The need to be haunted.

I have only been investigating the Paranormal as part of a group for two years, but in that very short time I have come across something that I think could be described as some sort of psychological phenomena all in itself.

The need to be haunted is something I witnessed on many investigations, in some cases the owner of a location would exaggerate stories to such an extent that the simplest question would confuse them, there were also the cases where the owner of a location would talk of keeping the ghost, as though it were a pet, and then there was the worst case scenario, the location that advertised itself as the most haunted place in the county of Wiltshire (where i live) only to have the landlord caught faking activity during an investigation.

What, one wonders, could make these people be so desperate to be haunted?

It could be that they are so fascinated by the paranormal that they misdiagnose any sound or slight happening as paranormal when indeed it simply needs to be looked at logically. It could also be a case of the person in question having lost somebody tragically in their life and they are desperate to believe that their loved one is still with them, Then there is my favourite theory - The curse of the Paranormal Pound (or Dollar in the US)

With television shows such as Most Haunted, Haunted Homes, Derek Acorahs ghost towns and the like on our screens most week nights, it is easy to see why people may get excited at the prospect of being haunted.

We all know The Red Lion at Avebury who were on Most Haunted, We know The Black Swan in Devizes who were on Most Haunted, look at how those locations make a profit of supposedly being Englands most haunted locations…

I am sure it is the same in the USA too, places that have been on ghost hunters or on most haunted or what have you, start to charge people to access for an investigations…

If you were the owner of public location that had ghost stories attached to it, and you heard that supposed haunted hot spots can make the owner a fortune on investigation charges, would you not instantly see the £ or $ signs in front of your eyes?

An easy way to cash in, and a good way to draw in custom - “Come and eat in The worlds most Haunted restaurant” - Doesn’t take a genius does it.

What causes me to worry the most is the thought of a grieving relative or loved one stopping their bereavment process by convincing themselves the ghost of their loved one is still with them, when this may not be the case. This can be emotionally, physically and psychologically damaging.

My worry about this phenomena of the need to be haunted does worry me though, because not only is it morally wrong, it also takes Paranormal Investigation teams to locations that they need not be investigating, it wastes the teams time and resources, especially when there may a location that they could investigate to yield some really important results.

Just my 2 cents, or pence, depending on where you’re from.