Halloween is approaching bringing to light a scary, dark, spooky, haunted world made of haunted castles, forests inhabited by spirits, and horror places. Why are we so scared but so attracted to what instills fear in us?!
The science of fear
What happens to our minds when we experience “controlled fear”? It’s the fear generated in situations where there is no actual or real danger. Scientists say that it is very similar to the sensations we experience when we fall in love. It’s all linked to the release of chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and endorphins, but also adrenaline.
The release of dopamine and endorphins generates a feeling of euphoria, making us experience strong and profound emotions, but in the case of controlled fear, in complete safety.
Haunted places, for example, simultaneously repel and attract us. Their charm lies in the fact that they are elusive, mysterious, unfathomable, they represent something that we cannot fully understand.
Haunted castles
Let’s explore where stories of ghosts, apparitions, and paranormal phenomena intertwine, sometimes connected to tragic events. These stories become often legends that tell the tales of restless souls who cannot abandon the places where they lived and suffered. We often empathize with their sad fates.
Among some of the most haunted castles, we mention two located in Europe, in France and in Denmark.
Trécesson Castle
It’s a medieval castle dating back to the 15th century located in Brittany. It is linked to the folklore of the Dames Blanches. The White Ladies are spirits of European folklore, especially Germanic and French, who manifest themselves as women dressed in white and associated with places such as castles or crossroads. Their appearance may be an omen of misfortune or death, or the White Ladies may bring a message. In any case, their presence is closely linked to a violent death. Near the castle of Trécesson, some poachers witnessed a woman dressed in white being buried alive. Today, she appears on the castle’s roofs during full moon nights.
Voergaard Castle
It’s in Dronninglund, in Denmark. It was purchased in 1578 by Ingeborg Skeel, who drowned her architect in the moat to prevent him from designing an equally beautiful palace. Skeel’s tormented ghost is said to wander the castle at night, dressed in white. But perhaps the most frightening thing is Voergaard’s dungeon. A room designed so that a grown man can neither stand nor lie down. There are no openings through which light or air can filter!
Haunted forests
The forests, with their interplay of light and shadow and the trees, sometimes gnarled and twisted, perfectly embody the ideal of the supernatural and the esoteric. Ghosts that haunt the woods, witchcraft, curses, dark stories that embody the fascination of the unknown.
Did you know that Min Min lights haunt Australian eucalyptus forests? Min Min are floating spheres of light that follow travelers and lead them astray. There is no definitive scientific explanation, but they could be linked to atmospheric phenomena such as mirages, bioluminescent activity, or, for Aboriginal people, represent ancestors’ spirits.
Hoia Baciu Forest in Romania is the most haunted forest in the world, earning it the nickname “Transylvania’s Bermuda Triangle”, known for its paranormal activity. What makes this forest unsettling are a series of twisted, thin trees and a circle where nothing grows, which has been analyzed by biologists and scientists to find an explanation. Furthermore, many of the people who have entered the forest have never returned. A shepherd disappeared with his flock of over 200 sheep, or a missing little girl who was found unharmed five years later, wearing the same clothes. Those who have returned, however, have reported experiencing a sense of unease, anxiety, and anguish in the forest. Among these, the testimony of biologist Alexander Sift, who died in 1993, stands out. He described experiencing a high fever and burns after exploring Hoia Baciu. If that weren’t enough, residents report sudden flashes of light, flying objects, and strange creatures lurking among the trees.
Haunted places
Buildings, constructions, or areas supposedly inhabited by supernatural presences, such as ghosts or spirits, where paranormal phenomena occur.
Myrtle Plantation in the USA is on the site of an ancient Indian burial site. It takes its name from the myrtle trees that have grown around the estate since its construction in 1796. The house has been considered “one of the most haunted in America”. It is said that 10 murders have taken place in the house. Additionally, some claim to have seen the ghost of a former slave wearing a green turban and holding a mirror, and the ghost of William Winter, murdered on the porch, writhing under a gunshot wound.
Bhangarh Fort in India is also known as “Bhoot Bangla” (the Fort of Ghosts). It was a city with temples and palaces located at the foot of a mountain and later abandoned around 1783. A magician in love with the princess of Bhangarh cast a spell to make her fall in love with him, but the princess managed to unmask him, and the magician, in unrequited love, placed a curse on the city. It is said that anyone who enters the city at night will never leave.
And do you feel more attracted or repelled by the terror?!