Polterzeitgeist
"Rumbling Spirit of the Times"
In a previous post, Mythology of Life: Haunts of Man, I had talked about how the darker parts of humanity seem to be reflected in what we build. I was thinking recently on my fascination with ghosts, scary movies, and the haunted roads, buildings, and cemetaries of folklore. I began to wonder -- are these places really haunted by spirits and poltergeists? Or are we the ones who are haunted, projecting those parts of ourselves onto the world around us?
I heard a quote recently that has stuck with me, and you can find retrofitted on my recent Introspection post. "The monster never sees the monster in the mirror." The idea is that a person who does bad things doesn't see that part of themselves. Call it a self-serving bias or personal blinders. But what if it also meant we don't realize the fears and anxieties we carry and how we make them manifest in our environment?
Else said, I think we perceive what we want to, knowingly or not. I love ghost stories because they are personal. People tell them with passion and detail. I always want to find a logical explanation, but inevitably, I would fear putting the situation to the test. Why? Because going to a scary place truly frightens me. Emotion trumps logic. I bring the fear of the unknown and losing control with me.
But I still love to push myself to the edge. Two coworkers and I are planning an excursion. We are going to watch the movie Session 9. Then we are paying a visit to Ashmore, Illinois to visit an old mental hospital that has been abandoned. Personally, I think we are a bit crazy! But not as crazy or cool as the folks who run the Infiltration website, which I just found and now love.
I think I am onto something here. But maybe it's possible that when some of us die, because of the tragedy of the death or the troubled experience of life, we cannot let go. So we hang on in some state of limbo, inadvertently instilling fear in others because we cannot stop haunting ourselves. It's the power of emotion over logic.
6 comments:
Good ol Session 9! I'll have to thank my friend Dr. Bart for turning me on to that movie... I might have built up enough courage to watch it again... Of course watching it before a trip to an abandoned mental hostpial???
Jesus. lol
Allison, I think you are the only one who still reads this thing...glad to know I have one fan!
C'mon, you know you want to come with us...we could arrange a visit when you are in town : )
I love your latest post. I wish I could put logic over emotion. That would show true will. I also read your blog but not all of your posts cause sometimes they are too long and I have no idea where Virginia is for example (I am from Greece) and I have no interest in Virginia so I didn't read it. But ghosts.. Nice. Also, for the first time I think, I used the imdb link provided in a post. I had no idea about Session 9. I might just rent it if I find it anywhere.
As far the the mental hospital is concerned, we should all arrange a group trip there ...We might as well reopen it and become permanent habitants.
Indeed, Mr. F, you have been a most loyal reader as well! And for your patronage and shared insights, I am grateful.
You just caught me in a mode of self-deprecation...and it didn't help that I checked my site traffic and it's been low recently... probably because of my lack of posts : )
Anyway, rent Session 9 if you can find it. It's not well-known here in the States, so I'm not sure of its availability abroad. Watch it with the lights off at night, too!
Thought I'd share my only poltergeist story. Was sitting in the living room many years ago watching tv. Was alone at home. Something caught my eye. We had a wall phone with a long coiled cord on a wall adjacent to the living room. What caught my eye is that it looked like the cord was being held up in the air. I did a triple-take, and when I finally paid attention, the cord was again hanging loosely below the phone, but it was swining as though it had been disturbed.
Actual ghost or figment of my imagination? I'll never know. But your post made me think of it.
Thought I'd share my only poltergeist story. Was sitting in the living room many years ago watching tv. Was alone at home. Something caught my eye. We had a wall phone with a long coiled cord on a wall adjacent to the living room. What caught my eye is that it looked like the cord was being held up in the air. I did a triple-take, and when I finally paid attention, the cord was again hanging loosely below the phone, but it was swining as though it had been disturbed.
Actual ghost or figment of my imagination? I'll never know. But your post made me think of it.
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