Perplex? What Is The Paranormal?

With the TV shows, books and other information. I'm personally a little confused. And, for sometime now, about the paranormal investigations of "now". I'm now reading a very interesting book by Dan Aykroyd's father Peter H. Aykroyd called A History Of Ghosts. It touches on the points of the paranormal I was brought up with. And, it is the bases of everything that is going on now with the paranormal. But, somehow, somewhere, somebody came up with all the "new" information about the spirit world. And, it's tremendously a mess. I know the new way is "scientific". But, it still doesn't quite add up. Lately I noticed It's as if they realize they are missing something. That's what I have seen as of late.
On a recent Ghost Hunters show. You see all the investigators walking around with equipment in their hands. Bored! Strange isn't it. Why are they bored? For one, they know, and only they know they are not going to find anything. I also believe many of these investigators to this day have never seen a thing. It's very noticeable when they "jump" when they hear something or see something they don't understand. Their really scared. And, then they get annoyed at the fact that something "stupid" made them scared. And, made them look stupid to the audience. Then why are you there in the first place? I believe like in Mr. Aykroyd's book you have to learn how to communicate. Correctly. There are random times a spirit might appear to the unexpected person. And, that person witness an apparition.
I don't know yet what the right formula is. Someday somebody will find it and open the door that everybody has been looking for.