Miracle or science?: ‘Investigating the Supernatural’ doc explores healings that defy explanation

By Leah MarieAnn Klett

Billy Hallowell didn’t set out to make a documentary.

The veteran investigative journalist had initially envisioned a three-part TV series exploring miracles, Heaven, Hell, angels and demons — spiritual terrain as controversial as it is intriguing.

But what began as a television pitch quickly transformed into something more profound.

“It was one of those things,” Hallowell told The Christian Post. “I really feel like it was a God project. Not to be cliché, but you have projects where they come out of nowhere … before you know it, you’re filming.”

The result is “Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles,” a new documentary from CBN that gives an in-depth look at the question: Are miracles still happening today?

Directed by Jarrod Anderson, the film is a blend of firsthand testimonies, scientific scrutiny and theological reflection, featuring insights from thought leaders including The Case for Christ author Lee Strobel and others.

In it, Hallowell takes viewers from hospital rooms and healing prayer meetings to university labs, offering stories that push the boundaries of what medicine and reason can explain.

But what’s perhaps most compelling is the evolution of Hallowell himself, from a cautious believer and self-professed “skeptic” to someone deeply convicted by what he witnessed.

“I’ve been a Christian my whole life. I believe in miracles. I believe they’re possible,” Hallowell said. “But I also know there are a lot of things that can be said that aren’t true. … So I went into it feeling like, I believe all these things are potentially true, but I want it to be proven to me.”

That skepticism becomes the engine that drives the documentary, as viewers are shown carefully selected, well-documented cases that challenge conventional wisdom.

One such case involves Dr. Josh Brown, a neuroscientist whose own brain tumor inexplicably disappeared after a period of focused prayer and spiritual intervention.

“We spent a lot of time going through case files … looking at who has a really compelling story — one that an atheist or an agnostic would even have to say, ‘OK, well, something weird happened,’” Hallowell said. “Maybe they don’t think it’s God, but they know that it’s not normal for a brain tumor to disappear without any treatment whatsoever.”

Both Josh Brown and his wife, Candy, are academics; he’s a neuroscientist, and she’s a physician. The Browns now lead academic studies on miraculous healings, analyzing data and collecting evidence in ways that bridge faith and reason.

“They said, ‘Look, we were Christians going into this tumor diagnosis, but we didn’t believe in miracles,’” Hallowell recalled. “Their experience obviously changed all of that.”

But not every story was easy to accept, Hallowell said, revealing he was faced with some stories that initially seemed “insane.”

“There’s a case in the film which is incredibly compelling, but on paper, sounds insane,” he said. “Jeff Markin was dead for 40 minutes. They’re preparing his body to go to the morgue … and he is revived and brought back to life.”

Markin not only came back to life but did so with no signs of brain damage: “After 40 minutes, he had no oxygen going to his brain. He should be in a vegetative state. He is not in a vegetative state. He’s completely healthy and fine.”

For a journalist used to fact-checking, Hallowell said he relied heavily on documented medical reports, physician interviews and firsthand testimonies. “Most cases don’t really reach that bar where you have that documentation. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t believe them … but I love the cases that we can definitively prove,” he said.

That commitment to evidence is personal for Hallowell. During the filming of “Investigating the Supernatural,” his own family was walking through a medical journey with his young daughter, Liliana. At just 6 years old, she was diagnosed with a 34-degree spinal curve — severe scoliosis that demanded full-time bracing.

“It was a real big transition for her and for our family,” he said. “She needed to be in a brace, a full torso brace, 21 hours a day.”

Doctors warned that if her condition didn’t improve, she would require spinal surgery, an intimidating prospect for a growing child. Desperate for alternatives, the Hallowell family sought out a local specialist known for his unconventional approach. Through chiropractic care and physical therapy, Liliana’s spine began to improve. Today, she is out of the brace entirely, and her curve is less than 10 degrees.

“It really is a miracle,” Hallowell said. “We did do medical intervention, but I believe it was miraculous.”

Though focusing largely on miracles, the film doesn’t shy away from the harder questions, exploring the tension between faith and disappointment, hope and heartbreak.

“Even Lazarus died after he was raised in the Bible,” Hallowell said. “Miracles will run out at some point, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening.”

“Not everybody gets healed,” he added. “That is a very difficult, painful thing … but we’re called to trust in God’s plan, no matter what the outcome, while at the same time believing that healing is possible.”

The film’s open-ended, evidence-first approach seems to be resonating, even with secular audiences, Hallowell said. Despite being produced by CBN, a Christian network, he revealed that “Investigating the Supernatural” has garnered interest from mainstream outlets intrigued by the mix of science and spirituality.

“When it comes to healing, illness, and even death, these are topics every human being wrestles with,” Hallowell said. “And I think for a lot of secularists and atheists, they want to understand. They want to understand what Christians believe. But they’re also curious. We all are. We want to know what’s on the other side.”

Rather than spoon-feed theology to viewers, “Investigating the Supernatural” invites audiences to grapple with stories that defy explanation, all while holding space for doubt.

“I’m always going to approach every case with ‘prove it to me,’” Hallowell said. “But where I really had a struggle with myself was — if I were terminally ill, or a loved one were terminally ill — before working on this project, I would have prayed. But would I have fought? I think the answer is no.”

What he saw, he said, changed that.

“These were not people who got healing immediately … they fought. They fought to the bitter end,” he said. “And in that fight, it made me think, gosh, would I have done that? I would show up now and pray until the very end and fight for that. … That was the level of perseverance and desperation. So that was convicting to me in my own faith.”

Hallowell stressed that “Investigating the Supernatural” is a film about the human will to believe, to wrestle with mystery and to keep asking the hard questions. It dares viewers to look again at the things they might have dismissed, to listen more closely and perhaps, to hope more deeply.

“These were really compelling cases that I don’t have answers to, and I know for certain the atheists and agnostics won’t have answers to them, either,” Hallowell said. “My hope is that people will think deeper because of our approach.”

“Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles” is now streaming.