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Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files is a paranormal investigation series produced by Base Productions that began airing July 15, 2010, on SyFy. The show follows a team of investigators, led by former FBI agent Ben Hansen, who review various photographs and viral videos of alleged paranormal activity. If a particular piece of evidence is deemed intriguing enough to warrant further investigation, they set out to recreate and explain the sighting. Beginning episode #207 in first-half of season two, the show began to feature a "You Decide" segment in the middle of the program where a video is shown of something strange and then asks the viewing audience if they think the footage is fact or faked. After a commercial break the truth behind the video is revealed.
Among the cases brought in by the team this week are two Fact or Faked firsts: A video of a paranormal force causing a woman to levitate from her bed, and a case of a human performing paranormal feats. To investigate the levitating woman, Bill, Devin, and Lanisha head to Atlanta, GA to the home of JoMarie, with whom the woman in the video, Diane, was staying at the time. The bedroom has since been converted to an office, but JoMarie arranges the space so that Bill, Devin, and Lanisha can build a model bed and run some experiments with the original camera used. The first experiment is a simple lever that will lift Lanisha up from underneath, making it look like a force is suspending her by her torso. The movement is wrong, however, and Lanisha has to strain and use her muscles in order to make it look smooth. Next, they try a cantilever arm, which is the mechanism magicians use to make it look like people are levitating. The movement still looks choppy, and the direction of the force is wrong. The only choice is to build a multiple anchor point pulley system. After hours of work, Lanisha lies down in the rig as Devin and Bill work the pulleys and lift her off the bed. It's an excellent match – the movement, the positioning - the only problem is the visibility of the wires, but with a little video manipulation, they're able to make the wires disappear. Additionally, voice analysis of Diane reveals high stress levels, indicating a hoax. The next case regards superhuman abilities. Wim Hof, a Dutch man known as The Ice Man, has been setting records for years for his ability to endure extreme cold, including submerging himself in a tub of ice on a crowded New York City street, and running a half marathon near the arctic circle. Ben, Jael, and Austin all find it difficult to believe, so they set up a tank filled halfway with a material called polysorb II, a powder which, when mixed with water, looks like ice but is nowhere near as cold. But when they fill the rest of the tank with ice, it's clear that any passerby would have noted the difference. Next, Ben and Austin run, shirtless and barefoot, around an ice rink in an attempt to recreate Wim's arctic run. But, they only last a few minutes before frostbite and mild hypothermia set in. The Ice Man has bested them on two tests so far - it's time to meet him in person. Wim tells them that, over years of training, he's been able to condition the muscles that control his blood vessels to relax in extreme situations, making him impervious to cold. He and Austin go head-to-head in their own tanks of ice, with a medic close by to monitor their temperature and heart rates. After about five minutes, Austin's vital signs start to fluctuate, while Wim's hold steady. Austin manages to stick it out to the twenty-minute mark, but they leave the experiment with the clear understanding that The Ice Man is not a hoax, but a paranormal human being.
A mystery over California's Bodega Bay is probed. Also: a purported ghost encounter captured on a thermal camera at New Jersey's Paramount Theatre is scrutinized.
The team visits England to examine footage of an alleged alien abduction and a flaming, serpentine object in the sky.
Photographic evidence of paranormal activity at the Pride House in Jefferson, Texas, is scrutinized. Also: Tests are conducted in Kentucky concerning the state's purported Bigfoot sightings.
Evidence of a ghost lurking on the USS North Carolina is examined, also A purported UFO sighting in Michigan is investigated.
Evidence to support sightings of a reptilian creature in South Carolina is sought. Also: Footage of alleged paranormal activity captured at a gas station in Ohio is scrutinized.
Josh Gates helps the team examine evidence of a gargoyle sighting in the U.K. Also: Claims concerning a spectral cat are investigated in Kentucky.
A purported UFO sighting in Florida is investigated. Also: Evidence of a haunting in Colorado is scrutinized.
Evidence of purported paranormal activity documented at a Mississippi graveyard and an abandoned Missouri truck stop is scrutinized.
The Oregon Vortex is probed. Also: An English pub is visited after a security camera captures the image of what may be a ghost.
Probes in England and Kentucky unfold. (First episode of a two episode season finale, with a special 8 pm start time.)
Josh Gates joins the team in Iceland to examine footage of what may be an aquatic creature. Also: Pro wrestler Kofi Kingston helps with a Stonehenge investigation in the Season 2 finale.
