problem. Goes on to tell her clients she's lost her psychic abilities.
July 25, 2025
I greatly admired both of Hongoltz-Hetling's previous books, A Libertarian Walks into a Bear and If It Sounds Like a Quack: he's a thoughtful, generous-spirited journalist whose sense of humor is right on my sweet spot. So I welcomed the opportunity to read The Ghost Lab, and I'm sorry to have found it a disappointment.
H-H wants to braid two narratives: first, declines in funding of public institutions as they're valued and trusted less and less; second, and as a consequence of the first, the rise in belief systems based on the paranormal. This second he discusses via the story of the Kitt Research Initiative, founded by Andy Kitt, whose aim was to apply scientific research methods to paranormal phenomena and thereby to prove or disprove their existence.
The KRI eventually collapsed, as a result of conflict among the members as well as financial pressures, to say nothing of Kitt's own dilatoriness in actually conducting the research. It's a reasonably interesting story in human terms but it won't bear the weight of the significance Hongoltz-Hetling attaches to it -- that is to say, I think he's on to something with respect to the connection between declining trust in science and in public institutions that conduct science, and belief in the paranormal, yet he doesn't make the case convincingly. The chief difficulty might be that he doesn't spend much time discussing why trust in science is declining; or, to put it another way, he doesn't bring into his picture the forces and actors influencing and profiting from that decline. Rather than the decline in scientific belief causing an upsurge in paranormal belief, perhaps these two phenomena are both caused by that third thing, the deliberate undermining of reality, of a fact-based understanding of the world. In short, the culprits don't get a look in.
Thanks to Public Affairs and NetGalley for the ARC.
H-H wants to braid two narratives: first, declines in funding of public institutions as they're valued and trusted less and less; second, and as a consequence of the first, the rise in belief systems based on the paranormal. This second he discusses via the story of the Kitt Research Initiative, founded by Andy Kitt, whose aim was to apply scientific research methods to paranormal phenomena and thereby to prove or disprove their existence.
The KRI eventually collapsed, as a result of conflict among the members as well as financial pressures, to say nothing of Kitt's own dilatoriness in actually conducting the research. It's a reasonably interesting story in human terms but it won't bear the weight of the significance Hongoltz-Hetling attaches to it -- that is to say, I think he's on to something with respect to the connection between declining trust in science and in public institutions that conduct science, and belief in the paranormal, yet he doesn't make the case convincingly. The chief difficulty might be that he doesn't spend much time discussing why trust in science is declining; or, to put it another way, he doesn't bring into his picture the forces and actors influencing and profiting from that decline. Rather than the decline in scientific belief causing an upsurge in paranormal belief, perhaps these two phenomena are both caused by that third thing, the deliberate undermining of reality, of a fact-based understanding of the world. In short, the culprits don't get a look in.
Thanks to Public Affairs and NetGalley for the ARC.
August 6, 2025
This book is very well-written. I wish I could write half as good (I mean well, half as well). It can be seen as a critique of how science is usually explained—and why so many people end up turning to supernatural ideas. Scientific writing is often dry, clinical, and disconnected. The author argues that if science were communicated more clearly and meaningfully, fewer people would feel the need to seek out mediums or magical thinking.
People are not finding absolution, solace, or meaning in science. So they go to mediums. This book describes a group of healers, psychics, and alien abductees who sincerely want to help others—but it is all a lie. The question is: why do people get misled? Is scientific writing—or science translation itself—to blame? The author thinks yes, at least partly.
One of the strongest sections is around pages 132–134. Instead of saying we are simply “gone” after death, the author reframes it: we stop consuming and start contributing. Our bodies decompose and become part of the soil, feeding insects, worms, birds, and the whole ecosystem. We go from takers to givers. It is a better way to describe death scientifically—accurate, but important - meaningful. It can even feel spiritual (if you like that too).
The main point is that real science can offer meaning if we stop stripping it of all emotion. We can try to write like him, like this book. Well done again Matthew! Love your books.
I do think the subtitle is wrong - How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts are Wrecking Science - they are not wrecking science, they are just more popular now. Science and writers/teachers/scientists need to learn from them how to communicate to humans, to the "soul". Science and good journalism can do this, you showed us.
People are not finding absolution, solace, or meaning in science. So they go to mediums. This book describes a group of healers, psychics, and alien abductees who sincerely want to help others—but it is all a lie. The question is: why do people get misled? Is scientific writing—or science translation itself—to blame? The author thinks yes, at least partly.
One of the strongest sections is around pages 132–134. Instead of saying we are simply “gone” after death, the author reframes it: we stop consuming and start contributing. Our bodies decompose and become part of the soil, feeding insects, worms, birds, and the whole ecosystem. We go from takers to givers. It is a better way to describe death scientifically—accurate, but important - meaningful. It can even feel spiritual (if you like that too).
The main point is that real science can offer meaning if we stop stripping it of all emotion. We can try to write like him, like this book. Well done again Matthew! Love your books.
I do think the subtitle is wrong - How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts are Wrecking Science - they are not wrecking science, they are just more popular now. Science and writers/teachers/scientists need to learn from them how to communicate to humans, to the "soul". Science and good journalism can do this, you showed us.
July 19, 2025
Recommended by TGC review. I liked this book more for the tangential thoughts it sparked than the narrative itself. In a culture experiencing a famine of institutional trust, plus the rise of the religious “nones” (those who say they are spiritual but not religious), it’s fascinating to look at this little community of paranormal investigators and hear their views on science. If this is the way we are headed, we are in for it, friends.
Several content warnings here: sex, violence, demon/ghost activity, language, etc. Two instances in particular were very disturbing (the “rapist ghost” and the tarot card reader turned murderer). And yeah, if you’re not sure, this is nonfiction. All accounts are presented in a flat, “factual” tone based on the experiences of those reporting them. Whether you’re a believer or a doubter of these phenomena, this book will most likely not change your mind.
I was also interested to read about the effects of individualism (feelings are paramount) and the therapeutic (everything from ghost hunts to UFO abductee support groups was spun as therapy).
If you’re not sure why on earth I would bother reading this, google that TGC review… personally I’m not recommending it but it was interesting.
Several content warnings here: sex, violence, demon/ghost activity, language, etc. Two instances in particular were very disturbing (the “rapist ghost” and the tarot card reader turned murderer). And yeah, if you’re not sure, this is nonfiction. All accounts are presented in a flat, “factual” tone based on the experiences of those reporting them. Whether you’re a believer or a doubter of these phenomena, this book will most likely not change your mind.
I was also interested to read about the effects of individualism (feelings are paramount) and the therapeutic (everything from ghost hunts to UFO abductee support groups was spun as therapy).
If you’re not sure why on earth I would bother reading this, google that TGC review… personally I’m not recommending it but it was interesting.
July 15, 2025
Thank you Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling, PublicAffairs Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC!
3.5 Rounded up.
I think the exploration of rising institutional and academic skepticism paired nicely with an account of a ragtag group of paranormal enthusiasts opening a research initiative. Hongoltz-Hetling has a very wry style of writing that teetered on the line of objective and in-the-know humorous. The story itself is very well researched and cohesively meets in the middle of skepticism and compassion- which I think is just the right amount that I want for paranormal nonfiction.
However, I don't think enough was said about spiritual grifters and other people who often exploit those who may be grieving or traumatized to some degree. I don't think the cast of characters from KRI fall into this category necessarily, but it would have been interesting to explore more of the for-profit direction that modern day spirituality is going, especially as it relates to the political distrust of science and higher education institutions.
3.5 Rounded up.
I think the exploration of rising institutional and academic skepticism paired nicely with an account of a ragtag group of paranormal enthusiasts opening a research initiative. Hongoltz-Hetling has a very wry style of writing that teetered on the line of objective and in-the-know humorous. The story itself is very well researched and cohesively meets in the middle of skepticism and compassion- which I think is just the right amount that I want for paranormal nonfiction.
However, I don't think enough was said about spiritual grifters and other people who often exploit those who may be grieving or traumatized to some degree. I don't think the cast of characters from KRI fall into this category necessarily, but it would have been interesting to explore more of the for-profit direction that modern day spirituality is going, especially as it relates to the political distrust of science and higher education institutions.
November 30, 2025
I struggled with this one, honestly. I enjoyed parts of it and other parts kind of didn't quite sit right with me.
This is an interesting read, that discussed how the decline in scientific literacy is affecting people's ability to discern fact from fiction. Hongoltz-Hetling is a journalist, not a scientist, so this can be taken with a grain of salt. The Ghost lab uses interviews with occult enthusiasts to open the work and then discusses these examples as he discusses this decline in scientific literacy and trust in scientific institutions.
Not only does the author discuss this decline in literacy, he also highlights the economics behind Paranormal business, as well as the place this niche fills for folks seeking community.
Overall well researched and put together. I personally did not care for some of the overly sarcastic/mocking tone that did come out from time to time, even as a person who solidly believes in science.
Definitely an interesting read and one that might make a great holiday gift for the scientist on your list!
This is an interesting read, that discussed how the decline in scientific literacy is affecting people's ability to discern fact from fiction. Hongoltz-Hetling is a journalist, not a scientist, so this can be taken with a grain of salt. The Ghost lab uses interviews with occult enthusiasts to open the work and then discusses these examples as he discusses this decline in scientific literacy and trust in scientific institutions.
Not only does the author discuss this decline in literacy, he also highlights the economics behind Paranormal business, as well as the place this niche fills for folks seeking community.
Overall well researched and put together. I personally did not care for some of the overly sarcastic/mocking tone that did come out from time to time, even as a person who solidly believes in science.
Definitely an interesting read and one that might make a great holiday gift for the scientist on your list!
May 2, 2025
This is a review of an ARC from Edelweiss.
In a small town in New Hampshire, a small group of seekers finds a home to explore the paranormal. The Kitt Research Initiative is dedicated to exploring the unknown - finding ghosts, aliens, and other phenomenon using as scientific a process as possible. Hongoltz-Hetling tracks the rise and fall of the group, and uses it as a way to look at the how belief in the supernatural has taken hold in modern America.
The idea here is good - exploring how this one group came together as a metaphor for the whole movement But he gets bogged down in the interpersonal dynamics of this group and it's just not all that interesting. I also had a quibble with his underlying argument that as membership in mainstream religions has waned, belief in the supernatural has risen. I don't doubt that's true, but he seems to be arguing that the former is admirable while the latter is problematic, and I'm giving that a strong side-eye.
In a small town in New Hampshire, a small group of seekers finds a home to explore the paranormal. The Kitt Research Initiative is dedicated to exploring the unknown - finding ghosts, aliens, and other phenomenon using as scientific a process as possible. Hongoltz-Hetling tracks the rise and fall of the group, and uses it as a way to look at the how belief in the supernatural has taken hold in modern America.
The idea here is good - exploring how this one group came together as a metaphor for the whole movement But he gets bogged down in the interpersonal dynamics of this group and it's just not all that interesting. I also had a quibble with his underlying argument that as membership in mainstream religions has waned, belief in the supernatural has risen. I don't doubt that's true, but he seems to be arguing that the former is admirable while the latter is problematic, and I'm giving that a strong side-eye.
January 19, 2026
Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling takes the reader into another trip through New Hampshire. But rather than focusing on the intersection of politics and nature, he leads us into the intersection of belief and science. He uses the lens of the Kitt Research Group (KRI), a paranormal interest group, lead by Andy Kitt and Beau Esby. Their concept was to use science to prove ghosts, alien encounters, and possibly Bigfoot were real. For a number of years Andy and Beau along with several others (Val, Mike, and Antje) went on ghost hunts, held medium workshops, and hosted alien encounter therapy groups. They also tried to make KRI a business, but that never quite got off the ground. Along the way of discussing the adventures and strange encounters of the KRI crew, Matthew Hongolta-Hetling delves into how the growth of belief in the paranormal has also been matched by a decline in faith in science ans institutions. An interesting read.
May 27, 2025
Thank you to PublicAffairs/Bold Type Books, NetGalley, and author Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling for the advance copy of this book.
Based on the title, I was expecting a broad look into the rise of paranormal interests. As an avid Ghost Hunters watcher back in the day, I was interested in this rise. The book mostly focuses on individuals in the Kitt Research Institute (KRI) and follows their attempts to make the spiritual scientific and stay afloat economically. (I should note that Ghost Hunters and a few other well known names in the biz do get dropped in the book.) It was really interesting to see how people decide what they believe in and where they draw the line. The book is well written and researched and the author did a great job of interjecting funny commentary. It’s a great read as long as you are expecting a character study in paranormal investigators.
Based on the title, I was expecting a broad look into the rise of paranormal interests. As an avid Ghost Hunters watcher back in the day, I was interested in this rise. The book mostly focuses on individuals in the Kitt Research Institute (KRI) and follows their attempts to make the spiritual scientific and stay afloat economically. (I should note that Ghost Hunters and a few other well known names in the biz do get dropped in the book.) It was really interesting to see how people decide what they believe in and where they draw the line. The book is well written and researched and the author did a great job of interjecting funny commentary. It’s a great read as long as you are expecting a character study in paranormal investigators.
January 5, 2025
Picked up this book (author’s publicist sent it to me) about alien abductions, ghost busters and assorted paranormal activities just as drones are invading New Jersey and as the grand planet colonizer himself—Elon Musk— has set himself up as the leader of the (formerly) free nation. Weird times we are living in.
As in his previous books, Hongoltz-Hetling marries a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining style with eccentric character portraits and scientific research.
I love that the book is set in New Hampshire ….Hongoltz-Hetling has a way of putting his finger on the pulse of what independent-minded dyed-in-the-wool Yankees can be like.
As in his previous books, Hongoltz-Hetling marries a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining style with eccentric character portraits and scientific research.
I love that the book is set in New Hampshire ….Hongoltz-Hetling has a way of putting his finger on the pulse of what independent-minded dyed-in-the-wool Yankees can be like.
October 29, 2025
The Ghost Lab starts with a clever premise: a band of paranormal investigators used as a sly mirror for the collapse of public education. I wish it had chosen one path and stuck with it, because the premise is strong enough to carry a whole book. Instead, it gets tangled in the group’s messy dynamics, and that friction dulls the momentum. It’s readable, with a few intriguing anecdotes sprinkled in, and it moves quickly enough to be diverting, though those flashes of sharp insight never quite land.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. #NetGalley #arcreview #TheGhostLab
3.5⭐️ rounded to 4 stars for Goodreads
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. #NetGalley #arcreview #TheGhostLab
3.5⭐️ rounded to 4 stars for Goodreads
October 30, 2025
I suppose this one's on me, but I found this thing pretty punishing for the most part. What engaging ideas are explored here about the American public's rapid loss in institutions are buried beneath a mountain of soap opera junk about one specific group of paranormal enthusiasts, around whom the decision was somehow made to build this entire book.
The frequent chapter breaks make this a quick enough read, but it's broadly disappointing and not something I'd recommend. The title is also a little misleading, with ghosts and aliens being the primary focus here, and not from a particularly insightful angle at all.
The frequent chapter breaks make this a quick enough read, but it's broadly disappointing and not something I'd recommend. The title is also a little misleading, with ghosts and aliens being the primary focus here, and not from a particularly insightful angle at all.
March 9, 2025
I loved this book. I found the writing to be insightful, with good analyses of the state of education and other institutions. Although the book focused on one group of paranormal investigators, I feel that the information in the book is broadly applicable. There is a considerable amount of biographical information in the book, but the book never gets bogged down in minutiae. I also thought that the writing was very clever, with considerable humour. Overall this is a great, thought-proving book. Thank you to Netgalley and PublicAffairs for the advance reader copy.
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