Ghost tours что это
Обновлено: 25.04.2024
Whenever friends or family from out of town come to visit, invariably we wind up in our scenic Old Town area. Aside from the quaint and beautiful feel to the vicinity, it also is the most historically significant part of town. Usually the importance of the area is attributed to the buildings and architecture. However, a more lurid side of the city is gaining popularity for the town, as well: ghost tourism.
The principle behind ghost tourism is that people are taken on guided tours of buildings, such as the infamous Stanley Hotel, that are thought to be haunted. Such hauntings are advertised as being either of ghosts of former tenants or owners, or because it was the scene of a crime, such as a murder, where the victims are thought to be stuck.
The reasons for embarking on such tours are many, from being an added curiosity to the morbid and terrifying such as staying in the place in the hopes of seeing, meeting, talking to or being scared by these ghosts (negative energies, demons, etc.).
There are a couple of additional reasons that the growth and popularity of ghost tourism is especially frightening. One being just how much the industry is growing; according to one recent report in the Orlando Sentinel, an estimated $300 million in profits are made from ghost tourism and associated industries, up markedly in the last 15 years from what used to be a novelty. The rapid growth of the industry is disturbing but also very telling—it indicates how much the Raja and Tama in society as a whole has increased, such that people actually gain pleasure and are willing to pay hard earned money even in lean times, on the opportunity to scare and terrify themselves.
Another reason why the popularity of ghost tourism is scary is because neither the ghost tour operators, nor the facility owners, nor the tourists themselves actually know what is happening at a subtle level, in the spiritual dimension. As such, necessary precautions are not undertaken, due to a failure to recognize that:
I have, on occasion, inadvertently visited buildings on the ghost-tour-track and have felt that the energy was very different in those locales, even if I never dined with a ghost-in-residence. I wonder what those who have gone to such places or who have gone on organized ghost tours have experienced, and whether they left changed, be it physically, mentally or even spiritually. If you have, do tell us about it.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, these are designed to be adventures, not spiritual experiences, and should be taken as such. A pinch of fun, a dash of excitement and an intriguing experience − that's what you'll get from consorting with the likes of Lizzie or the Count.
Others may be less famous, but their homes, towns or resting places are magnets for thousands of visitors.
- A fan of the vampire author Anne Rice? New Orleans awaits.
- 17th century witchcraft trials? Salem, Massachusetts, of course.
- Some streets of London are said to still be haunted by Jack the Ripper.
- The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast? This is where she axe-murdered her parents and you can sleep in the room where it happened.
- The Grey Friars Kirk of Edinburgh, site of a bloody battle and home of what has come to be known as the McKenzie poltergeist.
Ghost Tourism Definition
Another definition simply sees it as a tour of places believed to be haunted − ghost sightings, haunted rooms or any other type of ghost adventures.
History of ghost tourism
The British have been leading the way.
Scotland has a rich haunted and ghostly history and travelers have been traipsing northward for several centuries in search of ghosts and the paranormal. Over the years this type of ghost visit has skyrocketed in popularity until today, few cities who welcome tourists would be caught without some sort of guide to their most haunted places to visit.
Of course those of us who take part in these supernatural tour don't really expect to see a ghost spirit of any kind but. you never know.
Sightings or not, there is a certain attraction to visiting sites that chill.
It could be simple curiosity, to see a place so many people are talking about (or whispering about). It could be a love of history, because many of these sites have a historical significance that goes back centuries. Or perhaps it's thrill-seeking, that desire to be jolted out of everyday banality into another world that is not known or understood.
Yet others believe the popularity of ghost travel may be due to interest in matters spiritual.
Ghost tourism vs ghost hunting
You may hear the two terms being used interchangeably but they're not quite the same.
And while supernatural attractions like the ones I describe further down are becoming more popular, they have little to do with the investigative side of ghosts and hauntings and are a far more serious incursion into the paranormal. (You can read more about ghost hunting here.)
Oh, and in case a few hours of ghost hunting doesn't cut it, you can always try the ever more popular overnight ghost hunts. (Not for me, thank you.)
Best ghost city tours and haunted tours
Dublin is haunted. It has to be.
If it weren’t, why would so many people tell its haunted stories, guide you through abandoned buildings and neighborhoods, and dutifully study its somewhat frightening legends?
In the land of mythical leprechauns and faeries, I meandered into shadowy caves, eerie graveyards, and came across things that go bump in the night.
Take Hendrick Street, which has a reputation as Dublin’s most haunted street.
Number 7 was once an expensive home that became run down. Into it moved a family whose members were warned not to go downstairs at nighttime. An old lady who had died in the house was believed to still guard the front door; the sound of her bare feet running up and down the stairs was audible from midnight until five every morning.
One night, the family’s patriarch staggered home drunk. As he struggled to fit his key into the lock, he heard a rush of footsteps down the wooden stairs. The door opened, and he felt a swoosh of displaced air behind him as someone – not visible – ran past. He learned his lesson and was never out of bed again once the clock struck twelve.
At number 8 lived a disharmonious old couple who hated one another. Each waited for the other to die. He finally did. She was happy to be rid of him but would soon discover he would plague her with his presence for many years. She put up with his haunting for as long as she could but eventually sought a priest to perform an exorcism.
Perhaps even eerier is the Edmundsen Electrical Company across the street.
The building has been abandoned since the 1960s, a modern rectangle of glazed windows and fluttering blinds. A little girl has regularly appeared to visitors here, fueling the belief this was once an orphanage. The plant was also the site of many suicides. Faces can often be seen in windows.
And I know I saw a light shining in one.
Dublin is dotted with crypts, graveyards and haunted places. You could start your search for the supernatural with these:
To some visitors, Dublin’s haunted side is a lark, something to investigate with tongue in cheek, with the utter confidence of disbelief.
To others, it’s a serious matter and the subject of much historical – and paranormal – exploration.
Here are several spooky Dublin tours you might enjoy:
The best ghost walking tours
I love the usual attractions, the museums and artwork and funky neighborhoods of a new city I'm visiting, but I'm also curious about the past and, inevitably, any city's history will harbor an element of ghost history.
Scared behind bars: haunted prisons and captive in the asylum
All kinds of places can be haunted, but prisons make a popular choice for ghostly beings. Particularly before society began treating prisoners more humanely, many horrible and unexplained deaths happened within prison walls. Here are some of the more famous "haunted institutions".
Next to prisons, hospitals and asylums house many paranormal phenomena. Whether their deaths were natural or the result of gruesome “treatments,” the ghosts that inhabit these abandoned buildings don't seem to want to leave.
Centuries-old castles and fortresses
These ancient structures often housed underground dungeons filled with treacherous prisoners or victims of love-stories-gone-wrong. If you're looking for long-lost souls who might still be lurking, you might find them here.
But perhaps the most famous haunted castle of all is Bran Castle, in the province of Transylvania in Romania. On a recent visit I tried to capture 'that haunted feeling' and although I enjoyed my visit, there were no ghostly apparitions on offer. Perhaps the sheer number of tourists scared them off.
Bran Castle and the Dracula Myth
There's a myth about Bran Castle and Dracula, the character in Bram Stoker’s novel. The castle is located in Transylvania, on a high rock overlooking a river. It's often thought of as 'Dracula's castle' because it's the only castle that fits the description in the book. But the author never visited Romania and based his own description on that of a book on Transylvania.
The name Dracula leads to confusion. Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) was also known as Vlad Dracul. He was a prince and lived in a nearby castle, now in ruins. He had a tenuous link with Bran Castle, with whose lords he was on unfriendly terms.
In some nearby villages, people still remember the evil spirits (steregoi) who appeared normal in daytime but left their bodies at night to torment villagers until dawn, when their powers faded.
Before I lay me down to sleep.
You might think haunted hotels would shutter their doors and their owners run for the hills but no, many have decided to capitalize on their 'scary hotel' status and provide you with (some) shut-eye should you choose to spend the night.
Haunted places veering to the macabre
The next few are far too macabre for my taste and don't qualify as 'fun', at least not in my book, but they are popular and ghostly so I'll mention them. (Sensitive souls please skip this section.)
Top 10 famous ghost towns and deserted towns around the world
A hugely popular form of ghost tourism is visiting abandoned towns. Not only are large groups of empty buildings eerie, but people have often reported feeling the presence of long-gone souls, many years after their death. Narrowing this list to ten doesn't do the many sites I've left out justice.
These unusual experiences make for fascinating travel.
After all, even a scientist like Thomas Edison thought there might be life after death and that you could communicate with the spirits. Perhaps he knew something we did not.
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