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How Haunted Are the Most Haunted Places in America? paranormal activities

The spotlight on the paranormal is no longer reserved for Halloween. Where previously chainsaw and haunted house movies were only released to audiences during October of each year, the emphasis on things that “hit in the night” is now a lucrative commodity. From the runaway success of Twilight to the sequels to Paranormal Activity, we just can’t seem to get enough of that “other” world.

So how much of the hoopla is nonsense? Is there really such a thing as ghosts and paranormal activity? As someone who has researched several of the 10 Most Haunted Places in America while writing books about these places, I can assure you that there is more to what is going on around us than what we can measure in a test tube.

I will admit that I am skeptical of going to these places. My main interest was in the history of these national historic landmarks. But from my first night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, to afternoons spent at Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, and two exciting sleepovers at the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri, I was convinced… We are not alone!

So what’s causing the goosebumps, EVPs, and floating orbs? Here are some examples as I have come to know them:

1. Residual Haunt: A residual haunt is just what its name implies…it’s a residue of something that’s been there before. Typical cases involve seeing a ghost make the same movements over and over without deviating, as if she were watching a videotape. You can’t interact with it. It will follow the same pattern or route and disappear. It’s like a memory of an action he created when he was in mortal form. Famous cases are the monks who walk the castle grounds and disappear into the same wall in the same place every time.

While staying at the Lemp Mansion, I heard two gunshots outside my bedroom door, followed by the sound of a large dog barking at 5:10am. I later found out that one of the gunshot suicides in the house was that of Charles Lemp, who reportedly shot his dog and then himself shortly after 5am. These noises were residual tapes being played.

2. Aware Haunting: Aware means “in response to” or “aware of.” A sensitive haunting is one in which the entity interacts with you. He does something to get your attention like poltergeist activity. It can affect items and cause them to move or cause lights to flicker. During my stay at Myrtles Plantation, my earrings that I had placed on the mantel in my bedroom moved completely along the mantel ledge. At the Stanley Hotel, my group and I had a blast of tobacco smoke in our faces, and watched colored lights play across a door and its handle when no colored lights were to be seen anywhere. The Lavender Room chandelier at Lemp Mansion interacted with me for a full five minutes as I asked it to blink in response to my questions. This is also the room where I heard the shots and the barking of the dog. My covers were removed at the Myrtles while I was in the Confederate soldier’s room. These are examples of entities that aren’t just a residual loop; they are smart and try to engage you in any way they can.

3. EVP: EVPs are electronic voice phenomena. These are noises and voices picked up on recording equipment, but not necessarily audible to the human ear. The spirits use the frequencies of the electromagnetic field to “tune in” and print their voice on a tape. I have collected several of these recordings and it is unsettling to know that “something” was there with you, even though you were not aware of it. I recorded a man laughing at me, I heard something pushing objects off a bed, and children laughing and singing nursery rhymes.

4. Poltergeist: Poltergeist activity is what most people associate with a paranormal occurrence. This is where objects move on their own, doors slam, things fly across the room, lights go on and off, etc. Some of these events take on a threatening personality when the actions appear to be threatening or violent. Experts have associated some of these outbreaks with a young person entering puberty; stating that the surge of hormones and emotions is actually causing disturbances around him in the form of things moving and flying. There are enough studies to show that this finding has some validity, but not all reports may go unnoticed.

These are just some of the things we associate with the paranormal. I know that once you have encountered some of the phenomena like the ones mentioned above, you cannot go back to being a non-believer. Not something to fear, in my opinion. We are made of energy and when we die that energy has to go somewhere. Any scientist will tell you that energy cannot be destroyed. Those ghosts playing with your bedspread or moving your dining room chair are probably the energy forms of your former selves, hanging around for whatever reason. Some advance, others don’t. But one thing is for sure… our interest in this popular science has only just begun.