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Essay III: Horror- From The Screen to Our Minds

The horror genre of film was created as an outlet for mankind to express their darkest feelings and thoughts in a socially acceptable way. Stephen King explains it as “anticivilization emotions don’t go away, and they demand periodic exercise” (King). Horror films force us to face our innermost fears in a safe space, while also adding a layer of entertainment to the experience. King related it to riding a roller coaster with its drops, twists, and turns (King). For some people, it’s like chasing an adrenaline rush, and nothing else compares to that feeling they get. Since its introduction in the late 1890’s, the horror genre has expanded. There are many subgenres in contemporary horror, including- demonic possessions, ghost and hauntings, nonhuman entities, urban legends, psychological, and slasher films. There are many more subgenres, as well as subcategories for the subgenres. And the fan base for horror films is relatively stable, as horror holds about 6% of the market share (Box Office).

As a non-horror fan, I knew that I couldn’t just pick any movie- it had to push me beyond my comfort zone. I decided on the subgenre of psychological horror because the films are specially made to challenge the watcher and mess with their mind. Psychological horror is one of the most terrifying genres because it deals with the inner workings of a person’s psyche. I think it is so frightening because it can be rooted in truth and reality. Other genres can be easy to brush aside because the events that happen in those films seem less likely to occur in everyday life and have more far-fetched storylines. But psychological horror has an eeriness to it, due to the thought that it can happen to ordinary people. For the movie, I went with The Boy by director William Brent Bell. This movie is about a woman, Greta, who becomes a nanny for a family who views a life-sized doll as their son Brahms. The story behind the doll is Brahms died in a fire, and the Heelshires use the doll as a surrogate for him. The family has a set of rules to follow for the care of Brahms, and while at first, Greta doesn’t abide by them, they end up being her saving grace. The movie follows Greta’s short journey from skepticism to acceptance and belief, then ultimately to terror. And while Greta can escape from the terror, Brahms never will.

So how we classify a film as psychological horror? Through a set of characteristics reliant upon messing with both the protagonist’s and viewer’s minds. The film will focus on highlighting the protagonist’s emotional and mental fears while also showcasing their suspicion, distrust, self-doubt, and paranoia (Lofberg). The Boy exhibits this characteristic when Greta starts experiencing Brahm’s “playful” side. Greta’s feelings push through her unconscious mind and into her dreams, causing suspicion and paranoia to affect her strongly. Greta explores the possibility of a spirit causing the disturbances, but like many others in psychological horror, it’s a misdirection, aimed at keeping the protagonist’s psyche whirling (Psychological Horror). Psychological horrors aren’t always bloody like slasher films because they rely on the surrounding’s suggestion and uncertainty of the climate to create those creepy feelings inside you. The Boy is an excellent example of this because the house where Greta is staying at easily gives off weird vibes and holds frightening secrets. But this is not to say there can’t be blood or violence in psychological horror, just that it is not the focus of this genre.

Another classification for psychological horror has to do with the resolution of the central struggle. In psychological horror, the ending can usually be unexpected, perplexing, and complicated. This is showcased by the protagonist surviving and escaping, but viewers are often left wondering what happened to the villain. And not all villains meet their rightful demise when the protagonists “win” their freedom from the terror they faced. The Boy demonstrated this characteristic by showing Greta facedown and wound Brahms in her fight for freedom. As Greta puts distance between her and the horror of the Heelshires, Brahms is working to fix the doll in hopes of catching a new caretaker and plaything.

Ivy Lofberg explains a theme of this subgenre is “processing the experience of death” (Lofberg). Greta herself is facing this experience in her own way as well. After the trauma of losing her unborn child due to a beating from her ex, she takes the position of the nanny to get away from the abuse and hopefully heal from her loss. Since Greta is trying to deal with her own inner demons, it allows for her to be vulnerable and unsuspecting of the building terror. This film explores the fear of losing a child through both the family’s predicament and Greta’s. Audiences get to see two perspectives on the loss of a child. While Greta tries to move on, the Heelshires seem to be stuck on keeping him alive through the act of utilizing the doll in place of Brahms. However, there is more than one fear represented in this film. I think the fear that a terrifying monster could reside in anybody, even a seemingly sweet little boy, is another layer of the human psyche, hidden in the underbellies of society. And while horror movies bring our fears to the forefront, they also push the boundaries of what is socially and ethically acceptable. Stephen King says in his essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies” that we may all be insane and it just depends on our varying degree of insanity (King). This plays into people’s fears of not being socially acceptable and hiding the parts they don’t want to be displayed.

Horror can be related back to the first concept we studied, Freud’s The Uncanny. Horror films rely on producing an eerie feeling within their viewer. The uncanny or unheimlich is defined as uncomfortable, uneasy, gloomy, dismal, or ghastly (Freud). Horror films easily fall into this concept because they are designed to make people feel this way when they watch them. In Freud’s explanation of ‘Heimlich,’ he states the definition shifts from its origin of homeliness into something hidden. He says it had “become increasingly ambivalent until it finally merged with its antonym unheimlich” (Freud). The unheimlich is where the feeling of eeriness originated, and horror is based on the eerie. Horror is all about showcasing the worst of our fears, and it brings together fans of all type. But does loving and craving horror make you a bad person? Not necessarily, because what separates us from the monsters in these films is the decision to not act upon the darkest of our feelings. And while there are a few people who would disagree, we must take all opinion for what they are, just ideas.

Works Cited

Box Office History for Horror. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2018, from https://www.the-numbers.com/market/genre/Horror

Freud, Sigmund. “The Uncanny.” The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XVII (1917-1919): An Infantile Neurosis and Other Works.

Lofberg, I. (2016, November 15). Beginner's Guide: Psychological Horror. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from http://www.filminquiry.com/beginners-guide-psychological-horror/

Psychological Horror. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2018, from http://besthorrornovels.com/pyschological-horror.html

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Blog Post 14

Richard Cavendish presents the idea that all magic is dependent on imitation in the chapter “Imitative Magic and the Magical Link”. Throughout the chapter Cavendish reports on different accounts that support this idea. The imitation of theses rituals is not how we typically think of imitation. Magic practitioners would use objects or rituals to mimic actions that they wanted to happen. The interesting part is most of the occurrences had to do with forceful magic. Cavendish tells of how knots could be used to kill a person or to manipulate people. He also discloses how they would make objects into the person they were attempting to influence with their magic. This is considered imitative or image magic and it “relies on creating a link with its victim by making an image of him in wax, clay, rags or whatever material is to hand, usually including his hair or nail clippings, blood or sweat, which retains their connection with him” (Cavendish). Creating this link would allow the practitioner to direct the magic at the specific person to ensure the desired outcome. A good majority of the reported cases had to do with love- making people fall in love or keeping them from love.

But did these rituals of mimicry actually work? To us, it looks like practitioners put in a lot of work in the hopes that the ritual would work in their favor. But to those who practiced these rituals, it was just working on their craft for them. While these rituals are strange to us, they are commonplace in the world of the occult. The occult is such a taboo for those outside of it because it deals with the unknown and as we have discussed throughout our past sections, the unknown terrifies us because we have been taught to fear it.

Cavendish, R. (2017). The black arts. New York: TarcherPerigee, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

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Essay II: Who’s the Witch?

What do we think of when we heard the word ‘witch’? For many, it conjures up the image of a cackling, old hag with green skin wearing all black and a pointed hat. But this portrayal does is not accurate. This is the image western civilizations have created to give a negative connotation to witches. Most witches, in the truest sense of the word, look just like everyone else. It isn’t one’s appearance that makes them a witch, it is their beliefs that make them a witch. So, it begs the questions, if witches aren’t cackling old hags with green skin and all black clothing, who are they and what do they believe?

Margot Adler has spent years traveling and visiting groups of Neo-Pagans and put what she learned into her book, Drawing Down the Moon. Adler tells us that the word ‘witch’ originated from the root word of weik which related to religion and magic (Adler, 2010). Wicca was also believed to mean people who could alter reality. This is where the distorted image of witches comes into play. These distorted images have affected the perceptions of many people for hundreds of years. But, witches are very much just like everyone else. A witch is just a term applied to a person who believes in a non-normative religion, like Wicca or Paganism. Adler tells of a coven she visited and states “they lived quite ordinary lives, like their neighbors” (Adler, 2010). She tells of their life as farmers, with the only difference being how they “united themselves with the natural world” (Adler, 2010). Since Wiccans and Pagans beliefs are outside of the realm of acceptable religions, it causes many to view them as evil.

Wiccan and Pagan belief systems are probably the most natural and holistic beliefs in the world. However, since not all religions are accepted in commonplace society, those on the fringe are viewed as ‘evil.’ The world today is ruled by monotheistic religions which tells followers that anything outside of its realm is ‘bad.’ Many Witches and Pagans believe in polytheistic religions which don’t try to limit the beliefs of their followers. Adler explains polytheism from the viewpoint of Pagans as “an attitude and a perspective that affect more than what we consider to be religion” (Adler, 2010). Polytheism is not solely inclusive or exclusive of beliefs. Adler reports that David Miller noticed polytheistic ideas can include monotheistic ideas but said the opposite is not true. Polytheistic beliefs are different for each Wiccan, Pagan, or Neo-Pagan group.  Many see the concept as “facets of a jewel, harmonious but differing” and say it “allows for both unity and diversity” (Adler, 2010). Paul Radin presented the idea that monotheism coexisted beside polytheism in the past. So why is it now frowned upon to not follow convention by having polytheistic beliefs? I believe this is because monotheistic religions teach their followers to see what they show them and not venture to explore what lies beyond. The simple fact is what’s known is safe and righteous, while the unknown holds evils and leads people astray.

The difference in religion is not the only factor affecting the perception of witches. The idea of magic frightens many into believing the worst of those who practice the Craft. Adler describes magic as “a convenient word for a whole collection of techniques” (Adler, 2010). Is this the same magic that modern society believes it to be? When society thinks of magic, they think of curses and spells, but this is not the magic witches believe in and practice. Adler says, “most magicians, Witches, and other magical practitioners do not believe that magic has anything to do with the supernatural” (Adler, 2010). Witches don’t perform magic but rather use magic as part of their culture. Magic has been described as “the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will” by Aleister Crowley. Adler even tells readers that most of the people who follow witchcraft or Wicca “link magic to an understanding of the workings of the mind” (Adler, 2010). So really, magic is just a way for Witches and Wiccans to learn about themselves and interpret messages from the world around them. This idea of magic rivals most of what we are taught from mainstream media about witches.

TV and movies show us depictions of witches as women, and occasionally men, who have special powers, hold seances, cast spells, and dance naked in the forest. How did these images come about when most witches are not like this? These images and perceptions were created to keep people fearful of the unknown. An early example of this that Adler gives us is during Christianity’s rise in Europe, and the Church made “the god of the Old Religion… into the devil of the new one” (Adler, 2010). This forced people to convert to Christianity in fear and caused the old religions to become secretive and concealed. This allowed for monotheistic religions to gain power and a stronger foothold in the world while polytheism was relegated to the shadows. Throughout the years, modern, acceptable religions have kept up with trying to persuade their followers that witches are atrocious, sinful beings. However, media and literature combat it by producing characters and storylines that are attractive to the viewer. In 1899, Charles Godfrey Leland produced a book that “reinvented witches as heroines of Progress” (Gibson, 2006). Marion Gibson says Leland and Matilda Johnson Gage created a new revolutionary symbol as the feminist who grew out of the concept of the witch. Lyman Frank Baum also created feminist symbol when he wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Whether it was Baum’s intention or not to celebrate the strength, kindness and good sense of the witches and the heroine, his book exemplified female empowerment in a time when women fought for their own liberties (Gibson, 2006).  Throughout the years a strong female presence has been seen in movies and tv, contributing to the feminist symbol that witches have represented since it was created. However, it is still the wrong image of what at witch truly is. And while we have come a long way from condemning and accusing random people of witchcraft, we are still a long way off from showing the truth about real witches.

Works Cited

Adler, M. (2010). Drawing down the moon: Witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America. New York: Penguin Books.

Gibson, M. (2006). Retelling Salem stories: Gender politics and witches in American culture. European Journal of American Culture,25(2), 85-107.

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Blog Post 9 - The “New Woman”

The New Woman was a social enigma.  She did not follow the rules of Victorian society. In essence she rebelled against the ideals of those who came before her. The “new women” was stronger, more independent, and more sexual in nature. Many people did not agree with this portrayal of women because it “undermined the traditional view of the feminine” (Buzwell, 2017). This new figure didn’t need a man, marriage or children, and that caused both positive and negative excitement from men and women. This lead fear of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which was if women became independent, then they threatened the model of the perfect life. A 1854 poem states the ‘ideal femininity’ as “a loving wife devoted to her husband and a mother devoted to her children” (Buzwell, 2017). Women were not supposed to be sexual creatures and or have any desires besides pleasing her husband and caring for the children. Buzwell indicates that Stoker was among those who were against the concept of the “new woman” and uses the death of the character Lucy, from Dracula, to support his idea. The idea of New Woman in fiction eventually died out while to real life figure still lives on today.

The “new woman” is not such a progressive idea in current society because of writers like Sarah Grand, George Gissing, Thomas Harding, and George Moore. These writers brought to light the idea of “new woman”, which would eventually pave the way for a shift of ideals about women and their roles in society. Today’s woman is a mix of both ideals, she reflects a lot of the concepts these authors presented while also portraying some of the more traditional aspects of women. This shows that the fears of the past were unwarranted and those that opposed the “new woman” were slightly misguided.  

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La Purisima Mission

Since I grew up in the city near the mission, I have visited La Purisima many times. This past summer I had the opportunity to visit four of the California Missions as an fun and educational summer trip for my younger cousin.

My nephew and cousin standing in front of the cross in the cemetery of La Purisima Mission.

The boys again, in front of the alter inside the church.

The boys in front of an original adobe oven, and the original Mission bell.

Since La Purisima is considered a “living museum” they have livestock, like this bull, on the grounds.

My nephew at the main fountain of the mission.

A display at the Santa Barbara Mission about the Chumash Revolt at La Purisima.

My visit to Mission Santa Ines

My visit to Mission Santa Barbara (also known as “Queen of the Missions”)

My visit to Mission San Luis Obispo

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Essay 1: Explore the Lessons of Hauntings

On the outskirts of the city of Lompoc California lies La Purísima Mission State Historic Park. The original mission was founded on December 8th, 1787 by Father Presidente Fermin de Lasuén. In 1812, a series of major earthquakes, aftershocks and rainstorms destroyed the mission beyond repair. The mission was rebuilt in its current location, which was closer to the main travel route, El Camino Real. The mission appeared to prosper for a while, until rising tensions between the Chumash Indians and the soldiers at La Purísima reached a breaking point. The Chumash rebelled and took control of La Purísima, forcing the residents to relocate to Mission Santa Inez. Not more than a month later, Spanish soldiers took back control of the mission, leaving two soldiers wounded, one dead and 16 Indians dead. Seven more Chumash were executed for participating in the rebellion. La Purísima Mission never quite recovered before the missions were secularized.

La Purísima Mission is currently a National Historic Landmark and living museum open to the public under the care of The California Department of Parks and Recreation. It is supposedly haunted, as visitors, docents and park rangers have reported seeing apparitions of small children, Chumash Indians, Father Mariano Payeras, and the ghost of Don Vicente. Ghost Adventures visited La Purísima to check out the hauntings and “experienced” something. I have visited the mission many times since I grew up in the city of Lompoc, and I have never experienced any hauntings there. So why do we have these stories and reports of hauntings?

These stories likely exist because of the sordid history behind La Purísima and the other Franciscan Missions. Chumash Indians are seen because so many died from the diseases the Spaniards brought with them or due to those who were killed during the rebellion. Some may see it as how Annalee Newitz explains it, “the idea that communities murdered by colonialism can linger on, half-alive, and refuse to leave the living remainder alone” (Newitz, 2006). Even though it was the Spanish who colonized the West first, it was much the same as the English did in the Eastern US. The Chumash Indians were force to convert to the Spaniards way of life and religion in order to continue living in the area. Newitz describes this as the whites seeing the natives as savages with a “dead civilization” and themselves as the superior race (Newitz, 2006). The ghosts of these Chumash Indians represent the history of the land and atrocities that took place in the name of colonization.

But this does not explain the ghosts of the small children or the Spanish padre and man living at the mission. Colin Dickey gives us a possible answer for theses spirits lingering. He simplifies Gaston Bachelard’s theory of leaving our memories in places we inhabit and making it a “memory palace” (Dickey, 2016). Since Father Payeras and Don Vicente lived at La Purisima during its height of prosperity, they may have left enough of themselves behind to linger as spirits. However, some may argue that Don Vicente was murdered there and only half of Father Payeras is interned at La Purísima which has made their spirits restless and unable to seek the peace of the afterlife (Hauck, 2002). The children may be still haunting the mission because they died very young from a smallpox epidemic (Hauck, 2002) and were buried below the old Spanish tile flooring in the church (Jervis, 2012).

La Purísima Mission does not house people anymore, so as Dickey asks, “why do ghosts linger when buildings empty of living people?” (Dickey, 2016) These ghosts represent pieces of our ancestries and pasts. The problem is the past and how the Spanish did not see the Chumash as their equals, which created a division of people, also known as the class system. Even back in the 1800s, some people were seen above others and everyone happened to be above the natives. The division of class caused rifts between the people which can carry on into the afterlife. Dickey also says “though ghosts may be specific to the places they haunt, they can reflect larger preoccupations and concerns of their time and place, echoing the anxieties of a community and its people” (Dickey, 2016).  But is this the only reason they remain? Another explanation may be that the mission was mainly used for the Spanish to gain footholds in the new world and bring Catholicism to the natives. Architecture can play a big part in hauntings and the church was usually the main building of the missions. The church represents a higher power and forces the morality of religion on individuals.

Dickey also says “ghost stories are a way for us to revel in the open wounds of the past while any question of responsibility for that past blurs, then fades away” (Dickey, 2016). The history of La Purísima Mission, and the rest of the California Franciscan Missions, is taught in California’s schools, but it is not the whole history. The history that is known today has been passed down through the “respected” channels, like accounts written from the Spaniards living at the missions during their prime. Though most of the history is accurate, I wonder how much is missing or has been changed to create a more tolerable story. Realistically, the truth about the Chumash ghosts has been lost because they weren’t considered important to the Spanish. The Chumash were considered replaceable, which could possibly have led to a reason for them not passing on into the afterlife.

The story behind La Purísima Mission is much the same as other stories involving Native American Indians across the United States. While details may vary for each story, they are all cautionary tales for us to learn from. If we continue to see other races, genders, or simple differences as below or less than us, then we are no better than our ancestors. Hauntings represent the worst of our histories and though modern society enjoys viewing it as entertainment, they really are lessons. And just like the lessons we learn as children, these haunted lessons and messages need to stay with us throughout our lifetime and be passed on to future generations.

If you want there is a Ghost Adventures episode about the haunting of La Purisima Mission (Season 2 Episode 1)

https://www.travelchannel.com/videos/recap-la-purisima-0160264

Works Cited

Dickey, C. (2016) Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places. New York: Penguin books

Hauck, D. W. (2002). Haunted places: The national directory: Ghostly abodes, sacred sites, UFO landings, and other supernatural locations. New York: Penguin Books. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://books.google.com/books?id=kAK1p91zJEwC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=la purisima mission haunted&source=bl&ots=u3Th5JD9Ap&sig=7AUf-YMzNmHarjqpJd-OtnzB8V0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4k-Dfmo_aAhXrz4MKHUMHD504HhDoAQhEMAY#v=onepage&q=la purisima mission haunted&f=false.

Jervis, L. (2012, February 05). Spooky stories haunt La Purisima Mission. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://lompocrecord.com/news/local/spooky-stories-haunt-la-purisima-mission/article_7c10ba06-4fbc-11e1-b3df-0019bb2963f4.html

Newitz, Annalee. “The Undead: A Haunted Whiteness.” Pretend We’re Dead: Capitalist Monsters in American Pop Culture. Duke: 2006

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More Pictures from Cheesman Park Haunted Walk

This book appeared the second time we walked through the monument.

Seemingly normal painted hand print on one of the pillars on the left side of the monument.

The hand print cannot be seen from the outside of the monument.

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Blog Post 6- A Haunted Historic Walk

On Saturday night I visited Cheesman Park with my classmates Jesus and Josue. We went at night in an effort to help influence any feelings we might experience. While walking through the open area of the park there wasn’t much to feel, so we headed over to the monument. When we crossed the street to get to the monument, I felt colder air wrap around my ankles. As we approached the building there was a man sitting outside of it, whom we said hello to and continued on with our exploration. We split up to take pictures and explore. The man approached Jesus and Josue after a few minutes and asked if they happened to have bolt cutters. He explained that there are three floors below the monument and the only access is through a locked cover on the floor. As we gathered around the cover, he told us about the time when he went into the lower floors to explore. The third floor is what spooked him the most, as it had “bones of humans down there.” I was a little skeptical at first but we were able to move one of the grate coverings and look into the what was the first floor. Just knowing that there was at least one room below made me wonder, what else could be down there? 

We continued to explore the park and came across two sheds that have a sordid history. The sheds were said to be the place where they stored and later butchered dead bodies. The sheds definitely had an eerie quality to them, even though one of them was painted cheerfully to look like a play house.

We searched the open expanse of the park, looking for the sunken graves that people have reported. However, we didn’t find any which was a little bit of a letdown. As we continued to walk through the park, I spotted an interesting looking tree. It was large and over-hanging, which just added more mystery to it. I decided to let my curiosity get the better of me and walked into the tree to see if I would feel anything. I have to admit standing under the tree definitely gave off the feeling of another presence being there too. We decided soon after that our adventure was finished and it was time to leave Cheesman Park behind. This experience made me question whether the feeling I had were real or was it just the circumstances of the event that lead to those experiences?

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Blog Post 4

Chapter 7 focuses on brothels and ghost stories behind them. One of the greatest ghost stories is the tale of Bella Rawhide and Timber Kate, two prostitutes from Reno, NV. Their story has so many specific details that one would think it has to be true, however each of those details leads to a dead end. But does that mean all ghost stories lead to dead ends? Dickey tells of several other brothel-based hauntings and that it may be due to the fact that brothels represent a place where societal rules don’t matter.

The main story in this chapter deals with the most famous brothel in the US, the Mustang Ranch. The Mustang Ranch is famous because founder of it, Joe Conforte, is known for legalizing brothels and prostitution. Conforte had many problems, most notably, the death of a famous boxer. Conforte was not charged for that crime but later ran to Brazil to escape tax evasion charges in 1980. It is now owned by Lance Gilman who has worked hard to change the image and reputation of brothels. The Mustang Ranch now sits in a new location, but employees say certain areas are haunted, leading the idea that the ghost are tied to bones of the structure itself.

The television show Ghost Adventures did an episode on the hauntings of Mustang Ranch. Many people find this type of television intriguing, but it begs the question, is it real? In this day and age, editing is as easy as tying your shoes. So, how does anyone know if the images they show you are real or just doctored to seem real. Shows like Ghost Adventures are really just about taking the sordid history of country and spinning it to make it more appealing. These shows are just another facet of dark tourism that seems to be sweeping our country. While there may be a hint of truth to the history behind these hauntings, the majority of “findings” have no basis whatsoever.  

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Blog Post #2

In Ghostland’s “The Family That Would Not Live” Dickey tells the history of the Lemp Mansion and the Lemp family. This chapter is framed by Dickey recounting the visit he made to the Lemp Mansion. The Lemp family’s story is a tragic one which has spawned the ghost story connected to their family home. The history of the Lemp’s shows the father, two sons and a daughter all committed suicide by shooting themselves. These tragic ends, paired with the consideration that the house had also been used as an overflow ward for terminal children, permeates the legend of the Lemp Mansion hauntings. During Dickey’s tour, he describes feelings that can be linked back to Freud’s “The Uncanny”. While he points out the feelings can be attributed to the storm, the sloping stairs, or “looking through the view finder too much” (Dickey, 2016), it is more than any of these. Freud’s theory on uncanny shows that these feelings are caused by the mystery of the space. Since the Lemp Mansion is alleged to be mysterious and haunted, it then gives off those eerie sensations to visitors. The uncanniness can be attributed to the exposure and exploitation of the Lemp family’s sordid history.

But is the house truly haunted or is it just cited as such to play on people’s fear and emotions? Dickey shows the Lemp Mansion is obviously part of the growing trend of dark tourism, where people will market places as haunted to increase business. Since the Lemp Mansion is now a profiting business, it shows the owners are taking advantage of the tragedy the Lemp family faced back in the 1900s. It is quite possible that the house may have been haunted or still could be, however its current status leaves more to be desired and less to be influenced.

 Dickey, C. (2016). Ghostland: an American history in haunted places. NY, NY: Penguin Books.

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Blog Post #1

In “Shifting Ground”, Dickey brings up the idea that no matter where you are in the US, your home sits upon the past. This chapter is based off that, which shows in the ghost stories of Myrtle Plantation, Jay Anson’s Amityville Horror, and Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. The story of these places have been changed, whether through time or to emphasis the haunting of the place, leaving little truth behind them. The Myrtle Plantation is known for having visible ghosts but why are they there? Theory is that it was built upon a burial site of the Tunica Indians. The idea that places become haunted because they are built on Indian burial grounds has been used in many other ghost stories, including those of Anson and King’s novels. But is this truly the reason for hauntings? While the truth behind the hauntings may never be known, Dickey tells us that this theory will stick because it has a connection to history. These ghost stories are a way for us to forget that we may have been responsible for the past.

Freud’s notion of “the uncanny” shows us that these accounts are more than just physical apparitions and stories, they are a bit psychological in nature. In order to affect us so profoundly, they must confuse our rational minds and this is where the concept of “the uncanny” comes in. Freud describes uncanny as being frightening but also familiar. So, the idea that haunted places are because of hidden Indian burial grounds is uncanny. The fact that these places have become so common and recognizable yet are still terrifying helps in proving Freud’s concept of “uncanny”. Uncanny is used now as way to describe things that are beyond the normal, but Freud’s explanation of it will continue to ring true where the paranormal is concerned.