ParaTart

Venice has a way of holding onto things; history, art, water and apparently, a terrifying experience. Most people that have travelled there usually come away with some form of spooky experience, from what I’ve read. Not always dramatic, not in ways that immediately stand out, but in quieter, more unsettling ways. It’s in the stillness of hotel rooms, in the way sound carries across the water, in the strange heaviness that can settle into a space without explanation.

In 2005, my sister travelled there with her best friend, and her friend’s mum for a birthday trip. It was meant to be a simple getaway; somewhere beautiful, somewhere with deep history and culture; but something about their hotel room didn’t feel right. My sister kindly wrote her experience and I have included it in this blog in quotation marks, completely unedited. Her words, her paranormally tarty experience.

This is exactly how she described it:

“I believe I have had a very creepy experience when I went to Venice, Italy. My best friend, her mum and I went there in February 2005, shortly before my 21st and my friends 22nd birthday. A nice birthday present I think.

The hotel we stayed in was absolutely beautiful. Real vintage Italy and the food was fantastic.

Before you read on, we didn't actually tell each other what we saw or felt until we were on the way home to England at the end of the trip. And I am not lying…so rest assured.”

The First Signs Something Was Off

Nothing obvious happened at first. No sudden shock, no immediate fear, no creepy "I like your skin" muttered from a wardrobe, just a feeling; which is how most of us end up in a corner with crippling fear, clutching some kind of comforting object.

These feelings are the kind that sit quietly in the background, easy to dismiss, until it keeps returning - hopefully to a ridiculously spooky climax... the story continues:

“The first night my friend and I were in the room I felt that we were not alone. I had some strange and very disturbing feelings and I heard noises similar to someone walking around. My friend was always bothering me because she was very drained throughout the entire trip. She is never like that. I have never witnessed her be so ‘out of it’ and lacking in energy. I have since put this down to thinking maybe the spirit, if it was there, was draining her energy?

Anyway, although my friend is a relatively strong skeptic, I did get the impression, once or twice, that even she thought something strange was going on.”

It’s easy to ignore something like that at first. New place, unfamiliar surroundings, broken sleep. There’s all kinds of skeptical, rational answers we could attach. However, from what they have both mentioned, I really don't think this was something easily explained.

The Night Everything Shifted

Photo by Camila Quintero Franco on Unsplash At some point, the feeling changed from something vague into something far more direct, and likely to make anyone of us shat our pantaloons.

“The night I figured that it was possibly haunted was a very strange one. I kept waking up feeling like someone was standing at the bottom of my bed. I have never in my life before or since had such a strong feeling that someone was actually there, watching me, but that I couldn’t see. It was very surreal.

My friend’s bed was directly next to mine and I felt very nervous and too scared to look at the end of where we were lay. I couldn't rest and I had very creepy feelings and I just kept thinking about an old woman.”

Some experiences are unsettling in hindsight, others are unsettling the moment they happen, and this kind is unsettling regardless...

“So as I was trying to settle and had convinced myself it was all in my mind, my friend suddenly turned and stared right into me. She honestly scared me to death. She screamed at me to turn the light on, so I did. But, the oddest thing was that her eyes looked really weird; as though they were not hers. I know that sounds silly but I swear down they didn’t look like hers. She wouldn't tell me why she wanted the light on and just kept saying "I don't like this room!" I was scared but I didn't want to freak her out more so I just told her she was dreaming.”

What They Didn’t Say

Throughout all of this, they didn’t speak to each other about what they were separately experiencing. Not during the night. Not the next day. Not at any point during the trip. If the spirit was just looking for attention, maybe she became angry for the lack of acknowledgment? Ghost teasers are the worst kind of tarts, after all!

“On the plane home the next day she asked me, a bit sheepishly, if I thought that our hotel room might have been haunted. And I said, not so sheepishly, a bit more excitedly, that Yes I did, and that I was dying to say something but thought she'd think I was being silly.”

The Same Experience

Only when they were leaving did they begin to compare what had happened, and the details didn’t just overlap, they matched. This is an interesting point because there have been plenty of spooky goings-on in the world, and I think it’s rare to have two people experience something that terrifies them to the depths of their very souls, and then not mention anything in the moment, or in the immediate moments that follow.

“She began to tell me some very similar experiences, like feeling a presence at the end of the beds, the mirror at the end of the bed moving (which didn't happen to me but the mirror being at the end of the bed was obviously in the area I didn’t like), the bathroom doorway and sleepless nights. She told me that night she awoke with a sudden jolt, she said she actually saw an old woman stood at the end of the bed, looking angry and deathly ill! She said she felt like this old woman didn't want us in that room.

That was the feeling I had all the time there. We were not wanted there. I couldn't believe what she was saying. My mouth dropped because I had felt very similar things and the old woman comparison was just plain weird.” “It's hard to explain and it's hard to convince someone that we honestly didn't tell each other anything until we were coming home. The shared experiences were uncanny and it scares me still to this day.

I only wish I was familiar with how to investigate, because I would have tried some experiments. At the time I was only just beginning to really get into that side of the paranormal. One day I would love to go back, get the same room and see if anything happens.”

I wish to add an important detail here: I have heard the accounts of both my sister and her friend, and a detail which I find fascinating: when my sister saw her friends eyes look different, when she jolted awake, my sister says her friends eyes were open and very scary looking. However, her friend is completely certain that her eyes were closed. Make of that what you will, Spooklings!

Final Thoughts

Some experiences are easy to dismiss and I don’t think this is one of them.

There’s no single dramatic moment, no clear explanation, just a series of consistent details experienced separately, in silence, and only confirmed when it was over.

Venice is a city layered with history; there are buildings that have stood for centuries, holding onto the lives that passed through them. Most of the time, that history stays where it belongs, but every now and then, in certain places, it seems to project itself onto living visitors (flirty).

And sometimes, the only sign is a feeling; a quiet, persistent, and impossible to ignore feeling that you’re not alone...

and that you were never welcome there at all.

If you’ve ever been in a creepy old castle, wandered through a haunted house, or just watched way too many paranormal TV shows (guilty!), you’ve probably heard of ghosts doing one of two things. Sometimes they act like actual people; they chat, they respond, they maybe even throw a plate across the kitchen for funsies. And then there are the other ghosts, the ones that don’t seem to notice that you’re even there. They walk the same hallway every night, cry the same cry, slam the same door, like they’re trapped in an eternal rerun of a very depressing sitcom.

Paranormal investigators call these residual hauntings, which are ghosts that seem like recordings rather than conscious spirits. This is where the delightfully weird Stone Tape Theory struts in, and we have to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: “What if the walls are recording everything, like spooky cassette tapes?” - I'll never have sex again if it is real...

A Rock Solid Hypothesis (Sort Of)

The Stone Tape Theory suggests that certain materials, such as stone, brick, wood, even the God given soil, might be able to absorb emotional energy from traumatic or highly charged events. Think murder, heartbreak, or your ancestor stubbing their toe in 1782 and screaming fashionable expletives dramatically. This energy supposedly gets imprinted into the environment, like hitting “record.” Later, under just the right conditions, the stone “plays it back,” and voilà - you’ve got yourself a ghostly apparition or a disembodied voice echoing down the hall.

Sounds absolutely mad, right? Well, here’s the funny thing: it’s not entirely out of the blue. We already use magnetic tape to record sound and film. Quartz crystals power watches because of their piezoelectric effect; they literally respond to pressure with electricity. It’s not that big of a leap to wonder: could nature’s building blocks also hold onto energy in a way we just don’t understand yet?

The BBC Made It Famous

The idea existed before, but the actual name Stone Tape Theory comes from a 1972 BBC Christmas ghost story called 'The Stone Tape'. In the drama, scientists investigate a haunted house and theorise that the stone walls have recorded past events, playing them back. It was meant to be a work of creepy fiction, but paranormal investigators and ghost enthusiasts everywhere went, “Hold on, that actually makes sense.” Thus the Stone Tape Theory became a paranormal staple.

How It Plays Out in the Wild

Let’s put this into a ghost-hunting scenario. Imagine you’re exploring an abandoned Victorian asylum (because of course you are). Suddenly, you hear faint screams echoing through the halls, followed by the sound of chains rattling. You whip around with your EMF detector, there's nothing. You call out, “Is anyone there?” and get no reply.

This is classic Stone Tape material. The theory would say those screams aren’t conscious ghosts yelling at you. Instead, the stone walls soaked up decades of human suffering (grim) and occasionally spit them back out when the conditions are just right; humidity, temperature, maybe even the emotional energy of visitors could unknowingly trigger the spooky soundbites. Kind of like the asylum is haunted Spotify, except you don’t get to pick the playlist and you're way more likely to shit your pantaloons.

Why It Feels Plausible

Let’s be honest: scientifically, there’s no evidence that stone walls can record and replay human experiences. But here’s why the idea is so stubbornly appealing:

We already record sound and visuals on physical media. Magnetic tape stores sound waves. Vinyl records trap vibrations. CDs encode data with lasers. Why couldn’t nature have its own weird format?

Quartz and other minerals do weird energy tricks. The piezoelectric effect is real. Quartz under pressure creates electrical charges. Ghost hunters love pointing at quartz veins or limestone under haunted sites as “proof” that the environment is charged.

Electromagnetic fields mess with us. Studies show EMFs can cause people to feel uneasy or see things. If stones can influence EMF fields, who’s to say they aren’t triggering spooky playbacks?

Our brains love patterns. Humans are wired to make sense of random noises or shadows. So even if the stone isn’t “playing” anything, we might interpret creaks and echoes as ghostly recordings.

In other words, the Stone Tape Theory might not be science, but it’s a very tidy way to package the mystery of residual hauntings.

The Paranormal Playlist

The theory is usually used to explain why some ghosts are so boringly repetitive. These aren’t Casper-types who interact or respond to your questions. They’re more like holographic reruns: the lady in white who always crosses the hallway at midnight, the phantom horse that gallops past the old stable, or the echo of soldiers marching long after the battle’s over. These hauntings don’t change, don’t notice you, and don’t do anything new. They’re stuck.

So… Is It Real?

Here’s the verdict:

Science says "nope". There’s no evidence that stones are cosmic recorders.

Paranormal enthusiasts say "maybe". It explains too much ghostly behaviour to dismiss outright. Plus, we still don’t understand everything about consciousness, energy, or how environments affect us.

Pop culture says "yes, please". From The Stone Tape to The Haunting of Hill House, this idea has legs. Creepy, stone-carved legs.

Closing Thoughts (and Rocks That Rock)

Whether you believe in it or not, the Stone Tape Theory is one of those paranormal ideas that perfectly blends spooky folklore with just enough pseudo-science to keep people talking. It lets us imagine that buildings aren’t just bricks and mortar; maybe they’re silent witnesses, storing human drama like the world’s oldest reality TV archive... how disturbing.

So next time you hear footsteps in an empty hallway, don’t panic. Maybe you’ve just stumbled onto the ghostly equivalent of a replay button. If your house starts playing back your teenage angst years, then you have my condolences. Some hauntings are scarier than others.

Until Next time... Spook you later, Spooklings!

There are haunted places, cursed lands, and spooky ruins across the world, but there are few that hold the sheer weight of horror that clings to Poveglia. Floating quietly in the Venetian Lagoon, just a short boat ride from Venice itself, this tiny island has earned the chilling title of “the world’s most haunted island.”

Unlike the usual haunted tourist attractions, Poveglia is not a place you can just drop by to visit. It’s illegal to go there, like actually illegal. Would absolutely not be a good idea what-so-ever and would likely lead to your parents telling you how disappointed they are in you. The Italian government has officially barred the public from setting foot on its shores, and anyone who dares to sneak in risks heavy fines or worse. But why? What makes this little scrap of land so terrifying, and so forbidden, that even the authorities want it sealed off?

Let’s take a walk - metaphorically, of course, since we’re not allowed to actually go there - through Poveglia’s twisted history.

A History Written in Plague and Fire

Poveglia’s reputation for darkness goes back centuries. Originally settled as early as the year 421 CE, it was once a quiet fishing community, however, that peace didn’t last long. Over the centuries, Venice became a thriving hub for trade, and with the wealth and commerce came war and disease.

By the 14th century, Poveglia’s fate took a grisly turn. When the bubonic plague ravaged Venice, the island was designated as a plague quarantine station. Anyone suspected of carrying the disease was shipped off to Poveglia. The sick, the dying, and even the barely symptomatic were left to rot there in isolation.

The Venetian government wasn’t taking chances. Tens of thousands of plague victims are said to have died on the island. To prevent further spread, their bodies (sometimes still alive when tossed onto the pyres) were burned in massive funeral fires. Eyewitnesses from the time described piles of corpses smouldering, and the air thick with ash. Even today, it’s said that much of the island’s soil is still made up of human ash mixed with earth. If that is true I’d happily never set foot on “Corpse Beach”...a bit grim, even for my taste.

If that wasn’t enough, the plague returned again and again over the centuries. Poveglia became the dumping ground each time, until the island itself seemed synonymous with death.

An Asylum of Horrors

Fast-forward to the 19th century. Just when you’d think Poveglia had already seen enough horror, it was repurposed once more, and of course this time as a psychiatric asylum.

In the 1920s, a mental hospital was established on the island. At first glance, this might not sound unusual, but given Poveglia’s reputation and isolation, it was hardly the kind of place where patients received compassionate care. I imagine the hauntings didn’t help the mental health of the patients, either.

Rumours spread of cruel experiments carried out by the asylum’s head doctor. According to legend, he performed crude lobotomies, drilling into patients’ skulls and conducting bizarre treatments. He was said to enjoy taking patients up into the hospital’s bell tower, where their screams echoed across the lagoon.

The story goes that eventually, tormented by guilt or perhaps driven mad himself, the doctor leapt from the bell tower. Some versions say he was pushed by vengeful spirits of his patients. Witnesses later claimed he survived the fall but was strangled by a mist that rose from the ground. True or not, the asylum closed down shortly after, and Poveglia was abandoned once again.

Why You Can’t Visit Today

Here’s where the story takes an unusual turn. Unlike most haunted places, which capitalise on their reputation with ghost tours, Poveglia is strictly off-limits.

The Italian government forbids entry to the island, citing safety concerns. The buildings, crumbling after decades of neglect, are unsafe to explore. The ground itself is unstable, thanks to centuries of mass burials and fires. Officially, these are the reasons.

Unofficially, locals claim that the ban protects people from something far, far worse. Fishermen steer their boats wide of Poveglia, claiming that strange shadows and voices follow anyone who gets too close. Those who have dared to trespass report an oppressive atmosphere, sudden nausea, and the feeling of being watched by hundreds of eyes (the ghost kind, not the googly kind). More than one explorer has fled in panic, convinced they were being chased by an unseen presence.

The Legends That Keep It Alive

The legends around Poveglia are countless, and whether or not you believe them, they add fuel to its chilling reputation.

The Bell Tower: Even though the bell itself was removed decades ago, people still report hearing its tolling across the lagoon. That’s an extra spooky detail that would make me shat my pantaloons!

Whispers in the Dark: Trespassers often describe hearing voices calling their names, even when they are alone.

Ghostly Ash: Locals claim the soil is so full of human remains that if you dig, you’ll uncover bones within minutes. Like an Easter egg hunt, but grim.

The Doctor’s Curse: Some say the spirit of the asylum’s doctor still haunts the tower, replaying his cruelty for eternity.

One popular estimate suggests that as many as 160,000 people died on the island over the centuries. Whether or not that number is accurate, the fact remains: Poveglia has soaked up more human suffering than most other famous haunted places could ever bear.

A Forbidden Fascination

The ban on visiting Poveglia hasn’t dampened interest, it’s only increased it. Paranormal investigators and thrill-seekers have long tried to sneak onto the island. Ghost-hunting shows have filmed there under special permits, adding even more fuel to the island’s mystique.

Yet for Venetians, Poveglia is not a quirky ghost story or a tourist attraction. It’s a wound in the lagoon’s history. Fishermen avoid its waters. Locals shake their heads if you ask too much about it. The fear isn’t playful – it’s generational.

Perhaps that’s why the Italian government keeps the ban in place. Poveglia isn’t a sideshow; it’s a grave. And unlike a cemetery, it’s one that holds layer upon layer of restless dead.

Final Thoughts: Some Places Want to Be Left Alone

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s no denying that Poveglia carries an energy of sheer horror. Even stripped of supernatural legends, it’s an island drenched in trauma. Plague victims abandoned to die, corpses set alight by the thousands, patients locked away in misery, and according to some. its soil is more bone than earth.

So when people ask why it’s illegal to go there, the answer is simple: safety, respect, and maybe a little fear. Some places are too heavy with history to turn into tourist traps. Poveglia is one of them.

And maybe that’s for the best. After all, some ghosts don’t want an audience.

Until we meet again, Spooklings,

Anyone who knows me well will be able to tell you that, despite my insatiable hunger for things paranormal, one part of the ghoulish world that does indeed terrify me to my very soul is possession. One story in particular has always stuck with me: the true events that inspired the book, and later the 1973 film, The Exorcist. Though the events that happened in 1949 can't be truly proven or disproven, it is one of the world's scariest cases. So, I have written this while sitting in a bath of holy water, covered in pages of the Bible that I taped to myself, while listening to 'Songs of Praise' on repeat, with a necklace of garlic - because why not? May as well! Keep all my bases covered.

Possession is one of the scariest things, and I am honestly happy to live in my haunted flat in comparison to the happenings that have been reported in most possession cases. I've almost filled my pantaloons several times while researching and writing this blog. Please enjoy, or hide under your covers, which ever works.

Let's Begin

In early 1949, a 13-year-old boy became the centre of what is still one of the most famous exorcism cases in the world. Today he is known by pseudonyms like Roland Doe or Robbie Mannheim. His real identity has never been publicly confirmed; I can't imagine having this kind of story stuck to you being a comfortable thing. He lived with his family in Cottage City, Maryland, and later stayed with relatives in St. Louis, Missouri.

One common version of the story claims Roland used a Ouija board to contact his recently deceased Aunt Harriet, who had an interest in spiritualism. This makes for a chilling origin story, but it doesn’t actually appear in the priests’ 1949 diaries. It seems it was added in later accounts, like Thomas B. Allen’s 1993 book Possessed. Whether it happened is unknown.

What is documented is that Roland’s family reported strange phenomena: scratching and banging noises in the walls, objects moving without explanation, and his mattress shaking violently. Even schoolteachers supposedly witnessed his desk sliding across the floor.

Family and friends later said red marks and scratches sometimes appeared on his skin. In the priests’ notes, words like “hell” and “evil” were recorded as randomly forming on his body. Whether these were self-inflicted, misinterpreted welts, or genuinely unexplainable remains an open question.

Enter the Priests

After local ministers failed to help, the family sought Catholic assistance - they seem to be the number 1 experts for this kind of creepy thing. Father William Bowdern, S.J., of St. Louis, took the lead, assisted by Father Walter Halloran and others. Over several weeks in March–April 1949, they conducted nightly exorcism rites.

Their diaries describe violent episodes: Roland growling, speaking in guttural tones, showing unusual strength, and lashing out at the clergy. Halloran later said the boy once broke free of restraints and injured him. At one point, Bowdern claimed the mattress seemed to levitate.

The climax came at the Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis. According to Bowdern’s diary, after a final session invoking St. Michael the Archangel, Roland suddenly calmed. The priests recorded that he later said he’d had a vision of St. Michael defeating the devil. That night marked the end of the disturbances. Although the visions of St. Michael defeating the devil may indeed be true, it's a little too sudden a change for my liking, and comfort. If I was one of the priests, I wouldn't trust it. I'd also be really disappointed that the end result wasn't more...showy... you know? This is Beelzebub we're talking about, isn't it?

The Records Left Behind

Unlike many possession tales, this one has some paper evidence, specifically the 1949 diary of Father Raymond Bishop, S.J., which survives and provides a blow-by-blow account of the exorcism attempts. It notes when the marks appeared, whenever Roland cursed (ooof, naughty), when prayers were read, and when he became calm again. This kind of detail is usually lacking in most cases, from what I've read. Though I would have expected more flinging of faeces or something rather than swearing.

The story also leaked to the press. In August 1949, The Washington Post ran an article headlined “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” - drama! - It was sensational, but brief, and did not include the Ouija board backstory or many of the dramatic details that would become part of the legend.

Think of it as the 1949 equivalent of a viral tweet: short, striking, but missing most of the nuance.

A Hollywood Legacy

Author William Peter Blatty discovered the case while at Georgetown University. Using it as inspiration, he wrote The Exorcist (1971), changing the possessed child into a girl and embellishing the horrors for fiction. The film adaptation (1973) then cemented Roland’s ordeal as the archetype of modern possession.

So in a roundabout way, Roland is indirectly responsible for an entire generation of people, myself included, who may have watched the Exorcist a little too young and then slept with rosary beads underneath their pillow for 5 years afterwards, because I'm cool.

Sceptical Perspectives

Ah, yes! Let's go into some rational explanations to chase those horrid images away!

Sceptics and scholars have poked at the case for decades:

Psychological angle: Roland was an only child, shy, and grieving. Some believe he may have been suffering from a mental illness or emotional breakdown. His symptoms — sudden aggression, trances, voice changes — could point to dissociative disorder or psychosis.

Poltergeist hypothesis: Paranormal researchers note poltergeist activity often surrounds stressed adolescents, particularly during puberty (to be fair, I seemed possessed during those years). If the noises and movements were real, they might have been a subconscious outlet of energy — or, more mundanely, mischief.

Self-inflicted wounds: Even Father Halloran later admitted he wasn’t sure if Roland made the scratches himself. The fact that reports of “words” forming on his body vary in timing and clarity, makes this detail questionable.

Exaggeration over time: The most famous flourishes — the Ouija board origin, levitating beds, and dramatic chest messages like “it’s over” — appear mainly in later retellings, not the earliest diary or newspaper sources.

Sceptics argue the whole saga was an unfortunate storm of grief, suggestibility, cultural belief in the devil, and a teenager’s volatile behaviour — amplified by priests who saw their role as spiritual soldiers in a literal war with evil.

Roland reportedly grew up to live a quiet, ordinary life. Researchers who believe they’ve identified him say he avoided publicity, and never discussed the events. He married, had a career, and by all accounts did not suffer further supernatural torment.

Closing Thoughts

The case of Roland Doe is fascinating because it straddles two worlds. On one side, we have diaries, priest testimony, and newspaper reports — far more documentation than most possession stories. On the other, many of the spookiest details appear only in later, second-hand retellings; something that I am relieved to know because those details are hella-scary.

Whether you see a boy overtaken by evil, or a tragic case of grief and psychological stress shaped by religious expectation, Roland’s story remains legendary in both the paranormal world, and the fantasy world of Hollywood.

And if your bed ever starts levitating, remember: bathe in holy water and avoid pea soup.

Till death - or my next blog - do us part, Spooklings 💋

Perched at the top of a hill in Hartford City, Indiana, the Monroe House looks, at first glance, like any other old home. Its weathered siding, sagging porch, and peeling paint could almost be charming - if you ignore the feeling that the shadows linger a little too long, that the air feels heavier, that the house itself seems to be holding its breath. Locals whisper about it, sometimes calling it the Demon House, and almost everyone who has spent more than a few hours inside carries a story of dread.

A History of Dread

The house’s origins stretch back to the mid-1800s, but its history is tangled, dark, and largely undocumented. What is known is that very few people have been able to live there for long. In the earliest records, tenants would move in only to leave within a year, citing anxiety, strange sounds, or inexplicable fear. By the twentieth century, stories of occult activity and violent events began to surface, cementing the house’s reputation. It is not simply haunted; it is oppressive, as though the building itself wants you gone.

Shadows and Bones

The basement is the heart of the horror. Investigators and brave trespassers alike have described a crawlspace that pulses with malevolence. Air grows thick and almost unbreathable; the darkness seems to have weight. In one instance, human remains were discovered beneath; bones buried for a century, their origin forever mysterious. It is impossible to know whether these deaths were accidental, violent, or part of something more sinister – but they cast a long shadow over the house. Some have fled the basement, shrieking, refusing ever to speak of what they experienced. Others return with pale faces, trembling hands, and stories they cannot quite put into words.

Above ground, the hauntings are just as unsettling. Witnesses have reported figures that vanish when approached: a young girl staring silently from an upstairs window, her pale face frozen in sorrow or malice, and an elderly woman in black who glides across the top floor, always at the edge of vision. Voices echo in empty rooms, sometimes calling a name, sometimes whispering indecipherable phrases, sometimes screaming in anguish. Footsteps follow you where no one else walks, doors swing open and closed on their own, and objects vanish or appear inexplicably. Even electrical equipment fails in the house, lights flickering or short-circuiting for no reason at all. It's as if the house actively resists being studied or understood.

Investigators Who Never Forgot

Investigators have recounted nights that would unsettle even the most hardened paratarts. Cameras capture fleeting shadows. Motion detectors trip when no one is near. One investigator, alone in the basement, reported the air turning icy, a sense of eyes on her, and the sudden, inexplicable activation of a cat toy left on the floor. The atmosphere is so heavy that it seems to press against your chest, stealing your breath and your resolve. Many who enter after dark refuse to stay past midnight (I think I'd have the same rule); some leave after only an hour (more likely what I'd do, while screeching). The Monroe House does not welcome guests – it tests them.

Tragedy and destruction attract to the house like moths to a flame. Fires have broken out without explanation; past occupants have suffered mental trauma, despair, or even death. Some families who lived there reported intense periods of illness, accidents, and relentless misfortune. The house itself seems to absorb pain and project it outward. Rooms rot, floors sag, and light hesitates to linger inside. Even when the house has been partially destroyed by fire, the evil remains, lingering in the charred beams and damp walls.

A House That Haunts

Speculation abounds regarding the source of the house’s malevolence. Occult rituals, deliberate harm, or ancient curses may all play a role. Perhaps the bones in the basement are evidence of ritual sacrifices, perhaps of accidental deaths long forgotten. Perhaps the house sits atop something older, something that resents intruders. Whatever the case, it is clear that the house is more than haunted – it is aware, and it has a history of influencing those who enter. The unknown stretches far wider than the documented events, and imagination alone can turn a creaking floorboard into a scream.

Perhaps what terrifies most about the Monroe House is not the shadows, not the whispers, not even the sight of the pale girl in the window. It is the sense that the house itself remembers, that it carries the weight of every death, every ritual, every moment of despair ever endured within its walls. It is a structure built to contain horror, and it succeeds beyond measure.

Those who avoid the house entirely may think it's merely a story, a local legend amplified over time. But too many have entered, returned, and spoken of the same experiences in slightly different words for it to be mere coincidence. The human mind is excellent at creating fear, but it is also excellent at recognising the real thing when it stares you in the face – or hovers just behind, in the corner of a room, watching... not creepy at all.

Sceptical Theories: The “Less Demonic” Explanations

Not everyone believes the Monroe House is crawling with demons. For every ghost hunter with a spirit box, there’s a sceptic pointing at the boiler and muttering, “Your demon sounds a lot like faulty plumbing.”

Old House, Old Problems

The house is from the 1800s, and old wood groans like it’s auditioning for a horror film. Pipes rattle, floorboards sigh, and drafts howl through gaps in the walls. To believers, that’s supernatural. To sceptics, it’s just physics.

Poison, Not Possession

Another theory blames carbon monoxide leaks. Gas exposure can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and the classic “something’s watching me” feeling.

The Bones Below

The bones in the basement certainly complicate things. But sceptics argue that unmarked graves and discarded remains aren’t unheard of in old Midwestern towns. Disturbing? Yes. Proof of a hellmouth? Not necessarily.

Power of Suggestion

Tell someone a house is “a portal to Hell,” and suddenly every shadow looks like Satan’s intern. Paranormal gadgets bleep at the faintest interference, and investigators arrive already primed for terror. It’s the classic case of seeing what you expect to see.

Fear Sells

Finally, there’s the money angle. A creaky old house doesn’t draw visitors, but a “demon house” does. More cameras, more tourists, more cash. A sceptic might call it clever marketing wrapped in a ghost story.

In the end, sceptics don’t deny that the Monroe House is frightening – they just say the scariest thing inside might be our own imaginations. And maybe the heating system.

Final Thoughts

The Monroe House is not merely haunted. It is a house that haunts. It tests sanity, patience, courage. It invites you in and waits, patient, like an apex predator in a weathered coat of wood and plaster. It is a house where nightmares feel at home.

If you find yourself in Hartford City, Indiana, remember this: the hill with the Monroe House is not a place to picnic or take a scenic photograph. The basement is forbidden. The upper floors are best left to the shadows. And whatever you do, don’t peer into the attic at midnight. The pale girl might be waiting – and she is not alone.

Sleep well, if you can. The Monroe House is always awake.

Photo by Ellie Burgin

Edinburgh wears its ghosts well. The city is all sharp spires, crooked alleys, and fog that clings like damp wool. But in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the atmosphere deepens into something heavier, older, and far less forgiving. Visitors don’t just feel uneasy here – they stumble out pale, gasping, and sometimes bleeding, as if the graveyard itself had taken offence at their presence.

This is the home of the McKenzie Poltergeist: one of the most violent hauntings in the world. And unlike most ghosts, this one doesn’t rattle chains or gently knock over candlesticks – it leaves people in absolute terror.

Bluidy McKenzie

George “Bluidy” McKenzie was a 17th-century lawyer whose name still drips with venom. His life’s work was crushing the Covenanters, Scottish Presbyterians who dared to worship outside royal approval. He prosecuted them by the thousand, locking them in open-air prisons where disease and starvation did the rest. Hundreds were executed, many more broken.

When McKenzie died in 1691, he was buried in a mausoleum in Greyfriars, looming in stone grandeur while the bones of the Covenanters rotted nearby in mass graves. Some might call that poetic justice. Others might call it poor urban planning.

The Disturbance

Photo by Su Lopes

For centuries, McKenzie lay silent. Then in 1998, a homeless man forced his way into the mausoleum. What happened next depends on who’s telling the story.

Fact: he entered the tomb, disturbed coffins, and fled in terror.

Folklore: the floor collapsed beneath him, dropping him into a pit of plague corpses, where he scrambled through skulls and ribcages before clawing his way out.

That grisly detail is not verified, but it persists to be told as part of the tales.

Whatever the truth, it marked the beginning of something dark awakening in Greyfriars.

The Attacks

Soon after, visitors began collapsing during tours. People staggered out clutching their throats, gasping that invisible hands had strangled them. Others left with deep scratches gouged into their arms and backs – raw wounds weeping blood.

Guests reported sudden gusts of icy air inside sealed vaults, guttural growls in their ears, and the suffocating certainty of being watched by something pressing closer and closer.

One man was found unconscious inside the Black Mausoleum, his body sprawled in the dirt as if dropped by unseen hands. It’s not every tour where “please don’t touch the exhibits” applies to the ghosts.

By 2000, there were so many injuries that the City of Edinburgh padlocked the mausoleum for safety. Few cities can boast of a ghost so aggressive the council has to treat it like a criminal.

Theories and Whispers

Is it McKenzie himself, still venomous centuries later? If cruelty hardens the soul, perhaps his was too sharp to dissolve. Others believe it is something darker – a parasitic force feeding on the centuries of agony buried in Greyfriars’ soil. After all, plague pits and prisoner graves make fertile ground for nightmares.

Sceptics dismiss it all as hysteria. But hysteria doesn’t usually leave claw marks down your spine.

Inside the Black Mausoleum

Photo by KoolShooters

Today, the “City of the Dead” tour will lead you inside the locked Covenanters’ Prison and the Black Mausoleum itself.

Many go in smirking. Fewer leave that way.

Visitors tell of phones and cameras failing without warning, batteries drained to nothing. Of cold spots that feel like walking into a freezer. Of unseen fingers brushing across their faces in the dark.

Some faint outright. Others flee in tears. A handful insist they carried something home with them – an unwanted souvenir. This doesn't sound like the type of entity I'd happily flirt with...

One of the World’s Most Violent Hauntings

The McKenzie Poltergeist has earned its reputation as one of the most aggressive hauntings anywhere. Investigators record knocks, growls, shadows that slink between tombs. Tourists leave with bleeding scratches.

This isn’t just a tale told for shillings. The testimonies pile up. The bruises, the fainting and the fear lingers. Even hardened sceptics have walked out of Greyfriars looking over their shoulder.

Should You Go?

If you do, understand this: Greyfriars isn’t merely historic. It is hostile. Some leave with only goosebumps. Others collapse in the dirt, or wake hours later with marks they cannot explain.

And if you’re very unlucky, you might feel something breathing against the back of your neck – close, intimate, and unseen.

Still, Edinburgh thrives on dark tourism. Where else can you pay good money to risk being throttled by a dead lawyer

A Toast to Bluidy McKenzie

The McKenzie Poltergeist endures because it’s rooted in real cruelty. History curdled into horror, the bitterness of one man woven into the bones of a city.

So if you stand at the Black Mausoleum, and the shadows seem to lean closer, remember: laugh if you can, because humour might be the only weapon you have. Mutter, “Aye, George, we’ve heard enough of your temper,” and step back into the living streets.

I don't believe McKenzie is finished yet.

Paranormally yours - with a wink,

30 East Drive, Pontefract” by John Smith is licensed under CC BY 2.0

If haunted houses had Trip-Advisor reviews, 30 East Drive, Pontefract would be one-star with a side of “never again.” This unassuming semi-detached council house in West Yorkshire is the site of one of Britain’s most notorious hauntings, known for its dark entity dubbed The Black Monk. Unlike your average squeaky-floorboard spook, this one came with the full deluxe haunting package: flying objects, violent attacks, and enough ectoplasmic chaos to make even the most seasoned Paratart raise an eyebrow.

A Normal House, Until It Wasn’t

The story kicks off in 1966, when the Pritchard family moved into their perfectly ordinary new home. Within days, things went sideways. At first it was fairly tame: mysterious pools of water forming on the kitchen floor. Annoying, yes, but nothing a mop couldn’t handle. Except the pools kept reappearing, and the water company couldn’t find a leak. Classic ghost flex — plumbing sabotage.

Then came lights flicking on and off, cupboards rattling, green foam oozing out of taps (yes, slime, because the entity clearly had a flair for the dramatic). Before long, the family were dealing with furniture levitating, photographs slashed, and household objects flying across the room like they were auditioning for Britain’s Got Poltergeists.

From Mischief to Menace

At first, the family dubbed their ghost “Fred.” Which, honestly, is a very British thing to do. Have a malevolent spirit trashing your house? Give it a nickname and carry on with your tea.

The activity ramped up to terrifying levels. Daughter Diane was dragged across rooms by unseen hands, slapped, scratched, and even strangled with electrical cords. In one infamous event, she was pulled upstairs by her hair in front of horrified witnesses. That’s not a friendly Casper move. That’s pure drama queen ghost behaviour — the kind that makes even hardened Spooklings go, nope.

Enter the Black Monk

Over time, the entity was spotted. Witnesses described a hooded figure dressed in black robes, resembling a monk. Local legend tied this to a Cluniac monk supposedly hanged during the 16th century for unspeakable crimes, then buried nearby. Whether that history checks out or not, the imagery stuck, and the house became forever linked to the Black Monk.

Now, is it scarier to be haunted by a Victorian gentleman in tweed, or a shadowy monk who looks like he stepped straight out of a medieval horror film?

“Why Don’t They Just Leave?”

This is the eternal question outsiders ask. But imagine you’re the Pritchards: you’ve just moved into a shiny new house, probably proud as punch to have a nice council place in the ’60s. Suddenly you’ve got floating teapots and phantom monks. Do you pack up and leave straight away? Or do you stubbornly stick it out because, well, Yorkshire pride? (Spoiler: they stuck it out a while.)

Over the years, priests came to bless the house. Mediums tried to make contact. None of it worked. The Black Monk, like the world’s worst tenant, simply would not be evicted.

Pop Culture and Paranormal Tourism

Fast forward a few decades, and 30 East Drive became a full-blown paranormal hotspot. It’s been the subject of documentaries, books, and most famously the 2012 film When the Lights Went Out. (Though, as with most horror movies, the Hollywood version took… let’s call them “creative liberties.”)

Today, you can actually book overnight investigations at 30 East Drive. Yes, you too can pay to spend a night in Britain’s “most violent haunting” while hoping the Black Monk doesn’t get handsy. It’s basically the paranormal equivalent of a theme park ride — except instead of a roller-coaster you get scratching noises, cold spots, and the occasional flying object. Fun for the whole family! (Assuming your family is very weird.)

Theories

So, what was — or is — really going on at 30 East Drive?

Residual haunting: Some suggest it’s simply a location imprinted with traumatic energy.

Intelligent haunting: The monk himself, still stomping about, angry about… well, everything, apparently.

Poltergeist: A classic case of violent, chaotic phenomena — though this one had more staying power than most.

Skeptical angle: Tricks of the mind, overactive imaginations, and the snowball effect of folklore. (Though, to be fair, that doesn’t explain the green foam or multiple witnesses seeing Diane dragged by her hair.)

Why This Case Still Hooks Us

The Black Monk haunting has all the ingredients for a lasting legend: a normal working-class family, violent phenomena witnessed by many, a terrifying entity with a sinister backstory, and a house that still exists, waiting for new professional Paratarts to dare spend the night.

Unlike cases that fade away, Pontefract keeps pulling us back in. There’s something particularly chilling about a semi-detached council house looking just like any other… except it’s got a monk ghost with anger issues. It makes the supernatural feel uncomfortably close to home.

Final Thoughts

Whether you think the Black Monk was a genuine demonic presence or just the world’s most committed prank, the haunting at 30 East Drive remains one of the wildest in British paranormal history. From shadowy figures to violent attacks, it’s a case that leaves no room for the usual “maybe it was the wind” excuses.

So, Spooklings, here’s the real question: would you dare spend a night at Pontefract’s most haunted house? Or are you happy staying snug under your duvet, far away from any ghostly monks with a flair for the dramatic?

Either way, one thing’s certain: if a hooded figure ever appears at the end of your bed, it’s probably not a drama queen ghost you want to flirt with.

Stay creepy, Spooklings — and remember, not all monks are holy.

Until next time

Photo by Hubert C Provand & Indre Shira

If you’re going to haunt a stately home, you may as well do it in style. The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, arguably the most famous ghost in England, has been sashaying around Norfolk since the 18th century. And yes, she’s called the Brown Lady because of her brown dress — which, frankly, feels a bit unfair. Imagine being remembered for centuries by your outfit. (If I end up as “The Hoodie Ghost of Yorkshire,” I’m going to be very cross.)

Raynham Hall itself is a grand 17th-century mansion, the ancestral seat of the Townshend family. If you picture Downton Abbey with more draughts and fewer functioning lightbulbs, you’re in the right area. It’s a place steeped in history: aristocrats, political scandals, and the sort of family drama that seems tailor-made to spawn a restless spirit.

The Brown Lady’s alleged identity is Lady Dorothy Walpole, sister of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Dorothy’s life had all the ingredients of a gothic novel: she married into the Townshend family, was accused of infidelity, and (depending on who tells the story) either died of smallpox in 1726 or was locked away by her jealous husband until her death. Either way, the idea is that her spirit stuck around Raynham Hall because, apparently, the afterlife has no exit signs.

Sightings: When the Lady Went Viral Before “Viral” Existed

Photo of Raynham Hall, by John Fielding, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The Brown Lady has been spotted enough times to deserve her own attendance register. Her first reported appearance was in the early 19th century, when guests and staff described seeing a pale woman in a brown dress gliding around the staircase and hallways. Some said her eye sockets were hollow black pits, which is not the sort of detail you want in your Tinder profile.

The most famous sighting occurred in 1835, when Colonel Loftus, staying at Raynham for Christmas (because nothing says “festive” like a spectral house-guest), encountered her on the staircase. Loftus said he clearly saw a woman in a brown dress, and when he tried to get a good look at her face, he noticed those disturbing hollow eyes. He likely did the most sensible and natural thing: screamed and probably reconsidered his choice of holiday destination.

But the Brown Lady wasn’t done. In 1936, she went full-celebrity when photographers Captain Hubert C. Provand and Indre Shira, on assignment for Country Life magazine, snapped what is arguably one of the most famous ghost photograph in the world. They were taking a picture of the grand staircase when Shira suddenly shouted, “Stop! There’s something!” Provand clicked the shutter, and the developed image revealed a semi-transparent figure gliding down the stairs. Voilà: instant paranormal icon.

The photograph caused a sensation. People were divided between “this is proof of the afterlife” and “someone’s played fast and loose with Vaseline on the lens.” But either way, the Brown Lady had achieved what most ghosts can only dream of: national press coverage.

Painting of Dorothy Walpole

The Sceptical Theories: Ghost or Glorified Smudge?

Naturally, with fame comes criticism. The Brown Lady has been analysed by sceptics almost as much as she’s been admired by ghost-hunters. Here are the main theories:

Double Exposure – One of the most popular explanations is that the famous 1936 photograph was a simple case of double exposure, where two images overlapped on the same plate. In other words: not a ghost, just clumsy photography. Still spooky, though.

Light Tricks and Long Exposure – Others argue the “lady” is nothing more than light reflecting on the banisters or the result of a long exposure catching someone moving. The ghost might just be the world’s most photogenic blur.

Overactive Imagination + Candlelight – Many of the older sightings happened in dimly lit corridors where shadows and candlelight played tricks. Add in a few glasses of sherry and a very echoey house, and suddenly every creak becomes Lady Dorothy.

Hoax – The harshest critics suggest the Townshends encouraged the legend to keep Raynham Hall in the headlines. After all, if your stately home is crumbling and expensive to maintain, what better way to stay relevant than a world-famous ghost? (Tourism is tourism, spectral or not.)

But even with these theories, the legend hasn’t lost its shine. People want to believe (yes, that is a nod to the X-Files) in the Brown Lady, because her story ticks all the boxes: tragedy, mystery, aristocratic scandal, and a killer sense of ghostly fashion.

Why She Endures

The Brown Lady’s staying power isn’t just about the photograph. She represents something timeless about our fascination with ghosts. She’s not a violent poltergeist chucking plates at your head; she’s a dignified, sorrowful presence gliding through history. If ghosts are echoes of the past, then Lady Dorothy is the echo of a woman wronged, and condemned to spend eternity in last season’s outfit.

Her legend is also proof of how much we love a good haunting. Even sceptics secretly enjoy the thrill of a good ghost story, and the Brown Lady is one of the best. She’s practically the Taylor Swift of paranormal folklore: iconic, photographed, debated endlessly, and probably very tired of everyone talking about her dress.

Final Thoughts

So, is the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall real? Or is she just a blurry staircase illusion with excellent PR? The answer depends on whether you’re the type to bring a camera or a crucifix when invited to a haunted house.

What we can say is this: nearly 300 years on, she’s still making headlines, still scaring the life out of guests, and still reminding us that sometimes the past refuses to stay put. If ghosts do exist, let’s hope they all look as stylish as the Brown Lady; she gave us one hell of a photograph — and a lesson never to underestimate the staying power of brown brocade.

Let me know your thoughts, Spooklings -

Your daily dose of eye-candy ends here -

Hello ghouls and spooks! Welcome to my blog, ParaTart—so named because I am an unhinged, paranormal-obsessed weirdo who LOVES ghost stories, investigations, and all things spooky. Hence, “ParaTart”: I flirt with the paranormal. (Not literally with spirits, that would be… complicated, probably frowned upon, and honestly unmanageable.)

I live in the delightfully eerie West Yorkshire, England, so expect some local hauntings like 30 East Drive, alongside famous and lesser-known cases from around the world.

My paranormal obsession started young. I’ve seen some weird stuff—sure, some can probably be explained logically, but a lot is just plain mysterious. I believe in the afterlife and the unexplainable, though I try to stay balanced… even if the paranormal is a little sexier than the rational.

Here, you’ll find:

Hauntings

Premonitions & dreams

Cryptids & weird experiences

Occasional personal stories (because every ghost deserves a gossip buddy)

Follow along if you dare! 🕯️

Follow Me on Instagram

I will aim to post every Tuesday and Thursday!

Hauntingly yours…