Why do haunted houses exist

During the Battle of Gettysburg, many of the South's soldiers died while hiding in this home, which explains the one-hundred-plus bullet pocks in the brick walls. After the fighting in the area was over, the house became a hospital for soldiers. You can learn about the weird supernatural occurrences that continue to take place on the property by booking a ghost tour or an overnight stay.

On June 10, , Josiah and Sarah Moore, along with their four children and two visiting guests, were bludgeoned to death inside this quiet Iowa home. The crime remains unsolved and much of the house is still preserved exactly as it was on that fateful night.

But visit the Villisca Axe Murder House at your own risk: in , a paranormal investigator who booked a room wound up stabbing himself by morning. On Cleveland's Franklin Boulevard, locals still whisper rumors about the original owner of the plus-room, 19th-century dwelling. In just a few short years in the s, the mansion became the place of death for four of Hannes Tiedemann's adolescent children and also his wife.

Though Tiedemann was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, today some people claim he hung his year-old illegitimate daughter and made it appear like a suicide, and killed his mistress in a secret passage. Known as "the most haunted house in Ohio," the castle is rumored to have been visited by ghosts ever since. Time Out United States. Get us in your inbox Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city and beyond. We already have this email.

Try another? My Account My Profile Sign out. My Account. Worldwide icon-chevron-right North America icon-chevron-right United States icon-chevron-right The 15 scariest haunted houses in the U. Read more.

More on Halloween. These alarm buttons warn us of potential danger and motivate us to proceed with caution. Haunted houses give us the creeps not because they pose a clear threat to us, but rather because it is unclear whether or not they represent a threat. For example, it would be considered bizarre and embarrassing to run screaming out of a house that makes you feel uneasy if there is actually nothing to fear. On the other hand, it could be perilous to ignore your intuition and remain in a place that is dangerous.

They also help you manage the balance between self- preservation and self- presentation. While human psychology can explain what makes a haunted house so scary, it also provides the perfect guide to making one ourselves. Evolutionary psychologists have proposed the existence of agent detection mechanisms— or processes that have evolved to protect us from harm at the hands of predators and enemies. If it turns out to be a gust of wind or a stray cat, you lose little by overreacting.

But if you fail to activate the alarm response and a true threat is present—well, the cost of your miscalculation could be high. Thus, we evolved to err on the side of detecting threats in ambiguous situations. Things that activate hypervigilance for malevolent supernatural or natural agents abound in large, drafty old houses: rattling or creaking sounds in upstairs rooms; the sighing and moaning of wind passing through cracks; ragged curtains fluttering in the breeze; echoes; and cold spots.

Research has consistently shown that we need more personal space while seated than while standing, more space when we are in the corner of a room rather than in the center of it, and more space in rooms with low ceilings. We feel uncomfortable when our personal space is violated anywhere, but especially so in situations where we feel as if escape will become difficult.

Such feelings of discomfort are symptomatic of the fact that we are constantly—even if unconsciously—scanning our surroundings and assessing our ability to flee if it should become necessary. The prototypical haunted house is in a remote, isolated location, far removed from the rest of society think of the off-season resort hotel in The Shining , for example.

People have said they can hear him running! Today this mansion is a popular restaurant in downtown Toronto called The Keg Mansion maybe your parents have taken you? Known as the A. McMaster House, it was first built in Would you set foot in this restaurant? What if the bread basket's haunted too! And apparently, some people have even seen the little ghost boy peering out at them while they eat!

One of the ghosts in this haunted house is said to be an angry man who likes tormenting any women who visit the house!

No one is sure if this furious ghost used to live in the house but never really left! Known as The Marr Residence, this is the oldest building that's still in its same location in all of Saskatoon. It was actually there before the city was even founded! There are ways to clean a house, spiritually speaking. More simply, some people swear by sage and cedar oil.

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. On the law and mythologies of haunting, from antiquity to today. By: Christine Ro. October 27, October 30, Share Tweet Email Print. When dealing with a reputedly haunted house, honesty is the best policy. Get Our Newsletter. Have a correction or comment about this article? Please contact us. Folkloric Anomalies in a Scene from the "Mostellaria".

Pliny's Epistolary Dreams and the Ghost of Domitian. Transactions of the American Philological Association , Vol. Join Our Newsletter.