Whether you like it or not, ghosts are practically everywhere. They don’t just haunt old mansions or lurk in the shadows at cemeteries. Often, they loiter at places that gave them the most comfort when they were alive.
- Restaurants – Restaurants are places where enjoyable memories are created, so it shouldn’t be surprising that a few regular guests still pay a visit to their favorite haunt in the afterlife. They are drawn to the influx of energy and the swells of laughter and delectable aromas of their favorite foods. Habits are hard to break, even after death. If a man always brought his wife to their favorite restaurant on Friday nights, he might still pop in to reminisce.
- Movie Theaters – Everything has energy, including ghosts. While they can no longer eat to refuel themselves, they still need energy to survive. Sometimes they pull this energy from our batteries or electrical devices, but other times they get it from us directly. What better place to get a recharge than at a suspenseful horror flick or action adventure movie where emotions run high? My local cinema has several resident ghosts and they always seem to find the movies where they’ll get the best pay off.
- Hospitals – Why anyone would remain at a hospital after he or she has died is beyond comprehension, but it happens. Perhaps after death, they get lost at the place where they took their last breath and don’t know where to go, or maybe they enjoy the steady stream of people coming in and out of the buildings. Either way, hospitals are often quite haunted. Ask any medium and you’ll get your confirmation.
- Nursing Homes – This falls under the same basic category as hospitals, but for other reasons. Nursing homes are often filled to the brim with lost souls. Some might be confused, preferring to remain in a place they are familiar with instead of facing a greater unknown. Others might be hanging around to help a friend or loved one pass over. Health care workers have supported this theory over the years after experiencing situations they can’t easily explain.
- Police Stations – If you were murdered and you wanted to tell someone who did it, where would you choose to haunt? You could spend your time chasing after your murderer, or you could hang around the police station, hoping an alert officer will detect your presence.
Watch the video below of a ghost caught on camera at an Espanola, New Mexico police station.
- Churches – Many lost souls hang around our plane of existence because of guilt over a past deed. If they feel their sin is great enough, they might balk at crossing over into the light for fear of where it will bring them. By dwelling at a church, they might feel closer to God and hope to find redemption for their sins. Churches are also frequently used for funerals, especially in bygone eras, so it might be the last place they remember being, as well.
- Amusement Parks – What better place to spend your Hereafter than a theme park? Energy is plentiful, with hordes of happy people coming in and out of the park all summer long, and the fun is never ending. Another reason for the frequent hauntings is something you might not have considered. A recent article in The Ghost Diaries points to a creepier reason. Click the link to find out why and to watch a video of a ghost captured on camera at Disney World.
- Antique Stores – think long and hard about bringing home a turn-of-the-century hand tool or child’s toy. Objects with a strong emotional attachment in life, could have a connection in death, as well. Objects such as paintings, mirrors and jewelry were often passed down through families and could have a sentimental value to someone who has died. If you purchase one of these items and begin hearing bumps in the night, you should know why.
- Hotels – Road weary travelers are often if for a surprise when they check into their hotel room for the night. Something doesn’t seem quite right. They might get the feeling they are watched and wake up the next morning feeling tired and drained. Ghosts often hang around old hotels for an assortment of reasons. It might have once been a comforting place for them or it could have been the last place they visited while they were alive. Hotels won’t tell you this, but suicide victims are sometimes found in hotel rooms. A despondent soul might have checked into a hotel room so his body would be found by the hotel staff instead by his family. After dying, he might have panicked, fearful of going to Hell, like he learned in church, and inadvertently remained in our plane of existence.
You might not be aware of the ghosts lingering at these locations. In many cases, they would rather be left alone. Sensitives and mediums, such as myself, know better. We encounter them in many places people would never expect to be haunted.
The next time you’re eating at your favorite restaurant and feel a cold breeze on the back of your neck, you might blame it on the wind, but it might be something else altogether.
Joni Mayhan is a paranormal investigator, author, and the teacher of a popular Paranormal 101 class. For more information about her, check out her website Jonimayhan.com
Click the book covers below to learn more about Joni’s paranormal books, available on Amazon.com
ed of entire families, including children as young as seven. They worked long hours, typically from dawn until dusk, for as little as a dollar a week in a hostile environment that was freezing during the winter and sweltering during the summer. While the machines were simple to use, accidents still happened and children were frequently injured, if not killed. The photo to the right was taken at Slater Mills during its heyday.
Haunted New Harmony 