Phantom hitchhikers, or vanishing hitchhikers are most popular as an urban legend, or ghost story within the continental United States--typically a young woman stranded on the side of the road who desperately needs to get home. This original story based on the phantom hitchhiker legend is a typical account of what is to be expected if you were to pick her up on the side of the … [Read more...] about Phantom Hitchhikers and Vanishing Vagabonds
Spirit
Why the Dead Come Back to Haunt Us
A common question on the minds of those who believe in ghosts, is what causes a dead person to reappear as a ghost? Unfortunately, this topic isn’t as well researched as the topic of whether or not ghosts actually exist, so there is no real scientific data to back it up—but there is plenty of folklore and a bounty of ghost culture to draw appropriate conclusions from. If you … [Read more...] about Why the Dead Come Back to Haunt Us
Ghost Stories Thrive in a World of Skepticism
Within the paranormal community, there are always going to be skeptics, but some of those skeptics actually err on the side of disbelievers—this is a good thing, it’s always better to have a healthy level of doubt in order to pursue evidence without any bias. There have been numerous theories to explain the paranormal phenomena that affect certain people, including but not … [Read more...] about Ghost Stories Thrive in a World of Skepticism
Ghosts Are More Than Just the Spirits of the Dead
Photography by Jack Cain What Are Ghosts? Are they the benevolent spirits of our loved ones who have passed on? Or are they malevolent specters haunting the shadows, waiting for the moment to attack unwitting victims? Modern folklore says that ghosts are the souls or spirits of a dead person or animal that can often be perceived by the living. These apparitions vary … [Read more...] about Ghosts Are More Than Just the Spirits of the Dead
Ghost Tales of the Arctic: Don’t Take What Belongs to the Dead
While attending college in the Interior of Alaska, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Yup’ik—a Central Alaska Native language—on Halloween of my second year, my professor deemed it appropriate to tell us Alaska Native ghost stories. Hearing these stories in Yup’ik gave unique perspective on the particular experience of growing up in … [Read more...] about Ghost Tales of the Arctic: Don’t Take What Belongs to the Dead