And so finally to my favourite corner of the paranormal spectrum – the corner where beings exist outside our human world but who now and again wander into it. We are no nearer really to understanding how these beings manifest but we do know, 100%, that there is plenty going on.
Few people have actually seen a ghost. The most you’ll usually get is a partial, perhaps a short-lived mist, a shadow, a tantalising glimpse of…something. Of course this you’ll probably put down to tiredness, an over-active imagination. The ever-sceptical will agree and that there’s “nothing to see here, ghosts don’t exist.”
But lack of a visual sighting is hardly conclusive proof of non-existence – how about shock waves, electricity, gravity, the glow of flowers. This last perhaps gives us a clue to the spirit world. Each of us has an ‘aura’, an energy which we emit. You can quite easily see, with a little practice, your own aura, or that of others. (I won’t go into the world of chakras here.) Now, in simple terms, it is thought by many that, when we die, this energy may live on as the soul or spirit of the departed. Belief in this phenomena goes back to pre-history and there have been many manifestations. Spiritualism and other practices are founded on the premise that the dead live on in spirit form. You may not see or hear them but they may be there.
Ghosts and spirits got a bad rap during the Victorian era when there was a craze for seances, ouija boards and the like, where mediums tried to contact the spirits of the departed. More than a few charlatans got in on the act and gave these activities a bad name.
Today however, while not exactly mainstream, there are ghost-hunting clubs whose members treat sightings (not always visual) as almost routine. Old buildings are where they are normally found, suggesting that some ghosts at least are location-related. And there are certainly some folk who, whether they like it or not, are more receptive to spirit contact. These ‘mediums’, as well as responsible ghost hunters, are often the best introduction for us ordinary folk to investigate the subject.
Are ghosts scary? Unless you are Scooby-Doo, not really. Ghosts and spirits generally don’t mean to be scary. Speak to them with respect and they’ll respond in kind. But trust your feelings – if you get a feeling of dread or fear, back off.
If you have an interest in the subject, take a look at the excellent magazine Haunted.
Most haunted places in the UK – by Time Out
- Aston Hall, Birmingham
- Pendle Hill, Lancashire
- Margam Country Park, West Glamorgan
- Manningtree, Essex
- Skirrid Mountain Inn, Monmouthshire
- Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon
- Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire
- Duntulm Castle, Isle of Skye
- Pluckley, Kent
- Blickling Hall, Norfolk
And in the USA (Travel Channel)
- Moundsville Penitentiary, WV
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, WV
- Villisca Axe Murder House, IA
- Sammie Dean, Jerome, AZ
- Cuban Club, Tampa, FL
- Fort Mifflin, PA
- Moon River Brewery, Savannah, GA
- The Sultan’s Palace, New Orleans, LA
- Calcasieu Courthouse, Lake Charles, LA
- Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA
Jersey, Channel Islands
So I admit I am the most non-sensitive person when it comes to these matters. But I do know a few people. I’ve also invested in a cheap and cheerful EMF detector, a basic item for amateur ghost hunters. Whilst I readily admit the limitations of these devices I have had (and allowing for possible interference from electric wiring, cabling, and equipment) some startling results. Here are three.
- Hamptonne House, St Lawrence. 100% at least one spirit, and a visiting medium was pretty overwhelmed by the ‘activity’.
- Mont Orgueil, Tudor Great Hall. Maybe one wandering spirit though there have been numerous reports down the years of other strange happenings throughout the castle. A written testimony to be found at Jersey Archive, undated but probably from the 1970s, bears witness to a series of startling events experienced by staff there.
- Name and location redacted – the site of a historic and brutal murder. This is in open countryside away from any buildings or power cables. My EMF detector invariably picks up strong signals where the body was found which gradually fade away when walking away from the site in question.
I do think that certain spirits react positively to those who both acknowledge and respect them. They’re certainly not scary and I feel privileged.
And so that’s the end of this little mini-series. Hope you enjoyed and thank you for any observations and comments.
Back On The Rock 
I volunteer on the USS Midway (CV-41) Carrier Museum in the Library. Various paranormal groups have visited a few times and have identified a few ghosts. One is called Monty, a deceased Midway sailor. One of our volunteers had a service dog, Maddy, who refused to go into one of the annex rooms at times when she sensed the presence of Monty. We call him our ghost writer and he is blamed for things that happen without reasonable explanation like computer glitches. When I worked at the National Defense University Library in Washington, DC, the post was where the Lincoln conspirators were tried and hung in 1865. Mary Sarrat, was the first woman hung by the Federal Government. That same government tied a rope around her skirts as they were preparing to hang her publicly, to preserve her modesty. Mary is frequently spotted hanging around the building where she was incarcerated, tried, and found guilty. She could watch the gallows being constructed from her prison window on the upper floors of the building.
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Thank you Pat, that is so sad about Mary Sarrat. Certainly, trauma whilst alive – or at time of death – seems to play a part in these visitations. But on the contrary, Monty seems to enjoy hanging around. Thank you for these stories.
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You are welcome.
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I grew up in a 16th century old house where the previous owner died in and through all my youth I felt a presence but it was not scary
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Hi Sabina and thank you. I think it’s actually quite irrational to fear spirits unless given good reason to. Why would they mean us harm?
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Really interesting to read about your experiences Roy. I did climb Pendle Hill years ago because of its association with the witches, but sadly didn’t have any strange experiences. I went ghost hunting overnight in the castle keep at Newcastle twice with a group of researchers. Apparently I did have an old woman sitting next to me in an empty chair at one point, but I didn’t see her! The only thing I experienced was a real feeling of dread going down the stairs into one of the rooms, to the point where I had to stop and get someone else to go before me – later, one of our group felt psychically attacked in that room. Like you, I suspect I’m just not very sensitive – sadly!
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I’d love to visit Pendle just for its historic associations. (Giving a guided tour of Mont Orgueil the other day we visited an exhibit called the Witches’ Screen – one of the visitors informed me he was from Salem, MA . Interesting your feeling of dread. I hear this occasionally happens to the most seasoned of researchers. Best to follow your instincts in these cases I think. Thank you Andrea for your interest and comments.
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